Chapter 32: Orochimaru's Probe
Chapter 32: Orochimaru's Probe
After a brief moment of silence, Hiruzen Sarutobi took out his pipe and took a puff, glancing at the Jonin-level shinobi from Kirigakure and Kumogakure—Jugo Sukiyama and Fubuki, the Puffer Fish. Blowing out a puff of smoke, he said, "Regardless, the Chunin Exams end here."
Kurenai Yuhi, standing beside him, composed herself and stole a glance at Jugo Sukiyama. "Yes, with only one participant left, there won't be a third round."
The Kirigakure shinobi had probably intended to eliminate all other teams in the second round and end the Chunin Exams before the third round, showcasing the blood-soaked might of their village. While they had achieved their goal, their team had been wiped out in the process.
This was likely something no one had anticipated.
Kurenai looked at the screens, where Fuyou was making his way towards the Central Tower, having collected all the scrolls. A slight smile curved her lips.
Regardless...
Well done, son of Shirogane, ninja of Konoha!
...
Outside the Central Tower, Fuyou rushed to the entrance, carrying two scrolls. Waiting for him at the door was Kurenai Yuhi, the proctor of the second round.
"Congratulations on passing the second round of the Chunin Exams..."
"This should be the last one, right?" Fuyou said as he faced Kurenai. "The Kirigakure and Kumogakure ninjas seem to have taken out the other teams. I have all the scrolls here."
Although Kurenai already knew about this, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly as she watched Fuyou clatter the other scrolls onto the ground.
Only one participant had passed the second round of the Chunin Exams.
This was the first time this had happened since the exam system was established! Unexpectedly, Fuyou, who had always been overshadowed by Kakashi, possessed such genius-level talent. Whether it was strength, mentality, or stealth, he surpassed Kakashi.
"Yes, your assessment is correct. There won't be a third round," Kurenai said with a slight nod. "Follow me. The Hokage is waiting for you."
As expected, Hiruzen Sarutobi had already arrived.
Fuyou nodded and followed Kurenai. Soon, they reached the central hall on the second floor of the Central Tower, where Hiruzen stood.
What caught Fuyou's attention and sparked a glint of surprise in his eyes was the figure standing beside Hiruzen—Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru is the proctor for the later rounds? No, that's unlikely..."
Fuyou's mind raced with thoughts. It was already a high honor for a Jonin to be a proctor for these exams; it was improbable that Orochimaru would be a proctor.
Dismissing that notion, Fuyou didn't dwell on it further. Instead, he bowed to Hiruzen and said, "Hokage-sama."
As Fuyou bowed, he felt two unfriendly gazes fall upon him.
Those hostile and icy glares came from Jugo Sukiyama of Kirigakure and the unknown Jonin from Kumogakure.
"..."
Fuyou lifted his head, briefly meeting the gaze of Jugo Sukiyama before shifting his eyes back to Hiruzen, unfazed by the animosity of the two ninjas from enemy villages.
Indeed, it would be challenging for him to defeat a Jonin at this point, especially someone like Jugo Sukiyama, a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen whose strength was comparable to a Kage.
But this was Konoha.
Not only were there several Konoha Jonin present, but even Orochimaru and Hiruzen Sarutobi were here. Jugo Sukiyama and the others could do little more than give Fuyou cold stares; they dared not unleash their killing intent.
As for the future...
If they were to meet on the battlefield, with his growth rate, he might not necessarily be weaker than these two. Perhaps by then, he would have surpassed the Jonin level and attained true Kage-level strength.
"Yes," Fuyou replied, bowing his head.
Standing beside them, Orochimaru looked at Fuyou, a slight curve to his lips, and said, "Your father received some favors from me during his lifetime... Do you know me, Flagwood Fuyou?"
Seeing Orochimaru's apparent interest in him, Fuyou's mind raced, and he bowed to Orochimaru and said, "You must be the legendary Sannin, Lord Orochimaru."
Orochimaru laughed softly and spread his hands, saying, "If you know me, then that's good. With your level of skill, it would be difficult even for a high-level Jonin to be your mentor... How about becoming my disciple?"
Hiruzen was also surprised by Orochimaru's words, and his eyebrows furrowed slightly. After a brief pause, he suddenly made a decision and said,
"Since this is the case, Fuyou, you will follow Orochimaru in your studies from now on."
Fuyou: "????"
What the heck?!
I haven't even said anything yet!
He couldn't help but twitch his lips and felt a wave of powerless cynicism.
Becoming Orochimaru's disciple was undoubtedly a dangerous proposition, considering how most of Orochimaru's disciples seemed to have been cursed.
However, on second thought, this might not be such a bad idea. On the one hand, by becoming Orochimaru's disciple, he could avoid the trouble with Danzo. On the other hand, he might be able to learn many of the jutsu he wanted from Orochimaru.
A tiger is hard to skin... no, a snake is hard to skin...
With a sigh, Fuyou resigned himself to the situation.
Hiruzen had made his decision, so there was no room for argument. Fuyou could also guess why Hiruzen might have made such a choice.
At this point, Hiruzen hadn't completely decided on the Fourth Hokage's candidate. While Orochimaru's character was somewhat dangerous, Namikaze Minato was still too young and lacked the accomplishments and experience of Orochimaru.
Although Hiruzen leaned more towards Minato, he couldn't explicitly express his preference at this time.
If he refused to hand Fuyou over to Orochimaru and instead assigned Kakashi to be Minato's disciple, it would not only cause dissatisfaction among some in the village but also surely displease Orochimaru.
Currently, the ninja world was in a tense situation.
Internal stability within the village had to be maintained.
"...”
Hiruzen's words brought a slight smile to Orochimaru's face. He still had aspirations for the position of Hokage. By offering to take Fuyou as his disciple, he was not only genuinely interested in Fuyou's talent but also testing Hiruzen's attitude towards him.
To become Hokage, one needed a successor to carry on the legacy. A single person couldn't handle the multitude of tasks and maintain the village's stability alone; a successor was needed to assist and eventually take over.
By entrusting the genius ninja Kakashi to Minato, Hiruzen was implicitly expressing his preference for Minato as the next Hokage.
And now, with Hiruzen's decision to let Fuyou study under him, Orochimaru had also tested the waters to gauge Hiruzen's attitude.
If Hiruzen had refused to let him take Fuyou as his disciple, it would have signaled that Hiruzen had already ruled him out as the next Hokage. But with this decision, Hiruzen's stance remained ambiguous.
"I wonder who you will ultimately choose... Teacher Sarutobi..."
Orochimaru gazed at Hiruzen, his eyes narrowing as he murmured.
(End of Chapter)
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