Izuna's Assault

Before they knew it.

For this Chunin Selection Exam, three-person teams had to report to the designated location at the time listed on their admission tickets.

Juri and her team had been assigned to report at ten o'clock that morning.

The location was the Ninja Academy, the place where they had once studied.

"Ah..."

Tsunade and the others were walking along the wall of the Ninja Academy toward the main gate.

As the gateposts came into view, Tsunade spotted a blonde woman standing nearby and let out a startled gasp.

Orochimaru was fine.

But for Tsunade, having to travel with Juri, a woman she barely knew, was enough to give her a stomachache.

So it was only natural that she saw Ina as a goddess of salvation.

Tsunade quickened her pace without realizing it.

That left Orochimaru in a difficult position.

He had been hiding behind the scenes quite cleverly, leaving Juri for Tsunade to deal with. If Tsunade ran off, he would be in trouble.

But Orochimaru's concern seemed unnecessary. Juri followed Tsunade, hurrying toward Ina as well.

"Miss Ina... what's with the outfit?"

Tsunade felt something oddly out of place about the way Ina was standing there.

Tsunade knew Ina liked wearing revealing clothes.

Of course, she understood that Ina chose that fashion because she was confident in her skin and figure.

It wasn't that Tsunade thought she had some strange fetish for showing off her body.

Ina was wearing a green flak jacket.

Tsunade recognized it.

It was the uniform issued only to Chunin and higher-ranking ninja of Konohagakure—in a sense, the formal attire of the village.

Since Tsunade had only ever met Ina in private, seeing her dressed formally was a novel sight.

"Ina, what's with the outfit?"

Juri's gaze roamed over Ina, lingering as if she were savoring the sight.

Apparently, Ina's formal attire was a novelty to Juri too.

"Who knows~"

"Hmm..."

Ina's casual reply seemed to displease Juri.

One of her eyebrows twitched slightly.

"M-Miss Ina, why are you here?"

Seeing Juri's displeased expression, Tsunade hurriedly cut in.

She couldn't bear to see her beloved big sister Ina clash with... Uchiha Juri, who could rival her brother. It was too frightening to imagine.

"Hmm—well, I'm doing something that requires me to wear this."

"That's awfully vague."

"Hehe. Why don't you guess, Juri?"

"Stop teasing me."

Tsunade tilted her head, still unsure of the relationship between the two.

A moment ago, the atmosphere between them had seemed ready to explode.

But the scene before her now was clearly nothing like that.

"...Hmm?"

As Tsunade stood beside them, fretting, Orochimaru studied Ina.

His gaze fell on the clipboard tucked under her arm.

"—You're an Examiner, aren't you?"

"Oh my, you're clever."

Ina, having finished speaking with Juri, smiled at Orochimaru.

Her guardian-like attitude, as if she wanted to say "well done," made Orochimaru give an irritated snort.

"Hmph. A Jonin wearing a mission uniform in a place like this—there's only one reason I can think of—"

Orochimaru had tried to cut Ina off coldly, but Juri and Tsunade's sharp gazes stopped him.

One look blamed him for being rude to their big sister; the other was angered by the contempt hidden in his words.

Orochimaru fell silent, clicked his tongue in annoyance, and looked away.

"So you're here to take the Chunin Ninja Exams?"

"Of course. That's why you even helped us train this past month, isn't it?"

"That's right..."

"...?"

At Ina's words, Juri nodded proudly.

But Ina's expression turned gloomy.

Juri felt puzzled.

Ever since Juri had told Ina she wanted to take the Chunin Ninja Exams, Ina had stayed by her side, helping her train and cheering her on.

Juri had thought Ina would offer her words of encouragement as usual, even on the day of the exam, so she didn't understand Ina's attitude.

"Hey, Juri. Take my advice and sit this one out—"

"—Yamanaka Jonin, a disqualified candidate has appeared! Please deal with it immediately!"

"Got it! Sorry, you three. Wait here a moment."

Ina answered the call from the school building, pressed her hands together apologetically, then turned and ran toward it.

She disappeared beyond the gate.

"Ughhhhh..."

From the direction Ina had gone, beyond the wall, came a low groan that seemed to rise from the depths of hell.

"What was that...?"

Tsunade nervously peered around the gate. She saw three figures being carried out on stretchers.

She couldn't make out the village symbols from where she stood, but all three wore Forehead Protectors.

They seemed to be ninja from another village.

The stretchers carrying them were slowly set down, and Ina, who had run over, held out her palm. It began to glow.

It was the Mystical Palm Technique, a form of Medical Ninjutsu.

It looked like they were injured.

Considering this was the exam registration venue, and the word "disqualified" she had just heard, they were likely candidates who had been disqualified from the Chunin Ninja Exams.

Had the exam already started?

A trace of unease rose in Tsunade's heart—then the sight before her left her speechless.

The man Ina was treating—or rather, all the people lying on the stretchers—were covered in blood, and they were missing "parts of their limbs."

"—Sorry to keep you waiting."

Ina returned to Tsunade and the others after treating the injured with the Mystical Palm Technique.

Red liquid, seemingly blood, stained her hands and cheeks, making a particularly striking sight.

"Miss Ina, those people...?"

"You saw them... I managed to stop the bleeding, so they should survive... But I don't know any technique that can regrow an arm that's been 'torn off,' so unfortunately, they'll have to stay that way—"

"That's not what I meant! Why are people with such terrible injuries being carried out of the school?"

Tsunade's urgent shout echoed the question shared by Orochimaru and Juri.

Anyone would have raised their voice at the sight of bloody ninja with missing limbs being carried out of their old school, where the exam was about to take place.

At Tsunade's accusatory tone, Ina lowered her eyes apologetically.

"I was just about to say... this is why you'd be better off not taking the exam this time."

"...So what exactly do you mean?"

Juri, who had been frowning with her arms folded, cut in impatiently.

Her tone was rough.

Ina hesitated for a moment, as though she wanted to say something but couldn't. Then, as if she had given up, she whispered softly:

"In this Chunin Ninja Exam... participants who are disqualified lose parts of their limbs."

The exam had already begun on a first-come, first-served basis. Ina said she had already watched several teams of Genin from other villages, who had checked in before Tsunade's group, being sent to the hospital.

Her voice was weary, tinged with a sigh, and it trembled.

"Why make it so dangerous... Was it like this before?"

"No..."

Juri quietly shook her head in answer to Tsunade's question.

"If it were, I wouldn't be standing here now. If this Chunin Ninja Exam is different from the ones before... Ina, I hate to think this, but could this be..."

"That's right. It was Diejian."

Ina explained.

After spending the past year with countless ninja targeting his life, Diejian had come to truly understand how frightening the military strength of other villages was.

After fighting brutal battles against powerful ninja at the height of their strength, Diejian had come up with an idea: destroy the enemy's strength while they were still young.

So, with the Chunin Ninja Exams presenting the perfect opportunity, Diejian had altered the first exam, making it harder and more inhuman.

And he had made the loss of a body part the punishment for disqualification.

Whether an arm or a leg, losing one made it difficult to go on living as a ninja.

"But..."

"Still, he hasn't targeted Konoha's Genin, and it seems he gave them an easy exam... But the Kage of the other villages would never allow something like this. If it comes to light, the least that could happen is the Konoha Genin taking the exam being treated the same way... Your Sharingan in particular is a perfect target, Juri. So this time..."

As she spoke, Ina lowered her eyes.

"How could he... My brother..."

Faced with the actions of her beloved older brother, Tsunade couldn't speak. Her lips trembled.

Even Orochimaru swallowed, silently watching events unfold.

"...I see. Understood. Then please register us for the exam."

Juri's voice was calm.

Ina, Tsunade, and Orochimaru all turned their eyes to Juri as if they had been jolted.

But Juri paid them no mind. Calmly, she took out her admission ticket and held it out to Ina.

"Juri, did you hear what we just said?!"

"I heard... But I came here to become a Chunin. I'm not turning back now."

"You...! I'm only trying to protect you! Why are you always like this, never listening to what people have to say—"

"—Ina. Senju Diejian has lost his way."

Juri interrupted Ina's anguished cry in a lecturing tone.

Her voice was so calm that Ina swallowed the rest of her words.

"I don't know what a terrible year he's been through. Whatever the case, I've never stood on a 'real battlefield.' So... if you say I'm all talk and no action, I can't refute it. But, Ina... please let me say this. Diejian is wrong now."

Juri's gaze drifted toward the sky, touched with loneliness, then settled on Ina's eyes.

Her gaze, piercing Ina's wavering eyes, was more direct and sincere than ever before.

"Ina, I don't know why a woman like you hasn't stopped Diejian... You're a Jonin, and he's the Hokage's Left and Right Arms. You're the Yamanaka Clan's second daughter, and he's a direct descendant of the Senju. I'm sure there's some reason behind it. So—"

As Ina and Juri stared at each other, Tsunade watched Juri's profile.

Tsunade's impression of the ninja "Uchiha Juri" came entirely from the demonic fury she had seen a year ago.

With the rumors of the "Ice Woman" mixed in, Tsunade had come to picture Uchiha Juri as a "short-tempered, cold-blooded viper."

But... Tsunade thought.

The woman before her now had an aura nothing like the ice-cold demon of the rumors.

Her clear eyes brimmed with boundless compassion.

Tsunade found herself drawn to the warmth around her.

"(...Ina, you must be suffering so much...)"

Seeing Ina's trembling brow and wavering gaze, Juri felt a pang of pain.

Juri had heard that Diejian and Ina had been friends even before Juri met Diejian.

If Diejian had become twisted, then the person who would feel the most pain over it wasn't Juri or Sakumo.

Juri was certain it was this gentle woman standing before her.

But for some reason, Ina seemed unable to advise Diejian against what he was doing.

So at the very least, she wanted to stop Juri.

So that, in the worst-case scenario, it would end with Ina alone making the sacrifice.

So—

"—So... I want you to rest easy. Whatever happens, I'll stop that idiot Diejian myself."

Juri smiled gently and offered Ina those resolute words.

"Juri..."

Ina accepted Juri's smile, then bashfully looked away.

"(Once, Sakumo risked his life to stop me from going astray. So, as Sakumo's friend, I have to be willing to risk my life for my friend, too.)"

—Whether it's the Senju or the Uchiha Clan...

None of that mattered to Juri now.

Juri believed that even if someone came to hate her, a person who could call out what was wrong was a true comrade.

And the "way of the ninja" was the same.

"Tsunade, Orochimaru, what will you do? At this point, I don't mind if I can't take the exam."

The Chunin Ninja Exams were generally taken in teams of three.

If either Orochimaru or Tsunade shook her head, the exam would be over.

But Juri no longer cared whether she took the exam or became a Chunin.

No—that wasn't true. She still cared a lot. It wasn't as if she didn't mind at all.

But if she forced Tsunade and the others to take part against their will, it would be no different from the exams she'd failed before.

The moment she chose not to respect her comrades, she had already failed in Juri's eyes.

At the same time, she couldn't bring herself to turn her back on her friends.

"I..."

Juri waited quietly for an answer to Tsunade's troubled words.

Juri figured that after hearing all this, Tsunade and the others probably wouldn't take part.

Why risk your life in a first Chunin Exam when you knew nothing about it?

Under normal circumstances, they'd do as Ina had suggested: withdraw from this exam and wait for another chance.

"(Goodbye, my Chunin Exam...)"

Juri wept silently in her heart, while resolving to take out all her frustration on Diejian.

Just then, Tsunade clenched her fist with determination.

"—As Senju Diejian's little sister, I'm going to... beat that stupid big brother of mine to a pulp!! There's no way I can explain this to Grandpa and the Second! Let's go, Orochimaru!!"

"Huh?"

Tsunade grabbed Orochimaru by the arm and dragged him toward the school building with her Monster Strength.

Watching Tsunade's retreating figure, Juri's eyes widened in astonishment for a moment. Then her lips curled into a happy smile.

"Ina, that's how it is. Please register us."

Juri quietly walked past Ina, who was frozen in place.

As she passed, Juri gently brushed Ina's shoulder with her hand.

The warmth of the gesture, as if to say, "Don't worry, leave it to me," brought a faint blush to Ina's cheeks.

"...Honestly. Who do you think you are..."

Watching Juri's retreating figure, her black hair swaying, Ina murmured bashfully.

"Honestly!"

The words burst out of Ina as if she couldn't hold back her rising emotions, carrying a shy, buoyant lilt.

A wry smile appeared on her face, but there was a hint of happiness in it, too. She clasped her hands behind her back and turned around awkwardly.

Her somewhat childish manner seemed to hold a trace of loneliness from someone who was both a protector and a friend, unable to openly rejoice at Juri's growth.

"—But congratulations. Next time, too... do your best."

Ina first wore a smile tinged with bitterness, then softened into a warm one as she thought of Juri, who had already disappeared into the school building.

Ina's whisper blended into Konoha's sky.

★

Juri and the others were led to a spacious gymnasium.

It was where they practiced sparring on rainy days. It had been built sturdier than the school building, so a fight between students alone couldn't damage it.

Back then, the walls and floor had still been new, but now they looked a little worn.

But before Juri had time to feel nostalgic about her childhood hopes, her attention was drawn to the circular array carved into the center of the gym.

"Is that a Summoning Technique array?"

At Juri's quiet question, the Examiner explained:

For the next half day or so, the examinees would be transported to a place far from Konohagakure using this "reverse summoning" array.

They would pass if they found the scroll hidden somewhere and returned safely within the half-day time limit.

Once half a day had passed, the summoning effect would disappear and they would be forcibly sent back here. Anyone who returned without the scroll would fail.

After hearing the instructions, the three of them lined up in the center of the array.

The moment had finally arrived. They adjusted their stances slightly, and the next instant, they vanished from the gymnasium.

★

"It's so quiet here."

Juri quietly nodded in agreement with Tsunade's offhand remark.

When she came to, Juri found herself in an unfamiliar forest.

It seemed different from the "Death Forest" where she'd been sent during the Chunin Exam as a member of the Kagami Squad.

Juri had been bracing herself for another struggle to survive in that place, so she was relieved to realize she'd worried for nothing.

That place had been filled with the presence of beasts and death. Even the air seemed to carry a chill that pricked at the skin.

If she could help it, she never wanted to go there again.

By comparison, this place was so quiet she could almost hear the birds chirping. Its atmosphere was peaceful.

The air was fresh, filled with the warmth of life.

"Quiet, huh? Don't let your guard down, Tsunade... pay attention to your surroundings."

Orochimaru spoke with a displeased expression and took out a Kunai.

"Huh?"

"Look at that tree a little way from here. There's a broken branch. And the grass over there's been trampled... Those aren't animal tracks. There are people nearby."

At Orochimaru's words, Tsunade looked around as if she'd been jolted into action.

Once she realized the situation, she finally understood what they were "up against" and felt ashamed of her carelessness.

At the same time, Juri, who had agreed with Tsunade's careless remark, hid her awkward expression so the other two wouldn't notice.

To redeem herself, Juri immediately activated her Sharingan and surveyed the area.

She saw three concentrations of Chakra.

They were gathered beneath the shade of a tree some distance away.

"I see them. Three, gathered in one place. But they don't seem to be moving. It doesn't look like an ambush..."

The Sharingan was a Dojutsu that could see the color and flow of Chakra.

Unlike the Byakugan passed down through the Hyuga Clan, it couldn't fully sense the movements and condition of a target at a distance.

"Are they people who started the exam before us...? Maybe we happened to be transported to where they were taking a break."

"—Should we attack?"

"Huh, but... what if it's a trap?"

Tsunade sounded reluctant in response to Orochimaru's suggestion.

Juri closed her eyes for a moment, then fixed a sharp gaze on the three concentrations of Chakra.

"I checked with my Sharingan. There's no sign of a trap, and they don't seem to be moving. If they haven't noticed us arrive, a surprise attack should be easy. And if they did notice, but naively think they can hide from me—then they're not much of a threat."

"—It's decided."

"Understood."

By majority vote, Orochimaru and Juri's aggressive proposal carried, and Tsunade agreed as well.

Her earlier reluctance wasn't because she disliked fighting.

She just thought it was unwise to jump into a fight when they didn't have enough information.

But if "that" Juri said it was fine, Tsunade thought, then it probably was.

The three slipped into the bushes and crept silently toward the group.

They held their breath and moved like tigers stalking their prey.

"(Stop.)"

Juri signaled Orochimaru and Tsunade with her hand.

After confirming that they'd stopped, Juri began quietly observing their targets.

"(They're ninjas after all. Judging by their Forehead Protectors... Iwagakure?)"

Juri was a little surprised by the figures of the ninjas there.

She couldn't tell their exact ages, but just from their appearance, they seemed older than Juri.

She felt secretly relieved that there were Genin even lower-ranked than her.

"(They look injured...)"

The Genin hiding beneath the tree were all men, and two of them seemed to be injured.

One leaned limply against the trunk with blood running down his forehead. Another had a bloodstained bandage wrapped around his leg.

"(They've already fought... So, just like the previous exam, this is a contest to steal scrolls—in other words, a fight for survival.)"

Juri narrowed her eyes and ran the tip of her tongue over the backs of her teeth.

During the previous exam, Diejian's mistake had forced her into a disadvantageous fight... but her Sharingan had helped her escape the predicament... and find a way through.

She'd won by an overwhelming... margin back then. Now that she was even stronger, there was no reason she'd lose to Genin.

"(--I've got this in the bag.)"

Certain of her victory, Juri licked her lips.

—Rustle. The wind blew.

The only uninjured ninja's nose twitched. He sprang to his feet as if startled.

"(--They've noticed us!)"

Juri instantly gestured to signal the other two to attack.

Orochimaru sprang out of the grass, and Tsunade followed a moment later.

To protect their backs, Juri pushed off the ground and charged after them.

"—Wait! We don't want to fight!"

Ignoring the Genin's shout, Orochimaru swung his Kunai down.

The Genin barely managed to deflect it with his own Kunai, then kicked at Orochimaru's abdomen.

Orochimaru blocked with his knee.

But the Genin's kick was stronger than expected, and Orochimaru was knocked backward.

The second attack—a punch from Tsunade—was blocked by an earthen wall that suddenly rose up.

The injured ninja with the wounded leg had created the wall when his comrade was in danger.

But Tsunade's true strength lay in her Monster Strength.

The earthen wall blocked Tsunade's fist for only an instant before shattering.

Tsunade's fist sank deep into the Genin's abdomen.

"Gwaaaaaah!!"

The injured Genin let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Seeing his comrade struck in the stomach by a fist powerful enough to break through an earthen wall, he went pale.

"I—I did hold back, you know. You won't die."

Tsunade spoke roughly.

It seemed she was considerably irritated, and a little hurt, at being looked at like a monster.

"You lot are 'newbies,' aren't you? You'll regret—"

The injured Genin lunged at Tsunade with a terrifying expression, but the next second his head jerked down and he stopped moving.

"How boring."

When she turned around, she saw Juri, her Sharingan deactivated, and Orochimaru brushing at his clothes as if dusting them off.

Tsunade realized the Genin had suddenly changed. Juri must have knocked him out with genjutsu to shut him up. Once again, she was amazed by the terror of the Uchiha Clan's Dojutsu.

At the same time, she felt respect for her brother, who could fight Juri to a standstill.

"Regret...? That's got me a little curious."

"Yeah."

Tsunade nodded in agreement with Orochimaru's mutter.

The injured Genin were hiding their presence.

And their attempt to talk their way out of the situation when Juri and the others attacked was certainly suspicious.

Juri began to think they might have attacked too hastily, but there was nothing she could do about it now, so she changed her attitude.

—As expected, Juri was still careless in some ways.

"I see. I'll layer a genjutsu over their Sharingan and make them talk—"

"—There's no need."

A man's unfamiliar voice interrupted Juri.

Orochimaru reacted instantly, but before he could even make a sound, the man struck him and sent him flying into the bushes.

"Orochimaru!!"

Only when Tsunade's shout shook her eardrums did Juri finally understand what was happening.

"(We're under attack!!)"

In an instant, Juri tried to channel Chakra into her eyes to activate her Sharingan—but her vision was dyed completely black.

Juri had experienced this phenomenon before.

"Darkness Walk!?"

Her sense of touch had been taken from her, too. Amid the unpleasant feeling of plummeting through the air, Juri raised her voice in panic.

Her mind was in disarray, and she couldn't focus her thoughts.

This had become a clear vulnerability in actual combat.

"Five Elements Seal."

Five fingers drove into Juri's unsteady abdomen with astonishing force.

One of them struck Juri's solar plexus precisely, and searing pain shot through her body.

"Gah—!"

The impact was so great that Juri couldn't even cry out in pain.

She could only expel the air from her lungs along with her saliva. Her eyes nearly bulged from the agony, and her knees gave way, leaving her sprawled on the ground.

Juri knelt on the ground, clutching her persistently aching abdomen as she desperately tried to draw air into her lungs. Her shoulders heaved violently.

(Who is this guy...? He placed a Sealing Jutsu on me in an instant, and even used genjutsu to silence Tsunade, who's no pushover...)

Juri was now trying to mold Chakra and activate her Sharingan.

But her eyes remained black, with no sign of change.

When she came to her senses, Tsunade was lying beside her.

Tsunade's eyes were open, but she didn't move. For a moment, Juri feared she had been killed.

But she quickly noticed the faint sound of breathing and realized Tsunade had lost consciousness under a genjutsu.

(Chakra... My Sharingan's been sealed... What a blunder...)

In pain, Juri bit down on her lip.

Having the Sharingan, the symbol of the Uchiha, sealed was a terrible disgrace.

"Who... are you...?"

Juri asked in a pained, breathless voice.

Feeling had returned to Juri. She glared at her attacker with hatred—then froze in astonishment at the color of his eyes.

"Sharingan...? You're one of the Uchiha...?"

The attacker's eyes had turned red, and three Tomoe swirled within them.

It was undoubtedly the Sharingan, the Dojutsu passed down through the Uchiha Clan.

And yet Juri didn't recognize the attacker's face.

"Do the young Uchiha of today not know who I am?"

The attacker replied to Juri in a flat voice.

Juri tried to get a better look at him, but she still couldn't place him.

His hair was short and neatly trimmed, with a cowlick at the back of his head.

His features were handsome.

What stood out most were his narrow eyes, which looked down at Juri coldly.

—The man's lips moved.

Juri felt as though the world had slowed to a crawl, and followed the movement of his lips.

When she understood what he'd said, she was struck dumb.

The next second, an explosion sounded, and everything before Juri's eyes turned white.

—Orochimaru had swiftly set off a smoke bomb.

Juri only understood this after she and Orochimaru had escaped the area carrying the unconscious Tsunade.

Some time later, Juri came to her senses and thanked Orochimaru. She kicked off a tree branch and leaped through the forest.

(If what he said was true... I have to figure something out...)

From that brief exchange of blows, Juri had grasped her opponent's strength and concluded that "even at full strength, I might not be able to beat him."

However, the Sealing Jutsu had sealed Juri's Chakra, severely weakening her combat ability.

Anxiety began to take root in Juri's heart.

But it wasn't because she feared for her own life.

"—Diejian is in danger."

If Juri's guess was right, then the targets were undoubtedly Tsunade, who was still unconscious, and one of Juri's closest friends—Senju Diejian.

"—Why now, of all times, and in this place...?"

Juri clenched her molars.

The attacker's final words echoed again and again in Juri's mind.

"My name is Uchiha Izuna."

"I am a ghost from a bygone era."

"The monster of the Old Era has bared its fangs at Konohagakure—"

Juri unconsciously clenched her fist, slick with cold sweat.