Souma did not act immediately.
Within his perception, Danzō had not yet arrived nearby. For now, Souma was merely repositioning—choosing a better vantage point to observe Danzō's movements.
Soon enough—
Danzō appeared.
He didn't bother hiding himself. He stepped out from the corner openly, pausing below the building for a moment. That pause wasn't hesitation—it was deliberate, creating a time gap between himself and Homura Mitokado.
Souma narrowed his eyes.
If that had been his real body leaving earlier, then as the one arriving later, Danzō would've had the perfect window to release Kotoamatsukami.
Which meant—
Danzō and Orochimaru had likely formed some kind of cooperation, just as Souma suspected.
Crouched on the rooftop, Souma calmly evaluated his next move.
After a few seconds, he chose to wait.
Shadow clones were physical entities. Even the Byakugan or Sharingan couldn't tell them apart from the real body at a glance. Danzō would almost certainly use some method to verify first.
If Souma acted rashly now, Danzō could simply deflect responsibility using Root, making it impossible to pin anything on him—
and Souma would look paranoid instead.
Still, this wasn't without gain.
At the very least, Souma could quietly inform Yamanaka Inoichi about Danzō's probe, allowing both Inoichi and the Third Hokage to prepare mentally for what might come next.
Once he settled on that approach, Souma remained still, waiting.
A few minutes later, Danzō left the Hokage Tower.
Souma dispelled the shadow clone and flipped down from the rooftop.
"You didn't leave? Then just now—"
"I was on the roof."
Souma then relayed everything his shadow clone had sensed—
how Danzō had tested him using genjutsu.
Shock flashed across Inoichi's face.
"Mental defense techniques?"
"Nothing advanced," Souma replied calmly.
"Just a basic mental defense. It doesn't negate much—only lets me sense when genjutsu takes effect."
That answer was only half true.
For ordinary shinobi, that would be the limit.
But Souma's mental strength, energy reserves, and control were far beyond normal. Combined with the technique, most genjutsu simply couldn't take hold.
Even the Mind Body Switch Technique fell into the same category.
That, of course, was what Inoichi cared about most.
The moment Souma mentioned it, Inoichi realized just how thoroughly this technique countered the Yamanaka clan's signature jutsu.
He quietly drew in a breath.
Fortunately—
At present, only Souma and a handful of people knew it. Even if it were spread later, the most likely to master it would still be the Yamanaka clan themselves.
That thought eased him slightly.
But it also brought worry.
Though the Yamanaka clan had cooperative ties with Souma, relationships weren't built on goodwill alone. Without reciprocation, even strong bonds would eventually erode.
Yet—
What could they trade?
The Yamanaka clan's secret techniques were non-negotiable.
Inoichi sighed inwardly, shook off the thoughts, and refocused.
This wasn't the time.
"So… Danzō and Homura came for you just now?" Inoichi asked.
"Possibly for the Daimyō," Souma added.
Inoichi frowned, then nodded.
Others might not understand Souma's threat level—but Danzō, with Root and remnants of old ANBU networks, definitely would.
That explained why he chose genjutsu.
Still—
Inoichi frowned deeper.
"Danzō specializes in Wind Release and sword techniques. I've never heard of him excelling at genjutsu. Why would he be confident enough to use it on you?"
"Uchiha," Souma replied quietly.
The Sharingan.
Such speculation couldn't be voiced lightly—
without evidence, it could backfire disastrously.
But Inoichi was head of Intelligence. If he truly believed the Uchiha clan's bodies had all been buried intact after the massacre, then perhaps he shouldn't be sitting in that seat.
Inoichi clearly didn't believe it.
He coughed lightly, expression awkward.
"Ordinary Sharingan genjutsu shouldn't reach that level."
"I've read the Second Hokage's notes," Souma said calmly.
"They mention a terrifying power that exists beyond the three-tomoe Sharingan."
Inoichi's brow furrowed.
"My father once said that Uchiha Madara and his brother possessed eyes stronger than the three tomoe… Are you saying Danzō may have obtained such an eye?"
"Just a hypothesis," Souma replied evenly.
He didn't define it further.
Without proof, labeling a Konoha elder was reckless—even with Inoichi.
Souma glanced toward the monitoring device.
"How's the exam?"
"The first stage just ended. I'll share my perception with you."
Inoichi placed his hand on Souma's forehead.
Instantly, the scene unfolded in Souma's mind.
Ibiki Morino stood at the front, grinning cruelly.
"Think carefully. If someone voluntarily withdraws, your teammates can still pass. Otherwise, you'll just drag everyone down."
"If you lack confidence in your teammates, perhaps you should consider cutting loose the inevitable failures—"
Silence filled the room.
Ibiki chuckled.
"Step outside, and you lose this chance. Decide."
One by one, examinees stood and left.
Some followed only after their teammates walked out.
Among them—
Naruto Uzumaki.
Gaara of the Sand.
"How is it, Gaara?" Kankurō asked.
"Hmph."
Gaara's face remained cold—but those who knew him understood he was furious.
Temari pulled Kankurō's sleeve, shaking her head, then stepped closer.
"Gaara… like the proctor said, as long as our team meets the standard, individual scores don't matter."
Gaara stared at her, killing intent boiling—
Then turned away.
"I don't need your comfort. This exam is meaningless."
Kankurō grimaced.
This exam really was absurd.
Three people writing frantically—and every answer was a mix of truth and falsehood.
If he hadn't planned to verify later, he might've timed out just trying to reason it out.
If he failed over something this stupid—
Father would kill him.
Kankurō shuddered.
"Honestly, Temari… I'm not confident either."
"You gave me your cheat sheet and you're still unsure?"
Kankurō flushed.
"I'm certain about seven questions. The other three… not so much. Alone, I'd pass. But now…"
He didn't finish.
Temari fell silent.
And worse—
Earlier, she'd felt Gaara's killing intent spike.
Her biggest fear was Gaara losing control inside the exam hall.
"We'll pass," she said firmly.
"But later… we need to deal with Gaara first."
"Right."
Elsewhere—
"Naruto, Sasuke… I'm sorry. I only copied one answer."
"Which one?"
"The first."
Sakura hesitated.
Sasuke covered his face.
"…That was wrong."
"…There were wrong answers?!"
Naruto exploded.
"WHO IS THE SICK BASTARD WHO DESIGNED THIS EXAM?!"
"Senpai Souma," Sakura whispered.
Naruto went silent.
That name was unavoidable.
"I'm confident in eight questions," Sakura said softly.
"The last two I guessed."
Sasuke paused.
"…I copied yours."
If both were wrong, their combined score wouldn't pass.
"Are we really getting eliminated in the first stage…?"
Naruto whispered.
"THINK ABOUT WHOSE FAULT THAT IS!!!" Sakura screamed.
Souma laughed.
He couldn't hear them—but lip-reading told him enough.
Gaara couldn't even cheat properly.
Naruto copied one answer—and it was wrong.
Spectacular.
"This exam is brutal," Inoichi muttered.
"The Hokage left room for error," Souma replied.
"As long as two members have enough knowledge, even a zero won't fail the team."
"If a squad can't gather and process information… what value does it have?"
Inoichi stared, then sighed deeply.
"You're different from most shinobi, Souma. Many believe raw power is everything—especially fresh genin."
"Ninja warfare is built on information," Souma replied.
"Of course I value it."
Inoichi nodded.
"Few truly do—even among jōnin."
He meant it.
Konoha's sensory barrier.
Yamanaka synchronization.
The spread and modification of the Telescope Technique.
Aura concealment.
All of it traced back to Souma.
Then Souma leaned in, lowering his voice.
"Inoichi-san, tell the Hokage this—
We should detain Danzō first. That old bastard is absolutely hiding something."
He nudged him lightly.
"If needed, I can bait him."
Inoichi fell silent.
"…The Chūnin Exams and Orochimaru come first."
"If we wait until he acts, it'll be too late. You can't defend forever."
Souma's voice sharpened.
"I suggest detaining him now. Question him first—then decide."
He poked Inoichi again.
"Internal instability before external threats—how do you fight a foreign enemy otherwise?"
Inoichi exhaled slowly.
"…I'll try. I can't promise anything."
Advance Chapters available on Patreon
patreon.com/pikachu614