Kai chuckled softly as he looked at the visibly anxious Anko, saying casually, "Don't worry about it. It's just Orochimaru. If he dares to cause trouble, we'll simply kill him."
With Kai's current power level, unless Orochimaru could somehow resurrect Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, no other method in his arsenal could pose a real threat to Kai.
"Right." Anko nodded, the panic in her eyes gradually fading. She had complete faith in Kai.
Deep within the Forest of Death.
A pale-faced young ninja, his eyes filled with malice and his expression twisted with frustration, muttered to himself: "Kai Mitarashi has been silent all this time, yet he returns at the most critical moment of my plan. Damn it! No matter what, I must obtain the Sharingan! And then... I'll kill the Third Hokage!"
This young ninja was clearly Orochimaru, disguised using his Face-Copying Technique.
Despite harboring deep wariness toward Kai, Orochimaru's obsession with the Sharingan had grown beyond all reason—reaching an almost pathological level ever since Itachi had defeated him with a single genjutsu.
In another corner of the Forest of Death.
Naruto walked at the front of his team with his hands clasped behind his head, his usual carefree swagger on full display. Suddenly, he turned to Sakura and asked, "Hey, Sakura, is that Kai guy really as strong as everyone says? He didn't look like much to me."
"Idiot!" Sakura snapped at Naruto before continuing, "Didn't you pay any attention during ninja history class? Haven't you ever heard of Kai Mitarashi's name?"
Naruto scratched his head sheepishly. "Uh... I kinda fell asleep during class."
Sakura glared at him in exasperation. She hadn't planned to explain, but seeing Sasuke's curious expression, she decided to elaborate: "Kai Mitarashi isn't just one of Konoha's greatest ninja—he's the most legendary figure in the entire ninja world! He graduated from the Academy at five, became a jōnin at seven, and reportedly reached Kage-level strength by eleven. During the Third Great Ninja War, he killed the Third Raikage and single-handedly defeated over twenty thousand enemy ninja. He's known throughout the ninja world as the 'God of Slaughter'!"
Both Naruto and Sasuke stood frozen in shock. Swallowing hard, Naruto stammered, "T-Twenty... twenty thousand ninja?! That old guy is really that incredible?"
"Damn it... if I had that kind of power, I could definitely kill that man," Sasuke thought, clenching his fists tightly.
"Kehehehe... Little Konoha brats, are we?"
A sinister voice suddenly echoed through the forest. The three genin immediately tensed, drawing their kunai defensively.
But Orochimaru had no time to waste on prolonged battles—not when Kai could appear at any moment. He swiftly kicked Naruto aside and knocked Sakura unconscious with a precise chop to her neck.
Then, his greedy gaze fixed on Sasuke, whose Two-Tomoe Sharingan was already spinning in alert readiness. "What beautiful eyes... I can see the hunger for power burning within them. Very well—I shall grant you power."
The moment he finished speaking, Orochimaru's neck stretched grotesquely as he lunged forward to bite Sasuke's left shoulder.
"Feel the power I've bestowed upon you... adapt to it... accept it... You'll come seeking me again. Kehehehe..." With that, Orochimaru melted into the earth and vanished.
Just as in the original timeline, Naruto's team managed to reach the central tower safely, successfully completing the second stage of the Chūnin Exams.
Kai sat stationed within the central tower, observing Sasuke's neck with keen interest. "So he's been marked with the Cursed Seal of Heaven after all. Now this is getting interesting."
The peaceful days had left Kai feeling rather bored—he genuinely hoped Orochimaru would provide him with some entertainment.
Scanning the group of genin before him, Kai detected no trace of Orochimaru's chakra signature. It seemed the snake had already departed. "Congratulations on passing the second stage," Kai announced. "You'll have one day to rest before the third stage begins."
Without lingering, Kai disappeared using Divine Descent.
At Konoha Village's indoor battle arena...
Kai watched Hinata facing off against Neji Hyūga below, feeling no particular concern for her safety.
To ensure Hinata's protection, the Tenseigan power Kai had embedded in her Byakugan could automatically release repulsive force strong enough to repel even Kage-level opponents if she sustained serious injury. Neji, being merely a genin with at most chūnin-level abilities, posed no real threat.
However, in her current state, Hinata was clearly no match for Neji. After exchanging dozens of strikes, she was completely on the defensive.
When Neji's next palm strike was about to connect with Hinata's chest, Kai frowned with displeasure. In the next instant, he materialized on the battle stage, catching Neji's wrist with one hand. "Enough. This match is over. Neji Hyūga wins."
"What?! I haven't won yet! What gives you the right to declare it over?!" Neji snarled through gritted teeth, attempting to struggle. His resentment toward the Hyūga main family burned fierce and deep.
"I say it's over... because I said so. There is no 'why'—only because it was I who spoke," Kai replied coldly.
With that, Kai applied slight pressure, sending Neji flying through the air. Fortunately, Might Guy, being a taijutsu specialist whose speed rivaled that of Kage-level ninja, managed to catch Neji just in time.
"Does anyone have objections to my words?"
Kai's icy gaze swept across the arena, his aura leaking just a fraction of its true intensity. Even elite jōnin like Kakashi and Guy felt their blood run cold at that mere taste of his presence.
"Good. Let the matches continue," Kai said indifferently, helping Hinata to her feet before vanishing from the stage and reappearing in the spectator stands.
Standing beside Kurenai while holding the bashfully blushing Hinata's hand, Kai watched as the battles continued below.
At that moment, Kakashi hurried over with a grave expression. "Kai, I need your help with something."
"What is it?" Kai asked.
Kakashi's face darkened as he explained, "It's about Sasuke. Orochimaru has marked him with some kind of cursed seal. I was hoping you could help remove it."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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