"Hmph."
Raikage turned his head and strode toward Konoha without another word.
The Third Hokage gave a faint smile, seemingly satisfied, then turned to the others. "Come. The Chūnin Exams are about to begin."
Tsuchikage and Kazekage followed behind, but out of the Hokage's sight, they exchanged a subtle glance—an unspoken weight passing between them.
Of course, this Kazekage wasn't the real one. He was none other than Orochimaru in disguise.
And just now, when he heard the Third Hokage speak, he finally confirmed it without a doubt—this man was the very 'traitor' who had once turned his back on the Twilight Hermits.
"Lord Mizukage, please… stay on your guard."
At that moment, Kisame suddenly stepped forward and leaned in close to Terumi Mei, whispering in a voice so low it barely reached her ears.
"I've got a bad feeling… Please be extra careful around the Hokage, Kazekage, and Tsuchikage."
Terumi Mei gave the slightest nod, barely noticeable, then continued walking inside with the others.
Once the Five Kage entered the venue, the Chunin Exams were officially declared open.
The Five Kage sat high above on the observation platform, while all the guards were dismissed to the outside perimeter.
The benefit of this arrangement was clear—it minimized any risk that might come from too many people being near the Kage.
Though assassinations were rare, the possibility could never be completely ruled out.
Kisame kept his eyes on the platform where the Mizukage sat. A deep unease churned in his chest. He turned his head and muttered in a voice only the two of them could hear.
"Stay sharp. Something feels off. If anything happens, protect Lady Mizukage immediately."
Hozuki Mangetsu cracked a grin.
"You sure are loyal to Lady Mizukage, huh?"
Kisame's expression didn't change. Only he knew what kind of beautiful future Lady Terumi Mei dreamed of.
And for that dream, he was willing to give everything.
Not long after the Five Kage had gone inside, two figures appeared atop Konoha's high outer walls.
"Holy Son, it's been years since you've been back. Miss this place?"
Mr. A crouched on the wall, gazing down at the bustling streets of Konoha with a grin.
"There's still a bit of time. Want to go visit that relative you left behind?"
"It feels… good. Familiar."
Uchiha Itachi looked at the familiar streets, took in a deep breath, and then smiled—twisted and feverish.
"This feeling… It's amazing. But so many people… They're too noisy. If I could just kill them all… Offer them up to the Lord as a sacrifice… that would be perfect."
"I think you're being a bit too extreme."
Mr. A tugged at the corner of his mouth and quickly tried to dissuade him. "Don't act impulsively. We're here on a mission, not for sacrifices."
He was genuinely afraid—afraid that this guy might lose control at any moment and storm in, causing chaos.
Fortunately, Uchiha Itachi calmed down again. He took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to kill. Once the bloodlust settled, he spoke in a quiet voice.
"Don't worry. I know my limits. Everything is for the sake of the Great Lord."
Just then, a strange crimson mist appeared before their eyes.
It was like a distorted painting, broken and incomplete fragments that were directly burned into the deepest corners of their minds.
On the rooftop of a venue protected by a barrier, a ninja in chainmail, wielding an iron staff, was being surrounded and attacked by several enemies.
But even with all his skill, he couldn't fight off so many at once. He was quickly forced into a desperate situation, barely holding on.
Then, a voice echoed—no, resonated—deep inside their very souls.
"Stop them."
"Stop them."
"Stop them."
The voice was so vivid, it felt as if it had taken root in the core of their being.
A divine revelation!
The Great Lord had sent down a divine command!
At that moment, the pupils of both Uchiha Itachi and Mr. A dilated uncontrollably.
They could clearly feel it—that twisted, corrupt aura just now. There was no doubt.
That was the True Creator, the only and real Lord.
"Those people..."
Uchiha Itachi licked his lips, bloodlust flickering in his eyes.
"Can I kill them all?"
"If my senses aren't mistaken…" Mr. A paused, then grinned cruelly. A brutal aura spread around him. "They're from the Twilight Hermits."
Perfect. Now there was one more reason to act.
Though it wasn't clear why the Twilight Hermits had suddenly shown up in Konoha, Mr. A didn't mind helping out—especially if it meant causing trouble for them.
If he could kill one or two along the way? That'd be even better.
After all, the Twilight Hermits had been doing everything they could to sabotage the Aurora Order's plans. Mr. A had long grown sick of them.
Under the watchful eyes of the Five Kage, the Chūnin Exams officially began.
The first match featured Hyuga Neji, a genius from the branch family of Konoha's noble Hyuga clan, facing off against Kankuro, the puppet master from Sunagakure.
The battle was intense, no doubt about that. But to the crowd, who were eagerly waiting for the fight between Uchiha Sasuke and Gaara, this was just the warm-up.
Kankuro's puppet skills were top-tier among Genin, but unfortunately for him, he ran into a Hyuga.
Completely countered by the Byakugan, his chakra threads were severed, and once Neji closed the distance, it was all over.
With the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, Neji ended the match in a blink.
Kankuro's chakra points were sealed. He couldn't even gather a single bit of chakra. All he could do was admit defeat.
The next match followed right after. Temari from the Sand faced off against Kurotsuchi from the Stone.
The result?
Temari was defeated. And just like that, out of three Sand participants who made it to the finals, only one hope remained.
The Tsuchikage, of course, couldn't be missing. He put on a proud, arrogant look and mocked the Kazekage a few times.
The Kazekage sneered back, but in the end, the Hokage stepped in and stopped the argument.
"Here it comes! The battle I've been most looking forward to!"
"Uchiha Sasuke!"
"Uchiha Sasuke!"
"Uchiha Sasuke!"
Soon, the whole arena was cheering, Sasuke's name echoing through the sky and shaking the clouds.
Gaara appeared in the arena, quietly waiting for his opponent.
The next moment, almost no one could see clearly before Sasuke suddenly appeared.
"What a fast Body Flicker Technique!"
Ninjas from all nations in the stands showed surprised expressions.
Such a beautiful Body Flicker Technique coming from a Genin — the foundation of Konoha is truly deep!
"Come on, Sasuke!"
Sakura leaned on the fence of the stands, trembling nervously but still shouting encouragement.
Sasuke's eyes scanned the stands but couldn't find that flash of yellow, feeling a little disappointed inside.
"Naruto… didn't come?"
She had worked hard for half a month for today.
She wanted Naruto to see the results of her effort, but Naruto was nowhere to be found.
Sasuke took a deep breath, regained her spirit, and looked at Gaara, silently vowing, "I will definitely defeat you… for Naruto!"
*******
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