After consuming several consecutive meals of simple rations provided by Konoha, the first half of the second stage of the Chunin Exams finally drew to a close as the final team entered the tower.
Just as in the original timeline, Konoha emerged as the biggest winner. On one hand, they were fighting on home turf, which effectively eliminated the possibility of being sabotaged and granted them a certain degree of protection and preferential treatment. On the other hand, the caliber of this year's Genin was truly exceptional; over half of them belonged to clans possessing Kekkei Genkai or secret techniques, a gap that commoner-born ninja could never hope to bridge.
Seeing these "seeds of hope" for the village, the Third Hokage managed to crack a gratified smile despite being frazzled by news of Orochimaru's appearance. He was entirely unaware that his former disciple was currently standing just a short distance away, cloaked by a false identity and standing brazenly in the open. Furthermore, Kabuto, his ace spy planted in the village, was also hidden among the crowd of Genin.
If one included the Sand ninja, the once-greatest hidden village had been infiltrated until it was practically a sieve.
Watching the old man on the podium deliver a speech about the true intent of the Chunin Exams, Allen couldn't help but sigh softly. "How pathetic. If the Second Hokage knew that the man he entrusted with his legacy turned Konoha into this, I wonder if he'd regret his decision."
"Allen-sama, please be careful. There are many Konoha brats around us," Karin reminded him in a low voice.
"It doesn't matter. Our current identity is that of Sound ninja; we have no reason or need to coddle the feelings of Konoha's shinobi. This is exactly why I dislike these hidden villages and great nations. Their way of thinking is stagnant, and they utterly lack the courage to break the existing deadlock. If I had to describe them in one phrase, they are the guardians of this world's obsolete interest groups, hounds kept by the Daimyo and the nobles. No matter how many flowery words they use or how they emphasize the so-called 'Shinobi Spirit' and 'Will of Fire,' it cannot change this ugly reality."
Allen didn't bother masking his words, speaking bluntly about the naked transactional relationship between the villages and the states. The more he understood this world, the more he felt a deep-seated loathing for these shinobi and their villages.
Without these individuals wielding powerful supernatural forces, the common people at the bottom who could no longer survive would have likely risen in rebellion long ago to overthrow the rule of the aristocrats and slowly build a modern social structure more suited to the development of productivity. This was precisely why the technology in the Naruto world was so bizarrely inconsistent: anything that had the potential to destabilize feudal rule was ruthlessly suppressed or wiped out entirely.
While the two were talking, Hayate Gekko finally appeared to preside over the preliminary one-on-one selections.
"I withdraw!" Kabuto, clearly unwilling to expose his true strength here, chose to bow out without hesitation. However, as he left, he surreptitiously pressed a small note into Allen's palm.
Allen opened it to find a single line of small script: Don't withdraw. Continue with the third exam.
"What is he playing at? This isn't quite the original plan."
Allen instinctively frowned, casting his gaze toward Orochimaru on the other side. But Orochimaru merely offered a faint smile, showing no intention of explaining.
Before Allen could figure out what the man was plotting, Hayate Gekko suddenly called out the name of his current alias. His opponent was none other than the "Second Young Master," Sasuke, who had just been branded with the Cursed Seal of Heaven and was currently wearing a grim expression.
Instantly, Allen realized Orochimaru's intent: he wanted to use Allen's hand to ruthlessly crush Sasuke's self-confidence, stoking an unparalleled thirst for power that would eventually drive him to defect. For the sole survivor of the Uchiha, the greatest meaning in life was seeking revenge against his brother, Itachi. If he found that Konoha could not grant him the strength he needed, defection would become an inevitable choice.
With this in mind, Allen jumped down from the spectator stands and walked toward the referee, eyeing his opponent with a touch of curiosity. Sasuke was sizing him up as well.
The moment Hayate Gekko signaled the start, both sides lunged forward simultaneously.
THUD!
Accompanied by the dull thud of clashing fists, Sasuke was sent flying uncontrollably. He slammed hard into the wall behind him, coughing up a spray of blood as a look of horror dawned in his eyes. He never dreamed that the taijutsu he had copied from others wouldn't even last a single exchange.
Moreover, that indescribable, monstrous strength would be one thing if it came from a hulking, muscular brute. But Allen looked to be only about 1.65 meters tall. Though his exposed forearms showed some definition, they didn't look particularly overdeveloped.
Sasuke would never know that the internal muscle structure of his opponent was no longer entirely human. The most critical muscle groups and connective tissues were more akin to those of insects; their oxygen consumption and energy demands were over ten times that of a normal human. This was why Allen's appetite was growing and why the oxygen-carrying capacity of his red blood cells was ten times higher than that of a professional athlete.
To a certain extent, even without the additional boons from Nen, his Hunter class template, or Chakra, he was already a complete superhuman.
Spitting out the blood remaining in his mouth, Sasuke struggled to his feet. He glared with his crimson Sharingan and asked, "What was that eerie power just now?"
"Didn't you see it already? It was just a simple punch. The brain sends a command to the nerves, and the nerves cause the muscles to contract, creating movement. That's all," Allen replied with a smile.
"Just a punch?" Sasuke's voice was thick with skepticism.
Allen nodded slightly. "Exactly. Just a punch. If you don't believe me, you can try again, but the result won't change."
"Hmph! Of course I'm trying again!"
True to his stubborn nature, Sasuke charged back in at a speed almost invisible to the naked eye. Thanks to Kakashi's recent special training, he had clearly mastered the technique of using Lightning-attribute Chakra to enhance his physical body and reaction speed ahead of schedule.
No wonder Orochimaru wants me to crush Sasuke's confidence, Allen thought, noting the changes since the Land of Waves. At his current level, among the Genin here, probably only the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki Naruto, the One-Tail Jinchuriki Gaara, and Karin could suppress him.
Faced with this improved opponent, Allen became a fraction more serious. This time, his punch was even faster. His arm blurred into a mere shadow, and with a resounding CRACK, he sent Sasuke flying once again.
Despite having his Sharingan active and tracking the fleeting fist, Sasuke's body simply couldn't keep up. He could only watch helplessly as the blow landed, and the surrounding scenery began to recede at a dizzying pace. Two or three seconds later, a wave of agonizing pain radiated from the point of impact as he tumbled onto his back.