Last-Minute Preparations

Since he had chosen Flying Thunder God, Kanna needed to prepare some Flying Thunder God Kunai. However, he planned to make a few changes.

The formula for the Flying Thunder God Technique he had extracted used the four characters "Sword of Shinobi Love" as its coordinate marker. Those words represented Minato Namikaze's interpretation of his own ninja way, but they didn't align with Kanna's beliefs. So he planned to replace them with four different characters: "Above and Below."

"Above and Below, I alone stand supreme." The "I" in this phrase didn't refer to the self, but to one's true self and nature—the "center" in "standing alone at the center." It was Kanna's personal motto, a reminder to stay true to himself and hold fast to his original convictions.

Replacing the marker was simple. The coordinates for the Flying Thunder God Technique were set according to the user's will, so Kanna quickly made the change. He tested it several times in his room and got used to the new version of Flying Thunder God.

Finally, Kanna replaced Human Path: Mind Reading with Third Mizukage Style: Chakra Refinement Technique.

On his way home, Kanna took the opportunity to test Mind Reading on a stray dog. The results were clear: he read fragments of the dog's memories, mostly of wandering and searching for food. Then the dog's soul was ripped from its body, killing it instantly.

This technique was far too dangerous. He'd better use it sparingly, especially on people. With the final exam only a few days away, he would stick to Chakra Refinement Technique and train properly.

And so, Kanna spent each day tempering his bones, refining chakra, and memorizing the chakra circulation system inside his body, trying to master the secret technique through his own efforts. His progress was slow, but steady. He didn't find it boring; on the contrary, he enjoyed it.

Whenever Tokiomi came home, he told Kanna how the Chunin Ninja Exams were going. As expected, things were taking a turn for the worse.

Zabuza was fine. He was now an Anbu member under the Mizukage's direct command, and the Anbu had strict rules, so he only defeated his opponents without killing anyone. But after hearing about Kanna's "feat" of slaughtering the examinees, Amayuri was roused to action and brazenly killed all six members of an entire team.

On the final two days, once his injuries had stabilized, Fuyuki Sanzenryo was the last to take action. He defeated the six examinees who had fled, and by then, every examinee had been eliminated except for the four pursuers: Kanna and the other three.

Aside from the five points they received as a gift each day, the other examinees hadn't earned a single point!

The worst-case scenario feared by the Kirigakure higher-ups who supported the exam reforms, led by the Mizukage, had finally come to pass. No matter how they explained the benefits of the new policy to the villagers, whether the villagers accepted it or opposed it, the examinees who had actually taken part in the exams had acted against their intentions. The results were just like those of previous years: a handful of ninja far stronger than their peers had mercilessly cut down their competition, leaving only a few to advance.

The Mizukage and the others had expected Kanna, the son of the Mizukage Aide, to avoid going against his father. Zabuza was an Anbu member who had been sternly warned by his superiors not to kill indiscriminately. Fuyuki had also been cautioned by Yagura in advance. That left Amayuri as the only unpredictable factor. But according to reports, she and Kanna seemed to get along well, so with Kanna there, they hadn't expected any trouble from her either.

But things had gone horribly wrong. The person they'd trusted most, Kanna, was the first to cause trouble. He killed twelve examinees, cutting the number of contestants by a third and getting under the skin of Zabuza and the others. Afraid their targets would be taken by someone else and they wouldn't score enough to pass, they brought their full strength to bear. The other examinees had no chance to fight back. They were crushed in an instant, disqualified, or even killed.

On the final day, Tokiomi and Kanna had a long talk.

"You need to prepare yourself. We may have to reject your application for Chunin rank," Kanna Tokiomi said calmly, sitting cross-legged with his hands tucked into his sleeves.

"Even if I take first place in the final matches?" Kanna asked with a frown.

Tokiomi shook his head. "You saw Amayuri's exam two years ago. This time, Zabuza and Fuyuki are likely to advance, while you two..."

Kanna felt a little bitter. A ninja's rank and strength were two different things. Even if he came in first and failed to advance, no one would think he was weak. Still, it was hard to accept. How long had he prepared for these exams? How much effort had he put in?

Naruto Uzumaki and the others had taken the Chunin exams with no preparation at all, yet they'd still given it everything they had, determined to keep going even if it meant losing the chance to take the exams again. They'd persevered right through to the final round. How could Kanna do any less?

But Kanna had the mind of an adult, and he understood the Mizukage's predicament. Kirigakure had been shackled for too long by the rules established back then. Someone had to step forward and break the village out of its stagnant state.

Now the Third Hokage had stepped forward. Many people opposed him, but he remained steadfast, and his own father supported him. Kanna had accidentally made things harder for them. Though what had happened hadn't been intentional, he still had to take responsibility.

You had to own your actions. Kanna understood that much.

Seeing Kanna's downcast expression, Tokiomi smiled faintly.

"Besides, although you won't become a Chunin after these exams, the Third Hokage may have a new mission for you."

"Mm," Kanna hummed, without much hope.

"The Third Hokage and the two elders have reached an agreement. Before long, the village will establish a new department, and I'll be in charge of it," Tokiomi said with a smile. "The department will take over the village's external and internal trade and communications, and help the Third Hokage carry out the initial reforms..."

"Huh?" Kanna was startled. This was big news.

Unless absolutely necessary, the Mizukage's aides and the elders weren't allowed to have forces of their own. It would make it harder for the Mizukage to control the village. But now, the Third Hokage had not only agreed to let Tokiomi form his own force, he had also given the new department the authority over external trade and communications that the major clans had long been vying for. It seemed the Third Hokage was showing real determination.

"And as for the new department's name..." Tokiomi looked at Kanna meaningfully and said softly, "The Third Hokage thought the character '部' in your name was a good choice. So, what do you think? Interested in joining?"

"Bu? Me?" Kanna couldn't believe it. Pointing at himself, he asked, "You're joking, right? Why would it be named after me?"

Tokiomi chuckled. "Don't read too much into it. Here's what happened: when the Third Hokage held a meeting with the jonin to solicit names for the new department, I mentioned that 'Bu' sounded good. Everyone agreed, so that's what we settled on."

Kanna fell silent for a moment, then pursed his lips. "All right. I'll join."

"If you take first place in the matches, you'll have a better chance of getting a good position when they choose people for the new department. Maybe even team captain," Tokiomi pointed out. "So give it your all. Just don't kill anyone, and you can go all out!"

"No problem!"

That night, Kanna replaced Chakra Refinement Technique with the B-rank Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere. His preparations were complete. All that remained was the final showdown.