Tsunade, like a swift bolt of lightning, lunged from the shadows of the trees on the flank, aiming directly for Hiruzen Sarutobi's seemingly unguarded back.
Her timing was perfect, precisely the moment Hiruzen Sarutobi's attention was fully focused on the stunned Jiraiya.
Not good…
In contrast, Orochimaru, hidden in the shadows on the other side, muttered inwardly that something was amiss.
Because Tsunade's attack was too hasty, and the flaw she exposed was so obvious, it was clearly a trap waiting for them to take the bait.
Sure enough, feeling the strong wind coming from behind him, Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth curved into a knowing smile.
Just as Tsunade's fingertips were about to touch his clothing, he flicked his wrist casually, and the two golden bells tied with red string flew out, arcing gracefully towards an open space on the other side of the training ground.
“Ding-a-ling…”
Instinctively, Tsunade's pupils suddenly contracted, her gaze uncontrollably following the golden glint.
Just this thousandth of a second of hesitation caused a fatal pause in her movements.
Not good…
Tsunade also reacted, realizing something was wrong.
Because the Third Hokage had said that if they couldn't get the bells, they would have to go back to the Ninja Academy, she was too concerned about the bells.
The next moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi moved, his five fingers joined into a palm, striking towards Tsunade's face.
Too late…
Tsunade's heart tightened; at such close range, she had no time to make any effective defense or dodge!
Was she also going to follow in Jiraiya's footsteps and be instantly defeated by a single move?
However, just then…
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Several sharp whooshing sounds suddenly rang out!
Several cold-gleaming metal shuriken, like venomous snakes emerging from their lairs, struck from behind Hiruzen Sarutobi at extremely tricky angles!
“Oh?”
A hint of surprise flashed in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes.
Not just because of the timing and concealment of the attack.
What was even more surprising was that the target of this attack was not himself, but the bells he had thrown out as bait.
In a flash, Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind had already calculated the trajectory of the shuriken; they would certainly knock the two bells away.
However… to think they could snatch the bells just like this, that's a bit too naive…
Hiruzen Sarutobi made a decision instantly, abandoning his suppression of Tsunade, and with a turn of his body, he reached out to grab the bells in the air.
But just as his fingertips were about to touch the bells, an unexpected change occurred!
The shuriken flying towards the bells, just before impact, suddenly burst open with a “bang”!
Dense white smoke permeated the air, perfectly covering the area where the bells were falling and Hiruzen Sarutobi's outstretched hand.
“Hm?”
Hiruzen Sarutobi paused slightly, then reacted. Was it a smoke bomb disguised as a shuriken using the Transformation Technique?
“Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!”
Without time to think, Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a low growl, spewing a fierce gust of wind from his mouth, instantly dispersing the smoke in front of him.
His vision cleared, and the bells were in his hand.
However, Tsunade, who should have been within his attack range, had disappeared.
Hiruzen Sarutobi put away the bells and looked with interest towards the bushes where Orochimaru had been hiding.
He hadn't expected Orochimaru's first reaction to be to rescue his companion rather than snatch the bells.
This judgment and initiative, as well as the unexpected tactical application…
This child named Orochimaru is far more interesting than described in the records.
At the same time…
Tsunade was pulled by Orochimaru into the bushes at the edge of the training ground.
As soon as she stood firm, she felt her face burning, both embarrassed and annoyed.
On one hand, it was due to shyness; she had never had her hand held by another boy before.
On the other hand, she clearly realized that if not for Orochimaru's timely rescue and clever smoke cover, she would likely have been eliminated by the Professor in one move, just like Jiraiya.
“Let… let go! Who asked you to meddle…”
Tsunade forcefully shook off her wrist, which was still being held by him, her cheeks flushed, and she said somewhat unnaturally.
Despite her words, the arrogance in her tone was gone…
“Sorry, it's impossible to snatch the bells from the Professor's hand fighting alone. I need your help.”
Orochimaru didn't seem to care, letting go of her hand, his voice still calm.
He quietly looked at Tsunade and slowly spoke…
…
On the other side, Hiruzen Sarutobi tied Jiraiya to a wooden stake in the center of the field.
“Let me go, Professor! I can still fight! That was just an accident! Give me another chance!”
Jiraiya said unwillingly, his feet flailing in the air.
“You can stay here for now…”
Hiruzen Sarutobi, however, turned a deaf ear, merely dusting off his hands and casting his gaze once more into the depths of the silent forest.
He was curious how these two very different youngsters would challenge him next.
And just then, there was movement in the forest.
The first to rush out was still Tsunade; she took a deep breath, her Chakra subtly covering her fists, and with an unstoppable momentum, she attacked Hiruzen Sarutobi again.
This time, her attack was not reckless, but a steady and methodical offensive.
With the amplification of Chakra, each strike possessed astonishing power.
She was clearly employing the Senju Clan's secret Taijutsu techniques, vaguely showing the prototype of her future “Monster Strength.”
Has she calmed down?
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled, simultaneously using Taijutsu to block Tsunade's attacks.
Tsunade's strength was indeed impressive, but in terms of technique and experience, she was still too green compared to him, the “Professor of Ninjutsu.”
However, just then, a ghostly figure appeared silently in Hiruzen Sarutobi's blind spot behind him.
It was Orochimaru!
Utilizing the Assassin Master stealth experience he gained through the Animus from the assassin's creed World, he perfectly concealed his presence, only bursting forth at the last moment before launching his attack!
Again, two shuriken were shot first, blocking Hiruzen Sarutobi's escape angles.
Immediately after, his Chakra erupted from his feet, not a usual acceleration, but a highly condensed, instantaneous burst of Chakra, granting his body an explosive speed beyond its limits!
Is this an application of the Body Flicker Technique?
Hiruzen Sarutobi was surprised again.
This technique of Chakra burst acceleration requires very sophisticated Chakra control and is by no means something an ordinary Genin can master.
Orochimaru comes from a commoner background, so logically, he shouldn't have any means of accessing such secret or advanced techniques…
Does that mean he discovered it himself?
Despite his surprise, Hiruzen Sarutobi's movements were not slow in the slightest.
He flipped his wrist, pulled out a shuriken, and with a swing, precisely deflected the incoming shuriken.
At the same time, he used a side whip kick to force Tsunade back.
Immediately after, he turned to face the rapidly approaching Orochimaru and engaged him in combat.
But as they fought, Hiruzen Sarutobi noticed something amiss.
Orochimaru's Taijutsu was powerful and steady, but his method of exerting force was completely different from the mainstream Taijutsu of Konoha!
It wasn't solely reliant on Chakra enhancement, but rather focused more on the body's own muscle and bone exertion, with muscles and Chakra bursting forth in synergy, producing a short, incredibly penetrating force!
“Heh~”
Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's reaction, Orochimaru smiled, because this was not a Taijutsu from this World.
But Bajiquan from the One Person Below World…
The more Hiruzen Sarutobi fought, the more his heart was alarmed.
The Taijutsu styles of Konoha, and indeed the entire Ninja World, whether they be Strong Fist or Gentle Fist, their core is to amplify power through the circulation of Chakra.
For example, the Eight Gates Formation, or the Chakra burst acceleration technique Orochimaru himself just used, both achieve explosive speed and strength through Chakra bursts.
But Orochimaru's boxing style seemed to have taken a completely different path, focusing more on excavating the human body's own potential, then supplementing it with Chakra…
Could this really be something a six-year-old child could create on his own?
Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze towards Orochimaru had shifted from initial scrutiny to genuine shock.
And noticing Hiruzen Sarutobi's reaction, a cunning glint flashed in Orochimaru's eyes.
His purpose in specifically using Bajiquan was exactly this; he believed that with the Third Hokage's level, he would be able to discern the differences between the two Worlds.
And he was waiting for this moment, the moment the Third Hokage placed all his attention on him and revealed a weakness!
This is… a technique commonly used by magicians, called Misdirection…
The next moment, Orochimaru abruptly stepped back, simultaneously throwing a smoke bomb to the ground, which burst with a “bang,” instantly engulfing both of their figures.
Not good!
Hiruzen Sarutobi reacted; he had made the same mistake Tsunade had just made.
Almost at the same time, Tsunade on the other side launched another attack, several shuriken forming a triangle, whistling as they shot towards Hiruzen Sarutobi in the smoke.
Facing this sudden attack, Hiruzen Sarutobi merely swayed his body, easily dodging all the shuriken.
But just as the shuriken passed by his side, he keenly sensed an anomaly—the weight and whooshing sound of one of the shuriken were distinctly off! It was too heavy!
The thought had just arisen when that anomalous shuriken, after flying past him, suddenly burst into a puff of smoke with a “bang”!
As the smoke cleared, what appeared was not shuriken fragments, but a white-haired, spiky-headed figure with a defiant, grinning face—Jiraiya!
So that's it!
Hiruzen Sarutobi instantly understood.
“Heh heh! Professor, take this!”
Jiraiya laughed and charged again; at this distance, he could already reach the bells.
And as Jiraiya attacked, Orochimaru and Tsunade also attacked simultaneously.
They formed three different directions with Jiraiya, subtly surrounding Hiruzen Sarutobi in the center.
Looking at the three youngsters attacking simultaneously from three directions with determined resolve, Hiruzen Sarutobi's face broke into a genuine smile.
This ingenious series of tactics, from the initial feint and rescue, to the coordination of smoke and the Transformation Technique, and finally to the combined attack… undoubtedly, the one orchestrating all of this must be Orochimaru, who possessed the ability to attract his attention.
Not only does he possess astonishing talent and learning ability, but he also knows how to utilize his companions and fight cooperatively…
This child, Orochimaru, is truly so excellent that he makes one… have a headache.
However, if he were to let three newly graduated Genin snatch the bells from him just like this, what would become of his dignity as the Third Hokage?
Facing the furious combined attack of the three, Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath, his eyes suddenly sharpening.
“Excellent!”
He let out a low cry, and instead of retreating, he advanced towards their pincer attack.
His figure moved like a ghost, weaving through the gaps in their attacks, his hands flying, patting, blocking, deflecting, or guiding, effortlessly neutralizing their combined assault with pure Taijutsu.
Seeing that their intense offensive yielded no results, the three did not give up, preparing to regroup and pounce again.
“That's enough.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly withdrew his hands and spoke to the three.
“Phew~”
Hearing this, Orochimaru breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed his objective had been achieved.
Tsunade and Jiraiya exchanged glances, not reacting for a moment.
“The assessment is over. All three of you… have passed…”
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled at their tense expressions, sweeping his gaze over the three, and slowly announced…