"To escape your current predicament, merely pursuing greater power will not be enough."
Kyu relayed Orochimaru's message word for word.
Danzo's expression did not change.
Of course he understood that principle. If raw strength alone were sufficient, he would never have pinned his hopes on something as unstable as the Dragon Veins.
So—what exactly did Orochimaru want? And what leverage did he believe he still held?
"Orochimaru requests manpower and freedom of action within the Land of Rice Fields," Kyu continued. "Although his application to establish the Village Hidden in Sound has already been approved, under the present circumstances, he sees little value in relocating there."
As expected.
The chess piece Danzo had placed long ago—before his confinement—had finally begun to move.
As long as Orochimaru remained unwilling to abandon the legitimacy of a recognized ninja village, Danzo still had a chain around that snake's neck.
"Additionally," Kyu said, lowering his voice, "Orochimaruclaims to retain control over the remnants of the Land of Sky's forces. He states that this power can be placed at your disposal."
Sky Ninja…
Their combat value on the ground was questionable, but their aerial capabilities still had niche uses.
With this, most of the pieces on the board had been gathered.
All that remained was news from Yakushi Nono.
—
Mid-September, Konoha Year 57.
Nara Shikaku finally concluded his long exchange mission in the Hidden Cloud Village and returned to Konoha with the delegation, visibly worn down by the journey.
"These kinds of missions really drain the soul," he grumbled the moment he spotted Roshi leaning by the corridor window of the Hokage Building. "Next time Kumogakure needs something, you handle it."
"Shikaku-san," Roshi replied calmly, "in a few years you can hand that burden over to Shikamaru. Just endure a little longer."
"That brat's still too young," Shikaku sighed, rubbing his forehead. Then he smirked. "By the way—you left quite an impression on the Cloud folks. Oh, right. The Raikage asked me to give you this."
His grin turned mischievous. "He wanted to know if you've been working on your muscles."
Roshi silently accepted the can.
It was cold, heavy, dark metal—stamped with a bold A, and a smaller pro beside it.
…An upgraded version?
He weighed it once in his hand, said nothing, and followed Shikaku into the Hokage Office.
The exchange mission still required a final report from Konoha's chief strategist.
"…That concludes the detailed breakdown of profits from this practical combat exchange event with Kumogakure," Shikaku said, unrolling a scroll. "Our share will be delivered once the Cloud completes their internal accounting."
He paused, then continued, tone turning more formal.
"Additionally, Kumogakure has submitted a proposal regarding future exchange events."
"They wish to rename the competition for broader promotion and further standardize its content."
Shikaku glanced up briefly before continuing.
"The Hidden Cloud believes that, in a closed arena environment, the greatest visual impact and entertainment value come from pure taijutsu clashes and direct offensive use of the five elemental Ninjutsu—Wind, Fire, Lightning, Earth, and Water."
"Therefore, they propose that future competitions center primarily on these two categories, with strict limitations on secret techniques, bloodline limits, and unconventional Ninjutsu, in order to enhance spectacle and audience appeal."
Roshi's gaze drifted to the upgraded protein powder can resting in his hand.
Which village possessed the greatest number of secret techniques and bloodline clans?
Konoha—without question.
Under such restrictions, the Ino–Shika–Chō trio alone would take a hit. Nara Shadow Imitation and Yamanaka Mind Transfer would almost certainly be restricted. The Akimichi Expansion Technique might barely pass as taijutsu—barely.
Then there were the Aburame's insect techniques, and the Uchiha's Sharingan genjutsu. Both would likely fall squarely within the banned category.
Still… the proposal wasn't without merit.
By excluding unconventional methods, the rules simplified the battlefield, reduced uncertainty, and shifted the focus toward fundamentals—physical conditioning, chakra control, and elemental mastery.
Even if Kumogakure gained a relative advantage in such an environment, it wasn't unacceptable.
After all, nothing prevented the Hyūga from fighting with ninjutsu or swords… or the Inuzuka from charging in alongside their dogs—
…Though that raised another question.
Would Fang Over Fang still allow the use of ninken? Or would only the Inuzuka themselves be permitted?
That detail would need discussion.
Overall, however, the proposal remained within a controllable—and negotiable—range.
Tsunade propped her chin on one hand, thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Understood. We agree with their proposal in principle. As for the detailed clauses, I'll leave the follow-up negotiations to you, Shikaku."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Shikaku accepted the order, bowed, and withdrew from the office.
Roshi, still holding the gift he had received, turned to leave as well.
"Wait."
Tsunade called out, lifting her chin slightly and pointing at the metal can in his hand. Her expression hovered somewhere between curiosity and disdain.
"You're not seriously planning to drink that, are you?"
"Drink it?" Roshi hesitated, then said calmly, "After all this time, the Raikage still remembers me."
"And according to my last full physical examination, there's still room for improvement in my overall condition."
"I was planning to ask Gai-san for advice on increasing the intensity of my physical training."
The Senju Princess's expression grew even more complicated.
"You can't use the Eight Inner Gates…"
"But going to Gai isn't a bad idea," she added after a pause. "Even if his methods aren't perfectly suited to you, they'll still be effective. Konoha doesn't have a better taijutsu specialist than him."
Roshi nodded. "I still have several cans of protein powder I brought back from the Hidden Cloud last year. They'd make good gifts."
"…You," Tsunade sighed deeply. "Those things have been sitting there for a whole year, haven't they?"
"The shelf life is two years."
With Might Gai's training intensity and absurd metabolism, the protein powder would definitely be gone long before it expired.
"You buy souvenirs every time you go on a business trip, then just let them pile up. What exactly are you thinking?" Tsunade recalled the bottle of perfume Roshi had given her—now quietly entering its third year of storage.
"When I go somewhere, it feels wrong not to bring something back," Roshi replied honestly. "It's not like I meant to let them sit."
"As for the perfume—considering that even when you were… wandering outside, you were still a ninja to some extent, I figured a strong scent wouldn't be appropriate, so I kept it."
The words wandering and to some extent made Tsunade's eye twitch.
"There aren't many people suitable to give protein powder to," Roshi continued. "The ones who could be 'victimized' already were. Gai was on a mission back then, and by the time he returned, I was busy with experiments."
"He's probably never even eaten something like that," Tsunade muttered weakly.
It didn't really matter. Worst case, he could always locate Gai's destined hot-blooded disciple in advance.
After all, Rock Lee was currently attending the Ninja Academy.
…Speaking of which, was Lee really not Gai's biological son?
That was something to check in the archives later.
With that thought, Roshi returned home to retrieve the remaining protein powder and went to find Gai.
As it turned out, aside from failing to recognize Roshi at first glance, Gai reacted with overwhelming enthusiasm the moment he saw the gift—bursting into tears on the spot.
"Ro—Roshi!! This… this is the echo of youth! The proof of our blazing bond!!"
Gai clenched his fist, tears shimmering in his eyes, reflecting the fiery glow of the setting sun.
"This gift, overflowing with strength and sincerity—I have truly, truly received it!"
"Oh—oh—oh—oh—!!"
"Roshi!" Gai roared, suddenly striking a pose. "Now is the moment! Let us respond to this burning gift with our own burning youth!"
"Five hundred laps of special endurance training around Konoha—starting now!!"
Roshi paused.
…Perhaps giving him all the cans had been a mistake.
—
The air had changed.
It wasn't the temperature or the humidity, but something intangible—an unseen pressure that made the skin prickle. Even the most oblivious students felt it instinctively, shivering as they crossed the campus.
Teachers moved briskly through the corridors, brows drawn tight.
Something had happened.
On the streets, fragments of adult conversation drifted into Naruto's ears.
"Did you hear? The ninja who went to that exchange event are back…"
"The Village is holding the Chunin Exams again in November. With the current level of Genin, how is that supposed to go?"
"You're betting on the Kumogakure kids this year?" someone muttered, half-joking, half-serious.
"Last year we had Tenzo. This year… who's left that can carry the Village?"
"Honestly… this year's Genin are hard to watch."
Naruto stood by the roadside, tilting his head. None of it seemed to have anything to do with him, yet the heavy mood settled uncomfortably in his chest.
The next day, during break, Naruto finally couldn't hold it in anymore. He poked the back of Shikamaru, who was sprawled face-down on his desk, clearly trying to disappear from the world.
"Hey, Shikamaru. Shikamaru!"
Shikamaru buried his face deeper into his arms. "…Don't bother me. It's troublesome."
Naruto poked his arm again. "What are the Chunin Exams, anyway?"
"They're the test for Genin to get promoted to Chunin," Shikamaru replied flatly.
Promotion… Naruto's eyes lit up. "Is Tenzo really that strong?"
"Tenzo?" Shikamaru finally lifted his head a little. "If you're talking about the Chunin Exams, there's only one Tenzo people mean. He won the main event last year."
"In terms of strength… yeah. He's strong."
"He won the Four-Village Joint Exams, after all."
A cold voice cut in.
"He was just lucky."
Sasuke had appeared beside them without a sound, hands tucked into his pockets. His gaze slid past Naruto and settled briefly on Shikamaru.
"If he were truly strong, he would've stood out a year earlier. It wouldn't have been his turn."
With that, Sasuke turned and walked away as abruptly as he'd arrived.
Naruto stared after him, bewildered. What was that about?
Shikamaru sighed, abandoning any hope of rest.
"Sasuke's older brother—Itachi—won the Three-Village Joint Chunin Exams the year before last," he said quietly. "The format was different, but his victory was overwhelming."
"The important part is… Uchiha Itachi was nine years old when he became a Chunin."
Naruto counted on his fingers. "One, two… Huh?! So Sasuke's brother was already a Chunin in third grade?!"
"He graduated from the Ninja Academy in his second year."
"Second—second year?" Naruto's jaw dropped. Then… Sasuke might—?
"Sasuke probably won't graduate that early," Shikamaru added calmly.
That was the last thing he said. He slumped back onto his desk, eyes closed.
He really didn't have the energy today.
The one who led the team to Kumogakure had been his father, Nara Shikaku. Even if the overall exchange hadn't gone badly, the Genin losses were undeniable.
If this year's Chunin Exams ended the same way…
Would his father be blamed?
--------------------------------
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