"Kakashi." Sarutobi Hiruzen opened his eyes and looked at him intently. "What do you think we should do?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen was more interested in learning what his subordinates thought.
Kakashi hesitated only briefly before answering. "Lord Hokage, I think we should suspend the Chunin Ninja Exams and catch the culprit first."
Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't disappointed or surprised by this perfectly reasonable answer.
Perhaps he was getting old and had developed a taste for lecturing the younger generation.
Sarutobi Hiruzen said mildly, "Kakashi, that's a very good suggestion. It would protect the village and its people. But have you considered the bigger picture?"
Kakashi looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen, confused by his words.
The bigger picture? Wasn't his suggestion based on the bigger picture?
Sarutobi Hiruzen saw Kakashi's confusion and smiled smugly.
His tone took on a lecturing edge. "Kakashi, do you know why I said you haven't considered the real big picture?"
Kakashi was growing impatient with Sarutobi Hiruzen's teasing.
But he was in no position to argue, so he forced himself to say, "Please enlighten me, Lord Hokage."
Sarutobi Hiruzen first took a leisurely drag on his pipe, then exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. The smell of tobacco spread through the office.
He walked to the window and stood with his back to Kakashi, looking out over Konoha's bustling streets.
"If this were an internal Chunin Exam for Konoha, your suggestion would be perfectly reasonable. But the major shinobi villages are holding the exams together this time."
"Kakashi, you must understand: these Chunin Exams aren't just about selecting talent. They're also a contest between nations. The nobles at the Daimyo Palaces and the wealthy merchants of every country are watching us."
Sarutobi Hiruzen turned around, his tone taking on the practiced, rousing quality of a politician. "If we suspend the exams now just because we've found three bodies, what will the outside world think? They'll say Konoha can't even protect its own territory, that the leader of the Five Great Shinobi Villages was frightened by a mere attacker. We won't just lose mission requests; we'll lose the prestige Konoha has built up over decades."
Kakashi's brow furrowed. He looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen's face, blurred by the smoke, and spoke in a hoarse voice. "Lord Hokage, if it really is Orochimaru, those children taking the exams won't stand a chance. Even their instructors could be in danger. And the civilians who'll soon be watching the matches—"
"Sacrifice is an unavoidable part of this."
Sarutobi Hiruzen tapped his pipe, producing a series of dull knocks. "The Will of Fire teaches us to protect the young saplings. But if we damage the village's reputation by trying to shield them before the storm hits, that would be the real dereliction of duty. If Orochimaru really has returned, his most likely target is an old man like me. Until we confirm that he intends to launch a large-scale attack on civilians, we need to keep up appearances while tightening security behind the scenes."
"Besides, Orochimaru is only your personal guess. What if it was just an ordinary shinobi?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's words sent an inexplicable chill through Kakashi.
Sarutobi Hiruzen walked over to his desk, picked up a document, and stamped it with the seal of the Hokage Office.
"Anbu must completely suppress news of the bodies."
"The Chunin Exams will continue. But notify the Military Police Force—the Uchiha—and have them increase patrols, especially around the outskirts. If Orochimaru wants to play, we'll play along."
"If something goes wrong during the exams, it's an accident. If we cancel them ourselves, it's 'incompetence.' Kakashi, that's politics."
Kakashi swallowed and forced himself to nod, despite his discomfort.
"Understood, Lord Hokage. I'll pass it on."
With that, he turned and left.
Sarutobi Hiruzen could tell that Kakashi was unhappy, but he didn't take it to heart.
As long as Kakashi carried out his orders, that was all that mattered.
Sarutobi Hiruzen turned to the Anbu standing nearby. "Tell Kakashi he's to take leave early. You carry out my orders."
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
Kakashi had barely left when an Anbu caught up with him.
The Anbu spoke politely, but there was no room for argument in his tone. "Captain Kakashi, leave the rest to me."
Kakashi turned to look at him, his dead-fish eyes carrying a hint of pressure. "Is that Lord Hokage's order?"
The Anbu didn't answer directly. He simply said, "Captain Kakashi, please go home and rest."
Kakashi gave him a long look, then silently turned and walked away.
Seeing Kakashi yield, the Anbu finally let out a sigh of relief.
On his way home, Kakashi was stopped by an eccentric man in a tight green jumpsuit with a bowl-shaped haircut.
"Kakashi, let's have our fiftieth showdown!"
Kakashi looked at his friend, his dead-fish eyes full of helplessness.
He nodded, rolled up his sleeve, and stuck out his fist.
Might Guy looked serious, too.
Kakashi waved his arm. "Rock, paper—"
Before he could finish, Might Guy raised a hand to stop him.
"No, no, no! You'd definitely cheat with your Sharingan, Kakashi!"
Kakashi awkwardly lowered his hand and said with feigned resignation, "Then what do you want to do?"
Might Guy rested his chin on his hand. "How about a contest to see who can eat the most? Let's go to Ichiraku Ramen."
Relieved that this wasn't going to be one of their so-called sparring matches, Kakashi hurriedly said, "Sure, sure."
Meanwhile, the Anbu who had taken over Kakashi's duties had already found the few subordinates Kakashi had been working with.
He showed them the document and said, "You can go back to your assignments. Leave the rest to me."
The Anbu were more than happy to get rid of this hot potato.
They quickly nodded to show they had no objections.
After taking over, he went straight to the person in charge and said coolly, "This information must not get out. You all know the rules of Anbu."
He showed them the document.
The person in charge hurriedly nodded. "Understood, Anbu sir."
After he left, several Chunin gathered around and quietly discussed the matter. "Sir, has Anbu always been this overbearing?"
The Special Jōnin shrugged helplessly. "Can't be helped. Anbu is under the direct control of Lord Hokage. They represent his will."
One of the younger Chunin ventured to ask, "Sir, are we really giving up on something this dangerous?"
The Special Jōnin looked at the young Chunin and sighed helplessly.
He asked, "Did you just get promoted to Chunin? Have you never been in a war?"
The young Chunin hesitated, then nodded.
He asked, confused, "How did you know, senpai?"
Before you continue