This time, in response to Raidō Namiashi's question, everyone fell silent.
Very soon, the Genin from the Land of Rivers who had just spoken announced his withdrawal, and his teammates followed suit. Uchiha Itachi's two teammates and two other Konoha teams also gave up.
They were all the "lucky ones" who had witnessed Yami killing people and were filled with fear.
Even if they stayed, they knew they wouldn't perform well enough to be promoted to Chūnin. Rather than risk their lives, it was better to quit.
Takigakure held a brief discussion and ultimately left only one participant. Suna chose to remain in full.
After a draw and several battles, out of the eleven who advanced, eight were from Konoha, two from Suna, and one from Takigakure.
They would be given half a month to rest and prepare.
After the announcement, Raidō Namiashi left.
Uchiha Itachi glanced at the remaining foreign shinobi in the venue, and his fear of Yami only grew deeper.
Hokage's Office.
Standing before the Third Hokage were the jōnin from the other six nations.
After the exam, the news of what happened in the Forest of Death quickly spread.
These jōnin had come to demand an explanation.
Even during the most tense pre-war periods, such a high death toll had never occurred. The representatives of Iwa, Kusa, and Ame were especially furious.
Dead.
All dead.
"Lord Hokage, if you don't give us a reasonable explanation, the next time we talk, it will be with the Iwagakure shinobi army!"
The jōnin from Iwa was the most agitated, having suffered the heaviest losses.
The jōnin from Suna quickly followed. "That's right! I strongly suspect this was a premeditated hunt by Konoha, deliberately targeting the future pillars of our villages!"
Hiruzen took a slow drag from his pipe and glanced at the two with mild disdain.
Iwa's leader, Ōnoki, was as cunning as he was. Iwa had the most shinobi, and their quality varied greatly.
Losing thirty Genin wasn't a big deal. This jōnin was just putting on a show.
Suna? The weakest among the Five Great Nations. Their Daimyō had just slashed their funding and reduced their shinobi force.
Killing twenty-seven of them was practically a favor, helping reduce their burden.
As for the smaller nations?
What a joke. Besides the old man Hanzo, no one there was worth being cautious of. Those villages had no voice and only served as battlefields.
"This is the explanation you want."
Hiruzen waved his hand, and an Anbu activated a projector screen.
What played were scenes recorded by several Chūnin proctors—all footage of Yami killing foreign shinobi.
Hiruzen shook his head with a regretful expression. "I never imagined that our village's genius would be so ruthless. Perhaps it's because his father died in the war, leaving him with a deep hostility toward foreign shinobi."
"But rules are rules. This is how the Chūnin Exams work. I couldn't interfere. Instead, I had him advance early to preserve a few promising talents."
The jōnin present watched the screen in silence...
Until...
"Scorch Release?" a Suna shinobi exclaimed.
"That's right. Scorch Release."
Hiruzen smiled faintly. "He is a genius, after all. Naturally, he's a bit different."
In fact, even he had been surprised when he first received the report. It had taken him a while to calm down.
When the last clip froze on screen, Hiruzen looked at them and asked, "Any further questions? Konoha has no intention of targeting anyone."
"If there's blame to assign, then it lies with the elders who failed to guide this child properly. I'll be sure to train him well moving forward."
"...Konoha truly lives up to its name." The Iwa jōnin took a deep breath. "This time, Iwa was defeated. I'm too ashamed to stay. Lord Hokage, please forgive my rudeness, I'll take my leave."
Hiruzen nodded. "You're welcome to visit Konoha anytime."
After that, the Iwa delegation left, and the other jōnin followed suit.
Only Takigakure and Suna remained, as they still had participants in the exam. But even their jōnin began preparing to return home to deliver intel about Yami.
The Suna jōnin who stayed behind secretly sent out the information through various means.
"Summon the two advisors and Danzō."
After everyone else left, Hiruzen instructed the Anbu.
Soon, the Konoha F4 gathered once more.
Hiruzen took the lead.
"Danzō! Do you know how much trouble you've caused me? Why didn't you discuss this with me first? Now Iwa and Suna are furious. If things go wrong, another war could break out!"
"Who gave you the right to instruct Yami to do this?"
Danzō sat calmly on the sofa, eyes half-closed. "Did he break any rules? Hiruzen, don't put all the blame on me."
"I merely asked Yami to complete the exam fairly, without cheating."
"You're talking about rules?" Hiruzen laughed in frustration. "Shall I list all the shameful missions Root has carried out behind my back?"
"This incident has had a terrible impact. Geniuses should be nurtured, not used as your personal tools."
"After the Chūnin Exams, Shimura Yami will be under my supervision. I won't let you push him into danger again."
Danzō's expression darkened. "So that's what this is about, Sarutobi."
"What do you mean?" Hiruzen responded sternly. "I'm thinking about Konoha's future. About your grandson's safety."
"Yes, Danzō. You were too reckless," the advisors chimed in. "What the village needs now is recovery. Even if we want to make a statement, there should be limits."
"We agree with your intentions, but for Yami's safety, it's better if the Hokage manages him directly."
Hearing this, Danzō's expression turned even gloomier.
He could see that the three of them had made their decision already. Summoning him today was just a formality—they wanted to take Yami away.
"Old monkey... that's my grandson. Even if you take him, that fact won't change."
Hiruzen smiled. "I just don't want Yami to be influenced by the darkness in your heart. He deserves a brighter future."
Brighter?
Does that mean they get to play the upright part, while I do the dirty work?
Danzō sneered silently.
He never once believed he had influenced Yami.
Yami often argued with him over the Uchiha girl. Danzō knew Yami had his own judgment and was incredibly stubborn.
If anyone wanted to change him, they could only guide and influence him slowly to gain his agreement.
Even as a grandfather, he couldn't force it—so how could Hiruzen?
This old monkey's plan was bound to fail.
"In that case, do as you wish."
Danzō closed his remaining eye. "Let's consider this matter closed. Don't bother me unless it's important."
With that, he slowly stood, leaning on his cane, and walked out of the office.
Hiruzen finally allowed a proud smile to surface.
He'd won this round again.
With the second round of the exam over, some of the events in the Forest of Death were revealed.
Within days, the major ninja villages had received the news.
Konoha had produced another genius.
At the age of eight, he had ruthlessly wiped out nearly all the shinobi from foreign villages.
Among them, Suna reacted most strongly.
Scorch Release touched a nerve in the heart of Fourth Kazekage Rasa.
Upon receiving the report, he tore the document to shreds and immediately summoned all the elders. "Konoha has a Scorch Release user, already this cruel at age eight.
He must be eliminated quickly, or he'll become the next White Fang or Namikaze Minato!"
He would not allow another Scorch Release user to live.
The elders' expressions were grim.
Those who had once fought alongside Pakura knew how terrifying Scorch Release could be. Yami awakening it felt like a slap to their faces.
They all supported Rasa's plan and began arranging for an assassination.
Land of Earth.
Ōnoki flew into a rage when he received word of the total annihilation... and then calmed down.
"That damn Sarutobi Hiruzen. This was definitely planned."
"Should we retaliate?" the burly Kitsuchi scratched his head.
"Retaliate?"
Ōnoki floated up and smacked his son. "Think strategically! They were just thirty Genin. If they die, they die. You want to lose more elites over cannon fodder?"
Kitsuchi was baffled. "Then what should we do?"
"Wait. Wait for the others to move."
Ōnoki said calmly, "We're not the only ones who don't want a genius rising in Konoha. Watch. Suna will make a move. Kiri despises Scorch Release since it counters their Water Release. They'll probably stir soon too."
"This is Danzō's grandson. Even if we're not afraid of him, it's not wise to provoke someone like that..."
"Shimura Yami..." Kitsuchi repeated the name, then recalled something. "Father, I remember the stealth unit led by Ishigaki was taken out by a team that included Shimura Yami. The Jōnin leader was Hyūga Hizashi from the Hyūga branch family."
"It's working hours. Call me Tsuchikage-sama!"
After the scolding, Ōnoki began to ponder.
"In that case... let's fan the flames. Say Shimura killed two Jōnin solo. That'll make the other villages more afraid, and they'll send stronger shinobi. It'll raise the odds of success."
The sly Ōnoki immediately set Kurotsuchi to work spreading the exaggerated intel.
Kumo.
Though they hadn't sent any participants, their spies in Konoha still forwarded the intel, and not much later than other villages.
Thanks to Danzō's deliberate leaks, many people now knew the name of Shimura's genius. Even spies disguised as civilians had accurate intel.
Many in the ninja world viewed Raikage as a brainless brute but that was a misconception.
Whether it was the Third or Fourth Raikage, their recklessness was only a front. Every outburst was calculated to bring benefit to the village.
If they were truly impulsive, they wouldn't have retreated when the A-B combo met Namikaze Minato.
They backed off because there was nothing to gain from fighting.
Now, reading the report, Fourth Raikage A frowned. "Dodai, when are the envoys heading to Konoha for negotiations?"
"In two months, after the Chūnin Exams are over," replied a middle-aged shinobi.
"Then have them kill this kid too."
After saying that, Raikage stopped paying attention. To him, this was a minor matter.
Konoha.
In an alley not far from the Hokage Residence...
A mysterious masked man in a black cloak slowly emerged from the ground. A strange black-and-white creature with pitcher plant-like growths on its head surfaced from a wall nearby.
The white half chuckled. "As expected of Konoha. Another genius."
"This one's even more terrifying than Kakashi was back then."
"Being stronger than trash isn't much of an accomplishment."
The masked man sneered at the mention of Kakashi. "Shimura Danzō's grandson had the best starting point and lucked into mastering Scorch Release. That's all."
"Against my Mangekyō Sharingan, he's nothing. The only one worth noting is Uchiha Itachi."
His eyes flashed crimson as he spoke.
"Don't underestimate any shinobi, especially one from Konoha," said the black half of the creature. "This kid doesn't seem to get along with Itachi either. That's your chosen piece, right? Should we remove him first?"
"No need."
The masked man shook his head. "On the contrary, let them fight. Uchiha Itachi is no match for him yet, which is perfect. Let him experience defeat."
"Only resentment and hatred can awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"A Genin killer doesn't deserve my attention."
---
[Host has been recognized in the ninja world as the "Genin Killer." A bond has been established with the Genin role. Special Title unlocked: "Genin Killer."]
[Effect: When fighting Genin, the Host's ninjutsu power increases by 2%.]
Yami: "..."
What a lame title.
What a lame effect.
Wait—
Yami suddenly thought of something.
Weren't those two future parasites always stuck as Genin?
Then this title... might still be useful.
Even when they grow up, he could still suppress them without this title.
Soon, Yami tossed the thought aside and resumed studying Tobirama's spatial theory.
Spatial theory was a cerebral subject. The buffs from Izumi and the Genin title had no effect on it.
Thankfully... after upgrading his Space Talent, it still helped.
After reading for so many days, he finally started to grasp the basics.
(To be continued.)
***
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