As the preeminent village among the Five Great Shinobi Nations, Konoha boasted top-tier capabilities in every department.
The strength of its Sensory Unit was, of course, beyond question.
Although the Chunin Exams had brought a multitude of outsiders into the village, most were merely genin candidates who posed no real threat. Konoha wouldn't treat such insignificant genin as major enemies, so the task the Third Hokage assigned to Inoichi Yamanaka was actually quite straightforward.
Inoichi immediately placed all Sunagakure ninja under surveillance and led the Sensory Unit in a comprehensive sweep of Konoha.
However, aside from the Kazekage, Inoichi found no other anomalies.
The Third Hokage's fear that other Sunagakure ninja had infiltrated the village had not materialized, allowing Inoichi to breathe a sigh of relief.
If it was just the Kazekage alone, whatever conspiracy he was hiding couldn't possibly be a major issue. A mere Kazekage couldn't stir up much trouble in Konoha.
Inoichi immediately reported his findings to the Third Hokage.
"Is that so?"
The Third Hokage nodded, not at all surprised.
The Chunin Exams spanned over a month. If he were Orochimaru and wanted to cause trouble in Konoha, now would indeed be the wrong time. At the very least, he would wait until the exams were in full swing and everyone's attention was completely focused on them, wouldn't he?
"Alright, Inoichi."
After a moment's thought, the Third Hokage gave Inoichi Yamanaka another order. "Investigate secretly to see if Orochimaru has slipped into the village."
"I've also given the same order to the Anbu. You will cooperate closely, share information, and uncover the truth as quickly as possible."
*Orochimaru?*
Inoichi Yamanaka's expression shifted slightly.
That name belonged to a figure from a long time ago. Even for someone like Inoichi Yamanaka, Orochimaru was a giant in the ninja world. He was even Inoichi's senior.
During the Second Shinobi World War, he had achieved legendary military feats on the battlefield, earning the title of one of the Legendary Sannin—bestowed by none other than Hanzō himself. In the Third Shinobi World War, he served as a commander, and Inoichi Yamanaka himself had even fought under Orochimaru's command.
He had also made outstanding contributions to Konoha's victory. Otherwise, how would Orochimaru have had the confidence to compete for the position of Hokage?
If Minato hadn't been so brilliant, Orochimaru would have been a shoo-in for the Fourth Hokage.
What a waste.
To think such a figure would defect from Konoha! It was truly a tragedy.
However, after his defection, Orochimaru had vanished without a trace, gradually fading from the memories of the Konoha shinobi.
*But judging by Lord Hokage's reaction, could Orochimaru be coming here?*
Inoichi Yamanaka was genuinely stunned.
"Lord Hokage, is Orochimaru really coming to Konoha?"
"What's his scheme?" Inoichi asked the Third Hokage in a low voice. "If you know anything, please tell me. I need a clear target to aim for."
"Very well."
The Third Hokage pondered for a moment, then nodded.
Inoichi Yamanaka was a key pillar of the Hokage's inner circle, one of his most trusted subordinates. He was also the head of the village's intelligence network. There was no reason to keep him in the dark.
"I've received information that Orochimaru will ally with Sunagakure to launch an attack on Konoha during the Chunin Exams."
"But I can't confirm the truth of this report. That's where you come in." The Third Hokage revealed the full truth to Inoichi.
Inoichi's expression grew even more grim. The intelligence the Third Hokage had just shared was shocking!
Even if its authenticity was unconfirmed, it had to be treated with the utmost seriousness!
Inoichi Yamanaka knew exactly what to do.
He immediately set off to carry out the order, leading the Sensory Unit once again to conduct a comprehensive search for Orochimaru's whereabouts.
But unfortunately, several days passed without a single clue.
This raised a critical question: Inoichi Yamanaka had already encountered Orochimaru face-to-face, so why couldn't he sense his chakra now?
The reason was simple: Orochimaru's chakra had long since changed.
This was because Orochimaru had already undergone the Fushi Tensei. His current body was no longer his original one.
Since chakra is a special energy formed by the combination of physical and spiritual energy, any change in the body would naturally result in a corresponding change in the chakra.
Under these circumstances, it was impossible for Inoichi Yamanaka to track Orochimaru.
Fortunately, Inoichi had already discovered that the "Kazekage" was an impostor and had placed him under surveillance. Every move the "Kazekage" made was now under Inoichi Yamanaka's watchful eye.
However, the "Kazekage" showed no signs of anything unusual until the Chunin Exams officially began.
"The Chunin Exams... they're finally here."
Strolling casually outside the school, Zhou Cheng faced the teaching building and activated the X-ray vision he had received from a previous reward in the notebook.
The sight of the candidates, all bent over their exam papers, unfolded before his eyes.
At this very moment, everyone was pulling out all the stops, using their own unique methods to cheat.
Sasuke used his Sharingan to precisely copy the movements of others writing, replicating their answers without the slightest error.
Gaara used his Bloodline Limit to condense an eyeball, brazenly peeking at other students' papers.
Ino Yamanaka used her Mind Body Switch Technique to possess the top student, Sakura.
Hinata used her Byakugan to see through all obstacles, directly viewing the exam papers she wanted.
And so on, and so forth.
It had to be said, the scene was quite a spectacle.
The sheer ingenuity of these cheating methods was truly eye-opening.
But after watching for a while, Zhou Cheng left.
The written exam was merely the appetizer. The real main event—the Forest of Death—was yet to come.
Zhou Cheng had no intention of doing anything during the written test, but he planned to personally join the fray in the Forest of Death.
Thus, when the first phase concluded and the second began, Zhou Cheng found himself gathered at the entrance of the Forest of Death with the other candidates.
The proctor, Anko Mitarashi, was explaining the rules, even informing everyone that they needed to sign a death waiver. After all, the Forest of Death exam carried a genuine risk of fatality.
This news sent a wave of tension through the candidates, making the atmosphere heavy and oppressive.
Only Zhou Cheng remained completely unfazed, standing calmly in the crowd and just taking it all in.
By keeping his presence completely suppressed, he was practically invisible to everyone else. He could watch the drama unfold without drawing a single glance.
However, no one knew that in a corner not far from the Forest of Death...
The Third Hokage met with Inoichi Yamanaka once again.
"Lord Hokage, the imposter posing as the Kazekage has now blended in with the genin candidates," Inoichi reported. "He's one of the ninjas from the Grass Village!"
"He's extremely powerful and managed to evade the Anbu's pursuit, but he couldn't hide from the Sensory Unit's detection."
"That chakra signature... there's no mistake!"
Orochimaru had used the Copying Face Technique to peel the skin off an unlucky Grass ninja's face, creating a perfect mask that allowed him to disguise himself flawlessly as a Grass shinobi.
In the original timeline, he had remained undetected until Anko Mitarashi discovered the Grass ninja's corpse, which was when his cover finally blew. He had even managed to escape without a trace after placing the Cursed Seal on Sasuke.
But now?
Because Zhou Cheng—a single butterfly—had flapped its wings, Orochimaru was exposed early.
He was now completely under Konoha's surveillance.
"Alright, teams who have received their scrolls, follow your designated team leader to your assigned entrance."
"From this moment on, you will all move out simultaneously in thirty minutes!"
Anko Mitarashi had just finished explaining the rules. After all the candidates had signed the consent forms and received their scrolls, she issued the order.
The candidates wasted no time and immediately hurried to their assigned entrances.
As for Zhou Cheng?
*Whoosh!*
He had already slipped into the Forest of Death ahead of everyone else.
Inside, he began to wander through the mountains and forests with keen interest.
*The other candidates will start entering in thirty minutes. I wonder who I'll run into first?*
With this thought, Zhou Cheng's figure vanished into the woods.
"Alright, let's go!"
"Let's target the rookies first!"
"Everyone's tough, but spending five days with us will be their real nightmare!"
*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*
When the thirty minutes were up, the candidates at each entrance charged into the Forest of Death, their spirits soaring.
Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura—the main cast—were no exception.
What they failed to realize, however, was that their every move was being watched intently by Anbu ninjas from start to finish.
For a simple reason.
The Third Hokage had already learned a crucial piece of intelligence from Naruto: Orochimaru was targeting Sasuke, and he planned to strike during the Chunin Exams!
So the question was: What would be the best opportunity to make his move?
Without a doubt, it was the second exam in the Forest of Death!
In such a vast forest, with no Konoha guards stationed and the "justifiable death" rule in place, wasn't this the perfect venue to cause trouble?
The Third Hokage had naturally made the necessary arrangements.
Of course, Orochimaru was completely unaware of any of this.
After entering the Forest of Death, he had only one objective: to find Sasuke.
What Orochimaru didn't know was that his every move was being monitored from start to finish by the Sensory Unit.
However, considering Orochimaru's strength, a reckless pursuit would have alerted him. Therefore, the Third Hokage had not dispatched Anbu ninjas to tail him.
Instead, he had entrusted this critical mission solely to Inoichi Yamanaka's Sensory Unit.
The Third Hokage wanted to see exactly what this fake Kazekage was up to!
The second exam of the Chunin Exams proceeded in full swing, enveloped in this unusual atmosphere.
"If we get separated, we can't trust anyone—even if they look like our teammates."
"What should we do then?"
"We'll agree on a password. If someone can't say it, they're an enemy, no matter what they look like!"
***
In a corner of the Forest of Death, Team 7—already battle-hardened from several skirmishes—was strategizing.
Knowing how unpredictable the Transformation Technique could be, Sasuke proposed a password system. The only problem was that he made the password a bit too long—four whole sentences!
But for Orochimaru, who was lurking in the shadows, it was child's play. He memorized it instantly.
*Let the games begin,* Orochimaru thought, a cruel smile twisting his lips.
With a swift Ninjutsu, he unleashed a ferocious gale, scattering Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura in all directions.
*You two go on ahead. I'll handle this,* Orochimaru told his "teammates," sending them on their way.
After dispatching the others, he easily subdued Naruto, transformed into his likeness, and appeared before Sasuke.
"Hold it! The password!" Sasuke shouted, his guard still up.
Orochimaru confidently recited the super-long code Sasuke had devised.
He had thought he would breeze through the check, but to his surprise, Sasuke immediately saw through the disguise.
Sasuke launched an attack without a moment's delay.
This left Orochimaru bewildered. His Transformation Technique was flawless, and he had recited the code correctly. Where had he slipped up?
Sasuke provided the answer immediately.
*That idiot Naruto could never remember a code this long.*
Therefore, the one who recited it perfectly was the imposter!
"Tsk, tsk, tsk."
"Not bad. You're even more impressive than I imagined!"
Orochimaru couldn't help but marvel. The target he had set his sights on this time was truly exceptional.
*Satisfactory!*
Orochimaru was beyond satisfied.
*In that case, let's see what they're really made of!*
Orochimaru unleashed his killing intent, instantly terrifying Sasuke and Kiyomi so much they nearly wet themselves.
This wasn't an exaggeration, but a literal description.
The two of them truly were scared shitless!
This was Orochimaru's level. He didn't even have to do anything; his killing intent alone was more than an ordinary person could endure.
But Sasuke was no slouch either. In the critical moment, he actually self-harmed, using the pain to erase his fear of Orochimaru.
This allowed his stiffened body to regain its mobility, enabling him to dodge Orochimaru's attack at the last second.
Orochimaru grew even more satisfied with Sasuke and summoned a giant black snake to deal with him.
*Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!*
Just then, several piercing sounds tore through the air.
A few Anbu ninjas swiftly emerged from the surroundings, taking up positions in front of Sasuke, fully alert and ready to defend against Orochimaru.
*Rustle, rustle, rustle.*
Footsteps sounded.
Inoichi Yamanaka stepped out from the nearby bushes, his face showing undisguised surprise and shock.
"So, you're Orochimaru!"
"You really did make a move on Sasuke."
Inoichi Yamanaka stared fixedly at Orochimaru, his voice heavy with gravity.
???
Orochimaru felt completely bewildered.
*What the hell is this?*
*From the way he's talking, did they already know I was coming and that I would attack Sasuke?*
-----------------------
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