A shinobi wearing a Bear mask stepped inside a place that was dark despite the daylight, as the light could barely penetrate the interior. He wore a gray vest of armor over black pants, and on his left arm was a tattoo signifying his membership in the Anbu.
He bowed his head and dropped to one knee before the person who had summoned him.
"You called for me?"
"Hmph."
The other party offered no further reply, so the Anbu stayed silent, his head bowed.
A heavy shadow obscured the face of the figure seated atop the platform. The Anbu could only make out their lower body and the left hand, which caught a faint glimmer of light. It was an old, slightly wrinkled hand, clutching a cane.
Then, the voice spoke:
"I'm told the investigation has yielded nothing."
The Anbu responded, "I have no excuse."
Danzo was quiet for a moment, tapping his cane softly before mumbling under his breath: "Orochimaru is a clever man. He'd have no reason to alert Hiruzen just to kill one powerless old man. That would only steer his plans off course."
He then turned to the Anbu and spoke louder: "Very well. Look up."
Once permitted, the Anbu raised his head.
"Tell me, who has been assigned to probe Homura's mind?"
"It has been confirmed the task was given to Inoichi Yamanaka. I have no further details."
"Order Fū Yamanaka to handle the task instead of Inoichi."
"Yes, sir."
"Good."
..
Students waiting for class were loudly discussing the incident that had occurred a few days earlier. The sound of an explosion and the subsequent area sealing by the Hokage's forces had captured the attention of both students and teachers.
This was especially true since the second phase of the Chūnin Exam had just concluded and the finalists for the final round had been announced: twelve people in total—three from the Hidden Sand, one from the Sound Village, two from the Hidden Waterfall, and the rest all from Konoha.
Even the tournament brackets were public:
Naruto Uzumaki(Konoha) vs. Neji Hyūga(Konoha)
Shino Aburame Konoha) vs. Kankuro (The Hidden Sand)
Shikamaru Nara (Konoha) vs. Temari (The Hidden Sand)
Sasuke Uchiha (Konoha) vs. Gaara (The Hidden Sand)
Zwei (Takigakure) vs. Fū (Takigakure)
Ino Yamanaka(Konoha) vs. Dosu (The Hidden Sound)
Everyone was eager for the final stage, expecting one of Konoha's most thrilling events in years, but that night's commotion had overshadowed everything.
Udon turned to Moegi and Konohamaru and asked, "Did you guys hear that noise the night before last?"
"Yeah, I did. They're saying someone was trying to cause trouble in the village. Konohamaru, you hear anything?"
"Konohamaru-chan?"
"Huh? What?"
Moegi looked at Konohamaru, who had snapped out of his daze, with a worried expression. "What's wrong? You seem distracted."
Konohamaru replied, "Grandpa hasn't come home for a few days. I don't know what's going on. But even if he did, he wouldn't tell me."
Hanabi, who had been quietly listening to the other students, cut in. "I know what happened."
All three turned to face her.
"I overheard my dad talking to one of the Elders. They were saying there was a terrorist incident. It seems one of the Village Elders was killed."
"What?! Seriously?"
"No way!"
Udon's face grew serious after hearing Hanabi. "So that's why Hokage-sama hasn't been home for days. If something that big happened, it's normal they'd be busy. They're probably searching for the culprit."
"Oh, is that right?"
"And, did you hear the other rumors?"
"Rumors? What rumors?"
"How could you not? Everyone's talking about it now! They say they're going to cancel the Chūnin Exam!"
"That's impossible! What about the finalists?"
"Well, what do you think? They all fail!"
"Does that mean Naruto Big Brother fails too? That's not fair!"
Hanabi shrugged. "Who cares if it's fair or not? The village is in too much danger for anyone to be thinking about the twelve finalists."
Konohamaru started to object, but just as he was about to speak further,
"Quiet, everyone!"
The classroom door opened, and Mitsuro walked in.
Mitsuro stood on the platform, looked over his students, and announced, "The first term ends in a few days, so we'll be starting our midterms today."
All the students, who had fallen silent at his entrance, immediately burst into protests.
"Silence!" Mitsuro slammed his hand down on the desk.
Everyone quieted down again.
He then handed the papers in his hand to the student in the front row to distribute, and began to explain: "These sheets list the dates for your written midterms. Today, you'll only be tested on the Transformation Technique . I expect you to perform much better than the end-of-term exam, which was the same test!" He looked at Konohamaru: "Especially you, Konohamaru... I expect the best results."
Konohamaru, who had practiced diligently, crossed his arms and declared proudly, "I'll show you how much I've improved, Sensei!"
Mitsuro narrowed his eyes. "I'm warning you, Konohamaru... Don't perform that ridiculous technique you learned from your friend, or I'll make you cry for a week!"
Konohamaru was instantly terrified, turning pale. "Eek! ...I won't use that technique, I promise!"
He briefly remembered the first time he'd used the Sexy no Jutsu during his private lessons with Mitsuro to prove his skills; Mitsuro had reacted violently. He was shocked for a moment, then grabbed Konohamaru and thrashed him relentlessly! It was the second time in Konohamaru's life he had been thoroughly beaten! And worst of all, it was the first time an adult had ever punished him!
"Alright then, come up and take your test first!"
Konohamaru stood up and faced Mitsuro. He brought his hands up to his face: "Henge!"
Poof
A cloud of smoke rose, and in Konohamaru's place stood another Mitsuro, an exact replica of the teacher.
"Well done!" Mitsuro gave a faint smile.
Konohamaru, adopting Mitsuro's smirk, mimicked his voice and tone: "Really, just a 'Well done'?"
Mitsuro's smirk widened. "Full marks for Konohamaru. Your technique was flawless!"
The children started to whisper among themselves.
With a final
poof
Konohamaru reverted to his original self, a joyful smile on his face. He was clearly elated to have received a perfect score.
He owed this to his private lessons with Mitsuro. Though Mitsuro hadn't taught him any new techniques, he had offered many tips on Chakra control in those short sessions. He had also told him that imitation wasn't just about recalling the appearance; he had to mimic the person's voice and mannerisms as well. All these pointers had led to Konohamaru's significant improvement.
"Good. Go back to your seat."
"Hanabi, come up." And so, the test quietly continued.