Naruto : Gamer System-Chapter 44 : Planning

"To put it simply, the rules of the second test are a challenge to the limits of survival," Anko said with a gleam in her eye.

"In this limited space, you must push your ninjutsu and survival skills to the limit. Your goal is to obtain both types of scrolls—the Scroll of Heaven and the Scroll of Earth."

"Half of the teams will carry the Heaven scroll, and the other half the Earth scroll. Only those who possess both scrolls and reach the tower within the time limit will pass. More than half of you will be eliminated. Oh—and remember, reading the scrolls before reaching the tower is strictly forbidden."

As Anko explained the rules, Haruto glanced around the crowd with narrowed eyes. Where are you, Orochimaru...?

Eventually, his gaze landed on a long-haired woman. She didn't match Orochimaru's original disguise from the records, but the way she licked her lips and stared like a predator made it clear—that was him.

The figure suspected of being Orochimaru also locked eyes with Haruto.

"So this is the one they're calling a genius in Konoha lately," Orochimaru thought. "He's sharp... but ultimately no Bloodline Limit. No real value as a vessel. Talented, but he'll cap out at Jōnin at best."

Then his eyes slid to Sasuke. A hunger lit up in them. "Now he... he's perfect. The ideal container."

Sasuke suddenly felt a chill down his spine and instinctively turned, locking eyes with the woman. His Sharingan hadn't awakened yet, but his instincts screamed danger.

The "woman"—Orochimaru—just stuck out a long tongue and licked his face playfully, still staring intently at Sasuke.

Meanwhile, several teams from Kumogakure gathered discreetly together.

One of them, who appeared to be their leader, had large dragon tattoos curling around his arms. He took out a small box filled with strange insects and whispered, "I've already planted the scent of female tracking bugs on him. Once we're inside the Forest of Death, they'll lead us straight to him. Don't act alone—wait until we regroup before launching the assault."

The others nodded.

The leader pulled out three glowing scrolls and said, "Once we're all together, we'll activate this scroll. That'll be the signal to kill him."

Another team leader, a long-haired ninja with a strange totem inked on his left cheek, raised an eyebrow. "Heitong, we're talking about a Genin. Isn't this overkill? You brought three Jōnin, six elite Chūnin, and even one of the forbidden scrolls?"

Heitong glared. "Sha, how many times do I have to tell you—don't underestimate any opponent. He may be a Genin, but he defeated a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. That's not someone we take lightly."

Sha shrugged, unconvinced. "I'm not underestimating him... I just don't get why we're so fixated on him."

"Don't you know? He's the heir to White Fang's sword technique," Heitong said, his voice low and steady.

"So what?" Sha snorted. "Even if he inherited White Fang's style, it doesn't mean he'll reach that level. And even if he does—was White Fang really that terrifying?"

Heitong narrowed his eyes and said slowly, "It seems you still don't understand. Before we left, the Raikage told me something—"

"White Fang might not be the strongest among the Kage-level, but he's definitely the most dangerous. Konoha produces monsters. First White Fang, then the Yellow Flash... they're not just powerful—they're freaks of the battlefield."

"Freaks?" Sha asked, skeptical.

"The kind born for war," Heitong said firmly. "Those who thrive in chaos. They lead small elite squads and break enemy lines like ghost blades in the dark. Numbers don't matter to them. Their presence alone turns tides. White Fang once led a unit straight into Sunagakure's rear lines—took out key officials, burned supplies, and ended the war. Other villages feared him more than any other Konoha shinobi. He was the reason many didn't dare pick a fight with Konoha."

He glanced around at his team, their expressions finally turning serious.

"This is why assassination has always been an unspoken strategy between the villages. Killing a genius before he matures—it's worth any cost. And this time, we don't even need to pay that price. The Chūnin Exams gave us the perfect opportunity."

The air grew tense.

"Whether it's fair or not doesn't matter," Heitong continued. His voice turned low and fervent. "If we succeed this time, we won't need to live in the shadows anymore. No more codenames. No more hiding. If we kill him... we earn our place in the light."

The rest of the Kumogakure shinobi clenched their fists, eyes burning with conviction.

On the other side of the forest, several Kirigakure teams had gathered as well.

"Our mission is simple," said a woman with colorful oil paint smeared across her hands. "We're to evaluate the combat potential of this generation of Konoha shinobi. The data will be important for future diplomatic decisions. If you find any standout seedlings... remove them quietly. But don't go overboard."

Her tone turned sharp. "And as for the one named Haruto Itsuki—he's mine."

A boy standing nearby—Duo, now renamed—frowned and pointed accusingly. "Oi, Gifu! You're just a squad member like us, so why are you barking out orders? Didn't Asaka tell us not to provoke Haruto because he's too strong?"

Gifu pointed to Haku and sneered. "And you want him as our leader? That little coward who won't even kill? The only reason he hasn't been removed is because of someone's special protection."

She laughed coldly. "If he weren't under that no-kill clause, he'd already be gone. Haruto? Hah. He's mine now."

Haku stood quietly, fists clenched but saying nothing.

Duo wanted to argue again, but Haku gently held his arm.

Haku shook his head slightly: "I don't care about status or authority. It's just..." He looked directly at Gifu, calm and clear-eyed. "Since Mizukage-sama gave that order, there must be a reason behind it. It's best we don't disobey."

Gifu let out a mocking chuckle. "A coward is always a coward. Not even the courage to argue. Do whatever you want—I have my own way of handling things. You can't control me."With a sneer, she turned and walked away. A few members of the Kirigakure squad silently followed her.

Haku grabbed Duo again before he could rush forward. "It's fine. Let's go too."

Duo growled, staring at Gifu's back, and stomped his foot in frustration.

A voice piped up weakly beneath him: "Duo... you stepped on me."

Duo scowled and deliberately stomped again. "Shut up."

Meanwhile, Haruto Itsuki had gathered the trusted Konoha Genin around him, casually resting his hand on Murasame. freёwebnoѵel.com

"Hinata, I'm not worried about your team," Haruto said, glancing at her gently."Your Byakugan and tracking are strong. As long as you don't try anything reckless, you'll be fine."He pointed in the distance, toward Gaara, and the areas where Kirigakure and Kumogakure squads gathered. "If you see them—run. Don't try to test them, don't talk, just run."

He turned to Shikamaru, Sakura, and the others. "Same goes for you. If you don't have a scroll, just hide. If you do and they're too strong, drop it. I'll take care of the rest. I'll get us extra scrolls if we need them."

Everyone nodded silently.

Except for Kiba, who raised his voice in protest: "Haruto, don't look down on us like that! We're not that weak!"

He looked around for backup—But Shikamaru just yawned and muttered, "Too troublesome..."Sakura didn't respond. Hinata blushed and looked at the ground. Shino stayed expressionless and silent.

Kiba scratched his head awkwardly. "...Alright, alright, we'll run if it's really bad."

Haruto nodded approvingly.

Then he turned his eyes toward Orochimaru, who was still in disguise among the crowd.

"He's after Sasuke. He won't kill me or Naruto, since we're close to Sasuke. He needs Sasuke emotionally intact—for now."

Haruto's gaze sharpened as he thought it through. "The Curse Mark... I can't stop him from planting it. But if I can copy it after he uses it... and tweak the structure..." He tapped the sheath of Murasame thoughtfully. "If I can re-engineer the spell seal, I might be able to erase the side effects. Orochimaru always leaves a backdoor in his work—I'll find it."

"Of course, you can't pin your hopes on the kindness of the enemy." Haruto touched the oddly-shaped kunai tucked inside his pouch. The triple-pronged blade gleamed faintly—a special Flying Thunder God kunai.

"Although I can't use it in direct combat yet..." He weighed the kunai in his hand, eyes calm."It's good enough to move three people in an emergency."