Soon, Sasuke emerged from the cave with Sakura's surprised gaze following him. In the field ahead, three Sound ninjas were surrounded by Naruto and his shadow clones.
"Hey, Naruto, we haven't finished with these guys yet. Need some help?" Sasuke snorted.
"Hmph, no need at all. I'll handle them myself! Grab their exam scrolls!" Naruto's anger flared at Sasuke's words, and his chakra surged wildly.
"We surrender!" At that moment, Tosu—the hunchbacked Sound ninja wrapped in bandages—squinted at the unharmed Sasuke. He reached for the scroll that marked their status and placed it on the ground.
"The scrolls are here. Please let us go," Tosu said, stepping back. His companions didn't stop him.
They'd had enough. This blond-haired guy, Naruto Uzumaki, had stamina and chakra far beyond theirs. And with Sasuke—his perverted companion—on his side, resisting was simply a death wish.
"Hmph~" Naruto's eyes lit up. He had never intended to kill them all; he only wanted the Sound ninjas' scrolls. Now he had them—entirely by his own efforts—and a surge of pride swelled within him. He looked at Sasuke.
Sasuke simply snorted and nodded, acknowledging Naruto's achievement.
On the other side of the forest, Neji Hyuga and Lee watched the scene with serious expressions.
After completing the sealing, Xia Li returned to the central tower. He had, of course, discovered Ino and learned she was unharmed, which brought him a measure of relief.
After a moment's thought, Xia Li left a shadow clone to guard the tower and hurried to report to the Hokage about Orochimaru's situation.
Whether more changes would occur depended on the tide of events.
"小 Xia Li, shouldn't you be in the central tower now?" The Third Hokage looked surprised to see Xia Li. Noticing his serious expression, he gestured for him to step aside, and his attendants retreated.
Xia Li quickly recounted the encounter with Orochimaru in the Death Forest to the Third Hokage, including that Orochimaru's target was Sasuke and that there had been a brief confrontation.
"So, Orochimaru has returned," the Third Hokage murmured thoughtfully, looking slightly older.
"Then, Third Hokage, should the Chunin Exams be suspended?" Xia Li asked. In such a serious situation, using proper titles was appropriate.
"No, you should understand—he is my student," the Third Hokage replied.
Xia Li nodded, and the Third continued, "So I understand Orochimaru. He will not compromise until his objective is met. A rebellion could break out at any moment. We still do not know what he is doing secretly, nor how much preparation he has made."
"Moreover, the feudal lords from other nations have already headed to Konoha. At this moment, the Chunin Exams cannot be suspended," the Third Hokage said firmly.
Xia Li nodded. He understood that the exams were not only a test of skill—they were a showcase of the village's next generation.
A village performing well in the Chunin Exams demonstrated both its strength and potential.
Moreover, this incident would directly affect future mission allocations. No village would willingly cede opportunities to stronger villages, and this was the foundation of Konoha's power.
Though Konoha appeared prosperous, the ninja could not ignore the rewards missions provided. Their expenses far exceeded those of ordinary people.
If mission rewards were insufficient, the village's economy would falter, weakening its overall power. No village could accept this.
And since it was Konoha's own Chunin Exams, halting them would severely damage its reputation and cast doubt on its strength.
All these factors meant that even in the face of danger, the exams could not be stopped.
Xia Li knew the extent of damage Orochimaru could cause—but would the Third Hokage and his advisors understand? Even if told, would they believe him?
"Then, Third Hokage, you should strengthen your security. Orochimaru's power is such that you'll need more ninja to protect yourself," Xia Li continued, recalling the limited number of guards in the original story.
"Haha, Xia Li, do you remember how Konoha handled enemy attacks?" The Third Hokage smiled, pleased with Xia Li's concern.
Xia Li fell silent, for now everything made sense. He had known before, but had not expected the Third to actually implement such a strategy…
Phase One: Eliminate the enemy's assault units. If that fails, move to Phase Two.
Phase Two: Evacuate and shelter non-combatants, allowing women and children to seek refuge throughout the village.
Phase Three: Once all phases are complete, mobilize the entire village to eliminate the enemy.
Xia Li realized that Konoha's rapid recovery was because most civilians remained safe.
He understood why the Third Hokage had managed to protect the village so efficiently—most ninja were deployed to safeguard the people.
Even strategies that seemed suited only for peace had been carefully planned by the Third.
Now, Xia Li realized that, despite mistakes, the Third Hokage truly deserved his position. He upheld his duty to protect Konoha until his final moments.
No one wants to die, but one can do much for their homeland.
"Yes, I remember clearly. Xia Li, do you understand now?" The Third Hokage smiled.
"Yes, Third… grandfather. You must remember the Flying Thunder God Kunai you taught me—use it when necessary," Xia Li said seriously, accepting he could not stop the Third Hokage's decision.
"Alright, Xia Li, but trust me—though I am old, my strength remains formidable." Hearing Xia Li refer to him as grandfather eased the Third Hokage slightly; this time, he would not repeat past mistakes.
"Of course I trust you. I'll head back now," Xia Li said. He knew the Third's power was limited by his body, and that exhaustion affected both quantity and quality of chakra.
"Be careful, Xia Li. Don't think the Flying Thunder God alone is enough," the Third warned. He feared Xia Li might confront Orochimaru directly.
"Yes," Xia Li nodded, disappearing from the Hokage's office.
Watching him leave, the Third's smile faded as he looked at a photo of his younger self with his three students.
"Orochimaru… ah."
"What should we do, Hokage-sama?" The Anbu advisor appeared beside him.
"Hmm, don't alert the enemy yet. First, clear an escape route and monitor the Sound ninja situation. Also, try to anticipate Orochimaru's next move," the Third Hokage sighed. "The enemy is well hidden—it's tricky."
"Yes."
Back at the central tower in the Death Forest, Xia Li reached the top and gazed at the bright moon, lost in thought.
Emotionally, he wanted to save the Third Hokage.
He cared little for the fame of previous Hokages; he only knew that the Third had treated him well, given him the Flying Thunder God technique, and provided resources to increase his strength.
Though it cost him becoming Jiraiya's disciple, Xia Li didn't consider it a real price.
He also reflected that Sasuke's brother had chosen inaction despite having the ability to intervene. How could he judge others?
Rationally, inaction isn't always wise. From a pragmatic perspective, Xia Li knew that keeping the Third Hokage alive was the optimal choice.
Additionally, the Third had likely waited for Xia Li to mature—though subtly. A potential drawback: if Xia Li became Hokage, the Third would only serve as an advisor, and his indecisiveness could be problematic.
Overall, surviving the Third's era offered far greater benefits than dying.
Perhaps not altering the story was itself an advantage.
Xia Li's memory was fragmented—he only recalled key events, as he had altered much of the storyline long ago.
Sasuke had no intention to surrender to Orochimaru, nor did Xia Li plan for him to do so.
Although changes seemed minor, the world had already taken a different path.
This strengthened Xia Li's resolve: he would follow his heart and do everything possible to save the Third Hokage.
As for Konoha… Xia Li paused. Initially, he had not considered the village's interests. He was a "selfish" man, concerned only with himself and those around him. After the Third mentioned the rule, he remained silent.
He had not expected the Third to care so deeply—even risking his life for it. Otherwise, could Orochimaru have trapped the Third in the Four Purple Flames Formation?
If untrapped, could Orochimaru have massacred the Third based on an imperfect reincarnation? Unlikely.
Xia Li reached for the moonlight through his fingers, reflecting: could such a selfish man truly serve as Hokage?
"Perhaps not," Xia Li thought. If he were Hokage, Konoha would be his private property—no one else could intervene.
"No," he frowned. "It's better to preserve Konoha intact—save as many lives as possible."
Reasonable, yet…
"Forget it." Xia Li nodded, acknowledging his tendency to overthink.
He also recognized his current strength was insufficient; he needed to grow stronger before assuming such a role.
His conviction was rooted in power.
That day would come soon. Once this was over, he could begin studying immortality magic—a final opportunity to improve quickly.
Chakra and perception were just enough; this was the final step.
Though his Sage Mode might not match Naruto's perfection, it would surpass Jiraiya's incomplete form.
Xia Li looked forward to his "Immortal Mode." What would it be like?
With everything resolved, Xia Li returned to the tower, quietly waiting for the second round of the exam to end.
"Finally, we've arrived. It wasn't easy," Shikamaru said lazily, eyes on the central tower.
"Looks like we've passed the second round," Ino said, smiling. She felt closer to Xia Li now.
"Yes, yes!" Choji nodded happily, enjoying the snacks Ino had brought—tasting even better because they came from her.
"If we open both the Sky and Earth scrolls simultaneously, it should work," Shikamaru explained.
"Alright, Shikamaru, let's do it together," Ino said, producing the scroll marked with the character "Sky," while Shikamaru held the one marked "Earth."
Soon, the two scrolls were opened and laid on the ground.
"This is…" Shikamaru stared in surprise at the inscriptions.
A moment later, white smoke rose, and a figure appeared at the intersection of the two scrolls.
"Well done, Ino. And Shikamaru and Choji," Xia Li said with a smile.
"You can tell we were treated rather casually," Shikamaru muttered, glancing at Ino as she approached, sighing at the struggle endured.
After so much effort, had Ino finally reunited with her boyfriend? Bittersweet!
"How was your journey?" Xia Li asked, holding Ino's hand with concern.
"Fine. We didn't encounter any danger. Shikamaru usually avoids dangerous situations in advance," Ino replied, glancing at him. With him around, even the Chunin Exams felt easy—like switching to easy mode.
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