Night had fallen over Konoha as three figures walked with purpose toward the Hokage Tower. Tsunade led the way with a serious and determined expression, flanked by Kurenai who maintained a professional posture despite the evident worry in her crimson eyes, and Anko who carried a thick file under her arm with her usual mocking grin replaced by something much more somber.
"Are you sure Hiruzen-sama is still in his office?" Kurenai asked in a low voice as they climbed the stairs.
"At this hour he is always working, for the old man never sleeps when something important is at stake," Tsunade replied without slowing down.
"And these Chunin Exams definitely qualify as important, especially with what we discovered," added Anko adjusting her grip on the file.
They reached the upper floor where two masked ANBU guards materialized from the shadows to block their path.
"Tsunade-sama," one said with a modulated voice. "The Hokage is not receiving visitors at this hour."
"It is not a social visit, but an urgent security matter regarding the Chunin Exams that he is going to want to hear," Tsunade responded firmly.
The two ANBU exchanged glances before one disappeared to consult with Hiruzen and reappeared moments later with a nod.
"The Hokage will see you."
The office door opened to reveal Hiruzen Sarutobi sitting behind his desk surrounded by stacks of documents and maps, with his pipe resting in an ashtray and still smoking. The Third Hokage looked up and his experienced eyes immediately evaluated the seriousness of the situation from his visitors' expressions.
"Tsunade, Kurenai, Anko," he greeted, gesturing toward the chairs across from his desk. "Sit down, for by your faces I assume this is serious."
"It is," confirmed Tsunade taking a seat while the other two followed her. "Hiruzen-sensei, we need to talk about the Chunin Exams and the irregularities we have uncovered."
Hiruzen interlaced his fingers and his expression became more attentive. "Go on."
Anko opened the file and began pulling out documents to spread them over the desk. "As you know, Ibiki and I have been investigating the foreign competitors as standard protocol, reviewing skill profiles, backgrounds, and mission records as basic routine."
"Yes, that is normal procedure, but what did you find?" Hiruzen asked.
"We found that the Sand Village lied to us or omitted critical information about one of their competitors," Anko stated bluntly.
Hiruzen straightened slightly. "What kind of information?"
Tsunade took control of the conversation. "One of the Suna genin, Gaara of the Sand, is the carrier of an extremely powerful and unstable sand spirit."
A tense silence filled the room.
"A sand spirit?" Hiruzen repeated carefully. "Are you suggesting that...?"
"We believe it is similar to Naruto, a carrier of something that could be a Tailed Beast although we do not have definitive confirmation of which one," Kurenai interrupted quietly.
Hiruzen leaned back in his chair processing the information. "That is worrying because Suna should have reported this in their participation request, since it is standard protocol for any participant with containment seals or linked entities."
"Exactly, and they did not do it, which begs the question of why," agreed Tsunade.
"What else do you know about this Gaara?" Hiruzen asked reaching for his pipe.
Anko slid several documents forward. "He is the son of the Fourth Kazekage, thirteen years old, and has a disturbing mission history with multiple B and A-rank missions completed but with an abnormally high mortality rate among targets and occasionally among allies."
"Allies?" Hiruzen's voice tightened.
"There are three documented incidents where allied team members died under 'accidental' circumstances during missions without formal investigation because Suna closed them quickly," Anko continued.
"We also have intelligence reports from our contacts in Suna that speak of a boy who lives in isolation and is feared by his own village," added Kurenai. "They say he has unpredictable violent episodes where the spirit inside him drives him to extreme behaviors."
"What kind of behaviors?" Hiruzen asked, though his tone suggested he already suspected the answer.
"Murders," Tsunade said bluntly. "Not all confirmed, but there are enough rumors and disappearances around this boy to establish a pattern."
Hiruzen lit his pipe taking a moment to think. "If this is true, why would Suna send someone so dangerous to our exams?"
"That is the million-dollar question and we do not have a good answer," Anko said.
"I have theories and none of them please me," Tsunade intervened. "The first is that Suna is testing how well they can control Gaara under stressful conditions and the Chunin Exams are the perfect environment for that."
"The second theory is that they are trying to get rid of him," Kurenai continued. "If something happens to him here in Konoha during the exams, it is not their direct responsibility."
"And the third theory," Tsunade concluded with a more somber voice, "is that they are looking to provoke an incident that gives them justification for future actions."
The gravity of that last theory settled in the room.
"That would be extremely risky on their part and could be interpreted as an act of hostility," Hiruzen observed.
"Unless they are already planning hostilities, in which case an 'accidental incident' during the exams would be the perfect cover," Anko said.
Hiruzen smoked in silence for a moment. "Do you have concrete evidence of hostile intentions from Suna?"
"Not concrete, but the circumstances are suspicious due to the omission of information about Gaara, the timing of their participation, and the fact that their team includes two of the Kazekage's children," admitted Tsunade.
"Wait," Hiruzen raised a hand. "Their team includes the Kazekage's children?"
"Temari and Kankuro, the eldest daughter and son of the Fourth Kazekage, which makes the team composition very unusual," Anko confirmed.
"Why would you send your own children on a mission if you expect something to go wrong unless they are part of the plan?" Hiruzen murmured.
"Or unless the Kazekage trusts that they can handle any situation that arises," finished Tsunade.
"Or perhaps they are there to control Gaara and keep him in check if he begins to lose stability," Kurenai suggested carefully.
"All are possible scenarios," Hiruzen said. "What else did you discover?"
Anko pulled out another set of documents. "The Sound Village is completely new to the international scene, they appeared less than a year ago and requested participation in the exams almost immediately."
"Which was already suspicious because new villages usually wait several years before participating in events like these to establish credibility and build relationships," added Tsunade.
"But Otogakure jumped straight in and when we investigated their background we found almost nothing," Anko continued.
"Nothing?" Hiruzen frowned.
"Their records are extremely limited, with no clear training history, extensive mission logs, or detailed information on their leadership, as if they appeared out of nowhere," Kurenai explained.
"And their competitors are all older than the average genin, more experienced and dangerous," Anko said passing photographs forward.
Hiruzen studied the photographs. "This is certainly irregular, do you suspect anything specific?"
Tsunade exchanged glances with Kurenai and Anko before responding. "Hiruzen-sensei, I have a bad feeling about these exams because too many things do not add up, from Suna's lie about Gaara to the sudden appearance of Otogakure and the coincidence of it all."
"Are you suggesting I cancel the exams?" Hiruzen asked.
"No, because cancelling them now would show weakness and admit we do not trust our own security, but I need you to understand the risk we are running," Tsunade responded.
"I understand," Hiruzen said seriously. "What do you propose?"
"Increased surveillance, especially on the foreign competitors, so I want ANBU specifically assigned to monitor the Suna team and particularly Gaara," Tsunade said immediately.
"And I want permission to intervene if the situation becomes dangerous, for although officially supervisors cannot interfere except in extreme cases, if Gaara shows signs of losing control we must act," added Kurenai.
"You will have authorization to do so," Hiruzen completed. "Agreed. What else?"
"Emergency protocol," Anko said. "If something goes wrong during the second phase in the Forest of Death, I need full authority to evacuate the participants immediately without bureaucracy or delays."
"Granted," Hiruzen nodded. "Anko, you will be supervising the second phase personally, correct?"
"Correct, and I will have medical teams on standby at multiple points in the forest and not just at the entrances," Anko confirmed.
"Good," Hiruzen made notes on a scroll. "What about the Sound team? Specific recommendations?"
"Constant surveillance, for we do not know what they are after but the fact that they are here with so little history is worrying and they could be spies, saboteurs, or simply ambitious," Tsunade said.
"Ibiki is working on that using the first phase as an opportunity to evaluate their skills and methods, since the written exam will reveal much about their training and approach," added Anko.
"Speaking of the first phase," Kurenai said, "is Ibiki aware of our concerns?"
"He is, he and I coordinated this together and he is taking additional precautions," Anko confirmed.
Hiruzen smoked thoughtfully. "And are our own competitors prepared to face these threats?"
Tsunade took a deep breath. "We already had a meeting with them this afternoon to inform them about the dangers, specifically about Gaara, and warned them that these exams will be more dangerous than usual."
"How did they react?" Hiruzen asked.
"As expected, with determination mixed with nervousness, but they are good kids and they are ready," Kurenai replied.
"Including Team Seven, considering Sasuke just woke up from his coma?" Hiruzen asked.
"Sasuke will be at eighty percent capacity by the time the exams start, which is not ideal but functional, while Naruto and Sakura are stronger than they have ever been," Tsunade reported.
Hiruzen noticed something in Tsunade's tone. "Is there anything else I should know about Team Seven?"
Tsunade hesitated for it was a delicate question where she could not reveal the Falna but could not completely lie to her sensei either.
"Naruto and Sakura have had accelerated growth recently thanks to intensive training that has yielded impressive results, so they are well prepared for the exams," she said carefully.
"I see," Hiruzen said with a tone suggesting he suspected there was more to the story, but he did not press. "And Team Eight?"
"Hinata Hyuga has shown notable improvements and her confidence has grown significantly, plus Kiba and Shino are also well prepared making a balanced team," Kurenai reported allowing her pride to show.
"Team Ten?"
"Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, and Choji Akimichi," Tsunade said. "Asuma has done a good job with them and although Shikamaru is lazy he is brilliant, so if he can be motivated that team has real potential."
Hiruzen nodded slowly. "So our teams are as prepared as they can be, but the question is if that is enough."
"Against normal competitors, absolutely, but against Gaara..." Tsunade said leaving the sentence hanging.
"Against Gaara we will need luck in addition to preparation," Anko completed somberly.
"Do you think he is that dangerous?" Hiruzen asked.
The three women exchanged glances before Tsunade responded. "Hiruzen-sensei, if Gaara is truly the carrier of a powerful spirit and if that spirit is as unstable as the reports suggest, then yes he is extremely dangerous and potentially more lethal than anything our genin have faced."
"More dangerous than Zabuza Momochi?" Hiruzen asked. "Team Seven survived that encounter."
"Zabuza was predictable being an experienced ninja with clear objectives and established methods, but Gaara is chaotic and unpredictable," Kurenai responded. "If his spirit takes control there is no way of knowing what he will do."
"And unlike Zabuza, Gaara has no reason to hold back," added Anko. "Zabuza was on a mission with specific objectives, but Gaara in the Forest of Death facing other competitors and without direct supervision is a disaster waiting to happen."
Hiruzen considered this. "What do you know about Gaara's relationship with his spirit? Naruto has the Kyubi sealed inside him but the seal is strong, is there any indication of what kind of seal Gaara uses?"
"None, for we do not have that information since Suna keeps those kinds of details highly classified," Tsunade admitted.
"Which is another red flag, because if they were confident in their control over Gaara's spirit there would not be so much secrecy," Kurenai pointed out.
"Or perhaps they have no control and are terrified of their own weapon hoping it does not explode in their faces," Anko said simply.
"Or they are planning for it to explode, only in our faces and not theirs," Tsunade murmured.
The silence that followed was broken only by the sound of Hiruzen gently tapping his pipe against the ashtray.
"Very well, here is what we will do," the Hokage said finally. "First, ANBU will receive orders for increased monitoring on all foreign competitors with special emphasis on the Suna team and the Sound team."
He paused to pull out a new scroll and begin writing. "Second, Anko, you have full authority to modify the second phase protocols as needed for safety, so if you need to shorten the test, evacuate it, or intervene directly, do so without need for additional approval."
"Understood," Anko said.
"Third," Hiruzen looked at Tsunade, "I want you on medical guard for the entire duration of the exams, not just for emergencies but present at the site."
"I already planned to," Tsunade replied.
"Fourth," the Hokage turned to Kurenai, "coordinate with Kakashi and Asuma so all jonin senseis are aware of these concerns without creating panic, but they need to know what to watch out for."
"I will do it early tomorrow," Kurenai promised.
"And fifth," Hiruzen leaned back in his chair with a more serious expression, "I want quiet diplomacy with Suna, nothing confrontational or that could be interpreted as an accusation, but I want them to know we are aware of certain irregularities."
"Do you want me to pressure them?" Tsunade asked.
"I want you to make them nervous and make them doubt if there is a plan, wondering if we know more than we actually know," Hiruzen corrected.
"I can do that, I have plenty of practice intimidating politicians," Tsunade said with a small smile.
"I know, it is one of your many useful skills," Hiruzen said with a touch of humor before becoming serious again. "Is there anything else?"
"Yes," Kurenai said. "Do you need daily reports?"
"I want daily reports during the exams on anomalous behaviors, unusual patterns, or anything that seems out of place," Hiruzen confirmed.
"That is a lot of paperwork," Anko observed with a grimace.
"Then it is good you have an extremely organized kunoichi like Kurenai to help you," Hiruzen said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Kurenai sighed. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."
"You are welcome," Hiruzen replied. "Tsunade, I need you to be honest with me about whether you think we are going to lose people in these exams, and I am not just talking about injuries but deaths."
Tsunade did not answer immediately, but when she did her voice was calm and firm. "Honestly, Hiruzen-sensei, yes I believe there is a high probability of casualties, especially if Gaara loses control during the second phase."
"And yet you recommend we proceed with the exams?"
"Yes, because cancelling them now with this short notice would create political instability and make Konoha look weak," Tsunade said without wavering. "If there really is a plan in motion, cancelling the exams might simply postpone the inevitable while giving our enemies more time to prepare."
"Better to face it now on our territory and under our terms," Kurenai added.
"Exactly, for we can mitigate the risk with surveillance and preparation," Tsunade agreed. "We cannot eliminate it completely, but we can do everything possible to protect our genin."
Hiruzen nodded slowly. "I understand your reasoning and I accept it, but I want you to know that if we lose someone in these exams that blood will be on my hands, for it is my decision to allow them to continue."
"With respect, Hokage-sama, if there is a plan to harm us the blood is on the hands of those who planned it and not on yours for defending against it," Anko said.
"She is right, you did not create this situation and are only trying to navigate through it as best as possible," Kurenai supported.
Hiruzen gave them a tired smile. "I appreciate the sentiment, but the responsibility of leadership does not work like that and every decision I take, every risk I allow, and every life that is lost is my burden to carry."
"Then let us help you carry it," Tsunade said firmly. "You are not alone in this, sensei, we are with you."
"And we will do everything we can to ensure our kids come out of this alive," Kurenai added.
"All of them," emphasized Anko. "We are not going to lose a single one if we can avoid it."
Hiruzen looked at the three women in front of him, fiercely loyal and protective, feeling a flash of pride for the generation he had helped raise.
"Very well, then let us do this correctly," he said finally. "The exams will begin as scheduled in a few days, so we have that time to finalize our preparations."
He stood up and the three women followed his example.
"Tsunade, I want your final medical evaluation of all Konoha participants before the first phase, and anyone not in optimal condition will be withdrawn without exceptions."
"Understood," Tsunade nodded.
"Kurenai, coordinate with the other jonin senseis as we discussed and ensure they know to keep the information classified."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
"Anko, work with Ibiki on the security protocols for both phases because I want multiple layers of precaution."
"I am already on it," Anko said.
"Good," Hiruzen walked to the window looking out at the night village. "These exams are going to be a challenge, but Konoha has faced challenges before and we will survive this one too."
"More than survive, we are going to protect every single one of our genin, that is my personal oath," Tsunade said with conviction.
"And mine," Kurenai added.
"And mine," Anko finished.
Hiruzen turned to them with an almost paternal expression. "I know you will, now go and rest if you can, for the next few days are going to be exhausting."
As the three women headed for the door, Hiruzen's voice stopped them once more.
"Tsunade."
She turned. "Yes?"
"Your instinct is rarely wrong," he said quietly. "If your feeling is that strong then I trust it, stay alert."
"I always do," Tsunade replied.
They left the office and the door closed softly behind them as the ANBU guards disappeared discreetly giving them privacy.
"Do you think he will take all the precautions he promised?" Anko asked once they were outside.
"Hiruzen-sensei always keeps his word, but the problem is that even with all the precautions in the world some things simply cannot be prevented completely," Tsunade said.
"That is why we are here, to be the last line of defense when precautions fail," Kurenai said.
"Speaking of that," Anko turned to Kurenai. "How do you think Hinata will handle all this? I know she has grown, but facing someone like Gaara..."
"Hinata is stronger than she looks and she is not alone," Kurenai responded with pride. "She has her team, her training, and she has resources most people do not know about."
"The special power," Tsunade said understanding immediately what Kurenai was referring to without needing to mention the Falna explicitly in public.
"Exactly, and not just Hinata, for Sakura and Ino also have advantages other competitors do not have," Kurenai confirmed.
"Which could be both a blessing and a curse, because if they use those advantages openly they will attract exactly the kind of attention we want to avoid," Tsunade observed.
"We already warned them about that and they are smart girls who will know when to hold back and when to act," Kurenai recalled.
They reached the ground level and stepped out into the cool night of Konoha where the streets were mostly empty at this hour, save for occasional guard patrols and some late civilian.
"What are you doing now?" Anko asked.
"I am going to review the blueprints of the Forest of Death to memorize every entrance, every potential evacuation point, and every spot where we might need to intervene quickly," Kurenai said.
"Good idea, I am going to do the same after visiting Ibiki to synchronize our protocols," Anko said.
"I am going to check the hospital one more time and ensure we have enough medical supplies for the worst possible scenario," Tsunade said.
They parted ways at an intersection each heading toward their own destination.
In his office, Hiruzen remained by the window looking at his village, watching the twinkling lights of thousands of homes representing lives under his protection. He thought of the young genin who would soon face one of the greatest challenges of their lives, of Naruto who carried such a heavy burden without fully understanding its weight, and of all the others with their own dreams and fears.
"May the gods protect the innocent," he murmured to himself with an old prayer he had learned from his own teacher decades ago.
He had a feeling that before these Chunin Exams were over they were going to need all the divine protection they could get, for the storm was approaching and Konoha was directly in its path.
*****
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