Hiruzen Sarutobi's Shock

"What do you mean, this is your hunting ground?"

"Exactly what it sounds like."

Kazan spoke lightly, as though it were the most ordinary thing in the world.

"I eat a lot. One bowl of ramen fills most people up, but I can eat dozens."

"So?"

"So I started hunting in this forest when I was little, just to fill my stomach."

Are you insane?!

This is the Forest of Death!

Tsume Inuzuka nearly lost her mind. When she was little, her parents had warned her never to set foot in this forbidden place.

More than ten years had passed, and it was only because of the Chunin Ninja Exams that she had finally entered the forest.

But this kid...

He had hunted here since childhood. No wonder he had seemed so at home the moment he entered the Forest of Death.

"Then this tiger..."

"You mean Hakimi? His mother died not long after he was born. Luckily, he was smart enough to hide near the edge of the forest. That's where I found him. That's about it."

Like hell that's all!

Who goes hunting in the Forest of Death as a little kid because he can't get enough to eat—and happens to find a beast this clever?

Are you the hero of a novel?

Still, she was so jealous.

Tsume Inuzuka found herself liking Kuromaru a little less.

Wouldn't it be incredible to ride Kazan's tiger around Konoha?

"We're here!"

Shibi Aburame, who had barely made his presence felt, finally found a chance to speak.

Most of his clan were quiet and reserved.

Of course, they had not always been that way.

Shibi Aburame had been quite cheerful when he was young, until the day he tried to show his classmates his adorable insects and sent every last one of them scrambling home in terror.

After that, Shibi Aburame rarely spoke unless he had to.

Poor, helpless, practically invisible.

"Head back to Back Mountain for now. It isn't safe here."

"Roar!"

"Be good. I'll make you barbecue when I get back."

Kazan patted Hakimi and told him to head back first and stay out of the Forest of Death for the time being.

"You won't run into shinobi from the other villages if you go that way."

"Rrrow..."

Hakimi reluctantly licked Kazan's face, then leaped into the forest and vanished.

"We should go too."

The three entered the Central Building and handed the Heaven Scroll and Earth Scroll they had collected to the person in charge.

"Everything checks out. Congratulations, you've passed the second round."

"Get some rest. The Forest of Death round won't end for another four days or so."

They were the next generation of the proctor's own village, after all. The proctor treated them warmly and even prepared a room and food for them.

Sitting around for more than four days would have been a waste.

Poof!

Poof!

Poof!

Kazan created more than a dozen Shadow Clones and sent them back to Back Mountain to train.

Then he took out a Sealing Scroll. Once he released its seal, he retrieved the Weighted Training Gear he had asked Hiruzen Sarutobi to prepare for him.

There were pieces for both arms and legs, along with a full suit of Weighted Armor.

"What's that?"

Curious, Tsume Inuzuka walked over and picked up a piece. The moment she did, she knew something was off.

"This is... training weight?"

Why is it so heavy?!

"Kazan, do you usually train wearing this?"

"I only started recently. I didn't wear these weights before."

Like I'd believe that!

Tsume Inuzuka's mouth twitched as she watched Kazan move briskly despite all the weight he wore.

Even the lightest piece had to weigh at least a hundred kilograms, and the heaviest might weigh five hundred.

Her estimate was accurate. Kazan's lightest weight was indeed a hundred kilograms, while the Weighted Armor weighed more than five hundred.

The gear had been made to the specifications of the weights Rock Lee wore during the Chunin Ninja Exams. Kazan simply wore more of it than Rock Lee had; his body was stronger, too.

Once he was ready, Kazan began his daily training.

Shibi Aburame said nothing. This time, he was too stunned to find the words.

He stared blankly as Kazan threw punches, did push-ups and sit-ups, and ran sprints back and forth...

Meanwhile.

Inside the Hokage Building.

"Has the daimyo arrived?"

"Not yet. At his current pace, he'll need another five days to reach Konoha."

"Has the journey gone smoothly?"

"Yes. A band of mountain bandits attacked along the way, but the ANBU Ninja dealt with them easily."

"Good."

Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.

These Chunin Ninja Exams were unusually important.

He had invited the daimyo in person because he wanted to speak with him directly.

Konoha had to persuade the daimyo to allocate funds from the Land of Fire in preparation for the coming war.

There was something else, too.

"What about the people from the other villages?"

"They've all arrived, but most villages sent only representatives. Their Kage didn't come in person."

"That's fine. As long as they can speak for their villages."

Everyone was in place. Next, Konoha had to demonstrate its strength before negotiating alliances with them.

"And the Chunin Ninja Exams?"

"They're in the second round. Word from the Forest of Death is that Lord Kazan's team has already passed."

The ANBU now addressed Kazan as "Lord Kazan."

His standing had changed.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had not made an announcement, but he had not denied it either.

By now, everyone in Konoha knew that Kazan had become Hiruzen Sarutobi's fourth disciple.

Given time to grow, Kazan would surely become one of Konoha's leading figures.

"I see."

Hiruzen Sarutobi dismissed the ANBU Ninja, then channeled Chakra into his Crystal Ball and used the Telescope Technique to spy on Kazan.

In the image, Kazan was throwing punches in the rest room.

"He looks well. Full of energy."

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled with satisfaction.

With talent like that and the diligence to match, Konoha was bound to gain another top-tier fighter on par with the Sannin someday.

Just then, another ANBU Ninja appeared before Hiruzen Sarutobi with a whoosh.

"Lord Hokage!"

He knelt on one knee. His mask hid his expression, but his voice was grave.

"What happened?"

"We received reliable intelligence and confirmed it through investigation. One of the Genin taking these Chunin Ninja Exams is Kumogakure's Two-Tails Jinchūriki!"

A Jinchūriki?!

Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils contracted.

Of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Kumogakure was the most domineering and hard-line. None of the others came close.

Ever since it acquired Tailed Beasts, it had researched ways to turn them into a regular fighting force.

That research had cost Kumogakure many lives. Yet its fanatics had never given up.

At last.

This generation of Jinchūriki had produced a prodigy: the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Killer B.

Aside from Madara Uchiha, he was only the second person in history to gain perfect control over a Tailed Beast.

And now Kumogakure had sent the Two-Tails into the Chunin Ninja Exams.

"In other words, Kumogakure has completely mastered the means to control Tailed Beasts!"