vncnus Chapter 397 Mitarashi Anko
Chapter 397 Mitarashi Anko
Chapter 397 Mitarashi Anko
The Land of Waves, the Bridge of Hope.
This magnificent structure, spanning the strait and connecting the main island of the Land of Waves with the mainland of the Land of Fire, was recently completed and lies on the sea like a sleeping dragon.
At this moment, however, dozens of ragged civilians, with their families in tow and carrying meager belongings, were struggling to move towards the Land of Fire.
Among them were elderly people leaning on wooden canes, women holding crying babies, and children clutching their parents' clothes, their eyes filled with fear and confusion.
Everyone's face was etched with fatigue, their steps heavy, as if they were carrying an unseen burden.
Suddenly, the refugees at the front stopped in their tracks.
Their eyes widened in terror, and their bodies trembled involuntarily.
Two people were standing in the very center of the bridge.
A man and a woman, dressed in long black robes with red cloud patterns that fluttered in the sea breeze, the red cloud patterns on them resembling congealed drops of blood.
The man squatted on the bridge, gently stroking the concrete ground with his right hand, his eyes closed, as if sensing something.
He had black hair, a handsome but pale face, and deep tear troughs that stretched from the sides of his nose to his cheekbones, making him look older than his actual age.
When he opened his eyes, three black magatama slowly rotated in his scarlet pupils.
The woman stood to the side, arms crossed, glancing at the refugees with interest.
She looked young, with deep red hair that fluttered in the sea breeze, a blade of grass between her teeth, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth.
The most eye-catching thing was the two short swords she carried on her back, crossed over each other. The blades were long and slender, with a light blue metallic sheen, and the handles were wrapped with anti-slip bandages.
Itachi Uchiha, an S-rank rogue ninja from Konoha; and Ringo Ameyuri, an S-rank rogue ninja from Kirigakure.
The refugees were too frightened to move.
Although ordinary people don't know what this outfit represents, the headband on their foreheads undoubtedly indicates that these are ninjas whom ordinary people can't afford to offend. With these two ninjas in front of them who are clearly not good people, and the increasingly chaotic situation in the Land of Waves behind them, the conflict between the daimyo and nobles and the "Red Star Alliance" is intensifying, and several armed conflicts have already occurred.
Many of these ordinary civilians, who did not want to be involved in the war, chose to flee the Land of Waves.
Itachi Uchiha stood up, dusted off his hands, and calmly scanned the bridge with his Sharingan.
With the Sharingan's extreme insight, the remaining traces of the battle here were as clear as words written on paper.
"This is Zabuza's mark." Itachi's voice was calm, revealing no emotion.
"Combined with the bloodstains of Green Aoi found in the village of the Land of Waves, both of their deaths were normal battle deaths. Their opponents were very strong, at least multiple Jonin. Their bodies were probably taken away by Konoha ninjas."
Ringo Ameyuri yawned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth: "Oh? Are you sure about the method of death?"
Itachi nodded, while Jikko remained on the bridge: "The scene still contains high concentrations of Lightning Release and Water Release chakra, indicating a fierce clash of ninjutsu between the two sides, but the truly fatal element is—"
"It's here." He paused, pointing to a barely visible dark red stain on the bridge surface.
"There was a lot of blood, and a faint smell of internal organs, the kind of smell that comes from ruptured organs. Zabuza must have been cut open by some kind of sharp weapon and bled to death."
As an elite ninja who participated in the Third Shinobi World War and carried out countless high-risk missions in the Konoha Anbu, Itachi Uchiha was very familiar with the fighting styles and ways of dying of ninjas.
With the Sharingan's almost microscope-like observational ability, he can reconstruct most of the details of the battle within minutes.
Upon hearing this, Ringo Ameyuri snorted lightly, her tone carrying a hint of disdain: "That piece of trash, Green Aoi, is dead, so be it. I've been annoyed with him for a long time. Relying on that Thunder God Sword and a little bit of Konoha's intelligence network, he really thought he was someone important."
As she spoke, she subconsciously touched the two replica ninja swords behind her back.
This is a ninja sword that she commissioned from a top craftsman in the Land of Iron at a high price. It uses special chakra-guiding materials to maximize the effectiveness of her lightning release ninjutsu.
But it is ultimately a counterfeit, and it is much weaker than the genuine "Raiden Kiba".
"But Zabuza didn't escape?" Ringo Ameyuri raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.
"That guy managed to assassinate the Fourth Mizukage and escape unscathed, yet he couldn't even defeat a Konoha ninja and didn't even have a chance to escape?"
Green Aoi was able to join the Akatsuki organization mainly because of the Second Hokage's relic, the "Thunder God Sword," and his intelligence network within Konoha.
Back when the Akatsuki organization was still operating undercover, Midori Aoi, as a spy personally recruited by Nagato, provided the Akatsuki organization with a lot of information about Hanzo the Salamander.
Pain promoted him to Jonin and recruited him into the organization after he took control of Amegakure.
However, the other S-rank rogue ninjas in Akatsuki, such as Sasori, Zabuza, Hidan, and even Lin Qinyu Yuri herself, generally looked down on Midori Aoi's strength.
In their eyes, that guy was nothing more than a second-rate guy who made a living by selling ninja tools and intelligence.
But Zabuza Momochi is different.
That's a truly ruthless character.
A Jonin of Kirigakure, a "Demon" during the Blood Mist Policy era, who later single-handedly assassinated the Fourth Mizukage and successfully escaped, becoming an S...
A rogue ninja.
With such strength and experience, if they can't defeat a Jonin from Konoha, do they not even have a chance to escape?
Just how strong is the opponent?
Itachi Uchiha did not answer Ringo Ameyuri's question.
His gaze shifted from the bridge to the trembling refugees, then back towards the main island of the Land of Waves.
A few wisps of black smoke rise from the distant Land of Waves, traces of conflict and burning.
The newly completed "Bridge of Hope" did bring hope to the Land of Waves, but not the "economic prosperity" that the nobles and daimyo hoped for, but rather the "opportunity for revolution" that the common people hoped for.
The organization called "Red Star Alliance" is gaining prestige in the Land of Waves at an astonishing rate.
Their propaganda—to overthrow the oppression of nobles and daimyo and establish a nation where everyone is equal—spread like wildfire among the common people of the Land of Waves.
More and more civilians are joining their ranks, and the Land of Waves is experiencing an unprecedented upheaval.
This made Itachi Uchiha even more opposed to the Land of Stars and the mysterious "Shura".
In his view, that Shura and Pain were no different from that guy who called himself "Uchiha Madara".
While spouting grand words like "for the peace of the ninja world" and "for the common people," they are actually inciting rebellions and provoking wars everywhere.
The Land of Stars used this method to control the Land of Bears, the Land of Demons, the Land of Swamps, and other countries, and now it's extending its reach to the Land of Waves.
What's the difference between this invasion, which is called "liberation," and the armed invasions of other ninja villages?
"Let's go." Itachi turned around and strode towards the Land of Fire, leaving behind only two simple words.
Ringo Ameyuri paused, then quickly caught up: "Wait, are we going back already?"
Itachi did not answer immediately.
He raised his head and looked in the direction of Konohagakure (Hidden Leaf Village) in the Land of Fire.
The place where he was born, the place where he personally killed countless members of his own kind, the place he swore to protect but had to leave.
After a long silence, he said softly, "Let's go take a look at Konoha."
Ringo Yuri narrowed her eyes in confusion, her mind racing.
Having teamed up with Itachi for several years, she had grown accustomed to his concise way of speaking and learned to interpret the deeper intentions behind his brief words.
"You want to retrieve the bodies of Midori and Zabuza?" she guessed.
"Or...go and wait for orders?"
She knew that Itachi Uchiha had once served in Konoha's Anbu and was very familiar with Konoha's internal structure and defense system.
During the Chunin Exams held in Konoha, it seems that Pain, the leader of the Akatsuki, intended to take advantage of the chaos to capture the One-Tailed Jinchuriki.
Itachi may have wanted to infiltrate Konoha in advance to prepare for subsequent actions.
Since joining the Akatsuki organization, Lin Qinyu has been a fixed partner with Itachi.
After spending several years together, she gained a certain understanding of this "Uchiha traitor".
Quiet and reserved, thoughtful and meticulous, he always devises detailed plans when carrying out tasks.
Ringo Ameyuri herself is an action-oriented person who doesn't like to think things through. She is happy to let Itachi formulate the strategies while she just charges into battle. For Itachi, this is also a kind of tacit understanding.
His physical condition was deteriorating, and the more he used the Mangekyou Sharingan, the faster his vision declined.
He needs to conserve his pupil energy for use in critical moments.
Having a teammate like Ringo Ameyuri, who is both strong and willing to take the lead, makes things much easier for him.
Itachi neither confirmed nor denied Ringo Ameyuri's guess; he simply continued walking forward.
Ringo Yuri scoffed and followed.
This man is very capable, but his personality is not her type at all; he's too gloomy, too complicated, and keeps too many things to himself.
The two walked one after the other, and their figures quickly disappeared at the other end of the bridge.
The refugees on the bridge dared not move on until they had completely left.
They carefully bypassed the spot where the weasel had been crouching, as if there was something ominous there, then quickened their pace and ran towards the Land of Fire without looking back.
For them, the world of ninjas was too distant and too dangerous.
They just wanted to find a place where they could live a stable life.
That's it.
Meanwhile, in the examination hall of Konoha Village on the other side.
Forty-five minutes have passed.
Ibiki Morino stood on the podium, his hands resting on the edge of the desk, his body slightly leaning forward, his face stern, his sharp, eagle-like eyes scanning the remaining candidates below.
The atmosphere in the classroom was oppressive; the only sounds were heavy breathing and the scratching of pens on paper.
During the event, many genin were eliminated because they were caught cheating, leaving many seats empty.
Now, Ibixi has announced the rules for question ten.
That was the last question, and also the most brutal one.
"The rules for question ten are simple." Ibiki's voice echoed in the silent classroom, each word like a hammer blow to the students' hearts. "You can choose to answer or not. If you choose not to answer, then you and your two teammates will immediately lose your eligibility for the exam and be eliminated."
A suppressed gasp rose from the audience.
Ibiki continued, his tone even colder: "But those who choose to answer incorrectly must note that if you answer wrong, you will be permanently barred from participating in the Chunin Exams. In other words, you will remain a Genin for life, never able to advance."
He emphasized the word "lifetime" very heavily.
The classroom erupted in chaos.
"Never eligible for promotion?!"
"This, this is too much—"
"Are you kidding me!"
Naruto's face turned pale instantly.
He abruptly turned to look at Menma beside him, his lips trembling: "Menma-nii---Brother Menma—a Genin for life? Then, how am I supposed to be Hokage—"
Kiba was also nearby, clutching his head, while Akamaru above him was whimpering, clearly frightened as well.
Kiba's voice trembled with tears: "No! I still want to become a powerful Jonin like my father!"
Some meticulous genin, such as Shikamaru, Temari, Chojuro, and Omoi, were relatively calm.
They quickly realized the loophole in this rule: if promotions couldn't be universally granted in Konoha, did that mean promotions couldn't be universally granted in their own ninja village either? This was clearly a scare tactic.
However, those candidates with weaker mental fortitude or those who had unwavering faith in the rules have begun to waver.
As the captain of Konoha's interrogation squad, Ibiki watched with satisfaction the various reactions of the people below the stage.
He raised his hand to signal for silence, then added the most crucial point: "Also, question ten will be announced fifteen minutes after the exam begins. During those fifteen minutes, you may choose to withdraw at any time." And if anyone withdraws, the entire team will be eliminated.
"Now—" Ibiki glanced at the clock on the wall: "The timer begins. In fifteen minutes, I will reveal the content of question ten."
After saying that, he sat down again, crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and seemed to fall asleep.
An eerie silence fell over the classroom.
The candidates looked at each other, none of them daring to speak.
Although Ibishi had his eyes closed, the interrogation examiners scattered around the classroom were watching them intently.
The feeling of being targeted by a pack of wolves sends chills down many people's spines.
Time passed by, second by second.
Every tick of the second hand on the wall clock felt like a blow to the heart.
At the fifth minute, the first person to choose to give up appeared.
A low-ranking ninja, his face deathly pale, raised his hand, his voice trembling: "I...I give up—"
Ibihi didn't even open his eyes, he just waved his hand.
Two examiners immediately stepped forward and led the man and his teammates out of the classroom.
The sound of the door closing was particularly jarring in the silence.
This opening is like opening some kind of floodgate.
In the following minutes, several teams chose to give up.
"I give up—"
"I'm sorry, I can't do it—"
"I don't want to be a submissive for the rest of my life—"
Some were genuine fears, while others were orchestrated by Ibixi.
The torture ninjas mixed in with the examinees were now dutifully performing "collapse" and "give up," using exaggerated words and expressions to stimulate the nerves of the other examinees.
"It's over, it's over. A lifetime as a subjugator is worse than death!"
"I'm only fifteen years old, I don't want my life to be ruined like this!"
"Teammate, I'm sorry, I really don't dare to gamble—"
These words seeped into the hearts of some candidates whose psychological defenses were fragile, like poison.
Naruto bit his lip hard, turned to look at Menma, and then at Hinata in the back row.
Hinata looked nervous, but when she met Naruto's gaze, she nodded firmly, her eyes saying, "I believe in you."
Mianma even had the leisure to twirl the pencil in his hand, his gaze sweeping over the remaining candidates in the classroom, silently calculating the number of people in his mind.
Fourteenth minute.
Only sixteen teams, totaling forty-eight people, remained in the classroom.
The wave of giving up has stopped.
The number of people who passed was much smaller than in the original story. Menma vaguely remembered that there were about 26 groups, with more than 70 people passing the first exam, which led Mitarashi Anko to complain to Morino Ibiki.
This is normal. Without Naruto's encouraging words from the original work, many test takers with poor mental fortitude gave up.
"Time's up."
In the fifteenth minute, Ibixi slowly stood up and walked to the center of the podium.
His gaze swept across every face in the audience, revealing tension, determination, doubt, and anger.
"Now, those who choose to continue the exam, please raise your hands."
A brief silence.
Then, a hand was raised.
It's Naruto.
His arm was raised high and straight, trembling slightly, but without any hesitation.
A resolute flame burned in his azure eyes.
Then, a second, a third—one hand after another was raised.
Menma raised his hand, Hinata raised her hand, Sasuke raised his hand, Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, Kiba, Shino, Sakura—the Konoha 11 almost simultaneously raised their hands.
The Star Country's Kaori, Kurotsuchi, Ranmaru, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro raised their hands.
Suigetsu, Chojuro, and Hinokami from Kirigakure raised their hands.
Karui, Omoi, and Atsui from Kumogakure raised their hands.
Sora and Kirara from Iwagakure raised their hands, and Deidara, though looking impatient, also raised his hand.
Finally, all forty-eight students in the classroom raised their hands.
Seeing this, Ibiki's previously stern face broke into a smile.
"Very good." He smiled with satisfaction and said, "Then I declare that everyone present has passed the first test."
"Misunderstanding?" Naruto was stunned.
The other candidates were also stunned.
It passed?
But the tenth question hasn't been released yet!
Ibihi explained, "The tenth question was actually given the moment the exam started: Do you have the courage to face unknown risks and trust your teammates?"
He paused, his voice becoming deep: "Being a Chunin requires more than just strength; it also requires making difficult decisions during missions. If someone doesn't even have the courage to trust their teammates and stand with them through thick and thin, then that person was never qualified to become a Chunin in the first place."
"Those who chose to give up did so not because the questions were too difficult, but because they didn't believe in themselves or their teammates. But you—"
His gaze swept over everyone in the audience.
"You chose trust and courage; that is the true answer to question ten."
The classroom was silent for a few seconds.
Then, Naruto burst into a huge cheer.
"yeah--!"
Naruto was the first to jump up, waving his fist: "We made it! Menma-nii! Hinata! We made it!"
Sasuke snorted, but the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
Shikamaru let out a long sigh of relief and slumped into his chair: "Finally over—what a pain—"
Choji couldn't wait any longer and pulled out a new bag of potato chips, starting to munch away.
"Menma-nii! That's great! Let's become Chunin together!" Kaori pounced on Menma again.
Hinata, sitting in the back row, was so anxious that her face turned bright red.
Xiang also noticed this, turned her head slightly, and muttered softly, "Strange—"
Gaara crossed his arms and closed his eyes to rest, while his gaze occasionally swept over Sasuke in the front rows.
Sora and Mica were whispering to each other, their expressions serious.
Just then, bang!
The classroom window was suddenly smashed open from the outside!
Glass shards flew everywhere, and a figure flipped through the gap and landed lightly on the podium.
It was a woman, who looked to be in her twenties. She had long, dark purple hair tied up in a small hedgehog style at the back of her head, and she wore a fishnet-lined top with a beige trench coat over it.
She wore a flamboyant smile, her eyes brimming with wildness.
She glanced at the examinees in the classroom and nodded in satisfaction: "Forty-eight people, the elimination rate isn't even seventy percent yet. Morino, you still haven't been ruthless enough."
Ibiki shook his head helplessly: "Red Bean, you're always like this—"
"Well?" Anko interrupted him with a grin, then turned to the examinees below the stage, hands on her hips, her voice booming: "Listen up, brats! I am your examiner for the second exam, Konoha Special Jonin, Mitarashi Anko!"
She paused, then her smile became even more dangerous.
"Congratulations on passing the first round, but don't worry—"
'
Her gaze swept across every face, like a wildcat sizing up its prey.
"I'll make sure you eliminate at least 80% of the candidates in the second exam."
The relaxed atmosphere in the classroom instantly became tense again.
[Image: Mitarashi Azuko]
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