Makoto Uchiha arrived at the top of Hokage Rock and looked down over the drastically changed Konoha, hesitating over whether to visit his clan first.
But the memory of his father's gruesome death, along with Madara Uchiha's promise, soon hardened his resolve to bring his father back to life.
To resurrect his father, he first needed to become the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki. Yes, Makoto had never intended to resurrect Madara Uchiha.
If becoming the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki would give him the power to revive the dead, why shouldn't he wield that power himself?
But to become the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, he first needed to gather the nine tailed beasts.
The most important of them was Konoha's Nine-Tails. However, with Chihane always staying in the village, obtaining the Nine-Tails was also the hardest part.
Now that Chihane had left Konoha, though, Makoto certainly wouldn't let this opportunity slip away.
Because Chihane's Observation Haki could detect White Zetsu, Konoha had always been off-limits to White Zetsu, leaving Makoto without any intelligence on the village.
His most urgent task was therefore to find someone who could tell him what was happening in Konoha.
Whoosh!
A sharp whistle cut through the air, and Makoto Uchiha vanished from Hokage Rock.
Kirigakure
The sun blazed overhead, yet its light could not penetrate the mist shrouding Kirigakure.
Once the Daimyo of the Five Great Nations and the four Kage from the Five Great Shinobi Villages had taken their seats, Karatachi Yagura officially announced the start of the exams.
Soon, a Mist Ninja Jonin stepped out from behind the candidates. After identifying himself as their examiner, he led them away from the training grounds.
As they walked, the candidates taking the Chunin Ninja Exams gathered into groups by village and followed closely behind the Mist Ninja examiner.
The candidates from