Around the newly completed massive arena outside the Village, a lively spectacle was already taking shape. A temporary marketplace had sprung up around it, crowded with tents belonging to merchants, travelers, and nobles from every corner of the continent.
Accompanied by several Chūnin temporarily assigned to him, Roshi moved between the encampments of the various Shinobi Villages, handling routine coordination and last-minute confirmations.
He started with Amegakure—carefully confirming that no one had black chakra rods protruding from their faces—before continuing on to greet the teams from the other Villages.
This time, Kusa had not sent Muku or Ryūzetsu. Given the losses they had suffered during the Box of Paradise incident, their Ninja ranks were no longer being suppressed.
Takigakure's team looked ordinary, without anyone particularly eye-catching.
Hidden Mist's group was led by Zabuza, while Sunagakure's was under Baki.
At last, Roshi stopped in front of Kumogakure's encampment.
"Samui-san."
"Roshi-san."
The Kumogakure kunoichi greeted him as calmly as ever, her expression unchanged.
Yet the moment Roshi stepped closer, he felt something subtly off—the pressure around her was… heavier than usual.
"…I owe you an apology?" he ventured cautiously.
Samui answered without hesitation, "Roshi-san does owe me an apology. When discussing cultural legends, you brushed the topic aside by citing the title of a popular novel from your country."
She paused, then emphasized evenly, "That is not an equal exchange of etiquette."
"After returning, I specifically asked Dodai-san to help me obtain a copy of Icha Icha Paradise. He informed me that it was not suitable reading for me."
Her gaze remained steady.
"So it does contain inappropriate content, doesn't it?"
"And according to my information," she added coolly, "Roshi-san is not yet eighteen. By standard definitions, you are not within the appropriate demographic to read such material either."
Roshi replied calmly, "Regarding that book—I haven't actually read it."
Samui lowered her eyes slightly. "Given that you mentioned it subconsciously, that claim lacks credibility."
"I only know the title because of the author's reputation and the book's overwhelming popularity," Roshi explained. "At the time, the conversation was relaxed. I spoke without thinking too carefully about etiquette. That was my mistake."
Samui fell silent for a moment, clearly weighing his words.
Finally, she gave a small nod.
"I will provisionally accept that explanation. Your apology is acknowledged."
With Icha Icha Paradise set aside, the Kumogakure jōnin smoothly steered the conversation back to business.
"Then," she asked, "has Konoha finalized the specific arrangements for this Chūnin Exams? In particular, the timing for team groupings and the lottery draw?"
The air lightened—slightly—but the negotiations, as always, were only just beginning.
—
Shinno, a man who called himself a doctor, wandered from country to country, offering his medical ninjutsu to people in countless Shinobi Villages.
He was unfailingly gentle, unfailingly benevolent—and had never made an obvious enemy.
'Have I been exposed?'
The moment he was intercepted by the long-haired, masked man and the pitcher-plant-like creature, the thought flashed through his mind.
"Is this the one?" White Zetsu tilted his head, blatant skepticism in his voice. "The guy Orochimaru said was 'strong enough'? He doesn't look like much."
"According to Orochimaru's intelligence," Black Zetsu replied in a low, measured tone, "he is the surviving leader of the Sky Ninja Village—destroyed by Konoha."
"He possesses exceptional medical ninjutsu, particularly a forbidden regeneration technique. Furthermore, remnants of the Sky Village's hidden power may still exist."
Faced with open scrutiny, Shinno kept his humble smile intact.
"May I ask who you two are?" he said politely. "Is there something I can assist you with?"
'So Orochimaru sold me out after all…'
That snake—apparently even regeneration techniques were no longer enough to satisfy his appetite.
"I will create a new world," the masked man said calmly. "To achieve that goal, Konoha must be destroyed."
The tension in Shinno's body eased slightly.
'I see… so that's why Orochimaru sold me.'
"I have no—"
Before he could finish refusing, the masked man stepped forward—slow, deliberate.
"There's no need to rush, Shinno," he interrupted flatly.
"I have no intention… of accepting your refusal."
—
Konoha had long prepared itself for sabotage.
Whether the threat came from one of the participating villages, a covert alliance between several, Iwagakure's ambiguously hostile stance, or even the elusive 'Uchiha Madara'—none of it would come as a surprise.
Hiruzen had already accepted that reality.
That was precisely why Konoha's strongest forces—including Jiraiya—had all been gathered within the Village.
And it was why the former Hokage himself led Anbu patrols, maintaining an unusually dense security net around the arena.
"Just a handful of fools trying to tamper with the outcome," he muttered.
The scale of the event was enormous. Unlike the Land of Lightning, where outsiders were rare, the massive underground gambling scene surrounding the exams guaranteed one thing—someone would lose too much, panic, and attempt something stupid.
Those people became Hiruzen's harvest.
Not the harvest he wanted—but a necessary one.
Roshi, serving simultaneously as reception coordinator and part of the outer security detail, had taken up residence in the temporary quarters near the arena for the past five days.
Fortunately, the days themselves were not overly taxing.
As the Chūnin Exams drew closer, merchants from across the continent poured in, bringing with them rare goods, exotic wares, and rumors from every corner of the Ninja World.
The calm before the storm was noisy—but calm nonetheless.
"Roshi, you seem unusually interested in plant seeds," Samui observed, watching him pause at a merchant's stall.
"Yes," Roshi replied casually. "Because I'm a Konoha ninja."
She gave him a questioning look.
"Konoha… plants… never mind," Roshi waved it off with a dry chuckle as he sifted through sacks of seeds—grain, herbs, even young tree seeds brought in by foreign traders. "It was a boring cold joke."
"Honestly, I'm more interested in food."
"Plant seeds are potential food," he added.
Samui nodded thoughtfully. "I see. Seeking new possibilities."
Then, after a brief pause, she said, "So Roshi is also interested in trees."
"To be honest," Roshi replied, "trees involve… more complicated objectives."
Samui didn't press further. Among ninja of different villages, knowing where to stop was a basic courtesy. The fact that Roshi had spoken this much was already a significant improvement over his previous habit of dodging with Icha Icha Paradise.
So she smoothly shifted the topic.
"There's a cooking method in the Land of Lightning that isn't common in the Land of Fire," she said. "Have you ever tried butter?"
"I have. It pairs well with bread."
"In the Land of Lightning, there's a butter hot pot with a unique flavor."
Her tone shifted subtly.
"However, because of its high caloric content, butter isn't a staple ingredient in Kumogakure."
She added casually, "Among the merchants who arrived this time, there's a stall in the western district selling butter of excellent quality."
'Butter hot pot…'
A rich, creamy broth. If not balanced with strong spices, the ingredients would need exceptional freshness—no strong fishiness, no gamey flavors.
Roshi unconsciously stopped walking, his gaze unfocused as his thoughts drifted.
A flicker of surprise crossed Samui's eyes.
'Is he really that interested in food?'
Roshi quickly came back to himself and looked at her.
"Samui, you know your way around cooking."
"As a ninja, one learns a little of everything," she replied evenly.
"You don't have any particular food preferences?"
She shook her head. "As long as it's safe, nourishing, and provides sufficient energy, that's enough."
Then she glanced at him.
"You're the surprising one, Roshi. You show far more enthusiasm for these things than most."
"Raiun Harbor is the largest trade port in the Land of Lightning," she added. "If you're interested in rare or foreign seeds, you might find what you're looking for there—if you ever have the chance to visit."
"Thank you," Roshi said sincerely.
They parted briefly at the next intersection.
When they met again, Roshi was holding a rather ordinary-looking book.
"I don't know if you have other preferences," he said, handing it to her.
"This Secret Records of the Land of Fire is more rumor than substance—unofficial anecdotes and unreliable stories. But it might serve as light reading while waiting for the Chūnin Exams."
—
Danzo sat alone in a dimly lit room, his fingertips slowly brushing over intelligence files he had once dismissed as trivial.
'Mōryō… Dragon Veins… the Sage of Six Paths… Jashin…
World-ending demons… godlike power… a deity who controls death…'
Time was running out.
Tsunade's grip on the village grew stronger by the day. If these Chūnin Exams concluded successfully, the prestige and tangible benefits alone would elevate her authority to an entirely new level.
And if next year's new format—jointly developed with Kumogakure—also succeeded, it would mean she had not only stabilized Konoha's medical system, but also secured multiple long-term and lucrative sources of income.
At that point, even financial authority—once firmly held by the elders—would inevitably begin shifting into her hands.
Then, Danzo would truly be caged.
Which meant he had only one option left.
A single breakthrough point.
And he could not afford to fail.
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