Upon seeing Kakashi's figure, Naruto and Sasuke stopped eating their ramen and quickly greeted him.
Ever since returning to the village after completing the Land of Waves mission, Kakashi had rarely taken them on low-rank missions. Instead, he spent most of his time holed up at home, doing who-knows-what, only occasionally calling them to teach some basic shinobi knowledge.
The two of them had thought a lot about this.
They believed that after what happened last time, Kakashi had lost confidence in continuing to teach them, which was why he had been keeping to himself.
This made sense; unlike Sakura, they had already been under Kakashi's tutelage for several years.
When they were still Genin and Chūnin, Kakashi had been able to provide them with significant guidance. But now that they had reached Jōnin-level strength, his role had become far less essential.
After all, at the Jōnin stage, shinobi were different from Chūnin and Genin. It was no longer about blindly learning and imitating, they had to find their own path to power.
For Naruto, that path was becoming a perfect Jinchūriki and mastering the Nine-Tails' power to its fullest.
For Sasuke, it was developing his Sharingan. Once he awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, he would be able to achieve his revenge against Itachi Uchiha.
Kakashi nodded at Naruto and Sasuke, but his gaze soon settled on Byakuya.
He had come specifically for Byakuya. After learning his whereabouts from the patrol shinobi, he had hurried to Ichiraku Ramen, there were many questions he wanted to ask.
Noticing Kakashi's stare, Byakuya pointed at the ramen and said, "Eat first. After you're done, remember to pay for ours. Then you can ask whatever you want."
Kakashi nodded and silently began eating.
Once they finished, Kakashi first sent Naruto and Sasuke out to train, then led Byakuya to a secluded grove.
Byakuya, now standing in the small forest, put on an exaggerated look of fear and said nervously, "Kakashi, don't tell me Konoha is planning to assassinate me and use it as an excuse to start a war?"
Kakashi didn't find the joke amusing at all.
After a moment of silence, Kakashi spoke gravely, "Byakuya-sama, do you remember what you told me last time? That I should pay close attention to my Sharingan?"
Byakuya nodded, then smirked playfully.
"So, you've discovered your eye's secret. How does it feel to possess a Mangekyō Sharingan? Now you won't just be 'Kakashi the Copy Ninja' anymore."
Kakashi removed his forehead protector, revealing his blood-red three-tomoe Sharingan.
As he channeled his ocular power, the three tomoe morphed into a shuriken-like pattern, locking onto Byakuya with an intense gaze.
After returning home from the Land of Waves mission, he had spent days researching his Sharingan in isolation.
Alone with his thoughts, he began reflecting on his life so far, and that was when he realized his eye had, without him noticing, evolved into the Mangekyō Sharingan.
The appearance of the Mangekyō shocked him, but what stunned him even more was its ability.
His Mangekyō allowed him to transport himself into a mysterious space. Moreover, by focusing his gaze, he could distort the space in front of him, creating destructive effects.
This ability reminded him of the masked man, the very culprit behind the Nine-Tails' attack.
If that man's space-time abilities also relied on the Mangekyō, then there were only two possibilities for the identity of the Nine-Tails incident's perpetrator.
First: The man had stolen the other Mangekyō from Obito's corpse.
Second: His true identity was his former best friend, Obito Uchiha.
No matter which was the truth, both were realities Kakashi couldn't bring himself to accept. After struggling internally for a long time, he still couldn't find the right answer.
Upon hearing that Byakuya had arrived in Konoha, he immediately sought out the shinobi who had given him this information. If Byakuya had led him to uncover this truth, he must know more about the masked man.
With that thought, Kakashi spoke to Byakuya, "The Mangekyō is useful, but Byakuya-sama… can you tell me why its abilities are so similar to the masked man's?"
Byakuya glanced at Kakashi, his tone meaningful.
"You already have the answer. Why ask me again? I don't know who the masked man is either, right now, he's just my enemy."
From Byakuya's words, Kakashi had his confirmation.
The masked man who attacked the village was none other than Obito Uchiha, the same Obito who had once loved the village so dearly, whose remains supposedly lay in the Heroes' Cemetery.
Still, Kakashi was curious: How had Byakuya deduced the masked man's identity?
He asked, "When did you realize who he was?"
"Not too long ago. At first, I only had suspicions. But after seeing your Mangekyō, I'm almost certain of his identity."
Pausing, Byakuya grinned. "Before, I could fight him, but he always escaped. Now, with your eye, I can finally deal with him for good."
Kakashi frowned. "You've tracked him down?"
Byakuya shook his head. "Not yet. But an event as big as the Chūnin Exams? He'll show up. I'll see if there's a chance to ambush him. Anyway, anything else? If not, I'll take my leave. I need to conserve my energy for this exam, gotta witness this unprecedented spectacle firsthand."
With that, Byakuya left the grove first, disappearing into the streets.
Rather than easing Kakashi's worries, Byakuya's words only deepened them. It wasn't just the masked man he was concerned about, it was Byakuya himself.
Though Byakuya stood on Konoha's side and had even saved Naruto and Sasuke before, he was far too mysterious and powerful. Kakashi doubted he had come to Konoha just to watch the exams. Moreover, something about this Chūnin Exam gave him a bad feeling, like disaster was looming.
Sasori of the Red Sand. The One-Tail's Jinchūriki. Byakuya. Kushina-sensei. The masked man. And elite shinobi from Kirigakure.
The forces gathered for this exam were too strong. If a conflict broke out, the consequences would be catastrophic.
And the worst part? Kakashi didn't even know which side he should stand on when it happened.
---
After several days of preparation, the day of the Chūnin Exams finally arrived.
The first stage was a written test, evaluating the candidates' ability to gather intelligence and their knowledge base. Examinees could either cheat or rely on their own skills to pass.
Two hours before the exam began, the candidates had already gathered outside the testing hall.
Some were there to meet shinobi from their own village or others, but most were gathering intel on their rivals, preparing for the second and third stages.
Sasuke and Naruto were no exception.
They knew they were strong, but this exam was filled with hidden talents. To ensure they came out on top, they needed as much information as possible.
As they moved through the crowd, the three of them noticed a bespectacled young man selling intel.
According to the others, this senior was named Kabuto Yakushi, a veteran who had taken the Chūnin Exams more than three times, yet, for some reason, had never been promoted to Chūnin.
Another person chimed in, explaining that Kabuto did have the skills to become a Chūnin. However, he always took the exams alone, which put him at a severe disadvantage in the second stage's team-based test. That was why he remained a Genin.
As for why Kabuto insisted on taking the exams solo, there were plenty of rumors.
Some said he had a secret deal with the village's higher-ups, that he intentionally stayed a Genin to keep selling intel. Others claimed he was a coward, avoiding promotion so he wouldn't have to go on dangerous missions.
Naruto and Sasuke didn't care about the reasons. After buying the information from Kabuto, they turned to leave.
But then, Kabuto adjusted his glasses and approached them.
"You three are Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, right? I heard you recently completed an S-rank mission. Is that true?"
Naruto shook his head. "Nah, it was just a C-rank, "
Kabuto pressed further. "Mind sharing the details? I'd be willing to pay, "
Naruto immediately grew wary. "Sorry, that's team business. If that's all, we've got an exam to take."
After brushing him off, Naruto led Sasuke and Sakura away. Meanwhile, Kabuto quietly pulled out a notebook and jotted down their threat levels.
As a spy for Konoha, he already knew exactly who they were.
- Naruto: The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
- Sasuke: The last Uchiha.
- Sakura: …Well, she was just Sakura. Aside from being book-smart, she didn't stand out much.
With that, Kabuto disappeared back into the crowd, continuing his intel trade.
---
On the other side of the gathering, two figures, Orochimaru (disguised as a Sound-nin) and Rasa, observed everything in silence. They, too, had bought Kabuto's intel and eavesdropped on his conversation with Naruto's team.
Orochimaru's gaze lingered on Kabuto. He had always admired the young man's efficiency and had considered recruiting him. Too bad he's Danzō's pawn. I haven't found the right leverage yet.
Rasa noticed Orochimaru's interest and scoffed. "Why are you so fixated on that Kabuto? He's just a Genin. What's so special about him?"
Orochimaru smirked. "I see potential in him. He could be a valuable asset, perhaps even Jōnin-level."
Then, his eyes shifted toward a group approaching, Gaara, Temari, and Kankurō. "Rasa, your children are here. Aren't you going to greet them?"
Rasa's expression darkened. "Why bother. Those ingrates are practically Sasori's kids now. They've forgotten who their real father is. If I get the chance, I'll remind them."
Orochimaru chuckled. "Maybe you're just a terrible father. If they were my subordinates, they'd obey even if I ordered them to die. Not that I'd ever waste them like that, of course."
Rasa clenched his jaw, unable to retort.
Over the years of working with Orochimaru, he'd seen how fiercely loyal the Snake Sannin's followers were. Orochimaru's methods of indoctrination were undeniably effective, his shinobi followed him with fanatical devotion.
Meanwhile, Rasa's own relationship with his children was… strained, to say the least.
But this is for their own good.
A shinobi had to stand alone, trusting no one, not even family.
That was the harsh truth of their world.
Rasa forcibly pulled his wandering thoughts back and tried to shift suspicion, "Orochimaru, I just saw the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. Should we seize him and recreate the Nine-Tails' rampage in Konoha? If that happens, the Third Hokage might even resort to the Dead Demon Consuming Seal to suppress the Nine-Tails again."
Orochimaru considered it for a moment, then shook his head. "Did you forget Byakuya's warning? We can't afford large-scale chaos. And don't forget, Danzō is watching us. They won't give us the opportunity."
Still, Rasa's suggestion made Orochimaru seriously contemplate countermeasures against the Dead Demon Consuming Seal.
I'm confident I can give the old man a dignified end… but if he drags me down with him in his final moments, it'd be a waste.
After listening to Orochimaru's reasoning, Rasa sighed.
These days, even causing trouble in an enemy village isn't easy. There are too many restrictions. I went from being the mighty Kazekage to a rogue ninja, yet I'm still bound by these rules.
What kind of world is this?
---
Two hours passed quickly, and soon, the exam officially started.
Rasa and Orochimaru entered separate exam halls, disguised as Sound-nin candidates.
For Rasa, the former Kazekage, it had been decades since he last took such a low-level test. He had assumed it would be child's play.
But as he glanced at the questions, he started to sweat.
- What equation was used for this parabolic trajectory problem?
- How do you identify these medicinal herbs?
- Why do I recognize every character individually, but when they're combined, they make no sense?!
After ten minutes of struggling, Rasa gave up on answering honestly.
Fine. If I can't solve it myself, I'll just cheat like everyone else.
Based on his past experience overseeing Chūnin Exams, the answers had to be on nearby examinees.
He scanned the room, only a handful of candidates seemed to be writing confidently.
Those must be the proctors planted among the examinees. If I copy their answers, I can control the outcome of this exam.
Then, his gaze landed on his own children.
Gaara, Temari, and Kankurō were already cheating, using Sand Eye, puppetry, and wind-release techniques to gather answers. They were doing well, clearly set to pass without issue.
Rasa's eye twitched.
Didn't I teach them to take things step by step?
Irritated, he decided to interfere.
Using his own magnet-release jutsu, he subtly disrupted their methods, shifting Gaara's sand, jamming Kankurō's puppets, and distorting Temari's wind currents.
The three siblings frowned, glancing around in confusion.
Who's messing with us?!
Rasa smirked behind his disguise.
Consider this a lesson in vigilance.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru, seated in another room, effortlessly copied answers from nearby examinees, his snake-like eyes flickering with amusement.
This exam is far too predictable.
But then…
A kunai suddenly embedded itself in the desk beside him.
"You there, cheating is prohibited."
A proctor glared at him.
Orochimaru tilted his head, feigning innocence.
"Oh? But I was just… thinking."
The proctor narrowed his eyes.
"Then think quietly."
Orochimaru chuckled inwardly.
How amusing. Even after all these years, Konoha's exams never change.