Roy gently rubbed the bottle, thinking to himself: "The bloodlines of the Uchiha and Uzumaki clans would hold immense research value for Vegapunk. Moreover, these two individuals are no ordinary people; they are reincarnated descendants of the Sage of Six Paths, making the power contained within their bloodlines undoubtedly more precious and complex."
If he could research something through these blood samples, it might help him better integrate the Sharingan, or even set him on the path to becoming a Six Paths-level powerhouse.
Carefully putting the two bottles of blood away again, Roy's gaze returned to the distant Hokage Rock.
After his battle with Orochimaru, Roy had gained a deeper and more intuitive understanding of the power system in the Naruto world.
In his comparison, the One Piece world was indeed much stronger in terms of overall power structure, especially in the lower, middle, and even upper tiers of combat strength.
Top-tier powerhouses like Admirals and Emperors had demonstrated strength surpassing ordinary Kage-level shinobi, and even some Vice Admirals' strength approached the Kage-level. However, at the very pinnacle of power, the gap seemed significant.
Super Kage-level powerhouses like Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha would likely be difficult for him to contend with, even with his current strength.
As for the legendary Sage of Six Paths and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, they were even more unattainable. Even Im, the equally mysterious figure in the One Piece world, would likely be helpless against such opponents.
"Next step is to obtain the Sharingan." Roy chuckled softly as his plans steadily progressed.
Meanwhile, at the Hokage's office, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi listened to the Anbu's report, his face hidden behind swirling cigarette smoke.
As the report ended, he slowly tapped the ash from his pipe.
Then, he lightly waved his hand, signaling the Anbu to withdraw, and the room returned to silence.
The Third Hokage stood up, walked slowly to the window, and gazed out at the thriving Konoha Village in the distance.
A complex emotion showed in his eyes. After a moment of contemplation, his gaze gradually became resolute.
At the same time, the atmosphere at the third exam venue of the Ninja Academy was tense.
The examinees naturally gathered into small groups according to their prior pairings.
Amidst the clamor, a figure quietly mingled in: Kabuto Yakushi.
His identity was that of a veteran examinee who had taken the exam multiple times without success, and he was chatting with the younger examinees, sharing so-called "exam experience."
Naruto was loudly proclaiming his ambitions as usual, drawing laughter from those around him.
Kabuto listened patiently, nodding and smiling occasionally.
However, not everyone was fooled by his facade.
Sasuke felt a faint sense of unease.
Though he hadn't yet mastered Observation Haki, combined with his all-seeing Sharingan, it was enough for him to detect subtle changes.
He subtly activated his Observation Haki, and the suspicion in his heart grew stronger. He realized Kabuto's appearance was no coincidence, but lacking concrete evidence, he could only remain alert and quietly signaled Naruto to keep a certain distance.
As time passed, the preliminary tournament slowly began.
Although Roy was outside the venue, he could still watch the entire match via the live broadcast.
But soon, Roy raised an eyebrow slightly, a look of surprise appearing on his face.
The first-round match was actually Rock Lee versus Sasuke Uchiha. Such a matchup did not exist in the original story.
However, this surprise was fleeting. After all, in this world full of variables, anything could change, even the established plot.
Inside the venue, the audience's attention instantly peaked. The reason was simple: the first-round match featured the prodigy Sasuke Uchiha.
Murmurs rippled through the crowd, and everyone's eyes held more focus and anticipation.
"Great!" Rock Lee's eyes sparkled with excitement, as if blessed by fortune itself. He hadn't expected his first match to be against such a powerful opponent.
"Hmph." Sasuke let out a disdainful sneer. He too looked forward to this match; it was a perfect opportunity to warm up and showcase the results of his recent training with Garp.
As both combatants stepped into the center of the arena, the tense atmosphere reached its peak.
"Looks like Uchiha Sasuke will win. He is a recognized prodigy, after all."
At the sidelines, Temari analyzed softly. Her judgment represented the majority opinion.
Indeed, many harbored doubts about Rock Lee and whether he could defeat Sasuke.
However, among the crowd, only Might Guy was brimming with confidence, firmly giving Rock Lee a thumbs-up.
"Sasuke-kun, I didn't expect we'd get to officially fight so soon." Rock Lee's voice carried undisguised excitement. He longed to prove his strength, to prove the value of hard work.
"I've worked no less than you." Sasuke responded coldly, a trace of seriousness flickering in his eyes. He had paid an unimaginable price and effort to become stronger.
At the proctor, Gekkō Hayate's signal, the match officially began.
Almost simultaneously, Sasuke and Rock Lee vanished like phantoms.
Then, a series of deafening "Bam! Bam!" echoed as their fists collided fiercely in mid-air.
Their speed left everyone present dumbfounded.
Ino Yamanaka's eyes widened. With her visual acuity, she could barely track their lightning-fast movements.
"Aaah, what a drag. Why is everyone so strong?"
Shikamaru scratched his head irritably, his mind working furiously to figure out how to deal with such powerful opponents.
"This power… it's really strong." Chōji murmured thoughtfully.
Their opening exchange stunned many of the examinees present, filling them with surprise and awe.
"Is this level of taijutsu really possible for a genin?" Kiba Inuzuka frowned, his eyes full of disbelief.
Soon, this intense battle took a turn.
Sasuke suddenly landed a kick to Rock Lee's abdomen. The immense force sent Rock Lee flying, arcing through the air before crashing heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The onlookers gasped, thinking the match was about to end.
But unexpectedly, Rock Lee quickly got back up.
Then, Rock Lee did something that shocked everyone.
He slowly stretched his limbs, and one by one, heavy weights were removed from his arms and legs. With a loud "thud," the ground seemed to tremble slightly.
This scene left everyone present utterly astonished.
Meanwhile, Sasuke Uchiha watched all this, his expression growing even more serious.
He realized his opponent was no ordinary fighter but possessed an extraordinary tenacity.
Without hesitation, he activated his Dual Tomoe Sharingan.
As Sasuke's Sharingan activated, the tension in the arena surged to a new peak. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the impending clash.
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