Morning.
Warm sunlight filtered through the gaps in the potted plant leaves, casting fragmented light across the room.
With a trembling hand, Hiruzen Sarutobi lifted his brown pipe to his lips, leaning against the window as he puffed out clouds of smoke, occasionally exhaling a misty dragon toward the glass.
Scritch scritch!
The sound of a pen scratching across paper filled the air. The only desk and chair in the office were occupied by Hikari, who was hunched over, writing furiously.
The Black Lightning Technique was on par with the Spirit Transformation Technique in value, but its ability to directly attack the soul and consciousness made it even more potent in combat.
To test Black Lightning's true power, Hiruzen Sarutobi decided to experience it firsthand. Hikari, wanting to showcase its strength to boost the technique's perceived value, might've gone a bit overboard.
The result?
Let's just say Black Lightning's power lived up to its steep learning curve.
Hiruzen, struck by the technique, stood rigid, barely able to speak. His hands and feet trembled as if he'd suddenly developed a stroke. Yet his eyes gleamed with excitement, and he nodded vigorously at Hikari, clearly thrilled with the forbidden jutsu.
The deal was a complete success.
In Hikari's presence, Hiruzen unsealed the scrolls, revealing the training methods for Flying Thunder God, Spirit Transformation, and the Eight Trigrams Seal. Hikari's eyes narrowed as she memorized the unsealing process, then carefully categorized the mountain of scrolls and sealed them away for later study.
Hiruzen, still shaky, took his pipe to the window to puff away, soothing his Black Lightning-paralyzed mind. Meanwhile, Hikari was left to record the technique in the Scroll of Seals herself, following the proper format.
"Excessive practice of Black Lightning can harm the soul, leading to forgetfulness, drowsiness, and fatigue. It's recommended to practice no more than one hour per day."
As the contributor of the forbidden jutsu, Hikari meticulously noted Black Lightning's precautions and effects in the Scroll of Seals. She held nothing back, even including her own training insights and a piece of Ink Thunder Crystal.
Black Lightning wasn't part of her core combat system, so it didn't matter if others learned it. The Ink Thunder Crystal was useless to her, so she left one behind to significantly lower the technique's learning difficulty. Maybe in the future, in the era of Boruto, she'd see Konoha ninjas using Black Lightning or Lightning Chakra Mode.
The idea of Cloud Village's orthodox techniques thriving in Konoha was kind of amusing!
For a moment, the room fell silent, save for the faint scratching of Hikari's pen on paper.
Tap tap tap.
Suddenly, a flurry of footsteps came from outside, accompanied by a mix of male and female voices, shattering the room's quiet atmosphere.
"Please wait here while I announce you," came a voice.
"Thank you."
Suzaku's icy tone was unmistakable, while the reply came from an unfamiliar, stern-sounding man.
Knock knock knock!
"Lord Hokage, Jonin Morino Ibiki, Mitarashi Anko, and Shiranui Genma request an audience."
Hearing Suzaku's voice, Hikari paused mid-stroke, her pen hovering above the paper.
Though no names were mentioned, the surnames and Jonin ranks were enough for her to guess who they were.
Morino Ibiki, Mitarashi Anko, and likely Shiranui Genma—old acquaintances!
Were they here for the Chunin Exams?
She glanced at Hiruzen, only to find him looking back at her.
Setting his pipe on the windowsill, Hiruzen's eyes showed a hint of urgency as he pointed to his mouth. "I-I can't…"
"Black Lightning can paralyze the mind and consciousness, which might temporarily impair speech. It should wear off soon," Hikari said, though she wasn't entirely sure and could only offer a vague explanation.
She'd originally learned the technique to broaden her combat options and study chakra fusion for bloodline limits. She hadn't used Black Lightning in actual combat much. Early in her training, she'd been paralyzed by it a few times herself, unable to speak or move, lying in the Forest of Death for five days before recovering. Afterward, she noticed drowsiness, fatigue, and memory issues—likely from soul damage.
Thanks to her Sage Body, her soul and will grew as resilient as Naruto's, and her mastery of Black Lightning improved, making the technique powerful but manageable for her. Beyond that, she'd only used it on Kakuzu, and she wasn't even sure if he counted as human. Hiruzen's mild speech loss but ability to move freely was a first for her.
Seeing Hiruzen like this, it was no wonder so few in the Cloud Village mastered Black Lightning—the side effects were intense!
"L-Let them…" Hiruzen squinted as if in pain, his tongue fumbling in his mouth, unable to form a complete sentence. Emotional sparks flickered above his head, and Hikari, trying to read his feelings, could only make out one word: Regret!
Outside in the corridor.
Suzaku stood quietly by the door, listening for any sounds from within.
Behind him stood three distinct ninjas.
Mitarashi Anko, her purple hair tied in a high, spirited ponytail, wore a yellow trench coat over a flesh-toned liner and a black mesh ninja top that accentuated her curvaceous figure. Arms crossed, her face showed impatience, a few stray hairs clinging to her forehead. Her eyes, wild and untamed, occasionally darted to the heavy, closed door of the Hokage's office.
Shiranui Genma, who'd already leaned against the cool stone wall in the short time they'd been waiting, had a senbon needle in his mouth, its tip glinting. His green vest hung open, revealing a black mesh undershirt, and he lazily spun a kunai between his fingers.
Lastly, Morino Ibiki stood rigidly between them, dressed in a black trench coat. His upturned collar hid the lower half of his face, and his hawk-like eyes paired with his stern demeanor made him seem like a silent, imposing black tower.
"What's the Third up to? Calling us here and not even opening the door!" Anko grumbled, her patience wearing thin after waiting with no response from inside.
Genma's kunai-spinning paused at her words, while Ibiki remained stoic, neither responding. Anko's status was unique—tainted slightly by her connection to Orochimaru, but as the Third's grand-disciple, she could call him "old man" without issue. They, however, couldn't afford to join in her casual complaints and pretended not to hear.
Knock knock! "Lord Hokage, are you there?" Suzaku knocked again, his voice tinged with doubt.
Normally, even when busy, the Third would acknowledge a report. The complete silence now was unusual. Suzaku had seen Hikari enter the room earlier and heard muffled voices, but it had been quiet for a while.
Something felt off.
"Lord Hokage!?" Suzaku called a third time, this time not knocking. His right hand drew the blade from his back, his stance lowering, voice laced with caution.
The three Jonin sensed the anomaly too, exchanging glances. Their relaxed postures tensed.
Genma shifted from his lazy lean to a crouched, combat-ready stance in a second, gripping his kunai tightly, resembling a large feline predator.
Shing…
The blade slowly slid from its sheath. The four ninjas' breathing quickened, then slowed to near silence. Chakra surged through their bodies under mental control, ready to burst into action in a split second.
Suzaku signaled an attack gesture to the three behind him, gripping his blade in his right hand while his left quietly touched the door—
"Come in!"
A hoarse, slightly muffled voice, as if spoken through a mouthful of food, instantly eased the tension in the four ninjas' chests.
No doubt about it—that was Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice.
"Phew! Geez, old man, you scared me!" Anko said, slipping her kunai into her pocket and pushing open the office door first.
"You—"
Her words caught in her throat as she stepped inside.
In the spacious office, Hiruzen stood hunched by the desk, scribbling on paper. But in the Hokage's seat sat an strikingly beautiful silver-haired blind girl, holding a massive, distinct scroll.
The scroll's bold title was unmistakable: Scroll of Seals!
Click!
Genma and Ibiki entered as the door shut tightly behind them, their minds reeling at the sight.
What was going on? Who was this girl?
Why was the Third standing there while she sat in the Hokage's seat? Why was the Scroll of Seals in her hands?
Was Konoha getting a new Hokage?
Questions swirled in their minds, leaving them frozen in place. Even Anko, usually outspoken, stayed silent in the face of this bizarre situation.
Ibiki, the calmest of the three and the most informed as head of the Interrogation Unit, locked his sharp, hawk-like eyes on the girl's unusual appearance. He quickly recalled relevant information, his heart skipping a beat.
It was her!
The greatest genius in Konoha's history, the monstrous blind girl who, at six, single-handedly killed a Cloud Village elite Jonin—Hikari Yato, famed from the Cloud Village attack five years ago.
Ibiki had interrogated three Cloud Jonin himself, learning about the rare mineral veins in Thunder Drum Mountain, so he was no stranger to this legendary prodigy.
As Ibiki recognized her, Anko and Genma, though slower, pieced it together too. Konoha didn't have many blind female ninjas, and someone who could freely enter the Hokage's office and read the Scroll of Seals could only be her.
Their minds churned as they stood there.
Scritch scritch.
The sound of writing resumed, plunging the office into an eerie silence once more.
Finally, Hiruzen finished writing and tapped the paper lightly, then looked at Ibiki and the others.
Realizing he was done, Ibiki glanced at Hikari, who picked up the paper. Noticing the words "Postpartum Sow Care" on the back, he frowned slightly but forced a smile and asked, "Lord Hokage, you called us here for—?"
Hiruzen licked his lips but didn't answer.
Hikari stood, holding the paper, and stepped forward to explain. "The Third has a cold and a sore throat. He called you here to discuss matters regarding the Five Great Nations' Joint Chunin Exam."
A cold?
Anko eyed Hikari skeptically, sensing the excuse was flimsy. But Hiruzen's expression didn't suggest coercion, so she reluctantly accepted it.
"The Five Great Nations' Joint Chunin Exam!" Ibiki zeroed in on the key detail, his face shifting.
The Wind-Fire Joint Chunin Exam happened every three years and wasn't unusual—since becoming head of Interrogation, it was always his responsibility. But a Five Nations exam? That was unheard of!
Anko and Genma, catching up, looked at Hiruzen in shock. He squinted, nodded, and tried to speak but failed, finally looking helplessly at Hikari.
Ibiki and the others turned their attention to her, waiting for more.
"The Five Nations' Joint Exam is different from the past, so the process will change. We need a head proctor to oversee the entire exam and individual proctors for the first two stages," Hikari read from the paper, feeling awkward. She felt like a eunuch reading an imperial decree beside the emperor.
But what choice did she have? She'd hit Hiruzen too hard with Black Lightning and messed up his speech.
Why'd she go so heavy-handed?
Regretting it inwardly, Hikari continued reading Hiruzen's instructions, assigning tasks to the three.
Guess this was her stepping up as head proctor early!
"In one month, ninjas from the Five Great Nations will arrive, and Genin registration will begin. Morino Ibiki, you're in charge of the written exam. Set the questions yourself, but make them 20% harder than usual!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Ibiki replied solemnly.
"Mitarashi Anko, you're the proctor for the second stage in the Forest of Death. Its terrain is complex, so the specific tasks will be decided after consulting with the head proctor."
"Got it!" Anko said, arms crossed, feeling a bit weird taking orders from the youthful Hikari.
"Finally, Shiranui Genma, you'll referee the third stage and handle announcing the rules and treating the injured." Hikari finished reading the slightly messy handwriting and looked at Genma, his headband loose and demeanor carefree.
Genma nodded quickly, signaling he understood.
"Uh, little miss, I've got a question!" Anko suddenly raised her hand, curiosity in her voice. "Who's the head proctor for this Chunin Exam? Who do I consult with?"
Hikari glanced at Hiruzen, who was smiling and nodding at her. Setting the paper down, she smiled back and said, "Head Proctor: Yato!"