Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 260 Joint Chunin Exam 2

After a period of fermentation and Konoha's deliberate publicity, news of Kimura and Sunagakure holding a joint Chunin Exam spread throughout the ninja world. This news attracted widespread attention because it was the first time in ninja history that such a joint exam had been held. As the host village, Konoha extended invitations to all the smaller ninja villages in the world and welcomed daimyo and nobles from various countries to witness the final competition.

Many people are filled with anticipation and curiosity for this joint Chunin Exam. After all, previous Chunin Exams were conducted individually by each village, but this time it's being held jointly by two villages, making its scale and difficulty immense. Moreover, due to the strength of Kimura and Sunagakure, other smaller ninja villages have also responded, expressing their willingness to send their own ninjas to participate in this grand event.

Meanwhile, the daimyo and nobles from various countries who received the invitation were also thrilled. They saw this as a rare opportunity to witness firsthand the strength and talent of young ninjas from different villages. Furthermore, by watching the matches, they could gain insight into the relative strengths of each village, thus enabling them to better formulate their diplomatic policies. Therefore, most daimyo and nobles readily accepted Konoha's invitation, indicating their intention to attend the final match in person.

As time went on, discussions about the joint Chunin Exams grew increasingly heated. People began speculating which ninjas would emerge as Chunin and which village would perform best. Meanwhile, some questioned the cooperation between Konoha and Sunagakure, wondering if they could truly succeed in this grand exam. Regardless, the joint Chunin Exams undoubtedly brought new vitality and topics to the ninja world, filling people with anticipation for its future development.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru secretly met with the Fourth Kazekage of the Sand Village in the Land of Wind in a desert area.

The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, wasn't particularly interested in a Konoha rogue ninja, even if it was the infamous Orochimaru. However, when Orochimaru revealed that he founded the Sound Village and disclosed its strength, Rasa, who had initially been uninterested, suddenly felt it was worthwhile to have a proper exchange with him to see what Orochimaru was really up to.

In fact, the Sand Village has been in a very bad situation in recent years, mainly in terms of economy. The defeat in the Third Shinobi World War made the Daimyo of the Land of Wind completely doubt the Sand Village's strength, and thus basically stopped providing financial assistance to the Sand Village. This made matters worse for the Sand Village, which had already suffered considerable losses. In addition, the treaty signed after the defeat caused the Sand Village to lose its sphere of influence from the surrounding small countries, and its income dropped sharply again. Now the Sand Village is even struggling to maintain its status as one of the Five Great Hidden Villages. The number of ninjas it trains has begun to decrease, and it can only rely on an elite training program.

However, Orochimaru's proposed Konoha Crush plan presented Rasa with a rare opportunity. He actually had a certain understanding of Konoha's current strength. On the surface, their large number of ninjas was indeed a considerable threat. However, in the past few years, when they participated in external missions, the quality of Konoha ninjas was no different from that of other smaller ninja villages. More importantly, Konoha was particularly weak in terms of top-tier combat power. Orochimaru's defection, Tsunade and Jiraiya's departure, and the seclusion of the once-powerful Hyuga Kanan had all greatly weakened Konoha's strength. According to information provided by Orochimaru, Hyuga Kanan seemed to have already left Konoha.

As for the core strength, the situation in Konoha Village puzzled all the other ninja villages. The annihilation of a top-tier clan like the Uchiha was a direct loss of a quarter of Konoha's core fighting force. Even more surprising was the fact that in recent years, the Hyuga clan had also gradually faded from the ranks of Konoha ninja, and they were almost never seen as Konoha ninja again. This was undoubtedly another huge blow, reducing Konoha's core strength by another quarter.

The current Konoha Village is like a facade, strong on the outside but weak on the inside. However, with the help of Orochimaru, who knows Konoha intimately, their chances of defeating the village will increase dramatically, at least to 70%.

Thus, under Orochimaru's analysis and persuasion, Rasa agreed to Orochimaru's plan. Sunagakure began secretly preparing for war, intending to crush Konoha in one fell swoop and win the war. Victory would bring substantial war reparations and resources, relieving Sunagakure's current pressure.

Konoha Village was bustling with activity as countless wealthy people from various countries flocked to the area. At the same time, ninjas from other villages also began their journey to Konoha, giving the once quiet village a renewed vitality and creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere.

To welcome these guests from afar, the many ninjas of Konoha Village actively engaged in reception and maintaining order, keeping themselves extremely busy. However, as the flow of people continued to increase, the defensive pressure on Konoha Village also rose sharply. Although Konoha Village has always been known for its formidable strength, they still needed to do their utmost to deal with any potential problems in the face of such a large influx of people.

As time went on, the number of ninjas from various countries coming to Konoha to participate in the Chunin Exams continued to increase, greatly increasing the pressure on Konoha's defenses. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi's direct ANBU were dispatched to maintain order.

In the courtyard of the Hyuga clan head, two petite figures clashed repeatedly, their palms striking each other rapidly, producing a crisp sound. It was Hinata and her sister Hinata sparring. Neji and Hiashi stood quietly watching their practice.

"Go, sister!"

Although Hyuga Hanabi is young, she is very strong, and the gap between her and her older sister Hyuga Hinata is gradually narrowing.

"Um……"

Hinata Hyuga responded softly, her eyes resolute, showing no sign of backing down in the face of her sister's attack.

As the battle progressed, Hinata Hyuga's attacks became increasingly fierce. Her palm strikes were as dense as a storm, making it difficult for Hanabi Hyuga to defend herself.

However, just as Hinata's palm was about to strike Hanabi, she suddenly seemed to remember something and subconsciously stopped her attack.

This momentary pause gave Hyuga Hanabi an opportunity. Hyuga Hanabi reacted quickly and immediately launched a counterattack, knocking Hyuga Hinata back.

"Damn it..."

Hinata Hyuga fell to the ground, a look of frustration on her face.

Hiashi Hyuga stood to the side, his brows slightly furrowed. As an important figure in the clan, he could naturally see the reason for what had just happened.

Hinata Hyuga has fallen into her old trap again—her kind heart prevents her from harming her family. This personality trait might be heartwarming in ordinary times, but in the cruel world of ninjas, it can become a fatal weakness.

"Hinata, you must overcome your psychological barriers," Hiashi Hyuga said seriously. "If you can't fight your enemies, how will you protect yourself in the future?"

“I understand, Father…” Hinata Hyuga gritted her teeth, but a hint of hesitation flashed in her eyes.

Although she decided to change herself, no longer bound by her inner kindness, and instead strive to improve her strength to become a truly excellent ninja, her inherent kindness still subconsciously prevented her from harming others.

Neji Hyuga saw the hesitation in Hinata's eyes and felt a pang of sympathy, but he didn't immediately rush to comfort her. The ninja world was constantly in turmoil, and to become a qualified ninja, one had to adapt to this harsh reality. Furthermore, Hinata's team had signed up for the Chunin Exams, and she truly needed to grow and mature before facing the challenges ahead.

In reality, Neji Hyuga didn't want Hinata to participate in the Chunin Exams. These joint Chunin Exams involved too many unpredictable factors, making them unsuitable for someone with Hinata's personality. However, he couldn't stop her; Hinata needed her own social circle and couldn't let her teammates give up this opportunity because of him. Judging from Hinata's current strength, she had already surpassed the level of a Genin. If she unleashed her pure Byakugan at full power, she could even defeat some Jonin. However, her kind nature seemed somewhat incompatible with the ninja profession. In such complex environments, like this joint Chunin Exam, it was easy for the enemy to find an opening.

Hiashi Hyuga shared Neji Hyuga's thoughts, so he too felt a sense of unease. Lately, he'd had an inexplicable feeling of unease, as if something bad was about to happen. Despite careful investigation, he couldn't find anything amiss. This plunged him into deep worry.

However, as the head of the Hyuga clan, Hiashi Hyuga could not be troubled by this inexplicable feeling. He had to take action to ensure the safety of his clan. Therefore, he decided to secretly mobilize the clan's ninja to strengthen the clan's defenses. In this way, if an unexpected situation were to occur in the village, they could react quickly and protect their clan members.

Although this decision might be controversial, Hiashi Hyuga firmly believed it was necessary. He deeply understood the weighty responsibility of the clan, not only to protect the lives of its members but also to uphold the clan's dignity and honor. Therefore, he was willing to shoulder this responsibility and make every effort to ensure the clan's prosperity and peace.

In the days to come, Hiashi Hyuga will continue to closely monitor the village's situation and be prepared to respond to any potential crises. He also hopes that the other clans will understand his actions and work together to protect the peace and tranquility of Konoha. Only through unity can we overcome any difficulties and challenges.