In the distance.
"That move Shigenobu Tera just used—was that Hidden Shadow Snake Hands?" Kakashi frowned slightly, saying, "It reminds me of a troublesome figure!"
Undoubtedly, Kakashi was thinking of Orochimaru.
While a single technique wasn't enough to confirm a connection to Orochimaru, the oddity was sufficient to draw his attention.
As Kakashi resolved to investigate Shigenobu Tera thoroughly after the exam, Kurenai, beside him, showed confusion. "This Grass shinobi, Shigenobu Tera, isn't he a bit too arrogant? Facing Uchiha Shinji, he doesn't seem scared at all!"
Shizune remarked, "Maybe he's relying on his two Grass shinobi teammates. After all, that Chino over there is a genius who defeated Yakumo!"
Asuma nodded lightly. "Looking at it this way, the situation isn't optimistic. Sasuke's clearly out of commission, leaving Shinji to carry the team alone. Among the others, only Naruto's somewhat strong. As for Sakura, Haku, and Karin, they're obviously no help in a clash of this genius level!"
Asuma's analysis caused the other jōnin in the squad to frown.
For Shigenobu Tera to be so brazen, he must have something to back it up. Add to that Chino, who had defeated Yakumo, and the situation was far from clear-cut.
After a moment's thought, Kakashi said, "Sasuke's injuries can't be delayed. If the situation turns bad, we'll intervene under the pretext of treating the wounded!"
"Got it!"
The other three jōnin nodded in unison.
The Chūnin Exams were important, but losing one or two geniuses over it wasn't worth the cost.
…
On the battlefield.
Hearing Shinji's words, Orochimaru shrugged and laughed. "It seems killing Kurosuki Raiga gave you an inflated sense of your own strength. As far as I know, you haven't even awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, have you?"
Shinji replied calmly, "Killing you doesn't require the Mangekyō."
Orochimaru beckoned to Shinji. "Care to try?"
"Fine!"
Shinji responded decisively, activating the already-prepared Twelve Palaces and unleashing the Seventh Form, Shrink Step, to blitz toward Orochimaru.
As if expecting it, Orochimaru retreated while counterattacking.
Boom boom boom. In an instant, the two became blurred afterimages, darting through the forest with the rapid, drum-like sound of their clashes.
Sakura was stunned. "So… so fast!?"
"Amazing!"
Naruto's face was full of astonishment.
He never imagined the detestable Grass shinobi Shigenobu Tera could match Shinji blow-for-blow in taijutsu—his skill was almost absurdly high.
Having exited the Cursed Seal state and nearing collapse, Sasuke forced himself to stay alert, using his Sharingan to observe Shinji's fight with Shigenobu Tera. His expression grew increasingly grave.
Clearly, Shigenobu Tera's performance far exceeded his expectations, and with Chino from the Grass Village watching intently nearby, he worried Shinji might be overwhelmed if the two Grass shinobi ganged up on him.
"Damn it…"
Sasuke tried to stand, but even breathing heavily felt like his lungs were burning.
Seeing this, Haku advised, "Leave it to Shinji. He'll be fine!"
Sasuke shook his head. "You don't understand. If the Grass shinobi Chino joins in, Shinji might fall at a disadvantage!"
Karin, nearby, said lightly, "I've got those two Grass shinobi covered. Just rest."
In truth, if Karin allowed Sasuke to bite her, his condition would recover significantly. Having fused with the First Hokage's cells and awakened the Rinnegan, her Yang Release chakra far surpassed her original timeline's level.
But for some reason, Karin had no intention of doing so.
Sasuke wanted to argue, but seeing that the Grass Village's Ryuzetsu and Chino indeed made no moves, he relaxed.
…
Elsewhere.
Shinji and Orochimaru fought more fiercely and faster, gradually moving away from the battlefield.
Honestly, Shinji was somewhat surprised.
Though Orochimaru was a Sannin on par with Tsunade and Jiraiya-sensei, his strength lay in his mastery of various ninjutsu, secret techniques, and even horrifying forbidden jutsu. His taijutsu, while above average, shouldn't have been this strong.
Of course, Shinji didn't know that Orochimaru hadn't been idle these years.
Beyond developing the Cursed Seal, he had also refined a transformation serum from Upper Moon Demon cells, greatly enhancing physical abilities.
The Sound Four had lasted so long against Sasuke thanks to the dual boost of the transformation serum and the Cursed Seal.
Orochimaru, already a Kage-level shinobi, found each step of improvement incredibly difficult. But every step forward also propelled his strength significantly. With his physical abilities greatly enhanced, Orochimaru had achieved an all-around boost.
But Shinji wasn't the only one surprised. Orochimaru, clashing with Shinji, was equally shocked!
He had thought he could easily dispatch Shinji and seize Sasuke, catching the Hidden Leaf off guard. But after engaging, he realized the young Shinji was far stronger than expected, leaving him no room to think of anything else.
…
Nearby.
Chōjūrō suddenly grew alert. "What's that sound!?"
Suigetsu scanned the surroundings, muttering, "Sounds like someone's fighting!"
"Let's check it out!"
Ringo Ameyuri didn't hesitate, grabbing her Lightning Blade and dashing toward the source of the noise.
"Hey, we just stopped to rest!"
Suigetsu grumbled.
Having already defeated three teams and collected the Heaven and Earth scrolls early, they had planned to take a break, but the sounds of combat interrupted them before they could even sit down.
Following the noise, the three soon found Shinji and Orochimaru locked in fierce combat in the forest.
Chōjūrō exclaimed, "It's the Hidden Leaf's Uchiha Shinji!"
Suigetsu frowned. "The other one's from the Grass Village—Shigenobu Tera, the guy who beat Uchiha Sasuke!"
"This is a real fight!"
Ringo Ameyuri trembled with excitement.
Chōjūrō asked, "Should we intervene?"
Suigetsu nodded. "Obviously! This is a great chance. We gang up on Uchiha Shinji first, take him down, then deal with the Grass shinobi!"
Chōjūrō hesitated. "But…"
Before the Mist team could reach a decision, they noticed Shinji and Orochimaru, still fighting, heading their way.
Now, whether they wanted to or not, they had to act. Chōjūrō, Suigetsu, and Ringo Ameyuri attacked Shinji together! But Orochimaru swept a leg, sending Chōjūrō flying. At the same time, Shinji landed a heavy punch, knocking Suigetsu back.
Then, Shinji and Orochimaru resumed their fierce battle, charging off into the distance.