Reborn in Naruto As Orochimaru (AU)

Chapter 41: Chunin Exam

"It has been quite busy these days," Orochimaru said, walking alone on the street, taking a rare moment to relax.

The Chunin Exam was approaching, held once a year. The current Chunin Exam was much simpler than the future ones. It was essentially a test of physical prowess, where the one with the stronger fist emerged as the winner - straightforward and rough.

Yet, this was a selection of ninjas, and though the customs were more aggressive due to the different times, it wasn't merely about written tests. The exam aimed to test their hearts, survival instincts, and their ability to cooperate. They would have to traverse the dangerous Death Forest covertly and seize scrolls, but the ninjas needed to assess the situation and work together. Hence, the first level was a melee.

This level was relatively straightforward, with fifty or sixty participants forming groups of three to four, fighting it out in a massive arena akin to the circular one where the Twelve Konoha ninja's of the future generation would compete.

After about two-thirds of the participants were eliminated, the remaining ones would duel one another. Hokage and the esteemed ninja clan leaders would recommend qualified contestants to become Chunin.

Even medical ninjas had to pass the first level, as they needed to learn how to protect themselves on the battlefield.

In previous years, Hokage-sama might not be present, but this year Tsunade was going to participate, and the Senju family might also attend.

Orochimaru wasn't wealthy at the moment, unable to do much about it. Most of his net worth lay in the medical field, and he had been burnt financially by Uchiha. For over half a year, he couldn't even afford to eat ramen without a job.

Thankfully, he was an apprentice of Konoha's Jonin Sarutobi. He would never starve, and once he became a Chunin, he would naturally receive allowances.

"Do ninjas only go outside to make money? It feels like they're doing missions just to eat," Orochimaru mumbled to himself. This world was a distorted one. It relied on the strength of ninjas to protect the country's economy and ensure its development. Generally, small vassal countries couldn't build ninja villages and could only hire ninjas from larger nations.

However, how could the money earned from missions be enough to sustain a ninja? During times of peace, there were fewer robbers and rebels, and most high-level missions were issued by the village, with the money sponsored by the daimyo.

Ultimately, the daimyo was like an ATM, and the village's Kage was a superficial show of respect, easily replaceable. Every country needed more land to develop, and to acquire land, it had to be plundered by ninjas. Cultivating ninjas required a lot of money, so in the end, it all boiled down to the need for land.

This world was indeed quite wild. Due to conflicting material interests, resources in the Naruto World were unevenly distributed. They didn't suffer from scarcity but rather inequality, leading to conflicts and fights even if they understood each other.

As Orochimaru ate a few meatball strings, he wondered if he could secretly use his ninja abilities to run a company in the future and then use capital to influence the world.

"Why is this ramen so salty!" Orochimaru complained, "Maybe they put too much seasoning?"

At that moment, Orochimaru spotted an acquaintance. "Hey! Hiruko, what are you up to?"

"Ah! It's Orochimaru." Hiruko seemed quite amicable but also a bit uncertain.

"The Chunin Exam is approaching, so we're seeing many outsiders arriving," Hiruko said nervously, glancing at a few fierce-looking guys.