Chapter 115: The Uehara Naraka You Know, Is It Me?
Night gradually deepened.
The lights in the Hokage Office burned brightly.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in his chair, puffing on his pipe, and glanced at Kakashi Hatake kneeling before him, "Kakashi, how much intelligence did you probe from that Ame (Rain) ninja?"
"A lot. This person is, after all, still too young."
Kakashi Hatake nodded and said gravely, "According to the intelligence I analyzed myself, Amegakure's civil war definitely caused extreme weakening, forcing them to have no choice but to send Uehara Naraka to participate in an arms race of the Chunin Exams' level."
After speaking, Kakashi added, "Undoubtedly, Uehara Naraka's strength is very high. Four years ago, I personally witnessed him single-handedly slaughter his way through a Kirigakure (Village Hidden by Mist) border outpost."
"His personal leanings?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a puff from his pipe.
The borders of the Land of Rain connected with the Land of Wind, Land of Fire, and Land of Earth.
Amegakure's attitude determined whether Konoha (Village Hidden in the Leaves) could maintain its defensive advantage on the northwestern border. If there was an opportunity, Hiruzen Sarutobi certainly wouldn't mind supporting an Amegakure leader inclined towards an alliance with Konoha.
Today, Hiruzen Sarutobi had secretly overheard Uehara Naraka's words; Hanzō of the Salamander's age was indeed very old, and Amegakure's next generation of leadership was an urgent matter.
"Hard to say."
Kakashi Hatake shook his head and explained, "Although from the current look of things, Uehara Naraka has a good impression of Konoha, Orochimaru and... Obito, should have both inflicted indelible harm upon Amegakure previously."
Those two fellows were both Konoha's rogue ninjas.
Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Kakashi Hatake and said slowly, "It doesn't matter. We can work with Amegakure to strike down rogue ninjas... He was right about one thing today: our generation is ultimately old. The future still needs to be handed over to you youngsters."
"..."
Kakashi Hatake lowered his head without answering.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had been in charge of Konoha for about forty years and was already sixty-nine this year, but the candidate for the Fifth Hokage had yet to be established.
If the remaining two of Konoha's Sannin returned, they would be the most suitable candidates. If they refused to return, among Konoha's ninjas, few could command public respect, unable even to manage the major ninja clans.
Unless they picked the best from a bad lot and directly chose Asuma Sarutobi.
After all, Asuma Sarutobi's students were from the three great clans of Ino-Shika-Chō, which was quite normal; during the Warring States Period, the Sarutobi clan and the Ino-Shika-Chō three clans were allies.
"You may leave first."
Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly turned around, stood at the window of the Hokage Office, and said softly, "Right, Kakashi, help me find the village's Genin, Kosuke Maruboshi!"
"Yes."
Kakashi Hatake exited the Hokage Office.
The next day.
Uehara Naraka left all the messy affairs to Hattori Hirakawa, Haku, and Kaguya Kimimaro, and wandered around Konoha Village himself, planning to encounter some notable figures.
Unexpectedly, after Uehara Naraka opened Destiny's display, he discovered that Konoha's Jonin instructors seemed to be all in a small meeting today.
"Really not giving any chance at all!"
Since it was like this, Uehara Naraka could only wait until the Chunin Exams officially began before he could start reaping his rewards.
In just two short days, Uehara Naraka's gains were not small.
Originally, he had painstakingly saved up two thousand seven hundred gold coins in Amegakure. In Konoha Village, just by looking at the scenery, drinking some ramen, eating a few three-color dango, and a series of other ordinary tasks, he actually gained around fifteen hundred gold coins.
Moreover, the Ichiraku Ramen quests were very absurd. For example, the big-eater quest inside: after Uehara Naraka tried his best and drank twelve bowls of ramen, he received 600 Life Energy points gifted by the system. This reward made Uehara regret it to his core.
If he had known earlier that one bowl of ramen in the big-eater challenge rewarded 50 Life Energy points, Uehara Naraka would have desperately eaten a few more bowls!
Damn it, truly, even eating noodles can make you stronger...
This place Konoha was really absurd.
If calculated according to difficulty, Amegakure was like a doomsday-level AI game opening, while Konoha was like simple AI daily routines.
Worthy of being the ninja home ground.
Moreover, as the host of the Chunin Exams, Konoha dispatched a full seventy-five people to participate in these exams, a number greater than all other hidden villages combined.
Uehara Naraka didn't know that this number was one squad more than the number Konoha Village should have originally sent.
After Konoha confirmed the Chunin Exam list and all participating hidden villages had arrived, the Chunin Exams officially began.
When Uehara Naraka arrived at the exam assembly point with Kaguya Kimimaro and Haku, the Genin participating in the Chunin Exams had all gathered here.
As Uehara Naraka expected, the nine rookie Genin who graduated from Konoha Village this year also participated in the exams.
Team 7: Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno.
Team 8: Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, Hinata Hyūga.
Team 10: Shikamaru Nara, Chōji Akimichi, Ino Yamanaka.
Perhaps because it was their first time participating in the Chunin Exams, these rookies were gathered around a senpai, talking, seemingly wanting to get some information from him.
From their cries of surprise, it was clear they had obtained quite a bit of information.
Coincidentally, Uehara Naraka also knew that so-called senpai, who was also one of the "leeks" Uehara was saving to harvest.
Orochimaru's spy, Kabuto Yakushi.
Back then, after Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi escaped from Uehara Naraka's hands, Kabuto was arranged to infiltrate Konoha, participate in the Chunin Exams every year, and gather information on talented ninjas.
"Kabuto-senpai."
The pink-haired girl, Sakura Haruno, suddenly spoke, "I'd also like to ask for information on one more person. He should be a Genin from Amegakure, named Uehara Naraka."
"..."
Hearing Uehara Naraka's name, the movement of Kabuto Yakushi's hands involuntarily paused. He subconsciously pushed up his glasses.
This name, Kabuto Yakushi hadn't heard it for a long time.
Whether it was him or Orochimaru, they both tacitly avoided mentioning Uehara Naraka's name; that one time, the two of them had been defeated too miserably.
Kabuto Yakushi lowered his head, not wanting people to see the expression on his face, "How do you know this name?"
"Kakashi-sensei mentioned it..."
Sakura Haruno furrowed her brow in unease. The name of this Ame Genin was specifically told to them by Kakashi Hatake, who particularly reminded them to treat him with caution.
Even if Kakashi Hatake believed Uehara Naraka wouldn't resort to killing, it was inevitable these little fellows might act recklessly.
Sasuke Uchiha stood beside Sakura Haruno and said coldly, "Coincidentally, I'm also a bit curious about this person's intelligence, since even Kakashi-sensei considers him the strongest opponent we'll face in these Chunin Exams."
"Your Jonin instructor is correct."
Kabuto Yakushi's voice was somewhat strained and low, his fingers gradually stiffening, "If it's the person I know, he should be capable of easily slaughtering everyone present..."
"What a joke!"
Sasuke Uchiha instantly looked displeased.
Even if that guy Kakashi mentioned was strong, could he single-handedly kill over a hundred Genin?
However, after hearing Kabuto Yakushi's words, the expressions of Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki, Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, and a host of other rookies grew increasingly grave.
"You don't need to worry either, perhaps it's just a common name..."
After speaking, Kabuto Yakushi slowly raised his head, surveying the Chunin Exam assembly grounds, looking for any trace of Uehara Naraka.
When Kabuto Yakushi found no sign of Uehara Naraka in the exam hall, he felt slightly relieved. Perhaps it really was just a common name?
Tap tap tap...
The sound of footsteps reached Kabuto Yakushi's ears.
This group of Konoha rookies involuntarily looked up, staring dumbly as a young ninja wearing an Ame headband stood behind Kabuto Yakushi.
Uehara Naraka looked down at Kabuto Yakushi on the ground and chuckled lightly, "Kabuto, turn around. The Uehara Naraka you know, is it me?"
(End of Chapter)
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