They traveled through time at the same time, but the villainous scientist

Chapter 34 The exam begins

A few days later.

The examination hall specially set up by Konoha Village was now packed with people.

The flags of the five great ninja villages fluttered at the edge of the field, signifying the extraordinary nature of this joint Chunin Exam.

The air was thick with a mixture of excitement, tension, and tension.

The genin from each village gathered in distinct groups, sizing each other up, their eyes filled with vigilance and fighting spirit.

Orochimaru stood in the center of the Konoha formation, flanked by the boisterous Jiraiya and the disgruntled Tsunade.

He calmly surveyed the sea of ​​people, estimating at least two or three hundred young ninjas from various regions.

It was truly an unprecedented spectacle.

Orochimaru smiled. Aside from war, this was probably the only place he could see so many ninjas.

His gaze slowly swept across the crowd, quickly locking onto those targets that warranted attention.

On the Sand Village side, the leader appeared to be the red-haired boy they had met once on the street.

Unlike the previous days, today he was carrying a heavy, irregularly shaped object wrapped in thick cloth on his back, which was as tall as a person.

Its weight was unlike that of ordinary ninja tools.

Puppet?

Orochimaru understood.

With this appearance and the puppet, he really looks like Sasori's father in the future.

interesting.

As the gaze shifted, several figures stood out particularly in the ranks of the Hidden Mist Village.

Most of them had cold expressions and a chilling aura that kept strangers at bay. Most importantly, they all carried huge blades of various shapes slung across their backs.

Some are as wide as a door panel, some are as thin as a needle, and some are covered with vicious barbs.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist... Although the people are different, you can still recognize those different swords.

Each one of them looked difficult to deal with.

On the Cloud Village side, the leader was a tall guy, and the most peculiar thing was his hair, half snow-white and half grass-green, as if it had been forcibly split open.

With dark skin and sharp eyes, he possessed a ruggedness and domineering nature characteristic of ninjas from the Land of Lightning.

There's nothing particularly special about it at the moment.

Among the group from Iwagakure, a boy with dazzling blond hair stood out the most. He had an arrogant expression, crossed his arms, and looked like he was second to none.

However, Orochimaru knew very well that since it was a joint event hosted by the five great ninja villages, the people sent by each village would inevitably be their own elites, serving as a "showcase" to demonstrate the village's strength and intimidate other countries.

Turning our attention back to Konoha, we saw quite a few familiar faces.

The most eye-catching one was a boy wearing a bright green bodysuit and with thick, bushy eyebrows, who looked a few years older than him.

At this moment, he was making strange gestures towards the sky, muttering words about "youth" and "passion," and how he was determined to become a Chunin.

This iconic look... Might Guy?
Orochimaru's gaze lingered on him for a moment.

Not far from Might Guy, a boy with striking white spiky hair was quietly wiping the short sword in his hand, his expression focused.

Hatake Sakumo.

The genius of Konoha, the future "White Fang of Konoha".

Sure enough, they came.

In addition, the Uchiha clan's unique arrogant expressions, the Hyuga clan's pure white eyes, and the young members of the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clans were also among the crowd.

In comparison, Konoha is indeed full of talented people.

While Orochimaru was observing alone, a figure suddenly appeared on the high platform in the center of the arena.

The newcomer was an elite Jonin wearing a Konoha headband and a green vest, with a serious expression.

"quiet!"

The Jonin's voice, amplified by chakra, resonated clearly throughout the entire examination hall.

The noisy crowd quickly quieted down, and everyone's eyes were focused on the platform.

"Now, let me announce the rules for the first exam!"

"The exam lasts ninety minutes. Within this time, you need to complete all the questions on this test paper." "Different questions, depending on their difficulty, have different point values."

"After the exam, the top 100 candidates by total score will qualify for the next round of exams!"

The Jonin's gaze swept over the dark mass of people below, and he spoke without a trace of emotion.

"Wow——!"

These words caused an uproar throughout the training ground.

"What?! One hundred?!"

"Are you kidding me! There must be at least two or three hundred people here!"

"That means at least half of the people have to be eliminated?!"

Exclamations, doubts, and gasps of surprise rose and fell.

Many candidates turned pale instantly, and cold sweat beaded on their foreheads.

Tsunade frowned, clearly surprised by the elimination rate.

What also concerned her was another point: if this elimination rate was to be achieved, it meant that these questions would certainly not be easy.

If that's the case, she and Orochimaru are fine, but Jiraiya would be doomed, wouldn't he?

"Quiet!"

The Jonin on the high platform shouted again, his voice carrying an undeniable authority.

He waited until the noise subsided before coldly adding:
"I must remind everyone of something."

"Don't try to embarrass yourself here with those clumsy cheating methods."

"Once discovered, regardless of which village you're from, you will be disqualified from the exam, and your respective team leader Jonin will be notified!"

The Jonin's eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, as if he could see through everyone's thoughts.

These words made many candidates who had originally harbored wicked intentions suddenly realize the danger, and their little schemes instantly vanished.

However, some ninjas who were confident in their strength, or rather, who were skilled in their methods, showed thoughtful expressions.

"A clumsy cheating method..."

Orochimaru shook his head slightly upon hearing this.

In other words, this so-called written test is the same as the one Naruto took.

The test is the ninja's ability to gather, analyze, and even utilize the rules within the framework of those rules.

The subtext of the so-called "no clumsy cheating" is that clever "methods" may be tacitly approved or even encouraged.

After all, battles in the ninja world are a comprehensive contest of intelligence and strength.

If this is the case……

Thinking of this, Orochimaru looked at Jiraiya beside him.

The boy's face was deathly pale, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead; he clearly hadn't grasped the true meaning of this exam.

"Heh~ If you can't answer, then you can wear this thing..."

Orochimaru smiled upon seeing this, then took out two earrings that looked like accessories from his pocket and handed them to Jiraiya and Tsunade.

"Forehead……"

Jiraiya was taken aback, before he could even ask what it was.

At the command of the Jonin on the platform, the Konoha Chunin, who were already prepared, began to guide the candidates from each village to their designated examination areas according to their numbers and to take their seats.

Soon, thick stacks of exam papers were distributed to each candidate.

Looking at the questions on the exam paper, the air seemed to freeze at that moment.

All that remained was the rustling of turning pages and the varying sounds of the examinees' breathing.

Upon seeing this, the chief examiner on the high platform smiled, glanced at the timer in his hand, and then suddenly looked up.

"The first exam—"

"start!"

(End of this chapter)