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

Uchiha Kakuyama, holding a string of three-colored dumplings, looked at Mitarashi Anko, who was now blissfully squinting her eyes, with amusement and shook his head.

Qiu Shanjun knew that Hongdou liked sweets, otherwise she wouldn't have become such an overweight middle-aged woman. He just didn't expect her to love sweets so much.

After a while, Mitarashi Anko finished the last skewer of the three-colored dumplings that Uchiha Okayama had brought, wiped her mouth with great satisfaction, and then let out a satisfied burp.

Seeing this, Uchiha Kakuzan shook his head with amusement, glanced at the sky, and kindly reminded him:

"Red Bean, it's almost time. Shouldn't you go check out the Forest of Death?"

Hearing Uchiha Kakuyama's reminder, Mitarashi Anko also came to her senses. She quickly looked at the sun overhead, shuddered, let out a strange cry, and hurriedly headed towards the Forest of Death.

Seeing this, Uchiha Kakuyama shook his head with amusement and disappeared from the spot, leaving only the tree trunk covered with sticks.

······

At the entrance to the Death Forest, Rope Tree was carefully binding the armor on his forearm when he heard a voice that seemed to be calling him.

"Hi, what's your name? Are you also a Konoha ninja?"

Upon hearing the voice, Rope Tree looked up with a hint of curiosity and saw a blond boy with an embarrassed expression not far away. Next to this boy was a black-haired boy with a cold expression and a red-haired girl with a gentle expression.

Rope Tree had just finished putting on the armor on his arm. After briefly testing its stability, he looked at the blond boy, pointed to himself, and asked curiously:

Are you asking me?

After receiving a response from Rope Tree, the blond boy's nervousness turned to joy, and he nodded vigorously, saying cheerfully:

"Yes, yes, my name is Naruto Uzumaki, a genin from Konoha. I noticed you're wearing a Konoha headband, but I've never seen you before, so I'm a little curious."

After hearing Naruto's words, Nawaki subconsciously adjusted his headband before smiling and saying:

"Yes, I am also a genin from Konoha Village, my name is Senju Nawaki, nice to meet you."

Chapter 457 When Orochimaru Meets Rope Tree

Chapter 457

Naruto didn't notice anything unusual about Nawaki's self-introduction. He simply raised his hand to touch the back of his head and asked curiously:

"Nawaki, I've never seen you before. I'm quite familiar with this ninja academy, but I don't recognize you at all. Didn't you graduate from the ninja academy?"

Upon hearing Naruto's words, Nawaki didn't seem to care much, and simply replied with a smile:

"I was in poor health before and had been recuperating. It was only recently that my brother-in-law healed my injuries. So I begged my sister to come back and continue being a ninja. After all, my dream is to become Hokage, and I can't fulfill my dream if I don't become a ninja."

At this point, Rope Tree's face was filled with determination.

At this moment, Naruto seemed to be infected by Nawaki's firm attitude, and his expression became more and more excited. Then he shouted:

"My wish is also to eventually become Hokage. It seems we can be considered rivals."

When Nawaki heard Naruto's words, his face lit up with surprise. He nodded vigorously at Naruto and raised his fist, saying:

"Since your wish is the same as mine, let's have a competition to see who will become Hokage in the end."

Upon hearing Nawaki's words, Naruto nodded repeatedly and raised his fist to meet Nawaki's fist.

Meanwhile, Karin Uzumaki, who had been watching Naruto and Nawaki's interaction, subtly nudged Sasuke and asked curiously:

"Sasuke, why does the surname Senju sound so familiar? But I know for sure that none of our classmates have the surname Senju, right?"

Sasuke, upon hearing Karin's words, glanced at her blankly before whispering:

"As expected of Naruto's sister, even her stupidity is contagious."

Before Karin could erupt in anger, Sasuke raised his chin and gestured towards the Hokage Rock in the distance, then continued:

"Guess what the First Hokage and the Second Hokage's names were?"

Upon hearing Sasuke's words, Karin paused for a moment, then seemed to remember something and muttered to herself:

"The First Hokage—Hashirama Senju, the Second Hokage—Tobirama Senju, and this…"

At this moment, Karin also understood why she was so familiar with the surname Senju. It was because among the well-known stories they knew, there were many names of the First and Second Hokage.

However, they usually refer to the first and second generations, so they didn't react immediately at this moment.

Meanwhile, Naruto was already getting along very well with Nawaki, and after Karin and Sasuke finished talking, he even smiled and began introducing them to Nawaki:

"This red-haired girl is my younger sister, Karin Uzumaki, and this arrogant-looking guy is my comrade, Sasuke Uchiha."

Upon hearing Naruto's introduction, Nawaki was slightly taken aback. After glancing at Sasuke, he nodded to them and said:

"Hello, my name is Senju Nawaki. Please take care of me from now on."

Upon hearing Nawaki's words, Sasuke and Karin quickly returned the greeting.

They certainly didn't dare to neglect the Senju clan.

At that moment, Nawaki walked straight up to Sasuke, smiled at him amicably, and said:

"I had heard before that my brother-in-law had taken on a disciple named Uchiha Sasuke. It seems to be you. So it was you. I'll have to take good care of you in the future."

Upon hearing Nawaki's words, Sasuke and the others looked quite surprised, especially Naruto, who let out a strange cry and exclaimed:

"Huh? Uncle Qiu is your brother-in-law? And who is your sister?"

Sasuke and Karin, standing nearby, were also staring intently at Nawaki, hoping to get an answer from him.

Rope Tree hadn't expected such a strong reaction from them when he said those words. He scratched the back of his head somewhat sheepishly, glanced around at the people, and seeing they were all quite far away, lowered his voice and said:

"My older sister is Tsunade Senju, and she is the current Fifth Hokage."

Actually, Nawaki was a little embarrassed when he mentioned his sister's name. After all, he felt that revealing his sister's name at this time was suspected of using her name for the later competition.

However, since Naruto had asked the question, it would be somewhat impolite of him not to answer.

Upon hearing Rope Tree's answer, everyone's expressions became even more out of control.

In fact, whether it's Naruto, Sasuke, or Karin, they all know to some extent that their Uncle Ooyama, their master, and their female confidantes seem to have quite a few.

To their surprise, the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, was also a close confidante of Uchiha Kakuyama, a fact that shocked them to some extent when they received the news.

Sasuke, in particular, had a vague realization at this moment.

No wonder, no wonder the Uchiha clan moved away from Konoha, while his master, as the head of the Uchiha clan, remained in Konoha as the head of the Anbu and stayed there for a long time. It turns out it was because of the Fifth Hokage.

······

While Naruto and the others were still in shock, an uninvited guest emerged from the nearby woods.

This person was tall and slender, with sinister eyes that made him look very unsettling.

Just as he arrived at the venue, preparing to wait for the second exam, his eyes casually glanced around, but then he froze, staring intently at the rope tree not far away.

"Rope tree, rope tree, is it really a rope tree? How could it be a rope tree? Is it really a rope tree?"

Even Orochimaru, who had been through countless trials, couldn't help but feel dazed at this moment.

Because he remembered very clearly that Rope Tree had already died on the battlefield, and that he had been killed by an explosive tag, right before his eyes.

But if Nawaki really dies, then who is this boy in front of me?

Thinking of this, Orochimaru finally came to his senses, his brows furrowed as he watched the boy's every move, expression, appearance, and some small habits and details not far away.

Is it Danzo Shimura?

Could it be that Danzo Shimura's laboratory had mastered cloning technology, and this boy who looks so much like Nawaki was cloned by Danzo using Nawaki's cells?

At that moment, Orochimaru's first thought was of Danzo Shimura.

Although Orochimaru considered everyone in Shimura Danzo's laboratory to be useless, they still possessed some research capabilities. Moreover, Shimura Danzo had already fallen out with him long ago, so Orochimaru wasn't entirely clear about the true nature of Shimura Danzo's laboratory, hence his speculation.

Chapter 458 Orochimaru's Concerns

Thinking of this, Orochimaru's eyes flickered slightly. Based on his understanding of Shimura Danzo, he did not believe that Shimura Danzo would dare to clone a clone of Nawaki and even release him to participate in the Chunin Exams.

You should know that Tsunade is currently the Hokage of Konoha. With Tsunade's fiery temper, if Danzo dared to do this, Tsunade would dare to turn his Root organization upside down.

Thinking of this, Orochimaru's eyes darkened slightly, and he quietly approached Nawaki.

At this moment, Orochimaru had temporarily abandoned everything else, because the matter of Nawaki had now completely occupied his mind.

It's important to know that Orochimaru disappeared from the ninja world all these years because he was in seclusion researching the art of immortality.

Once the Hokage's most prized disciple, and later one of the renowned Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru gave up the position of Hokage because he had long since turned his interest to the art of immortality. In order to obtain the necessary experimental materials and data, he even cooperated with Danzo Shimura.

This shows his fanaticism for the art of immortality.

Moreover, he has not been without gains over the years; he has even developed the Reanimation Jutsu. Theoretically, as long as Orochimaru continues to use this technique, he can continuously obtain a younger body and achieve the goal of immortality.

However, as the only ninja who knew this technique, Orochimaru had a vague feeling that this forbidden technique he invented must have some kind of limitation. If he continued to use it in the future, his soul might become broken and he would eventually die.

Therefore, upon seeing Nawaki, Orochimaru was momentarily dazed before immediately realizing that if Nawaki were truly resurrected, his research value would far surpass that of any experimental subject.

If he could figure out the secret of Rope Tree's resurrection, his Corpse Reincarnation Technique could be improved, and it's very likely that the deadly side effect could be removed.

As Orochimaru silently approached Nawaki, his heart pounded faster and faster.

According to his observation, the Nawaki in front of him seemed to be the real Nawaki, the disciple he had taught before. Nawaki's expression, his posture, his subtle movements, and even his chakra aura were exactly the same as the Nawaki in his memory.

Orochimaru was quite confident in his judgment of these situations; even among the Legendary Sannin, he was considered one of the most outstanding.

Orochimaru's heart was also filled with complex emotions at this moment. After all, one of the reasons for his change of beliefs was witnessing Nawaki's death, which made him feel the fragility and insignificance of life, and made him change his goal to research the path to immortality.

Thinking this, Orochimaru thought to himself:

"Rope Tree, it seems you and my path to immortality are destined to meet."

Just as Orochimaru was about to make another move, he seemed to sense something. He slowly withdrew the step he was about to take and silently hid in the shade of a tree, suppressing his aura to the lowest possible level, making his presence even weaker.

Chirp~~~

Just as Orochimaru finished his action, a whoosh of wind swept past his head, causing him to slightly raise his eyes and see Mitarashi Anko, who had already arrived at the entrance to the Forest of Death.

"Red Bean, it's been so long~~"

Upon seeing this familiar figure, Orochimaru immediately recognized her, and a wicked smile appeared on his lips.

"Phew, I made it..."

At this moment, Mitarashi Anko stood on the gate, glancing at the sun overhead with lingering fear. Only when she realized she wasn't late did she breathe a sigh of relief.

After all, many villages are participating in this Chunin Exams, especially the two major villages of Sunagakure and Kirigakure. If she is late for such an important occasion, she will really bring shame to Konoha and herself throughout the entire ninja world. I believe that when that time comes, Lady Tsunade will definitely treat her well.

Thinking of this, Mitarashi Anko wiped away non-existent cold sweat from her forehead and quickly called out:

"Alright, time's almost up. Everyone who wants to participate in this competition, please sign this life-or-death agreement, and then you can collect your mission scroll..."

Then, Mitarashi Anko gave a brief introduction to the competition rules.

At this moment, Orochimaru glanced at Anko not far away, then at Rope Tree beside her, and finally suppressed his restless heart, deciding to make his move in the Forest of Death and get his hands on Rope Tree.

After all, although this Red Bean's strength is average, she was personally taught by him, and she also has the curse mark that he planted on her body. If he wanted to make her lose her fighting ability, it would only be a matter of Orochimaru thinking about it.

However, this is, after all, the territory of Konoha Village, and that damned Uchiha Kakuzan is rumored to be very skilled in space-time ninjutsu. If he makes too much of a commotion here, it is very likely that Uchiha Kakuzan will appear here in an instant, and then his plan to arrest Nawaki may fall through.

Thinking of this, Orochimaru suppressed his aura to the point of almost non-existence.

Let's wait until we get to the Forest of Death. That way, even if I capture Nawaki, it will take a long time for Konoha to react. By then, Orochimaru will have already taken Nawaki and escaped beyond the borders of the Land of Fire. At that point, I can do whatever I want.

After a short while, under the guidance of Mitarashi Anko, each team signed a contract and, holding the Book of Heaven and Earth they were assigned, quickly headed towards the center of the Death Forest.

呲~~

With a soft sound, Uchiha Kakuyama appeared on the platform of the tower in the Forest of Death. With his sensory abilities, he could perceive the situation in the entire Forest of Death even from here, so he simply came here, eating the three-colored dumplings in his hand while sensing the situation in the entire forest.

"Hmm, this gloomy chakra should belong to Orochimaru. Oh, and Anko's chakra is not far from him."

Tsk tsk tsk, this little red bean is hopeless. Orochimaru is right next to her, and she hasn't even noticed.

While eating the three-colored dumplings he had just bought, Uchiha Kakuyama kept making sarcastic remarks based on his own perception.

Chapter 459 Rope Tree's Request

As Uchiha Kakuyama carefully sensed the movements in the forest, he began to feel that something was increasingly amiss.

"Huh? Why is Orochimaru always wandering around Nawaki?"

Uchiha Kakuzan also realized that Orochimaru had discovered Nawaki and confirmed his identity; otherwise, he would not have abandoned his target and wandered around Nawaki.

Yes, Uchiha Kakuzan was well aware of Orochimaru's objective this time.

Prior to this, Itachi Uchiha, who was involved with the Akatsuki organization, had sent him information that Orochimaru had already suffered under Itachi's Sharingan.

Orochimaru's purpose in coming to Konoha was likely to target Sasuke Uchiha. Even though he had just changed bodies, he could still place a cursed seal on Sasuke, making it virtually impossible for Sasuke to escape his control.

Therefore, when Uchiha Kakuzan sensed that Orochimaru had abandoned Sasuke's team and was instead following around Nawaki, he understood Orochimaru's purpose.