"How is this possible!?"
Chōjūrō, flung into a tree, was utterly bewildered. He hadn't even drawn his twin blades, Hiramekarei, before being sent flying.
"Damn it, what kind of monsters are these!?"
Suigetsu, sprawled on the ground, cursed under his breath.
His Hydration Technique could normally shrug off most physical attacks, but Shinji's strike had been so swift he hadn't even had time to activate it.
Chōjūrō dropped from the tree, rubbing his shoulder. "Where's she at?"
Suigetsu sighed helplessly. "Probably chasing after them."
In that fleeting clash, only Ringo Ameyuri, wielding her Lightning Blade and boasting the team's fastest speed, avoided being knocked back. Thus, she was the only one who pursued.
…
On Shinji's side.
Whether in strength or experience, Orochimaru was a worthy sparring partner. At this critical moment of pursuing the Rinnegan, Shinji found himself increasingly immersed in the thrill of the battle, unable to pull away! Orochimaru, too, was filled with astonishment. He was shocked to find that this Uchiha, without the Mangekyō Sharingan, without the Cursed Seal, and without even using ninjutsu, could push him into such an awkward position with pure taijutsu alone.
By comparison, Sasuke, despite awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan, seemed far less impressive.
This sparked Orochimaru's interest in Shinji!
Gradually, their fight shifted from probing to an all-out clash.
Their speed and strength surged, leaving devastation in their wake. Everything in their path was flattened—trees thick enough to require several people to encircle were reduced to splintered debris under their fists.
…
Karui, from the Hidden Cloud, rummaged through the pouch of a knocked-out Snow shinobi and pulled out a mission scroll. Opening it, she groaned, "Another Earth Scroll. Just my luck!"
Darui stepped forward, collecting the scroll. "Reducing the number of teams in the exam is one of our goals. No bad luck here."
Suddenly, Omoi, keeping watch nearby, spoke up. "What's that?"
Darui and Karui turned toward the sound, spotting two figures entangled in a colossal clash, their afterimages barreling toward them.
Darui's instincts screamed danger. "That's—watch out!"
But before his warning could fully register, the two battling figures swept through their area.
Driven by instinct and sensing immense danger, Omoi and Karui attacked the oncoming figures simultaneously.
Both were experts in Lightning Release and swordsmanship, far surpassing their peers in taijutsu. Their full-force strikes were razor-sharp.
Boom boom. Yet the moment they made contact, their blades flew from their hands, and they were sent crashing into trees on either side.
"How is this possible!?"
Darui, who had dodged in time, stared in disbelief.
He knew his teammates' strength well and couldn't fathom how they hadn't lasted a single exchange!
The two battling figures didn't pause, as if knocking back Omoi and Karui was incidental. Soon, their clashing afterimages vanished into the distance with a howling gust.
Back at the scene, Darui's expression was grave. "Was that Uchiha Shinji? And who's that Grass shinobi?"
At that moment, Ringo Ameyuri, trailing Shinji and Orochimaru, arrived.
Landing, she glanced at Omoi and Karui, smashed into trees, and chuckled lightly before dashing off again without a word.
After a brief hesitation, Darui followed, asking, "What's going on?"
Ringo Ameyuri, eyes fixed ahead, dropped her smile. "Who knows? But no matter how strong the opponent, I won't let myself retreat without a fight!"
"Same here!"
Darui said no more, silently keeping pace.
The Hidden Mist and Hidden Cloud teams weren't the only ones affected by Shinji and Orochimaru's battle.
Many teams were caught in the crossfire, instantly wiped out and eliminated from the exam. Even the luckier ones, with one or two survivors who stayed out of range, didn't dare retaliate. Thus, after some time, only Ringo Ameyuri from the Mist and Darui from the Cloud remained trailing Shinji and Orochimaru from a distance.
Of course.
The proctoring jōnin squad also followed from afar.
Kurenai's face was full of worry. "Something's wrong. That Grass shinobi is definitely off! Kakashi, call off the exam. I'm worried things will spiral out of control if this continues!"
By now, even a fool could tell Shigenobu Tera was suspicious.
How could an elite chūnin from the Grass Village be this strong, holding his own so effortlessly against Shinji's ferocious assault?
Kakashi, privy to some insider information, wasn't as concerned as Kurenai.
When the elite forces of the Five Great Shinobi Villages secretly left their villages, those remaining had already prepared for a potential Akatsuki ambush.
The Five Villages had essentially turned the Hidden Leaf into bait, setting a trap for Akatsuki to fall into.
At this critical moment, Kakashi couldn't halt the Chūnin Exams, as it might alert Akatsuki and cause them to abandon their plans.
Asuma said, "Shinji's only twelve or thirteen. If this goes on, he might lose!"
Kakashi's face darkened.
That was his concern too.
The battle between Shinji and Orochimaru was too intense. A single misstep could turn a contest of victory into one of life and death.
Shizune glanced back, frowning. "Why are they following too?"
Kakashi looked and saw not only Shinji's teammates Haku and Karin trailing behind but also Sasuke's team, along with the Grass shinobi Ryuzetsu and Chino.
Sasuke, unable to move, was being carried by Naruto.
"What a mess!"
Kakashi sighed.
…
Ahead.
Boom. After another explosive clash, Shinji and Orochimaru were both knocked back.
Shinji crashed through several trees before barely stopping himself. On the other side, Orochimaru retreated dozens of meters, his legs carving deep trenches in the ground before he steadied himself.
"Keep going!"
Shinji stretched his body. His Twelve Palaces could sustain this level of combat for a while longer, so he wasn't fazed.
"Heh."
Orochimaru gave a wry smile.
Just moments ago, his leg had fractured. Even for him, recovery would take time, and he no longer wished to continue this taijutsu duel with Shinji.
Swish swish.
With the sound of rustling air, Ringo Ameyuri and Darui landed on a tree branch, eyeing Shinji and Orochimaru nearby.
Ringo Ameyuri frowned. "They stopped?"
Darui said, "No, it looks like they're about to use ninjutsu!"
Under their gaze, Orochimaru slowly raised his hands, forming seals while saying mockingly, "I thought I wouldn't need this technique this time, but you're quite the troublesome one. Since that's the case, let the predecessors of the Hidden Leaf guide their junior!"