"Heh. The Will of Fire? More like the 'Will of Cowardice'! Can't act tough toward outsiders, so you turn cruel toward your own? The Uchiha were one example—now the Hyūga too!"
"Konoha's really done for. Rotten at the root. No wonder the future shown in the sky screen is such a mess."
The images in the sky screen seemed to fast-forward—until suddenly, the scene shifted and the pacing slowed.
The setting changed to a noisy, massive arena filled with shinobi from various nations—
The Chūnin Exams.
Neji in the screen looked about thirteen or fourteen—tall, slender, his expression as cold as ever.
As the camera slowly swept across other familiar—or soon-to-be infamous—faces in the arena, the entire shinobi world reacted in unison.
Those watching openly.
Those lurking in the shadows.
All drew in sharp breaths.
Then came a low, incredulous uproar.
Uzumaki Naruto—the blond boy who might one day become a "world destroyer"—was looking around excitedly, animatedly chatting with his teammates.
Uchiha Sasuke—the future "Protector of Konoha"—leaned coolly against a wall, arms crossed.
Haruno Sakura—the pink-haired girl destined to learn "divine techniques" and join the so-called "Divine Knights"—was gazing at Sasuke in obvious infatuation, occasionally frowning at Naruto's loud voice.
Yakushi Kabuto—who would one day become the infamous Kabuto—was disguised as a gentle, harmless upperclassman with glasses, enthusiastically explaining the exam rules to the rookies.
And then—
Karin.
The same "demon child" who, in the present timeline, had crushed the Fourth Mizukage and crippled the Fourth Raikage with a single punch.
Yet here in the sky screen, she looked the same age as Naruto and the others—a red-haired girl wearing glasses, squatting outside Konoha with a bored expression.
"Holy hell…"
Across the shinobi world, countless voices blurted out in shock.
"All the previously featured 'protagonists'—they're all gathered at this one Chūnin Exam?!"
"Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Neji, Kabuto—and that demon child Karin?! What kind of god-tier lineup is this?!"
"Did Konoha's Chūnin Exams poke a nest of 'Children of Prophecy' and future villains?!"
"This isn't a Chūnin Exam. This is a live broadcast of future legends colliding for the first time!"
"Why are Karin and Kabuto there? Weren't they both supposed to be with Orochimaru at that time?"
After the shock came intense anticipation.
Everyone wanted to see it—
How would these figures, marked by the sky screen as key players of the future, interact back when they were still young and unpolished?
Little Karin was currently sitting on a rock, swinging her legs in boredom.
When she saw the bespectacled "herself" in the sky screen, confusion flickered across her eyes.
"Huh? Why would I go to Konoha? Shouldn't I have met Sasuke and Naruto much later?"
"That can only mean you didn't meet them there," Orochimaru chuckled softly from beside her. His golden snake-like eyes gleamed with amusement, as if he had instantly grasped something.
Kabuto adjusted his glasses, wearing his usual gentle smile as he calmly analyzed, "The fact that we all appear in the sky screen suggests that, in that 'original future,' Lord Orochimaru personally infiltrated Konoha and orchestrated… some kind of 'operation.'"
Little Karin nodded seriously, as if she fully understood.
Orochimaru extended his long tongue and slowly licked his cheek. His gaze slid toward the real Karin beside him, carrying a trace of regret.
"The sky screen shows only the 'original' trajectory of the future. In that timeline, I was unaware of your true strength and identity, Karin."
His eyes flickered with caution as they swept over her seemingly harmless small frame.
"Otherwise… had I known I possessed such 'assistance,' why would I have needed such complicated 'plans'? Wouldn't it have been far more… entertaining to achieve my goals directly?"
Karin burst into gleeful laughter, her face full of pride at being acknowledged.
The sky screen continued.
Through scene transitions, viewers gradually learned that this was a joint Chūnin Exam hosted by Konoha together with Sunagakure of the Land of Wind—as well as Otogakure and several smaller villages such as Amegakure.
In Sunagakure—
The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, frowned deeply as he watched the Suna shinobi appear in the screen.
"A joint Chūnin Exam? With Konoha?" he murmured, puzzled and wary. "That… doesn't match my style."
He was known for being calm, pragmatic—even ruthless. After successive Great Ninja Wars, his relationship with Konoha had remained cautious and competitive.
To actively host a joint exam with Konoha—and allow smaller nations to participate?
That felt… unusually open.
Unless—
There were greater interests at play. Or external pressure.
His gaze lingered on the Suna genin shown in the sky screen—especially the red-haired boy with dark-rimmed eyes and a massive gourd strapped to his back.
Gaara.
A faint realization flickered in Rasa's mind.
The sky screen did not elaborate on the political background.
Instead, it locked its focus firmly onto Neji's matches.
Neji's team displayed remarkable strength and coordination, advancing smoothly through the written exam and surviving the brutal Forest of Death preliminaries. They ultimately stood upon the grand stage of the final tournament.
Neji's first opponent in the finals—
Hyūga Hinata.
Daughter of the Hyūga clan head, Hyūga Hiashi. Heiress of the main Family.
When the two cousins faced each other across the arena—
Main Family and Branch Family.
Controller and controlled.
Under the watchful eyes of the entire world.
This was more than a contest of skill.
It was the Hyūga clan's cold, hierarchical system laid bare before all.
On the arena floor—
Neji stood with his hands behind his back, pale eyes coldly fixed on the timid girl opposite him. Hinata's head was lowered, her hands nervously twisting together.
His voice was clear and calm—but laced with unmistakable disdain and icy detachment. Through the sky screen, it echoed across the shinobi world.
"You should forfeit."
"You're not suited to be a shinobi," he stated flatly, as if declaring an unquestionable truth. "And you're even less worthy… of standing before me."
Hinata trembled. Her head dropped lower still. Her voice was barely audible.
"I… I don't want to give up… I want to… change myself…"
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