"Orochimaru" looked at the silver-haired child in the distance, nudged Jiraiya's arm, and asked, "Jiraiya, is his name Hatake Sakumo?"
"Huh?" Jiraiya looked astonished, as if discovering a new continent. "I thought you never paid attention to anything outside your own business?"
"Orochimaru" asked again, "How are his grades?"
Jiraiya said with a hint of sarcasm, "He's a year below us, and he's also the top genius in his class. Rumor has it his father is Hatake Gen, the Anbu Vice-Commander!"
"Orochimaru" nodded, muttering to himself, Just as I thought!
Hatake Sakumo seemed to sense the gaze. He suddenly turned his head and looked directly into "Orochimaru's" dark-golden snake eyes. Both of their movements paused.
Sakumo's ice-like face shifted slightly. He could sense that the child across from him with the dark-golden eyes was extraordinary.
"Orochimaru," who had long planned to build a super-strong team after his rebirth, narrowed his dark-golden snake eyes, letting out a slight trace of killing intent!
"Orochimaru's" look naturally didn't escape Sakumo's perception. His black eyes sharpened, and he threw an undisguised, provocative glare back.
"Heh heh!" "Orochimaru" chuckled softly, slightly licked his lips, and showed an expression of genuine interest.
Jiraiya, standing nearby, looked helpless. He vaguely sensed a faint scent of gunpowder igniting between the two. One mountain cannot hold two tigers!
"Orochimaru" retracted his gaze and honestly attended class. The physical training consisted of running ten laps around the field, about three thousand meters, which was effortlessly easy for him. Even wearing his weighted clothes, it was just a warm-up.
"Wow—"
Suddenly, a cry of surprise came from Sakumo's class on the other side.
"Orochimaru" turned his head. It was Sakumo's turn to throw kunai. Four out of five kunai had hit the bullseye, and the remaining one was closely grazing the edge of the bullseye, narrowly missing. This naturally caused quite a stir.
"Orochimaru" smiled faintly. Sakumo was still a child at heart. Orochimaru's provocation had worked, and the boy was now challenging him!
"Orochimaru" would naturally not let Sakumo down. He knew that for a genius with such high innate talent and immense internal pride, he had to be firmly suppressed before he would truly submit.
Moreover, "Orochimaru" needed to convey to everyone in Konoha the message that he was a genius. Only this way would he receive the attention he required, and only this way would his many plans proceed without obstruction!
And what is a genius? A genius is a halo built upon the shattered pride, and sometimes even the broken lives, of countless others!
"Orochimaru" walked over to Mikawa, bowed, and asked respectfully, "Teacher Mikawa, may I throw my kunai first?"
Mikawa was momentarily stunned. He naturally had no objection, but mindful of the other students, he looked around. The girls were all showing expressions of infatuated admiration, and quite a few boys openly respected Orochimaru's ability. Mikawa readily agreed.
Jiraiya, rarely seeing Orochimaru so proactive, was excited. He yelled loudly from the side, "Go, Orochimaru! Go! Beat that silver-haired brat!"
Mikawa and the students, upon hearing this "inside story," grew even more expectant. Mikawa keenly noted Sakumo's score—four out of five hits. That child is a genius too! But subtly, Mikawa believed that "Orochimaru" would give him an even bigger surprise.
The teacher and students on Sakumo's side also heard Jiraiya's shouting and gathered around. "Orochimaru's" reputation as the Academy's top genius was well known to those children!
A tight circle formed several meters behind "Orochimaru." Everyone watched his movements with curious anticipation. Sakumo, as the person being challenged, fixed his black eyes tightly on "Orochimaru."
"Orochimaru" took one kunai from his ninja tool pouch. Without any noticeable preparation, he merely flicked his right hand.
The black, sharp kunai immediately turned into a black flash, zipping through the air with a slight tearing sound, and hitting the bullseye with a "thud—."
"Good, fantastic—"
Cheers erupted from "Orochimaru's" class behind him.
Orochimaru did not take out another kunai. Instead, he walked to the target, pulled out the first kunai, and returned to the throwing point. The crowd waited quietly, somewhat confused about why "Orochimaru" was doing this.
"Swoosh—" "Thud—"
"Swoosh—" "Thud—"
"Thud—" Four consecutive hits. By the fourth throw, the sound of the kunai cutting through the air was so faint that it was barely audible.
The students in "Orochimaru's" class were excitedly cheering and unable to contain themselves. The students in Sakumo's class, meanwhile, felt an immense pressure arise from seemingly nowhere.
Mikawa and the other teacher exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in the other's eyes. The students didn't realize it, but the two teachers—one a Chūnin and the other a Special Jōnin—could clearly see that "Orochimaru's" four kunai had not only hit the dead center but were also all lodged in the exact same indentation.
Jiraiya and Sakumo also understood the profound subtlety of the feat, and the shock in their eyes was even greater than the teachers'.
Retrieving the kunai from the fourth throw, "Orochimaru" gave Sakumo a meaningful glance. With the same indifferent expression, he walked back to the throwing point.
For the final throw, "Orochimaru" didn't plan to hold back. A cold, sharp light flashed in his dark-golden snake eyes, and he forcefully flicked his right hand holding the kunai.
The kunai shot out several times faster than the previous four throws. Frighteningly, the sound of the air being sliced was still as faint as a mosquito's buzzing.
"Crack, thud—" The black flash of the kunai hit the bullseye again, in the same indentation as the previous four throws, but this time, it directly pierced the two-finger-thick wooden target and embedded itself in the wall behind it.
"Wow—"
"Amazing—"
...
At this, the crowd was greatly excited. Even Sakumo's class was completely subdued by Orochimaru's powerful display.
Mikawa looked helpless, but the shock in his eyes had not faded. I can't believe this child was still holding back!
Sakumo looked at Orochimaru with dejection. He couldn't imagine that a child just one year older than himself could be so much stronger.
"Orochimaru" paid no attention to the noise and admiration of the crowd, turning his gaze toward Sakumo.
Sakumo's look of dejection lasted only a split second. Seeing "Orochimaru" looking at him, he immediately met the gaze with an expression of firm defiance.
"Orochimaru" smiled slightly. If the future White Fang of Konoha could be crushed by such a small ploy, then he would have had to seriously reconsider whether to include Sakumo in his future team. But, as it stands now, he's acceptable!
Sakumo, of course, had no idea of "Orochimaru's" "bizarre" thoughts. Unwilling to concede, he secretly resolved that after this, he must train even harder!
The surrounding students were thrilled. They had witnessed the birth of the Ninja Academy's top genius, and possibly the top young talent in Konoha's entire junior generation!
Mikawa, meanwhile, quietly raised Orochimaru's assessment in his evaluation book to the next level!
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