As soon as Sasuke and Naruto were back on their feet, they didn't waste a second. They were right back to hunting for the Heaven and Earth scrolls in the Forest of Death.
Those two stubborn kids had no intention of quitting.
Jiraiya and Kakashi knew they'd run into Orochimaru and Obito Uchiha, and they were worried sick. But there was no changing their minds. Unless the kids gave up on their own, no one could force them to stop. All they could do was watch helplessly as Team 7 pushed forward.
Fortunately, their luck held out.
After three miserable days in the forest, they finally had both scrolls and stumbled their way to the finish line.
But their ordeal wasn't over.
So many teams had passed the second exam that an extra elimination round was added to weed out the weaker genin before the third and final stage. The organizers decided to give everyone a short break after the eliminations, letting them rest and recover before the grueling third exam.
They called it the third exam, but really, it was just for show.
Even after Jiraiya and Kakashi reported Orochimaru and Obito's movements to the Third Hokage, Hiruzen wouldn't budge. The exams had to continue.
"This event is being co-hosted with the Sand Village," Hiruzen stated firmly, his pipe clenched between his teeth.
He watched the genin sparring in the elimination round below. "Daimyos and nobles from every nation are coming to Konoha. Canceling the exam is not an option, no matter what."
"Orochimaru is a serious threat right now!" Jiraiya's voice was grave.
He'd failed to catch his old teammate, finding only a badly injured Anko Mitarashi in his wake. "I'm not confident I can find and stop him before the third stage begins."
"And on top of that," Jiraiya's expression grew even more serious, "Obito Uchiha is here, too. If they use Naruto to unleash the Nine-Tails again during the third exam..."
That was the real nightmare scenario.
If Konoha suffered a third Nine-Tails disaster—this time with foreign dignitaries caught in the crossfire—the village could kiss any future S-rank missions goodbye. If things went south, Konoha's reputation would be shattered.
The fallout would be worse than another Great Ninja War.
No matter what, Jiraiya was a Konoha ninja. He couldn't just stand by while his home was in danger.
"Jiraiya," Hiruzen said, blowing a smoke ring, completely ignoring his student's concerns. "You have your orders. Your job right now is to protect the village."
The words sounded harsh, dismissing his warning entirely. But Jiraiya knew his old teacher. He hadn't known the man his whole life just to be fooled now.
The old bastard wasn't the type to be this reckless.
"Cut the crap. What's the real plan?" Jiraiya demanded, his gaze fixed on Hiruzen. "Putting everyone in this much danger… that's not like you at all."
But the old man didn't answer. He just stared quietly at the genin, calmly blowing smoke rings as if he didn't have a care in the world.
"Fine," Jiraiya grumbled, giving up. He turned his attention back to the ring below, focusing on two genin—especially one named "Pain."
"Hm?" Jiraiya's curiosity was piqued. "Looks like Orochimaru isn't the only one with shady intentions. That ninja down there, Pain, is clearly no ordinary genin."
His eyes scanned the crowd. "And his teammates..."
He spotted Zero and White Tiger, two Rain ninja in gas masks, and his frown deepened. "Did those two drop out of the eliminations?"
They had. Nagato and Konan had chosen to withdraw. Maybe they wanted to keep a low profile, letting Pain be the only one to compete while they faded into the background.
It was allowed, since the elimination round and the third exam were individual matches. Any ninja who lacked confidence could forfeit.
But it was strange for ninja as overwhelmingly strong as Nagato and Konan to back out. This exam was a showcase for the villages. Ninja were supposed to fight their asses off, put on a good show, and attract clients for future missions.
Dropping out meant only one thing.
Their goal wasn't to pass the exam.
These Rain genin... they need to be watched, Jiraiya thought.
If they weren't here for the competition, they must be using the exams as cover to infiltrate Konoha for something else.
Rain ninja were untrustworthy. And the Sand ninja were just as suspicious.
-----
From his vantage point, Jiraiya watched as the Fourth Kazekage's daughter, Temari, brutally injured Tenten from Konoha's Team 3. A moment later, the Kazekage's son, Gaara, went berserk, nearly killing Rock Lee and crushing his leg with sand before Might Guy could intervene.
"That kid..." Jiraiya scowled as Guy rushed in to stop Gaara's rampage. "He's even more bloodthirsty than his sister."
Even though Guy stopped him, the damage was done. Rock Lee's leg was mangled. Luckily, Tsunade, Konoha's best medical ninja, was in the village. At least the kid wouldn't lose his career over the injury.
At Konoha Hospital, Rock Lee was rushed into emergency surgery. His teacher, Might Guy, had to stay behind to watch Neji Hyuga's match, leaving Tenten to wait anxiously outside the operating room.
"It'll be okay... it'll be okay..." Tenten muttered, hugging her arms and nervously tapping her leg. She ignored her own injuries, her thoughts focused entirely on her teammate.
Tsunade was a hero to all the girls in the village.
The truth was, Tenten had always wanted to be a medical ninja just like her, but she simply didn't have the aptitude for it. Her chakra control was too clumsy.
Now, all Tenten could do was wait, pacing back and forth.
She wasn't entirely alone. A man in a Konoha doctor's coat was sitting quietly on a bench nearby.
She vaguely remembered him helping the nurses wheel Lee into surgery, so she figured he was just hospital staff.
The surgery dragged on. Tenten grew more anxious by the minute. Lee was her teammate, a friend she trusted with her life, the one who would always jump in to protect her. If he was crippled and could never be a ninja again... she couldn't bear the thought of losing him.
"Lee... hang in there..." she whispered, her face etched with worry.
Mentally exhausted, she finally pulled a sealing scroll from her pouch. With a puff of smoke, two cups of water appeared. She placed one on the bench next to the man.
He didn't seem to notice. He was focused on writing on a scroll, completely absorbed. Only when he finished did he look up and seem to realize she was there.
"You're injured," the man said, his eyes landing on the bloody bandages on her forehead and leg. His brow furrowed slightly. "Do you need some help? I'm a medical ninja."
"Huh?" Tenten touched her head.
It wasn't bleeding anymore. "Oh, it's fine, it's fine..."
Minor wounds like these were normal for Team 3. Their sensei might protect them from real danger, but he was a magnet for trouble during training.
"Thanks..." Having someone to talk to eased her anxiety, even just a little.
The girl with the twin buns noticed the scroll the man had just finished had the words "to be continued" at the end.
Without thinking, she pulled a blank scroll from her ninja pouch and offered it to him. She always had spares. A girl's ninja kit was packed with stuff; blank scrolls were essential for storage.
The man quietly accepted it.
Then, he spoke again. "That kid in the green jumpsuit... he's lucky. Tsunade's medical skills are on another level these days."