Kaito was a Konoha Genin.
Every day, he carried out ordinary D-rank missions like any other genin. Occasionally, however, his superiors would assign him missions well beyond his rank.
After all...
He was just that kind-hearted.
...At least, that was the joke.
The real reason was much simpler.
In the Hokage's eyes, Kaito already possessed the strength of a full-fledged Jonin, no weaker than the legendary "Eternal Genin" Maruboshi Kosuke. That was why the Hokage felt comfortable entrusting him with high-level missions despite his rank.
Today...
The annual Chunin Exams had begun once again.
Kaito joined a newly assembled team...
...and proceeded to make every mistake imaginable.
Whether Kaito himself had gotten used to it or not, nobody knew.
But the Hokage...
...and the Jonin watching the exams...
They were all used to it.
"This year's rookies don't seem particularly impressive."
"Yeah... every year feels weaker than the last."
"With the current state of the ninja world, another war is probably coming soon."
"And Kaito... he's still acting like the same hopeless mess."
A Jonin looked toward Shiranui Genma.
"You know that genin?"
Genma proudly patted his chest.
"Know him? He's my brother! We nearly died together during the Chunin Exams."
The other Jonin scratched his head.
"I've heard he did fairly well during the Second Great Ninja War..."
"...Though these days people mostly talk about something else."
Genma leaned closer curiously.
"Hm? What?"
The Jonin lowered his voice.
"I heard he's dating three women at once."
"..."
Genma sighed.
"So it's that."
"I've got nothing to say."
Deep inside...
He was jealous.
Very jealous.
But becoming Konoha's infamous playboy...
That wasn't something he could imitate.
Second Stage — Forest of Death
Kaito and his two temporary teammates crouched silently among the trees.
One boy.
One girl.
"They're from Sunagakure..."
"They're really trying to kill people."
Kaito whispered nervously,
"Shouldn't we just ambush another Konoha team instead?"
Both teammates looked at him with complete disdain.
"What kind of coward says that?"
"We're from the same village!"
"We should eliminate the enemy teams!"
said Hyuga Natsu.
Ebisu sighed.
"If our original teammate hadn't been injured before the exams..."
"...I honestly wouldn't have wanted you replacing him."
Since they were simply waiting for another team to fall into their traps, there wasn't much to do.
Leaning lazily against a tree, Kaito looked at the two young teammates.
"Why do you want to become Chunin?"
"Honestly..."
"Isn't it a little early at your age?"
"Especially you, Natsu."
Natsu blinked.
She had entered the Ninja Academy at the age of four.
Now...
Only eight years old...
She had already graduated and was taking the Chunin Exams.
Her expression became complicated.
Kaito understood why.
War was coming.
Normally, the Ninja Academy lasted six years.
But during wartime...
Fourth-year students were allowed to graduate early.
It wasn't even considered "early graduation."
The reason was simple.
Too many Chunin and Jonin had died.
The Daimyo had poured money into military expansion.
The village needed more ninja before war officially began.
Children like Ebisu...
And the three students under Genma...
Had all graduated in their fourth or fifth year.
There were advantages to that.
If they became ninja before the war started...
They could slowly adapt.
Otherwise...
The moment war broke out...
Children would suddenly be thrown onto battlefields completely unprepared.
According to Kaito's information...
Early next year...
Sunagakure would officially declare war.
The fact that Suna had willingly sent participants to Konoha's Chunin Exams...
Was almost certainly an intelligence-gathering operation.
Perhaps...
They were looking for someone.
As for Natsu...
She had entered the Academy at four...
Graduated at eight...
And immediately attempted the Chunin Exams.
Honestly...
It was pushing things.
Even Kakashi, who had graduated the previous year, hadn't participated.
After a long silence...
Natsu finally leaned against the tree and sighed.
"...Actually..."
"I'm jealous of all of you."
"I'm jealous..."
"...of your freedom."
"To me..."
"Becoming a Chunin..."
"...is only a way to discover the meaning of life a little sooner."
"The meaning... of life..."
Ebisu didn't really understand.
But he could hear the sadness hidden within her words.
Kaito, however...
Already understood.
"It's because of the Hyuga branch family system..."
he thought.
The division between the Main House and Branch House forced children like Natsu to mature far too early.
"What a strange system."
He couldn't understand it.
Nor did he particularly care to interfere.
Suzuka would become engaged to Hiashi this October.
Many people...
Were simply unable to choose their own lives.
Suzuka herself had never resisted.
Nor had she asked Kaito for help.
So...
It wasn't his business.
Even if she did ask...
There was no guarantee he would help.
After all...
He didn't owe Suzuka anything.
Suddenly—
Rustle...
Rustle...
The three instantly fell silent.
Every movement stopped.
A ninja's instincts took over.
Soon...
A squad wearing white-striped uniforms entered the forest.
"Kushina."
"Are you sure someone's here?"
Hearing that name...
Kaito fell silent.
He already knew that Loulan had sent a representative team to participate.
It was a declaration of sovereignty.
Their leader was Karura.
Since the exam began...
Kaito hadn't bothered using his senses to monitor everyone nearby.
After all...
He was already overqualified for this exam.
Using full sensory abilities on top of that...
Would be like using wall hacks while smurfing in a beginner lobby.
There'd be no point.
Kushina nodded.
"I'm sure."
"Two chakra signatures are weak..."
"But one of them..."
"...is already comparable to a Jonin."
"It must be the Kaito you mentioned."
Beside her...
Guren, once a gloomy girl, had completely changed after several months in Loulan.
She had become far more mature.
"But..."
"What exactly is Kaito to you?"
"You seem awfully familiar with him."
Guren's face turned slightly red.
"C-Cough..."
"It's nothing."
"I just think he's handsome."
"So I want to eliminate him."
Master probably doesn't actually want to become Chunin.
Otherwise he would've passed years ago.
This time...
I'll help Master myself!
Her eyes burned with determination.
Sara sighed helplessly before stepping forward.
"Wait—"
Before Kushina could stop her—
The ground beneath Sara suddenly collapsed.
"Ahhh!!"
"Kongō Fūsa!"
A silver chakra chain shot from a tiny spatial portal beside Kushina.
It instantly wrapped around Sara—
Pulling her back to safety.
Below...
The pit was filled with tripwire-triggered paralysis poison bombs.
"That was close."
"I almost got eliminated."
Kushina knew the second-stage rules extremely well.
Coming here...
Was also her way of getting back at Konoha.
She wasn't yet strong enough to challenge the village directly.
But...
Winning first place in the Chunin Exams...
Would at least let her collect a little interest on the debt.
At the same time...
Konoha couldn't attack her.
Otherwise...
It would mean declaring war on Loulan.
Loulan's military strength couldn't compare to Konoha.
But...
Who dared provoke a nation protected by the Almighty God?
"Come out."
"The Konoha team hiding in those three trees."
"Tch."
"Sensory ninja are such a pain."
Ebisu jumped down first.
Kaito and Natsu followed.
Kaito smiled politely.
"Our team has the Heaven Scroll."
"Why don't we confirm which scroll you have first?"
"No point fighting the wrong opponents."
Natsu, however, stared at Kushina.
"A member of the Uzumaki Clan?"
She recognized the silver chains immediately.
Only members of the Uzumaki Clan possessed techniques like that.
Although...
Kushina had already abandoned the Uzumaki surname.
For this exam...
She simply registered as Kushina.
"Why is someone from the Uzumaki Clan serving as one of Loulan's Knights?"
Loulan claimed it didn't train ninja.
Instead...
It trained Knights who protected the city.
Knights did not interfere in ninja affairs.
And with the Almighty God overseeing Loulan...
No nation dared question the distinction.
After all...
Every major country had military organizations outside their hidden villages.
The Land of Fire itself had agencies like the Military Affairs Office.
"So what?"
Kushina replied coldly.
"I hate every ninja from Konoha."
"This is my choice."
"If you've got a problem with it..."
"Go ask your Hokage."
Back in the monitoring room...
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression twitched slightly.
Even as a Shadow Clone...
He knew some of what Kushina had gone through.
Not long ago...
He had also discovered reports from the suspended Wood Release experiments.
Those reports mentioned two Uzumaki children.
Which meant...
Danzo had lied to him again.
Still...
The decision to abandon Kushina had ultimately been Hiruzen's own.
He couldn't blame anyone else.
Only admit...
That he had overlooked too much.
Even so...
He didn't believe his original decision had been wrong.
Because even if Kushina had remained in Konoha...
She would never have been allowed to leave ANBU.
Otherwise...
The kidnapping incident would have implicated him directly.
And punishing Danzo?
Impossible.
Root handled nearly all of Konoha's intelligence network.
Without Danzo...
Who would take over?
Beside him...
Uzumaki Shinichi, now a Special Jonin and leader of the remaining Uzumaki, frowned.
"Hokage-sama..."
"From the way Kushina behaves..."
"It feels like she developed a deep hatred for Konoha at some point."
"We tried contacting her privately..."
"...and she wouldn't even agree to meet us."
"That doesn't make sense."
Nearby...
The two Jonin instructors from Sunagakure quietly listened.
Karura folded her arms.
Before Hiruzen could answer...
She spoke first.
To bo continued...
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