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Mastermind of the Akatsuki 372
🕑 Added 2025-04-12 16:00:19 +0000 UTCChapter 372: The Strength of the Younger Generation
Hearing Rasa's intention to test them, Kankurō and Temari breathed a sigh of relief. They believed their father wouldn't go so far as to kill them; this was just his way of raising the stakes in the Chūnin Exams.
But Gaara thought differently. He didn't trust Rasa. Rasa's actions always had an ulterior motive. Last time, he had conspired with Orochimaru, betraying Sunagakure's interests. Now, infiltrating the exams could only mean another scheme, whether to sabotage the event itself or target a high-profile figure participating in it.
With that in mind, Gaara called out to his siblings, "Temari, Kankurō, leave Rasa to me. You two keep going with the exam."
The moment those words left his mouth, Kankurō and Temari's expressions shifted. Even Rasa's face darkened. Temari and Kankurō didn't want Gaara and Rasa to clash again. No matter what Rasa had done, he was still their father. If they could mend their relationship now, not only would it heal the family rift, but it could also strengthen Sunagakure's future.
But before they could intervene, Gaara and Rasa had already struck. Sand clashed against gold. The desert's fury clashed with the shimmering might of Magnet Release, shockwaves rippling through the air. Seeing this, Kankurō and Temari had no choice but to join the fray. At this point, the outcome of the second exam no longer mattered. All they could hope for was that both sides would emerge unharmed.
Meanwhile, Team 7 stood frozen before Orochimaru. Just hearing his name was enough to send cold sweat down their backs. Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, a man who had escaped Konoha's relentless pursuit and still remained one of the most wanted criminals in the shinobi world with an S-class bounty.
This wasn't Team 7's first encounter with an enemy of this caliber. During their mission in the Land of Waves, they had faced Kisame Hoshigaki and Itachi Uchiha. But back then, Itachi had gone easy on them, and they'd received backup from Captain Yamato and Byakuya. Without that help, they would have been killed instantly at their level back then.
Keeping his eyes locked on Orochimaru, Naruto forced himself to remain calm. "Orochimaru, you're a missing-nin. Aren't you afraid of being discovered by the Third Hokage if you return to the village?"
Orochimaru's unnaturally long tongue flicked out as he smiled. "Konoha is my home too. Why shouldn't I return? And shouldn't a mere genin like you show more respect to his elder?" As he spoke, he released a crushing wave of killing intent that filled the surrounding space.
Sakura's legs trembled under the pressure, nearly buckling, but Naruto and Sasuke remained unfazed. Naruto had been constantly exposed to the Kyūbi's malevolent chakra, compared to that, Orochimaru's killing intent was insignificant. Sasuke, having endured Itachi's Tsukuyomi multiple times, was similarly unaffected by such pressure.
Seeing the two genin unaffected by his killing intent, Orochimaru nodded approvingly. "How interesting. To think the old man's village would produce talents like you two. Given time, you might even reach the level of myself and Jiraiya."
Naruto ignored the compliment and frowned. "Cut the act, Orochimaru. State your business. We still have an exam to complete."
Hearing this, Orochimaru fixed Naruto with a sharp glare before responding coldly, "My goal is simple, I've come to recruit Sasuke. I believe he would make an excellent vessel for my next incarnation, which is why I've gone out of my way to appear here."
"Vessel?" Naruto and Sasuke exchanged glances, quickly grasping Orochimaru's implication. Tightening their grip on their kunai, they launched themselves at the Sannin.
Orochimaru effortlessly dodged their combined assault, reappearing on a nearby tree branch. "How impatient youth can be," he mused. "Why not hear me out? While I do intend for Sasuke to become my vessel, I would first devote myself to training him until he reaches my level of power. Should he surpass me during this period, the transfer would naturally become impossible."
"Sasuke," Orochimaru continued, his voice dripping with temptation, "I recall your burning hatred for Itachi Uchiha. Is that hatred so feeble that you'd refuse even this wager?"
Sasuke responded by forming hand seals and unleashing a Fireball Jutsu. As Orochimaru dodged the flames, Sasuke countered, "Why should I trust a missing-nin like you? And do you truly possess the power to defeat Itachi?"
Orochimaru waved off the concern. "I watched Itachi grow up. While he's developed some skill, he's no match for me. Becoming my vessel represents your only chance to surpass him." Having never properly confronted Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan, Orochimaru remained arrogantly confident in his superiority.
For a brief moment, Sasuke felt tempted. Training under one of the Legendary Sannin could rapidly increase his strength. But since learning the truth about his clan from Shisui, his hatred had cooled. Now he simply wanted to drag Itachi before the Naka Shrine for judgment.
Moreover, Orochimaru's strength remained questionable compared to Shisui, who had secretly led Root for years, or Itachi with his Mangekyō.
"My answer is no," Sasuke declared. "I've no interest in being anyone's vessel. But capturing a rogue ninja like you? That I'll gladly do."
Orochimaru's laughter rang out as he finally attacked in earnest. His arms transformed into venomous snakes that struck with terrifying speed. Even with his Sharingan, Sasuke barely managed to decapitate the serpents with his sword. When he attempted a genjutsu counterattack, Orochimaru broke free almost instantly.
A sudden pain flared in Sasuke's shoulder as Orochimaru's fangs sank deep, leaving behind the distinctive mark of the Cursed Seal. With his objective achieved, the Sannin left behind a clone and vanished into the forest, secretly impressed by the young shinobi's unexpected strength.
He had initially estimated Naruto and Sasuke's strength to be at most chūnin level, but to his surprise, they had reached jōnin caliber. If they managed to delay him any longer, it would jeopardize his subsequent plans.
Naruto sensed Orochimaru's fleeing direction but hesitated to pursue, wary of another trap. Returning to Sasuke's side, he noticed the wound on his shoulder and frowned. "Sasuke, Orochimaru must have poisoned you to force you to seek him out later. Let's treat your wound first. Whether we withdraw from the exam or continue is up to you."
Sasuke gritted his teeth. "It's not poison. This injury is nothing. We're continuing the exam."
Naruto and Sakura nodded, respecting his decision.
---
Meanwhile, the disturbances in the Forest of Death had finally drawn the attention of Konoha's forces.
As the proctor for the second exam, Anko had noticed something amiss early on, several surveillance cameras had been destroyed, and the bodies of multiple examinees were discovered. While deaths during the chūnin exams weren't uncommon, this scale of casualties was highly abnormal. Either a monster like Zabuza had infiltrated the exam, or enemy spies were systematically eliminating participants.
Regardless, Anko had to investigate and stop the bloodshed.
Before long, she paused at the sight of distinctive battle marks, snake-based techniques. Her expression darkened as conflicting emotions surged.
To her knowledge, only two people in the world wielded such jutsu, herself and her former teacher, Orochimaru. The conclusion was inescapable, Orochimaru was behind the attacks.
But why would he return now?
Suppressing her turmoil, Anko followed the trail. Whatever the reason, she needed to confront him directly.
Soon, she spotted Orochimaru perched casually on a tree branch.
Orochimaru noticed her immediately, his lips curling into a smirk. "Anko... it's been ten years, hasn't it? To think you've become a jōnin. It seems the Third Hokage is more tolerant than I expected."
The remark ignited Anko's fury. Drawing her kunai, she lunged at him without hesitation.
She hated Orochimaru for deserting Konoha, but even more for abandoning her. As his former student, she had endured years of suspicion, treated as a potential spy left behind by the traitor. The constant surveillance and distrust had worn on her, despite her loyalty to the village.
After tremendous effort, she had finally earned the rank of special jōnin, only to encounter Orochimaru again as an exam proctor.
Seizing him with her own snake-based techniques, Anko formed a hand sign. "Twin Snake Sacrifice Jutsu!"
Her arms transformed into massive serpents, coiling tightly around Orochimaru as dozens of explosive tags on her sleeves activated.
Orochimaru, who had been content to observe until now, sighed. "Anko... do you truly believe a technique I taught you could kill me?"
In an instant, his body melted into mud as the real Orochimaru materialized behind her.
Anko forcibly canceled the jutsu, but her body remained paralyzed. Gnashing her teeth, she spat out, "I'll kill you!"
Orochimaru leaned close to her ear and whispered, "You want me dead, but I have no intention of killing you. Your life belongs to me, live on, and watch what comes next. Attacking the Chūnin Exams is just the beginning."
Before she could respond, Orochimaru released her and vanished into the forest.
---
Meanwhile, the battle between Gaara and Rasa reached its climax.
Though both were long-range specialists, Gaara, despite being weaker overall, held his own thanks to Kankurō and Temari's support, as well as Shukaku's influence.
Rasa hovered midair, shielded by swirling gold dust that deflected Gaara's sand attacks. A faint smile tugged at his lips.
Compared to years ago, his children had grown exponentially stronger.
Gaara, of course, was no surprise. Inheriting his mother's sand techniques and bearing the One-Tail, he was destined to reach Kage-level strength with time.
But Temari and Kankurō had exceeded his expectations.
Temari wielded her giant fan with terrifying precision, unleashing wind-style jutsu without hand seals, her skill now rivaled elite jōnin.
As for Kankurō, while his puppets were useless against Magnet Release, it wasn't due to lack of skill. Rasa's gold dust simply disrupted chakra strings and dismantled mechanisms effortlessly.
Having seen enough, Rasa abruptly withdrew. His voice echoed through the trees as he disappeared, "You've passed my first test. But this was only the beginning. Fail the next, and I will attack Sunagakure. As its former Kazekage, I keep my word."
Silence fell.
Temari and Kankurō exchanged uneasy glances. Despite Rasa's past actions, they couldn't believe he'd truly harm the village, even at his worst, he'd only targeted the Daimyō.
Gaara, however, was stunned. He'd fully expected Rasa to try killing him. That this had merely been a test...
Shaking off his thoughts, Kankurō turned to Gaara. "What now?"
Gaara's eyes narrowed. "Kankurō, send a puppet to inform Sasori-sama. Then we continue the exam."
A competitive glint flashed in his eyes. "I still haven't settled things with Naruto."
