With the Kazekage's arrival, the Chunin Exams were officially underway.
As an elite jonin, Aoba was assigned to maintain security during the exams. Of course, this role was something he had arranged himself by pulling strings with Kakashi.
Konoha's public safety had noticeably deteriorated over the past year. Since the Uchiha clan's dissolution, efforts to re-establish the village police force were underway, but only half-heartedly. Both manpower and resources fell far short of what they were under the Uchiha's control.
Konoha, as a village with tens of thousands of inhabitants, faces serious security concerns, especially given the existence of ninjas. The presence of a reliable police force is critical.
The Uchiha clan had once been unpopular, partly due to intentional defamation, as they enforced strict regulations on law and order. From his perspective, their strictness should have been a good thing. Sure, the families of petty offenders might hold grudges, but wouldn't other villagers feel reassured? If Aoba were one of those villagers, he would be grateful to have someone dealing with wrongdoers.
Without the police force, the village's low-ranking ninjas and rougher elements now saw ordinary villagers as easy targets rather than benefiting from any supposed "freedom" or "privileges." Konoha's upper echelons bore part of the blame since they'd fostered this way of thinking among the villagers.
The current security problems were only becoming more apparent.
The curriculum at Konoha Academy primarily focuses on the "Will of Fire." Since these kids are destined to live lives involving violence, there's no emphasis on ethics. Among the vast ninja ranks, plenty lack basic restraint. Previously, the Uchiha police force could overpower most of these rowdy shinobi, keeping things under control. But since their destruction, the newly formed police force couldn't command the same authority.
In preparation for the Chunin Exams, Konoha planned a temporary security overhaul—a "strict crackdown," if you will—to create a favorable impression for visiting dignitaries.
Aoba took on this role, primarily for the convenience of staying in the village and avoiding any additional travel. With his current strength, a single shadow clone was more than enough for most situations, allowing him to continue his research undisturbed.
By the time the exams began, his efforts had already produced significant results. His enforcement was as strict as the Uchiha clan's had been, but his reputation was far better. The absence of Danzo played a major role. Since Danzo's death, Hiruzen had been preoccupied with assimilating Danzo's Root organization, and now the Chunin Exams had further stretched him thin. With Kakashi as his inside man on the council, Aoba was spared the malicious propaganda that had once plagued the Uchiha.
A few ninjas resented Aoba for his strictness, but his reputation soared among ordinary villagers.
There were no surprises in the first round of the Chunin Exams. He visited the site and caught a glimpse of Kabuto Yakushi trying to show off. Kabuto, blending in among the younger genin, used his experience to his advantage, handing out his information cards to Naruto and the others.
But as soon as Kabuto spotted Aoba standing at the doorway, he went quiet.
Despite his modest appearance, Kabuto was much stronger than he let on. As a medical ninja, his jutsu might not appear as flashy as elemental jutsu, but in terms of effectiveness, they were second to none, putting him in the same league as elite jonin.
His time as a spy had given him a sense of immunity; only a few in Konoha could expose or stop him.
However, he wasn't without fear. His encounter with Aoba and Yumi when he and Orochimaru had schemed against them left a lasting impression. Yumi's wood-style jutsu, cast without seals, had left him dazed. Kabuto, usually able to heal from his injuries quickly, was stunned to find that after Yumi's wood-style pierced him, it absorbed his chakra. He'd barely survived, only escaping because Orochimaru intervened at the cost of another Kusanagi sword.
Since then, Kabuto had developed an aversion to both Aoba and Yumi.
Reassured that Aoba wouldn't interfere, Kabuto remained silent, and Aoba reminded his team of a few important points before returning to his lab to continue Hidan's transformation project.
The sharingan transplant was relatively straightforward, especially for someone like Hidan with an immortal body. Yumi performed the procedure easily.
Hidan's sharingan was a three-tomoe version. While it wouldn't make him a genjutsu master, its built-in genjutsu enhancement and reflection abilities would help him counter most genjutsu. Additionally, Hidan's chakra reserves were so vast that the energy drain from the sharingan was virtually negligible.
"Alright, from here, focus on adjusting to your new body and vision. Soon, you'll be on your own. When that time comes, I expect you to show no signs of weakness."
Aoba already had a plan in place for Hidan, only waiting for the right moment to deploy him.
This marked a significant milestone in his study of Hidan. The project would resume once he made more progress on his reverse-engineering of the sharingan's visual power.
Unfortunately, progress on this research had been slow, and he realized that stubbornly focusing on it might be wasting his time. So, he decided to move a new project up in priority.
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Currently on Chapter 122 - A Century of Education