Orochimaru licked his lips with amusement as his eyes sparkled. According to their plan, he would test Team 7 by assassinating a group of Genin and taking their place. Initially, he thought it would be an easy task, but these kids surprised him, especially Naruto and Sasuke. Both fought side by side, demonstrating skills far superior to Genin level. Orochimaru quickly classified them as the strongest Genin.
One was the Demon Fox with massive Chakra, creating so many clones that Orochimaru had to blink several times. The other, an Uchiha with control over his chakra and exceptional abilities, particularly impressing Orochimaru with Sasuke's analytical mind. As expected from this blessed clan.
Of the two Shinobi Orochimaru was forced into a corner against, both belonged to the Uchiha. Now, Sasuke followed in the footsteps of his older siblings.
Unfortunately for Team 7, they faced a Sannin, and no matter how they fought, they lacked the power to win. Consequently, they lost in the end.
"Interesting... I suppose I have to reward them for their good work; i would be a poor teacher if I didn't."
Orochimaru couldn't do more than test their limits, and because of that, he decided to reward the most astonishing one, Sasuke, with the cursed mark. Surely, Sasuke would grow even more, fulfilling Yuki's request to train him.
"Now everything is in place; all that's left is for him to come to me, and my true work will finally begin."
Licking his lips, Orochimaru was eager to start. Teaching a genius—how far would they reach under his guidance? Orochimaru didn't know, but he anticipated it with excitement.
However...
"My precious Anko, it's been a while..."
Smiling at his former student, Orochimaru recalled various things from the past.
"You're an S-rank criminal; I don't know how or why you're here, but I will stop you."
Anko was worthy of the Elite. After Orochimaru fought Team 7 and withdrew, Anko quickly found him.
"After all, you taught me everything."
"Hahaha, not everything... you're amusing, Anko."
Despite the bloodthirsty intent in her eyes, Orochimaru laughed loudly, then glanced at the shadow beneath Anko's feet.
"I'm sorry, Anko, but you can't stop me. As your master, I advise you not to cause me any more trouble. I take a break from work occasionally."
"Is that so? Why don't you try me then?"
"?!..."
Seeing her master turn away and walk, enraged Anko. Orochimaru clearly didn't see her as a threat, but just as she was about to attack, white hands emerged from her shadow, holding her tightly as the darkness swallowed her.
"What?!"
"It's better not to fight, Anko, and forget everything that happened today."
Without stopping, Orochimaru disappeared into the tree branches, while Anko was swallowed by the darkness.
"What the hell!? What's happening here?"
When Anko opened her eyes, she found herself in darkness, tied to a pole. Her eyes widened as she realized she wasn't alone. The other examiners were also tied and unconscious.
"Welcome, Miss Anko."
Suddenly, a voice echoed, and an Anbu hunter emerged from the darkness.
"You!"
Anko recognized him instantly; his mask was something she would never forget.
"I understand... they were together!"
At the same time, a flash passed through her mind; now she understood everything. Why Orochimaru could enter the village undetected, why he was so confident. It was all because he was with the Devourer.
But there was also something Anko refused to believe, yet the evidence and actions of this ninja condemned him.
"Why...?"
"You don't need to know, Miss Anko; this is none of your concern."
"Are you betraying the village?!"
"No, this is for the good of the village, and I need you to forget everything."
"Lies! Orochimaru is a criminal! Defending a criminal makes you a traitor!"
As she accused him, trembling, Anko clenched her teeth, her eyes moistened. She was deeply disappointed.
"I admired you! You protected the village and saved me many times! Why are you doing this?!"
As part of the Elite, Anko took on high-risk missions and was often on the same team as the Devourer. His strength and protection towards his team were something Anko admired from the bottom of her heart. The Devourer, though cruel to enemies, was kind to allies.
But now...
"..."
Yuki, on the other hand, said nothing more and shrugged. He didn't expect anyone to understand; this job is secret, and if not for Orochimaru's actions, Yuki would never show up in these exams.
And worse, in front of Anko.
(I guess I have no other choice...)
Unfortunately, he couldn't eliminate these ninjas, not Anko. She was an Elite, the examiner for the exams, and a good teammate. Her death would be a great loss.
"Huh? Is this it?"
Before Anko could continue her accusations, an envelope was thrown at her feet, revealing various images and classified documents. This made Anko widen her eyes, and her mouth opened in disbelief.
"Anko Mitarashi, for the sake of Konoha, you must forget everything you've seen today and never speak of it. This is an order."
------
"Congratulations on surviving the second part of the exam."
Five days later, inside the tower, several Jonin gathered—examiners and the Genin's teachers. Anko completed her duty as the sensor for the second exam.
(Wow, many survived.)
Looking at the 21 surviving Genin, Anko was not satisfied; she hoped to reduce the number to a single digit.
The gathered Genin sighed in relief. Being in constant stress for five days due to the participants and beasts was no joke. They were tired and sincerely hoped to finish and go home.
*Pufff
Unfortunately, it was too early to be happy. A smoke cloud appeared in the center of the Jonin.
"Hello, everyone!"
Emerging from the smoke, Yuki greeted all the Genin, wearing his standard Jonin attire.
The present Genin were surprised; Sasuke and Naruto paled, Ino and Hinata got excited, while Lee, Neji, and Tenten widened their eyes. It was a pleasant surprise to see Yuki in these exams.
"My name is Yuki Uchiha; I'll be your next sensor. From now on, I'll decide if you pass or not, so let's get along."
Smiling under his mask, Yuki made a peace sign with his hand, while the other Jonin were confused, especially Kurenai, Asuma, and Guy.
This abrupt change in the sensor caught them off guard. Kakashi, on the other hand, squinted his eyes; he didn't know what Yuki was thinking, but it surely wasn't anything good.
Guy had flames in his eyes; with Yuki in these exams, things were about to get interesting. After all, Yuki was a young, energetic Jonin overflowing with the power of youth.
"Wow! There are so many of you!"
Scanning his gaze across all the Genin, Yuki cracked his fingers.
"With this number, I can't allow everyone to participate in the final stage. I need to select the best."
"Wait, wait... What do you mean by selecting the best? We just finished the second exam. What's the next test?"
Raising his hand, Kiba asked somewhat annoyed, being trapped in that forest was no joke.
"That's a very good question, dog boy. However, I'll remind you that I'm the one who makes the rules in this exam, and I need the best of you to participate in the final exam."
"Huh?!"
Seeing that no one understood, Yuki shrugged and pointed at the screen.
"As I said, there are too many of you, and of course, not all are fit for the finals. That's why we'll eliminate the weakest in a mini-tournament. Don't you think it's wonderful? Hehehe."
----
TN: huehuehue