"Retreat, now!"
As soon as Commander Kitsuchi recognized what was falling from the sky, he let out a desperate scream. But it was already too late.
With the first deafening explosion, violent flames erupted like blooming flowers, engulfing the earth in a sea of fire.
The forest where the Iwa troops were hiding was completely consumed by flames in less than half a minute. The terrifying explosions echoed like the wrath of the gods, and the blazing light turned the...
Land of Earth, Capital City.
The moon hung high in the night sky, casting a deep, heavy darkness over the city. In the silence of the late night, several shadowy figures darted through the air, heading straight for the daimyo's castle tower.
"Be careful. This mission is of utmost importance. We must succeed in one strike," one of the masked ninjas whispered as they bypassed the guards and quietly infiltrated the inner chambers of the castle. They were now just one step a...
The Chunin Joint Exams were like a massive boulder thrown into a calm lake, and the ripples it created continued to affect the entire shinobi world.
In the Land of Earth:
After the exams, the daimyo's son immediately signed an agreement with Konoha, purchasing a large number of cannons, as well as various conventional and scientific ninja tools.
To assist with their use, Konoha dispatched several teams to provide guidance.
Upon the daimyo's son's return to...
The torrent of chakra erupting from Jugo's hands shot like a beam of light, slamming into the allied forces led by Kumo.
With a terrifying roar, the ground was torn apart, and the billowing dust nearly covered half the battlefield.
Jugo's all-out attack, which drained every last bit of his chakra, not only stunned the entire battlefield but also left the distant audience seats in complete silence...
"Are these guys really genin?"
This was the biggest questi...
"Lightning Release: Lightning Fish!!"
On another battlefield, a Kumo-nin formed hand seals, condensing golden electricity into a massive swimming fish and hurling it toward the enemy.
Seeing this, Haku immediately stepped forward to shield the group.
"Ice Release: Ice Wall!"
As a frosty mist rose, a thick wall of ice rumbled into existence, blocking the incoming lightning.
Following this, Kimimaro charged in from the side.
Wielding his bone sp...
"Are you planning to keep hiding, Uchiha Itachi?"
"If you keep delaying, your teammates might soon be eliminated, you know."
Deidara stood on the back of his flying bird, watching the smoke and flames rising from the other side of the battlefield, a sinister grin spreading across his face.
It seemed he was trying to persuade Itachi to face him head-on, rather than scurrying around like a rat in the forest.
Hearing this, Uchiha Itachi finally stopped.
"If everyone likes to call for reinforcements, then our Konoha is not without resources either."
Shimura Kabuto's lips curled into a smirk, and in an instant, an icy, bone-chilling wind swept across the battlefield.
"What's this…?"
Many people looked down in surprise, only to find that the ground had already been covered with a layer of white frost, though no one had noticed when it started.
Not only that, but a squad from Iwagakure had already been silen...
Just as Chinō was preparing for a desperate last stand, hoping to take down as many enemies as possible to ease the pressure on her senior brothers, a calm voice sounded behind her.
"I told you before, no matter how much chakra you have, it won't be enough if you use it like this."
Kabuto emerged from the forest, adjusting his glasses with a composed expression.
"Second Senior Brother!"
If it were any other time, Chinō would have silently grumbled at Kabu...
"It seems Itachi's already started over there?" Kabuto adjusted his glasses, smiling as he heard the explosions in the distance. "Looks like I need to pick up the pace too."
With that, a cold glint flashed across his glasses as his icy gaze fell on a patch of grass in the forest.
"Your turn, spectators."
In the grass, three Kirigakure genin shivered under Kabuto's gaze.
The next moment, Kabuto appeared on a branch right in front of them. "So, will you hand ...
"Hand over the scroll, and you'll save yourself some pain."
Ten-year-old Itachi stood on a tree branch, looking down at the burly Sunagakure shinobi with a calm expression.
Being mocked by a kid five or six years younger than him in front of everyone was too much for the Sunagakure shinobi to bear.
"You arrogant brat, who do you think you are?!"
With a burst of chakra from his feet, he instantly appeared in front of Itachi, throwing a heavy punch straight a...
Upon hearing Shimura Kabuto's plan, even Chino, who was always the most unruly, was momentarily stunned.
"Is Second Brother really this radical?" she wondered.
She looked at Kabuto, who was gently adjusting his glasses, and for a moment, she seemed to see a reflection of their teacher in him.
However, it didn’t take long for excitement to spread across Chino’s face.
"As expected of Second Brother! You actually came up with such a brilliant idea!"
As teams were deployed into the vast Forest of Death, the Chunin Exam finally began in earnest.
"The rules set by the higher-ups are basically forcing us to fight each other," muttered Chinō, chewing on a blade of grass, her Konoha forehead protector hanging loosely around her neck, her expression one of playful defiance.
"The purpose of this exam is to select outstanding talents with Chunin-level abilities," Kabuto replied calmly, unfazed by Chinō's complaints.
"The specific rules for the second phase of this Chunin Exam are as follows:"
"All participating teams will be randomly placed at various locations within the Forest of Death. Before the start, each team will receive a scroll."
"There are two types of scrolls: the Heaven Scroll and the Earth Scroll."
"Only by collecting both scrolls and successfully reaching the central tower in the Forest of Death can a team advance to the next round."
"It is worth noting ...
"Ah!"
Qian Renjue raised his hand and smacked Ice Empress back into his clothes.
Thinking fast—
Before Ning Rongrong could react, he quickly turned to Snow Empress and gently introduced:
"Snow Empress, these two... are my fiancées."
"Fiancées?!"
Snow Empress delicate lips parted slightly, and her slender brows furrowed.
Her ice-blue eyes reflected the two women, carrying a trace of confusion.
Ning Rongrong’s already displea...
Snow Empress stopped her movements and raised her eyes to meet Qian Renjue's gaze.
Her beautiful face remained cold and stunning as ever.
However, a different emotion flickered in her brows—an almost imperceptible hint of having fallen into the mortal world.
"Qian Renjue, are you done with your call?"
"Mm, let's go."
Qian Renjue nodded, casually freeing Ice Empress and wrapping an arm around Snow Empress' waist.
Snow Empress obediently nestl...
The day after the commotion, the long-awaited Chunin Exams officially began.
After a passionate speech by the Hokage, Namikaze Minato, the first phase of the exam—the written test—commenced.
This was the largest Chunin Exam in the history of the shinobi world, with all five great nations participating for the first time.
As the host, Konoha alone sent 18 teams, totaling 54 participants. Iwagakure sent 12 teams, while Sunagakure and Kirigakure each sent 10 te...
"Deidara is just a bit unruly. Was it necessary for you to be so ruthless?" After successfully saving his disciple, Onoki turned to Uchiha Itachi with a dark expression, his voice filled with accusation.
In Onoki's eyes, his disciple was simply mischievous and needed a bit of discipline.
However, the actions of this young boy in front of him seemed aimed at crippling Deidara, which was something he couldn't accept.
Facing the Tsuchikage's question, Itachi showed ...
Just as Temari was about to continue exploring Konoha, a wild laugh suddenly echoed from above, followed by a chaotic gust of wind.
On the commercial street, many people were caught off guard by the sudden laughter and wind, and they looked up to see what was happening.
A giant white bird swooped down at low altitude, causing a wave of exclamations. On the bird's back, a blond-haired boy burst into laughter upon seeing the scene below.
"The so-called strongest na...
*Shinobi World United News*, March 4th, Year 57 of the Leaf Village: The Chunin Exams will commence tomorrow."
"The Land of Lightning's daimyo, Raikage A, Tsuchikage Ōnoki, Acting Mizukage Mei Terumī, Amegakure leader Yahiko, and Sunagakure envoy Baki have been invited to attend..."
"During the meeting, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, engaged in friendly and in-depth discussions with them, offering important guidance on the future peaceful development of the ninja ...
At all costs, we must obtain these emerging technologies from the Leaf Village!
This was the Fourth Raikage's first thought after realizing the strategic value of the airship.
Similarly, the group from the Land of Earth, the Hidden Stone Village, was also shocked by the airship and the Leaf Village's various modern facilities.
Unlike the Raikage, Ōnoki wasn't too worried about the airship's impact on the battlefield.
After all, he himself possessed the abi...
"Is this the legendary train?" Omoi and Karui stared wide-eyed at the steel dragon roaring down the railway, their faces filled with disbelief.
The appearance of the train was undoubtedly a shocking revelation for those who had long lived in the ninja world, accustomed to relying on ninjutsu and their own two feet for travel.
Not just Omoi and Karui, even the Fourth Raikage and the Land of Lightning's daimyo, who had seen much of the world, had complex expressions when t...
"Are you full?"
Hanekawa glanced at the empty bowl and asked with a smile.
"Mmm."
Ōtsutsuki Kaguya gave a noncommittal response.
Her expression was cold, making it difficult to discern any deeper emotions.
"I'll go wash the dishes."
Hanekawa stood up, patted Tsukihime's head, and said, "You two can talk."
He picked up the bowls and chopsticks and headed to the kitchen.
The living room fell into silence.
...
Hanekawa received a new keyword, confirming that Ōtsutsuki Isshiki was dead.
Relieved, he dismissed the Thousand-Armed Kannon and stepped forward.
At this moment, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki was in a pitiful state.
Earlier, he had been ambushed by Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, losing both his legs.
Now, after being pummeled by the Top-Tier Buddha Transformation, barely a third of his body remained intact.
His entire form was a bloody mess, with only his head ...
As time passed, the date of the Chunin Exams drew closer.
With extensive coverage from the *Shinobi World United News* and other newspapers, the number of visitors to the Leaf Village had surged dramatically.
This led to a sharp increase in the workload for the Police Force, led by Fugaku. Officers from all over had gone months without a break...
Fortunately, they understood the importance of this event for the Leaf Village, and with ample funding approved by the...
After Kimimaro and Haku set off, Danzo quickly made his way to a hidden chamber.
This room was filled with numerous cultivation tanks, each containing a corpse preserved in a special liquid.
These liquids effectively prevented the bodies from decaying or deteriorating.
Upon closer inspection, one would notice that almost all the corpses in this chamber came from the same clan—the Kaguya clan.
"How is Kimimaro's condition?" Danzo asked in a hoarse voice ...
"These two are absolute monsters!" Chino blurted out after watching the battle between Uchiha Itachi and Kimimaro.
Despite having successfully awakened her Blood Dragon Eye and gradually mastering it over the past few months, she still felt there was a significant gap between her and the two on the field.
Hearing Chino's comment, Haku couldn't help but nod in agreement.
Even Minato Namikaze, the Hokage, couldn't resist clapping.
"What an incredible battle!...
Leaf Village, Root Training Grounds.
A thrilling training match was about to begin.
Uchiha Itachi stood tall and straight in the center of the training ground, wearing the Leaf Village's signature green genin combat uniform.
Across from him, Kimimaro was dressed in a light robe, his long white hair flowing freely behind him, giving him a more relaxed and casual appearance.
The main reason for this attire was that the combat uniform would restrict his use ...
With so many ninja villages participating, if the Sand Village were to refuse, it might instantly become the shame of the ninja world...
Rasa had to consider the impact on their reputation. Moreover, he was quite interested in seeing how the Leaf Village in the Land of Fire had developed recently.
Information gathered from intelligence reports wasn't always accurate; it was better to see for oneself.
But the question was, who should they send?
If they s...
As Shisui finished speaking, the Fourth Raikage narrowed his eyes. He wasn’t a fool, and Shisui’s proposal was clear:
You, Kumogakure, have been hoping to end the conflict in the Land of Hot Water, right? Fine, Konoha is giving you a chance. Since you can’t win on the battlefield, let’s settle this through the upcoming joint Chunin Exam.
It had to be said, this offer was tempting to the Fourth Raikage.
The situation in the Land of Hot Water had already d...
On the highlands of the northeastern continent of the shinobi world, the ninjas of Kumogakure were on high alert, their eyes fixed on the village gates.
Under their hostile gazes, a convoy slowly emerged from the distance.
Though it was called a convoy, the number of people was actually quite small.
The most important figure among them was none other than Uchiha Shisui, the legendary first disciple of Konoha's "Darkness of the Shinobi" and the current Minister o...