Ichiraku Ramen was a must-visit spot for any time traveler. To be honest, this was Itsuki's first time coming here.
Since arriving in this world, he'd never had to worry about meals—so he never made the trip himself.
Just as the ramen was about to be served, an Anbu appeared.
"Senju Itsuki, Lord Hokage requests your presence," the masked ninja said respectfully.
After Tsunade became his guardian, Itsuki had officially been given the Senju surname.
That explained why Danzō once called him "Senju Itsuki."
"Got it." Itsuki waved, dropped some money on the counter, and excused himself.
Without Itsuki around, the atmosphere among the girls suddenly felt empty.
They quickly finished up and agreed to help Karin buy some daily necessities.
"Eh? Where did everyone go?"
Naruto, who had just inhaled four or five bowls of ramen, finally looked up and realized he was the only one left.
A row of question marks seemed to hang over his head.
"Wait—did Itsuki trick me?!" Naruto stared at the stack of empty bowls in horror.
He had just started earning money as a shinobi, but this much ramen would put a serious dent in his savings.
"Don't worry," Ayame said kindly from behind the counter. "The young man earlier already paid. You can eat as much as you want—he even left extra."
"Really?!" Naruto let out a huge sigh of relief. "Itsuki's way more reliable than people give him credit for."
Ayame chuckled softly. Compared to Itsuki, who was already surrounded by several girls, Naruto seemed painfully slow on the uptake.
Could this guy really get married in the future?
"Yes! Sister Ayame, listen! Itsuki's ancestors were also from the Uzumaki clan like me! And Sasuke is his younger brother—" Naruto's eyes sparkled as he launched into his usual rambling.
When Itsuki arrived at the Hokage's office, he greeted the Third Hokage respectfully.
The old man exhaled a puff of smoke from his pipe and said, "There have been many new faces in the village lately. I'm sure you've noticed?"
"Yes, Lord Third," Itsuki replied politely. "I just came from the street and even had a small run-in with a group from the Sand Village."
"I know you wouldn't clash with others for no reason," the Hokage said knowingly.
"They must have been testing you. It seems they want to gauge Konoha's level of Genin."
"I thought the same." Itsuki nodded.
The Third's face grew serious. "As you can see, the Chunin Exams are about to begin. These are joint exams between the allied nations, and Konoha is the host this time. It's an important opportunity to demonstrate our strength."
He tapped his pipe lightly against the desk. "But when so many outsiders gather, there will always be schemes and hidden motives. Konoha doesn't fear competition in skill, but we must guard against sabotage and unfair tricks. Do you understand?"
Itsuki immediately straightened. "What are your orders, Lord Third?"
The Hokage gave him a small smile. "You truly are sharper than most. That is one of the reasons I value you so highly."
"Although Anbu has its own promotion system, with your current strength, you could easily qualify as a Jōnin. But you're still young, and it hasn't been long since your graduation. You need to gain more experience, learn the systems, and grow step by step."
"That's why I want you to temporarily return to your original identity and sign up for the Chunin Exams. First, it will be valuable experience for you. Second, you'll act as a safeguard, ensuring our Genin are treated fairly."
"This was also Tsunade's suggestion."
Itsuki's heart skipped. Perfect!
He'd already been planning to use the [Fabrication System] to sneak into the exam.
But here was the Third Hokage himself setting up the chance for him.
So it was Tsunade's idea all along… most likely aimed at the Kusagakure shinobi.
"Understood!" Itsuki said with conviction. "I'll make sure the Genin of Konoha are given a fair chance."
The Hokage nodded, satisfied. "Exactly. I don't expect you to eliminate shinobi from other villages. I simply want to ensure no underhanded tricks ruin our youths before they even begin to shine."
"Once the exam starts, no outsiders can interfere. But with you among the candidates, we can be confident of fairness."
"Lord Third," Itsuki asked cautiously, "registration requires a three-man team. What about my teammates?"
The Hokage chuckled. "That has already been arranged by Tsunade. Even I don't know the exact team. Ask her directly."
After leaving, Itsuki soon received a system chat notification.
One of his teammates was Karin, who had just joined Konoha, which didn't surprise Itsuki too much.
Karin was no longer the bullied girl from Kusagakure.
With the Strength of a Hundred Seal now awakened, she rivaled anyone among the Konoha 12 in raw ability.
Of course, her lack of battle experience left openings.
Against someone like Rock Lee at full speed, she'd have trouble keeping up. But her level was easily Chunin-tier.
When Itsuki met Tsunade, she asked directly, "You understand my intentions, don't you?"
"Aunt Tsunade, you want me to deal with Kusagakure?" Itsuki said with a faint smile. "But how far do you want me to take it?"
Back in Kusagakure, his mission had been to rescue Karin and her mother.
He had only given their tormentors a warning—but that didn't mean he'd forgiven them.
Itsuki had promised that every person who bullied Karin and her mother would face punishment.
And in Kusagakure, there were very few innocents.
"Kana doesn't want to make more trouble for us, so she's reluctant to pursue it," Tsunade admitted.
"But if it isn't settled properly, it will remain a thorn in both her heart and Karin's." She sighed.
"I'll leave the decision to you. Personally, I think beating them isn't enough, but killing them is too messy. Remember—this time, Kusagakure is sending hundreds of people."
"If they all died, it would shock the entire shinobi world. That kind of bloodbath would hurt both Konoha's reputation and your own."
"I'll think about it," Itsuki said thoughtfully.
The only stage where action could really be taken was the Forest of Death—the second exam. And even then, it wasn't guaranteed how many Kusagakure shinobi would survive the written test.
[PS: How should I deal with the Kusagakure shinobi? Any ideas?]
...
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