The sudden voice pulled everyone's attention at once. All heads turned toward the back row, where a white-haired boy sat quietly. He wore glasses and looked frail, almost as if he didn't belong in a shinobi academy.
Kunmi, too, looked in that direction, and as soon as he saw the boy, he recognized him. He was about the same age and went by the name Kabuto. He had transferred into their class earlier this year under rather unusual circumstances.
Rumor had it he came from the village orphanage. Though still young, he already showed a notable ability to manipulate chakra, particularly in terms of control. That talent had earned him a direct placement into the second year.
Up until now, Kabuto had kept such a low profile that most students barely noticed he existed.
"Strange? What's strange?"
A curious student asked, his voice carrying no hostility despite the sudden interjection from the quiet transfer.
Kabuto, only seven years old, adjusted his glasses and spoke slowly, "Why is it that even though there are still ten days left before the ninja exam, the teacher already explained the exam content in such detail?"
The class fell silent in confusion. Most of the children blinked in surprise, not understanding what he meant. Only Kunmi seemed to grasp something deeper. He stared at the boy he had never really paid attention to, his mind reeling.
"What do you mean?"
Sara, just as puzzled as the others, spoke up.
Kabuto answered in a hesitant tone.
"It's just a theory, but maybe the ninja exam doesn't actually have only four stages. What if there's a fifth?"
"Five stages?!"
The room erupted in gasps of disbelief.
"Yes. The teacher said the exam begins in ten days, but in truth, it may have already started."
"Already started?!"
That revelation shocked everyone even more.
Kabuto nodded lightly.
"Think about it. The four stages the teacher described test a lot of things, physical endurance, chakra usage, teamwork, and combat. But there's one thing they don't cover: intelligence gathering."
At that moment, a few of the sharper students began to catch on. Kunmi, too, sank into thought and muttered.
"So that's what it is. The teacher told us early on purpose. It was a clue, letting us know we had ten days to gather intel and prepare strategies in advance."
"Exactly. Take the first stage, for instance. Covering fifty kilometers in twenty-four hours might not be difficult for upperclassmen, but for us, or even the students younger than us, it's practically impossible. Most of us have only recently begun refining the chakra. And yet, the village still wants us to participate. With the Kazekage's level of foresight, he wouldn't assign us something meaningless. Don't forget, the teacher clearly said we can use any means necessary."
The realization settled across the classroom, finally reaching everyone.
"So that's what's going on..."
Kabuto pushed his glasses again.
"But there's something else none of you have noticed yet."
Under the awed stares of his classmates, Kabuto went on to reveal another detail he had worked out.
"The teacher never said whether the exam would be taken individually or in teams. But traditionally, Chūnin Exams are done in three-man squads."
"So the teacher's hinting that we should form our teams ahead of time?"
The students turned to each other, and their eyes suddenly filled with newfound enthusiasm.
Within moments, the classroom turned into a storm of chatter. Everyone understood now how vital strong teammates would be for success. The best-performing students immediately became the center of attention, and to no one's surprise, Kabuto received invitation after invitation.
It wasn't long before everything said in that room spread across the entire academy like wildfire.
---
At Rasa's residence, he was taken aback to learn that his intentions had been so easily discerned. But what truly shocked him was the photograph of the boy who had figured it out. His eyes widened.
"Kabuto."
Karura, now visibly pregnant, was resting in her husband's arms. Hearing the name, she looked up with curiosity.
"What is it? Is there something wrong with this Kabuto boy?"
Rasa turned to her, his expression curious.
"You know this child too?"
Karura gave a small nod.
"Yes. Nonō took him in shortly after the orphanage was established last year. She found him on a battlefield. He has a gentle personality, reminds me a bit of how Yashamaru was when he was young, so he left a strong impression on me."
"I see..."
Rasa hadn't anticipated that, due to the butterfly effect, the future Dream Master Kabuto would end up growing up in Sunagakure. He didn't keep this discovery to himself. Since Karura had already seen their three children from the future, there was no reason to hide it. He told her some details about the Kabuto of the original timeline.
Karura was stunned when she heard how dangerous Kabuto would become.
"Then...?"
"Don't worry. That future hasn't happened yet. Nonō is still alive and well in the village. There's no reason for this child to fall into darkness. On the contrary, his talent is remarkable. Let Yashamaru know that since I've taken one of his disciples, I'll give him this one in return. I hope he can train him properly."
"Alright."
Knowing Yashamaru's temperament, neither of them had much concern about Kabuto following the wrong path. Karura, curled against Rasa's chest, suddenly had an idea.
"Rasa-kun, I've been thinking... Nonō really is an extraordinary woman. Over the past year, she's done great work for the village. I'd like to talk to her."
Rasa looked down at her with a gentle gaze, brushing his fingers through her hair.
"I support you. If it's what you want, go ahead and do it. Just be careful. You can't afford to get hurt right now."
"Mm."
With her husband's support, Karura nestled deeper into his arms, a satisfied smile on her face.
Rasa then added, "Actually, the upcoming Five Great Nations Conference is the perfect chance. Tell Nonō there's no need to worry. Everything with Konohagakure can be resolved during the talks."
Karura's eyes lit up, her heart filling with confidence. She believed she could persuade Nonō, and she did, with ease.
---
Three days later, at the Kazekage's office, Rasa stood waiting as Nonō arrived, walking in with Karura by her side.
"Forgive me, Kazekage-sama."
Nonō said quietly.
"I never meant to deceive anyone. I simply had no other choice..."
"Don't worry, Nonō. Rasa-kun understands you."
Karura's calm voice offered gentle reassurance.
Rasa nodded in agreement.
"I imagine Karura told you everything. Honestly, I knew you were a spy from Konohagakure from the moment we met. But even then, I chose to trust you. I believed that someone who could care for children with such warmth and sincerity could never be a bad person."
Nonō's eyes shimmered with emotion, a thousand thoughts swirling through her mind. In the end, they condensed into one heartfelt reply.
"Thank you, Kazekage-sama."
"There's no need to thank me. Now tell me, what kind of leverage does Konohagakure, or Danzō, have over you? Let's see what I can do to help."
Nonō took a deep breath and nodded.
"About a year ago, I was part of Root. I roamed the shinobi world, taking in orphans who'd lost their families to war. These children were meant to be trained as future Root agents."
"I see. So he's using those children to control you?"
"Yes. Without Root's funding, the orphanage wouldn't have lasted."
"Has he contacted you recently, in relation to the Five Great Nations Conference?"
Nonō shook her head.
"After what happened in the Land of Rain, Root suffered heavy losses. And now that the Fourth Hokage is closely monitoring Danzō, he's gone into hiding."
"I understand. Bring Yahiko and the others here."
Not long after, Yahiko entered the room with Nagato and the rest following behind.
"I have a mission for you. You should recognize this woman, Nonō. She's built orphanages across the shinobi world. But now, those orphanages are under threat from that elder of Konohagakure, Danzō. Your task is to take care of it. Bring all the children back here, where they'll be safe."