Naruto: Drinking Makes You Stronger

The candidates of Konoha looked at Orochimaru with admiration and asked respectfully.

At this time, Orochimaru held great prestige in Konoha.

It could be said that he was the second-in-command, just below the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

As a result, the people of Konoha greatly revered him.

"Alright, everyone, place them on the most prominent spot on your faces," Orochimaru said with a meaningful smile.

He then produced a set of stickers from behind.

The Konoha ninjas took a closer look and were immediately dumbfounded.

Wasn't this the little red flower sticker used in Konoha's Ninja School to reward outstanding children?

"Orochimaru-sama, are you… kidding us?" Inuzuka Aki asked, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Place this on the most visible part of your face? Isn't that the forehead?

How can they fight with ninjas from other villages with something like this on their foreheads?

It was almost laughable!

The other Konoha candidates had equally awkward expressions.

"This is an order. You must wear the sticker throughout the second exam. Do not remove it. If it falls off, replace it immediately. As ninjas, you know what to do," Orochimaru said, his voice cold as he addressed Aki's defiance.

"Understood, Lord Orochimaru," replied Yūnashi Aburame, the calmest of the group, after a brief silence.

He pushed his sunglasses up, reached out, and took the sticker from Orochimaru's hand.

If one looked closely, they would notice his hands trembling slightly, showing that his heart wasn't as calm as his outward appearance.

He gritted his teeth and stuck the sticker on his forehead.

A large, bright red flower was now clearly visible on his face.

"What are the Konoha guys doing?" someone from the other villages muttered.

"Hahahaha, this is ridiculous! What's with that? A little red flower?"

"Is Konoha Village going to change its name to Flower Village?"

"Konoha, are you seriously going to fight with a little red flower on your forehead?"

"Isn't this the ninja school? Have you all not graduated yet?"

The other candidates from the Hidden Villages were dumbfounded when they saw what the Konoha team was doing.

Then, they burst out laughing.

The loudest laughter came from the ninjas of the Hidden Cloud Village, who had always had a rivalry with Konoha. Seeing this "funny" scene, they couldn't help but sneer and mock.

Hearing the mockery, Aki face flushed with embarrassment.

"Damn it! What's so funny about this?" he muttered under his breath.

"Hurry up and stick it on! This is an order, you understand, Aki?" Haruki Hyuga, a teammate, patted Aki on the shoulder, though his own expression was equally humorous.

"Damn it!" Aki gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and forcefully stuck the sticker on his forehead.

"Ninja Dog, you too," Orochimaru added, looking at Kiba's dog, Zuwan.

"Woof! Woof!" Zuwan wagged his tail, looking quite pleased with himself.

"Slap!"

"Woo-"

But after the sticker was placed, Zuwan's enthusiasm quickly deflated, its tail drooping in defeat, showing a defeated posture.

The funniest sight was among the Hyuga clan members. As members of the branch family, they were not allowed to reveal their foreheads.

So, they had no choice but to place the stickers on the center of their brows.

With their Byakugan eyes, the result looked even more ridiculous.

Hearing the ridicule around them, everyone from Konoha felt heat rise to their faces.

At the same time, they felt some resentment. What was the village thinking? Why were they being humiliated by this ridiculous sticker?

Back in Konoha, in a special room, all the team leaders participating in the Chunin Exams were gathered.

"Those Konoha guys, are they stupid or what? Is this some new custom you have in Konoha?" the Samehada wielder Fuguki Sukaizan, showing his mouth full of fangs, said with a grin, watching the scene unfold on the crystal ball.

The sarcasm in the words was unmistakable.

On the other hand, the leader of the Hidden Cloud Village, Raikage's representative, laughed without restraint.

The faces of Konoha's upper ninjas darkened.

"Believe it or not, I'll break your teeth," Jiraiya, who was in charge of maintaining order, said with a grim expression. He glanced at the representative of the Mist and the Raikage's representative, his voice cold and faint.

The expressions of the two immediately froze.

Jiraiya, one of the "Three Legendary Sannin," was not someone they could afford to offend.

"Hmph, I look forward to seeing your performance, Konoha," Fuguki sneered, turning his attention back to the second exam.

"Kill all the Konoha people for me," he muttered under his breath, a malicious glint in his eye.

In the Death Forest, at the entrance.

"Leo, right? We've completed everything according to the requirements. Are you satisfied?" Orochimaru asked, looking at Leo, who was holding a sword in his left hand and a bottle of wine in his right. A smile appeared on Orochimaru's pale face.

This scene was so interesting that even Orochimaru, usually so composed, couldn't hide his amusement.

"Haha, this saves a lot of trouble. Except for those with this sticker, I've cut down everyone else." Leo glanced around, feeling like a genius. With the obvious little red flower sticker, he didn't have to waste time figuring out which Shinobi village someone was from.

Those with the little red flowers... were off-limits!

"Leo, here we are," a melodic voice called out. It was Rin and Kurenai, approaching with bottles of wine in their hands. Behind them were Asuma and Obito, both looking somewhat distressed.

"Why so slow? Be careful, or I'll cut you both!" Leo scolded impatiently, glaring at them. The exam was dragging on, and the thought of going days without drinking made him uneasy. He snatched the wine from them and stuffed it into his backpack.

"Sorry, we're sorry!" Asuma and Obito quickly apologized, their fear of Leo's threat evident in their expressions.

"This is ridiculous! We're wearing these stickers just to stop Leo from accidentally attacking Konoha's examinee?" Aki muttered in disbelief, overhearing the conversation between Orochimaru and Leo. The rest of the Konoha team looked equally awkward.

So, the biggest threat in the Chunin Exam wasn't the elite shinobi from other villages—it was their own teammate?

"Pfft, look, Asuma! What's with the little red flowers on their foreheads?" Obito burst out laughing, pointing at the Konoha ninjas.

Asuma couldn't help but laugh too, his amusement clear.

The Konoha ninjas glared at them but said nothing. Someone whispered that Obito was from the Uchiha clan, and Asuma was the son of the Third Hokage. Confronting them was not an option.

When they learned the stickers were meant to help Leo avoid attacking his own allies, the Konoha candidates felt even more humiliated.

Obito and Asuma, however, thought to themselves, This little red flower? It's a lifesaver!

"Good luck, Leo!" Rin exclaimed, grabbing Leo's arm excitedly and waving her small fist.

"Be careful," Kurenai added, her eyes filled with worry.

"Don't worry. Wait for my good news, and we'll drink together later!" Leo said, pulling Rin and Kurenai into a hug.

"Mm," they murmured softly, their faces flushed.

Asuma and Obito, watching from behind, felt a mix of envy and exasperation.

Orochimaru observed with interest, his snake-like eyes gleaming. Not only had Leo advanced to the second round, but Konoha's candidates had also been allowed to wear ridiculous stickers and even carry wine into the exam.

What was so special about this kid that he could bend the rules so easily?

But Orochimaru wasn't in a hurry. As the chief examiner for the second exam, he had plenty of time to find out.

"The second exam begins now!" Orochimaru announced.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

The Konoha participants darted into the Death Forest from various entrances, eager to escape the ridicule and mocking stares of the other villages. At that moment, they just wanted to disappear into the forest.

Leo, calm as ever, waved goodbye to Rin and Kurenai, his backpack full of wine and Shusui resting on his shoulder. He strolled into the forest with an air of indifference.

"Leo… interesting," Orochimaru murmured, watching him disappear into the dense trees, a sly smile forming on his lips.

Konoha, Training Field No. 44, Death Forest!

Tons—Tons—Tons—

Leo wandered through the forest, sipping the fine wine Asuma and Obito had brought.

"Where did those bastards go? They really run fast," Leo muttered, hiccuping as he swayed, his vision blurring from the alcohol.

He had intended to leave everyone behind and head straight to Sarutobi's house for more wine, but once they entered the forest, everyone scattered like mice into the shadows.

Now, after wandering for a while, he hadn't spotted anyone.

Instead, he'd just drunk too much. And, to his surprise, the wine Asuma had stolen from Sarutobi's house was unexpectedly good.

What Leo didn't know was that three low-ranking ninjas from Takinin Village were watching him from the shadows.

"Big Brother, that arrogant, drunk kid—let's take him out," one of the Takinin ninjas said with a dark look.

"This brat was so cocky in the first exam. Now, he's finally in our hands," the older Takinin ninja, known as "Big Brother," smirked.

"Big Brother, something doesn't feel right. This kid was escorted to the second round. Konoha's backing him. Why would they let him take the second test alone?" another Takinin ninja asked, uneasy.

"Hmph, what strength can a drunk kid possibly have? You're overthinking it. We'll take him out quickly, grab his scroll, and be the first to pass," the older ninja responded eagerly.

"But—"

"Enough! Get ready to move!" The leader snapped, cutting off the other ninja's protest.

Meanwhile, the actions of the three Takinin ninjas were being closely watched in the observation room through a special screen.

The Takinin ninjas were eager, knowing no teams had begun fighting yet. If they made the first kill—and especially if it was a Konoha ninja—it would bring great attention to their village.

"Oh? Looks like the Konoha kid with the wine is being targeted," Fuguki grinned, showing his sharp fangs as he glanced at Jiraiya.

Jiraiya's expression remained unchanged, while the Jonin leader of the Mist couldn't help but snicker. He was secretly hoping to see Leo fall to the Takinin ninjas and eagerly awaited Jiraiya's reaction.

With that thought, his grin widened.

Tons—Tons—Tons—

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Leo continued his leisurely walk, humming and drinking.

Suddenly, several kunai shot out from the shadows, each carrying a detonating tag.

Leo narrowed his eyes and swayed effortlessly, dodging all the kunai.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The kunai lodged themselves into a large tree, and the surrounding forest was quickly engulfed in flames from the explosions.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

"Smelly kid, you're lucky. Drinking too much actually helped you dodge the kunai," one of the Takinin ninjas taunted as he stepped into view.

The three Takinin ninjas now stood before Leo, assuming that his luck had saved him from their attack.

Leo squinted and sized them up.

No forehead protector. No symbol of a ninja village.

"No flower. I guess you're all the one i need to cut down," Leo grinned, excitement gleaming in his eyes.