From Naruto onwards, I've become a dreamer.

Chapter 436: Restore the glory of Uchiha, starting with Sasuke!
The Death Forest, the central tower.

With the help of Erii Uesugi, Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura successfully reached the tower and completed the mission before the deadline, advancing to the third stage.

In the Forest of Death, they suddenly encountered a powerful ninja who appeared to be posing as a genin and had infiltrated Konoha. They reported this to Mitarashi Anko, the chief examiner in charge of the exam.

After a moment of stunned silence, Mitarashi Anko left with a grave expression, saying, "No one is allowed to reveal this."

"Honestly, Kakashi-sensei didn't even come to check on us at such an important time."

Sakura looked at the spectator stands, where the figure was still nowhere to be seen, and couldn't help but complain, "Everyone else's instructors have come, but why is it that our instructor is still using that old, worn-out excuse? He has no sense of responsibility at all!"

Sasuke sighed softly beside her. It was no wonder Sakura's words were full of complaints; this 'mentor' was just too irresponsible.

Aside from necessary squad missions, they are basically nowhere to be seen on weekdays, and their excuses are always the same: they've gotten lost on the road of life.

No one would believe such a lousy excuse!
They're clearly just slacking off, too lazy to guide their training. I really don't understand why the Hokage would choose to appoint someone like this as the Jonin instructor for their team!

However, complaining is one thing, but it's best to keep it to yourself. If you actually say it out loud, wouldn't that be slapping the Hokage in the face?
While pondering, Sasuke turned to look at Naruto, only to find the latter seemingly lost in thought. He frowned and asked, "Naruto, are you alright?"

"what?"

Naruto suddenly snapped out of his daze, only to bump right into Sasuke, whose eyes were filled with concern and worry.

"So, Sasuke is this handsome." A strange thought popped into his mind, and he suddenly panicked. He subconsciously turned his head to the other side to avoid the other's gaze and coughed twice: "No, it's nothing. I'm fine, Sasuke, don't worry."

Sasuke was still a little worried, a hint of concern in his eyes. He said softly, "Don't forget, we're teammates. If you have anything on your mind, you can talk about it. We'll share it with you. Don't keep it all bottled up inside, okay, Naruto?"

"Yes, I know."

Naruto forced a smile: "Sorry, I'm a little tired. I'm going to rest for a bit."

Then, as if fleeing, she left them with a thin and lonely silhouette and headed straight for the lounge.

"Naruto."

Sasuke watched Naruto's departing figure, opened his mouth as if to speak, but ultimately hesitated and stopped himself from saying anything.

She didn't know what had happened to Naruto, nor did she know what had happened between Naruto and that human after she lost her senses.

But a woman's sixth sense, her intuition, told her that something terrible must have happened.

In the past, Naruto was always noisy and carefree, but since waking up from his coma, he seems to have become a different person.

Often lost in solitude, Sasuke once stumbled upon him and saw a deep, unyielding sadness in the eyes of the seemingly always optimistic boy.

"Naruto, what's wrong?"

Sakura belatedly realized what was happening and asked Sasuke for the reason.

"I think it must be related to that guy."

Sasuke's face was as cold as ice. He turned to look at the three members of the Sound Village group on the second-floor platform opposite him. His cold eyes contained a hint of killing intent: "Sound Village, you... just wait!"

The Sound Ninja team on the opposite platform sensed the hostile gazes and, upon recognizing Uchiha Sasuke, all revealed cold smiles.

Hmph, who will settle accounts with whom is still uncertain!

You can't beat that monster girl, but you can't beat me?
Perfect timing! By taking advantage of the third exam, we can eliminate Sasuke and Naruto and complete that person's mission.

While the genin were resting, Mitarashi Anko arrived at the Hokage's office as quickly as possible.

Without waiting for the ANBU to report, he barged in: "Lord Hokage, there's an emergency!"

The Third Hokage tapped his pipe, smiling kindly like a gentle old grandfather: "It's Anko. What happened? Why are you in such a hurry?"

"Just now, Kakashi's team encountered a ninja in the Forest of Death, who is suspected to be..."

At this point, Mitarashi Anko paused, a hint of hatred flashing in her eyes, and gritted her teeth, saying, "Suspected to be an S-rank rogue ninja, Orochimaru!"

"Oh? Are you sure?"

Upon hearing this, the Third Hokage's expression turned serious.

Mitarashi Anko paused for half a second, wondering if it was just her imagination, but she seemed to see a hint of tyrannical ferocity in the Hokage's eyes.

"What's wrong, Little Red Bean?"

The Third Hokage's gentle tone carried a hint of concern: "I know about your relationship with Orochimaru. If you're too tired, go and rest."

"You must have seen it wrong," Mitarashi Anko shook her head, shaking off the strange feeling in her heart. "No, Hokage-sama, I'm fine. Please don't say that. According to Naruto and Sasuke's information, the other party used Hidden Shadow Snake Hands and the Ten Thousand Snake Formation. His identity is confirmed to be Orochimaru, the S-rank rogue ninja!"

Da da da.
The Third Hokage remained silent, tapping his pipe rhythmically on the table.

After a moment, the old man's expression changed from silent and calm to sorrowful: "It's all my fault. If I hadn't been so lenient back then, Orochimaru wouldn't have been let go."

"Lord Hokage, please don't blame yourself. That was not your fault."

Looking at the dignified old man before her, Mitarashi Anko said with some heartache, "Orochimaru's sudden appearance this time must be part of some ulterior motive. I suggest we immediately send the Anbu to patrol and find his whereabouts. This time, we absolutely cannot let him escape again!"

"Thank you for your hard work, Red Bean."

The Third Hokage forced a smile and nodded: "Let's do it your way, but we need to be careful. This Chunin Exam is related to the alliance of various countries, so we can't make too much of a show of it in public."

"Yes, Hokage-sama!"

Mitarashi Anko said seriously, "I will immediately relay your orders to the Anbu."

"Okay, go ahead, thank you for your hard work."

The Third Hokage smiled kindly as he watched Mitarashi Anko leave.

Then his expression suddenly became ferocious and terrifying, his pupils filled with a chillingly violent and savage aura, and he seemed to have changed completely. He chuckled hoarsely, "Finally, you couldn't hold back anymore? The Twilight Hermits' Gathering, hehehe, too bad, no matter how hard you try, you will only become my stepping stones!"

After saying that, the Third Hokage raised his hand and tore off his face, revealing a pale, lifeless face.

If Black Zetsu were here, he would recognize it at a glance as the tool 'White Zetsu' that it created from the God Tree using Madara Uchiha.

However, this 'White Zetsu' is not the same as that White Zetsu.

Bai Jue sneered, glancing at the shadows beside him: "How's the situation with Uesugi Yue? Have you found any evidence?"

A figure resembling a viscous shadow emerged from the corner, wearing a mask from the Dark faction, and said in a low voice, "Everything is normal, there's nothing suspicious."

"Everything is normal."

A hint of doubt appeared in Bai Jue's eyes as he muttered to himself, "Could it be that I'm overthinking things?"

No, that's not right!

There must be something it overlooked!
Bai Jue knew very well that the audience's intuition was extremely high, and they would never issue a warning without reason.

“Continue to monitor. If necessary, I may allow you to hypnotize him.” It sneered, a cruel smile curving its lips: “Yugakure, Uesugi Tsuki, is it likely a test by 'Adam,' or a 'backup plan'? It doesn’t matter, I will soon possess the same power as 'Adam'!”

Yes, very soon! Under the spotlight, it will be promoted to Sequence Four!
"Go tell that 'madman'."

Bai Jue let out a sinister laugh and looked out the window: "Wasn't he always looking for the Twilight Hermit Society? Now I've lured them all out."

"Yes."

The masked members of the secret service quietly disappeared from the office.

Looking down at the discarded face, White Zetsu snorted coldly: "It's alright, you won't have to wear this disgusting face for long. Just bear with it a little longer. Hmm, Hatake Kakashi, humph, an interesting fellow. Have you realized I'm an imposter?"

Kakashi Hatake, the White Zetsu, had to admit that this guy had an amazing sense of smell.

Ever since suspecting that the 'Third Hokage' was being impersonated, he has been keeping his distance from him under various pretexts, even going so far as to leave the village.

But in the end, it's just a minor issue; it's just Kakashi. Once he advances, there's no need to worry about it at all.

Unfortunately, there's one thing White Zetsu doesn't understand.

Battles between extraordinary ability users who rely on potions are often fraught with uncertainty.

However, this does not include the 'spectator' route, especially when the routes are the same, the battle between the superior and the inferior is almost a complete crushing defeat.

While both can delve into the ocean of the subconscious and peer into the islands of the mind, for Uchiha Muneki, whose rank is already that of an 'angel,' the White Zetsu's so-called conspiracies, schemes, and plans are no different from children's tricks in front of Him.

Even Bai Jue was unaware that the Anbu members it had 'hypnotized' had silently transformed into someone else's shape. The third test in the Death Forest was conducted through a lottery system, with each participant facing off in a one-on-one duel.

The winner will advance to the final round, where the Chunin Exams will be officially held in half a month, witnessed by Kage-level figures and nobles from various countries!

As for the loser, they'll have to come back next year.

Soon, the names on the electronic screen began to scroll, eventually stopping at Dosu and Uchiha Sasuke.

"Sound Village, Dosu, versus Konoha Village, Uchiha Sasuke."

The seemingly frail and sickly Moonlight Gale, acting as the referee for this exam, called out the names of the two opponents.

"Sasuke is from the Sound Village!"

Sakura's eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at Sasuke with a hint of worry.

"Don't worry, leave it to me."

Sasuke hugged the uneasy Sakura, then looked inexplicably toward the rest room.

Naruto seems to still be inside.

"Both duelists, please enter the arena immediately."

Moonlight Gale urged again.

"I'm going."

Sasuke withdrew his gaze and smiled slightly: "Watch how I beat that bastard who bullied you!"

"Be very careful, they are very strong."

Sakura, still worried, gave another word of advice.

Swish!
In a flash, Sasuke suddenly appeared on the arena below.

"What a beautiful teleportation technique!"

Kurenai Yuhi, standing in the stands, had a glint in her ruby-like eyes as she exclaimed in admiration, "To be able to use the Body Flicker Technique so skillfully at such a young age, even many Jonin are probably not as good as this child. Perhaps she will inherit the title of 'Body Flicker Technique' in the future."

"That's right, all that's left is experience and age."

As a loyal follower of Kurenai Yuhi, Sarutobi Asuma nodded in agreement: "As expected of a child who inherited the 'Uchiha' bloodline, her talent is truly astonishing."

On the stage, the discussion among the Jonin naturally didn't extend to the arena.

Moonlight Gale gazed at both sides, then raised his hand: "Duel. Begin!"

Covered in bandages like a mummy, Tos stared menacingly at Sasuke: "Last time, it was that monster girl who protected you, but this time no one will save you."

"If it's the same, I'll give it back to you."

Sasuke's eyes were cold and sharp. He stood with his legs apart, one hand in front of him, and hooked his index finger: "Last time, you took advantage of me and Naruto being unconscious and made our teammate Sakura suffer a lot. I will make you pay for it with interest."

"If you can do it, then give it a try!"

With a low shout, Tos unleashed the chakra gathered in the soles of his feet.

boom!
The neat stone bricks were shattered into pieces, and the other person moved extremely fast, rushing straight to them.

Soon, at least in the eyes of the genin, Tosu's speed was definitely not slow, but when he punched Sasuke and felt no contact at all, as if he had hit air and the punch passed right through him, Sasuke's pupils shrank and he suddenly showed a look of horror.

Sasuke's figure vanished like a bubble, and at that moment, the crowd in the stands gasped in surprise.

"It's... just an afterimage?!"

This cry was also what Tos wanted to shout out in his heart.

"Your movements are too slow."

A light, airy voice quietly sounded behind Tos.

Is it in the back?!
Tos suddenly turned around, his arm lashing out like a whip.

Crack!

The air exploded with a loud bang.

Anyone could see that Toss's strength was definitely not small.

The arm that was thrown out was easily blocked by Sasuke's raised hand. The two forces collided, and the resulting shockwaves exploded nearby, causing the ground to crack inch by inch.

"You are very weak."

Sasuke's eyes were calm, as if blocking the opponent's attack was nothing more than a warm-up for her.

"Konoha ninjas, don't be so arrogant!"

Tos squinted, a smug smirk on his face, and rolled up his sleeves: "My attacks aren't so easy to catch!"

He was wearing a piece of armor covered in holes on his arm, which was clearly a ninja tool.

"You've lost, Uchiha Sasuke!"

Tos pressed his hand against his armor and snarled, "Blame yourself for being so careless! You approached me without any prior knowledge!"

"Oh?"

Sasuke tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing: "It seems I didn't explain myself clearly enough."

"Take this, Hibiki!"

Just as Tosu was about to inject chakra into the perforated armor on his arm to create a piercing sonic wave that would tear Sasuke's body apart,...

Sasuke gave a cold laugh, his five fingers suddenly clenching.

Click!

The perforated armor, made of fine steel and specifically designed for ninjutsu, was crushed to pieces.

His slender fingers easily crushed the protective armor, then grabbed his arm directly.

In an instant, Tos felt as if the bones in his arm were shattered, as if he had been crushed by a millstone. The excruciating pain caused him to let out a shrill scream.

"what--!!!"

Sasuke looked down at the struggling Dos, and said calmly, "You are too weak."

"Sasuke, let him go!"

Upon seeing this, Moonlight Gale's expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly stepped forward to separate the two.

Given the current situation, Tos has clearly and completely lost his fighting ability and should be judged to have lost.

However, just as Hayate Moonlight rushed forward to forcibly pull Sasuke away, the latter murmured softly, "Lightning Release: Chidori Stream!"

scoff!scoff!
In an instant, dazzling lightning, like armor, covered the girl's entire body.

The explosive lightning tore apart the surrounding ground, and even Moonlight Gale, which had gone up to stop it, had to stop and dare not touch the exploding lightning.

"Ahhh"

Tos's screams gradually faded away.

When the lightning disappeared and everyone looked back at the arena, Tos was charred black all over, emitting a smell like roasted meat.

Uchiha Sasuke remained calm throughout, his clothes not even getting dusty, his ponytail fluttering in the wind. He turned to the remaining Sound Ninja and said coldly, "This is just a lesson. I hope you can pass the test. If you're not satisfied, I'll be waiting for your revenge."

This is the pride of the Uchiha clan, the last of their bloodlines!

She, Sasuke, fears no challenge!
Hayate Gekko stared at the heavily injured Tosu, then looked at Sasuke Uchiha in horror.

That ninjutsu just now... if he wasn't mistaken, it should be S-rank. To be able to create his own ninjutsu at such a young age, he truly deserves to be called a genius of the Uchiha clan!
"Konoha, Uchiha Sasuke wins!"

(End of this chapter)