Holding the scroll, Kakashi was lost in thought.
Tsunade's actions were understandable. Obito's invasion that night, where he moved as if through an unguarded land, was like stomping Konoha's pride into the dirt. For the number one hidden village to be entered and exited at will, to be ordered around and berated, was a great humiliation.
However, the village's thinking seemed to have a flaw. They believed that the weapon to deal with Obito should be space-time ninjutsu, to find a genius like the Fourth Hokage to counter Obito's Kamui. It wasn't necessarily the wrong way to think, but it felt somewhat shortsighted.
"Obito, why didn't you die? Why did you become like this...?" Kakashi murmured, a mountain of sorrow weighing on his heart, impossible to shake off.
I should go ask my cousin!
At this point, Kakashi's only option was to seek help from his mysterious cousin, who seemed to have a grasp on everything.
The Hatake compound was quiet. The prosperity of a clan could not be built by one or two geniuses alone. Even if Hatake Kusuo took up the banner of the Hatake clan, it would take at least several decades for it to grow and strengthen.
"Kusuo!" Kakashi called out as he knocked on the door.
A moment later, a slender figure quietly appeared.
"Oh, it's Kakashi-senpai." Hanabi bowed politely.
Kakashi nodded in return. His sharp senses noticed something different about the little girl. That feeling...
'Even though I've lost my Sharingan, I can't be wrong about that feeling. Hanabi... seems to have the same talent as Kusuo.'
But he kept his expression neutral, not letting his thoughts show.
"Is Kusuo here?"
"Yes, he's having tea."
Hanabi led Kakashi into the room, where Hatake Kusuo was sitting alone.
"I really envy you," Kakashi said to him.
"What's there to envy about me?" Hatake Kusuo replied dismissively. The people in the Naruto world were just too dramatic. A little drama was fine and could be controlled, but too much for too long would twist one's personality. Like a certain Itachi, or a certain man who could fight anyone to a standstill.
"Let's not talk about that. Look at this." Kakashi tossed the Scroll of Seals to Hatake Kusuo.
Kusuo caught it and was immediately drawn to its contents. He flipped through it briefly: Edo Tensei, the Flying Thunder God Technique, the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu... All the famous forbidden jutsu from the original story were listed.
"Is this the Scroll of Seals?"
"Yes, the Hokage gave it to me and asked me to pick five people to choose one forbidden jutsu to learn."
So that's how it was. Tsunade was really putting everything on the line. Normally, only those who had rendered extraordinary service to the village were given the chance to view the Scroll of Seals. For example, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze; Konoha would have suffered greatly in the Third War without him. That, along with his other merits, earned him the privilege.
Now, Tsunade was going to let five people view it for free. This meant Tsunade was starting to panic.
"What do you want from me?" Kusuo asked, casually tossing the scroll back to Kakashi after a brief look. It only contained a table of contents, not the actual jutsu. The specifics could only be viewed after the seal was released. That's how Naruto could see it when he got the scroll and "coincidentally" learn the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu that perfectly suited his massive chakra reserves. If you called that an accident, the Third Hokage would probably jump out of his coffin to slap you.
"I want your opinion. I don't have any good ideas for the five candidates."
So that was it.
Hatake Kusuo stared at his cousin, who was more than ten years his senior, making Kakashi feel uneasy. After a moment of thought, Kusuo couldn't come up with any good candidates either. The Konoha 12 each had their strengths, but they were still lacking when it came to learning forbidden jutsu on their own. Maybe Sasuke could do it, but he was currently getting cozy with Orochimaru. With the Akatsuki's help, Orochimaru's power had greatly increased, and Sasuke was clearly no match for him at the moment. As for his future opportunities, that would depend on his own fortunes.
"How about this," Kusuo finally said. "I suggest you propose to the Hokage to hold a new Chunin Exam. Set the location in the Land of Wind. It shouldn't be too difficult to select a group of excellent candidates from the village then."
A Chunin Exam?
Kakashi was puzzled at first, but after a moment's thought, he instantly understood.
Brilliant!
By holding a Chunin Exam, they could gather the Five Great Nations. Although the host would technically be the Land of Wind, anyone with eyes could see that the Land of Wind was currently under the control of the Land of Fire. It was like setting a trap and waiting for the prey to walk in, gathering all the promising young talents from the Five Great Nations.
Then, they could wait for the Akatsuki to make a move and reveal their hand.
At that time, those who could protect Konoha's interests in the midst of the chaos and perform outstandingly could be considered for promotion into the five-person forbidden jutsu training team.
"Alright! I understand! Thank you, Kusuo!" Kakashi was a little excited. The more he thought about it, the more flawless the plan seemed.
"Then... you'll be there to oversee things, right!?" Kakashi asked, a little uncertain.
If the Akatsuki really launched a full-scale attack, or if a new enemy appeared, it would be unnerving without Hatake Kusuo's power to keep things in check.
After all, in the current ninja world, Kage-level strength was no longer enough.
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