Crushing a Generation, Though This Generation Lacks Talent

The silence was the most terrifying part; the Hokage's office had been quiet for far too long. The Anbu guarding the door were nearly at their breaking point, itching to burst inside and see if the two old fossils had finally kicked the bucket.

Danzo had come to see the Hokage, and the Anbu were never permitted to get close.

"What do we do?!"

Inside the office, the image on the crystal ball had vanished. Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned back in his chair, puffing heavily on his pipe until the entire room was shrouded in a thick, ethereal fog.

"What else can we do? The second stage of the Chunin Exams is cancelled. The only one who passed is Uchiha Suifeng!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said. "And you had better clean up after those three subordinates of yours, lest the Uchiha Clan comes looking for trouble!"

"Hiruzen, you are far too indulgent with the Uchiha Clan!"

"If not for the stunt you just pulled, the Uchiha Clan would have no reason to stir up trouble."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was beyond furious at Danzo's self-serving interference. Without those three Root operatives, this Chunin Exams would have simply had a lower pass rate. While Suifeng's methods were flamboyant, they remained within the rules. He hadn't violated any regulations, nor had he killed a single opponent. Within the rules, it was legal and compliant—that made it something they could negotiate.

But the appearance of three Root ninjas was a blatant violation. They had gone for the kill the moment they appeared. For heaven's sake, if you're going to act, do it cleanly and finish the job! Instead, they had been thrashed by an eight-year-old, and after being thrashed, they were still alive and lying there paralyzed. Wasn't that just asking for trouble?

The Chunin Exams were a solemn affair. Since the founding of Konoha, the rules had been set in stone; they had never changed, and no one had ever been able to change them. Aside from voluntary withdrawal or foreign invasion, no one within Konoha was permitted to interfere.

Now that three Root operatives had appeared and been thrashed by Suifeng in front of nearly every examinee, how was he supposed to explain this?

He was the Hokage, not the Emperor of Konoha.

The Hokage faction held the reins of power in Konoha, but the village was home to many ninja clans and countless other ninjas. These people obeyed the rules of Konoha, not the rules of the Hokage.

Three Root members had crashed the exam site and attacked the candidates, dressed exactly like Anbu. Anyone with a basic understanding of Konoha's underbelly could guess who they were.

The major clans and Jonin, in particular, were well aware of Danzo and the Root's existence, as well as their typical modus operandi. The intrusion of the Root could not be hidden from them. If Suifeng had killed them on the spot, they could have blamed it on foreign spies as a way to handle it. But Suifeng hadn't killed them; he had simply broken their bones one by one until they were paralyzed, effectively ending the matter.

In the end, he had even summoned the Anbu to haul them away. Once they were in Anbu custody, their identity as Root operatives could no longer be concealed, turning this into a thorny problem.

Did he think the matter would end just because Suifeng passed the Chunin Exams?

Would the Uchiha Clan sit idly by while a Root Jonin attacked an Uchiha genius?

Impossible.

This was a mess—a mess that he would have to clean up himself.

"I do not agree to Uchiha Suifeng becoming a Chunin. Although he possesses the strength of a Chunin, his conduct is arrogant and completely deviates from the path of a ninja...!"

"Enough!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi cut him off, glaring at him fiercely. "The relevant penalties for this incident will be issued shortly. Prepare yourself; you are not to leave your quarters for a while!"

"Hiruzen, you will live to regret this!"

Danzo flew into a rage and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

This was a small auditorium not far from the Forest of Death. It was a crude, simple venue, yet it was packed with the examinees and proctors of this year's Chunin Exams.

None of the big shots were in attendance; they didn't have the time.

Before this, no one would have imagined that Suifeng would single-handedly steamroll all the Genin and bring the exam to an end.

Aside from him, no one else had passed; even Kakashi had been eliminated.

When it was all over, everyone was brought to this auditorium one after another. The chief proctor announced the results of the Chunin Exams: one person passed, Uchiha Suifeng. Then, the Third Hokage appeared and, in front of all the examinees and proctors, presented the Chunin flak jacket and forehead protector to Suifeng.

"From this day forward, you are a Chunin, and the youngest in Konoha's history. I hope you will continue to strive for excellence, shoulder your responsibilities, and protect Konoha!"

"Thank you, Lord Hokage!" Suifeng accepted the forehead protector and flak jacket, offering a calm and polite smile. "Lord Hokage, who exactly were the people who attacked me outside the Forest of Death today? They were wearing Anbu uniforms. Does the Anbu not know the rules of the Chunin Exams?!"

"They were not Anbu," the Third said. "The Anbu would never break the rules of the Chunin Exams. Rest assured, this will not happen again."

"Yes, Lord Hokage!" Suifeng did not press the issue further. After all, he wasn't the one who had suffered, and even if he didn't pursue it, the Uchiha Clan certainly would.

What a joke. A Root Jonin attacking an Uchiha genius during the Chunin Exams—if there were no accountability for this, the Third Hokage's position would be unstable.

This wasn't alarmism. It wasn't just an Uchiha family matter; it concerned every ninja clan and every ninja in Konoha. If they dared to break the rules of the Chunin Exams today to kill an Uchiha genius, they could kill a Hyuga Clan genius tomorrow, and the Ino-Shika-Cho would be in danger the day after. Furthermore, Suifeng had single-handedly blocked three Root ninjas today. Who knew if they had come for the Uchiha Clan specifically? What if their target had been the candidates in the Forest of Death? What if Suifeng hadn't been there today? What would the consequences have been?

Don't tell me it wouldn't happen. From the moment Danzo broke the rules, everything became possible.

Who would believe a word Danzo said?

As an eight-year-old Chunin, Suifeng only needed to do his own job; there was no need for him to meddle in other affairs. At most, he would just make a note of it in his little book.

Gifted with extraordinary talent, possessing the combat power of a Jonin at such a young age—he was a genius in every sense of the word. Such geniuses were rare in the ninja world, but not unheard of. An Uchiha producing a genius was a happy occasion, not something world-shaking. However, if this eight-year-old also showed that he could see through every conspiracy and understood the internal affairs of Konoha like the back of his hand, then he was no longer a genius—he was a monster. How could they let such a monster grow? By then, even the Third might be unable to hide his murderous intent, and his situation would become truly dire.

He had stepped onto the ninja stage and displayed his impressive side to gain attention, protection, access to resources others couldn't obtain, and a reputation that would suppress his generation. That was all.

Now was far from the time for him to step onto the political stage.

Therefore, for now, he would play the fool and know when to advance or retreat.

Seeing that Suifeng didn't dwell on the matter, the Third breathed a secret sigh of relief, laughing at himself for overthinking. He's just an eight-year-old child; what could he possibly understand? Still, the strength and potential displayed by this eight-year-old had indeed reached a point where he could not be ignored. He was still young and highly malleable, and having grown up in Konoha, perhaps there was still a chance to bring him into the fold!