You are too weak

Therefore, when it came to competing for the position of Hokage, his status as an Uchiha would not hold him back too much.

After listening to the three of them introduce themselves, Orochimaru suddenly formed hand seals and slammed his palms onto the ground.

Thud.

A giant snake over 30 meters tall with purple markings suddenly erupted from the earth.

"The genin assessment begins. The rule is that you may use any method to defeat my summon, Manda. If you cannot defeat it within two hours, you will have no choice but to return to the Ninja Academy to repeat your studies," Orochimaru said with a sinister laugh as he looked at the three stunned students before him.

"Re, repeat?" Nohara Shin looked bewildered. "Weren't we told that we would be genin as soon as we graduated?"

"A snake this big, and we're supposed to defeat it?!" Kushina Uzumaki glanced at the towering Manda and swallowed hard, unable to help herself. "How is this any different from sending us to our deaths..."

What the hell, is this a joke? After hearing Orochimaru's requirements for the assessment, even the usually "aloof" Uchiha Matsuri's expression turned ghastly.

After mentally thrashing Orochimaru a dozen times, cold sweat broke out on Uchiha Matsuri's forehead.

In the original Naruto story, Manda was a massive monster capable of destroying a city with a single tail swipe. If he really had to fight this behemoth, he doubted he could even survive one strike from its tail.

"Hmm? Orochimaru, are we fighting again? This time, I demand 100 people as a meal!" Manda asked Orochimaru after being summoned.

"Heh, this isn't a fight. I just need you to help these brats train." Orochimaru's tone was icy; it seemed his relationship with this giant snake was not particularly good.

"Hmm?" Manda glanced at the three trembling figures and said disdainfully, "Hmph! I thought you had something important to do. You summoned me just to train these three brats? Orochimaru, you've gone too far."

Without waiting for Orochimaru to respond, Manda vanished in a whoosh.

"That creature." Orochimaru didn't seem angry, his tone remaining flat.

"Since Manda is unwilling to help with your training, I shall handle it myself." Orochimaru let out a sinister chuckle.

Hearing that they no longer had to fight Manda, Nohara Shin and Kushina Uzumaki let out long sighs of relief. However, unlike them, Uchiha Matsuri knew clearly that this man standing before them was far more dangerous than Manda.

"The same terms apply: you have two hours to use any means necessary to defeat me. Now, begin!"

At the word "begin," all three pulled kunai from their scrolls and assumed fighting stances.

"Die!" Nohara Shin shouted, throwing three kunai before sprinting toward Orochimaru.

Seeing Nohara Shin attack, Orochimaru didn't move, simply standing his ground. With a light flick of his hand, he caught the incoming kunai between two fingers.

"Too weak."

A surge of dense chakra suddenly erupted from Orochimaru, blasting Nohara Shin, who was mid-charge, a hundred meters away.

"Such... such powerful chakra." Uchiha Matsuri gritted his teeth, staring at Orochimaru. The sheer pressure of the chakra Orochimaru had casually displayed was enough to strike fear into his heart.

"Naoya, let's go together!" Kushina Uzumaki caught Uchiha Matsuri's eye, then bolted toward Orochimaru.

At the same time, receiving her signal, Uchiha Matsuri also charged forward.

The two attacked Orochimaru from the left and right simultaneously.

"A pity. Still too weak."

A tongue resembling a long snake suddenly shot from Orochimaru's mouth, striking the pair with speed impossible for the human eye to track. Both were sent flying, crashing hard into the ground.

"Damn it, he's too strong." Uchiha Matsuri wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

Just as the two were sent flying, Orochimaru suddenly shifted toward Kushina Uzumaki and struck her neck with his palm, causing her to lose consciousness instantly.

"Kushina!" Nohara Shin shouted.

"Don't worry, I only put her to sleep," Orochimaru said, his back to them as he licked his lips. "If that thing inside her were to wake up, it would be troublesome."

"But you two little ants aren't as lucky." Orochimaru let out a sinister laugh.

In the next second, Orochimaru appeared before Nohara Shin and delivered a punch that sent him flying hundreds of meters away, where he landed, his life hanging in the balance.

"Only you remain. It seems your status as the top student is truly undeserved." Orochimaru turned to look at the trembling Uchiha Matsuri. "As a brat of the Uchiha Clan, you are truly a disgrace."

Hearing Orochimaru's contempt, Uchiha Naoya realized that if he didn't fight for his life now, he might well be a corpse in the next second.

Seeing Orochimaru suddenly turn and rush toward him, Uchiha Matsuri formed hand seals at lightning speed.

"Earth Release: Earth Flow City Wall!"

A high wall suddenly rose between Uchiha Matsuri and Orochimaru.

However, in the very next second, the wall shattered, and Orochimaru was already standing right in front of him.

Bang.

Uchiha Matsuri was kicked away, slamming into a tree hundreds of meters away. The trunk snapped in half, and he fell, buried under the broken branches.

Ugh.

Uchiha Matsuri spat out a mouthful of thick blood.

From that single kick, he knew for certain that his ribs were broken. As for his life, he didn't feel he was in mortal danger.

First, he clearly sensed that Orochimaru was holding back during their exchange. Second, if Orochimaru truly wanted him dead, he wouldn't be doing it so brazenly within Konoha.

In the center of the training ground.

Orochimaru looked at the three fallen figures with an expressionless face.

"Hehe, I'll give you two weeks. Train hard. Two weeks from now at 8:00 AM, right here on this training ground, I will test your strength again," Orochimaru said coldly before walking out of the training ground.

Due to excessive blood loss, Uchiha Matsuri's consciousness gradually began to blur. Not knowing how much time had passed, Uchiha Matsuri felt himself being lifted onto a stretcher by several doctors in white coats, so he closed his eyes in relief.

Hokage's office.

The Third Hokage was monitoring the assessments of several squads through the Telescope Technique on his crystal ball. Upon seeing Orochimaru summon Manda, the Third Hokage could not help but knit his brows.

What is this guy Orochimaru trying to do?

Orochimaru's next move caught the Third Hokage off guard. When he saw Uchiha Matsuri and the other two lying on the training ground, their lives hanging in the balance, the Third Hokage slammed his hand onto the desk. "This Orochimaru, he's gone too far!"

"Teacher, were you calling me?" Orochimaru suddenly appeared at the office door.

"Orochimaru, what exactly have you done? They are just children who have only just graduated; why would you strike with such lethal force?" the Third Hokage demanded angrily.