"Increase patrol units. Report any abnormalities immediately."
The Third inhaled deeply from his pipe, his expression turning solemn. Hiruzen let out a sigh, determination flashing in his eyes. Back then, he had let Orochimaru go out of mercy as a teacher. This time, perhaps it was time for him to personally end that past mistake. The next generation of Konoha was slowly growing stronger. He could finally rest in peace.
"Hokage-sama, what about the Chunin Exams?" the kneeling Anbu hesitated to ask. Orochimaru's appearance in the Forest of Death suggested he might be targeting one of the examinees. Continuing the exam could place the candidates in danger.
"Proceed as planned. This year's Chunin Exams must not stop." The Third's voice was firm. "This is no longer just another invisible struggle between the Five Great Shinobi Villages; it's an opportunity to send a clear message—that Konoha is making a powerful comeback! This concerns Konoha's future status and has long ceased to be a simple exam!"
Hiruzen fully understood the implications behind Sakura's Wood Release. Now that he was old and wouldn't last many more years, with two of the legendary Sannin gone—Orochimaru having defected, Tsunade devastated by past events and wandering aimlessly, while Jiraiya followed her in search of reconciliation—it had been over a decade since the Golden Flash had sacrificed himself. The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki—the ultimate weapon—had yet to mature. The Uchiha clan now had only Sasuke left, while Itachi, acting as a spy, could not afford exposure. At present, aside from Kakashi with his Mangekyō Sharingan and Might Guy—who could always take down enemies through self-sacrifice—Konoha was seriously lacking in powerful fighters.
The weakened power of Konoha had already stirred ambitions among the other villages. Under these circumstances, they needed to showcase a force capable of intimidating the other four great villages so that Konoha could maintain its standing for years to come. And Wood Release—the ultimate power once wielded by Hashirama Senju to end the warring eras—was clearly the most suitable weapon to display. Compared to this, the current Chunin Exams were essentially nothing more than a stage carefully set up by the Third specifically for Sakura.
The mere name of Wood Release would instill fear among the other villages for quite some time. This would give Konoha enough time to allow the next generation to grow strong. By the time those other villages eventually recovered from their terror toward Wood Release and plotted mischief again, both Sakura's Wood Release and the next generation of ninja should have become strong enough to stand on their own. Only then would Konoha still retain absolute superiority against the other hidden villages, allowing him to finally descend into the afterlife in peace and meet his two former teachers.
Back in Konoha Village, political winds were shifting due to recent developments. Meanwhile, deep inside the Forest of Death, Sakura and her team lounged comfortably on the grass, chatting idly about their plans ahead.
"I've placed a Genjutsu barrier here. No one's going to interrupt us!"
Shisui deactivated his Sharingan. Around the group, small tadpole-like Runes on the ground emitted a faint glow. A passing squirrel naturally chose to detour around the Runes, completely ignoring Sakura and her companions.
"Now everyone should have gathered their scrolls, right?" Sakura asked. Seeing everyone nod, she continued, "Since we don't have to worry about the scrolls anymore, our next destination is the Central Tower. But since both me and Naruto got hurt, we'll need a couple of days to heal up first!"
"It's only been one day. We've got plenty of time!" Shisui nodded and said, "Then let's all stay here directly. We'll start heading out once Sakura and Naruto have recovered from their injuries!"
"My wounds might look bad, but I heal fast. A day or so will be more than enough for me to fully recover. But Sakura's injuries—can she recover quickly in this short amount of time?"
Lying on the grass with his head resting on Sakura's lap, enjoying special treatment as a seriously wounded companion, Naruto asked with some concern.
Chapter 180: Sasuke Awakens the Mangekyō [Part 2]
"My injuries are just superficial wounds. They look terrifying, but they're actually not a big deal. It's just that the chakra in the wounds hasn't dissipated yet, making them appear gruesome. Once the accumulated energy in the wounds gradually fades away, I can heal myself with Medical Ninjutsu. Anyway, it doesn't affect my combat capabilities!"
Sakura wore a nonchalant expression, even though her left arm was already in such pain it was nearly numb — the residual chakra still hadn't dissipated, keeping her wounds from closing, and the cracks stretching from her neck down her right arm were extremely painful. Having your skin torn apart by raw chakra isn't exactly a walk in the park, especially when that chakra hasn't dispersed yet, keeping the wounds open and preventing healing. The fissures running from her neck down to her right arm were extremely uncomfortable. She just didn't want anyone else worrying too much.
"That's good then!" Though Shisui and others spoke this way, the concern in their expressions couldn't be completely hidden. They weren't stupid — wounds that terrifying had to be agonizing. Since Sakura clearly didn't want them to worry, they could only cooperate by asking no further questions, though each secretly cursed Orochimaru in their hearts.
"Sasuke, since everyone's idle right now, I'll help you enhance your strength a bit!"
Wanting to divert everyone's attention, Sakura turned her gaze directly toward Sasuke. Since Sasuke wanted to increase his power, she might as well help him awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"What do you want to do?" Immediately sensing danger, Sasuke's nerves tensed up as an ominous premonition surged through him.
"Nothing much, just helping you awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan!" Sakura used her left hand to grab Sasuke's shoulder and said, "Don't worry, it won't take much effort. Just a Genjutsu will solve everything!"
"Let go of me!" Sasuke's expression showed slight panic as he growled softly, yet out of consideration for Sakura's injuries, he didn't dare struggle forcefully. Thinking back to how Sakura had helped him activate his Three-Tomoe Sharingan previously, he felt uneasy deep inside.
"Don't be afraid. This time I won't show you that scene of your brother and Shisui-san rolling around on a bed together. I don't like repeating myself!" Sakura said smilingly while grabbing hold of him, though nearby Shisui's face immediately darkened. He had also witnessed that particular illusion before — if he hadn't already awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan earlier, he probably would've instinctively upgraded his own Sharingan from sheer shock.
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