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Mastermind of the Akatsuki 373
🕑 Added 2025-04-13 16:00:08 +0000 UTCChapter 373: Naruto and Jiraiya
After breaking free from Orochimaru’s restraints, Anko headed toward the central tower.
As a Tokubetsu Jōnin of Konoha, even though Orochimaru was her teacher, she had to report his presence in the Forest of Death to the Third Hokage.
The reason was simple: being his former disciple, she knew better than anyone how dangerous Orochimaru could be.
Upon reaching the central tower, Anko went straight to the Third Hokage and delivered her report.
At that moment, the Third Hokage was watching the Chūnin Exams alongside Byakuya and Sasori.
After listening to Anko’s report, his expression darkened, and his brows furrowed.
Dismissing Anko, the Third Hokage fell into deep thought.
In past joint Chūnin Exams, there were always enemy shinobi attempting to disrupt the event, but they were, at most, Jōnin-level, and their interference never posed a real threat.
However, this time was different; Orochimaru had appeared in the Chūnin Exams.
Orochimaru was his former student, one who defected from the village due to ideological differences and became an S-rank missing-nin.
Yet, despite this, the Third Hokage had never sent Anbu squads to hunt him down.
There were two reasons for this. First, Orochimaru’s strength was overwhelming, even if all of Anbu worked together, they might not be able to take him down. Second, deep down, the Third Hokage still held onto unrealistic hopes.
He wished that Orochimaru would one day willingly admit his mistakes and return to the village. It was precisely because of these complex emotions that he now found himself unsure of what to do.
What was Orochimaru’s goal this time? Was he looking for a chance to return to the village, or was he planning something against it?
If it were the former, that would be ideal. As long as Orochimaru was willing to return, the Third Hokage was willing to vouch for him personally.
But if it was the latter, countermeasures had to be considered.
Byakuya observed the Third Hokage’s reaction and immediately understood what he was thinking.
The Third Hokage was an indecisive man, a useless “soft-hearted fool.” He was undoubtedly still clinging to his unrealistic hopes for Orochimaru.
Scoffing internally, Byakuya spoke up, “Hokage-sama, I saw a Jōnin from Konoha report something just now. Is there an urgent matter?”
The Third Hokage glanced at Byakuya, then shook his head. “It’s nothing major. This year’s Chūnin Exams are simply more intense than usual. Even the hidden surveillance cameras have been destroyed.”
Byakuya nodded and said, “That’s good to hear. I was worried that some troublemakers might be trying to disrupt the exam. If anyone dares, I won’t hesitate to step in.”
Sasori also joined the conversation. “Sunagakure won’t sit idly by either.”
The Third Hokage chuckled. “Thank you, Byakuya-dono, and Kazekage-dono. However, the situation is still within Konoha’s control for now. There’s no need for you two to act. Please continue watching the matches with me.”
Although he spoke calmly, his heart was anything but.
This year’s Chūnin Exams weren’t just being observed by Byakuya and Sasori, many nobles and wealthy merchants had also been invited. If anything were to happen, Konoha would suffer unimaginable losses. And that was something he could not afford to accept.
---
As time passed, more and more shinobi squads arrived at the central tower. Among them were Naruto’s team, Gaara’s team, and the rest of the Konoha Twelve.
Although they were officially Genin, their strength far exceeded that of ordinary Chūnin. Once the last team with both Heaven and Earth scrolls entered the central area, the second round of the exam came to an end. Compared to the written test, this round was far more dangerous.
According to known reports, at least ten shinobi had mysteriously disappeared during the second round. Some had fallen prey to the poisonous creatures and beasts within the Forest of Death. Others died in battle.
Faced with such a high mortality rate, many participants were already regretting their decision to take the Chūnin Exams.
After advancing to the third round, Naruto’s team found their instructor, Kakashi, and told him about their experiences in the Forest of Death.
When Kakashi heard that they had encountered Orochimaru and survived, his face was filled with shock. He was utterly astonished by how quickly Naruto and the others had grown.
In his youth, he had dreamed of becoming a legendary shinobi like the Sannin, believing that his own talent would one day allow him to challenge them. However, when he truly faced Orochimaru, he realized the vast gap in their abilities.
With just two moves, Orochimaru had completely defeated him, even though he had already been a Jōnin at the time. If the Third Hokage hadn’t arrived in time, he might have died that day.
Suppressing his emotions, Kakashi’s expression turned grim. “I’ll report Orochimaru’s presence to Hokage-sama. But you should be prepared, the Chūnin Exams may be postponed.”
Naruto and the others nodded. Kakashi’s warning made perfect sense.
Given the circumstances, if Orochimaru had truly intended to kill them, their chances of survival would have been slim. With such a dangerous figure lurking in Konoha, proceeding with the Chūnin Exams recklessly would be unwise.
Meanwhile, Gaara’s team had also reunited with their instructor, Baki. However, instead of reporting to him, they bypassed him and went straight to Sasori.
When Sasori heard that Rasa had appeared in the Forest of Death, he merely smiled, showing no concern at all.
Puzzled, Gaara asked, “Sasori-sama, won’t Rasa’s infiltration of Konoha affect the Chūnin Exams? Do you think he plans to attack Konoha?”
"It’s possible… or maybe not."
After a brief pause, Sasori continued, "But you are mistaken about one thing. Rasa isn't the only one who infiltrated Konoha. One of the legendary Sannin, the cunning Orochimaru, has also entered the village. The two of them have joined forces."
"Rasa and Orochimaru are working together?!"
Kankurō and Temari's eyes widened in shock. "What exactly are they planning?"
"Perhaps they intend to wreak havoc in Konoha. Orochimaru was exiled from the village, so it's only natural that he holds a grudge. As for Rasa, he has always despised Konoha shinobi. The two of them likely found common ground and are now plotting against Konoha."
Gaara pondered for a moment before cautiously asking, "If Orochimaru and Rasa are planning to attack Konoha, should we take advantage of the chaos and do something as well?"
Sasori thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"Orochimaru’s conflict with Konoha is none of our concern for now. This is their village, no matter what schemes they have or how great the conflict becomes, it will only benefit Sunagakure."
Sasori had no intention of taking action against Konoha. For one, staying put was more advantageous for Sunagakure.
For another, he hadn’t forgotten his true identity. While serving as the Fifth Kazekage was merely a cover, he was, in reality, a member of Akatsuki.
Since both Rasa and Orochimaru were also part of Akatsuki’s plans against Konoha, he had no reason to interfere.
---
After the second round of the Chūnin Exams ended, the Third Hokage convened a Jōnin meeting to discuss the possibility of postponing the exam.
Kakashi gave Naruto and his team a few parting words before heading off to attend the meeting.
Over the past ten years, he had gone from being a rookie among the Jōnin to one of the key figures of Konoha’s upper ranks. A meeting of this importance was not something he could afford to miss.
Naruto and the others nodded in understanding and left the Forest of Death along with the rest of the examinees.
On their way out, they encountered Kabuto, who had once again failed to advance, just as he had in previous Chūnin Exams.
This time, his excuse was that he hadn’t been able to obtain the required scrolls within the time limit.
Naruto and the others weren’t surprised by Kabuto’s failure. A lone Genin competing in a team-based survival round was bound to struggle. But it was clear to them that Kabuto wasn’t trying to pass at all.
With all the intel he had gathered, he could have easily found a few lower-ranked Genin to form a team and made it through the second round.
They continued forward and soon stumbled upon an argument between Team 6 and Team 8, more specifically, a heated dispute between Neji and Hinata.
Team 6 had been in the previous year’s class, a squad that specialized in taijutsu. The relationship between Neji and Hinata was complicated.
Neji, a prodigy of the Hyūga branch family, had mastered many of the main family’s secret techniques on his own, without any formal guidance.
Hinata, on the other hand, was the Hyūga heiress, despite her lack of strength.
As a branch family member, Neji harbored resentment toward Hinata, but it wasn’t simple hatred. He saw her as weak and unworthy of inheriting the Hyūga clan, believing that with her personality and skills, she would never be fit to lead. So, he constantly challenged her, hoping to push her into becoming stronger. But rather than improving, Hinata became even more withdrawn.
Their strained relationship only worsened over time, and Hinata’s naturally gentle nature turned into an overwhelming lack of confidence.
Seeing this unfold, Naruto stepped forward and positioned himself beside Hinata, putting a stop to the argument. He then directed some harsh words toward Neji.
He didn’t bear any real hostility toward Neji, but he felt that his treatment of Hinata was unfair. However, deep down, he understood that the real problem wasn’t Neji himself, it was the Hyūga clan’s Caged Bird system.
Before meeting Hinata and learning about the branch family’s fate, Naruto could never have imagined that such an oppressive system existed in Konoha, a village that supposedly upheld the Will of Fire.
It made him start questioning whether the Third Hokage was truly in control or merely a puppet of the powerful clans. If he wanted to mend the rift between Hinata and Neji, the Caged Bird system had to be abolished.
Hinata, who was ill-suited to be a shinobi, needed to be freed from the burden of Hyūga clan politics, while stronger candidates should take her place as the future clan leader.
But for now, this was nothing more than a distant dream. Until he became Hokage, there was nothing he could do to change Konoha.
Even being the Fourth Hokage’s son and the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails wouldn’t give him enough influence.
After escorting Hinata back to the Hyūga estate, Naruto shoved his hands into his pockets and parted ways with his teammates, heading toward the training grounds.
By now, training had become a habit. If he went a day without it, he would feel restless, as if he were wasting time, almost like he was committing a crime against himself. After two hours of training, Naruto left the grounds and made his way home.
On the way back, he passed by the Konoha bathhouse.
At the rear alley of the bathhouse, he spotted a white-haired old man peering through a crack in the wall, staring into the steamy interior.
Under normal circumstances, Naruto would have marched over to put a stop to this behavior. But today, he hesitated for a moment and quickened his pace instead.
The white-haired man looked undeniably perverted, but his chakra levels were anything but ordinary.
The pressure he exuded was no weaker than what Naruto had felt from Orochimaru.
If this man was just another Konoha shinobi, then fine, but if he was actually an enemy spy in disguise, confronting him would be a problem.
As Naruto hurried away, the white-haired man, Jiraiya, narrowed his eyes and watched him go.
"This doesn't make sense… I remember this trick working on Minato. So why isn’t it working on this kid? Does he really have no sense of justice at all?"
Though Jiraiya silently grumbled to himself, he didn’t forget his promise to the old man.
Upon returning to the village, Hiruzen had entrusted him with an important task and it was training Minato’s child, Konoha’s Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, Naruto.
As Hiruzen’s former student and Naruto’s would-be grandmaster, there was no way Jiraiya could refuse.
With that in mind, he activated the Body Flicker Technique, disappearing from sight and reappearing directly in Naruto’s path.
Naruto looked up at Jiraiya, his hands already forming seals. In an instant, two shadow clones materialized beside him, their eyes locked onto Jiraiya.
"Who are you, and why are you following me?"
Jiraiya’s expression turned serious for a moment, only for him to suddenly break into an exaggerated dance.
"Who am I? I am none other than one of Konoha’s Legendary Sannin, the great Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku, Jiraiya!"
He struck a triumphant pose, hands on his hips, eagerly awaiting Naruto’s look of admiration.
Instead, Naruto stared at him blankly.
"So, you’re Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin. Do you need something from me? If not, I’m heading home to cook dinner."
Jiraiya was taken aback by Naruto’s reaction.
"What’s with that unimpressed look?" he asked, confused. "I’m Jiraiya! One of the Legendary Sannin! The Toad Sage! Don’t you want to learn some jutsu from me?"
Naruto shook his head. "Biting off more than I can chew won’t help me. The jutsu I have now are enough for me."
Refusing to give up, Jiraiya tried again. "I know you want to get stronger. Give me a few years, and I’ll turn you into an elite shinobi. Are you really not tempted?"
Naruto shook his head once more. Jiraiya took a deep breath, realizing he had to prove himself.
Raising one hand, he began to form a Rasengan in his palm. Smirking, he said, "This is the Rasengan, a jutsu created by the Fourth Hokage himself. Do you want to learn it?"
Naruto glanced at Jiraiya before casually forming a Rasengan of his own.
"You mean this?" he said indifferently. "I’ve already mastered it. And I can form it faster than you."
Jiraiya’s eyes widened in shock.
