In the stands, Orochimaru smirked sinisterly.
"Yes, Kabuto, your mission is complete," he murmured. "Now, it's time to enjoy Sasuke's battle... I can't wait."
His golden eyes gleamed with anticipation as he licked his lips, staring at Sasuke like a prized possession.
Meanwhile, Naruto frowned and shouted, "Kabuto-senpai, why? Why would you give up?!"
To him, becoming a Chūnin was every Genin's dream. How could Kabuto walk away so easily?
"Sorry, Naruto," Kabuto said with a helpless smile, adjusting his glasses. "My body has reached its limit… Even if I continued, I wouldn't make it through the next round."
His performance was flawless, and Sasuke couldn't help but acknowledge his acting skills.
"Alright, Yakushi Kabuto from Konoha, you may leave," Moonlight Hayate confirmed, crossing out his name.
From the side, Anko frowned in suspicion.
"This guy did the same thing last time," she muttered. "According to his records, this is the seventh time he's taken the Chūnin Exams. Quitting now feels too convenient."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression darkened.
He had just finished an inspiring speech encouraging Konoha's Genin to give it their all, and now, this Kabuto boy had withdrawn without hesitation. It was an embarrassment.
"Anko, what's his background?" Hiruzen asked.
Anko responded immediately, "Lord Hokage, you brought him back from the battle at Kikyo Pass. He was later adopted by Konoha's medical corps… But he failed the graduation exam three times before finally passing. He never showed much talent as a ninja."
"I see…" Hiruzen nodded dismissively. A marginal shinobi like Kabuto wasn't worth his concern.
"Enough. Let's continue."
As Kabuto walked away, he patted a cloaked Sound ninja on the shoulder.
"Alright, the rest is up to you," he said. "Make sure to put on a good show—Lord Orochimaru is watching."
The masked ninja scoffed. "Hmph, don't act so smug."
Back in the arena, Moonlight Hayate surveyed the remaining competitors.
"Since a large number of you passed the second exam, we've decided to hold preliminary matches!" he announced.
"The rules are simple—one-on-one battles. The match continues until one fighter is knocked out, surrenders, or dies!"
Gasps echoed through the crowd.
"Wait, another round?!"
"You've got to be kidding! We just survived the Forest of Death, and now we have to fight immediately?!"
Many Genin were exhausted and barely standing. The idea of another battle was daunting.
"If you're injured or feel unable to fight, you may withdraw now," Hayate added.
Naruto clenched his fists. "Quit? Are you kidding?! We came here to fight! Let's do this!"
His fiery determination lifted the spirits of the other contestants.
"Yeah, after coming this far, who would give up now?"
"I… withdraw," Yakushi Kabuto announced, raising his hand.
The room fell silent as all eyes turned toward him.
"He actually quit?"
Sasuke wasn't surprised. As expected. Kabuto doesn't want to reveal his true strength.
As a spy, his priority was gathering intel, not fighting unnecessary battles.
The large screen flickered as the first matchups were decided.
"First Match: Uchiha Sasuke vs. Akado Yoroi!"
Hayate nodded. "Everyone else, please move to the stands. The match is about to begin."
As the other contestants cleared the field, Yoroi sneered.
"Heh, finally. Time to take down Uchiha Sasuke!"
From the stands, Naruto, Sakura, Ino, and Hinata cheered for Sasuke. Even Neji, Gaara, and Rock Lee watched with keen interest.
Orochimaru smirked.
"Perfect. Yoroi is a decent warm-up… He should be able to push Sasuke to his limit. When his chakra is depleted, he'll have no choice but to rely on the curse mark," he muttered to himself.
"Alright," Hayate announced, glancing at both fighters. "The match begins!"
However, neither Sasuke nor Yoroi moved.
"Did you hear me?" Hayate repeated. "The fight has begun!"
Sasuke simply turned away and started walking toward the stands.
"Wait, Uchiha Sasuke! Are you forfeiting?" Hayate asked, startled.
Sasuke glanced back, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"Forfeit? No… The match is already over."
A dull thud echoed through the arena.
Yoroi's body collapsed to the ground, motionless. His sunglasses shattered, revealing his wide, vacant eyes.
"What?!"
"He… He was taken out instantly?!"
The audience was stunned. They hadn't even seen Sasuke move.
"W-What just happened?!"
Kakashi's visible eye widened slightly. "That was… genjutsu."
Kurenai Yuhi, Konoha's genjutsu expert, was equally shocked.
"Incredible… He took him down with just a glance!" she whispered.
Her admiration for Sasuke grew.
Maybe… I should train him in genjutsu personally, she mused.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru scowled.
Damn it… That was too fast. I didn't even get to see him struggle!
His plan had failed. He wanted to push Sasuke into desperation, forcing him to rely on the curse mark—but instead, Sasuke had ended the fight in an instant.
His golden eyes narrowed.
"Hmph… Yoroi was useless," he muttered, hiding his frustration.
Just then, Sasuke stopped in front of him.
Orochimaru's smirk returned. "Heh, impressive. Konoha has quite a talented Genin in you, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke's Sharingan glowed as he smirked back.
"Yeah?" he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Orochimaru watching him with dark, greedy eyes.
I want that body even more…
As Sasuke returned to the stands, Naruto grumbled.
"Dammit, Sasuke! You stole the spotlight again!"
Sasuke chuckled. "Naruto, if you don't train harder, you'll never catch up to me."
Kakashi gave him a thumbs-up.
"Nicely done, Sasuke. Since when did your genjutsu become that strong?"
Even for someone like him, the speed and efficiency of Sasuke's genjutsu were astonishing.
Sasuke shrugged. "Just something I picked up along the way."
Kakashi smiled under his mask.
Maybe… it won't be long before Sasuke surpasses me.