No one knew what was going on in the minds of the Special Jōnin in charge of writing the test, but the second round of the exam was being held right in the middle of a wide-open plaza with no cover, completely surrounded by tall walls. It was like raising poisonous insects in a jar—throw them all in and let them tear each other apart. Whoever made it out alive would no longer be the same.
"Orochimaru-sama, maybe we should just forfeit too."
The husky, now back in his sleek and handsome dog form, cautiously retreated to Orochimaru's side, still carrying Tsunade's clothes on his back. He felt refreshed and carefree, as if reborn—if only there weren't a few shuriken sticking out of his well-shaped butt. "The proctors will probably realize soon that big bro and Jiraiya-sama aren't here."
Forfeiting was an option. Contestants had been allowed to choose withdrawal shortly after the battle began.
But the proctor had laid down one condition: forfeiting meant a ten-year ban from participating in the Chūnin Exams again.
Everyone knew that after this inaugural Chūnin Exam, promotions to Chūnin would almost certainly require passing this test. Losing eligibility for ten years meant being stuck with only D- and C-rank missions. No high-level assignments—no big payouts...
Of course, even as Genin, staying busy could keep you fed.
But for a ninja with ambition, dreams, and no desire to remain at the bottom, how many ten-year periods are there in a lifetime?
Ninja was a high-risk profession. During the First Great Ninja War, the average life expectancy of a shinobi was barely forty.
Still, the husky thought, Orochimaru was only ten years old—probably the youngest among the Genin taking the exam. So even with a ten-year ban, it wasn't the end of the world.
Unfortunately, Orochimaru clearly didn't think the same way.
"..."
He didn't respond, keeping his eyes locked on the enemy ahead.
Right now, Orochimaru was in rough shape. His clothes were torn to shreds, scorched and slashed in various places. The blood soaking his outfit was so mixed it was hard to tell what belonged to him and what to his enemies.
Having multiple people's fluids mixed all over your body—yeah, it wasn't a great feeling.
For the first time, Orochimaru felt like he could sort of understand what Tsunade went through.
Of course, his opponent wasn't exactly enjoying things either. That's why the standoff had dragged on.
The battle had been raging for quite a while. After a grueling fight, Orochimaru had finally taken down three Mist Ninja, though at considerable cost. One of the Mist Ninja who had used Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death and her partner had immediately chosen to forfeit and were escorted out by the proctors.
Honestly, that was a smart decision. The rules for both the first and second rounds clearly stated that victory was team-based. With their third member gone, even if the remaining two held on until the end, they'd still be disqualified. Let alone the fact that five of them hadn't been able to take down Orochimaru. What good could two possibly do?
So, the enemies Orochimaru now faced weren't the original Mist Ninja, but new challengers drawn by the fact he'd taken on five enemies and killed three. In that sense, the Mist Ninja had succeeded—though they hadn't managed to kill Orochimaru, they'd painted a massive target on his back.
Everyone understood one thing: to stand victorious in the end, they needed to eliminate the geniuses.
Geniuses could only be called strong if they lived to the end. A dead prodigy was just a tragic memory.
"Hang in there. Tsunade should be here soon."
Orochimaru's words were so touching the husky almost shed emotional tears. This mysterious trust... was he dumb or just plain naive?
The husky didn't know whether Orochimaru could survive the next wave of attacks. But he knew one thing: if he got caught in the next round, even if he didn't die, he'd lose a layer of fur—and oh, what a beautiful coat it was. He could've sold it for cash. How was he supposed to flirt with the lady dogs if it got ruined?
Clearly, Orochimaru's logic and the husky's logic were operating in completely different dimensions.
And just then, as if to prove Orochimaru's faith wasn't misplaced, two voices echoed from the sky.
"Etch a billion hearts' worth of longing into flesh and bone!"
"Turn infinite darkness into blazing light!"
"Heaven above, earth below!"
"One rider, god-level might!"
The voices boomed across the entire exam arena. At the same time, a colossal figure blocked out the sun as it descended from the sky, crashing into the ground with an earth-shaking impact, sending dust flying everywhere. The dramatic entrance stunned every ninja present.
From the dust cloud, the impassioned declarations continued:
"Even if trapped by karmic fate! Our longing from the past will open the door to the future!"
"Even if blocked by the endless universe! Our boiling blood will break through destiny!"
"We are stronger than we were one minute ago!"
"That's right! Sadly, everyone here is just trash!"
As the dust cleared, Jiraiya stood tall atop a massive toad, exuding a final boss-like aura as he looked down on everyone. He stole the spotlight completely. Several ninjas who were losing their fights used the distraction to slip away unnoticed.
Jiraiya basked in the spotlight, clearly enjoying the moment. He'd spent quite a bit of time rehearsing those lines, after all!
Unfortunately, his grand moment didn't last long. He was quickly swarmed and beaten up.
"..."
Orochimaru and the husky stared blankly at the scene, wondering whether they should jump in to help.
If Jiraiya was here, that meant Tsunade had to be close.
And Orochimaru was certain—one of those two earlier voices had been Tsunade's.
"You two take a break. No need to rush in."
Tsunade's voice rang out suddenly.
"Big bro?"
The husky looked around but didn't see her anywhere.
"I'm right here."
Following the sound, Orochimaru and the husky turned to see a little white cat not far off. It was bent low, one leg curled naturally beneath it, the other stretched high over its head in a perfect arc, as it casually lowered its head to lick the inside of its own thigh...
"Am I hallucinating from blood loss? Is my butt making me hear things?"
The husky looked at Orochimaru, thoroughly confused.
"I said I'm right here."
The white cat—Tsunade in disguise—paused her licking with an irritated look. But really, who could blame the husky? Her disguise was flawless—appearance, movement, expression, everything was spot on.
"My big bro turned into a cat?"
The husky stared at her with wide eyes, struggling to process reality. Then turned to Orochimaru, seeking confirmation.
He'd heard Tsunade say before that Orochimaru's sense of smell was like a dog's. Surely, he could tell if this cat was really her.
"What, was I supposed to come in here naked if I didn't turn into a cat?"
Back during the first written exam and their massive cheating operation, Tsunade hadn't liquefied her clothes to stay stealthy.
"She's definitely Tsunade."
Orochimaru confirmed it without hesitation. He wasn't surprised by her transformation—he'd seen her pull this trick before. It was only the husky, still new to hanging around her, who was acting like it was a miracle.
"Big bro!"
Once he was sure it was her, the husky lit up like a pup seeing his owner. He ran over, tail wagging.
Sure, he'd suggested forfeiting earlier, but that had been a last resort. Now that Tsunade had arrived—it was payback time. The shuriken stuck in his backside were still a painful reminder.
"Time to bring the pain!"
With that cry, the husky climbed onto Tsunade's back, his face deadly serious as he stared at the still-getting-beaten Jiraiya.
"Big bro, let's fuse. This time, I'll be the head!"
(End of Chapter)