17 - Graduation Exam, Hyuga Clan Proctor
Shimura Danzo's words were merciless, leaving no room for negotiation.
Watching the Hyuga clan finally relent and depart, Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a breath of relief, though his heart grew cold.
"Danzo…"
"I have matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave," Danzo cut in, not giving Hiruzen a chance to speak.
His cane tapped the floor as he turned and left…
Hiruzen's expression shifted again and again, as if Danzo's cane weren't striking the ground but his weathered face!
In the end, he said nothing…
"Old friend…"
With a faint sigh, Hiruzen stood and turned to gaze out the window toward the Hokage Rock.
The First and his teacher, the Second, seemed to be watching him…
His old comrade had once again handed him a dilemma.
In front of the Hyuga clan, Danzo had openly seized the authority to suppress the Uchiha, while Hiruzen became the will behind the curtain.
The Hyuga had no choice but to swallow their anger and head to the battlefield—and they'd have to rush.
Because if they delayed the so-called "war effort," they'd be answerable to him, the Hokage…
Danzo's earlier words still echoed in his ears.
Sarutobi, you're too soft!
Taking another deep drag, Hiruzen's gaze grew heavy.
After a swirl of smoke, everything blurred beneath a white haze, unreadable…
This morning.
At the gates of Konoha's ninja academy, amid the stream of students filing in, three teenage figures stood out.
They were students too.
But unlike their peers…
They carried no backpacks.
"Don't be nervous, Obito," Kakashi Hatake said, glancing at Obito Uchiha, who was psyching himself up nearby. It sounded like friendly reassurance.
Obito blinked, caught off guard.
Still, the straightforward boy nodded.
"Thanks."
"No problem… The proctors for early graduation are usually Konoha chunin. You'll be out in five minutes anyway, so no need to stress."
"Just relax."
Kakashi leaned back, hands behind his head, delivering the most scathing jab in the most casual tone…
Obito's face darkened instantly.
Damn it, he'd let his guard down.
"Worry about yourself. With your half-baked sword skills, I could take you down with one hand," Obito shot back, quick as ever.
But Yuto Souta saw through it…
This time, Obito was genuinely nervous.
No surprise there.
Half a month ago, he'd been just another perennial class slacker.
Early graduation? He'd never even dreamed of it.
In the original story, after Kakashi graduated early due to his father's influence, Obito had stayed put, diligently attending classes.
That period—without Kakashi around—had cemented his desperate crush on Rin Nohara.
Yuto Souta didn't want to force his will on Obito, but he knew one truth…
Women only slowed his hand speed.
They'd make his seals sluggish, lowering his odds of surviving on the battlefield!
The exam venue prepared for the trio was an open area near the school's playground.
Their homeroom teacher, Kuroshu Nen, still wore a worried look.
Beside him stood three distinct figures—their proctors, presumably.
Yet all three boys' gazes locked onto one proctor in particular.
Those unmistakable milky-white pupils confirmed his identity!
A Hyuga!
"What are you standing around for?"
"You want to graduate, right? Think you can't improve at school anymore?"
"Come on, then!"
Kuroshu Nen glared at them, exasperated.
More precisely, at the Uchiha brothers…
He knew White Fang's son had the skill. Losing the class's top student to graduation tugged at his heart a bit.
But these two slackers…
Kuroshu Nen had already lumped them into the "just tagging along" category.
He could only hope this failure would make them see reality…
"Souta, what do we do?" Obito whispered.
He wasn't nervous anymore…
Having beaten the Hyuga twice in a row, and under Yuto Souta's lead inflicted irreversible damage, he'd gained a spark of confidence for the exam.
Just a spark… Most of it came from the name "Uchiha" pushing him past any thoughts of backing down.
"It's fine."
"Leave that Hyuga to me."
Yuto Souta's voice remained as calm as ever.
Thanks to Orochimaru, he knew more than Obito did.
So this was the Hyuga's move after appealing to the Hokage…
Swapping in a Hyuga chunin as their graduation proctor?
How petty.
At the same time.
In another corner of Konoha, two figures faced off, flanked by their respective guards.
"The investigation into Hizashi's attackers is ongoing. They're Uchiha—I need time," Shimura Danzo said, his tone less aggressive than the night before but still firm.
"One of those brats is already yours, but don't go too far."
Hyuga Nissei nodded.
"Rest assured, even the Hokage won't notice… But what about the other one?"
Hyuga Nissei pressed.
"The other will graduate and become a ninja."
"And once he's a ninja… just wait for the news at home."