The Chūnin Exams were about to begin in earnest.
"You're representing the Sound Village now. Be mindful of your conduct," Brother Cong reminded coldly, holding a document as he paced through the training grounds, his gaze sweeping across the assembled genin.
But in his heart, other thoughts lingered.
Senju Hashirama and Tobirama—those legends from the Warring States Period—intended to move independently. Even though they disguised themselves as Sound Shinobi, sharp eyes would always be watching. Besides, most rest areas allocated to other shinobi villages were placed far from Konoha's heart, clearly not by coincidence.
The atmosphere in Konoha was increasingly complex.
Naruto, who had become sharper in his intuition recently, simply nodded with a smile.
Can a person like that really become a leader?
What a curious world, Hashirama thought.
In the end, the First Hokage couldn't help but speak with a sigh.
She was still too innocent—Konan, the Rain Shinobi sent by Nagato to spy.
"I've decided," Hashirama murmured, watching the youth around him. "Let's stay disguised as genin. It'll remind the younger generation to remain humble."
Then, seemingly curious about the current state of the Hokage lineage, Hashirama stopped a passing shinobi.
Tobirama, standing nearby, grew colder in expression. Things weren't proceeding as expected.
Konan furrowed her brow, confused.
"Brother," she asked lightly, "do you know who the Third Hokage of Konoha is?"
This mindset of proving themselves wasn't limited to genin from the Five Great Shinobi Nations. Smaller villages, too, burned with the need to show their worth.
After silently observing Hashirama and Tobirama for a moment, Sasuke lost interest and turned away.
Earlier, Uchiha Cong had acted publicly in the street, leaving a sour taste in Sasuke's mouth.
The Konoha Guard represented the image of the village.
"Don't forget," Brother Cong barked, "this is Konoha! Follow the rules, or get out!"
"So, Brother Cong," Konan probed, "can you tell us more about the current Hokage?"
Meanwhile, Hashirama and Tobirama continued to observe, trading analysis with subtle glances.
"This is strange…" Hashirama whispered.
"I was the First Hokage, you were the Second… but the Third?" he trailed off.
Konan frowned. She couldn't quite understand the two mysterious shinobi before her.
The grinning Brother Cong, seemingly satisfied, nodded repeatedly.
"Sound Shinobi? Figures. A small village like that's barely known beyond its borders."
Others from smaller nations stood cautiously by, used to being sidelined by the Five Great Nations. Acting rashly risked annihilation.
"You really don't know?"
Thanks to the Godfather's patronage, Karin—formerly weak and timid—had grown immensely in power, a testament to hidden potential.
Second update of the day.
Punitive regulations had been rolled out across the board.
"This year's genin class might actually have a few who can fight," Brother Cong commented.
"I see," Konan whispered to herself.
The options were clear.
In the original manga, Second Hokage Tobirama had addressed Sasuke as "a brat consumed by hatred" the moment he was resurrected—sharp and unforgiving.
Though Hashirama and Tobirama could likely recognize Tsunade in her adult form, her stone carving—the Fifth Hokage's visage—was stylized and unfamiliar enough that they hadn't connected the dots immediately.
The carvings of the Fourth and Fifth Hokage were present, but something was off.
One carving, likely belonging to the Third, had clearly been damaged—cracked, as if struck by a massive blow.
A crowd of spirited teens and their respective comrades began to gather.
Brother Cong led the guards arrogantly across the field.
"Sand Shinobi Village genin, Shakou, caused public disturbance and broke street order. Fine: three million ryō. Disqualified from the exam. Expelled from Konoha."
What else needed to be said?
This was a disgrace to the village.
Was it possible to form a coalition with smaller villages—like Rain—at the helm? To finally force the Five Great Nations to acknowledge their strength?
It was a nice thought, but when a village leader sneered at her, Konan understood how naïve it sounded.
Now more than ever, the new regulations had to be enforced with iron resolve.
It was done.
"Brother," Konan muttered, "that Konoha genin… seems a little full of himself."
…
Naruto, still keeping Sasuke cheerful, wandered off beside him.
"I'm not invincible," Naruto said with a grin, "but I can take ten of them, easy."
Would the Five Great Nations ever allow a united front to rise against them?
"Let's go," Sasuke said, uninterested. "I have new jutsu to refine. Those two are strong, yeah. But not unbeatable."
The Guards had become tools of the Uchiha Clan!
Was this what their authority looked like now?
"The Konoha Guard has immense power now," Konan muttered. "And they don't hesitate to use it."
Brother Cong tossed the report to Itachi and swept his gaze across the field.
"I founded the Guard to support the Uchiha," Tobirama said grimly. "Now their presence is overwhelming. Even outsiders fear them."
"Taki Hidden Village genin…"
Things had taken an unexpected turn.
Sasuke, unconcerned, tapped his chin, Sharingan slowly rotating. He circled the two "genin" with suspicion.
Hashirama frowned. Something wasn't clicking.
Some people were simply difficult to approach.
The Senju brothers shared a moment of silence.
A nearby boy, catching their aura, turned away quickly to avoid being drawn in.
Hashirama approached Naruto and Sasuke with a warm smile, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder.
"Nice to meet you," he said, eyes twinkling. "You've got good energy."
Naruto laughed, scratching his head.
The tension was easing, but Tobirama's dislike of the Uchiha lingered under the surface.
The genin paused, glanced skeptically at Hashirama, and moved on.
Sasuke was unfazed.
"So you don't know?" the genin asked. "That's been spread across the entire ninja world."
Konan had been sent by Nagato for reconnaissance.
Now only Hashirama and Tobirama remained, locked in thought.
Tobirama's instincts told him enough.
Konan had a new thought.
The hatred born of the Warring States era wasn't easily erased.
Konoha's management of visiting genin was in place.
"You two aren't bad," Cong commented bluntly.
When villagers saw the Uchiha crest, expressions darkened.
Tobirama scowled even harder.
"He's welcoming me to Konoha? But I'm wearing a Sound forehead protector?"
What made them suspicious was that the two "genin" weren't training like the others. They observed everything with an outsider's curiosity.
Now that the Five Kage were gathered in Konoha to observe the Chūnin Exams, a strong genin showing could lead to diplomatic interest, even cooperation.
"Me too," another whispered.
Warning signs were clear.
The exterior might seem orderly, but what of Konoha's internal fractures?
Sasuke knew one thing—if Karin lost control, he wouldn't risk fighting her head-on.
The last time the Five Kage met was during the First Great Shinobi Summit.
"The Third has become a taboo subject," a voice whispered. "Something major happened. It rocked the entire ninja world."
"What's going on with the Uchiha these days?"
"Seriously, is a written test still necessary? Why not skip to combat?"
"This is getting interesting."
To boost their village's image, genin from many nations explored the school grounds, hoping to be seen.
"You're bold," Cong sneered. "Talking about taboos in the streets of Konoha? Try shouting 'Third Hokage' and see how fast you get arrested."
"Country of Hot Water genin…"
Others planned to survive through overwhelming force.
Hashirama looked up, stunned.
He and Tobirama exchanged a glance.
Some villages doubted Rain's right to lead—especially after Hanzō's fall.
"Young Konoha boy," one muttered.
"You're energetic."
"Big Brother is more than a little bit strong—he's in a league of his own."
"It's time to prove ourselves," another said.
"You understand Rain's goal here, don't you?"
Compared to capturing tailed beasts, uniting small villages seemed easier.
"These two Sound genin might be more impressive than we thought. We'd better stay sharp."
Tsunade's power had skyrocketed in recent years.
Hashirama knew Sarutobi Hiruzen was his student.
"Now announcing: the current outer village shinobi regulations, and all recent penalties for noncompliance."
Hashirama glanced at the Hokage Rock, visibly shaken.
Some villages aligned with the Five Nations. Others survived by staying low.
They all sought one thing—intel.
Another Uchiha?
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