In the dim underground chamber, a faint smell of blood lingered in the air. Kimimaro walked through it, his expression carrying a trace of conflict never seen before.
Soon, he arrived at a laboratory and called out respectfully, "Orochimaru-sama!"
"Come in!"
From within the laboratory came Orochimaru's signature hoarse voice.
Kimimaro took a deep breath and stepped inside.
Upon entering, Orochimaru studied Kimimaro while chuckling, "I've seen your recent medical report. It seems your condition has been stabilized."
"Yes!"
Kimimaro nodded lightly.
"The Akatsuki truly have some tricks," Orochimaru remarked with a sigh, then reined in his emotions and said, "For this shinobi academy final assessment, I need you to do something!"
Kimimaro quickly responded, "Please give your orders!"
"I want you to attack Uchiha Sasuke during the assessment and, if possible, severely injure him!"
As Orochimaru spoke, a greedy glint flashed in his eyes.
Kimimaro froze. "This…"
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow slightly. "What's that? Are you hesitating?"
Kimimaro was indeed hesitating.
There was something he hadn't told Orochimaru: Sasuke was 'E' from the Akatsuki.
As for why he hadn't reported this to Orochimaru, he couldn't quite explain it himself. Perhaps he hadn't even realized that he was beginning to waver between his loyalty to the organization and to Orochimaru.
His feelings toward Orochimaru were pure.
Orochimaru had given him a reason to live. Meeting Orochimaru made him feel needed, which was why he willingly served him.
But after joining the Akatsuki, he discovered a greater responsibility. He was no longer needed by just one person but by an entire world!
This unique feeling made him reluctant to betray the organization.
After a moment of hesitation, Kimimaro regained his composure. Meeting Orochimaru's dangerous gaze, he shook his head. "No, I'm… not hesitating! Rest assured, I will follow your orders and attack Uchiha Sasuke during the assessment!"
Orochimaru said, "Go prepare."
"Yes!"
Kimimaro turned and left.
After Kimimaro departed, Kabuto emerged from the shadows. "Orochimaru-sama, Kimimaro's state seems a bit off."
Orochimaru let out a soft hum. "The Akatsuki are influencing him."
Kabuto's heart tightened. "Should we monitor him?"
"No need!" After a pause, Orochimaru added, "He's no longer of much use to me. As long as he follows my orders this time, there's no need to bother with him."
"Understood."
Kabuto nodded.
He was aware of Kimimaro's condition—a terminal illness. Even if the Akatsuki had some method to prolong his life, it would only buy him a little more time. As Orochimaru said, Kimimaro's value was nearly depleted, and this was merely making use of what was left.
The next morning, the students, who had rested for nearly a week, gathered at the shinobi academy.
News of the academy's final assessment had spread throughout the village, but since no one knew the specific details, the villagers' discussions centered on who would win.
"Haha, we've developed a brand-new strategy, so you'd better watch out!"
"I wonder what the assessment will be. It's kind of worrying."
"They say it's a practical exam, so it's probably in the Forest of Death again!"
In the academy's grand auditorium, all the students participating in the assessment had gathered.
After a week of preparation, everyone was visibly restless. Some teams seemed brimming with confidence, others were anxious, and most were a mix of nervous and excited.
At that moment, Iruka, leading several academy instructors, entered the auditorium carrying a file marked 'Top Secret.'
"It's finally here."
"A top-secret file?"
"Is it really that serious?"
Seeing the academy's dramatic setup, even the students who had been confident earlier grew nervous.
Sensing the shift in the auditorium's atmosphere, Sasuke's lips curled into a smirk as he scanned the crowd, locking eyes with Yakumo, Shinji, Kimimaro, and Neji.
Having experienced real combat beyond the village, he didn't take the academy's assessment seriously.
Catching Sasuke's gaze, Yakumo met his eyes, unflinching.
Kimimaro, however, kept his head down, unusually distracted.
Shinji tilted his head, seemingly lost in thought. Neji, meanwhile, was quietly talking to Lee and Tenten nearby.
Clearly, unlike the ordinary students, the geniuses weren't fazed by the academy's theatrics and remained unfazed, doing their own thing.
On the stage, Iruka signaled for everyone to quiet down, then opened the top-secret file and distributed its contents to each team in the room.
"You should all have seen the documents handed out!" After a pause, Iruka's expression grew more serious. "This is a wanted list. The targets on this list are all rogue shinobi from various villages, including some dangerous individuals at the Jonin level!"
Someone in the audience raised a hand and asked, "Teacher Iruka, isn't today the final assessment? Why are you giving us a wanted list?"
As soon as the question was asked, murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd.
Iruka explained, "Some of you may have already guessed, but the content of this final assessment is this wanted list!"
"What!?"
"We're supposed to capture rogue shinobi?"
"Are they serious?"
In an instant, the auditorium erupted in gasps.
No one had expected the academy to be so bold as to task a group of students, not even Genin, with capturing rogue shinobi who had evaded the pursuit of entire villages.
Once the clamor subsided, Iruka said, "Given the difficulty of this assessment, the academy is allowing teams to opt out. Any team that wishes to withdraw can step forward now!"
The students exchanged glances.
Though shocked by the academy's arrangement, no one wanted to back out and lose face in front of everyone.
"Since no team is withdrawing, listen carefully—this is critical!" Clearing his throat, Iruka continued, "The assessment will take place in the Land of Hot Springs. All the rogue shinobi on the list have been confirmed to be active in that region, so you will travel there to apprehend the targets based on the list!"
"Each target on the list is assigned points based on their strength. The stronger the rogue shinobi, the higher the points. Weaker shinobi have correspondingly lower points. Successfully capturing a target earns your team the corresponding points. In the end, the team with the highest points will be the winner of this final assessment!"