On the night before the official start of the Chunin Exams, Konoha was far livelier than usual. Peace First Avenue blazed with light, packed with people. Genin from every hidden village roamed the prosperous streets, eyes wide with curiosity. Shops displayed goods they'd never seen before; the Uchiha Police's patrols moved with sharp, confident gazes. Beneath this glow, however, dark currents had already begun to surge.
At an inn near the Ninja Academy, Orochimaru peeled off the human-skin mask that had disguised him as a Grass shinobi instructor, revealing his pallid face. He walked to the window and stared at the outline of the Hokage Rock in the night. His snake-like pupils glinted coldly.
"Konoha… I'm back," he rasped, the words hissing like a serpent's tongue.
Kabuto stood behind him and handed over a scroll. "Orochimaru-sama, the Sand shinobi are fully in position. As you ordered, they've preset several Kibaku Fuda (Explosive Tags) traps around the venues. Kazekage Rasa himself will arrive on the day of the final matches. Everything is ready."
Orochimaru accepted the scroll and nodded. "Good. Kabuto, your task this time is to keep a tight watch on Uchiha Sasuke. I want every detail of his movements—especially how far his Sharingan can be pushed in battle."
"Understood." Kabuto pushed up his glasses. "And the two from the Namikaze family?"
"Let Gaara and the Sand deal with Naruto. As for that Shinju…" A flicker of wariness passed through Orochimaru's eyes. "That brat is too mysterious. Until I probe his depths, do not provoke him. Our primary goal is to shatter Konoha's current order—and claim the vessel I desire most." In his mind, everything was under his control. If the plan succeeded, all he wanted would be within reach.
On the forested outskirts of the village, two figures in black cloaks patterned with red clouds stood atop a great tree, gazing at the sea of lights in the distance.
"Kakuzu, so that's the village with the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki? Looks rich," Hidan licked his lips, bloodlust twisting his grin. He gripped the cold haft of his triple-bladed scythe. "Once we capture the Nine-Tails, I'm holding a string of sacrifice rituals right here—offer this hypocritical village to the great Jashin-sama!"
All five of Kakuzu's hearts throbbed greedily, but he was calmer than Hidan. "Shut it, Hidan. Our mission is surveillance, not action," he rasped. "Orders are orders—no one moves before the plan begins. And there are plenty of strong ones in this village."
"Strong?" Hidan snorted. "In Jashin-sama's curse, even the strongest are sheep for the slaughter! You're too timid, Kakuzu. Let me finish the rite—then even that 'resurrected' Fourth Hokage? I'll kill him for you. Dead for good."
"That's assuming you can get his blood." Kakuzu's tone stayed cold. "Don't forget—our priority is bounties and bijuu. No unnecessary complications before I get paid."
"Che, boring. Brain full of money," Hidan muttered, slinging the scythe back into place. He dropped the argument, and the two pairs of greedy, murderous eyes continued to watch their target from the dark.
In the Sand's temporary quarters inside Konoha, Temari carefully wiped down her three-star fan. Nearby, Kankuro fine-tuned the mechanisms of his puppet, Crow.
"Kankuro, check your puppet again. No failures at a critical moment," Temari warned, face taut. What she'd seen by day had raised her sense of the mission's difficulty.
"I know, sis—you nag too much." He griped, but his hands were steady. He knew their opponents would be stronger than they'd imagined.
Their younger brother Gaara sat alone in a corner, clutching his sand gourd. His green eyes locked on the moon outside the window. Ever since entering Konoha, the Shukaku within had grown more and more irritable. A stronger aura—one belonging to the Nine-Tails—kept tugging at it like a magnet, driving it into a frenzy within the seal.
The urge to kill sprouted madly in Gaara's heart.
He wanted to prove one thing.
Only he was the strongest monster. Only by killing others could he feel that he truly existed.
He recalled the blond boy from earlier—Uzumaki Naruto. A boy like him, with a monster sealed inside. But entirely different. The boy's eyes brimmed with sunlight and confidence; he had companions—friends.
Why?
Why could he have everything, while Gaara could only struggle in darkness and solitude?
Jealousy gnawed at Gaara like a venomous snake.
He decided that in these exams, he would crush that blond boy with his own hands—along with everything the boy possessed.
All those schemes, that killing intent, that restlessness—each scene appeared with perfect clarity upon the system's light-screen before Namikaze Shinju.
He sat in the highest room of his own estate, a study that belonged only to him. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, a brightly lit Konoha spread out beneath his gaze.
Like a chess player, he calmly watched every secretive piece step onto the board he'd long since arranged.
"Kakashi," Shinju called into an empty room.
A figure appeared soundlessly behind him and dropped to one knee. "Shinju-sama."
"Are all Shintei units in position?"
"Yes." Kakashi's voice had none of its usual laziness—only absolute obedience. "Group A, led by Shisui-dono, has infiltrated via genjutsu and secured the entire contact network between Orochimaru and Sunagakure, along with the full timeline of the Konoha Crush plan. Every trap they planted around the exam sites has been marked.
"Group B, led by Itachi-dono, has blanketed the outer forests with a net—every escape route for the immortal duo of Akatsuki is sealed. Any movement, we can capture immediately.
"Group C, under my command, has disguised Shintei elites as examinees, proctors, even merchants. They're embedded at every corner of the venues, ready to respond to any contingency."
"Good." Shinju nodded, satisfied with the intelligence-and-assassination organization he had forged with his own hands.
"Pass down my order," he said.
"Let the actors perform to their hearts' content.
"Before the final act, we will remain quiet spectators."
"Yes." Kakashi's figure melted back into the darkness.
Shinju rose and walked to the window, looking down upon the prosperity he had crafted. The coming Chunin Exams would mark a phase-ending period for his work in this world. All hidden enemies would be burned away in this grand "fireworks" display.
And Konoha would, after the flames, truly ascend to rule the shinobi world—stronger than ever.
"The stage is set," he said softly. "The actors are in place."
"Then…"
"Let the play begin."
(End of Chapter)
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