Hayate didn't know why—but the blade cut through so smoothly.
Baki couldn't believe it either.
At first, he thought his body was tough enough to withstand the attack...
But in that split second—
He noticed it.
The blade glowed faintly red, as if enhanced by ninjutsu.
Too late to dodge.
The blade sliced through him.
Baki staggered, eyes wide in horror as he watched the bloodied sword pull away from his body.
He turned to Hayate, resentment flashing in his eyes.
He wanted to speak.
But his strength was fading—his body refusing to obey.
Darkness closed in.
Hayate knew Baki wouldn't survive this wound.
And if Baki had comrades nearby, staying any longer would be dangerous.
No time to waste.
He vanished into the night.
He needed to warn the Hokage immediately
The Sand Village was plotting something.
And they weren't alone.
Sakiya watched the scene unfold, a satisfied smile on her face.
Though the night was quiet, with only the moonlight and wind, she knew—
They were being watched.
Hidden in the shadows, masked figures observed.
Root operatives.
Of course, Konoha wasn't so careless as to leave its streets completely unguarded at night.
"A house thief is the hardest to guard against..."
Sakiya shook her head, deactivating her holographic projection technique before heading home.
Time to sleep.
Meanwhile—
One of the Root operatives crouched beside Baki's lifeless body.
"Report to Lord Danzo!"
In the shadows, another figure adjusted his glasses, murmuring under his breath—
"This… is going to be troublesome."
Hokage's Office – Late Night
Inside the Hokage Building, the Third Hokage was still working late, reviewing reports for the Chunin Exams.
Even at his age, there were endless duties to manage.
Suddenly—
A disturbance.
His keen senses picked up on the approaching presence.
"Hmm? ANBU? Is there an emergency?"
A moment later—
WHOOSH!
Hayate landed on the rooftop.
The Third Hokage was already waiting.
"Hayate? What's wrong?"
Still breathing heavily, Hayate immediately relayed the information.
As he spoke, the Hokage's expression darkened.
His brows furrowed—
A storm was coming.
________________________________________
To be honest, when word spread that Hayate had killed a Sand Village Jonin, it sent a chill down many spines.
Because soon—
The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, would be arriving in Konoha.
Sure, there was no doubt that the Sand Village was up to something, but if things weren't handled carefully, this could escalate into a full-blown war between the two villages.
Yet…
With the Chunin Exams approaching, backing down now would damage Konoha's reputation beyond repair.
The Third Hokage took a deep breath.
Then, his decision was made.
"Starting today, ANBU will enforce full martial law."
"The village must prepare for combat."
The orders were given that very night.
In a Hidden Chamber…
A shadowy figure knelt, delivering the latest report to Orochimaru.
The snake-like man chuckled darkly.
"Hehehe… no need to worry."
"The Third Hokage won't act recklessly."
His golden, slit-pupil eyes glowed as he gazed at the cold moonlight streaming through the window.
"Teacher…"
"You're getting old."
________________________________________
"Alright, listen up!"
Sakiya stood in the center of the room, striking a dramatic pose.
With a serious expression, she declared boldly:
"I now officially announce the first-ever Supreme Disciples Conference—open!"
Sitting in a circle on the floor, five people exchanged mixed expressions:
Naruto
Sasuke
Ino
Tsuchiya Tsukigami
Sakuragi Kosei
Each of them sat within specific positions inside a magic circle—
Except for Naruto.
Naruto, who hadn't even been invited, plopped himself down right next to Sasuke, making the formation look lopsided and unbalanced.
Because in reality—
Sakiya had invited Sasuke.
But, as always…
Naruto had followed him.
Ino, on the other hand, looked flustered.
When she first heard about this "meeting," she thought it would be just the two of them
Who would've guessed it'd be a full gathering?
Not only was Sakuragi here, but also Tsuchiya…
Even Sasuke?!
At this point, everyone except Naruto had an odd sense of awkwardness hanging over them.
Only Naruto, as usual, seemed completely unbothered.
He enthusiastically raised his hand.
"Sakiya-chan! So, uh… what's this meeting even about?"
Sakiya blinked her big eyes, momentarily stunned.
For a moment, Sakiya fell into deep thought.
The room went silent.
Everyone except Naruto stared at her in disbelief.
"Wait… you didn't even think of a purpose for this meeting?!"
After a long pause, Sakiya suddenly lifted her head with a bright, excited expression.
"Alright, everyone! The First Supreme Disciples Meeting… begins!"
...
Silence.
Dead silence.
Inside, the entire group was screaming in frustration.
"SHE REALLY DIDN'T THINK THIS THROUGH!!"
"HOW CAN YOU START A MEETING WITHOUT A PLAN?!"
Yet, despite their inner turmoil, no one dared to say it out loud.
Except, of course—
Naruto.
With his usual carefree grin, he chuckled.
"Hahaha! It's fine, Sakiya-chan! Who cares if you didn't plan it!"
Sakiya's sharp gaze immediately locked onto Naruto.
STARE.
Her cheeks puffed up as she snapped back:
"You're NOT even a member of this meeting! Stop acting so smug!"
Naruto blinked.
Then, with a frustrated pout, he pointed at Sasuke.
"Then why is he here?!"
Sasuke clenched his fist, about to fire back
But before he could, Sakiya cut in.
"Because I have officially knighted him as… the Dark Knight!"
Sasuke's face turned bright red.
Suddenly, he felt completely uncomfortable sitting there.
Should he leave? Should he stay? What even was this meeting?!
Hearing Sasuke's new title, Tsuchiya Tsukigami and Sakuragi tried to hold back their laughter.
Even Ino blushed.
"Oh no… what if she suddenly announces something embarrassing about me too?!"
Her mind raced, her cheeks turning even redder as she lowered her head in embarrassment.
Meanwhile, Naruto groaned in frustration.
Then, as if struck by genius, he suddenly grinned.
"Hey, Sakiya! You can knight me too!"
Sakiya simply shook her head.
"Nope. I don't want to knight you."
Naruto gawked.
"What?! Then what about them?!"
He pointed at Tsuchiya and Sakuragi.
Sakiya hesitated.
"...They can…"
Naruto's eyes lit up.
"YES! Ino, you hear that?! I—"
But before he could finish his sentence, Ino lifted her head slightly, her eyes sharp and intimidating.
The sheer pressure of her glare made Naruto's words catch in his throat.
Sweat dripped down his face.
He gulped.
Defeated, Naruto turned to Tsuchiya and Sakuragi.
"Bros! Help me out here!"
The two exchanged a look, about to respond
But before they could, Sakiya spoke again.
"The Demon of the End and the Great Walker of the Dimension are the lowest-ranking members of the organization… but they cannot be knighted!"
Naruto was stunned.
Across from him, Ino and Sasuke heard the two ridiculous titles and immediately struggled to hold back their laughter.
"The Ultimate Demon? The Dimensional Great Walker?! What even is that?! Hahahaha!"
Ino clapped a hand over her mouth, her shoulders shaking as she desperately tried to stifle her laughter.
Sasuke, seated across from her, trembled slightly, barely managing to suppress his own amusement.
At that moment, Naruto felt betrayed.
"Oh, so you two think this is funny, huh?"
Annoyed, he scanned the group for someone who wasn't laughing at his expense—
And his eyes landed on Sasuke.
Sasuke immediately sensed Naruto's stare and smirked.
"Hmph. If you really want in, Naruto… you can beg me."
Naruto's face flushed red.
He hesitated, torn between his pride and his desire to be included.
Was joining Sakiya-chan's group worth swallowing his pride?
Before he could decide, a voice suddenly interrupted.
"Huh? What are you guys doing?"
Naruto and the others turned to see Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro approaching from nearby.