Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two figures suddenly flickered into view in the open clearing, the sound of branches swaying marking their arrival.
Darui and Karui immediately straightened, their bodies tense as they turned toward the newcomers. When they recognized who it was, they quickly bowed in respect.
"Lady Yugito!" the two greeted in unison.
Yugito Nii, the proud jinchūriki of the Two-Tails, stood before them. She glanced at the small silver watch strapped to her wrist and sighed.
"I'm twenty minutes late…" she muttered with a hint of embarrassment. Rubbing the back of her head, she gave them an apologetic smile. "Sorry for making you wait so long."
Darui and Karui both waved their hands politely.
"Lady Yugito, you exaggerate," Darui said respectfully.
"It's no trouble at all," Karui quickly added.
Just then, Neji stepped forward. His posture was straight, his pale eyes calm and unreadable. The faint wind tugged at his long hair as he introduced himself with a detached tone.
"Let's do this properly. My name is Hyūga Neji, and I will serve as captain for this examination."
His words carried quiet authority, and the three Kumogakure shinobi felt an unspoken weight settle over the group. Though Neji's face remained expressionless, the memory of his terrifying Black Lightning still lingered in Darui's mind.
---
Hidden Sound Village
Far away, in the heart of the Village Hidden in Sound, a heavy wooden door creaked open.
The one pushing it was Guren, a kunoichi with crystalline abilities and Orochimaru's most trusted subordinate. She stepped into a dimly lit laboratory. Inside, cold steel tables, glass tubes, and scattered notes filled the air with the sharp tang of chemicals.
At the far end, a tall, slender figure stood silently. His pale face, snake-like eyes glimmering gold, shifted to meet hers.
Guren immediately bowed. "Lord Orochimaru, what are your orders?"
Orochimaru didn't answer right away. Instead, he reached into a glass chamber filled with freezing mist and drew out a cylindrical container. Inside, sealed within frost, lay a pale, lifeless arm.
"This…" Orochimaru's voice was soft, almost amused, "…is a gift for Shimura Danzō. Deliver it to him when you head to Konoha."
Guren's eyes flickered. She could see the faint traces of vines etched into the pale flesh of the arm. It wasn't ordinary—it pulsed faintly with unnatural vitality.
It was Hashirama Senju's cells—cultivated, molded into a Wood Release arm.
Orochimaru explained casually, though his golden eyes gleamed with amusement. "His right arm has already rotted from overuse. He begged me for help. A desperate man will pay any price, and I… do enjoy seeing how far men will go for power."
Guren silently sealed the arm inside a storage scroll. She understood the unspoken truth: the Wood Release arm was as dangerous as it was powerful. Even Danzō might not be able to suppress it.
But Orochimaru didn't care. To him, Danzō was nothing more than a source of endless funding. His forbidden research—the Impure World Reincarnation, the Eight Branches Technique—devoured money like a bottomless pit. Orochimaru's experiments had drained his reserves; without Danzō's support, many projects would have stalled.
Guren looked up. "Understood. I will deliver it safely."
Orochimaru's lips curved into a faint smile. "There is something else…"
Her body tensed. She knew what it meant when Orochimaru's eyes narrowed with that playful glint.
"Tell me," she said firmly.
"Uchiha Itachi," Orochimaru hissed softly, as though savoring the name. "The eldest son of the Uchiha clan. A prodigy who stepped onto the battlefield at the age of four. He too will participate in the Chūnin Exams."
Orochimaru's smile widened, tinged with killing intent. "Your second task is to kill him."
Guren's heart skipped. She immediately understood Orochimaru's real intent. He wasn't simply ordering her to assassinate—it was a test. If she succeeded, Itachi would be proven ordinary. If she failed… then Itachi would shine brighter in Orochimaru's twisted eyes. And to catch his attention was perhaps more dangerous than death itself.
Still, Guren bowed without hesitation. "Yes, Lord Orochimaru. I will carry it out."
Orochimaru waved lazily. "Go."
When she left, the pale sannin leaned back, his golden eyes narrowing in thought.
"Senju Hashirama, the God of Shinobi… Uchiha Madara, his eternal rival… Their shadows still linger even now. Hashirama's cells reveal endless vitality. And Madara's Sharingan… what mysteries does it yet hide?"
---
On the Road to Konoha
Back in Kumogakure's group, the air was lighter.
Darui glanced at Neji, curiosity flickering in his usually lazy eyes. "Captain… about Black Lightning. How did you develop it?"
The question hung in the air. Black Lightning wasn't just a jutsu—it was the legacy of the Third Raikage, an ultimate form of Lightning Release. Even speaking of it carried weight.
Neji's lips curved faintly. "Want to learn? I can teach you."
Darui blinked, taken aback. He thought Neji was mocking him. But when Neji's pale eyes met his, calm and serious, Darui realized he wasn't joking.
"Are you serious?" Darui asked, almost breathless.
"My word is my bond," Neji replied. "But in exchange, I am interested in your Storm Release. How about a trade?"
Darui's jaw tightened. Storm Release was his bloodline limit. Passing it on wasn't as simple as teaching a jutsu. But the chance to inherit Black Lightning—the very dream he had since he was a child—was irresistible.
Without hesitation, he nodded. "Deal!"
Neji then began to explain the principle of Black Lightning, his voice calm yet sharp. "It is the ultimate nature transformation of Lightning Release. A trace of Yang chakra must be added to stabilize it. Too much, and it collapses. Too little, and it burns out. Control of proportions is everything."
Darui's eyes lit up. "That's… similar to Storm Release. It fuses Lightning with Water equally, balancing destructive force and fluidity."
Neji's brows lifted slightly. He hadn't expected the two techniques to share underlying similarities.
The conversation lingered with excitement. Even Karui, though she couldn't understand half of it, felt a growing awe toward Neji.
---
Konoha Village – The Gathering
Five days later, the group of four finally arrived at the gates of Konoha.
Though called a "village," Konoha spread out like a prosperous capital. Its broad avenues bustled with merchants, travelers, and shinobi from every land. Stalls overflowed with silks, weapons, and foods from all across the Fire Country.
Karui's eyes shone as she spun in circles, overwhelmed. "Lady Yugito, it's so lively! Kumogakure's nothing like this…"
Even Darui couldn't help but gawk. Despite his travels, this was his first time in Konoha. Every sight spoke of wealth and culture.
But Yugito's brows furrowed. She wasn't here to sightsee. Four missions weighed heavily on her shoulders, and none of them had clear paths to completion.
Neji, meanwhile, scanned the crowd carefully. He caught sight of Mei Terumī and Zabuza among the arriving Mist shinobi.
"So… even Kirigakure sends non-Genin. Mei Terumī herself stands here," Neji mused. "This exam isn't about youth anymore—it's an arena for the Five Great Nations."
His gaze lingered on Mei. Unlike other kunoichi, still girlish and unpolished, she carried herself with confidence, her beauty already striking.
Mei's sharp eyes also swept the Kumogakure group. A faint smile touched her lips. "So these are the promising ones from the Cloud? Interesting…"
The stage was set.
The Chūnin Exams would not be a simple contest.
It would be the clash of villages, ambitions, and secrets buried deep in the shadows.
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