Chapter 149: Ōtsutsuki Genshiki Prepares to Strike! Mizuki Makes His Move
"Kakashi, Gen, you're here."
Inside the Hokage's office, Asuma greeted them with a relaxed smile as Kakashi and Kitagawa Gen stepped in. The other jōnin nodded in acknowledgment as well, though Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression looked a bit stiff.
He still hadn't forgotten what Karin from the Uzumaki clan had said to him. That little incident had landed him in the hospital almost instantly.
While they had never approved of Grass Village's methods, Konoha didn't have the authority to control how smaller villages developed. Grass Village, after all, was technically an ally.
But then came Kitagawa Gen and Nagato. Their attack had nearly flattened the place, resulting in massive losses!
Even if Gen couldn't be directly blamed, the consequences had been... brutal.
"You're all here. Let's begin," Hiruzen finally said, his tone steady despite everything else on his mind. There were bigger issues at hand.
"This meeting has two main topics. First, the Genin graduation exam. This time, Iruka and Mizuki will be overseeing it. The test will focus on the Clone Jutsu."
The Clone Jutsu wasn't particularly difficult. In fact, students graduating from the Academy were typically tested on the three basic techniques—Clone, Transformation, and Substitution.
These were foundational jutsu, designed to give civilian-born ninja a real shot at joining the ranks, while also highlighting the advantage held by those from ninja clans.
Of course, there were always exceptions—gifted civilians like Kitagawa Gen himself. But that was something for the team leaders to assess. If a genin lacked sufficient ability, their jōnin sensei could even send them back to the Academy.
"I expect each of you to take your responsibilities seriously and guide your future students well. Understood?"
"Yes."
Everyone responded in unison. Only Kitagawa Gen seemed distracted—he had noticed Hiruzen watching him more than usual.
"…Strange. Kakashi-sensei, aren't you supposed to be pretty responsible? Why does Lord Hokage look like he's worried about you?"
"…."
Kakashi said nothing. He really wanted to ask if Gen had any self-awareness at all. But in the end, he just sighed. Hiruzen spoke again before he could reply.
"There's one more thing I want you to keep an eye on—something's off with Mizuki."
"Mizuki? One of the exam instructors?" Might Guy asked curiously. Even though he wasn't taking on students this year, the meeting wasn't only about Genin.
"Yes. Since this year's Chūnin Exams are rather… special, I've been laying some groundwork in advance. That's when I noticed Mizuki acting suspiciously," Hiruzen explained, calmly lighting his tobacco pipe.
"He's been spotted hanging around my home at odd hours. More importantly, he's been snooping into the Scroll of Seals, which immediately raised red flags.
And Mizuki… he's always craved power. Lately, I've found that he's been observing Naruto quite closely at the Academy."
"...Naruto?" Asuma's expression grew serious, and the other jōnin tensed as well.
"You're not arresting him? Trying to figure out who might be backing him?"
"Exactly," Hiruzen nodded gravely. "This isn't just about Naruto. With the Chūnin Exams approaching and so many guests expected, we can't afford to make the wrong move.
That's why I've held off on confronting him directly—for now."
Then, Hiruzen turned toward Gen.
"Gen, you're the youngest here, and you have a good relationship with Naruto. I'd like you to look into Mizuki and figure out what he's planning."
---
[New Side Mission Acquired]
"As the white-haired supporting role, it's your job to clean up the messes."
Objective: Eliminate Mizuki-the threat and uncover who's backing him.
---
"Yes, sir," Gen replied casually, glancing at the mission prompt. He wasn't particularly surprised.
Ever since he'd pissed off Hiruzen and sent him to the hospital, he'd been lying low—quietly avoiding all sorts of ridiculous missions.
Things like Ino's "Golden Petals Blooming" or Shikamaru's "Your family's deer are good for antlers and meat"—just absurd nonsense. Most missions were laughably useless.
Finally getting a proper task felt like a relief.
"Though I was kind of hoping Naruto's personal mission would fall into my lap and make things easier…"
He sighed. Still, the Mizuki issue wasn't so bad.
If he remembered right, Mizuki had once killed a teammate during a mission and had been caught red-handed by Orochimaru himself. Orochimaru had marked him with a curse seal and told him to seek him out later.
Mizuki hadn't run off immediately, but his attempt at assassination had been sloppy enough that Hiruzen had grown suspicious.
There wasn't any direct evidence, but Mizuki's dreams of 'advancement' were effectively crushed—and he'd been harboring resentment ever since.
"Perfect opportunity to link this back to Orochimaru…"
Gen still wasn't sure how the Chūnin Exams would play out, but with all five great ninja villages gathering—and their Kage attending—there was no way this would be peaceful.
"You think the Fourth Raikage is just gonna sit there quietly?"
He shook his head at the thought. But honestly, Gen was fine with that.
The more chaos, the better.
With all this preparation behind the scenes, Konoha wouldn't be caught off guard this time.
As Hiruzen moved on to the next major topic—defensive planning for the Chūnin Exams—Gen's mind wandered.
"With this much security, once the evacuation protocol kicks in... I can finally let Ōtsutsuki Genshiki a move."
He'd been lying low recently, not just to avoid trouble but to absorb the changes from his last major power boost.
Now that his bloodline development had reached 40%, the improvements to his strength were undeniable.
Aside from his skin growing even paler, Gen could feel something stirring in the center of his forehead.
"Especially right between my brows... it just feels weird."
He couldn't help but wonder—was this his own bad luck catching up with him? Was he really growing a horn?
"Or maybe... like Uchiha Madara, am I developing a new eye?"
The Ōtsutsuki bloodline was simply too bizarre—especially for someone like him, who started with nothing. It wasn't exactly the friendliest evolution process.
Still, no matter what it was, Gen had made up his mind. It was time to stretch his legs again.
"Might as well get used to the power of this other identity…"
---
Meanwhile, at the Ninja Academy, a buzz of excitement filled the air. While Kitagawa Gen was still in the Hokage's office for the ongoing meeting, the students were feeling much more relaxed.
"We're finally graduating!"
This year's class was unusually packed—and unusually elite.
There was the next generation of the Ino-Shika-Chō trio, a genius from the Aburame clan, the heir of the Inuzuka family, the last Uchiha survivor, the Hyūga heiress... and of course, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
No exaggeration—this was the most concentrated batch of Konoha's "ninja nobility" in years.
"Yeah, we're finally graduating. I just wonder what this year's test will be."
Ino leaned against the windowsill and glanced lazily at Shikamaru. Her curiosity got the better of her.
"Hey, Shikamaru, do you know?"
"How would I know that stuff?"
Shikamaru rolled his eyes. Even if he did know, he wouldn't say. Troublesome…
"But don't worry. These exams aren't that hard. You're not telling me you'll fail something this basic, are you?"
"Tch, please! I'm gonna be Hokage—this little exam's nothing!"
Naruto stood up, fists clenched, practically shouting in excitement. The outburst earned him a few surprised glances.
"You idiot! Keep it down!"
Sakura scolded him, then turned—almost on instinct—toward Sasuke, her expression melting into a look of gentle adoration.
"Jeez, that guy's so annoying…"
"Tch... that smug Sasuke…"
Naruto grumbled, gritting his teeth. Sasuke didn't even bother responding with words—he just scoffed.
"Idiot."
"What was that?! You wanna fight?!"
"I don't have time to waste on you. You'd better start worrying about how to pass the exam."
Spending time around Kitagawa Gen—and not having been "trauma critted" by Itachi's Tsukuyomi—had left Sasuke in a relatively stable mental state.
Watching Naruto flail in frustration, Sasuke ignored him, his expression suddenly growing serious.
"Besides, instead of worrying about the test itself, you should be more concerned about who's giving the test. If it's him…"
"Uh…"
One sentence from Sasuke and Naruto's eyes went wide.
Of course he knew who Sasuke meant. Even if he'd sworn to become Hokage, the idea of Kitagawa Gen being the proctor still terrified him.
"What… what are you guys talking about?"
Hinata, who had remained quiet until now, tilted her head in curiosity. Seeing the two boys suddenly go dead silent made her wonder.
"Yeah, what's the big deal?"
Kiba asked while scratching Akamaru's head. Even Chōji looked up from his chips with mild confusion.
"It's just a graduation test, right? What could go wrong?"
Even Ino and Sakura nodded, though a hint of nervousness crept into their faces. Shikamaru simply yawned.
But the moment Naruto spoke again, the mood shifted.
"I'm worried about that bastard Gen."
He gulped. Sasuke added grimly,
"Even if Gen-senpai is generally a good guy… some of his 'habits' are terrifying. And now he's a jōnin. If he volunteers to oversee our exam…"
The room fell silent.
Jōnin usually didn't bother with academy tests. But with Kitagawa Gen… this was exactly the kind of thing he'd want to do.
"If that really happens… we're doomed."
"Ugh, I'm not gonna survive this…"
"No wonder he put half his classmates in the hospital before. He's terrifying…"
The entire room fell quiet with dread. Even Hinata's eyes widened.
But none of them noticed… that outside the classroom, Mizuki was watching them closely—his eyes locked especially on Naruto.
"The Nine-Tails brat…"
"You're my key this time!"
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