"Is this Sunagakure?"
Moonlight Kasa asked softly.
Souma was about to answer when another voice cut in.
"Of course not."
Tenten turned her head—it was Yakushi Kabuto, the same genin they'd exchanged greetings with earlier.
They quickly bowed.
"Kabuto-senpai, you know this place?"
"Ah—just call me Kabuto," he said with a modest smile. "I'm a genin just like you. In fact, with talents like yours, I wouldn't be surprised if you become chūnin after this exam."
He chuckled self-deprecatingly, then gathered himself and explained,
"This area is a frontline town for Sunagakure, but in truth, nearly all the residents are shinobi."
"A long-term military encampment?"
Tenten murmured.
This didn't look like a town—
It was clearly a military outpost that had grown into a settlement.
Souma simply smiled without commenting.
Kabuto nodded pleasantly.
"Kabuto-senpai, you know so much."
Tenten looked at him enviously.
She wanted to be well-read too, but aside from weapon forging, space-time theory, and sealing techniques, she struggled with most subjects—
Especially reading.
Kabuto laughed.
"Well, I've been a genin for a long time. You naturally pick up more information. And Yagyu Souma-kun probably knows all this too, right?"
"Read it in a book," Souma replied casually.
"That's the point—knowledge."
Kabuto pushed up his glasses.
"For someone like me—an ordinary person who can't learn many jutsu—I have no choice but to work hard in this area."
"No, being able to read through difficult books is a talent too. I get a headache the moment I look at anything I'm not interested in."
Tenten said this half in comfort, half in genuine admiration.
Kasa, meanwhile, simply observed in silence.
Kabuto had tried speaking to her several times, but her curt, two-word replies left every conversation dead on arrival.
Eventually he gave up.
Souma had to fight with a smile.
That night, Souma, Tenten, and Kasa were assigned neighboring rooms.
Souma stayed with Lee and Neji, while Tenten and Kasa shared with Mami.
Before long, everyone was slipping in and out of rooms, squads mixing freely.
"Kasa, you were kind of cold to Kabuto earlier."
Tenten commented while tidying her gear.
"Because he's strange."
"Strange?"
"The way he and his teammates look at Souma… it feels off."
She spoke in a low voice, eyes narrowing toward Souma.
Souma blinked, surprised—then understood.
Kabuto's acting was flawless.
But Akiton Ton and Kenmi Mei were not actors.
Their expressions must have leaked something.
And Kasa had been rigorously training her observational skills—
Plus, she had a natural talent for noticing anomalies.
"Probably admiration," Tenten said.
"Most genin barely earn anything. Souma improving the Soldier Pills saves them a ton of money."
Souma nodded.
"Yes. That's something I've always wanted—to help ordinary people."
Elsewhere—
"Helping ordinary people?
Heh… what a pure little idealist."
Kabuto's respectful voice carried a faint sting of mockery.
Standing before him was a seemingly ordinary chūnin from the reception team—
But Kabuto bowed to him with genuine deference.
The man licked his lips, voice rough.
"Pure ideals can also be interpreted as naïveté. He knows nothing of Konoha's darkness—of course he can stay pure."
"Yes," Kabuto murmured respectfully.
"But I'll admit… that boy is becoming more and more interesting."
"Do you intend to alter the plan?"
"Of course not. If he can't handle a minor inconvenience, then his potential amounts to nothing."
The chūnin's eyes gleamed with excitement.
Kabuto nodded.
He understood perfectly.
"With Kakashi leading them, and that child's troublesome techniques, if we stay too long we'll eventually be exposed."
"Correct. I'll leave this part to you."
The "ordinary" chūnin left.
Down the hall, Akiton Ton and Kenmi Mei passed carrying supplies.
Not far away, Kakashi emerged from another room.
The chūnin even waved to him.
"Kakashi-san, you'll rest here tonight. Tomorrow I'll take your group to Sunagakure."
"Thank you," Kakashi replied politely.
Orochimaru dipped his head and walked on, entering his guest quarters.
He pulled the curtain aside, watching Kakashi's silhouette disappear.
Such a careful escort.
Kakashi in front, Might Guy behind—
Suna would never get a chance to ambush.
Not that Rasa would dare.
If the Fourth Kazekage truly had that kind of nerve, he wouldn't be wandering the desert panning for gold.
With all the ways to make money in this world, digging gold was the weakest.
Orochimaru smirked.
Rasa wasn't a fool—
But compared to Yagyu Souma?
The gap was pitiful.
In fact, Orochimaru sincerely believed—
If Souma were Kazekage, Sunagakure would be far stronger.
A real genius.
"Hehehe…"
The Next Day
Led by a Suna chūnin, Konoha's ten-plus shinobi set out toward the exam location.
Kakashi did not walk ahead—
Instead, he stayed with Souma's squad.
Which gave Souma a perfect chance.
"Sensei, do you have any guesses about where the first exam will be held?"
"Only the Sand can know that. But if they choose the Demon Desert…"
Kakashi's tone sharpened.
"Then you must be careful."
"Because of the ruins?" Souma asked.
"Yes."
The Demon Desert was once a thriving city.
Now, beneath the dunes lay countless buried structures, traps, and unknown creatures—
Its danger was on par with the Forest of Death.
Souma nodded thoughtfully.
Kakashi's meaning was clear:
If Rasa selected the Demon Desert, it would give Sunagakure a wide-open field for manipulation.
Their danger would multiply.
But if that were the case…
Last night's new enhancement might actually help.
Indeed—
After Souma parted ways with Tenten and Kasa, his Bodhi Seed produced another glowing mark.
This one came from the Kikaichū derivative technique.
After a bit of testing, Souma identified its theme—
Communication.
Specifically:
Communication between spiritual force and natural energy.
For now, he could only communicate with insects and small animals—
But as he decoded more of the Aburame clan's parasite techniques, that ability would surely strengthen.
For the moment—
The Demon Desert might actually become his advantage.
A wasteland still had insects.
Combined with his sensory skills, he could potentially map threats or locate ambushes with ease.
Thinking this through, Souma leaned closer to Kakashi and whispered:
"Sensei… recently I worked with the Aburame clan and discovered a spiritual-energy technique that lets me communicate with insects."
"!!!"
Kakashi's single visible eye widened.
Another discovery?
Seriously?
He opened his mouth—
Then closed it again.
Behind the mask, Kakashi's face contorted with disbelief, frustration, admiration, and existential exhaustion.
Thank goodness for the mask.
It preserved the last shred of dignity he had left.
After a long, long two seconds, Kakashi finally managed:
"This ability… is extremely valuable. Keep it secret. We'll discuss it later."
"Yes, sir!"
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