Undercurrents Before the Official Exam

On the eve of the official exam, the lights of Konoha had just come on, yet the air was thick with the tense feeling of an approaching storm. Uchiha Ling finished a day of training and walked along the road back to the orphanage. When he passed Ichiraku Ramen, he unexpectedly saw a familiar figure.

Naruto Uzumaki was sitting in front of the stall, wolfing down ramen, and beside him sat Jiraiya, whom he had not seen in a long time. Naruto looked a little darker and much sturdier. There was less restlessness between his brows and a little more resolve.

"Ling!" Naruto saw him and waved excitedly. "Come on! Pervy Sage is treating!"

Jiraiya turned his head at the sound. The eyes that always carried a hint of mockery flashed with a faint, hard-to-detect gleam the instant they landed on Uchiha Ling. His gaze lingered especially on Ling's left shoulder for a moment. Although it was covered by clothing, it seemed it could not escape the perception of one of the Legendary Sannin.

"Oh? So this is the interesting kid Kakashi mentioned?" Jiraiya rubbed his chin, sizing Ling up with great interest.

Uchiha Ling walked closer and nodded politely. "Lord Jiraiya."

[Ding! Sign-in target detected: Jiraiya]

[Interaction level: First meeting + observation]

[Sign-in reward: Basic Summoning Contract Knowledge (includes partial Mount Myoboku contract information)]

The principles of summoning jutsu, contract-signing methods, and some intelligence on the toad clan of Mount Myoboku poured into his mind. This reward was extraordinarily valuable. It not only involved the rudiments of space-time ninjutsu, but was also tied to a powerful place of senjutsu inheritance.

"Kid, the aura on you is a little special." Jiraiya leaned a bit closer and lowered his voice, his tone probing. "Aside from Uchiha chakra, there's also a kind of... cold, uncomfortable feeling. Did that fellow Orochimaru come looking for you?"

Uchiha Ling's heart tightened slightly, but his face remained calm. "I ran into him in the Forest of Death. He left me a little 'souvenir.'" He pointed to his left shoulder.

Jiraiya's expression turned serious. "Orochimaru's curse mark... looks like he's after something big this time. The fact that you can suppress it is no simple thing. But tomorrow's exam..." He did not finish, but his worry was obvious.

"I'll be careful," Ling replied briefly.

Naruto slurped his noodles and said indistinctly, "Don't worry, Ling! If that snake freak dares to show up tomorrow, Pervy Sage and I will definitely beat him up and chase him off!"

Jiraiya knocked Naruto on the head. "Idiot. Tomorrow is the official exam. All kinds of forces will be gathered there. Even if Orochimaru makes a move, he won't do it openly." He looked at Ling, his meaning pointed. "Sometimes, the most dangerous ones aren't necessarily the opponents in the arena."

Just then, another voice cut in.

"Looks like tomorrow's matches will be more interesting than expected."

Uchiha Ling turned his head and saw Kankuro and Temari walking over. The one who had spoken was Kankuro. Temari had her arms folded, her gaze moving between Ling and Jiraiya before she finally gave Ling a slight nod.

[Ding! Sign-in target detected: Kankuro]

[Interaction level: Conversation + probing]

[Sign-in reward: Basic Puppet Mechanism Analysis (includes partial toxicology knowledge)]

The basic principles of how puppet masters controlled puppets, set mechanisms, and used common poisons poured into his mind. Although Ling did not plan to become a puppet master, this knowledge could greatly improve his ability to deal with enemies of that type.

"Everyone from Hidden Sand Village, have you come to taste Konoha's delicacies too?" Jiraiya returned to his frivolous look and greeted them with a smile.

"Just getting familiar with the environment." Kankuro's tone was flat, but his eyes carried scrutiny. "After all, tomorrow, this place will be a battlefield." His gaze swept over Naruto and Ling, lingering on Ling in particular for a moment. "I hope you can bring a decent challenge."

Temari added, "Gaara has already gone back. He... is looking forward to tomorrow's match." When she said this, there was a trace of complexity in her tone that was hard to detect.

At the mention of Gaara, the atmosphere seemed to freeze for an instant. That chakra, full of the stench of blood, could be felt even though he was not present, descending like an invisible shadow.

After the brief encounter, the two from Hidden Sand Village left. Jiraiya watched their backs and rubbed his chin. "The Kazekage of Hidden Sand... Hmph. This Chunin Exam really is turning into a gathering of monsters."

After saying goodbye to Jiraiya and Naruto, Uchiha Ling walked alone on the road back to the orphanage. The moonlight stretched his shadow long. He could feel that there was more than one gaze peering at him from the darkness. Some came from Root, perhaps some from Orochimaru's spies, and also from Hidden Sand...

After returning to his room at the orphanage, he locked the doors and windows and sat cross-legged on the bed. He did not begin training immediately, but carefully sorted through the current intelligence and his own condition.

In terms of strength: under normal conditions, relying on system rewards and his own bitter training, his overall strength was firmly at the peak of genin and close to special jonin level (without using the Sharingan and certain trump cards). He had entered the basics of Lightning Release nature transformation, his dual-wielding fusion with Leaf Style was beginning to show its power, and his chakra control and perception were outstanding. The curse mark in his body had been suppressed by the system by 85%, and he had already begun adapting to the escaping energy. It could even stimulate his own potential in tiny amounts, but he had to stay alert at all times against the risk of losing control. His resonance with Asauchi had deepened, but materialization was still far out of reach.

In terms of the situation: Orochimaru and his Hidden Sound Village forces were lurking nearby, their target aimed directly at Sasuke and possibly the Third Hokage. Hidden Sand Village and Hidden Sound were in collusion, intending to launch an attack during the exam, and the Kazekage had already been impersonated by Orochimaru. Within Konoha, the Third had noticed something, but seemed insufficiently prepared, while Danzo and Root's attitude was ambiguous.

"Tomorrow won't just be a match. It will be the beginning of the storm." Uchiha Ling opened his eyes, and a flash of determination passed through them. He had to make good use of the matches to obtain more sign-in rewards. At the same time, when chaos erupted, he needed enough strength to protect himself, and... to try to change some things.

He took out his ninja tool pouch and counted it again. Kunai, shuriken, explosive tags, steel wire, soldier pills, antidotes... as well as some little gadgets he had specially prepared—simple triggering devices made based on Basic Puppet Mechanism Analysis, and special water droplets created using his Ice Release adaptability that could release cold air at critical moments to slow enemies down.

After adjusting his condition to its peak, he once again entered Asauchi visualization. In his consciousness space, that ancient long blade seemed to sense the coming storm. It trembled slightly, transmitting a faint will that longed for battle.

That night, many people in Konoha Village were sleepless.

The next day, when the rising sun lit up the huge circular arena in the center of the Forest of Death, the spectator stands were already packed. Daimyo from various countries, nobles, merchants, and the villagers of Konoha clamored, looking forward to the fierce battles to come.

Inside the contestants' lounge, the eight examinees who had passed the preliminaries were gathered together. The atmosphere was so heavy it almost seemed to drip water.

Uchiha Ling stood quietly in the corner, Basic Aura Sensing silently covering the entire room. He could feel Naruto's vigorous, rising, blazing chakra; the suppressed yet even sharper Lightning Release aura on Sasuke, as well as a faint sealing power; Shikamaru's calm, rippleless chakra that nevertheless carried wisdom; the texture of wind and sand around Temari and Kankuro; Dosu Kinuta's eerie sound-wave chakra; and... Gaara's terrifying chakra, like a sleeping volcano, containing boundless brutality and bloodlust. This chakra was so powerful and evil that everyone else in the room instinctively felt discomfort and oppression.

Sasuke's brows were tightly furrowed, and his Sharingan swept toward Gaara from time to time, filled with wariness and fighting spirit. Naruto also put away his usual joking and wore a serious expression.

Genma Shiranui, as the chief examiner, held a senbon in his mouth and announced the lineup for the first match.

The electronic screen scrolled rapidly, finally freezing on—

Uchiha Ling VS Dosu Kinuta

A wave of discussion rose from the audience stands. Dosu Kinuta, a genin from Hidden Sound Village, had strange abilities.

Uchiha Ling calmly walked out of the lounge and stepped into the passage leading down to the arena. As he passed Sasuke, he heard Sasuke say in a low voice, "Be careful. The guys from Hidden Sound are connected to Orochimaru."

Ling nodded slightly.

He walked into the broad arena. The sunlight was somewhat dazzling. Cheers from the stands surged over like a tsunami. Across from him, Dosu Kinuta had already taken his position. His whole body was wrapped in bandages, with only one eye exposed, and a strange device was equipped on his right arm.

After Genma Shiranui briefly repeated the rules, he waved his hand and said:

"First round, begin!"

Almost the instant his voice fell, Dosu Kinuta moved! He did not charge straight over, but abruptly raised his right arm, aiming the holes on that device at Uchiha Ling!

"Ninja Art: Resonating Echo Drill!"

Buzz—!

An invisible, high-frequency vibrating sound wave stabbed straight toward Uchiha Ling's eardrums and brain like an awl!

(End of Chapter Twenty-One)