The long-anticipated Chūnin Exams had finally begun.
Elite shinobi from all nations gathered to compete, while nobles and esteemed guests from across the lands assembled to witness this grand spectacle.
As the political representative of the Land of Fire's Daimyō's household, Asuna was naturally required to attend, though it was far from her personal wish. She had no interest in watching shinobi brutalize each other in combat.
Kirito, on the other hand, remained close at all times, driven by his system-assigned mission. With the A-rank danger looming over Asuna's life, he had barely left her side in the past few days.
Now, though Asuna reluctantly went to observe the exam matches, having someone familiar accompany her could at least be considered a small comfort amid the inconvenience.
The first stage of the exam was a written test, something Asuna found even more tedious. She was already disinterested in the entire process, but this method of testing made it worse.
The real goal was to assess a ninja's intelligence-gathering abilities, specifically, their ability to cheat. To Asuna, raised with a noble's sense of propriety and dignity, it was simply appalling to treat such underhanded behavior as a "skill."
Thus, the written test passed in boredom and mild disgust.
The second stage was the survival challenge held in the Forest of Death, a highly classified military zone of Konohagakure. Because of the confidential nature of the location, no footage of the second stage was made available to the public.
In truth, it was only the third stage, the one-on-one tournament matches, that guests truly looked forward to, as these battles were the clearest demonstration of a village's shinobi strength.
Since the Forest of Death portion would span several days, the noble guests dispersed temporarily. Asuna was no exception.
…
Though she found Kirito's swordsmanship intriguing, her feelings didn't extend much beyond admiration or, at most, friendship. Over these past days, Kirito had remained glued to her side without stop, something Asuna, sharp as she was, had certainly noticed. While it was nice to have a companion, having someone constantly shadowing her every step was becoming more than a little stifling.
"I mean, seriously, Kirito," she finally said, unable to hold it in any longer. "You don't have to follow me around all the time, it's making me uncomfortable…"
"Don't worry," Kirito replied calmly. "It won't interfere with anything."
"…But it interferes with me," Asuna wanted to retort, though she held back. She didn't want to offend him so badly that he left, after all, she didn't dislike his company.
Kirito, ever perceptive, understood the unspoken frustration in her tone. But he had no choice. The mission was a matter of life and death. An A-rank threat wasn't something to take lightly.
Asuna sighed and turned, striding toward a nearby street.
"Where are you going?" Kirito asked, ready to follow.
"Bathroom, you idiot! Don't follow me!" she snapped without looking back.
"…Ah." Kirito paused awkwardly. That shut him down rather effectively. Glancing around, he noted that this was Konoha's central commercial district, just a couple hundred meters from the Hokage Tower. Even the most brazen enemy wouldn't dare act under the Hokage's nose.
He allowed himself to relax, just a little.
…
Hokage Tower
Within the crystal ball, Kirito's movements played clearly before the Third Hokage's eyes. Hiruzen silently observed the boy, slowly nodding in approval.
For the past few days, Kirito had remained alert and diligent, never dropping his guard for even a moment. Though his full power remained unrevealed, reports from Aoba Yamashiro, regarding Kirito single-handedly defeating an A-rank missing-nin, spoke volumes. Conservatively, he already matched a skilled chūnin. With the techniques he had revealed so far, he might even rival some jōnin.
And yet… this was only a glimpse of his true strength.
"Hyūga Kirito… quite the promising seedling," Sarutobi murmured.
Just then, the Hokage's brow twitched. He turned slightly and called out, "Now this is rare. You've come to me in person."
The doors opened.
A cane-tapping, one-eyed elder entered the room, Danzō Shimura.
After stepping in, Danzō cast a brief glance at Hiruzen, then let his gaze drift toward the crystal ball, lingering for a moment before saying in a low voice, "Hiruzen. Come with me. There's something we need to discuss."
The Hokage looked at him with mild surprise. "You can't say it here?"
"It's about Orochimaru."
Hiruzen's expression darkened instantly. Beneath the folds of his robe, his shriveled hand tightened. He exhaled deeply. "Fine."
The moment Danzō mentioned Orochimaru, Hiruzen's full attention was drawn away from the crystal ball. He rose from his seat and followed.
Danzō cast one last look at the crystal ball as they left, a flash of cunning flickering in his aged eyes, so brief, it vanished as quickly as it came.
"Come," he said coldly. "There's some intelligence I need to share."
Hiruzen frowned as he followed, a strange unease forming in his chest. Danzō, voluntarily handing over intel? At this timing? That was… suspicious.
As the Hokage left the room, a few shadows crept into view within the crystal ball's reflection, unseen by Hiruzen.
Danzō walked a few steps ahead, leading the way.
A quiet, pleased smile spread across his wrinkled face.
Still too naive, Hiruzen… far too naive.
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