After Uchiha Jiyue left, the female shop assistant complained to Granny Cat,
"Granny, Lord Qing already gave you half of his family fortune—why do you still make Jiyue pay?"
"Shitsurouka, you're still too young…"
Granny Cat chuckled.
"You think Qing left that money with me just to lessen Jiyue's expenses? No, no—that was so I'd take good care of his son."
"Really?"
"I think you just want to pocket their fortune for yourself," Shitsurouka teased with a grin.
"Nonsense!"
Granny Cat gave her a sharp side-eye.
Day after day… blurting out inconvenient truths like that!
Business is business—no profit, no deal!
Once Shitsurouka left, Granny Cat narrowed her eyes and murmured,
"But Qing… I will take care of him."
———
Meanwhile—
After parting ways with Uchiha Jiyue, Kakashi headed straight for the Hokage's office without stopping.
"Lord Hokage!"
"Kakashi? What brings you here?"
Seeing Kakashi enter, the Third Hokage set down his pipe and greeted him with a smile.
"Lord Hokage, can tonight's test be cancelled?"
"No, it can't!"
"I've already made arrangements with Danzō."
"And the Anbu are preparing everything as we speak."
The Third Hokage shook his head, though inwardly he was curious about what Kakashi was up to.
"I see…"
Knowing Danzō was involved left Kakashi helpless. He hesitated for a moment, then probed again:
"Then… could I serve as tonight's examiner?"
"You want to be the examiner?"
The Third Hokage looked puzzled.
"Kakashi, with your relationship to Jiyue, do you think that's appropriate?"
"I won't go easy on him!" Kakashi said urgently.
"Is that so?"
The Hokage studied Kakashi for a long moment, then finally nodded.
"Very well, it's yours, Kakashi. Just don't let that boy win too easily."
"Yes, Lord Hokage!"
Kakashi nodded excitedly.
———
Night fell.
The full moon hung high once again.
Leaning against a wooden post in the training ground, Jiyue watched Danzō walk alongside the Third Hokage. Combining this with Aoki Hiroshi's memories, the pieces clicked together in his mind.
So they didn't avoid Danzō on purpose… meaning the Hokage wants me to draw his attention. Looks like the old man wants me to keep tabs on him. Could it be that Danzō tried to have him assassinated again?
Either way… this works for me.
With that, Jiyue boldly guessed that tonight's test might not be too difficult.
Soon, Danzō and the Hokage stopped just outside the field.
Looking at Jiyue, Danzō smirked.
"Hiruzen, this is the kid?"
"That's right. Jiyue—well-mannered, hardworking, a fine boy indeed."
Having worked with Danzō for decades, the Hokage knew his nature—anything he praised, Danzō would immediately want to take. So he laid on the compliments thick.
Danzō's mood soured.
"Hiruzen, you like him this much—are you going to rig the test for him?"
Before the words had even faded, the nearby Anbu and Root operatives subtly stepped back two paces.
They'd heard nothing, of course.
Hiruzen ignored the jab and smiled.
"Of course not. Tonight's examiner is…"
Before he could finish, a figure in a deep green jōnin vest appeared in the arena.
"Kakashi of the Sharingan?"
Danzō had no more to say after that.
Still… why had Hiruzen dragged him here?
Danzō frowned.
He had been quite satisfied recently—recruiting Yamanaka Fū and Aburame Tōrune into Root—so he hadn't been stirring trouble.
But now? What was this?
Showing off? A warning?
Could it be…
Sensing something unusual about tonight's test but lacking solid intel, Danzō could only endure the Hokage's chatter, tossing back half-hearted replies.
———
"Phew… made it just in time!"
From atop a nearby tree, a small head peeked out—it was Sasuke, who had snuck in to watch.
"That guy is…"
Spotting Kakashi in the arena, Sasuke's pale face showed surprise.
"Copy Ninja Kakashi?!"
"He's the examiner tonight?"
He'd better not embarrass himself…
Ever since losing his family, Sasuke had placed enormous weight on the Uchiha clan's remaining honor and his revenge. He refused to let anyone speak ill of the clan.
So Jiyue's seemingly reckless stunt irked him greatly.
"If he shows off and shames the clan, I'll make him pay for it."
———
At eight o'clock, the Third Hokage signaled an Anbu to step into the arena.
"The test is about to begin. Both of you, get ready!" the Anbu announced to Jiyue and Kakashi.
"So my opponent is Kakashi-senpai, huh?"
Only now did Jiyue realize who the examiner was, his expression turning odd.
I just ticked him off this afternoon…
He's not going to make this harder for me, is he?
As for beating Kakashi—
Not a chance.
A hidden village only had so many elite jōnin, after all.
Kakashi was one of Konoha's top fighters—expecting to win against him at Jiyue's current level was absurd.
This kind of nonsense only those over-the-top web novelists in the Sovereign Kingdom next door would dare to write.
When the Anbu declared the match officially begun, Jiyue didn't even bother with the Seal of Confrontation—he immediately bolted into the forest behind him.
Kakashi froze for two seconds, then nodded in approval.
"As a ninja, the first thing you should know is how to hide yourself. Well done, Jiyue."
"But…"
Biting his finger, Kakashi performed a summoning.
"Pakkun, help me find that kid."
"This is such a pain."
Emerging from the puff of smoke, Pakkun stared at Kakashi with dead-fish eyes.
"Kakashi, could you not summon me in the middle of… reproducing?"
"Yes, yes."
Kakashi replied in the same deadpan tone, inwardly cursing—good dog.
"Whatever. You're single—you wouldn't understand my joys."
Sighing, Pakkun sniffed the air and instantly locked onto a direction.
"This way!"
"North?"
"This kid's pretty fast—he's already looped around behind me!"
Kakashi spun on his heel and followed Pakkun.
Outside the arena, the Hokage's brows slowly furrowed when he saw Kakashi summon his hound—a rare move—just to track Jiyue.
This isn't what I planned!
Does Kakashi not want Jiyue to pass?
Damn… don't ruin this for me!
Kakashi—!
╚(⊙ω⊙)╝ Follow me ╔(⊙ω⊙)/ Left hand \(⊙ω⊙)╗ Right hand ╔(⊙ω⊙)╗ …and a slow-motion step.