Preliminary Exams

"Teacher Iruka!" Naruto and Sakura called out in unison.

Iruka looked at Naruto with great gentleness. That troublesome dead last had finally grown up.

Naruto hurriedly took out Orochimaru's clothes and handed them to Iruka, while Sakura passed over the Otogakure forehead protector.

"This is bad, Teacher Iruka! We ran into Orochimaru during the exam. These are his things!"

"What? Naruto, what did you just say? You ran into Orochimaru..." Iruka had prepared many words of congratulations. He had even planned to explain the story behind the Heaven and Earth Scrolls to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. But the moment he heard Orochimaru's name, he completely lost his composure.

Afraid Iruka would not believe him, Sasuke said, "He disguised himself as a Kusagakure ninja and approached us at first. We took the Earth Scroll in our hands back from him, and these things all belonged to that Orochimaru!"

"This..." Iruka looked at Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke, finding it utterly unbelievable. That was Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin and a Konoha S-rank rogue ninja. How could he possibly have been a match for three Genin? But the matter was too serious, and seeing the earnest expressions on their faces, Iruka chose to believe Team 7.

After taking Orochimaru's clothes and the Sound Ninja forehead protector, Iruka said sternly, "I'll take you to the hall next. I'll explain the rest to you on the way!"

The usual smile had vanished from Iruka's face. He led them into the tower, winding through its corridors until they arrived at a magnificent-looking arena.

Straight ahead stood a massive statue making a hand seal, while above the arena was a viewing platform. Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto were briefly mesmerized. In four days, this would be where they fought their next battles.

"Naruto, you go on ahead. I need to report to Lord Hokage!" Iruka pointed toward an iron door to the side, then left with Orochimaru's belongings.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura exchanged glances, feeling the relief of having survived a disaster. They let out long breaths. The pressure Orochimaru had brought them could finally ease.

"This place is huge! Say, aren't we the first ones here?" Sakura asked doubtfully.

Naruto shook his head. "Probably not. It took us a long time too, but at least we can rest for a while now."

With the pressure gone and his mind finally calm, Sasuke began thinking about what Orochimaru had said. Itachi... Itachi Uchiha, his older brother, the person he had sworn to avenge. But his current strength was nowhere near enough. He knew he was still far too far from Itachi Uchiha.

Sasuke glanced at Naruto. Ever since graduation, that dead last had improved far too quickly. Sasuke's own strength had also grown considerably, but it was still not enough. He still had a long way to go.

Orochimaru's appearance had planted a seed in Sasuke's heart. Meanwhile, Naruto was still immersed in joy, completely unaware of it.

In the Hokage Office, Mitaraishi Anko clutched the back of her neck. The incomplete Curse Mark there brought her endless pain as she reported the situation.

Three Kusagakure examinees had been killed, and Mitaraishi Anko could also feel the pain from her incomplete Curse Mark. Orochimaru had come.

Knock, knock, knock!

As Hiruzen Sarutobi studied the intelligence on Orochimaru in confusion, he heard the knock at the door and called out, "Come in!"

Iruka entered holding Orochimaru's clothes and the forehead protector. The instant Mitaraishi Anko saw Orochimaru's clothing, her expression changed sharply.

"Lord Hokage, Naruto and the others encountered Orochimaru in the Forest of Death!" Iruka hurriedly reported.

Mitaraishi Anko blinked, confirming that Orochimaru's appearance was real. Enduring the pain, she said, "There's no mistake. These are his clothes. Lord Hokage, he's back. And this forehead protector... Lord Hokage, we should keep the people from Otogakure under surveillance!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression tightened as he anxiously asked, "Are Naruto and the others all right?"

Iruka answered, "They're all safe, Lord Hokage. Naruto used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport Orochimaru elsewhere. That was how they escaped from him!"

"Ah!"

Time seemed to fall silent. Hiruzen Sarutobi and Mitaraishi Anko both froze. The greatest mystery had been solved: why Orochimaru had suddenly appeared in the Ninja Academy's cesspit and gotten blown up from head to toe.

"That lively blond brat actually learned the Fourth Hokage's ninjutsu? He's pretty impressive!" Mitaraishi Anko did not yet know what had happened to Orochimaru afterward, and she spoke with a teasing smile.

"But why was he naked???" Hiruzen Sarutobi was utterly baffled.

Hiruzen Sarutobi brought ANBU to the tower. In one of the rooms, Kakashi led Team 7 inside and gave a detailed report, while Naruto explained the reason behind his half-baked Flying Thunder God Technique.

When Kakashi learned that Naruto and the others had encountered Orochimaru, Make-Out Paradise nearly fell from his hands in shock. After learning the details, especially about Naruto's unusual Flying Thunder God Technique, Kakashi could only sigh. He truly was the number one ninja at causing unexpected situations!

At last, they had figured out the entire sequence of events. The only problem was that Naruto had blown up the Ninja Academy's cesspit. The stench was so overwhelming that the Ninja Academy would probably have to close for nearly a week. The maintenance staff would likely be cursing their heads off.

News of Orochimaru was kept under control and did not spread too quickly. The Chunin Ninja Exams would continue.

However, even if the news had not spread openly, the private discussions were beyond the control of Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other higher-ups. Orochimaru, who had bombed the Ninja Academy's cesspit while naked, truly became infamous. For more than two years, he remained a topic of conversation among Konoha's neighbors. The only reason he did not become dinner-table conversation was because it was too disgusting and too foul-smelling.

Of course, Naruto, the true instigator behind all this, began preparing for the upcoming Preliminary Exams.

As for why they did not proceed directly to the third exam, there were simply too many people who had passed the first two rounds. According to the rules of the Chunin Ninja Exams, the number of participants for the third exam had to be drastically reduced.

The third exam would have spectators, including daimyo from various nations, celebrities, wealthy merchants, and other famous figures. Therefore, the schedule was restricted.

The referee had also been changed to a Jonin named Gekko Hayate. He looked unhealthy, constantly coughed, and had heavy dark circles under his eyes. He appeared sickly as he replaced the previous referee, Mitaraishi Anko.

When asked whether he wished to withdraw, Kabuto Yakushi still chose to forfeit and leave. Throughout the entire process, he had never gotten the chance to approach Sasuke. Especially after they snatched the Earth Scroll from Orochimaru in the Forest of Death, they had raced nonstop toward the tower, leaving no opportunity for the two sides to interact.