"The winner advances, and the loser is eliminated."
Hatake Sakumo's firm voice echoed across the preparation hall. His presence commanded silence as dozens of young shinobi straightened their backs and turned toward him.
"One of you will receive a bye directly to the final match," he continued. "The more score cards you collected in the earlier rounds, the greater your chance of being chosen."
From the stands, the candidates murmured anxiously, some calculating their odds, others simply praying for luck.
Uchiha Shigure folded his arms and tilted his head in thought. So if the highest-scoring candidates have the most chances for a bye… doesn't that mean I could skip the first fight entirely? Straight to the finals, then.
Sakumo pointed to the tall screen set against the wall. "Now, let's see who will face each other first. Ready?"
The screen began to flash names rapidly, a blur of black letters rolling past like a river.
"Stop!" Sakumo barked, and the board froze. Two names gleamed in bold.
"First match!" he called. "Yoshida Kappei versus Ebisu!"
A murmur rippled through the audience. Some groaned at the unfavorable draw, others cheered for their classmates. Shigure, however, paid it little attention. His sharp eyes shifted immediately to the observing platform—toward the Hokage.
He stepped away from his group, approached Sarutobi Hiruzen, and bowed politely.
"Lord Third, I need to report something urgent that occurred in the Konoha forest just now."
The Hokage's eyes grew alert. Shigure leaned closer and spoke in a quiet yet firm voice. He described the reckless intrusion of several Kirigakure ninja, their attempt to wreak havoc inside the Forest of Trials, and the chaotic skirmish that followed. At the end of his report, he presented the carefully sealed scroll he had taken from the battlefield.
Sarutobi's weathered features tightened as he accepted the scroll. In the years after the Second Ninja World War, peace had been fragile, a thin layer of ice stretched across turbulent waters. For Hidden Mist shinobi to dare infiltrate Konoha—was it a sign of another war brewing?
"Take this to Yamanaka Inoichi immediately," the Hokage instructed an ANBU crouching nearby. "Have him decode it at once, and quietly strengthen security at the village borders."
The masked shinobi vanished with the scroll in hand. Sarutobi then turned back to Shigure, his tone grave.
"Tell me, Shigure. Did you encounter any Uchiha clan during the exam?"
Shigure's heartbeat quickened. Sarutobi's question seemed to pierce straight through him. Did the Hokage know the Uchiha had tried to hunt him down?
Shigure allowed himself the briefest pause, then spoke with measured conviction.
"Yes. At first I was simply battling other candidates like normal. But then several older Uchiha shinobi arrived… jonin-level. They suddenly attacked me—wanted to end my life. I never understood why."
The Hokage frowned slightly. He knew well what had transpired between Shigure and his own clan. But he continued listening without comment.
"I naturally defended myself," Shigure went on, lowering his eyes. "After all, this was still an exam—hostile encounters are inevitable. But then, in the very same moment, the Mist jonin arrived. They struck wildly, cutting down the Uchiha without hesitation. I… I can't say I feel deep attachment to my clan. You know that already, Sensei. But I am a shinobi of this village. And when enemy ninja slaughtered my comrades, I had no choice but to retaliate. I hunted them all down until none of them remained. Sadly, the Uchiha caught in the chaos suffered casualties as well. Some were killed… others gravely wounded."
He lifted his head and let his words hang heavy in the air. To any listening, the events seemed clear: the Hidden Mist bore responsibility, while Shigure had only acted as Konoha's sword. And the dead left behind? Well, corpses told no tales.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze sharpened. He hadn't expected a mere child to weave such a clever shield of truth and lies. The boy stood calm, unflinching, yet each word was placed with surgical precision.
For a long moment the Hokage said nothing. Then he leaned forward.
"Shigure… not only is your strength extraordinary, but your mind is already far more tempered than most. That is what sets true shinobi apart. You may well grow to be the strongest of your generation—perhaps even the strongest in this entire village."
The Sandaime studied him, his eyes filled with both warmth and warning.
"I see the Will of Fire burning in you. That is why I say this—be mindful. Every decision has consequences. Plan ahead, protect what matters, and if ever you need guidance… you may always seek me. You are not just my student. You could one day be my successor."
Shigure blinked, momentarily taken aback. Hokage? Successor? He had been prepared for suspicion, for interrogation, even scolding. But favoritism? That, he hadn't expected.
The Uchiha clan was still one of Konoha's largest and most influential families. By all logic, the Hokage should have acted as mediator, at least to protect the clan's honor. Yet instead, Sarutobi had spoken as if quietly siding with him.
Why?
In Shigure's mind, the unspoken message was clear: You're powerful, brilliant, and vital to Konoha's future. Beware of the Uchiha, but know that I will back you if needed. You are more important than they are.
A warmth spread through his chest, but unease gnawed at the edges too. He couldn't fathom Sarutobi's true reasoning, and he knew revealing Danzo's twisted plots would gain him nothing. Root was a snake's den too tightly wound around the Hokage's own advisors. Better to hold that card close to his chest.
Sarutobi mistook his silence for contemplation. He chuckled softly and patted Shigure's shoulder.
"You'll understand it all in time. For now, focus on this exam."
"Yes, Sarutobi-sensei." Shigure bowed once more, then flickered away in a blur of the Body Flicker technique, reappearing near his teammates. Gasps erupted from the onlookers.
"That speed…!" someone whispered. "No wonder he wiped out seventeen Mist ninja. At his age… he's already beyond elite chūnin level. Perhaps even—"
"Elite jonin," another breathed. "And he's only five years old…"
From the Hokage's seat, Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes blazed with a mixture of wonder and determination. We must protect this child at all costs. He may become the pillar of Konoha's future.
Meanwhile, down in the arena, the first match had finally begun. Yoshida Kappei and Ebisu stood facing one another, neither moving a muscle. But sweat trickled down Ebisu's forehead. His body trembled under invisible pressure.
"Genjutsu?" Hyūga Akane muttered in surprise. "But isn't Kappei a ninjutsu specialist?"
Even Shigure squinted. "This… feels different than before."
Within moments, Ebisu collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Gasps and cheers filled the stadium.
"Kappei wins!" Sakumo announced. "The victor is Yoshida Kappei!"
"Don't worry, Ebisu! I'll cheer for you till the end!" cried a spirited Might Guy from the stands, his fists pumping skyward.
"What a pain," muttered Genma, chewing his senbon. "Not a single one of us knows decent genjutsu. Poor Ebisu never stood a chance."
Ebisu rose shakily, forcing a smile as he rejoined his teammates. "Bad luck this time. I'll work harder. You guys do your best."
Applause followed him, but Sakumo wasted no time. The next draw began. Names whipped past on the screen until his hand froze in mid-air.
"Second match! Uchiha Obito versus Might Guy!"
A fresh wave of excitement roared through the spectators.
Obito stiffened instantly. "H-him again?!" Memories of his loss during the last exams flooded back. Facing Guy felt like bashing a kunai against solid iron. Sweat prickled the back of his neck.
Might Guy, meanwhile, clenched his fists in glory, his entire figure practically glowing with energy. His eyes blazed at Obito as he shouted words that would one day echo through a future disciple:
"There are two kinds of geniuses in this world! One is born a genius, like you of the Uchiha… and the other—" He grinned fiercely, "—is a genius through sheer, unstoppable effort! Like me!"
The arena erupted in cheers, the sheer force of Guy's passion electrifying the crowd. Across from him, Obito's expression twisted with both dread and determination as the two prepared to clash.
And from the shadows, Shigure watched silently. For all the noise and spectacle, he could not shake the Hokage's words echoing in his mind.
Successor… future hope of Konoha…
The thought lingered like a storm cloud as the next battle began.
--
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