Devouring Chakra, the Four Sound Ninja Feel Fear

"What... what level are you?"

Dosu's voice trembled, and both his legs shook faintly.

How is this possible? A young Konoha Anbu has a more terrifying presence than Lord Orochimaru? This completely defies the laws of the ninja world!

Mu walked slowly up to him, looking down from above.

The patterns of his scarlet Mangekyō Sharingan swirled, radiating bone-chilling indifference.

"You're not worthy of knowing."

"You're Kage-level?!"

Dosu's pupils contracted sharply as a stormy sea churned in his heart.

What kind of joke is this?! Which Kage-level fighter isn't an established expert in their thirties or forties? He's only fifteen or sixteen—how could he possibly have reached the threshold of Kage level?

Mu could not be bothered to waste words on him. A wisp of condensed chakra formed at his fingertip and pointed directly at Dosu's forehead. He intended to forcibly read his memories and uncover every part of Orochimaru's scheme for the Chunin Exams.

Just as his fingertip was about to touch Dosu's forehead—

Dosu suddenly clenched his teeth. Black blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, and a death-bound resolve flashed through his eyes.

The mission failed. I'll die if I return anyway, so I might as well take you down with me!

"Lord Orochimaru, this subordinate has failed you. I can only atone with my life!"

Boom—boom!

His body instantly swelled as the chakra within him went berserk, surging and exploding. Violent air currents shook the surrounding trees, while broken stones rolled across the ground.

He intended to directly detonate all the chakra in his body and perish together with Mu.

"Overestimating yourself."

Mu's gaze turned cold. His right hand clenched in the air, then suddenly drew inward.

Vast chakra, heavy as a mountain, instantly crushed its way into Dosu's body, forcibly locking his rampaging chakra within his meridians. Not even a trace could leak out.

Dosu froze at once, his body locked in the very instant it had begun to expand.

Only hoarse choking sounds escaped his throat. He wanted to struggle, wanted to roar, yet he could not even move a single finger.

How can this be... My chakra is completely out of my control! What kind of monster is he?

He could only watch helplessly as the chakra he had cultivated for years was drawn away by an invisible force, endlessly absorbed by Mu.

A moment later.

Dosu's chakra, at the peak of elite jonin level, was completely drained. His body shriveled and collapsed, all life leaving him as he fell straight to the ground without another breath.

Mu withdrew his hand, his expression calm and utterly undisturbed.

Ever since coming into contact with Tailed Beast chakra, he had awakened the ability to devour other people's chakra.

However, the conversion rate from ordinary ninjas was extremely low. That was also why he had remained stuck at the peak of early Kage level, unable to break through.

Even so, Dosu's accumulated reserves sent Mu's total chakra soaring, steadily breaking past 11,800.

He was now only a thin sheet of paper away from mid-Kage level.

Mu did not linger. With a flash, he vanished directly into the dense forest.

Only several unconscious Sound Ninja and a cold corpse remained on the ground.

Inside the examination hall.

The written test was about to end, and everyone harbored different thoughts.

Naruto secretly rejoiced.

Big Brother Mu's Shadow Clone Technique is so useful! No wonder he's Sasuke's brother.

Sasuke's expression remained cold, without a ripple in his heart.

Such a boring written test. The Sharingan can see through every trap with ease. It isn't worth mentioning.

Nearby, Gaara lay sprawled over his desk, having written not a single word.

A murderous aura lingered around him. In his heart, there was only endless emptiness and killing intent.

Everyone is a stranger. No one matters... As long as they get in my way, I'll kill them all.

In a corner, the Four Sound Ninja could not sit still. Every one of them was restless and unsettled.

One of them frowned tightly, anxiety gnawing at him.

Dosu led the team out to investigate, but there's still no news. Even his chakra presence has vanished. Something must have happened!

Another lowered his voice, his face full of panic.

"Something's wrong. Dosu couldn't have vanished into thin air. He must have run into a Konoha expert."

A third turned pale, inwardly gripped by lingering fear.

That mysterious Anbu was terrifying. Even Dosu fell to him. If the four of us go up against him, we wouldn't even be worth a single move.

Hidden in the shadows, Mu took in everyone's expressions, whispers, and emotional fluctuations.

A hint of coldness flashed through his eyes.

Dosu had only been an appetizer.

The Sound Ninja and Hidden Sand Village had dared to use the Chunin Exams to infiltrate Konoha and plot their schemes. He would not let a single one of them off.

Soon, the bell announcing the end of the written test rang throughout the hall.

Large numbers of genin filed out of the examination hall. Some were delighted, others dejected, and discussions rose one after another.

Morino Ibiki stepped into the center of the hall and said in a deep voice,

"The written test results will be announced in half an hour. Everyone will wait where they are. No one is permitted to leave without authorization."

The moment he finished speaking.

Several Anbu emerged from the forest, escorting unconscious Sound Ninja, and tossed them directly into the middle of the examination hall.

The entire hall erupted in uproar.

"Aren't those contestants from the Hidden Sound Village? Why were they arrested by the Anbu?"

"They're all unconscious. They must have been pulling something behind the scenes and got caught red-handed."

The Four Sound Ninja's faces instantly turned ashen.

It's over. Those companions were caught too. There's no need to think about it—it must have been that Anbu.

The four immediately swept their gazes across the entire hall, desperately searching for that mysterious figure. Yet no matter how hard they looked, they could not find the slightest trace of him.

Mu remained hidden in a corner, calmly watching the four of them panic and lose composure.

He murmured softly,

"Don't rush. You're next."

Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.

Ibiki publicly announced the list of those who had advanced.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura all passed smoothly;

Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari of the Hidden Sand Village were securely among them;

The Four Sound Ninja also barely passed the cutoff and squeezed into tomorrow's elimination matches.

"The second stage, the elimination matches, will begin in the inner arena tomorrow."

"Two will face off at a time. Winners advance, losers are eliminated. There will be no unnecessary restrictions in battle."

"Dismissed for today. Rest and prepare yourselves."

The crowd scattered and left.

As Naruto walked, he looked around everywhere, muttering to himself.

Could Big Brother Mu be nearby? I really want to talk to him again!

Sasuke's steps were steady, his heart filled with nothing but the obsession to grow stronger.

The elimination matches are perfect for tempering my strength. No matter who the opponent is, I can crush them.

Only the Four Sound Ninja did not leave. They gathered in a corner and spoke in hushed voices.

"Dosu is definitely dead. That Kage-level Anbu must have made his move." One of them spoke with a trembling voice, unable to suppress his fear.

"What do we do now? Should we report to Lord Orochimaru immediately?"

"Are you crazy?" Another immediately rejected the idea. "We failed the mission and lost men. With Orochimaru's personality, if he finds out, we're all dead!"

"But most of our fighting force has been lost, and that mysterious expert is watching us. How can our plan... continue?"

The four stood frozen in place, their entire bodies turning cold. Even their breathing became cautious.

Run? We can't escape Konoha's control at all.

Stay? Then wait for that Kage-level Anbu to settle accounts with us one by one.

One of the Sound Ninja clenched his fist, his nails digging deeply into his palm. His eyes were filled with unwillingness and fear.

"Forget it. In tomorrow's elimination matches, we'll join forces and abduct one of Konoha's brats first. We'll complete Lord Orochimaru's mission, and as for that Anbu... we'll take it one step at a time!"

The other three exchanged glances and could only grit their teeth and nod. They had no other choice now.

From the shadows, Mu heard every word. A trace of mockery passed through his scarlet Sharingan.

Join forces? Before absolute strength, no amount of struggling would amount to anything.

"Although my bond with that foolish little brother of mine isn't deep, that doesn't mean just anyone can lay a hand on him."

Tomorrow's elimination matches, Orochimaru—this time, you are destined to fail.

With that, Mu flashed away and vanished from the examination hall, racing toward his residence.

He did not need to overthink anything. He only needed to calm himself, regulate his breathing, and restore his energy.

In tomorrow's elimination matches, those invaders who did not know their own limits would all become stepping stones on his path to greater strength.

Complete the main quest, obtain the skill points, push the Eight Gates to minor mastery, and break through to mid-Kage level. That was all.

At the same time, at a hidden base outside Konoha.

Orochimaru sat in a chair. His narrow snake-like eyes were sinister and terrifying, while a suffocating chill radiated from his body.

His fingers lightly tapped the tabletop, his face dark enough to drip water.

Dosu's chakra, along with that of several Sound Ninja, had completely vanished from his senses.

"Trash. A pack of utterly worthless trash!"

Orochimaru suddenly roared and slammed his palm heavily onto the table. A porcelain cup instantly shattered, fragments scattering in every direction.

"All you had to do was scout the examination hall and cooperate with the plan, yet you still botched something so simple."