News soon reached Sarutobi Hiruzen, painting a grim picture: Hatake Sakumo was suspected of colluding with the Uchiha, and Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Namikaze Minato had "disappeared" within the Uchiha compound.
Sarutobi's concerns deepened. Even if the Uchiha had somehow overpowered those three, there would have been some sign of resistance. Yet, after leaving briefly, Hatake Sakumo had returned to the Uchiha compound again… Clearly, something was going on within the Uchiha.
"Lord Hokage," an ANBU member appeared at his side with new information.
"The Uchiha didn't abduct Reiki. They requested his assistance for medical treatment, as their clan appears to have a physical issue they wanted him to examine. Hatake Sakumo left the compound only to gather medicinal supplies Reiki had requested. As for Jiraiya and the others, it seems they were simply… invited to drink."
The ANBU shared all details from his investigation, which Uchiha members had openly discussed with him. It was clear they weren't hiding anything.
Hiruzen felt a wave of embarrassment and frustration. His suspicions had been for nothing. "Understood. You're dismissed."
Once the ANBU had left, Sarutobi rubbed his temples, his head beginning to throb.
"Sarutobi, this is an opportunity!" Danzo interjected, his tone cold and calculating as he entered the room.
"The Uchiha's physical issues could give us an advantage…"
"We'll discuss this after Tsunade and her team depart tomorrow," Sarutobi replied, fully aware of Danzo's intentions. If the Uchiha were indeed weakened, it would be the perfect time to assign them high-risk missions to reduce their strength. However, he also knew he needed to handle this delicately.
---
The following afternoon…
"Teacher, just two more treatments. Please, just two…" Reiki pleaded as he tried to reason with Tsunade, who was scowling.
"Tsunade-Sama, please…" the Uchiha members nearby chimed in, only to be met with a swift reprimand as Tsunade unleashed a flurry of blows, sending them scattering.
She firmly grabbed Reiki by the arm and began to drag him away from the Uchiha compound, with Uchiha Shisui quietly following behind.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Tani, who had spent the night addressing clan matters, sighed as he turned back to his clan members. "Alright, you all go back. I have pressing clan matters to attend to. I'll catch up with you all later," he said, before heading toward the training grounds, eager to evaluate the benefits of Reiki's treatments.
---
Meanwhile, in Tsunade's courtyard…
"Konoha doesn't have many candidates participating in this Chunin Exam," Tsunade announced. "Kato Dan is leading the other group. We'll set out ahead."
She sounded a bit irritable, as Kato Dan had been persistent in his advances. Though he wasn't constantly pestering her, his involvement in this mission felt conspicuous.
With Shisui already packed and ready, the four of them departed toward the Land of Taki. Meanwhile, teams from other major villages were also heading there.
---
**In the Land of Lightning…**
"Ay, you'll lead the team to the Land of Taki," Raikage commanded with a stern expression. "I want you to outshine Iwagakure. Stop them from succeeding in the exam if you can."
Recently, relations with Iwagakure had grown tense, with accusations that Kumo had targeted their ninjas. Although they hadn't escalated into a full-scale conflict, Raikage had no intention of allowing Iwagakure any advantage in the Chunin Exam.
"Understood. We'll depart immediately," replied the elite Jonin Ai as he set off to assemble the team.
Iwagakure, meanwhile, was preparing its own countermeasures. They sent their own elite Jonin, Shangkan, to lead the team, with a specific focus on disrupting Kumogakure's candidates.
**In Sunagakure…**
The Sunagakure team, already en route to Taki, encountered Kirigakure's squad. With tensions between both villages and Konoha still lingering from the last war, they immediately agreed to a temporary alliance with the shared goal of targeting Konoha's candidates.
This Chunin Exam had become far more than a mere assessment; it was now an arena for major villages to assert dominance and settle scores.
---
As Tsunade's team sped through the dense forest, her pace left her students struggling to keep up. Moving swiftly through rough terrain required not only physical strength but precise chakra control. One misstep could easily lead to disaster.
Late at night, they finally caught up with Tsunade, who was waiting for them in a small clearing.
"Let's do a quick rehearsal for the Chunin Exams," she announced, tossing three test papers to her students. "Here's a mock written exam. Finish it now."
Reiki, Shisui, and the third team member quickly got to work, and within twenty minutes, they had completed their exams. Sharing a glance, they each wore expressions of quiet confidence.
"Eighty-five percent similarity across your answers—acceptable, but just barely," Tsunade remarked, holding up their papers. "Do you understand the purpose of this written exam?"
"Information gathering and comprehension," Reiki answered.
"Exactly," Tsunade nodded approvingly. "Do you now understand why I pushed you to study and absorb knowledge?"
Shisui replied, "To enhance our intelligence-gathering skills. Mastering knowledge is part of learning how to gather and interpret information accurately."
"Good," Tsunade said. "Now, do you think an eighty-five percent similarity rate is enough for intelligence relay?"
The three hesitated, then shook their heads.
"No," Tsunade continued. "In the field, even the smallest error in intelligence can be fatal—for you or your comrades. I want nothing less than ninety-five percent similarity on future tests."
The three nodded, understanding the gravity of her words.
"Let's go again," Tsunade ordered, pulling out three more test papers. "Reiki, keep your abilities in check this time. I want to see their unassisted performance."
She was well aware that Reiki's unique control over souls could give him an unfair advantage, and she intended to see his teammates' true abilities.
With that, the three students settled down to tackle the test again under Tsunade's watchful eye.