Inside the monitoring room, the atmosphere was lively as news of the team's arrival sparked a flurry of reactions.
An examiner leaned in, tapping furiously at his controls, trying to pull up dossiers. "Who the hell are these kids? Snow Hidden… I don't even remember them sending a team last year."
A senior proctor, a grizzled jōnin with a cigarette hanging from his lips—laughed and slapped the back of the rookie's head.
"This year's gonna be a bloodbath. I can't wait to watch them duke it out… that'll be worth watching. An exam this exciting doesn't come around often... consider yourself lucky, kid."
A hush settled as the monitor flicked to a different angle—showing the battered, trembling survivors from other teams still fighting for their lives in the forest. The difference was… obvious.
Meanwhile, outside the Central Tower—
Karin stretched her arms above her head, a satisfied smirk on her face. "Not bad! I thought we'd get bored, but this was almost too easy."
Kimimaro nodded, hands folded neatly behind his back. "Efficiency is important. Wasting time is a liability."
Haku offered a calm, almost motherly smile. "Now, now, let's not get overconfident. The next rounds will be much harder. And you know how unpredictable these things can be."
Karin grinned, hands tucked into her pockets, looking effortlessly cool.
"Unpredictable? With what? Please. We all know how this is going to end, so stop with this low-ass modesty."
From above, the proctors prepared to greet them... some with curiosity, some with open suspicion. A record-breaking Snow Hidden team? The betting pools among the chūnin exam staff were already in chaos.
As the heavy tower doors swung open, a ripple of uneasy anticipation swept through the Central Tower.
Karin just tossed her hair and walked in like she owned the place.
--
As the examiner of the third stage of the Chūnin Exams, Hayate Gekkō picked up the intelligence dossier for the Snow Hidden Village team and flipped through it carefully.
"Uzumaki…"
The moment his eyes caught the surname, Hayate paused.
His gaze instinctively lifted toward the girl with vivid red hair standing below.
For a split second, his heart skipped.
It couldn't be helped—there were already two Uzumaki in Konoha… though that one with blond hair had far too much energy.
He continued reading.
Then, when he reached the final page, his pupils shrank.
"The team leader… Uzuki Yūgao?!"
Hayate stared at the name, then at the photograph attached beneath it.
Purple hair. Calm eyes. A face he knew all too well.
His breath hitched.
"That's… really her."
She wasn't dead.
Realization slammed into him all at once, and before he could stop himself—
"Ahem—! Ahem, ahem…!"
Excitement made his chest tighten, and a sudden coughing fit wracked his body.
"Captain, are you alright?"
"Did you notice something wrong with the documents?"
The examiner beside him hurriedly asked, concern clear on his face.
Hayate raised a hand, steadying his breath.
"Ahem… I have something urgent to report to the Hokage-sama," he said, forcing himself to calm down. "You continue your work."
Without waiting for a reply, Hayate turned and hurried out of the monitoring room, his footsteps echoing as he dashed toward the edge of the Forest of Death.
--
Meanwhile
Land of Snow, deep within the woods.
"Ga—ga—ga—"
A chorus of caws filled the air as a flock of crows circled around Uchiha Obito, who was squatting calmly beneath the trees.
"Easy, easy… eat slowly."
He scattered food across the snow, watching the birds hop closer.
Once, long ago, he'd wanted to raise crows of his own but the brutal climate of the Land of Snow had made it nearly impossible.
Now, after years of effort, he finally had them.
And not just a few.
"Huh~"
A presence appeared behind him without warning.
Obito glanced back and saw Pakura, dressed in the black cloak patterned with red clouds—the uniform of the Akatsuki—standing silently behind him.
"Back already?" Obito asked, smiling faintly.
"…Mm."
Pakura nodded.
She stepped closer, wrapping her arms around his neck from behind, her soft weight pressing against his back as she held him gently.
Neither of them spoke for a while.
Obito continued feeding the crows, unhurried and relaxed, while Pakura leaned against him, enjoying the quiet.
After a moment, she finally broke the silence.
"The message you sent… about having a chance to kill Rasa," she said softly. "Is it true?"
"Of course," Obito replied without hesitation.
He explained Orochimaru's plan—the Konoha Crush, the timing, and the chaos it would bring.
Pakura's eyes gleamed as she listened.
"So… in one month," she murmured, her lips curling upward, "I'll finally get to slaughter Rasa with my own hands."
Killing intent surged from her without restraint, and her arms tightened unconsciously around Obito's neck.
"Ahem," Obito said, amused. "I don't mind the enthusiasm, but you're choking me."
Pakura froze, then chuckled softly, though she didn't loosen her grip.
"Dying crushed by a woman's body…" she teased, her voice playful. "Isn't that fitting for your perverted nature?"
"Oh?" Obito turned his head slightly, feigning seriousness. "Are you challenging my authority, Pakura?"
Her smile widened.
"Forgive me, my lord~" she replied smoothly. "This lowly subordinate dares not offend you."
She knew him too well by now.
"Good," Obito said, nodding in mock approval. "At least you understand reality."
Then his tone shifted slightly.
"There's still a month before you kill Rasa, right?"
"…Yes."
Pakura nodded, puzzled by the question.
Her confusion vanished an instant later.
Obito turned, wrapped his arms around her, lifted her effortlessly into his embrace and vanished.
A flash.
The Flying Thunder God Technique activated, and the snowy forest disappeared.
They reappeared inside a private chamber deep within the fortress.
"Since there's plenty of time," Obito said calmly, holding her close, "I should probably raise your strength a bit more."
"I'll give you… some doses."
"…!"
Pakura's cheeks flushed instantly. She knew exactly what kind of "doses" he meant.
Instead of protesting, anticipation flickered in her eyes.
Their time together had always been brief—Akatsuki duties made sure of that.
She'd missed him too.
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