Chapter 70: The Naive Snake Uncle, Indeed - The White Eyed Princess of Konoha

### Chapter 70: The Naive Snake Uncle, Indeed Orochimaru's face briefly froze, ignoring Hinata's innocent antics. He unfurled his tongue to loop around the scroll and forcibly shoved it into his mouth. Licking his lips with an air of mischief, he said, "Let's begin, then. A battle for the scrolls... I'll be going all out." Hinata's eye twitched. One of the legendary Sannin bullying elementary school kids, where's the justice in that? "Wait!" Hinata shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at Orochimaru, her voice brimming with determination. "Since it's a scroll battle, is it a battle of wits or strength?" Orochimaru's interest was piqued as he asked, "Oh? What do you mean by a battle of wits? And what about strength?" Hinata explained, "A battle of strength means we'd go at it chaotically. The last team left standing wins." "As for a battle of wits... we each use one jutsu, and you figure out how to counter it. Then you use a jutsu, and we counter it. If you can't counter it, you're done for!" Orochimaru mused to himself, "Ninjas never engage in 'battles of wits,' but considering my strength, if I go all out, they wouldn't hold up for long. Besides, this little girl from the Hyuga clan... she might have some secrets." Immersed in ninjutsu, Orochimaru was intrigued by Hinata’s proposition for a 'battle of wits.' He replied playfully, "Let's go by your 'battle of wits' rules then." "Great!" Hinata shoved Naruto forward, commanding, "Naruto, you go first!" "Watch me!" Naruto, filled with bravado, formed seals with a shout, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Orochimaru found it amusing. Shadow clones might work on a typical genin, but he was one of the Sannin, Orochimaru! Such naive kids. 'Boom' In the forest, Naruto's shadow clones created a massive cloud of smoke that spread in all directions. Through the haze stood hundreds of Narutos, perched on tree branches or upside down. The multitude of Narutos chaotically babbled, so their words were impossible to discern. Orochimaru thought to himself, "Interesting, this kid certainly has a lot of chakra!" Just as Orochimaru was about to comment, hundreds of Narutos split into groups of three, darting off in all directions with incredible speed... Hinata and Sasuke had transformed into Naruto clones, joining Naruto's real body. They blended into the throng of 'Narutos,' sprinting towards the center tower. The trio was already close to the tower, so within a few strides, it appeared in their line of sight. Glancing back towards Orochimaru's direction, Hinata inwardly sneered, "You may be one of the Sannin, but wasn't I able to outsmart you?" The naive Snake Uncle, indeed. Orochimaru: "..." Orochimaru never anticipated Hinata would flee. With jonin-level strength, Hinata should be atop the food chain in the Forest of Death. Who would have thought she'd be so shameless, misleading his intelligence and then fleeing. Orochimaru's serpentine eyes swept the area. Shadow clone vulnerabilities couldn't be seen through even with the Byakugan, but transformation jutsu was different. However, surrounded by dense forests with peculiar-shaped ancient trees, and without the Byakugan, Orochimaru couldn't locate the trio. "Hehehe... How amusing, being fooled by a kid." "Did she realize my identity... or sense a hint of danger?" "Such a wary kid." Forty-odd seconds later, Hinata, Naruto, and Sasuke arrived at the base of the central tower. Hinata wiped sweat from her brow, feeling utterly drained, and sighed, "Phew~ What a save, we actually made it out." Naruto cast a suspicious glance at Hinata, puzzled, "Hinata, was that person really that strong?" Sasuke's face was stony, replying in a serious tone, "Very strong!" Both Naruto and Sasuke knew Hinata well; if they encountered anyone weaker than their team, Hinata would charge in without hesitation. Hinata's peculiar behavior upon encountering Orochimaru did not escape their notice. Especially when Hinata used the 'battle of wits' ruse to push Naruto forward; her intent to escape was undeniable. Naruto's only jutsu was the Shadow Clone Technique. Sasuke asked Hinata, "What do we do now?" Hinata's expression was grim. Considering Kiba and Neji's groups, as well as other Konoha ninja squads, she wouldn't have to worry about her meals for the next seven months. Kiba's group owed her three months of meals, while the others promised a month each. But now... Looking at the remaining ten scrolls, if she played her cards right, it could mean over a year's worth of free meals! This was really a huge loss! Opportunities like this to milk others for free meals might never come again. Hinata glanced back at the gloomy Forest of Death. Was Orochimaru still lurking there? She shuddered. I definitely don't want to fight that creepy Orochimaru. Losing isn't a big deal; the Curse Mark of Heaven can even make you stronger. The terrifying part is when Orochimaru might suddenly reach out with a long tongue to tie you up, or summon a giant snake to swallow you whole... "Let's go! Let's get through this exam first!" Pushing open the central tower's door, Hinata, Naruto, and Sasuke entered side by side. The spacious room was empty, but a plaque written by the 'Third Hokage' hung on the wall, full of profound meaning. Hinata surveyed the area and said, "I guess we're supposed to open the scrolls." Naruto and Sasuke pulled out two scrolls, one marked 'Heaven' and the other 'Earth,' and opened them simultaneously. The scrolls seemed to contain a summoning script, with a large 'person' character in the center. Smoke erupted... Sasuke shouted, "Naruto, throw the scrolls away!" Both tossed the scrolls, and as smoke billowed forth, Iruka stood in the midst, looking at Naruto with a gentle smile. He said, "Hi! Long time no see!" Naruto beamed with exaggerated joy, shouting, "Iruka-sensei, why did you appear like this?" Iruka chuckled, "As chunin, we're here to greet candidates finishing the second exam... Congratulations, you've passed the second exam." "For a celebration..." Iruka rubbed his nose, appearing a bit bashful, and proudly said, "Once the exam's over, I'll treat you to Ichiraku Ramen..." Naruto threw himself at Iruka, jubilantly shouting, "Hurray..." After some playfulness, Iruka pointed to the plaque on the wall, continuing, "Our orders are to convey the experiences of the Third Hokage regarding the 'chunin'." Hinata scratched her cheek thoughtfully, asking, "Iruka-sensei, are you a shadow clone right now?" Naruto curiously eyed Iruka, wondering if he could perform shadow clone jutsu too. Iruka scratched his head and laughed, "Haha, I am! Why do you ask..." 'Bang!' With a swift strike, Hinata dispelled Iruka's shadow clone, flipping her hair nonchalantly, she said, "A simple celebration is enough, I don't want to hear any long-winded speeches!" Naruto and Sasuke nodded in agreement.