"Zaku! Show the prestige of Otogakure!" From the second floor, Dosu called out to his teammate as Zaku stepped onto the arena. The memory of their humiliating defeat to Naruto in the Forest of Death still burned in Dosu's mind. He desperately wanted Zaku to fight beautifully in this battle, to restore some measure of their pride.
Kin gave Zaku an encouraging look as well, her expression serious.
Zaku nodded, acknowledging their support. In the upcoming battle, he wouldn't underestimate Rock Lee. But he certainly wasn't afraid either. He wasn't facing Naruto Uzumaki, after all. Against Rock Lee, Zaku felt confident he could secure a victory.
He took his position on the arena floor, facing his green-clad opponent directly.
Rock Lee raised his thick eyebrows and performed a formal martial arts salute, his movements precise and respectful. "Rock Lee. Please teach me well."
Zaku returned the gesture with equal courtesy. "Zaku Abumi. The honor is mine."
"The contestants are ready!" Mitarashi Anko's voice rang out. "Begin the battle!"
Rock Lee specialized in taijutsu exclusively. It was his only path as a ninja, the only weapon in his arsenal. Lee had sparred with Naruto countless times over the past months. Despite taking brutal beatings in every session, his physical combat abilities had improved dramatically. That's why he insisted on continuing to spar with Naruto despite the constant pain.
Everything was for the sake of becoming stronger. What did a few beatings matter compared to that goal?
After a period of high-intensity training under such extreme conditions, Lee had managed to open up to six of the Eight Gates. He firmly believed that as long as he persisted in sparring with Naruto, mastering all eight gates was only a matter of time.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
Lee spun his body, driving a high-section roundhouse kick directly at Zaku's face. His speed was impressive, his form perfect.
"Heh, good speed," Zaku said, his lips curling into a smirk. "But compared to Naruto, you're really far behind." He raised his arm, blocking the kick with seeming ease. At the same time, he activated the weapon mounted on his forearm, unleashing a sonic attack toward Lee.
Lee immediately followed up with a low-section kick, transitioning from high to low in a practiced combination. The sonic waves struck him, but they didn't stop his next movements. His body had been conditioned to push through pain and disorientation.
After those two exchanges, Lee felt warmth spreading from his ears. Blood. Not much, but enough to notice.
That guy is using sonic-based attacks, Lee analyzed, his eyes locking onto the holes in Zaku's arm guards. If that's his weapon, then I need to make this quick. I'll have to use THAT technique.
Having made his decision, Lee reached up and began unwrapping the cloth bandages from his hands.
"Huh? Lee, you're going to use that move already?" From the second floor, Guy recognized his student's preparation. His thick eyebrows drew together with concern. Lee was about to employ a forbidden technique.
Seeing Lee's determined gaze, Zaku smiled confidently. "Hey, your speed is decent. But my attack is faster than your movement. I think you can see that, right? The weapons on my arms can amplify my sonic attacks infinitely. You can't dodge them all."
His smile widened. "So why don't you just admit defeat? Save yourself some pain."
"Admit defeat?" Lee's face split into a brilliant, genuine smile. He shook his head firmly. "I haven't used my trump card yet. How can I possibly give up now?" His eyes burned with unshakeable determination. "Besides, talking about who wins and who loses at this stage is far too premature, don't you think?"
Zaku opened his mouth, intending to say something cocky like "Then show me your trump card, let me see what you've got." But the words caught in his throat as Lee's figure suddenly blurred.
Lee closed the distance in an instant, his speed more than doubled from moments before.
"Shadow of the Dancing Leaf!"
One devastating kick, delivered with lightning speed, connected directly with Zaku's chin. The impact launched Zaku into the air, his body spinning helplessly. While airborne, Lee's figure appeared behind him like a shadow that couldn't be escaped. A continuous barrage of strikes followed, each one precise and punishing.
BOOM!
With a thunderous sound, Zaku was kicked back down into the ring. His body hit the ground hard, bouncing once before settling. He struggled weakly, trying to rise, but his limbs wouldn't cooperate. His body had given out completely.
Lee landed back in the arena, his chest heaving with exertion. That technique had consumed a tremendous amount of stamina. He looked at Zaku lying motionless on the ground and finally allowed himself to breathe with relief.
"In the second preliminary match," Mitarashi Anko announced, "Rock Lee of Konoha is the winner!"
Dosu and Kin immediately rushed down from the observation area to check on Zaku's condition. After a quick examination, medical staff arrived with a stretcher and carried Zaku away for treatment.
Lee returned to the second floor, his face glowing with pride and exhaustion. He looked at Guy with eyes that sparkled like stars. "Guy-sensei, I won!"
"You did an excellent job, Lee!" Guy's massive hand came down on Lee's shoulder with enough force to make most people stumble. His eyebrows seemed to glow with approval and pride. "Your youth burned brilliantly today!"
Naturally, Lee's victory earned congratulations from his other friends as well. Naruto's voice boomed across the observation area, Hinata offered quiet praise, and even Neji, despite his swollen face, managed a nod of acknowledgment.
This was the off-court celebration. Meanwhile, on the floor below, the examination continued in full swing.
Time passed through duel after duel. As the sun began its descent toward the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple, the preliminary round finally concluded. Sixteen people had been reduced to eight qualifiers.
One detail worth mentioning: Choji Akimichi had been the lucky candidate who'd received a bye. He'd spent the entire time on the second floor eating snacks, completely at ease, never expecting to skip the preliminaries entirely and advance automatically to the third exam. His joy at this development was only matched by his relief at avoiding a beating.
Among the various duels, most candidates had demonstrated roughly equivalent strength. There was no one with extraordinarily overwhelming combat power. The "extraordinary" standard here, of course, was measured against Naruto's capabilities.
Only one match had been particularly intense, and that was the duel between Temari and Tenten. After all, fights between kunoichi always drew special attention. Though admittedly, since this was a battle between trained ninja rather than ordinary civilians, it was more strategic and less dramatic than a civilian brawl might have been.
When Gaara took the arena for his match, the Nine-Tails whispered urgently to Naruto, "I sense a similar aura in that red-haired boy. That feeling is very familiar. It's another tailed beast, a lower-numbered one."
Hearing this, Naruto watched Gaara's duel with careful attention. The match itself was fairly straightforward. Gaara won, but he didn't demonstrate anything too far outside normal parameters. His sand defense was impressive but controlled.
What Naruto didn't know was that Orochimaru had cancelled the Konoha Crush plan entirely. Maki, the Sunagakure jonin instructor, had naturally received word of this change. Now the Sand ninja simply wanted to leave Konoha after the exam concluded peacefully.
Maki couldn't understand why Orochimaru had abandoned the plan to destroy Konoha. The reasons seemed obvious: eliminate Hiruzen Sarutobi, abduct Sasuke Uchiha, provoke another shinobi world war. All clear strategic objectives.
What Maki didn't know was that Orochimaru's true purpose had been far more personal. Destroying Konoha would have triggered a cascade of conflicts, leading to widespread war. And during war, countless people died. The more deaths, the more bodies available for Orochimaru's Impure World Reincarnation technique, strengthening his arsenal of undead warriors.
Killing Sarutobi Hiruzen had merely been incidental to that larger goal.
However, everything had changed. Since learning that Naruto could lead to longevity and immortality, Orochimaru had cancelled all other plans. Every experiment he'd ever conducted, every forbidden technique he'd mastered, had been in pursuit of one thing: eternal life and ultimate power.
Therefore, upon discovering this news, Orochimaru had naturally prioritized Naruto above everything else. His new plan was entirely focused on obtaining Naruto's secrets.
These details, naturally, Orochimaru shared with no one.
After the exam concluded, the list of those promoted to chunin wasn't decided immediately. All the examination records were collected and would be reviewed comprehensively. The final decision would be made by a committee including the Hokage, the jonin commanders, and representatives from the prominent clans of Konoha.
Strength alone wasn't everything in the evaluation. Leadership, tactical thinking, composure under pressure, and teamwork all factored into the final assessment.
Since the preliminaries had stretched until dusk, ninja from the other hidden villages would stay in Konoha for one more night before departing the next morning.
For Naruto, the exam's conclusion meant he could finally make friends with the visiting ninja. He felt genuinely happy and excited about the prospect. However, since they'd be staying overnight and leaving from the village entrance tomorrow, Naruto could only wait until morning to properly greet them.
In the evening, he invited all his friends to the farm for a celebration feast. After all, they'd worked hard during the exam. Those who'd won their battles deserved celebration. Those who'd lost deserved comfort and encouragement.
Kakashi-sensei and Guy-sensei accepted the invitation as well.
Before leaving the examination hall, Naruto turned to address the visiting ninja with a bright smile. "Friends from the other hidden villages, we'll meet at the village entrance tomorrow morning! I'm really looking forward to becoming friends with all of you!"
His cheerful announcement left the foreign ninja staring at each other in confusion and growing apprehension. Then Naruto departed with his large group of friends, heading toward his farm in the back mountain.
As soon as they were outside the building, Naruto leaned close to the Nine-Tails in his arms and whispered urgently, "Kurama, I need you to guard the village entrance tonight. If anyone tries to leave secretly, just knock them unconscious and wait for me to arrive in the morning."
The Nine-Tails nodded, understanding the assignment perfectly. He leaped from Naruto's arms and bounded away toward the village entrance, ready to take up his surveillance position.
Naruto felt this precaution was necessary. If someone really couldn't bear the thought of "becoming friends" and chose to sneak away during the night, it would be such a waste. Better to prevent that disappointment entirely.
Sure enough, shortly after Naruto left, Zaku of the Otogakure trio pulled Dosu and Kin into a corner. He whispered urgently, "Why don't we sneak away tonight? That way we can avoid tomorrow's... pain."
His proposal was immediately and enthusiastically agreed upon by both Dosu and Kin. None of them wanted to experience Naruto's "friendship process."
Meanwhile, the Nine-Tails arrived at the village entrance and surveyed the area carefully. Seeing no one around, he jumped into a thick patch of grass beside the road and concealed himself perfectly. From this vantage point, he could detect anyone entering or leaving the village.
As the sun set completely and long shadows stretched across the ground, a tall figure approached the village entrance. The silhouette caught the Nine-Tails' attention immediately.
Peering through gaps in the grass, the Nine-Tails observed a man standing just outside Konoha. He wore a distinctive red coat over brown clothing, wooden sandals on his feet, and armor-like guards on his hands. Most notable was the Kanji character for "oil" emblazoned on his forehead protector, and his shock of wild white hair that seemed to defy gravity.
The ninja stepped forward on his wooden sandals, gazing at Konoha's entrance with an expression of solemn gravity. "Konoha," he said, his voice carrying weight and emotion. "I've finally come back since I left."
But the seriousness on his face lasted only seconds. It melted away, replaced by a thoroughly inappropriate grin. He chuckled to himself, his entire demeanor shifting to something decidedly less dignified. "It's been so long since I've done proper material gathering. My manuscript progress has slowed considerably. Now that I'm back, time to collect some... inspiration."
With that distinctly lecherous smile plastered across his face, the white-haired ninja stepped into Konoha.
The Nine-Tails watched him enter but made no move to interfere. Naruto's instructions had been clear: stop people LEAVING the village. People entering were none of his concern.
This white-haired ninja was Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha, as famous as Orochimaru and Tsunade. He'd spent years traveling the world, ostensibly searching for the prophesied Child of Destiny while gathering intelligence. In truth, he spent significant time in bathhouses conducting "research" for his popular adult novels.
To be honest, he hadn't returned to Konoha in many years.
The reason was complicated. Jiraiya disagreed fundamentally with certain decisions his sensei, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had made. Rather than stay in Konoha and watch those mistakes compound, he'd chosen to remain outside the village, either gathering intelligence or training at Mount Myoboku with the toads.
His return this time had a specific purpose. He wanted to see THAT child. The one he'd never properly met.
He didn't even know what the boy looked like. Shortly after Naruto's birth, when Hiruzen had resumed the Hokage position following the Nine-Tails attack, Jiraiya had left Konoha and never returned. He'd been either spying on enemy movements or secluded in toad training ever since.
Jiraiya walked through Konoha's streets with an easy, casual gait. Because he hadn't been back in so many years, many of the younger generation didn't recognize him. Even some of the adults had forgotten his face.
This anonymity suited him perfectly. It meant he could infiltrate the bathhouse without drawing attention.
Speaking of "material gathering," Jiraiya felt a pang of genuine heartbreak remembering an old tragedy. When he'd first written his masterpiece, "Icha Icha Paradise," the original manuscript had been stolen by thieves before publication. Losing that first draft remained one of the greatest regrets of Jiraiya's life. He'd had to recreate everything from memory.
Jiraiya made his way to the building adjacent to the bathhouse. He found an empty room, changed into an oversized bathrobe that concealed his features, covered the lower half of his face, and prepared to infiltrate the women's side.
In the women's bathhouse, at this hour, many ladies were enjoying their evening soak.
Jiraiya felt his pulse quicken with anticipation. Then a thought struck him, and his lips curved into a mischievous grin. The old man was probably using his crystal ball right now to spy on this very bathhouse.
Thinking this, Jiraiya deliberately began to writhe and twist his body in an exaggerated, sensual manner. He wanted to attract the attention of a certain voyeuristic Hokage. After writhing suggestively for several moments, Jiraiya slowly, teasingly lifted the hem of his bathrobe to expose one leg.
One very, very hairy leg.
In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi had been enjoying his evening "research" session. The crystal ball showed the bathhouse in perfect detail. When a figure began moving in an oddly provocative way, Hiruzen leaned forward with interest, thinking it might be a particularly attractive visitor.
The next moment, that figure lifted their robe, revealing a leg covered in thick, masculine hair.
Blood exploded from both of Hiruzen's nostrils in twin streams. Not from arousal, but from sheer horror. He'd been completely fooled. What he'd thought was a beauty turned out to be... that.
"Someone come here!" Hiruzen shouted, hastily erasing the crystal ball's image with a hand seal.
His office door opened immediately. "Yes, Lord Third? What do you need?"
"Go to the bathhouse entrance," Hiruzen commanded, his voice tight with barely suppressed irritation. "Tell Jiraiya to report to my office. Immediately."
The assistant's eyes widened with pleasant surprise. "Lord Jiraiya has returned? Understood, Lord Third! I'll summon him right away!" The secretary bowed and quickly exited.
After Jiraiya finished his "material gathering," thoroughly satisfied despite the deliberate disgust he'd inflicted on his old sensei, he left the women's bathhouse with a contented smile. The moment he stepped outside, one of the Hokage's staff approached him.
"Lord Jiraiya, the Third Hokage requests your presence in his office immediately. He's waiting for you."
Jiraiya wasn't surprised at all. He'd expected this summons the moment he decided to return. He nodded calmly. "I'll head there right now."
Although Jiraiya held complicated feelings toward his old sensei, seeing Hiruzen was unavoidable. He'd made peace with that necessity before coming back to Konoha. One conversation wouldn't kill him.
He followed the staff member to the Hokage building and stopped in front of the office door.
The secretary knocked formally. "Lord Third, Lord Jiraiya has arrived."
"Send him in." Hiruzen's voice carried through the door, gruff but controlled.
"Lord Jiraiya, please enter." The secretary opened the door. After Jiraiya walked inside, she closed it behind him, giving the two men privacy.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at his former student, took a long pull from his pipe, and exhaled smoke slowly. His voice was carefully neutral when he finally spoke. "So you're finally willing to come back?"
Jiraiya snorted dismissively and dropped into the chair across from the desk without ceremony. "I'm not here to see you, old man. I came back to see Naruto."
"Is that so?" Hiruzen's face showed neither sadness nor joy. His expression remained perfectly composed.
Then, catching Jiraiya completely off guard, Hiruzen said, "Since you've returned anyway, you should take Naruto as your student. Train him properly."
Jiraiya's confident expression cracked. For the first time since entering the office, genuine surprise flickered across his features.