Konoha: I have a clone in One Piece.

Chapter 233 Danzo Meets a Soulmate and the Second Exam

Not long after.

After all the candidates have finished writing.

The examiners collected all the exam papers and brought them to the podium.

Looking at the stack of exam papers piled high on the podium in front of him, Yamanaka Inoichi turned his head to look at one of the examiners and gestured for him to take the papers to the Hokage Building.

After a while.

The grove of trees in the Death Forest.

The examiner handed the exam paper to Shimura Danzo's capable assistant and Root member, Yamanaka Fu!

"There are so many ninjas who want to join our Root organization?"

Looking at the stack of exam papers, Shan Zhongfeng showed a hint of surprise.

But soon, a smile appeared on his face, and he nodded in satisfaction.

"Excellent! Lord Danzo will be very pleased to see this!"

……

……

Not long after.

Inside the root base, in a dark and damp room.

Yamanaka Fu placed a full stack of exam papers on the newly crafted stone table of Shimura Danzo, his face filled with deep respect, and bowed his head to report to his supervisor:

"grown ups."

"These are the ninjas I selected from outside. Please take a look."

"So many?"

Shimura Danzo's expression showed some surprise, but then a smile appeared on his face. He looked at Yamanaka Fu with satisfaction and praised him:

"good."

"It must have taken a lot of effort to find so many ninjas, right?"

"After I finish reviewing them, send over the ninjas I've selected who are qualified to join Root. Don't go on missions for now; take a break."

"Yes! Thank you, sir!"

Yamanaka Kaze bowed respectfully in thanks, then silently left the room.

In a dimly lit room.

Danzo Shimura sat in a chair, looking at the tall pile of exam papers on the table, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Then, with a serious expression, he picked up a card and began to look at it.

Under the soft yellow light, a line of large characters with clear and fine strokes comes into view.

[Answer sheet for candidate number 56!]

"Huh, that guy Yamanaka Fu actually gave it a number?"

"Yes, it does look better this way."

Danzo Shimura nodded in satisfaction once again at his subordinate's attentiveness.

[Question 1, Answer: Darkness is a low-light environment, a scene without light, in the absence of any light source...]

Danzo Shimura frowned.

What kind of answer is this?

He suppressed his impatience and continued reading.

[Question 2, Answer: The roots in the soil are the underground parts of a tree, where the tree absorbs inorganic nutrients and water. Most roots account for between 5% and 20% of the total volume of the tree. The structure of the root...]

The answer from candidate number 56 was very neat and detailed, fully explaining what a "root" is from various physical perspectives.

but……

boom! ! !

Danzo Shimura angrily slammed the exam paper in his hand onto the stone table.

"Is that what I meant?"

"This guy thinks he can be a Root ninja? I think he'd be better off going home and planting trees!"

"snort."

Shimura Danzo snorted coldly, then continued to look at the next exam paper.

[First question, answer: Darkness is darkness. No darkness can withstand powerful forces. If there is darkness, then break through it!]

[Question 2, Answer: What's the difference between roots underground and a mouse?]

【…】

[Question 6, Answer: Five seconds is too much, one second is fine.]

【…】

As Shimura Danzo watched, he became so angry that he laughed.

"Heh, where did this idiot come from? Breaking through the darkness like that, roots in the mud are no different from rats, five seconds is too much..."

"Arrogant, conceited, and foolish!"

boom! ! !

After giving several evaluations in succession, Shimura Danzo slammed Madara Uchiha's test paper onto the stone table.

Danzo Shimura took a deep breath and silently told himself that this was just an exception, and there would definitely be people suitable for the Roots.

Faced with the increasingly desolate Root Base, Shimura Danzo, who was eager to recruit new members, tried to calm his emotions and then continued to flip through the test papers with a determined look in his eyes.

Even if it's shit, he'll check if there's gold inside!

As he looked around, Danzo Shimura came across Deidara's exam paper.

[First question, answer: Plant a bomb and it won't be dark anymore.]

[Question 2, Answer: Only explosions are true art!]

【…】

Bang! ! !

The stone table shattered.

Danzo Shimura could no longer contain himself and burst into a tirade:

"A bunch of idiots! Fools!"

"The bomb...explodes..."

"Root recruits obedient, loyal people who can endure darkness, so what's wrong with these idiots? Where did Yamanaka Fu find this group of 'talents'?"

Just as Shimura Danzo was getting so angry that he was about to call in the mountain wind outside.

Because of the broken stone table, an exam paper lay perfectly flat on the ground in front of him.

[Answer to Question 1: Darkness is the opposite of light; without darkness, there would be no light!]

Danzo Shimura's eyes widened.

This is this...

Such beautiful handwriting makes one instantly like it!

Danzo Shimura quickly knelt down and picked up Itachi Uchiha's test paper, then sat back down in his chair and began to study it intently.

[Question 2, Answer: The roots in the mud may seem dirty, but they are the greatest heroes! Roots represent bearing burdens...]

【…】

"A talent! A real talent!"

Danzo Shimura felt as if a spring breeze was blowing on his face.

A feeling that came from the bottom of my heart, as if I had met a kindred spirit, surged up from the depths of my soul.

"I never expected... that among those wandering ninjas outside, there would be such outstanding individuals who understand the bigger picture, have a broad perspective, are intelligent, and wise..."

Danzo Shimura marveled at Itachi Uchiha's answer.

That was like a direct message to his heart, the best encouragement for his years of dedicated service to Konoha Village, which had remained unknown to him!

Yes, aren't the roots in the mud the greatest heroes?

Without Danzo Shimura and the Root organization he led, Konoha would have been ruined by that bastard Hiruzen long ago!

If it weren't for his continuous contributions in the shadows, where would Konoha Village be today?

As Shimura Danzo looked at Uchiha Itachi's exam paper in his hand, he liked it more and more, and a rare, genuine smile unconsciously appeared on his usually gloomy face.

The tribal leader carefully folded the exam paper as if it were a precious treasure, tucked it into his robes, and then impatiently shouted towards the door:

"wind--"

"Your subordinate is here!"

The figure of Yamanaka Kaze suddenly appeared in the room and bowed respectfully.

"Good job, you're very good!"

"While there are some rude and utterly foolish individuals among them, there are also outstanding talents perfectly suited to our roots!"

Shimura Danzo first gave his subordinate a brief compliment, then took out Uchiha Itachi's test paper from his robes and showed it to Yamanaka Fu, before giving him a serious instruction:

"Wind, I command you to summon the owner of this exam paper to the roots!"

"You can recruit the others based on their abilities; I'm too lazy to look at them. But this talent, you must bring him back to me!"

"yes!"

Yamanaka Fu glanced at Uchiha Itachi's exam paper, then respectfully answered, and his figure disappeared in an instant.

In a dark and damp room.

As Shimura Danzo watched his subordinates depart, his heart was filled with anticipation for the moment he would meet Uchiha Itachi.

……

……

the other side.

Because the exam papers were all sent to the root base.

In the conference room on the first floor of the Hokage Building, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, waited for a long time but no one brought the test papers. He frowned and felt a little puzzled.

What happened?

Surely Haiyi wouldn't forget something like this?

Could it be... that something happened?

Minato Namikaze frowned and looked up at the clock on the wall.

Almost an hour has passed since the first exam ended.

With such a long wait, those test takers are probably getting impatient by now.

Minato Namikaze suppressed his doubts and turned to Shikaku Nara, instructing him:

"Shikaku, please inform Inoichi that the second exam can proceed."

"……yes."

Although Nara Shikaku was puzzled as to why the exam papers hadn't been graded and his Hokage had decided to let the exam continue, he still answered respectfully and turned to head to the exam hall without asking any further questions.

"Tsk..."

The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, said with a mocking expression:

"Your Konoha village didn't even mess up a simple written exam, did you? You haven't even seen the exam paper yet, and you're already starting the second one?"

Minato Namikaze first glanced at the other faction leaders in the conference room, who seemed to be waiting to see him make a fool of himself, then looked at the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, and smiled calmly:

"Heh, Lord Tsuchikage really does enjoy joking."

"Perhaps your Iwagakure prefers to select candidates for Chunin based on their grades, but we in Konoha do not!"

"I don't think grades are the most important thing, nor are scores."

"This first written test should be a test of a ninja's character, and during the exam just now, need I say more about the character of those candidates? They were clearly exceptional!"

"Haha... Well said!"

The Fourth Raikage, Ai, laughed heartily and was the first to clap his hands.

Then, the Fourth Kazekage Rasa, the Fourth Mizukage Yagura, a minister from the Land of Iron, and so on... everyone except the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi and Hanzo the Salamander, the leader of Amegakure, applauded.

"You...you...you..."

The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, gripped the handle tightly with trembling hands, his face flushed with anger.

As expected... the ninjas of Konoha are all a bunch of bastards!

Onoki glared fiercely at Minato Namikaze, who was smiling.

He disliked Konoha Village very much.

Onoki still can't forget the humiliation he suffered alongside his teacher, the Second Tsuchikage, when they were humiliated by Madara Uchiha.

However, during the Third Shinobi World War, Minato Namikaze of Konoha became famous for slaughtering Jonin from Iwagakure, making the title "Yellow Flash" even more renowned. In the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, the Fourth Hokage and his wife also killed many Iwagakure ninja, leaving them still reeling from the experience.

From then on, Onoki hated Konoha Village even more, especially Minato Namikaze in front of him!

If it weren't for wanting to teach his arrogant and conceited disciple a lesson, and to let him know that he wasn't the only genius among his peers, Onoki wouldn't have even planned to come to Konoha.

But now, facing someone he despises, he not only failed to mock them but was also humiliated instead, which made Onoki feel as if he had eaten shit.

"Alright, alright."

Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke up again to ease the tension:

"This is a trivial matter, there's no need to discuss it. How about we discuss the pairings for the third match?"

……

……

at the same time.

Nara Shikaku has arrived at the examination hall and informed his friend Yamanaka Inoichi that the second exam can begin.

Upon hearing that his Hokage had not eliminated any examinees, Yamanaka Inoichi was puzzled but did not ask any further questions.

He looked at the students in the classroom, who were already making a huge racket, and shouted angrily:

"Quiet!!!"

"..."

The candidates, who had been somewhat dissatisfied and anxious due to the long wait, all fell silent.

The classroom fell silent instantly.

Yamanaka Ino glanced at the examinees in the classroom with a serious expression and said in a deep voice:

"Everyone, first of all, congratulations! You have all passed the exam!"

Upon hearing this good news, some candidates' eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh? Really?"

"Can I pass the exam too?"

"Was the Chunin Exams really this easy?"

"Waaaaah... I finally have a chance to become a Chunin..."

"..."

Facing the classroom, which had become noisy again, Yamanaka Inoichi roared once more:

"Alright, everyone, be quiet!!!"

"..."

In an instant, the sounds of relief and exclamations fell silent!

Looking at the expectant faces of the examinees, Yamanaka Inoichi smiled slightly and said:

"Everyone, the second exam is about to begin!"

"Of course, I'm not the examiner for the second round, so the person who took you to the examination room was..."

Yamanaka Inoichi silently turned his head to look at the gate, preparing to say the examiner's name.

But... the reality was beyond his expectations!

Bang! ! !

The wall next to the classroom door suddenly exploded!

Gravel flew everywhere, startling many young test-takers.

"Hahaha...you little guys, I'm your examiner for the second test!"

With a loud, excited roar, Kushina Uzumaki, who had transformed into a half-human, half-beast form and was three or four meters tall, walked in through the large hole by the door.

"This...this is..."

"Crimson Tyrannosaurus Rex!!!"

The examinees stared wide-eyed at the enormous, imposing figure before them, their faces filled with horror.

Kushina Uzumaki glanced at the group of examinees, then laughed heartily:

"Kids, come with me to the exam hall!"

After saying that, Kushina Uzumaki turned and walked towards the window.

"Wait... Lady Kushina..."

Yamanaka Inoichi's eyes widened, and he quickly prepared to stop him.

but……

Bang! ! !

Another sound of a wall cracking.

"..."

The candidates looked at each other for a moment.

Then, with excited expressions, they followed the tall and imposing figure and jumped out through the large hole in the window.

……

……

After a while.

The outermost edge of the Death Forest.

Looking at the group of examinees who were obediently lined up neatly and silently waiting to speak, Kushina Uzumaki nodded in satisfaction. Then, with a wave of her beast claw, she shouted in a dashing manner:

"Kids!"

"This is the examination hall for your second test—the Forest of Death!"

"This forest is teeming with ferocious beasts, and even many mutated creatures. Your mission is to traverse this forest and reach the tower at the very front!"

"You only have five days left! Exceeding five days will be considered a failure!"

"besides……"

After briefly explaining the exam rules and the dangers of the exam venue, Kushina Uzumaki took out a storage scroll from her pocket and took out many small scrolls with the two large characters "Heaven" and "Earth" printed on them.

Seeing the confusion on the faces of the examinees, Kushina Uzumaki grinned mischievously and shouted loudly as if to scare them:

"These reels are divided into 'sky' and 'earth' sections; everyone will receive one later."

"You can form teams or go solo, but you must collect both the Heaven and Earth scrolls to pass the test!"

"Otherwise, even if you manage to cross this forest, you still won't pass the exam."

"So... don't start celebrating just because you were lucky enough to pass the first exam. In this second exam, at least half of you will be eliminated! And it might be much more!"

"Whoosh~"

The test takers were instantly in an uproar.

"How could it be... so difficult?"

"Good heavens... this is forcing us to fight each other!"

"Damn it, I'm the only one from our ninja village here. Is there anyone who can team up with me...?"

"Do I have to defeat an opponent to advance?"

"..."

Amidst the clamor of the examinees, Kushina Uzumaki roared:

"quiet!"

The deafening roar of the beast caused the nearby trees to sway and the sand on the ground to tremble.

"..."

The candidates immediately fell silent.

Kushina Uzumaki, her expression serious, held out the scroll in her hand and shouted:

"Come here, everyone, take one, then get out of here and into the forest!"

"……yes!"

The candidates cautiously approached the imposing figure, which was three or four meters tall, and tremblingly took a scroll from Kushina's enormous claws.

Not long after.

Madara Uchiha looked at the scroll in his hand with the character "Heaven" written on it, smiled disdainfully, and then said to Kabuto Yakushi, Haku, and Kimimaro beside him:

"I'll go in first."

"Okay, Brother Ban."

Yakushi Kabuto, Haku, and Kimimaro nodded in response.

Madara Uchiha glanced at the examinees present, then calmly walked into the forest alone.

Not far away.

Itachi Uchiha originally wanted to guide the ninjas from his village, but when he saw Madara Uchiha's figure gradually disappearing into the forest, he couldn't stay any longer.

Uchiha Itachi said apologetically to the Konoha ninja beside him:

"Sorry, I want to try my best to get first place in the second exam. I wish you all the best in your exams. I'll go in now."

After saying that, Itachi Uchiha gripped the scroll in his hand and leaped quickly into the Forest of Death.

"..."

Upon seeing this, the Konoha ninjas exchanged glances and couldn't help but smile wryly.

at the same time.

Seeing the scrolls with the character "天" (heaven) in the hands of the three brats, Kabuto, Haku, and Kimimaro, who were leaving together, Zabuza glanced down at the scroll with the character "地" (earth) in his hand, and a sinister smile immediately appeared on his lips.

……

……

This is the most dangerous area in terms of natural environment in Konoha Village.

In the Death Forest, venomous snakes, mutated creatures, and wild bears four or five meters tall appear at intervals, making many test takers walk with trepidation.

Battles occur frequently.

But it wasn't just with wild animals.

The brutal exam rules mean that the most dangerous creature in this forest is not a ferocious wild beast, but another human being who is also taking the exam!

"Hand over the reel!"

"Kill him..."

"Watch out, run!"

"Waaaaah... I'm not taking the exam anymore, I want to withdraw from the competition, I want to withdraw from the competition..."

"..."

Because so many people passed the first test, the Death Forest, which now accommodates hundreds of people, was suddenly filled with fighting and strife!

……

……

Somewhere in the forest.

"Bang!!!"

A violent explosion rang out.

The trees within a radius of nearly 100 meters were all shattered, with charred wood chips flying everywhere.

Along with the wood chips, several Cloud Ninja were blown to pieces, their bodies reduced to blood and gore.

"No...no...no..."

The Cloud Ninja who had previously provoked and threatened Deidara in the classroom was now covered in his comrade's blood and collapsed to the ground in fear.

As Deidara slowly approached, the Cloud Ninja pleaded with fear in their eyes:

"Waaaaah... Please don't kill me! I know I was wrong!"

"Please, spare me..."

"Oh."

Deidara sneered, holding a lump of white clay in his hand, and said with a disdainful mockery:

"Weren't you very arrogant before?"

"They also want to tear me to pieces and rip my head off."

Come on~

Deidara approached the Cloud Ninja who was slumped on the ground, lowered his head slightly, and grinned maliciously:

"Pull it out!"

"No!"

Yunren shook his head rapidly, his face filled with terror.

"Hehe..."

Deidara smiled with satisfaction, then looked at the Cloud Ninja whose face was covered in snot and tears, a look of disgust flashing in his eyes.

"Forget it, I'm not playing anymore."

"No, wait..."

Upon hearing Deidara's words, the Cloud Ninja's pupils widened instantly, and they opened their mouths, ready to beg for mercy.

But the next moment.

A white lump of mud was thrown into the mouth of a Cloud Ninja.

Bang! ! !

The Cloud Ninja who had previously provoked Deidara was instantly torn to pieces, with blood and foam splattering in all directions.

nearby.

The loud explosion caused several young swordsmen from the Land of Iron to frown and then slowly approach.

After a while.

"Deidara, watch out!"

A ninja from Iwa shouted a reminder.

But this reminder was clearly a bit too late.

The flying slash cut through the air, heading towards a giant white spider.

So fast!

Deidara's pupils contracted as he stood on the spider's back, then he quickly jumped off.

Bang! ! !

The sharp sword energy sliced ​​the giant white spider in two.

The explosion rang out instantly!

"Cough cough..."

In the smoke.

Looking at his tattered clothes and the countless tiny scratches from the debris, Deidara coughed a few times, his eyes filled with apprehension.

"Stop fighting! Stop fighting!"

"Here's the scroll you wanted!"

An Iwa ninja gritted his teeth and threw all the scrolls in his hand at several imposing swordsmen not far ahead.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"Why give them the scroll? I'm not dead yet!"

Deidara burst out of the smoke and, upon seeing this scene, his face immediately turned furious.

Several Iwa ninja, seeing that their Tsuchikage disciple hadn't suffered serious injuries, were relieved and quickly ran over to comfort him.

"They're much older than you."

"Exactly, and we're not familiar with their capabilities yet."

"It's not a good idea to get into a conflict with these guys right now; there's still a third exam coming up!"

"..."

The Iwa ninja offered words of comfort and reassurance.

Deidara gritted his teeth as he watched the young swordsmen gradually disappear into the distance, but his body obediently refrained from charging forward any further.

……

the other side.

Somewhere in the forest, not far from the tower.

Zabuza, Mei Terumi, and dozens of Kirigakure ninjas blocked the path of Haku, Kabuto Yakushi, and Kimimaro.

Zabuza glanced at Haku and the others not far away, a cruel smile creeping across his face. He sneered:

"Kids, it seems you're having pretty bad luck."

"Meeting me means the end of your future!"

(End of this chapter)