While Kenya was reviewing documents as the shadow of a village, interesting things were happening on Konoha's side.
As Iruka announced the placement list, each three-person group sat in the classroom, waiting for their guiding Jōnin to arrive.
"Team 8, come with me. I am your guiding Jōnin, Kurenai Yūhi."
At this time, a female ninja wearing a special tight-fitting outfit walked in, her appearance graceful, her figure curving and firm.
"Female? Seriously?"
Inuzuka Kiba muttered under his breath.
"Woof!"
Akamaru, who was curled up in his collar, barked in response.
Aburame Shino said nothing, simply rising to follow.
On the other side, Hyūga Hinata steadied her nerves before quickly standing up as well.
Kiba couldn't keep protesting, and after clicking his tongue, he reluctantly followed, clearly annoyed.
"I think a female teacher sounds nice. She should be very gentle…"
Yamanaka Ino, seated in the back row, thought to herself. She pressed her fingers against her temple, groaning inwardly. "Why am I so unlucky? One teammate's a whining ghost, the other's a big fat pig…"
Not long after Kurenai led Team 8 away, a tall male ninja with a senbon between his lips walked in. His face carried an expression of mild impatience, much like Nara Shikamaru's.
"I am Shiranui Genma, in charge of Team 10. Come with me."
"…Troublesome."
Shikamaru muttered as he lazily stood.
Chōji Akimichi followed quickly, happily munching as he said,
"Shikamaru, after school let's go buy the new clear-soup flavored potato chips!"
Ino looked at her teammates and sighed, feeling her future as a ninja was already dark.
Soon, only Team 7 remained in the classroom.
"Ahhhhhh…"
...
Naruto groaned dramatically, his head slumped on the desk.
Time passed quietly in Konoha, filled with such ordinary moments. But elsewhere, beneath the surface, far darker currents were stirring.
Land of Rice Fields – Otogakure.
This hidden village had only recently been founded and was still relatively unknown. Most of its shinobi were under twenty, many even younger. They wielded unique jutsu—unpolished and experimental, still in their testing stages.
That night, beside the newly built ninja academy, the training grounds remained crowded. Unlike children in Konoha who ran home after class to eat, play, or seek comfort from their parents, the youths here continued to train well past midnight.
"Are those the test subjects you gathered?"
On the top floor of a tall building overlooking the grounds, two figures stood by a window. Aizen glanced sideways at the students training below. Among them were three young shinobi whose names he couldn't recall, destined to represent Otogakure in the upcoming Chūnin Exams.
"How cruel of you, Aizen-kun. They were once wandering, homeless orphans. I gave them purpose… hope. Don't you think that's a kind of salvation?"
Orochimaru's hoarse chuckle slithered through the air.
Aizen ignored the sentiment, his tone cold:
"You read the letter from Lord Kazekage, didn't you? The decision's final. The Chūnin Exams will be held in Konoha, two months from now."
"No problem."
Orochimaru's lips curved into a strange smile, his golden pupils narrowing.
"But Aizen-kun… someone of your caliber, serving under trash like Rasa? Don't you think it's beneath you? With the right move, you could seize this chance—become the Fifth Kazekage yourself. Isn't it tempting?"
Aizen chuckled faintly, leaning against the wall with composed indifference.
"Worry about yourself. With that broken body of yours, you have little room to meddle in others' affairs."
Orochimaru's pupils shrank. He saw through my condition…?
Before he could respond, Aizen's figure faded into the shadows, vanishing without a trace.
Left alone, Orochimaru licked the corner of his lips, muttering with a serpentine grin:
"More and more… I want to see the face beneath your mask."
A few days later, in the southern Fire Country, in the Land of Tea…
Shizune trudged behind Tsunade, carrying Tonton the pig, her expression gloomy.
"Lady Tsunade… we've already lost all our travel money…"
Tsunade froze mid-step, her brow twitching. For all her strength and legendary reputation, debt remained her greatest enemy.
The years had not touched her face, yet right now, the burden of her vices weighed heavy.
The title of Legendary Sannin felt hollow when gambling debts forced her into running from collectors like a common fugitive.
If Shizune knew what I'm thinking, she'd scold me for sure, Tsunade thought bitterly.
What dignity is left for someone who alters her own age with jutsu just to dodge debt collectors?
Then—
"If Tsunade-senpai doesn't mind, how about this money?"
The voice was calm yet unmistakable.
Tsunade and Shizune stiffened, eyes widening in shock.
"…Aizen…"
Tsunade bit her lower lip, turning toward the figure that appeared before her for the first time in three years.
A man whose depths she could never truly fathom.