Passing the Trial

The moment Uchiha Jun equipped [Sasuke Uchiha (Shippuden)], he felt the entire world change.

First was his vision.

With the Sharingan activated, three tomoe slowly rotated within his pupils, and everything around him became incredibly clear.

The movements of the giant snakes, in the eyes of the Sharingan, appeared as if they were in slow motion.

Next was his chakra.

The amount of chakra brought by the Sasuke Uchiha template far exceeded that of the Senju Tobirama template!

It was at the level of an elite Jonin!

Equivalent to three Kakashi!

Most importantly, the Sharingan possessed the ability to see through chakra!

Uchiha Jun opened his Sharingan and scanned his surroundings.

This time, he saw something different.

Faint traces of chakra lingered in the air, like the remnants of some kind of jutsu.

Those traces extended from the giant snakes and ultimately pointed toward a forest on the east side of the training ground.

"Found you!"

A cold smirk curled the corners of Uchiha Jun's mouth.

But he did not rush over immediately.

Instead, he switched back to the [Senju Tobirama (Youth)] template first.

Although the Sharingan was useful, if he revealed his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, Uchiha Jun would surpass Uchiha Shisui and leap to become the "Konoha Super Genius."

By then, pressure from all directions, both overt and covert, would come crashing down on him!

After switching back to the Senju Tobirama template, Uchiha Jun utilized his sensory abilities once again.

With the "direction" he had seen via the Sharingan, his sensory ability now precisely locked onto Orochimaru's location!

On the east side of the training ground, in a large tree about three hundred meters away.

Although the chakra was hidden, the faint fluctuations in the air could not deceive Uchiha Jun's perception.

"If you're going to act, you have to do it right."

A flash of cunning crossed Uchiha Jun's eyes.

He did not charge directly at Orochimaru; instead, he feigned being forced back by the giant snakes, moving toward that direction bit by bit.

"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"

A curtain of water rose from the ground, blocking the giant snakes' attack.

Uchiha Jun took the opportunity to retreat several dozen meters.

"Water Style: Water Wave!"

He repelled a few more giant snakes and continued to retreat.

Just like that, fighting while retreating, Uchiha Jun spent five minutes closing the distance to one hundred meters.

Only one hundred meters remained between him and Orochimaru!

"Close enough."

Uchiha Jun took a deep breath, his gaze turning frantic.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

"Poof--!"

Amidst the smoke, a golden Shiba Inu appeared before Uchiha Jun.

"Mofang, ram into that largest one for me!"

"Understood!"

Mofang transformed into a blur, charging toward the giant snake closest to Orochimaru.

"Bang!"

The giant snake was sent flying, snapping several trees in its path.

This collision disrupted the giant snake's attack rhythm and created a brief blind spot in Orochimaru's line of sight.

Now is the time!

"Secret Scroll: Chakra!"

Summoning scrolls and secret scrolls together, my rank climbs higher and higher!

Uchiha Jun released the secret scroll, and a warm current surged into his body; his chakra, which had been nearly bottomed out, instantly recovered by half!

"Water Style: Water Wave!"

"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"

Without a word, he unleashed two skills at once!

The Water Wave Jutsu transformed into a violent torrent, surging toward the direction where Orochimaru stood.

Simultaneously, a Water Wall rose before Uchiha Jun, blocking the attacks of the other giant pythons.

The water surged, trees toppled, and the area within dozens of meters was left in complete disarray.

However, Uchiha Jun knew that relying solely on two C-rank ninjutsu would never be enough to injure Orochimaru.

This was merely an appetizer.

The real killing blow was yet to come!

"Multiple Explosive Tags Jutsu!"

Uchiha Jun pressed his palms together, and the chakra within his body erupted with a roar!

In an instant, countless explosive tags flew out from around Uchiha Jun, resembling white butterflies as they swarmed toward Orochimaru's position, blotting out the sky.

Every single tag flickered with a blinding red light, emitting heart-stopping fluctuations of chakra.

"Detonate!"

"BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!!"

A continuous, thunderous roar of explosions erupted, flames soaring into the sky as shockwaves rolled outward!

The entire forest was engulfed by the blasts, and the shockwaves sent all the surrounding giant pythons flying.

The explosions continued for several full seconds before finally subsiding.

When the smoke and dust cleared, what lay before Uchiha Jun was nothing but scorched earth.

The original forest had vanished, and the ground had been blasted into a crater dozens of meters in diameter.

The giant pythons had all been blown away; some lay on the ground severely wounded, while others simply dissipated into puffs of smoke.

The large tree where Orochimaru had originally been standing had also been blasted into splinters.

But there was no one on the tree.

Only a mangled, unrecognizable lump of earth lay quietly in the center of the crater.

It was an Earth Clone.

"Clap, clap, clap—"

A round of applause drifted from behind him.

Uchiha Jun spun around abruptly, only to see Orochimaru standing not far behind him, a playful smile on his face.

"Not bad, not bad." Orochimaru's voice was as raspy as a snake slithering. "To be able to locate my position while being besieged, use a ruse to get close, and finally launch a lethal strike."

"Although you only destroyed one of my Earth Clones, as a genin, to have such a performance is already outstanding enough."

Uchiha Jun feigned vigilance, gripping his Ninja Blade tightly.

Seeing this, Orochimaru chuckled, took a Konoha Headband from his sleeve, and tossed it to Uchiha Jun.

"Congratulations, you have passed the assessment."

Uchiha Jun caught the headband and let out a sigh of relief, though he maintained a cautious expression on his face.

"That's it... I passed?"

"What else?" Orochimaru tilted his head. "Do you want to fight another round? I wouldn't mind!"

"No, that won't be necessary." Uchiha Jun shook his head hurriedly.

"Clap, clap, clap—"

Another round of applause followed.

Uchiha Fugaku stepped out from the woods, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Jun, well done."

Uchiha Shisui also jumped down from a tree, his eyes filled with astonishment.

"Jun-kun, that final move of yours... isn't it a bit too exaggerated? Just how many explosive tags was that?"

"It's a family secret." Uchiha Jun continued to spout nonsense.

Uchiha Shisui: "...Does your family have a few too many secrets?"

"This is what we call a deep heritage." Uchiha Jun replied righteously.

Uchiha Fugaku looked at Uchiha Jun, his eyes full of appreciation.

Ding! [Uchiha Fugaku] favorability +5, currently 70 points (Appreciation)

Ding! [Uchiha Fugaku] favorability increased to 70 points, randomly obtained 10 A-Rank Ninja Fragments!

Uchiha Shisui favorability +10, currently 50 points (Goodwill)

Orochimaru favorability +10, currently 20 points (Interest)

Sarutobi Hiruzen favorability +5, currently 15 points (Attention)

What a massive windfall!

Uchiha Jun was ecstatic inside, yet he remained composed on the surface.

"Jun," Uchiha Fugaku began, "from now on, you are Lord Orochimaru's student. You must follow Lord Orochimaru diligently and not let the Hokage down."

"Yes!" Uchiha Jun replied with a resonant, firm voice.

Orochimaru looked at Uchiha Jun, his serpentine eyes glinting with curiosity.

"Uchiha Jun... interesting."

"In three days, I will come for you to carry out your first mission."

With that, Orochimaru's figure flickered and vanished from the spot.

Uchiha Fugaku also departed, taking Uchiha Shisui with him.

Only Uchiha Jun remained in the training ground.