Chapter 47
Without bothering to pay attention to Sasuke's reaction, Zixu and his group quickly left. He had no interest in listening to the complaints of a sore loser. Frankly, it was already generous of Lee not to have seriously injured him. Zixu had no idea where Sasuke got the audacity to challenge them in the first place.
As the Chunin Exams drew closer, the entire village underwent noticeable changes. The event had always been a stage where different villages tested each other's strength, determining future power balances and alliances. Naturally, every village treated it with utmost importance—it directly influenced how much influence and power they could gain.
Zixu could sense these changes all around him.
"The security seals have increased, and the barriers are stacked layer upon layer like nesting dolls. Why are they being so cautious?" He muttered to himself, taking note of the increased defensive measures.
The reason wasn't hard to guess. The streets of Konoha were now filled with shinobi from various villages, all supposedly arriving early to "acclimate" themselves to the exam environment. But anyone with half a brain could tell these guys weren't here just for sightseeing. There were undoubtedly hidden agendas at play.
Strangely enough, the Third Hokage allowed all these foreign ninjas to roam freely in Konoha. Zixu couldn't quite figure out what the old man was thinking. Was this some kind of political move, or was he just too confident in Konoha's strength?
To pass the time, Zixu wandered around the village, both to clear his mind and to see if he could pick up any useful information from the outsiders. However, he quickly noticed a pattern—most foreign shinobi were being closely shadowed by Konoha ninja. The official explanation would probably be "escort duty," but in reality, it was obvious surveillance.
That said, only the weaker participants were subjected to such treatment. The truly strong ninja from other villages strolled through Konoha's streets without a single Konoha shinobi daring to tail them. The contrast in how they were treated made one thing painfully clear—strength dictated respect.
As Zixu continued his walk, a particular scent suddenly drifted into his nose.
"Hmm? That smell... Snakes?" His expression soured as he sniffed the air again. It was faint but unmistakable.
Following the scent, he found himself outside a small dango shop. Pushing open the door, his eyes immediately landed on a silver-haired young man with glasses, casually eating his skewered sweets. The scent was strongest around him, though it wasn't coming directly from him. Instead, it seemed like he had been in close contact with the real source.