Forest of death
No!
I shouldn't
I really Shouldn't
Unlike what he had expected, the second round wasn't a one-on-one tournament.
It was a battle royale.
Seeing all the contestants gathered in one place made him want to declare war on all of them like a battle maniac.
Sadly—
Omika wasn't participating.
That would've made this far more interesting.
He clicked his tongue.
Most Uchiha police advanced through internal assessment anyway. No need for public exams.
One of the many reasons the "F4" elders resented the Uchiha.
Ken shook the thought away.
Focus.
He glanced sideways at Kakashi.
"Hey," Ken said casually. "We're not teaming up, right?"
Kakashi paused, stunned.
If they weren't going to cooperate, why come together?
Though this was an individual round, informal cooperation between teammates was common. It increased survival odds. Individual participants were extremely rare.
Kakashi confused turned toward Ken and saw his increasing unhinged smile.
Their first meeting flashed briefly in his mind.
He instinctively created some distance.
"…Fine."
Ken, unaware of Kakashi's silent calculation, gave a satisfied smile.
He was really looking forward to this.
BANG!
A massive explosion of smoke shook the clearing.
An enormous serpent emerged.
Standing atop its head—
Orochimaru.
"That's—"
"No way…"
"One of the Sannin?!"
"Why is he here?"
Several gasps echoed through the clearing.
Even the more confident genin stiffened.
Orochimaru simply stood there.
Watching.
His presence alone pressed down on the field.
Orochimaru raised his hand, silencing everyone.
"I will not waste time with unnecessary speech," he said calmly.
"Your task is simple."
"Survive."
His golden eyes swept across the gathered genin.
"There are one hundred participants."
"Only the last ten remaining genin will be promoted."
A ripple of tension passed through the crowd.
"You will each be given a token," he continued. "The last ten who still possess their token will qualify."
He paused briefly.
"Any questions?"
A Hyūga genin raised his hand.
"What if someone hides until the end without fighting?"
Orochimaru chuckled softly."Survival takes many forms."
Then he tilted his head slightly.
"But…"
His voice remained calm.
"I will personally teach one jutsu to the genin ranked first."
Silence.
Then—
Fire ignited in everyone's eyes.
Ambition.
Desire.
Ken shook his head.
It was understandable.
Being personally taught by a Legendary Sannin was a rare opportunity. And who knew—if someone caught his eye, that single lesson might turn into something permanent.
Ken's gaze settled on Orochimaru.
If he had to guess, this wasn't just about supervising an exam.
It was talent scouting.
Right now, Orochimaru still held Hiruzen's full trust. He was the Hokage's favored student. The likely successor.
His intentions were obvious.Many of the smarter one had already caught on.
A crazed smile formed on Ken's face.
Now this was a proper stage.
Ken had no intention of hiding. Strength unseen had no value.
Everything he possessed was earned.
Not to mention he was under Minato's guidance, and by extension, within Hiruzen's protection.
There was no reason to fear the village's darkness.
On the contrary—
The more he revealed, the more valuable he would become.
And who knows—he might get his hands on the Scroll of Seals.
Just like Minato once had.