After a long while, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally sat down again, taking a deep puff from his pipe.
At this moment, his figure seemed to have aged a few more years, and the smoke he exhaled seemed to carry a hint of melancholy: "Kakashi, I have an S-rank mission for you."
"Keep a close eye on Danzo and his Root. They absolutely must not provoke that man."
"If necessary, you may take any measures you deem appropriate based on your own judgment."
Kakashi subconsciously recalled that terrifying attack, comparable to a Tailed Beast Bomb yet silently obliterating a mountain, and his heart tightened.
He immediately nodded solemnly and replied, "Yes, I understand."
...Amidst the surging undercurrents, time flew by.
During this period, the Chunin Exams were in full swing.
After the first round's written exam and the second round's Forest of Death survival preliminary, eight excellent genin from Konoha Village, Sand Village, Rain Village, Waterfall Village, and Grass Village stood out from hundreds of contestants, advancing to the third round's official matches.
During this time, Hyuga Neji, who had been guided by Hansen, almost became a legendary figure among the village's new generation of ninja.
In the Forest of Death, teams that encountered him rarely managed to exchange more than two blows, often being crushed with overwhelming force.
Coupled with the rumors circulating in the village earlier, this genius of the branch family was shrouded in a mysterious and powerful aura.
Finally, the highly anticipated Chunin Selection Exam finals officially arrived.
The enormous competition venue was packed, with dignitaries, wealthy merchants, and magnates from the Land of Fire and surrounding small countries gathering to enjoy this feast of young ninja, and to assess Konoha's strength.
At the highest point of the spectator stands, Hansen and Kurenai Yūhi sat side by side.
Today, Kurenai Yūhi wore her formal jonin uniform, but the standard green vest on her accentuated her mature and voluptuous curves even more, drawing many heated gazes from those around her.
She shifted uncomfortably, but then felt a warm hand subtly clasp hers.
"Don't be nervous, your man is right here," Hansen's voice, tinged with a hint of playfulness, whispered in her ear.
Kurenai Yūhi's pretty face flushed, but she didn't pull away; instead, she felt a strange sense of security.
"There are really a lot of people," Hansen yawned lazily, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping across the entire venue.
The subtle cube mark on the back of his hand gave off a faint burning sensation, like a hungry beast smelling blood.
His gaze passed over the bustling crowd below, finally landing precisely on the Hokage's viewing platform at the very top.
—Found it, one of the fragments.
The man sitting beside the Hokage, dressed in the Fourth Kazekage's ceremonial robes and with a white mask covering the lower half of his face, exuded an inexplicably chilling aura.
Hiruzen Sarutobi beside him was still in the dark, but Hansen knew the man's identity very well.
Orochimaru!
In the original timeline, Orochimaru and the Pot-Shadow Shimura Danzo conspired to create the first major event of the entire series—
The Konoha Crush!
Hansen couldn't help but recall Orochimaru's classic meme.
Konoha Village, just hurry up and be destroyed. JPG
Not to mention Orochimaru's plan in the original timeline ended in failure; this time, he'd have to get past Neji first.
As Hansen withdrew his gaze, just then, an Anbu appeared beside the two like a phantom, kneeling respectfully on one knee.
"Mr. Hansen, Lord Hokage requests your presence; he hopes you can join him on the viewing platform to watch the matches together."
"Oh?" Hansen raised an eyebrow, glancing at Hiruzen Sarutobi in the distance with a half-smile.
The old fox was looking his way, his wrinkled face blooming with a chrysanthemum-like amiable smile, and he even waved.
"Alright then, let's go take a look."
Hansen stood up, pulling Kurenai Yūhi with him, and leisurely walked towards the viewing platform.
"Mr. Hansen, welcome."
Hiruzen Sarutobi personally rose to greet him, his posture very humble.
How could he not be humble?
He still didn't know how Hansen had "borrowed" the scroll of seals without anyone noticing.
With that kind of power to borrow a book, silently eliminating Konoha's high-ranking officials, including himself, probably wouldn't be difficult.
Beside him, Orochimaru, disguised as the Fourth Kazekage, subtly glanced at Hansen.
A hint of extremely subtle vigilance and scrutiny flashed in the depths of his cold, snake-like eyes.
"Lord Hokage is too kind."
Hansen sat down unceremoniously in the empty seat next to Hiruzen Sarutobi, while Kurenai Yūhi respectfully stood behind them.
He crossed his legs, his gaze curiously sweeping over Orochimaru, then grinned: "This must be Lord Kazekage, yes? I've long heard of your esteemed name."
Orochimaru couldn't immediately gauge Hansen's depth and, after reviewing his memory, couldn't recall any relevant intelligence, so he cautiously nodded in acknowledgment.
"However, I can't help but feel... your complexion isn't too good, Lord Kazekage?"
Hansen chuckled, casually remarking, "Is it ill-fitting clothes, or uncomfortable shoes?"
Boom—!!
Orochimaru's heart jolted, and his expression instantly stiffened.
—This guy... what is he implying?!
"Heh heh, Mr. Hansen certainly knows how to joke."
Orochimaru forcibly suppressed the turbulent waves in his heart, his voice dry and hoarse.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, listening nearby, felt his eye twitch uncontrollably and his heart almost stop.
He knew this guy had no taboos, but he was teasing the Kage of another village, the supreme leader of the Sand Village.
Uh, it seemed he wasn't particularly polite to him, the Hokage, either.
( ˙ 灬 ˙ )
But the key was that this was Konoha, and if the Fourth Kazekage thought he, the Hokage, had authorized it, it would become a diplomatic incident!
Noticing the old man's thoughts next to him, Hansen pouted.
Just a skirmish between two villages, not a war.
Fortunately, the Fourth Kazekage's composure seemed excellent, and he didn't erupt on the spot.
Hiruzen Sarutobi breathed a sigh of relief, quickly changed the subject with a hearty laugh, and the atmosphere on the viewing platform relaxed considerably.
Only, Orochimaru's gaze towards Hansen had completely changed.
—Hansen... this person has a death wish!
Before long, the chief examiner, Genma Shiranui, with a senbon in his mouth, appeared in the center of the arena below.
He glanced at the eight contestants who had arrived, and his lazy yet clear voice resonated throughout the venue.
"The first match! Featuring two contestants who performed exceptionally well in the preliminaries—"
"Hyuga Neji, versus, Naruto Uzumaki!"
As his voice fell, the entire venue erupted in thunderous cheers and discussions.
"Neji! Take down that perpetual dead-last!"
"Lord Neji is so handsome~~~"
"The genius of the Hyuga clan, sure to win! The odds are already ten to one!"
"..."
Almost everyone favored Neji; after all, the difference in their reputations and past strengths was simply too great!
"It's finally my turn... Dattebayo!"
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