Chapter 47: The Second Exam Concludes

"Don't blame me; it's your own misfortune." Feng Xue effortlessly dispatched the three who resisted until the end, and found a scroll of the Earth within one of their waist pouches.

"See? Now we have another one." She tossed the scroll in her hand, addressing her two teammates. "Luckily, I never removed the marker back then. Otherwise, we’d be searching for scrolls all over the place like those rookies."

"Stop bragging!" Mu Qianrou, having just withdrawn her Martial Will, was slightly out of breath. Clearly, the heroic-level ill-omened aura radiating from Sasuke earlier had weighed heavily on her. In truth, it was not just the aura itself—the curse mark developed by Orochimaru was based on the naturally chakra-absorbing cells of the Jugo clan, embedding fragments of his own soul and will within it to refine nature chakra imbued with his unique essence.

Such power inherently carried Orochimaru’s personal will, posing particular danger to abilities related to spiritual manifestations.

Mu Qianrou’s Martial Will, forged from countless battles and honed through experience and spirit, was most vulnerable to energies steeped in intense malice—not because of restraint, but because of direct opposition, much like pouring water into concentrated sulfuric acid. Especially when that aura was an entire tier above her own, and between a heroic and transcendent level, the difference was not merely one rank but a leap across reality and fantasy.

Had Mu Qianrou not quickly deactivated her will upon sensing danger, the impact would have been far more than a mere shock.

"Xia Mi, did your Qiu Niu manifestation suffer any ill effects?" Feng Xue inspected her own Gourmet Demon. Perhaps due to its inherently sinister nature, she felt only a slight disturbance—just a bit of purifiable evil energy, akin to stepping in dog mess: unpleasant, but a wash would suffice. For Mu Qianrou, it was as if the mess had been smeared across her face, intolerable both physically and mentally, enough to leave lasting trauma.

"Orochimaru’s curse mark is ingeniously designed!" Xia Mi ignored Feng Xue’s question and instead analyzed its principles. "He managed to corrupt nature energy with his own will. What’s most astonishing is that he succeeded! He’s almost on par with those evil cultivators in the world of cultivation. If chakra didn’t hinder him, he could probably achieve immortality through training alone, without the need for constant body-swapping."

"I’m not asking you to sympathize with Orochimaru. There are enough Orochimarus in the Celestial Empire’s research bases to form an entire legion! I’m asking if your manifestation has any problems!" Feng Xue replied irritably. As a master of core technology, Orochimaru’s research abilities were top-tier. In the Naruto world, where the technological tree was skewed, he alone had developed cloning, organ transplants, bloodline mixing, and test-tube babies—technologies that even in Feng Xue’s previous life counted as advanced achievements.

Such talent would naturally be valued. Not to mention the Western human clans, just the Orochimaru brought out by the Eastern clans—after reaching the fantasy level, there were plenty of methods to bring followers—could single-handedly support a research base specializing in biotech. Once freed from the limits of mortality, the Orochimarus devoted themselves to the boundless ocean of knowledge.

Before Feng Xue entered this world, she’d even heard that a dozen Orochimarus were collaborating on researching EVA!

"Ahem, don't be so pessimistic. It may not have the evil-breaking attributes of Pulao, Suan Ni, or Bi An, but it’s still one of the nine sons of the dragon, naturally endowed with warding abilities," Xia Mi waved her hand carelessly, indicating she was perfectly fine.

Still, Orochimaru’s curse mark served as a warning for the three. The textbooks only provided a framework; the plot was merely a reference. If anyone relied on it as a life-saving straw, it would be just that—a straw.

Who would have thought, just from reading the manga, that the curse mark’s evil aura would leak out, even polluting spiritual manifestations?

As they spoke, the three arrived at the high tower. Thanks to Feng Xue’s aura radiating outward, not a single extra came to bother them, saving them some trouble.

"What do you think would happen if we never opened the scroll?" At the central tower, Feng Xue sat casually in a chair, taking out the centipede meat she’d saved earlier and began to cook, showing no intention of opening the scroll.

"It doesn’t matter. Though the original translation called it a possession technique, I think it’s more likely a summoning jutsu. There’s no blood involved, but it is the Chunin Exams. If it really were a possession, damaging the scroll would mean the Chunin inside would perish too—like the one Orochimaru burned," Mu Qianrou leaned against the wall, watching Feng Xue cook, occasionally wiping away involuntary drool. "Even if we do nothing, once time’s up, the Chunin inside will jump out anyway."

"That’s not necessarily true. What if they decide we failed because we didn’t understand the wall’s clues and judge us unqualified? Remember, Konohagakure is hosting this time—home-field bias and all... Plus, we’re from Orochimaru’s village. Ever since Orochimaru and Anko met with the Sound Village forehead protector, our background is no longer a secret. Hey, give me two more hamburger steaks!" Xia Mi spoke while keeping her eyes on the food in Feng Xue’s pot. In three days, both she and Mu Qianrou had become genuine foodies thanks to Feng Xue’s cooking.

"Should we open it then?" Feng Xue speared a piece of hamburger steak and hesitated as she brought it to her mouth.

"No rush, let’s finish eating first!" Mu Qianrou bit into an over-fried meat patty, making a crunchy sound.

"Then let’s eat first," Xia Mi concluded, and the three fell into a quiet, rustling feast.

After their meal—though there was no wine—Xia Mi and Mu Qianrou each tore open a scroll. In the next instant, a non-mainstream ninja with a cloth tied over his nose jumped out. He looked vaguely familiar, but for Feng Xue, such minor characters who only appeared a few times in the original story weren’t worth remembering by name.

But Iron Kanji thought differently. At this moment, he stood before the trio with a dark expression. The scattered pots and pans on the ground, the lingering aroma of food, and the meat strips still hanging from their mouths—all showed that the three had just enjoyed a full meal here, and not the typical ninja fare like rice with tea, but an actual banquet.

"Just how utterly relaxed are these three? Are they distant relatives of the Akimichi clan?" Iron Kanji rapidly explained the words on the wall, then vanished without a backward glance. He hadn’t eaten yet! If his stomach rumbled while he was explaining, it would be a disgrace to Konoha!