"Very soon, it's about to begin..."
In an underground cave somewhere in the Land of Fire, a man with pale skin and long black hair that reached his waist smiled cruelly as he read a scroll that emerged from a snake's mouth.
"Lord Orochimaru, is it safe to trust that monster?"
Beside him, a man with gray hair and black eyes asked with concern.
"We can. That 'monster,' as you call it, Kabuto, is more reliable than you think."
Although Kabuto was afraid of the monster, Orochimaru saw it as a gem hiding its brilliance.
"I hope all of this is worth it, Lord Orochimaru, or we'll suffer losses."
"It is worth it, and more. Both his goals and mine align; it's a great opportunity to visit the Elder."
Licking his lips, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, thinking of the monster that had been immensely helpful in his research and pursuit of his goal – immortality.
"Furthermore, I must say the Uchiha Clan is full of talent. Each of them is very strong, especially that monster, or should I call you, Yuki-kun?"
Suddenly, the shadow beneath his feet expanded, and Yuki emerged, wearing his Anbu attire.
"...!"
Opening his eyes in surprise, Kabuto stepped back, drawing his kunai. Yuki's mysterious and terrifying presence always unnerved him.
"Don't be afraid; I won't eat you."
Looking disdainfully at Kabuto, Yuki crossed his arms and glanced at Orochimaru.
"Calling me a monster is quite rude."
"It's a habit."
Rolling his eyes, Yuki no longer cared about Kabuto.
"Our plan is progressing smoothly; make sure to do your part."
"I will, as long as I get my benefits."
"You're so greedy, but fair."
Shrugging, Yuki knew what Orochimaru wanted. Immediately, he entered his astral suit, and Zafkiel appeared on his back as the clock's needles began to spin.
*Tick, Tack
"Zafkiel: Dalet-1"
*Bang
Firing without hesitation, Orochimaru smiled and accepted the bullet without resistance. Simultaneously, his body was covered in darkness, and time started to reverse at a visible speed.
"This time, I've given you three years of life. I'll give you the rest when the job is done."
Without waiting for Orochimaru to speak, Yuki returned to the shadows.
"Hahahaha."
As Orochimaru twisted like a snake, his chakra suddenly surged.
(I can feel it! My vitality is recovering!)
Expanding his smile, Orochimaru clenched his fist. This was the power he had coveted – immortality was no longer impossible.
As long as he could obtain this power, Orochimaru would achieve his goal.
(But it's a pity, Yuki-kun is too strong.)
However, no matter how hard Orochimaru tried, he knew it was impossible to catch Yuki and steal his power. At least now, he could trade for extra years of life.
(There's no free lunch in the world.)
Fortunately, Orochimaru had to pay for these extra years, but Yuki was interested in many things he possessed, like the snake contract seal and contact with the white snake from the Ryūchi Cave, the origin of his Sage Mode.
Moreover, they got along well. Being unscrupulous men, they could cooperate to achieve their goals, especially now that their next plan was in progress.
Kabuto, observing from the corner, adjusted his glasses and lowered his gaze, keeping his thoughts hidden.
------------
The day had arrived. Throughout the week, various Genin from different villages officially entered Konoha for the Chunin Exams.
The Chunin Exams were highly attractive to these nations.
Among the Genin were three who easily stood out: two men and a woman.
The woman had blonde hair tied in four ponytails and green-blue eyes. She wore her ninja headband around her neck and carried a large fan on her back. Her name was Temari, a Genin from the Hidden Sand Village.
"So, this is Konoha. Doesn't look like much."
Temari pursed her lips while placing a hand on her hip.
By her side were her two brothers. Kankuro wore a full-body black suit with a red and yellow circle on the front. He also wore a black hood with cat ears and had a puppet covered in bandages on his back.
"Even if it doesn't look like much, Konoha is a great ninja village."
Shrugging, Kankuro agreed with his sister. Although Konoha might not seem impressive, in recent years, the Anbu had made it a village to be feared by many others.
.....
The youngest brother was a short boy with pale skin, short red hair, and a large gourd on his back. He simply observed without commenting.
Many variables were at play in this exam, and the danger of their mission loomed.
"We need to register."
"As you wish, Gaara."
Following the smallest brother, the trio entered the village directly.
------------------
"Chunin Exams?! Awesome!"
Later that day, Kakashi gathered his team and informed them about their participation. Naruto jumped for joy, while Sakura shivered a bit.
She remembered the people she had encountered in the morning and connected the dots about why a foreigner was visiting their village—it was all related to these Chunin Exams.
"I understand. Aniki mentioned this to me a few days ago."
Nodding, Sasuke brought both hands to his chin, deep in thought. Yuki's job remained a mystery to Sasuke; he knew Yuki was the youngest Jonin in the village, but he had never seen him work. Even with the recent events involving Tsunade and Tsubaki, Yuki remained an enigma.
The fact that Yuki had this information about the exams before Kakashi surprised him. It indicated some premeditated plan, making Kakashi uneasy, knowing how formidable Yuki could be.
"No, he didn't say anything more. Is there something wrong?"
"No, nothing."
Seeing Sasuke hesitate, Kakashi waved his hands and smiled beneath his mask.
"As you all know, these Chunin Exams will be different from the past. You'll be competing against Genin from other villages."
After explaining this, Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving behind an admission request.
"Great! Finally, I can show off my skills!"
"Calm down, Naruto. This isn't a game."
While Team 7 received the request, other Genin, including Ino and Hinata, also got theirs.
.....
"This is the life."
However, none of this currently mattered to Yuki, as he was enjoying a hot spring bath.
He lazily reclined, letting the water flow over his body.
He had come with Tsunade, Shizune, and Tsubaki. Unfortunately, the hot springs were gender-separated, so they couldn't share one. Otherwise, Yuki would have made sure to rest against Tsunade's well-formed chest.
"Are you sure you don't want to join?"
Suddenly remembering someone, he asked.
[Of course not! This Queen won't let you take advantage!]
"I've seen and touched everything you can offer. You're the one missing out."
[Bastard, don't remind me!]
Continuing this nonsensical conversation, Yuki suddenly felt a powerful presence.
Opening one eye, Yuki saw a man with white hair crawling on the floor, slowly approaching the partition wall between the men's and women's baths.
(This old pervert never changes.)
Sighing, Yuki shook his head and made hand signs. A large ice block formed quickly and fell onto the pervert.
*Bam
"Arghhh!"
Howling in pain, the pervert grabbed his head with both hands, rolling from side to side. The massive ice block had fallen directly on his head.
"Who did this?!"
With fury-filled eyes, the pervert looked around, only to see a child with a mask waving at him.
"Yuki?"
"Pleasure to see you, Jiraiya-san."
Yuki certainly knew this pervert. More than knowing him, they were like buddies, often teaming up to spy on women or play pranks on Tsunade.
The courage these two had to mess with the Tigress was undoubtedly the greatest in Konoha.
Unfortunately, Yuki couldn't let this pervert enjoy the sight today. His family was on the other side, so he had no choice but to stop him.
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