Naruto: Mikoto and Tsunade, don't let either of them go.

Chapter 454: Kakashi's Fall

Upon hearing Tsunade's words, Shizune immediately understood, a look of surprise appearing on her face. After responding, she ran outside.

As someone who has been with Tsunade for so many years, Shizune naturally knows the origin of the necklace that Tsunade mentioned.

The necklace in Tsunade's hand can also be considered a rare treasure. It contains a portion of the power of the first Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and is also one of Tsunade's most cherished keepsakes.

Actually, Tsunade had given this necklace to Nawaki before, but Nawaki died in an accident not long after receiving the necklace.

Since Nawaki was resurrected, he has asked Tsunade for it several times, but for some reason, Tsunade has never given in.

Therefore, Shizune was so happy after hearing what Tsunade said, because it not only made Nawaki happy, but also meant that some of Tsunade's obsessions about her had dissipated.

After sending Shizune away, Tsunade looked at the people in the room, pondered for a moment, and then instructed Kojima Murakami, who had been hiding silently in the corner:

"Koujima, the second Chunin Exam will be held in the Forest of Death, and the examiner will be Mitarashi Anko."

However, that guy isn't very reliable, so you'll have to assist her and prevent the death rate of these contestants in the Forest of Death from becoming too high.

Upon hearing the Fifth Hokage's words, Kojima Murakami, who had been hiding in the corner, finally raised his head. A faint flash of lightning illuminated his body, and he appeared silently in front of the desk like a ghost. After glancing at Tsunade, he bowed respectfully and said in a low voice:

"As you command, Hokage-sama."

At this point, a look of struggle flashed across the islander's face, but he still asked:

"Lord Hokage, I wonder who will lead this mission? Will it be Mitarashi Anko, who is the chief examiner, or your subordinate?"

Hearing what the villager on the island said, Tsunade hesitated for a moment, but still said:

“You all do your own thing. If she really fails in her duty, you take her place.”

Tsunade naturally understood what Kojima meant, because it's important to prioritize these matters; otherwise, when things get crucial, the lack of focus could lead to delays.

Having finally heard what the Hokage wanted to hear, Kojima Murasaki smiled slightly. After bowing to Uchiha Kakuzan and Tsunade, he vanished from the spot in a flash, like lightning.

Seeing the village elder's now masterful use of Lightning Release, Uchiha Kakuzan, who had just sensed his own condition, showed an expression of great interest and asked Tsunade beside him:

"Tsunade-nee, Kojima's strength should be close to Kage level by now, right?"

Upon hearing Qiu Shanjun's question, Tsunade smiled slightly, nodded, and said with considerable appreciation:

"Indeed, although Kojima is of commoner origin, his physique is exceptionally well-suited to the Lightning Release Armor. Moreover, he trains very hard, and after several years of continuous effort, his current strength is quite formidable, almost reaching the mid-stage of the Kage level."

At this point, Tsunade glanced at Kakashi beside her with a hint of disappointment, and continued:

"This island villager is different from some people. Some people are not only exceptionally talented, but also have been known as geniuses since childhood. However, their current strength is not as good as that of the island villager, although he has barely reached the Kage level."

However, if the villager on the island were to fight with all his might, he could almost wipe out two of those people.

Hearing Tsunade almost name names, Kakashi, despite his thick skin, still felt extremely uncomfortable. He looked around nervously, then lowered his head and pretended to be dead.

Uchiha Kakuzan naturally knew Tsunade's disappointment in Kakashi, and shook his head with amusement before continuing:

"Tsunade, Kakashi has only been held back by that Sharingan all these years. Otherwise, he would have already become a peak Kage-level powerhouse."

Now, I have completely fused the Sharingan within him with his own. If he can regain the Hatake swordsmanship and carry it forward, with Kakashi's talent, there is still hope that he can surpass his father and become a Kage-level powerhouse.

Hearing Qiu Shanjun's words, Tsunade's expression softened slightly. She glanced at Kakashi, who had lowered his head, and continued:

"Kakashi, your talent is truly remarkable. If you hadn't been so decadent these past few years, you wouldn't be far off from your father's level, even if you haven't reached it yet."

It's important to know that Sakumo Hatake was once the White Fang of Konoha, feared by countless enemies. He decimated Sunagakure, nearly leaving his generation without any successors.

Your talent far surpasses even your father's; what you lack now is simply the desire to become strong.

At this point, Tsunade seemed to remember something, her brows furrowing deeply, and then she said with great dissatisfaction:

"Also, avoid reading those frivolous things Jiraiya writes; they'll corrupt your mind, understand?"

Tsunade was quite familiar with Kakashi's situation.

She was also very curious. With Kakashi's looks and strength, even if he didn't settle down and start a family, finding a girlfriend should have been an easy thing for him. How could he have unknowingly become someone who liked reading this kind of book? This puzzled her a lot.

Upon hearing Tsunade's words, Kakashi felt utterly ashamed. After instinctively touching his ninja tool pouch, he nodded in agreement.

After assigning numerous tasks, Tsunade glanced around at the people around her, and finally waved her hand, saying:

"Alright, alright, the next testing site is the Forest of Death. Most of your disciples have passed Morino Ibiki's test. If you're worried, you can go and take a look together."

At this point, Tsunade's expression turned somewhat serious, and she continued:

"However, according to the rules, you are not allowed to enter the examination venue, precisely to prevent you from disrupting the exam. So, if you want to go in, you can only go to the very center of the examination area, understand?"

Upon hearing the Hokage's words, before anyone else could say anything, Guy, who was standing to the side, couldn't hold back any longer and blurted out:

"Understood, Hokage-sama. And I've already spoken to the people in charge of the exams over there; I can use the summoning jutsu from the Book of Heaven and Earth to go over and explain the rules of the upcoming competition. Hehe..."

Chapter 455: The Resentment of Mitarashi Anko

Hearing Guy's words, Tsunade helplessly rubbed her forehead, and finally waved her hand and said:

"Alright, go ahead. I've handed over the matter over there to the Third Master. I'm not feeling well, so I won't be going."

Upon hearing the Hokage's words, everyone exchanged glances and then took their leave without lingering.

When only the two of them remained in the Hokage's office, Tsunade suddenly looked at Qiu Shanjun, hesitated for a moment, and then said with a troubled expression:

"Mr. Qiushan, could you please go into the Forest of Death and keep an eye on the Rope Tree?"

Upon hearing Tsunade's words, Uchiha Kagakuyama was slightly taken aback, then realized what she meant and asked:

"Orochimaru?"

"Um."

Tsunade nodded upon hearing Qiushan-jun's words, then said with some concern:

"Regarding Nawaki's resurrection, although I explained to the people of Konoha that he had been undergoing treatment all these years, they still had some doubts. However, because of my identity as a medical expert and my title as Hokage, they dared not refute or doubt too much, so this matter is considered over."

However, Orochimaru was Nawaki's teacher, and he knew better than anyone about Nawaki's death.

If Orochimaru were to encounter Rope Tree in the Forest of Death, given his current desire and pursuit of immortality, even if Rope Tree was once his disciple, Orochimaru would absolutely not let Rope Tree go. The most likely scenario is that he would capture Rope Tree and study the secret of Rope Tree's resurrection.

Upon hearing Tsunade's words, Uchiha Kakuyama nodded in agreement, patted his chest without hesitation, and agreed.

Without further ado, Uchiha Kakuzan, having already promised Tsunade, didn't linger. After giving her a few passionate kisses, he left the place.

However, Uchiha Kakuzan did not immediately head towards the Forest of Death after leaving, because at that time, many examinees had not yet gone there.

Uchiha Kakuzan wasn't in a hurry. After inviting Kurenai Yuhi to lunch, he bought a lot of tricolor dumplings and ate them as he headed toward the Forest of Death.

When Uchiha Kakuyama passed by a secluded spot, he stopped and looked at the several men who had died in a gruesome manner, their faces gone. Uchiha Kakuyama's eyes twitched, and he finally shook his head helplessly before sending a signal to the sky.

Uchiha Kakuyama never expected that he would run into these guys who had been killed by Orochimaru and had their faces erased by Orochimaru's Face-Changing Technique just by taking a casual stroll.

As the head of the Hidden Leaf Village's Anbu, he couldn't turn a blind eye to this, so he decided to call Mitarashi Anko over and have her deal with this headache.

Not long after, Mitarashi Anko and her group arrived. Upon seeing Uchiha Kakuyama, Mitarashi Anko was slightly taken aback. Although she was reluctant, she still walked over and bowed to him.

"Mitarashi Anko greets the Minister. May I ask why you have summoned us?"

At this point, Uchiha Kakuyama was no longer the person Mitarashi Anko could call for a fight a few years ago. Therefore, even though she was very resentful of Uchiha Kakuyama, this scumbag, she still had to bow.

While Uchiha Kakuzan didn't give Mitarashi Anko a friendly look, he didn't make things too difficult for her either, since she was a good friend of Yuhi Kurenai and Yugao.

So Uchiha Kakuzan simply pointed to the corpse beside him and said:

"Mitarashi Anko, I heard you're one of the examiners for this Chunin Exams. Look over there at those dead guys, aren't they the contestants?"

Mitarashi Anko hadn't expected that Uchiha Kakuzan had summoned her for this matter. After a slight pause, she waved to her subordinates behind her and led them toward the corpses.

Anko Mitarashi was Orochimaru's apprentice after all, so she was quite familiar with Orochimaru's various methods.

Therefore, after seeing the injuries on the bodies of the dead, Mitarashi Anko had a guess in her mind. When she saw the faces of the dead, she was even more shocked and couldn't help but exclaim:

"The Face-Changing Technique... Hiss, could it really be Orochimaru returning?"

Thinking of this, Mitarashi Anko felt a throbbing pain in her neck and instinctively clutched it, gritting her teeth as she said:

"Damn Orochimaru, if you really come back, be prepared to face my wrath!!"

Orochimaru was the person Mitarashi Anko admired the most back then, and she was even willing to give up her life for him.

Unfortunately, when Orochimaru defected, he abandoned Mitarashi Anko, leaving her there like trash.

After many years, Mitarashi Anko's feelings for Orochimaru became very complicated, but there was also a lot of hatred in them. She even wanted to arrest Orochimaru and imprison him in the most heavily guarded dungeon in Konoha.

After checking several more times, Mitarashi Anko had confirmed Orochimaru's involvement and went directly to the scene at Uchiha Hill to report:

"In reply to you, sir, these corpses are indeed all candidates for the Chunin Exams."

And if my judgment is correct based on the numerous clues, the person who killed them and used the Face-Changing Technique on them was very likely Orochimaru.

Hearing Mitarashi Anko's words, Uchiha Kakuzan showed no surprise. After giving her a deep look, he said in a low voice:

"Anko, Orochimaru is an S-rank rogue ninja from our Hidden Leaf Village. His strength has long since reached the peak of Kage level. He hasn't revealed his whereabouts for a long time. Can you be sure that he really killed these people?"

Upon hearing Uchiha Kakuyama's words, Mitarashi Anko nodded vigorously, then said fiercely:

"Hmph, of course I can confirm it. Although these people died very quickly and easily, they still retained Orochimaru's strong personal style, especially this Face-Changing Technique. No one but Orochimaru could use it so perfectly."

At this point, an anxious look appeared on Mitarashi Anko's face, and she said somewhat urgently:

"Lord Qiushan, Orochimaru's attempt to infiltrate the Chunin Exams must have some ulterior motive. Perhaps we should suspend the Chunin Exams until all personnel have been screened before resuming them."

Since the participants had not yet entered the Forest of Death at this time, the search was not very difficult, which is why Mitarashi Anko made such a suggestion.

Chapter 456 Please give me some advice

Upon hearing Mitarashi Anko's words, Uchiha Kakuzan hesitated for a moment before rejecting the idea:

"No, the second exam is just around the corner. If it's canceled now, especially if it's by a rogue ninja from our own village, then our village will truly become a laughingstock."

At this point, Uchiha Kagami glanced at Anko, whose face was filled with anxiety, and then gave the order:

"Mitarashi Anko, go and report the situation to Godai, and then preside over the exam."

Just as Mitarashi Anko opened her mouth, about to retort, Uchiha Kakuzan stopped her at the opportune moment, then said meaningfully:

“Red Bean, Wudai had already foreseen these things, so you don’t need to worry. If you’re really worried, come and take a walk with me in this Death Forest later.”

Upon hearing Uchiha Kakuyama's words, Mitarashi Anko hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.

After all, Mitarashi Anko knew that the man in front of her had already been the strongest in Konoha Village several years ago, and at his current age, he was in the period of rapid growth in strength. Mitarashi Anko believed that even a pig would have a great leap in strength in the past few years, let alone the head of the Uchiha clan in front of her.

In Mitarashi Anko's mind, you can say that the man in front of you is a womanizer, a beast, a scumbag, but you just can't say that he's not capable.

Of course, Mitarashi Anko wouldn't admit that the reason she was so hostile to Uchiha Kakuyama was not only because her two best friends had fallen into his hands, but also because she felt that this man was blind and couldn't see her charm.

Just then, Uchiha Kakuyama looked at the somewhat stunned Mitarashi Anko, hesitated for a moment, then patted her shoulder and said with a hint of helplessness:

"Alright, it's still quite far from the Hokage Building. Just write down what you want to report on the scroll, and I'll take it over for you."

Hearing Uchiha Kakuyama's words, Anko was slightly taken aback, but immediately agreed. She quickly took out a small scroll from her ninja tool bag, wrote a few simple words on it, and handed it to Uchiha Kakuyama, looking at him expectantly.

Upon seeing this, Uchiha Kakuzan simply smiled slightly, then raised the scroll in his hand to his eyes and opened his palm.

呲

With a soft sound, the scroll in Uchiha Kakuzan's hand vanished from sight, leaving only his fair palm.

Mitarashi Anko was also startled by this turn of events, but then she realized what was happening and asked:

"Lord Qiushan, have you already delivered the information? Is this a space-time ninjutsu?"

Mitarashi Anko had long known that Uchiha Kakuzan was very skilled in space-time ninjutsu, but this was the first time she had seen it up close, which was why she was so surprised.

When faced with Mitarashi Anko's question, Uchiha Kakuzan merely glanced at her indifferently and nodded, saying:

"Yes, I've already delivered the scroll to the Hokage's desk. It's just a simple application of space-time ninjutsu."

After Uchiha Kakuyama finished speaking, he clapped his hands with a carefree air. After Mitarashi Anko dismissed her subordinates, he smiled and said:

"Alright, don't rush anymore. There's still some time before the second exam. I'll treat you to afternoon tea."

As he spoke, Uchiha Kakuyama took out the three-colored dumplings he had bought earlier from his spatial storage.

Upon hearing what Okayama-kun said, Mitarashi Anko initially intended to refuse, but when her eyes fell upon the three-colored dumplings in Okayama-kun's hand, she hesitated, her expression shifting several times before she said rather reservedly:

"You're right, we don't have anything else to do right now, so let's just eat a little bit..."

As Mitarashi Anko spoke, her hand had already reached out towards Maruko uncontrollably.

Despite being a ruthless and decisive character, Mitarashi Anko has a sweet tooth, especially for these three-colored dumplings, which are her absolute favorite.

Before this, Mitarashi Anko had planned to buy it, but she was summoned by Uchiha Okayama.

Therefore, upon seeing the three-colored dumplings in Okayama-kun's hand, Mitarashi Anko's composure was quickly shattered by her love of sweets.