The sun had already risen high overhead when Uchiha Hikaru led Kakashi and Team 7 straight to the Akimichi family's barbecue restaurant.
He tossed the menu directly at Naruto.
"Order whatever you want. My treat today—eat as much as you like."
"Your Kakashi-sensei and I have something to take care of, so we'll step out for a while."
With that, he closed the door of the private dining room and walked into the shaded area outside with Kakashi.
"Kakashi, tell me everything you know about the Book of Sealing."
Kakashi immediately tucked away his Icha Icha Paradise, his expression turning serious. He recounted the entire incident to Uchiha Hikaru again in full detail.
Though it aligned with what Orochimaru had already revealed, it contained a few more specifics.
The Sealing Scroll was first stolen by Mizuki—and then again by Hiruko.
Hearing this, Uchiha Hikaru shook his head with a faint smirk.
"So Orochimaru's still pulling strings behind the scenes…"
"But whatever. In the end, it's harmless."
"That said, Kakashi—Mizuki doesn't have the strength to steal the Sealing Scroll by himself. What happened?"
Kakashi looked at Uchiha Hikaru, then sighed and shook his head slightly, a trace of helplessness in his eyes.
"It seems Mizuki carried out some kind of human experimentation. I didn't fight him directly, but after Kabuto examined the body, he discovered abnormal chakra—strange and unnatural, somewhat like tailed beast chakra."
"The corpse was completely shriveled, like all its vitality had been sucked out."
Uchiha Hikaru quietly analyzed the information Kakashi provided, and gradually began to piece together the bigger picture.
Mizuki, in the end, was just a regular Chunin—ambitious, but unimpressive in raw strength.
In the original timeline, Mizuki had discovered one of Orochimaru's old labs hidden in Konoha and took whatever remnants he could find.
The only difference this time? Naruto hadn't stolen the Sealing Scroll himself.
This pattern—one manipulated puppet after another—reminded Uchiha Hikaru of the ninja world's ultimate conspirator: Black Zetsu.
Connecting all the dots revealed a deeper web.
As a teacher at the Ninja Academy, Mizuki had easy access to locations near Konoha's scroll archives. He overtaxed his body in a reckless burst of strength, managed to steal the Book of Sealing… only for Hiruko to intercept it.
But Hiruko was definitely not the endgame.
This layered manipulation was too familiar—exactly like how Madara used Obito to enact the Eye of the Moon Plan.
And behind it all... Black Zetsu was the only being who could possess and influence bodies across generations.
As for why Hiruko—despite working in the Ninjutsu Research Institute—couldn't just walk into the Sealing Vault, that was obvious.
Orochimaru already had access to almost all known ninjutsu, including everything in the Sealing Scroll. If Obito wanted more, he couldn't get it from Orochimaru.
So the only viable route was to use Mizuki as a pawn and start from the Sealing Scroll.
Uchiha Hikaru patted Kakashi on the shoulder and shifted gears.
"Alright. I've got the picture. Let's end this here. I'll handle the rest—no need for you to worry."
"By the way, are you planning to let those three participate in this Chunin Exam?"
"With their strength, they should be more than capable."
Kakashi met Uchiha Hikaru's gaze, hesitation flickering in his eyes.
This Kakashi wasn't quite the same as the one from the original timeline. After learning everything, he still carried a lot of guilt toward Naruto.
If this were a peaceful Chunin Exam, he'd have let them join without hesitation.
But right now, the ninja world was still fresh out of chaos. The so-called "Chunin Exams" were really just a proxy war between the villages—a brutal, bloody competition.
Naruto and Sasuke were strong enough to drag Sakura along, sure, but the three of them had never truly experienced what it meant to be a shinobi.
"Hikaru… they're only twelve. They've never seen the real cruelty of our world…"
Uchiha Hikaru turned away and waved dismissively.
"No need to worry. I've already arranged a backup plan for the exam."
"Someone will be watching over them."
"It's about time they saw blood—otherwise, they'll never become true ninjas."
Kakashi stared at Hikaru's back as he walked away, then chuckled quietly to himself.
"…Yeah."
"I became a Jonin at twelve… and now here I am, being overprotective."
"But if there's already a plan in place…"
"…Might as well let them go all out."
He reopened his Icha Icha Paradise and followed Hikaru's steps at a relaxed pace, his mood noticeably lighter.
Uchiha Hikaru noticed the shift in Kakashi's chakra and nodded inwardly.
At least Kakashi hadn't been completely warped by Hiruzen's or Danzo's past manipulations. He still trusted the current leadership and was beginning to face his own emotions head-on.
Compared to the original timeline, this moment felt more alive—more real.
Back inside the dining room, Uchiha Hikaru returned to a chaotic scene—Naruto and Sasuke were furiously grabbing at the grilled meat with their chopsticks, stuffing their mouths full while glaring at each other.
"Mmfffghh... Sas'ke! I'm... gonna eat... one more piece than you!"
"Five pieces! Beat that!"
Sasuke smirked, picked up the juice beside him, and swallowed his mouthful of meat all at once.
"Hmph~!"
"I already had one more than you. Learn to count."
Watching the two bicker, Kakashi couldn't help but recall his own ridiculous competitions with Guy. He covered his forehead and sighed.
If Guy were here, he'd call this 'youth'…
Smack! Smack!
Uchiha Hikaru flicked both Naruto and Sasuke on the forehead.
"You two! You didn't leave me a single piece!"
"Now! Immediately! Right this second—give me some damn barbecue!"
The five of them finished their lunch amid laughter and banter.
Afterward, Uchiha Hikaru turned and walked off toward his next destination.
Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura remained behind, resting inside the barbecue house.
A short while later, Kakashi's expression turned serious. He pulled out three forms and placed them on the table.
"These are the application forms for the Chunin Exams. One for each of you."
"Be at the training ground by 9 AM tomorrow and bring them with you, filled out."
"I want you to go home, talk to your parents, and think it through carefully before you decide."
"Also, Naruto—you'll need to summon a toad and have it report this to Lord Jiraiya."
...
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