In the dimly lit underground facility near the Leaf Village, a group of masked shinobi stood motionless. Their blank expressions and rigid postures reflected their absolute obedience.
A lone figure walked through their ranks, approaching the seat at the far end of the chamber.
Danzo Shimura.
The old war hawk sat slumped in his chair, his breathing shallow. An IV drip was attached to his arm, pumping fluids into his weakened body. His once imposing presence was now reduced to something frail. Yet, his single exposed eye still gleamed with sharpness.
Before him stood 'Ichi'—Danzo's right-hand man and the one poised to inherit the Root.
Ichi knelt. "Danzo-sama, what do you wish of me?"
Danzo coughed into his hand before speaking. "Ever since my illness took hold, you have handled Root well." He exhaled slowly. "It is time you take Root into your hands… officially."
Even under his mask, Ichi's heart raced with excitement. However, he concealed his emotions perfectly.
Danzo raised a trembling hand. "Step forward."
Ichi obeyed.
Danzo's fingers glowed with chakra as he pressed them against Ichi's forehead, engraving the master seal upon him. A sharp pain shot through Ichi's body, but he remained still, enduring it without a sound.
The process lasted mere seconds.
Danzo leaned back, exhausted. "With this seal, you will hold dominion over those who bear the servant seal. They will be bound to your command."
Ichi clenched his fists. Power—true power—was now within his grasp.
Danzo gestured to six masked shinobi standing in formation. "For now, these six are under your direct control."
Ichi frowned. "Only six? Why not all of Root?"
Danzo closed his eye. "If I handed you everything at once, you wouldn't learn how to manage the root, your incompetence would lead the root straight to its downfall. Root would crumble before Satoru can inherit it."
Silence.
Ichi's hands curled into fists. His masked face betrayed no emotion, but inside, his blood boiled.
Danzo had just given him control over six shinobi—weaklings, spies, non-combatants. This was an insult.
His eyes swept over the six Root members. Among them, only one stood out. Flower. A specialist in infiltration and deception. The others? They were barely suited for assassination, let alone battle.
Useless.
Ichi's mind raced. I can't move against Satoru directly. The boy had too many eyes on him. The Hokage. His allies. Even Danzo himself, despite what he claimed.
But the Chunin Exams…
A stage where killing was permitted. A battlefield where Satoru would face enemies who wanted him dead.
Ichi turned back to Danzo, his masked gaze unreadable. But before he could speak, Danzo exhaled sharply.
"It won't work."
Ichi's fingers twitched. "Why?"
"Not because Satoru is strong."* Danzo's voice was hoarse. "But because powerful people are protecting him."
Ichi stepped forward, his tone dark. "Are you one of them?"
Danzo didn't answer immediately. His aged eye observed Ichi carefully, measuring his intentions.
Ichi leaned in. "Both of us bear the Master Seal. Your control over Root is greater, but if you were to die… then I alone would hold command."
A thin, unspoken threat
If Danzo truly stood in his way, he would be removed.
But Danzo remained calm."! am not the one protecting him."
"Then who?" Ichi's patience was thinning.
Danzo slowly exhaled . "A monster resides in Satoru's shadow."
Silence
"It follows him wherever he goes," Danzo continued, "and will harm anyone who tries to touch him."
Ichi narrowed his eyes. "A guardian?"
"No. " Danzo's expression darkened. "A monster, a monster that has already claimed its right to kill Satoru. And should anyone try to interfere...."
Danzo's voice dropped to a whisper "Calarity will fall upon them."
Ichi stilled.
'A warning. A prophecy. Or something worse?'
Danzo's eye locked onto him gauging his reaction
Then lchi smirked beneath his mask. "No matter who is protecting that brat..."
He turned, walking toward the exit.
"I will kill Satoru."
---
In the Land of Tea, a secluded beach house stood near the coastline, overlooking the vast ocean. The rhythmic crashing of waves filled the air as two figures sat outside, watching the endless horizon.
The older man, his silver-streaked hair swept back, leaned into his chair with a relaxed posture. His sharp eyes, however, betrayed a mind deep in thought. Beside him, a younger boy lay curled up on the wooden deck, his slow breathing indicating he had dozed off after growing bored of the scenery.
The tranquility was disturbed when the front door creaked open. A young man, clad in shinobi attire devoid of any village insignia, stepped in and made his way toward them. Without hesitation, he took a seat beside the older man, his movements precise yet unhurried.
The older man glanced at him and gave a small nod, signaling him to speak.
"We should recruit Orochimaru," the young man, Naka, stated plainly.
The older man raised an eyebrow but remained silent for a moment. Then, in a calm yet skeptical tone, he asked, "And why would we do that?"
"Because she is invaluable," Naka replied. "She possesses knowledge and ambition beyond most shinobi. More importantly, her obsession with research aligns with our interests."
The older man leaned back, unimpressed. "She is a student of Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage himself. She is deeply connected to the power structure of Konoha. And let's not forget Danzo Shimura." His voice carried a note of warning. "Bringing her in would be a direct provocation to Konoha. Why take that risk?"
"Because her loyalty is not to Konoha," Naka countered with confidence. "Her loyalty is to knowledge. Her sensei may have influenced her, but unlike him, her curiosity does not stop at moral boundaries. Konoha holds her back, restricting what she can and cannot do. If we offer her complete freedom, she will accept."
The older man tapped his fingers against the armrest, considering Naka's words. "And if you're wrong? If she takes what she wants and leaves, or worse, turns against us?"
Naka smirked slightly. "Then I will take full responsibility." His voice was steady, unwavering. "But that won't happen. I know she will join us."
The older man remained silent, watching the sleeping boy beside him before shifting his gaze back to the ocean. The waves crashed again, filling the momentary silence between them.
Finally, he spoke. "Do as you wish. But tread carefully, Naka."
Naka stood up, a satisfied expression on his face. "You won't regret this."
Before Naka could leave, the older man spoke again . "How do you plan to approach her? Let alone recruit her?" His voice carried a weight of skepticism.
Naka turned back, unfazed. "In fifteen minutes, the second stage of the Chunin Exams will begin. I'll enter the Forest of Death and find her there. I'll make her join us."
The older man narrowed his eyes slightly. deep in thought. His fingers tapped rhythmically against the armrest before he spoke again. "The boy will be taking the exams."
Naka's confident smirk faded for a moment.
"If he sees you, the entire village will know. Even the Hokage," the older man continued." Are you prepared for that risk?"
Naka crossed his arms and scoffed, I'll keep him alive. He still has a role to play in my plans."
"And if he chooses to oppose you?" The older man's voice was calm, yet there was an unspoken waming beneath his words. '"Can you bring yourself to kill him if necessary?"
For a moment, there was silence. Then, a slow, wide grin stretched across Naka's face, his golden eyes gleaming with anticipation
"If Satoru interferes," he said, voice dripping with amusement, "then I will end him!"
---
All the genin reached the Forest of Death, standing before the towering iron gates that marked the entrance to the infamous survival zone. A group of chunin examiners waited near tables stacked with various equipment. The tension in the air was thick as the young shinobi eyed their competition and whispered among themselves, trying to guess what the test would entail.
A sharp "Shhh" from Orochimaru cut through the noise. The genin immediately fell silent, fear settling in as her golden, slitted eyes scanned the crowd. She smirked. "Good."
She stepped forward, her presence alone making the weaker genin shift uncomfortably. "The second stage of the exam is simple. You have five days to complete it. Scattered throughout the forest are individuals we call 'clowns.' These clowns will act as your challengers. To pass, your team must collect five different badges by winning their chosen challenges."
The genin listened intently, absorbing every word.
"Challenges will vary. It may be a test of combat, strategy, or something else entirely. The entire team must participate." Orochimaru's smile widened as she looked at certain teams—teams where one member was clearly stronger than the others. "However, there's a limit. A single genin can only win a maximum of two badges. The clowns will mark who wins each badge, and the next clown will check your records before granting a challenge."
Murmurs spread through the crowd. Some genin who had planned to rely on their strongest teammate frowned, realizing this rule would force everyone to contribute.
Orochimaru continued, her voice carrying an eerie amusement. "There are, of course, rules. Hiding badges, harming the clowns, or lying about your wins is strictly forbidden. If caught, your entire team will be disqualified immediately."
She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in. "As for survival… deaths are allowed, though not intentional. This forest is filled with dangers, and if you're careless, you won't make it to the tower at the center."
Some genin stiffened, while others, the more experienced ones, simply nodded.
"Now," she said, pulling out a stack of papers, "each of you will sign this waiver, stating that Konoha is not responsible for whatever happens to you inside the forest. Once you've signed, your team will be assigned an entry gate. The exam begins in thirty minutes."
She handed the forms to the examiners, who began distributing them.
Satoru took his form without hesitation, scanning the paper before signing. 'So they're making sure no one carries their team. And they're testing both teamwork and adaptability.' He glanced at Tatsuo and Dai, who both signed as well.
The crowd of genin stood in long lines, signing their waivers one by one. Among them, three individuals subtly exchanged glances. They weren't the real participants. Somewhere in the darkness, the original genin had been quietly disposed of, and now, their imposters stood in their place, carefully maintaining their disguises. They had memorized every detail—appearance, mannerisms, even speech patterns—to avoid suspicion.
As they moved closer to the front, they caught sight of Orochimaru watching the crowd with a sharp gaze, her slitted eyes filled with amusement and intrigue. One of the imposters felt her stare and instinctively turned away, pretending to be distracted by something else. He knew better than to draw attention to himself.
Meanwhile, in the background, another infiltrator had already positioned himself. Ichi, disguised as an ANBU enforcer, stood near the exam officials, tasked with ensuring that no rules were broken. His fake identity gave him an open field of observation—allowing him to track movement across the forest while keeping a close eye on his target, Satoru.
Before the bell rang to begin the exam, Orochimaru clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention. "Before we start, does anyone have questions?"
Sakumo raised his hand. Orochimaru's smile widened, and she motioned for him to speak.
"If the clowns are marking who won each badge, what happens if someone loses their badge before reaching the next challenge?"
Orochimaru chuckled. "Ah, you've found a loophole. If someone hands their badges over to another teammate before challenging a clown, they can bypass the two-badge limit."
A few genin exchanged glances, already considering ways to exploit this rule.
"Of course," Orochimaru continued, "stealing badges is allowed, but don't forget—the name of the one who actually won them is on record. If you try to use stolen badges, the examiners will know exactly where they came from."
Satoru raised his hand next. "You said, 'Deaths are allowed, though not intentional.' What does that actually mean? If someone sets a trap meant for animals, but a genin walks into it and dies, is that considered unintentional?"
A slow smile stretched across Orochimaru's lips. "Another loophole." She folded her arms. "Technically, you can do whatever you want—if you can convince the watchers that it wasn't on purpose. But be warned, there are many eyes on you at all times. Fooling them won't be easy."
Tatsuo raised his hand. "Do we get a reward if we finish the exam faster than everyone else?"
Orochimaru let out an amused laugh. "There's no official prize, unless you break the world record. But…" She tapped her chin, eyes gleaming. "If any of you do finish ahead of schedule, I might just give you an unofficial reward."
The genin murmured among themselves, the anticipation in the air growing thick.
"Enough questions," Orochimaru said, stepping back. "The gates will open in three… two… one—"
The bell rang, and chaos erupted as teams sprinted into the forest.