On the second day of the Chunin Ninja Exams, the Forest of Death descended into utter chaos.
Orochimaru had made his move.
Shuo leaned against a pillar outside the Mission Hall with a candy in his mouth, listening to shouts and reports coming from every direction, all jumbled and uncertain.
"The entire Third Squad has lost contact!"
"Team 8 was attacked! Get the wounded to the hospital!"
"Team 7... Sasuke was bitten by Orochimaru!"
The streets were full of people running. The wounded were carried toward the hospital, ANBU rushed toward the Forest of Death, and jonin headed for the Hokage Building in groups, their feet barely touching the ground.
The chaos was enough to give anyone a headache.
But Shuo did not move. He just leaned against the pillar, eyes half-closed, as though nothing were happening.
Lightspeed Thinking ran instinctively, laying out the figures for the passing crowd with perfect clarity-seventy-three people per minute, forty-one wounded, twenty-two ninja heading out as reinforcements, and ten delivering intelligence.
Over and over, the name he heard most was Orochimaru.
"Aren't you going over to take a look?" Sai stood beside him, a hint of urgency in his voice.
Shuo chewed his candy and thought for a moment. "No. Someone will go."
"Who?"
"The Third."
The moment he finished speaking, a thunderous boom shook the ground.
Flames shot into the sky from the direction of the Hokage Building, black smoke billowing. Everyone instinctively looked up.
On the rooftop, the Third and Orochimaru were already fighting.
Two Kage Level fighters clashed head-on. Even from far away, the shock waves from their colliding chakra could be felt.
Shuo watched for three seconds, then looked away and straightened up.
"Let's go."
"Where?" Sai paused, thinking he meant the Hokage Building.
"The shop."
They headed toward the