Wait and See

"Hey! Hey! No way, the teacher is hitting a student! I told you, Konoha Village is unreliable!"

"Good heavens! That's too violent! Is there no one here to stop her?"

For a moment, everyone present exclaimed in shock.

In their eyes, Anko Mitarashi, as a teacher, was definitely in the wrong for striking a student.

Furthermore, a teacher's strength must be top-tier; how could a mere student possibly withstand it?

However, in the next second, Orochimaru moved, unexpectedly extending his tongue to catch the kunai!

The speed was astonishing; not only did he catch it perfectly, but his tongue remained completely unharmed!

"What!"

Anko's eyes widened. Clearly, she hadn't expected this strange person to be so strong.

Although she hadn't used her full strength, she had certainly intended to make him suffer a little!

An ordinary chunin likely wouldn't have been able to catch that strike!

Orochimaru gave a sinister smile, his figure blurred, and he suddenly appeared beside Anko.

He extended his tongue, handing back the saliva-covered kunai.

"Teacher! It's not good to throw things around. Here, I'm returning it to you."

"You guy..."

Anko looked at him with disgust, while simultaneously feeling shocked.

What is this guy's background? Looking at the symbol on his forehead, he's from the Land of Rain? I've never heard of him!

With this kind of strength, it seems the little ones from Konoha Village are in for a rough time!

Anko shot a look of loathing at Orochimaru, but she had to admit that he was very strong.

Suppressing her nausea, she took back the kunai and announced in a loud voice.

"Alright! Everyone, line up immediately. You will each receive a scroll, divided into Heaven and Earth!"

"This gate will open in half an incense stick's time. Keep heading deep inside, and you will see a red tower; that is your destination."

"The prerequisite is that upon reaching the destination, you must possess both the Heaven and Earth scrolls!"

Once the rules were explained, people immediately stepped forward to distribute an opaque bag to everyone.

Inside were the scrolls.

Uchiha Sora also received one. He snuck a peek and discovered it was a Heaven scroll.

"In other words, I just need to get an Earth scroll later. It shouldn't be too hard. If I'm lucky, I might be able to graduate the moment I get inside."

Hinata, looking a bit timid, leaned in closer and said, "That ninja from the Land of Rain just now was so strong! Are ninjas from other villages all this powerful, aside from Konoha Village?"

"If that's the case, do we really have a chance of winning?"

Rock Lee, standing to the side, also looked wary.

"I could barely keep up with that person's movements just now. He is indeed very strong. I hope we don't run into him!"

"Don't worry. There are over a thousand people taking the exam; we won't be that unlucky. Besides, we are very strong ourselves."

Uchiha Sora offered comfort, though he knew in his heart that avoiding Orochimaru was impossible.

As an Uchiha, he was naturally a magnet for Orochimaru.

Even if Sasuke was the initial target, as he gradually began to show his own edge, Orochimaru would definitely come for him.

However, Uchiha Sora couldn't afford to be timid because of this. If he wanted to rise within the village, showing his strength was essential.

Moreover, Uchiha Sora couldn't let his well-nurtured cousin be captured by Orochimaru.

That was his future powerhouse!

Uchiha Sora had already made up his mind: he would go all out this time. Even if his opponent was Orochimaru, he would make him suffer!

At the very least, he would stall until Kakashi and the others arrived.

Just like that, as everyone waited, time passed, and soon half an incense stick's time had elapsed.

The moment the iron gate opened, a crowd of ninjas scrambled to rush inside.

They soon disappeared into the jungle.

Uchiha Sora also set off immediately, taking Hinata and Rock Lee with him as they leaped across the tops of the tall trees.

Using chakra to move rapidly through the canopy, they soon put distance between themselves and the entrance.

Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office in Konoha Village, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Might Guy, Asuma, and a group of Konoha experts were watching every move of the exam through a large crystal ball.

"Take a guess, out of the ninjas graduating this year, how many will be from our Konoha Village?"

Asuma chewed on a toothpick, looking expectant.

Beside him, Might Guy flashed a toothy grin.

"Heh! Need you even ask? My student Lee is definitely going to be one of them!"

"That boy, though lacking in talent, is a genius of hard work. His strength should be among the top tier of the genin!"

"With him there, he can at least guarantee that all three members of his squad will pass!"

Beside him, Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded faintly.

"Speaking of Lee, the village doesn't have many promising sprouts this year. Sasuke, the descendant of the Uchiha, is said to have already awakened his eyes, and with two tomoe at that!"

"By historical standards, he can be considered a genius of the Uchiha clan. I believe he will be able to pass the exam."

"Shikamaru, I hear that kid has a decent IQ. If there are no surprises, he should be able to pass as well."

"And then there's Naruto; he's the one who worries people the most."

Following this, the Hokage's gaze swept over the crystal ball, where the figure displayed was none other than Uchiha Sora.

"This one is harder to say... Rumors claim he's a dead weight, but I always feel his movements are agile. Besides, not long ago, Ibiki even requested to recruit this person into the Anbu!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Asuma's eyes widened.

"What? You mean this Uchiha Sora? He actually managed to make that guy ask for him?"

Might Guy was also incredulous.

"No way! As far as I know, Ibiki is a gloomy fellow. For him to break precedent and ask for someone—could this kid have something special about him?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled softly.

"Who knows? In any case, the competition is long; we'll just have to wait and see. Also, have Kakashi keep a close watch. I have a bad premonition!"

Everyone nodded respectfully.

At the same time, at the exam site, deep in the forest.

The Ino-Shika-Cho trio was moving forward, with Shikamaru frowning.

"According to my calculations, the moment we walked through the gate, all the ninjas were distributed in a fan shape, all moving away from the entrance."

"Theoretically, as long as we are fast enough and travel far enough, the probability of having other ninjas nearby will be lower!"

Choji panted heavily.

"I'm saying! Can't we take a break even if there's no one around? This is the first time I've run this far in one go!"

"You're the only one tired? This exam isn't for you to play around in, so hurry up."

Ino looked at him with disdain.

Shikamaru suddenly stopped and, without a word, pulled the two beside him into hiding.

"Keep it down! Someone's coming!"

The moment they hid, three figures flashed past.

Leading them was none other than Orochimaru.

His eyes were gloomy as he constantly scanned his surroundings.

"Ignore those three ants. First, find out if there are any Konoha proctors nearby!"

Orochimaru's goal was simple: find an Uchiha and plant the Cursed Seal.

To do this, he had to first observe whether there were any Konoha eyes and ears in the vicinity.

A moment later, the three moved away, and only then did Shikamaru and the others cautiously emerge.