Build-up

1 Week Later...

In the dead of night, A tall figure in a black, hooded midriff cloak can be seen dashing through the back alleyways of Konoha, bobbing and weaving through the labyrinth like he had lived there his entire life, dodging the gazes of onlookers and patrolmen alike[1].

After following his path for roughly ten minutes, the figure eventually arrived at an inconspicuous building in the center of Konoha.

He slipped into it before descending into the basement, revealing something else entirely.

That's right, the building above is merely a cover for the structure below, the headquarters of Root.

The figure gracefully walked across the catwalk before pulling down his hood, revealing his pale white skin and long black hair[2].

Orochimaru faced his superior and gave an acknowledging nod towards him before reporting the success of his mission, going into details about outstanding matters discovered during said mission.

Danzo: "Excellent, well done Orochimaru"

Orochimaru: "My Reward?"

Danzo: "Yes, your reward, recently we had a skirmish with Iwagakure, you can take the surviving members of their platoon from the prison"

Orochimaru: "Excellent"

Danzo: "One more thing"

Orochimaru: "Yes?"

Danzo: "I hear that you have undertaken three new genin as a sensei"

Orochimaru: "Ah yes, truly, I never believed that they could provide so much...entertainment "

Danzo: "Oh?"

Danzo was quite surprised by this statement, as this praise is not one delivered lightly by Orochimaru of all people, who was known to be a once in a generation prodigy who was the direct student for the Third Hokage and future candidate for the Fourth.

Danzo: "Will I perhaps get to see this "entertainment""

Orochimaru: "Ah yes, the upcoming chunin exams..."

...

The Next Day

Mizuki groaned as he got out of bed to the sound of Anko screaming from the kitchen of his apartment.

Anko: "MIZUKI! I LET YOU SLEEP FOR FIFTEEN EXTRA MINUTES, GET YOUR ASS OUT OF BED"

Mizuki groaned as he covered his face with his pillow in an effort to block out the noise and light and get back to sleep.

Anko: "If you don't get up, I'm throwing out your portion for breakfast"

Mizuki instantly shot up and got ready, desperate to go as quickly as humanly possible. If there was one thing that could motivate him to get out of bed, it was food.

Mizuki sat down at the table just as Anko finished off breakfast for them both, bringing a pile of scrambled eggs and several strips of bacon.

Mizuki and Anko: Itadakimasu!

And just like that, the day continued like any other average day would.

That day, their team was assigned a simple D rank mission, a request which caused everybody on the team to decrease in their already low morale as they were forced to do a task that they thought was below them, especially when war was on the Horizon.

Idate had significantly changed over the course of the past months.

He now wore bandages that covered his entire body, minus his left eye and his hair, which had since grown long, like a maine. Overtop which he wore grey, baggy clothing.[4]

Despite the bandages covering his face, the outlines of an eerie grin could be seen as parts of the bandages around his lower face were stretched.

His gaze could still be seen through his eye though, one that at first glance appeared normal, if slightly awkward, although looking into any further would reveal all sorts of things.

Mizuki had the rest of the afternoon free after they completed the mission.

He had already completed that week's experiments with Orochimaru and it was not one of the days where he had his planned Fuinjutsu Training with Minato-Sensei.

Anko was in the same situation as she had also done her time in the lab earlier that week as well.

However, be it through fate or mere coincidence, it would appear that today would not be the day for them to have a day of rest either.

After Team Orochimaru had completed their mission, the Sensei surprised all three members by requesting a team meeting after they had gone to eat lunch.

An hour later, the team reconvened at the training field where they first underwent the genin test in order to become ninja.

After enjoying a meal at Ichiraku with Anko, Mizuki was in a relatively good mood, although weary as to what the meeting would entail.

Just like any other time where any member of the team ever met their sensei, he appeared precisely at the exact second before the meeting would commence, still being "early" although the margin was so narrow it could hardly be called such.

Orochimaru wore his classic sly, scheming smile as he addressed his students.

Orochimaru: "As you know, a war is coming up, and in order to win, Konoha is going to need more manpower than ever before."

Orochimaru: "As a result, this year's chunin exams will be slightly different compared to last."

Orochimaru: "Normally we give you a choice about if you want to take the test, this time around you have no such luxury. All eligible genin MUST take the test"

Orochimaru: "Additionally, the tests themselves will be more combat based, compared to normal chunin exams, after all, we are about to enter a war."

Seeing each of his students nod at him with understanding, Orochimaru couldn't help but allow his already sly grin to grow further.

Orochimaru: {Ah, so entertaining! I wonder what they will do next..}

Orochimaru: "The Chunin Exams will be starting next week, so until then, you are free to complete personal training"

Mizuki: {Shit, really?}

Orochimaru: "Oh, and one last thing"

Mizuki: "Yes Sensei?"

Orochimaru: "I expect you all to pass the test, do you understand?"

Mizuki, Anko and Idate: "Yes Sensei!"

.....

[1] Whilst it was never explicitly said in the anime, it makes sense that the Village would have people patrolling it during wartime.

[2] Orochimaru was both a member of the Anbu and a Sensei at this time as he was Anko's sensei and was also a member of root in Kabuto's origin story, which were in and around the time period of the Third Shinobi War, so it is not unreasonable to believe that he would be a member of the Anbu around this time.

[3] I changed things up a bit here. Danzo obviously knew about the experiments of Orochimaru because of his right arm, so I decided to take things a little bit further, it would not necessarily be totally out of character for Danzo either.

[4] Imagine a cross between this and Dosu with long,shaggy black hair https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/464644886535388871/?nic_v1=1a%2BcO7zEghleum%2FhJ2RddSEKSWqRluJ5RLRDHY9Fm%2BlPUOotBNMGBWbzwZOrA6Ab5i