This trial was different from the previous ones. Teacher Orochimaru had specifically emphasized the punishment, which made Uchiha Yuan especially wary.
After all, aside from Mitaraishi Anko, everyone in Orochimaru Squad possessed a bloodline ability.
He himself was even more unusual, having directly fused with the genes of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
Uchiha Yuan had no desire to have Teacher Orochimaru forcibly collect tissue samples from his body under the pretext of failing the trial.
Fortunately, Yuan was more adept at the tricks of three-person trials than Hyuga Ryo and Mitaraishi Anko.
Based on experience from past trials, Yuan knew very well that with the Byakugan Kekkei Genkai, Ryo was the strongest of the three.
Meanwhile, the reckless Anko attacked fiercely but defended only averagely, and she was usually the first one eliminated.
This time, Yuan once again maneuvered between the two as he had before.
Whenever Ryo gained the upper hand, he helped Anko defuse Ryo's Gentle Fist offensive.
When the two girls joined forces to besiege him, Yuan remained calm and deliberately showed weakness, playing them against each other.
Finally, half a day later, the trial ended with Yuan standing as the last one left, panting heavily.
As for the other side, Kurama Shion had been defeated by one of Orochimaru's Shadow Clones long ago.
Orochimaru was not surprised by this outcome.
"Alright, we'll discuss the punishment after the mission. We'll need to travel by ship to reach Sea Country, so during this time, I'll give each of you specialized instruction."
After the trial ended, some rejoiced while others worried. Mitaraishi Anko and Hyuga Ryo stared resentfully at Yuan's back.
This was already the seventh time they had lost to Yuan, yet he still looked utterly calm, as though he did not understand the seriousness of the situation at all.
The two girls clenched their delicate fists and swore inwardly that they would defeat Yuan before long, then ruthlessly trample on this Uchiha's pride.
Although Sea Country, like the Land of Water, was a nation made up of countless islands, this island nation had no hidden village and lacked ninja capable of carrying out long-term guard duties.
Before the Third Shinobi World War, the daimyo of Sea Country would borrow ninja from the nearby Land of Water to consolidate his rule within the country.
However, as the Village of the Bloody Mist's rule over Kirigakure continued, the ninja Sea Country borrowed were no longer as easy to control as before.
Thus, the daimyo of Sea Country chose to cooperate with the Land of Fire's Konoha Hidden Village, assigning some of its missions to Konoha ninja.
The news of Isobu's reappearance in the world had been brought back to the village by Konoha ninja carrying out missions in Sea Country.
In short, caught between the already hostile Hidden Leaf Village and Hidden Mist Village, Sea Country's situation was hardly peaceful either.
Aboard the rocking ship, Orochimaru took the opportunity to introduce the situation in Sea Country to the four of them. During the early days of the Third Shinobi World War, he had infiltrated Sea Country to develop an intelligence network, and it had now achieved modest success.
"So, our intelligence for this mission is no worse than Kirigakure's. Do not underestimate the power I have cultivated in Sea Country over all these years."
Yuan nodded. Orochimaru was not lying; Sea Country alone contained several experimental bases.
"Teacher, weren't you going to give us specialized instruction? Or is that treatment only for the winner?"
Mitaraishi Anko raised her hand and asked.
Orochimaru spoke calmly.
"No. So that I may still see my adorable students after the mission, I will provide each of you with the promised specialized guidance."
"However, before that, I have already evaluated your strengths. Don't you want to hear it?"
"In my view, ninja who do not seek change and improvement are unqualified."
Mitaraishi Anko glanced at Yuan, the puffed corners of her mouth showing just how upset she was.
He was clearly such an unremarkable Uchiha, yet she had never beaten him.
Hyuga Ryo, on the other hand, looked thoughtfully at Yuan, recalling every detail of the trial.
She could not let it go either.
Rarely, Hyuga Ryo took the initiative to raise her hand. "Teacher, please do not waste your time or ours."
At those words, Mitaraishi Anko and Kurama Shion both stiffened.
Orochimaru clapped his hands and smiled.
"Then let's start with you, Shion. The Kekkai Genkai Genjutsu inherited through the Kurama Clan for generations is indeed powerful. If I were not already familiar with it, I would have wasted a great deal of time dispelling the genjutsu upon first encountering it. But during that time, could you kill me while ensuring your own safety?"
Kurama Shion revealed a thoughtful expression.
While telling her that her Kekkai Genkai Genjutsu was powerful, Orochimaru was also warning her of its corresponding weakness.
She relied too heavily on genjutsu and lacked methods for dealing with enemies. When carrying out missions as part of a squad, her teammates could compensate for that flaw.
But once she acted alone, that weakness would be magnified without limit.
The worst-case scenario would be encountering a ninja like Orochimaru, one who feared no genjutsu.
Helpless, Kurama Shion would inevitably face defeat and death.
Seeing that his student seemed to understand, Orochimaru continued.
"I do not object to you continuing your studies in the field of genjutsu. Perhaps once you fully develop your Kekkei Genkai, this weakness will become insignificant."
"So before then, Shion, you should strengthen your shuriken techniques, and even your taijutsu training."
After assessing Kurama Shion, Orochimaru turned his head.
"As for Anko and Ryo-kun, I'll address the two of you together."
"In my view, the two of you are simply opposite extremes of recklessness and caution. Ryo-kun, you are too cautious, and because you do not dare take risks, you miss opportunities to secure victory. As for Anko, your taijutsu and ninjutsu are the most proficient among the three. There is no doubt about that. But have you considered why you failed?"
For Hyuga Ryo, Orochimaru directly pointed out the problem. As for Mitaraishi Anko, he wanted to hear his reckless student state her own flaw aloud.
"Teacher, you said my taijutsu and ninjutsu are the strongest. Could it be that I wasted too much chakra during the battle? Otherwise, why would Uchiha Yuan have been the last one standing?"
Mitaraishi Anko rubbed her chin and gave Orochimaru an answer he absolutely did not want to hear.
Facepalm count: +1.
"Forget it. Suffering a few more losses may not be a bad thing for you. Now, I'll assess Yuan-kun."
When he looked at Yuan, Orochimaru narrowed his long, slender eyes, and his entire aura turned sharp and fierce.
This made Yuan instinctively vigilant. His teacher was a genuine Kage Level powerhouse.
If Orochimaru had discovered his ability to fuse cells long ago, perhaps even secretly followed him since Nine-Tails Night...
If that were the case, Yuan felt that he would probably already be lying on an experimental table!
Just as he was lost in thought over these questions, Orochimaru said admiringly,
"So, you all understand Yuan-kun's abilities now, don't you?"
Yuan looked to his side and saw Hyuga Ryo staring blankly, her fingers trembling uncontrollably.
Mitaraishi Anko had her arms folded, her eyes filled with intense fear and apprehension.
Even the Special Jonin Kurama Shion was not much better off. Her subtly trembling calves gave away the fear she was trying her best to suppress.
Yuan blinked and looked at Orochimaru in confusion.
He knew that this Kage Level powerhouse's killing intent was terrifying, enough to intimidate even jonin-level ninja.
Yet he had not noticed anything at all just now, and even now, he remained perfectly composed.
Yuan could not control the length or sensitivity of his own reaction time, which made things rather awkward.
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