As a result, under the expectant gaze of Sasuke and Sakura, Naruto suddenly stopped and hesitated.
"Uhhh…"
"Which scroll should I open first?"
Boom!
Sakura slammed her fist into Naruto's head.
A fist-sized bump immediately bulged from Naruto's skull.
"Idiot! Don't kill the suspense like that!"
"Hurry up and open it!"
Naruto hugged his head and whimpered o(╥﹏╥)o
"Why do you two always hit me~?"
Grumbling, he finally opened the Scroll of Man first. A two-finger-long glass test tube lay silently in the middle of the scroll, filled with a light green transparent liquid.
The moment it appeared, it drew the attention of everyone around. Without hesitation, Naruto uncorked the test tube and downed the contents in one gulp.
The bump on his head visibly shrank. He could feel chakra surging through his body again, and even the damage left behind from forcibly invoking the tailed beast transformation had significantly lessened.
"My chakra's already recovered this much?!"
Naruto did a quick internal check—he had already regained at least half of his chakra reserves, and even the scars littering his body had vanished.
Even Killer Bee, who was usually all smiles and carefree raps, couldn't hide his astonishment after seeing the potion's effect.
He knew better than anyone what it meant. Before becoming a perfect Jinchūriki, every time one invoked the tailed beast's power, they paid the price in blood and agony. Just moments ago, he had sensed that Naruto's body still carried residue from the Nine-Tails' chakra—a clear sign of severe damage. Most likely, the skin under Naruto's clothes had been burned raw. But the kid had endured it in silence, unwilling to show weakness in front of his comrades.
But now? That remaining chakra aura was completely gone. His skin had already regenerated, flawlessly healed.
This kind of medicine… In war, it's like carrying a full-fledged medical-nin on your back.
Truly terrifying.
Meanwhile, Sasuke and Sakura opened their scrolls—Sasuke took the Heaven Scroll, Sakura the Earth Scroll.
Two puffs of white smoke burst out as the contents appeared. The expressions on both of their faces instantly brightened.
"This is… a set of Uchiha clan ninja tools!"
"I got a B-rank jutsu—Water Style: Water Wall!"
Seeing the rewards Naruto's team had received, the nearby Genin couldn't hold back their excitement any longer and hurried to open their own scrolls.
Those who were injured quickly drank the healing potion, while those unharmed tucked the Scroll of Man away in their ninja tool pouches—planning to hand it in to their respective villages later—before simultaneously opening the Heaven and Earth Scrolls.
"Haha! I got Wind Style: Sky-Splitting Palm! That's perfect, I'm a Wind user!"
"Damn it, why did I get Earth Style: Mudslide? I'm a Fire Style user!"
"Hey, you over there! I've got Fire Style: Great Flame Bullet, and I'm an Earth Style user! Wanna trade?"
"Deal!"
Uchiha Hikaru stood on the platform above, watching the buzz of excitement below, and allowed himself a small smile.
He raised his voice to address them all.
"All of the techniques you've received are B-rank. Even once you become Jonin in the future, these can serve as your standard combat jutsu."
"But they consume far more chakra than your typical C- or D-rank techniques. If you aren't careful, you'll burn through your reserves after just two uses. Keep that in mind."
From the side, Shikaku Nara instantly grasped Uchiha Hikaru's intentions after hearing the enthusiastic chatter of the Genin below.
Ah, so that's the strategy.
Using these B-rank techniques to earn the gratitude and loyalty of these soon-to-be Chunin—the next generation of elite ninja.
Sky-Splitting Palm, Water Dragon Bullet, Mudslide, Great Flame Bullet… Sure, they're all B-rank, but in truth, their actual power is mid-tier at best.
They're common jutsu among civilian shinobi. Most veteran Jonin wouldn't even bother learning them. These techniques had long been circulating on the black market, or could be purchased directly from the villages if one was willing to grind missions for a few months.
To Konoha, these scrolls were nothing. Their material value didn't even compare to a single set of Uchiha clan ninja tools.
And the facts bore this out.
When Suigetsu opened his scroll and saw Water Style: Water Wall inside, he didn't even blink. He already knew the technique and stuffed the scroll away without a second glance.
While the Genin were still celebrating their prizes, a sudden explosion echoed in the distance.
The entire hall jolted. All heads turned toward the south.
What the hell was that?
Uchiha Hikaru immediately expanded his chakra perception to maximum range. What he sensed made his eyes narrow.
That chakra signature… it was Obito.
And he wasn't alone.
A swarm of White Zetsu and reanimated ninja using Impure World Reincarnation were with him.
What great timing.
In the original timeline, Orochimaru tried to destroy Konoha during the Chunin Exams.
Now, with Orochimaru reformed, Obito was here to carry on the tradition?
Uchiha Hikaru's expression darkened as he addressed the Genin below.
"The one-on-one matches are canceled. Everyone—prepare for battle!"
"Every White Zetsu you kill earns you one point. The top 26 in kill count will automatically qualify for the next stage."
"And this counts as a B-rank mission. A bounty will be issued for every confirmed kill!"
As he spoke, he and Tsunade launched off toward the south gate at top speed.
Of the other Kage—Ōnoki, Rasa, A, and Mei Terumi—only Mei followed closely behind Hikaru.
The others moved, but with no urgency. Even A, the Raikage, who usually got along well with Hikaru, held back.
That's how the five great nations were—rivals in everything.
This was an opportunity to gauge Konoha's military strength under pressure.
Village interests always came first.
…
Meanwhile, at Konoha's south gate, hundreds of ANBU and Root ninjas had assembled, moving with perfect coordination.
At their head stood a man with long black hair in a white lab coat—Orochimaru, Dean of the Konoha Scientific Ninja Research Institute.
And next to him, wearing a raccoon mask, was the current head of Root—Kabuto Yakushi.
"Root units, engage!"
There were no grand speeches or words of inspiration. Kabuto simply activated his chakra scalpel jutsu, his hands glowing bright blue like twin blades, and rushed headfirst into the advancing White Zetsu horde.
The Root ninja followed without hesitation, each deploying their own techniques to cut down the tide of pale creatures surging toward Konoha's gates. Among them were also grotesque gray-skinned zombies—soulless, cracked, and reeking of decay.
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed the moment he saw them.
Reanimation Jutsu… Impure World Reincarnation?
Could Hiruko have joined the Akatsuki?
That technique wasn't something any regular shinobi could pull off. It required profound knowledge of forbidden ninjutsu and chakra science.
So far, only the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, and Orochimaru himself had fully mastered it.
If there was now a third, it could only be Obito… or the man standing right beside him—Kabuto Yakushi.
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Bonus Chapter at 150 Power Stone
Second Bonus Chapter - 300 Power Stones
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