With Tsunade stepping forward, the eager Cloud and Rock ninjas immediately calmed down.
The display of Tsunade's power was truly overwhelming—her first move alone was a destructive jutsu that could easily be considered a forbidden technique. This made the Cloud and Rock ninjas opt to observe the situation when Tsunade expressed her intention to challenge the examiner.
After all, no matter what happened with Tsunade's challenge, there seemed to be no real downside.
If Tsunade won, they could pass the second exam and, by watching her battle the examiner, gain a more direct understanding of her strength and fighting style. This would be helpful in devising strategies for the third round.
If Tsunade was eliminated by the examiner, then even better—three competitors would be out, and Konoha would only have one remaining team to be wary of: Kakashi's team.
Especially for the Iwagakure team, as long as Daruo could kite Kakashi in the air, he would be able to exhaust him with ease.
Moreover, even if the examiner didn't immediately eliminate Tsunade, the battle with the examiner would likely drain Tsunade's chakra significantly. This would reduce the pressure on Konoha's two remaining teams, as the powerful jutsu Tsunade used earlier likely consumed a lot of chakra.
"Tsunade!"
Orochimaru couldn't help but speak up to stop her. While others might not realize it, Orochimaru knew that Tsunade, despite her outward confidence, was far from her peak state. During the first written exam, Tsunade had maintained her Water Transformation Technique for such a long time that even with the immense chakra reserves of the Senju clan, she was likely running low by now.
If Tsunade were at her full strength, Orochimaru believed she could go toe-to-toe with a Special Jonin. But after exhausting so much chakra, he wasn't optimistic about her chances.
"Listen up, Orochimaru. Don't trust science. Trust me. Trust the me who believes in you!" Tsunade declared.
"…"
Although Tsunade's words were full of force, Orochimaru still didn't believe that subjective willpower could defy objective laws. Chakra was the combination of physical energy drawn from 130 trillion cells in the body and spiritual energy honed through experience, both of which were irreplaceable. There was a predetermined limit to how much chakra one could store.
"Big brother, I'll always believe in you," the Siberian Husky immediately declared, pledging his loyalty to Tsunade. "If you run out of chakra, I can always combine with you."
"I refuse," Tsunade responded firmly, showing no sign of reconsideration.
Seeing her refusal so decisively, the Siberian Husky's desire to win her affection grew even stronger. His gaze instinctively turned towards Ayame Hoshizawa. How could he train her to be a worthy RBQ?
Though the Siberian Husky had experience with training dogs, he had no clue how to train humans.
Should he try to use dog-training techniques on her?
The Siberian Husky pondered deeply.
Meanwhile, Ayame Hoshizawa suddenly felt as though someone was watching her from the shadows. She glanced around but saw nothing, leaving her with a confused expression.
Yukari asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Ayame replied, shaking her head lightly. "Just a strange feeling."
She refocused her attention on Tsunade. Compared to the others, she was even more eager to see Tsunade's true strength. If Tsunade was up against a Special Jonin, surely even she would have to fight with everything she had, right?
At that moment, Tsunade planted her staff into the ground. Just as Orochimaru had anticipated, with her chakra already depleted, even Tsunade could not be confident in winning against a Special Jonin. Using a weapon she wasn't proficient with, as she was now, was essentially a death wish.
After all, this staff wouldn't transform into a high-speed attack just because Tsunade yelled, "Shoot him! God's gun!" Holding it in her hand would only be a hindrance. It was much less useful than a simple punch, which would be much stronger and consume far less chakra.
"What is combining?" Jiraiya asked, confused. "Is it like the Inuzuka clan's secret technique?"
"It's probably a very powerful move," Orochimaru thought for a moment and replied. "For example, a dog riding a cat."
Orochimaru wasn't sure about this so-called "combining" either, but he did know that the Siberian Husky had mentioned it twice: once when Tsunade entered the second round of the exams, where the Husky seemed to want to use this "combining" to take revenge, and now again, claiming that if chakra ran low, they could "combine." This suggested that the Husky's "combining" might restore chakra.
Or perhaps it involved using the Husky's chakra.
However, Orochimaru had never sensed any chakra from the Siberian Husky. On the surface, it seemed like an ordinary dog, albeit one that could talk. But Orochimaru didn't believe Tsunade's summoning beast could be just a regular dog.
But never mind what Orochimaru thought. Tsunade had already faced the examiner.
"You're not my match."
The examiner opened his eyes slightly, revealing the three-tomoe Sharingan, the crimson color almost seeming to bleed.
"How do you know if you don't try?"
Tsunade formed hand seals, and two shadow clones appeared beside her, cautiously watching the examiner, careful not to meet his blood-red Sharingan, fearing that she might fall into an Uchiha clan genjutsu before the battle even started.
This was one of the reasons Orochimaru didn't believe Tsunade could win. The second exam's examiner was a Special Jonin from the Uchiha clan, skilled in Fire Style and Genjutsu, with a bloodline limit that allowed him to copy and see through all forms of ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu. He was a living embodiment of the "eye for an eye" philosophy in the world of Hokage.
Tsunade excelled in ninjutsu and taijutsu but was weak in genjutsu. Given her lack of chakra, her chances of defeating the Uchiha Special Jonin were slim, especially since without her powerful jutsu, Tsunade's taijutsu would likely be easily countered by the Uchiha's Sharingan.
Even the most destructive jutsu would be useless if it couldn't land.
Both Orochimaru and Kakashi knew this well. Kakashi, in particular, was highly skilled at evading attacks while swiftly delivering lethal strikes. So, he stepped forward.
"I'm here too."
Kakashi, gripping the glowing white fang, moved to Tsunade's side. Though the Uchiha Special Jonin was powerful, and the Sharingan made him even stronger, with the two of them working together, their chances of winning were far better than just adding their individual strengths.
Seeing this, the examiner's attention sharpened. Although his title was just a Genin, anyone who underestimated Tsunade and Kakashi would likely end up dead. The Uchiha clan might be proud, but they weren't foolish. If they lost to two Genin, especially from the Senju clan, it would be a disgrace.
Jiraiya, seeing this, was also eager to join the fight. However, just as he was about to step forward, Orochimaru pulled him back.
"What are you doing?"
Jiraiya looked back in displeasure, "If you're not going to help, are you going to stop me from fighting alongside Tsunade?"
Orochimaru smirked, feeling a bit exasperated with Jiraiya's simple-mindedness. However, if he let Jiraiya go, there was a chance that while Tsunade and the examiner were still locked in battle, Might Guy might already be taken out by the Cloud or Rock ninjas. Given the circumstances, Orochimaru, though unwilling to waste time on Jiraiya, reluctantly said, "The Cloud and Rock ninjas are watching this. Tsunade needs us to protect them so they can fight without distraction."
Orochimaru glanced at Kato and Might Guy, who hadn't noticed the situation.
"Alright, then. If that's the case, I'll protect them as Jiraiya-sama!" Jiraiya responded, with his usual overconfidence.
Orochimaru couldn't help but envy Jiraiya's straightforward nature.
Meanwhile, Tsunade was plotting to strangle Kakashi.
"Please don't disturb my moment to shine. Tsunade will surely repay you later!"
(End of Chapter)