Due to something called the butterfly effect, he didn't end up facing Gaara during the preliminary rounds. Instead, he faced Dosu, so he advanced as if taking revenge.
Also, Shiki Uzumaki and Ito Makoto have advanced to the next round.
Therefore, a total of ten people participated in this Chunin Exams.
The advancement brackets also looked odd—take Shikamaru, for instance; he had to fight more matches than others.
But these were trivial matters, since this Chunin Exams would never actually be completed.
"So please, those participating in the next round—Neji Hyuga and Naruto Uzumaki—remain here. Everyone else should go watch from the waiting room outside the arena."
Genma Shiranui's lips twitched slightly, shifting the senbon in his mouth.
And so the selection process for the Chunin rank began...
To Be Continued
Chapter 185 – Weapons
"Lord Danzo, are we really going to stay out of this?"
Fu Yamanaka hesitated as he asked. Even as someone from Root, it was unbearable for him to completely remain uninvolved in Leaf Village affairs.
As Danzo's right-hand man, he naturally couldn't avoid knowing—he had become aware of Orochimaru's plan to invade Konoha.
Yet surprisingly, Lord Danzo had already struck a deal with Orochimaru not to interfere in this event.
Remember, Root was originally the training organization for ANBU, meaning that most of the ANBU forces were actually under Lord Danzo's control.
The Third Hokage only possessed a single unit—the Hokage's direct subordinate ANBU.
Even in recent years, although the Third's ANBU were no longer trained by Lord Danzo, his direct control only extended over the ninja who operated in the open—the visible forces of Konoha. In contrast, it was Lord Danzo who truly commanded Konoha's shadow forces.
Konoha's publicly visible military strength was generally scattered all over completing missions. If Lord Danzo did nothing in this event, there was a very high chance that Orochimaru's plan would succeed.
"Fu, you've been beside me for quite a long time now, right?"
Danzo was surrounded by darkness, his aged voice echoing through the empty underground bunker.
Fu paused for a moment before nodding, "Yes."
"A member of Root has no name, no emotions, no past, nor any future—only missions reside within their hearts."
"Yes, that is what you've taught us."
Fu quickly nodded in response. Before this man, instinctively, he obeyed.
But Danzo's tone changed slightly, "However, in my eyes, you and Torune are different. You have names, emotions. The past cannot be erased, and even the future brims with hope."
"This..."
Fu hesitated, unsure of what Lord Danzo meant by this statement.
Was he criticizing him and Torune Aburame?
But judging from Danzo's current tone, that didn't seem to be the case.
"Ninja are tools fashioned for killing and amassing power—they must obey orders without question."
"I understand this fully, and I will absolutely obey your orders!"
Yet at this point, Danzo shook his head, "No, you don't understand. For a village, having ninja willing to lay down their lives for missions is essential. Yet as a leader, you can't rely solely on such blind loyalists."
Fu Yamanaka grew increasingly perplexed. The Danzo before him today seemed vastly different from the one he had always known. Yet, used to obeying without question, he didn't dwell on these differences for long.
"Lord Danzo, I don't understand," Fu Yamanaka admitted directly.
"All Root members have only codenames instead of real names. However, you and Torune Aburame are exceptions. Not only do you bear your own names, but I also frequently assign both of you tasks requiring independent thinking and decision-making. That makes you two the only ones in Root with actual futures ahead."
"Future..."
"Although my time is coming, I'm already old. Konoha will ultimately need successors, and I have chosen you two."
Danzo's voice carried cold detachment, yet within it lurked an unmistakable taste of power.
"This..."
Fu Yamanaka hesitated. He'd never imagined this bandaged man would ever speak to him about such matters.
Though Danzo's words were accurate—Fu Yamanaka and Torune Aburame indeed stood apart as Root's unique exceptions, retaining emotions, thoughts, and their personal names—the fact that Lord Danzo, who treated power like life itself, would entrust him with important words like this was genuinely bewildering.
Could it be...
Suddenly lifting his head from contemplation, Fu looked straight at Danzo.
Lord Danzo truly believed his era was arriving. With no obstacles remaining, he could fulfill his lifelong ambition to become the Fifth Hokage. This formidable Danzo naturally felt comfortable speaking with such openness.
"But will Orochimaru really honor his agreement with you?" Fu Yamanaka asked cautiously. After all, Orochimaru hardly seemed like the type to follow anyone else's lead.
"That won't be necessary," Danzo replied calmly. "If he persists even after eliminating the Third, I'll step in and confront him personally. The village will need a hero—and at that moment, I shall take on that role."
Seemingly envisioning himself as Hokage, Danzo spoke freely now, unbothered by letting his potential successor hear things he normally wouldn't reveal.
Fu Yamanaka hesitated further despite being one of Danzo's most trusted men, cautiously asking another question.
"While Lord Hiruzen may seem somewhat weak-willed, there's really no need—"
"Fu!" Danzo immediately turned sharply, fixing the young man with an intense gaze.
"Konoha currently finds itself at an extremely dangerous juncture. While other villages accelerate arms buildup, under Hiruzen's leadership our Leaf remains foolishly peaceful. Continuing this way can only lead to Konoha's decline."
Danzo's words carried an ominous certainty that made his listener feel as if he could already see the ruin he described.
But the eye that was visible suddenly gleamed, "Only under my leadership can the Leaf's deterrent power truly intimidate every other village. By then, the flames of Konoha will burn across this world, while Root will be deeply buried underground, extracting resources to nourish this great tree laden with countless souls."
Danzo spoke with passion and intensity, as if delivering a grand speech—yet his only audience was Fu Yamanaka standing right before him.
Fu Yamanaka was also taken aback. The man before him seemed capable of leading Konoha to an unprecedented glory.
This was an extreme hawkish stance, willing to throw everyone into the meat grinder to achieve greatness for Konoha.
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