In the former headquarters of the Root, now officially disbanded, Danzo walked in with heavy, measured steps. He had secretly summoned dozens of his most loyal Anbu operatives, men who remained bound to him despite the organization's public dissolution.
"That Uchiha remnant... she is surprisingly resilient," Danzo remarked coldly.
"You several, after the Chunin Exams conclude, you are to assassinate her."
The gathered Anbu exchanged confused looks. "Danzo-sama, do you mean Sasuke Uchiha, or Kanon Uchiha?"
"Kanon Uchiha! Once she is eliminated, my era shall finally begin..."
"Understood!"
"As you command!"
In a flicker of movement, the dozens of shinobi vanished without a trace.
"Hiruzen... the Uchiha are a clan possessed by evil. A power like that cannot be allowed to roam free," Danzo muttered to the shadows. "Since you lack the resolve to be ruthless, I shall be ruthless in your stead. Under your leadership, Konoha will only continue to grow weak."
"Only when I become Hokage can I lead Konoha toward a new, revitalized light."
Danzo let out a sinister chuckle as he retreated into the darkness, quietly awaiting the moment he would seize the title of Hokage.
…
At the Hokage's office, a group of Jonin mentors stood before Hiruzen Sarutobi. The Third Hokage sat in his central chair, puffing on his pipe as he looked over the teachers responsible for the village's future. He smiled with genuine pride; these men and women were the backbone of Konoha. Since the Third Shinobi World War, the village had suffered heavy losses, and seeing such talent gave him hope.
He turned his gaze toward the teams he had personally assigned and spoke through a cloud of smoke. "Well then. For the upcoming Chunin Exams, do any of you have Genin you wish to recommend for candidacy?"
Asuma Sarutobi stepped forward first, recommending the three Genin of Team 10: Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, and Choji Akimichi.
Beside him, Kurenai Yuhi followed suit, recommending the members of Team 8: Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame.
Hiruzen nodded. Though they lacked experience, the current political climate following the war demanded that these promising sprouts grow up quickly. Finally, the Hokage looked toward Kakashi, who took the initiative to speak.
"For Team 7, led by me: Kanon Uchiha, Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sakura Haruno. In the name of Kakashi Hatake, I recommend all four for the Chunin Selection Exams."
The other Jonin behind them were visibly surprised, as were the Academy instructors present. These three teams consisted of rookie Genin, yet every single one was being pushed into the exams.
Naturally, someone stood up to protest. Though he hadn't taught Kanon, Iruka Umino had watched the others grow up. To him, these children were only twelve years old, with Kanon being a mere eleven. It felt far too early. While he recognized their talent, he feared this was a case of "pulling at the sprouts to help them grow," which would only lead to disaster.
Kakashi held the opposite view, and after a heated debate, the Third Hokage decided to let Iruka conduct a test of his own. After all, the Chunin Exams were not just a test of individual strength, but a demonstration of power between the various hidden villages.
"Iruka makes a fair point," Hiruzen concluded. "Therefore, we shall prepare a special preliminary test for the rookies."
"A preliminary test...?" Iruka asked, uncertain.
…
The following morning, the four members of Team 7 stood by the bridge, waiting for Kakashi as they always did. Naruto let out a long yawn.
"Is Kakashi-sensei late every single day on purpose? Kanon, you got any water left?"
"Didn't you just have a drink?" Kanon sighed, handing her canteen to Naruto.
Naruto didn't mind; he held it up and drank without touching the rim.
"Kanon, you're way too soft on Naruto!" Sakura grumbled.
"Hey, can I have some of Sakura's too then?!" Naruto asked expectantly, handing the bottle back to Kanon.
"Beat it!" Sakura's fist moved as fast as her words. With a loud thwack, a bump larger than a fist erupted on Naruto's head.
"Boring," Sasuke muttered, his hands in his pockets as he stared straight ahead, acting as though he were completely indifferent to the antics.
"Nii-chan, do you want some water?"
"No thanks, Kanon."
Finally, Sakura reached her limit. She grabbed Naruto's collar and fumed, "Why does that guy call us out here and then make us wait every single time?!"
"Yeah, what she said!" Naruto and Kanon chimed in simultaneously.
Suddenly, a blur of motion appeared before them. Kakashi had arrived.
"Yo, morning everyone! Today, I got lost on the path of life."
"LIAR!" Kanon, Naruto, and Sakura screamed in unison, pointing accusingly at him.
Kakashi, however, shifted his tone instantly. He stepped closer to the group, his expression becoming serious. "Alright. This is a bit sudden, but I've recommended you for the Chunin Selection Exams."
He pulled out four application forms and handed them out.
"The Chunin Exams?" Kanon whispered. The name felt familiar to her.
"I should warn you, this recommendation isn't mandatory. Whether you participate or not is entirely your choice."
Naruto let out a cheer and tackled Kakashi in a fit of "manly" excitement.
"Those who want to take the exam, sign the forms. Five days from now, at 3:00 PM, go to Room 301 at the Academy."
The four of them looked at the papers, each lost in their own thoughts. On the way home, Kanon looked at her form and turned to Sasuke. "Nii-chan, are you going to do it?"
"I am. And I want to know if you are, too," Sasuke replied.
"Of course! If you're going, I have no reason to stay behind."
"But I might not be a match for you," Sasuke noted.
"That's because you won't train with me!" Kanon pouted.
"Your training is inhumane!" Sasuke retorted. He then reached out and took her slender hand. "I don't know why your recovery is so fast, but some scars don't disappear overnight. Look at what you've put yourself through."
Kanon pulled her hand back quickly, teasing him in return. "What are you talking about? You didn't even include me when you were practicing the Fireball Jutsu back then! Your cheeks were so swollen you couldn't even talk. I was the one who had to put the medicine on you."
Poked in a sore spot, Sasuke went quiet. He reached out and gently poked Kanon's forehead—the Uchiha siblings' unique gesture of affection.
"Hmph. I won't lose to you."
"And I won't lose to you, Nii-chan!"
"Good. I know you're strong, but we're going to have to settle this for real eventually." Sasuke's lips curled into a smirk as he suddenly broke into a sprint. "Last one home does the dishes!"
"Hey!" Kanon watched him bolt away and shook her head with a smile.