Teamed with Tsunade and Orochimaru? These Two Were Still Total Scrubs!

Early the next morning, Hidden Leaf Training Ground Three.

Sunlight filtered through gaps in the leaves, casting mottled patches of light and shadow.

Uchiha Xuan stood before three wooden posts in the center of the training ground. Looking at his two "new teammates," he felt the corner of his mouth twitch uncontrollably.

On the left was a pretty girl with blonde twin-tails. At the moment, though, she had her hands on her hips, cheeks puffed out, glaring at him with an expression that screamed, "I'm not happy!"

The First Hokage's granddaughter, the future "Legendary Sucker," Tsunade.

On the right stood a sickly pale boy with long black hair and golden vertical pupils. A faint, effeminate smile lingered on his lips, and every so often, he stretched out his long tongue to lick them.

One of the future Sannin, the Ninja World's foremost scientist, Orochimaru.

Well, damn.

This lineup was truly... heavyweight.

Xuan mocked inwardly. What elite squad was this? This was practically Konoha's future top brass holding an early meeting.

"Hey! Are you Uchiha Xuan?"

Tsunade spoke first, her tone aggressive and brimming with a young lady's arrogance.

"I heard you talked back to Grandpa Hokage and even pissed off Grandpa Tobirama enough to make him leave? You've got some nerve!"

Her eyes were full of scrutiny and provocation.

Clearly, she believed Uchiha Xuan was standing here not because of his strength, but because he had a sharp tongue.

Uchiha Xuan could not be bothered to argue with this violence-prone brat. He merely glanced at her indifferently and said nothing.

Orochimaru, meanwhile, studied Xuan with great interest. Those snake-like eyes of his seemed able to peer into people's hearts as he rasped, "I find you very interesting, Uchiha Xuan. There is a... very unusual aura about you."

This guy's senses were rather sharp.

Xuan thought to himself that Orochimaru had apparently noticed a trace of the change in vitality brought by his Sage Body.

Just then, a puff of smoke exploded.

A young ninja wearing a jonin vest and smoking a pipe appeared before the three of them.

He looked barely over twenty, yet his eyes carried a steadiness and weathered air that did not match his age.

The future Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, known as the "Professor of Ninjutsu."

"Starting today, I will be your instructor, Hiruzen Sarutobi."

He exhaled a smoke ring, his gaze slowly sweeping over the three of them. "I know that among you, one is the Hokage's granddaughter, one is a genius, and the other... is a 'celebrity' in the village."

His tone noticeably grew heavier when he said the word "celebrity."

"However, under me, there are no identities or backgrounds. There is only strength."

Hiruzen Sarutobi took two small bells from his robe and tied them around his waist.

"The usual rules: a bell-grabbing test."

He shook the bells at his waist, producing a clear jingle.

"The rules are simple. Anyone who takes a bell from me before nightfall passes. Anyone who fails... heh, goes crawling back to the Ninja Academy!"

A classic show of authority.

Watching this, Xuan nearly laughed out loud.

He knew this routine well.

"Alright, the test... begins!"

The moment Hiruzen Sarutobi gave the order—

"I'll go first!"

Without even thinking, Tsunade, the most hot-tempered of the three, shouted and stomped hard on the ground, launching herself forward like a cannonball!

Chakra far beyond what an ordinary person possessed had already gathered in her tiny fist.

Monster Strength Fist!

Orochimaru's figure slipped silently into the nearby tree shadows like a ghost. Like a venomous snake waiting for prey, he searched for the best opportunity to strike.

One attacked head-on, while the other lay in ambush.

Their coordination looked fairly decent.

Yet in the eyes of Uchiha Xuan, who possessed an adult soul and a Sage Body, it all seemed so... childish.

He did not even move. Standing where he was, he leisurely spoke up.

"Hey, you two. Are you idiots?"

His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached Tsunade and Orochimaru.

Tsunade abruptly halted mid-charge and turned back to glare at him. "Bastard! Who are you calling an idiot?!"

Orochimaru, hidden in the tree shadows, cast him a cold look as well.

"You two," Xuan said, pointing at Tsunade. "You only know how to rely on brute force. Your attack route is predictable, and you're full of openings. From the moment you start moving to the moment you throw your punch, Sensei has at least seven ways to counter you easily."

Then he pointed toward where Orochimaru was hiding.

"And you. Hiding in the shadows is not wrong, but you chose a backlit position. Your shadow is longer than usual, so you were exposed from the start. And you're only thinking about launching a sneak attack yourself. You have not considered coordinating with your teammates at all."

"The true purpose of this test is to examine our teamwork. There are only two people, yet three bells... no, there are only two bells, yet three people."

Xuan said calmly, "It is obvious that one of us is meant to be eliminated, forcing the three of us to join hands if we want even a slim chance of survival."

He spread his hands and laid out his plan.

"My plan is simple. Tsunade attacks head-on to draw Sensei's attention. Orochimaru uses ninjutsu from the left to harass him and block his movements. I will launch a fatal strike from his most unexpected angle—his rear right. Three as one, leaving him unable to defend both front and back. That is the only way to take the bells."

After hearing him out, both Tsunade and Orochimaru froze.

They had not expected this Uchiha brat to see through the essence of the test in an instant and devise such a perfect strategy.

A flicker of surprise crossed Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes as well.

This Uchiha Xuan truly was not simple.

However, in the next second, Tsunade's tsundere streak flared up.

"Hmph! I refuse to take orders from you!"

She curled her lip, her face full of disdain.

"I can take the bells by myself! Watch me!"

With that, she ignored Xuan's strategy completely and charged in recklessly once more.

The result was predictable.

Hiruzen Sarutobi merely used a simple Substitution Technique to evade her Monster Strength Fist, then appeared behind her and left her reeling with a single chop to the neck.

"First one eliminated," Hiruzen Sarutobi said blandly.

From the tree shadows, Orochimaru watched the scene, then gave Xuan a thoughtful look, as though weighing something.

Uchiha Xuan sighed helplessly and shook his head.

"Fine. It seems reasoning with a bunch of little brats like you is impossible."

He rolled his wrists, producing a series of crisp crackling sounds.

"Looks like I can only show you what an absolute gap in strength really is."

Before his words had even faded, his figure blurred, trailing an afterimage as he charged straight at Hiruzen Sarutobi!

"What?!" Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils suddenly contracted.

"This guy... he's so fast!" Orochimaru exclaimed.