Even throughout the entire third test, Chad still had a lingering doubt in the back of his mind. With the Uchiha Police Force still existing and present in the stadium, what gave Orochimaru and Suna the confidence to dare to use Shukaku?
It seemed he would find out soon, because Gaara was clearly unstable and Sasuke still hadn't appeared, despite people being sent to look for both him and Kakashi.
He kept an eye on Kabuto, so the moment the Nirvana Genjutsu was deployed and a massive three-headed serpent appeared at Konoha's gates, he knew Suna's strike was about to begin without further delay.
He pulled Ororomoi out of the illusion, and with a couple of leaps descended to his students, who had already sensed something was wrong and managed to dispel the illusion on their own.
Before he could even speak, he heard a shrill voice rise from the middle of the arena.
"AT LAST, I'M FREE!"
As always, Shukaku's voice was unpleasant to hear.
"Everyone, we're leaving. Now!" he ordered his group. "Suna has unleashed their bijuu. Prioritize protecting yourselves above all else—we're not getting involved in their mess." He didn't bother lowering his voice despite the other genin present as they left the stadium together.
As for Konoha's genin, they were already quite busy fighting Suna's.
"With Naruto out of commission, let's see how Konoha handles the bijuu."
Chad made sure not to draw the One-Tail's attention—or that of the ninjas fighting it. Once outside the stadium, they moved swiftly at street level until reaching the top of the Hokage Rock, giving them a clear view of what was happening.
"Has Suna completely lost its mind?" Guren asked, raising both eyebrows as she watched the bijuu's destruction of the village. For now, it was content with a few slaps, but the moment it used something stronger, the losses would be devastating.
And if they failed to seriously damage Konoha, then Suna would have to pay the price for this move!
"Is that a barrier?" Isaribi pointed in confusion at a purple barrier rising over the stadium roof. "I didn't think Suna was that skilled at fuinjutsu. I mean, just look at their jinchuriki…"
While the barrier was visible, its casters were too small to identify from this distance.
"It's not them—it's Orochimaru," Chad explained, arms crossed. "I assume he formed an alliance with Suna to attack the village during the exam. Ironically, it seems he killed the real Kazekage and took his place, but despite spending over a month impersonating him, no one noticed anything wrong."
Those present weren't sure whether he was praising Orochimaru or mocking Suna—perhaps both.
"Then why aren't you here, sensei?" Guren turned toward Chad. "Leaving a clone to watch us is a bit disappointing."
Ororomoi was also curious. He had noticed it was a clone even before the fights began, but since they were in a private booth, no one else seemed to realize.
So… did he already have a premonition that something would happen?
"You think I'm not going to take advantage of the situation?" the clone shrugged without taking its eyes off the bijuu as it crushed another house with a slap. "The village's surveillance has plummeted right now, and I trust you won't have any trouble. Don't worry—when we return to the village, I'll give my recommendation for your promotion."
As for the village, as long as he ignored Danzo's Root, he was fairly certain he could accomplish many things.
"Can we help, sensei?" Isaribi asked. "Just staying here is kind of—"
"No, you need to stay here," Chad shook his head. "We've got a couple of ANBU watching our movements, so we have to remain 'neutral' so they can bear witness and won't try anything against us."
"We're definitely not helping them!" Guren snorted, sitting down in a posture that allowed her to react if trouble arose.
"At least tell us what you're doing," Isaribi puffed out her cheeks as she crouched, resting her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands. "The view isn't exactly pleasant."
War was never beautiful—much less the death happening down below.
"There's no point asking me. The original didn't let me know," the clone denied.
When Isaribi heard that, her curiosity immediately faded.
If it was something troublesome enough that he could only explain it after leaving Konoha to avoid behavioral tells or leaks, then it clearly wasn't just about collecting a few benefits.
…
Puff!
A cloud of smoke burst forth as a tree in the cemetery revealed its true form. Chad emerged and activated a Byakugan on the back of his neck, hidden beneath his long blond hair, to survey the area.
"All clear. Just a handful of civilians and some scattered chunin."
Although the exam had gathered many people, it obviously hadn't drawn all of Konoha's population to the stadium. It wouldn't have been able to hold that many to begin with, and people were still going about their lives elsewhere.
He struck the ground with his hand, and several inscriptions spread out like a web.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu! (Summoning Technique!)"
After the smoke cleared, a member of Chad's primary summoning clan appeared: a lynx.
Who ever said a ninja could only have one summon? What nonsense.
The lynx was short, barely reaching Chad's chest, but stood upright on two legs. Its fur was taut over dense muscle, and it wore a bluish-gray martial vest tied with a black belt. On its left arm, a rosary was bound around its wrist.
"Milord," the lynx greeted in a low voice, its ears twitching. "What does this humble lynx require?"
Chad grimaced. He never got used to their particular manner of speech.
"Seizan, I have an important task for you," he called him by name. "Go to the Hokage building and use your ability to steal Konoha's Scroll of Seals. Once it's in your paws, immediately reverse the summoning and wait for me to call you again in a few days to retrieve it."
"This humble one accepts the task."
Seizan bowed, and with a rippling motion through his fur, sank into the ground and vanished silently.
Chad formed hand seals, and another cloud of smoke erupted as he transformed into a generic Kiri ninja. Given the clash between Konoha and Suna, it was perfectly normal for other villages—like the treacherous, blood-soaked Kiri—to take advantage of the situation.
He began leaping toward the hospital, but his destination wasn't the hospital itself—it was the complex behind it.
What could Konoha's hospital have that his own in Kumo didn't?
Even so, he carefully circled the hospital. Villages always had sensor ninjas stationed there for obvious reasons; even if he was caught, it had to be after he obtained what he wanted.
"Hmm?"
He froze like a statue amid the dense branches of a tree as an Uchiha rushed past, scanning the surroundings with his Sharingan.
"The Uchiha might be inherently evil, but they're still better at their job than most," Chad admitted, moving again only when a second Uchiha passed a few seconds later, sweeping the area with his gaze once more. "Double-pass patrol. Smart."
Too bad they weren't Hyūga—those would have noticed Chad even through the thick foliage.
The target complex occupied a privileged location, pristine and steeped in history: the Senju Compound.
"There isn't even a rat or a fly living here," he examined the area once more, unsurprised by the total lack of people. "Alright, with Uchiha patrols this close, let's forget about explosive tags."
He entered, and through the Byakugan noticed the alert barriers, but passed through them without concern or disabling them. Konoha's barrier team was already overloaded with Suna's attack, and if his speculation was correct, these alerts were meant for the Hokage.
But since Hiruzen was busy at the moment…
The alarm could go off all it wanted—with no one to hear it, it was useless.
"As expected of the Senju compound—fuinjutsu everywhere to block the Byakugan. Seems Tobirama wasn't just wary of the Uchiha after all; he just didn't shout it from the rooftops."
That only made his job easier—it was the equivalent of marking the compound's hotspots.
"Bingo!" Chad ignored the hot springs and dormitories and headed toward a more secure area. "The Senju library."
Neatly arranged on shelves and categorized were the scrolls that had supported the Senju clan's development for generations. Knowledge. Techniques. While he doubted this was the complete collection—he didn't care!
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu! (Summoning Technique!)"
More than a dozen smaller lynxes appeared, staring intently at Chad.
"Take everything in this place," he gave them instructions similar to those he had given Seizan.
The difference was that instead of grabbing a handful of scrolls and reversing the summoning, they were far smarter—and more creative.
The small lynxes outright ripped the shelves from the floor and vanished with them on their backs!
As a result, after emptying the place in under two minutes, a few of the smaller lynxes were left looking around in confusion, unsure what to do next. They turned back to Chad, waiting for instructions.
"Alright… I didn't expect that. But it's probably for the best," Chad rubbed his chin, impressed. Then he reached into his tool pouch and pulled out a thick stack of rectangular papers. "Okay, the rest of you, stick these all over the compound. If you find anything useful, once you finish placing them, go grab it like your brothers did. Later, I'll give Seizan a Sea King so you can all eat meat to your hearts' content."
At that last detail, the little lynxes' eyes lit up, and they began racing through the compound at high speed.
"Little gluttons," Chad shook his head with amusement. "Alright, let's see if there's anything else hidden in the rooms."
He had no doubt the sensory suppression there was for more than just privacy.
He lifted tatami mats, drilled through walls, smashed the ceiling—he had no intention of being delicate. He didn't know how much time he had, or when Shukaku would be suppressed. Besides, if possible, he wanted to finish before Hiruzen decided to use the Shinigami Seal.
"As expected, there's something here too," he looked at the dozen smaller scrolls he had "unearthed" from the rooms, which looked like they'd been through a war. "I even found Mito's original scroll for the Uzumaki Yin Seal. Just that alone made the trip worth it!"
As for the principle that only women could use it, Chad scoffed loudly at the idea.
Did they think it was some kind of immortal ice technique?
It was obvious they were just being selfish and driven by vanity.
Once he studied the principles, he would create his own Yang-equivalent seal to keep his body in peak condition even at ninety years old. Things like chakra storage and secondary effects weren't his priority right now.
They'd be welcome if he achieved them, but he wouldn't obsess over it.
He would even try to simplify the Yin Seal so his partners could use it, even if that meant giving up other benefits. Mito wasn't a medic and could still use it—that proved you didn't need to be a top-tier medical ninja like Tsunade demanded, just a solid understanding of the seal.
And then she had the audacity to rename it and claim she created it herself…
"As expected of the most despicable of the Sannin," he said venomously, barely restraining his killing intent.
He was going to kill that woman with his own hands for what she did—just like Jiraiya…
No—he couldn't get distracted. He needed to return to the stadium.
After securing the scrolls by handing them to one of the small lynxes, he left the compound and changed his appearance into that of a Konoha ninja—specifically, an ANBU.