In June of Year 63, the influx of people and caravans into the village finally slowed down. The main dirt road running through the Konoha Forest had a chance to breathe, and now only those coming to commission missions traveled upon it, significantly reducing the burden.
With the reduced traffic, Konoha could allocate manpower to its maintenance and repairs.
By this time, nobles, wealthy merchants, commoners hoping to try their luck, ninjas or samurai on escort missions, and even families simply looking to experience this grand event had all gathered in Konoha for the joint Chunin Exam.
This also marked the peak workload for the Police Force.
With a massive influx of outsiders, the village needed to showcase its openness while also cracking down on those who refused to follow the rules, those who mistakenly believed that being "guests" would grant them leniency.
However, these individuals were not the main focus.
Ninjas from various villages were already en route, including three Kage.
Counting the Hokage, this would be a grand event held under the watchful eyes of four Kage. No one wanted to miss the opportunity to shine on such a stage.
Within Konoha, apart from the recently restructured Uzumaki clan, which remained relatively inactive, every other ninja clan was actively preparing for the event. Competition for nomination slots had already begun.
This time, Konoha had 93 slots available, and every family hoped their younger generation would prove themselves.
To finalize the selections, the Uchiha clan held another meeting, this time, only jonin were required to attend.
For Masashi, who was usually swamped with work in the ANBU, this rare break meant he could take his time with morning training, change into fresh clothes at home, and then head to the meeting instead of rushing to the office at dawn.
With only jonin present, the meeting proceeded efficiently. As usual, Fugaku announced the topic of discussion before allowing the attendees to propose candidates. The jonin briefly discussed among themselves before submitting a long list of names.
"This won't work," Fugaku sighed, rubbing his temples. Being a clan leader was already exhausting, and now his subordinates were making things more difficult by being so lax. "There are too many names. Even though the exact number of slots hasn't been finalized, it's still a fixed amount. Narrow it down and come to a consensus."
"I have a suggestion," Masashi spoke up. "Fugaku-sama, you should aim to secure six slots. Our clan should put forward two candidates of our own."
"Hmm, explain in detail."
"This exam is clearly different from previous ones. First of all, with more participants, the competition will be much fiercer. According to Konoha's usual practice, the second exam will be held in the Forest of Death. In earlier years, it was just one-on-one battles between two teams, but as the number of participants grew, it became an all-out battle royale. Just think, given the number of people this time, what will the casualty rate be?"
The jonin nodded in agreement.
In truth, they weren't overly attached to any specific candidates. They could push forward anyone, but the problem was that within the clan, almost everyone was related in some way. Even simple tasks like grocery shopping involved buying from a relative. No one could outright refuse a request, so they all had a list of people who had asked them for help.
This initial round of nominations was merely a formality.
Everyone understood that if a candidate wasn't exceptionally strong, they shouldn't participate.
The so-called joint Chunin Exam was Konoha's outward label; internally, it was known as the Chunin Selection Exam. Only the jonin truly understood that this exam was essentially a microcosm of the Great Ninja Wars, an important event to balance power among the ninja villages.
And naturally, people would die. Many, in fact.
Since this was about testing true ninja ability, only life-and-death battles could accurately reflect a candidate's skills.
"If we pick two candidates from our clan, how do we allocate the remaining four slots?" a jonin asked.
"Give them to the Hyūga," Masashi replied. "We all know how easy it is to fight alongside the Hyūga. As long as each team includes members from both clans, that will be enough. For the last two slots, we should nominate kids from the Uzumaki clan."
Shisui, standing nearby, immediately understood. This was exactly what he and Masashi had discussed earlier.
"The Uzumaki? Their sealing techniques are indeed impressive, but... you know that even among chunin, the only standout trait of the Uzumaki is their stamina."
"We can pick the best among them," Masashi said. "The Hokage's two kids would be perfect, wouldn't they?"
"I see. In that case, I have no objections."
The jonin, not being fools, quickly grasped the implication. At this point, he even had a clear idea of which six candidates Masashi was referring to.
And he had to admit, it was a solid plan.
Uchiha and Hyūga had excellent synergy; two members per team were sufficient, adding more would be redundant. Strengthening ties with the Uzumaki was also a good move.
After all, the Uzumaki clan was notoriously stubborn. These people weren't just hot-tempered, they were incredibly headstrong and inflexible. But if they formed an alliance, they would be unwaveringly loyal.
The newly reestablished Uzumaki clan currently had no allies. In the past, they had only ever allied with the Senju.
The Senju had been a dominant force during the Warring States period, capable of suppressing the Uchiha in part due to their own strength, but also thanks to the Uzumaki's unwavering support.
Many Uchiha elders still vividly remembered the sight of Uzumaki warriors swinging their massive chains in battle.
The Inuzuka and Aburame clans had their own distinct fighting styles, making it difficult for the Uchiha to form a truly strong alliance with them, unless an Uchiha became Hokage. Since that wasn't the case, further efforts in that direction would only lead to sunk costs. Instead, it made more sense to invest resources into strengthening ties with the Uzumaki.
"Alright, it looks like you've reached a consensus. Does anyone else have any other suggestions?"
The gathered jonin exchanged glances before one of them spoke up.
"No, just as Masashi said, this exam will have a high casualty rate, and something about the atmosphere feels off. If someone isn't strong enough, they're better off not participating."
"Then, what about the recommendations? Masashi is the instructor of Team 7, but a jonin can only recommend one team. Who else wants to be a recommender?"
"I'll do it," Shisui volunteered.
"Alright then. Which six candidates are you two recommending?" Fugaku asked.
Without hesitation, Masashi and Shisui listed the names.
"Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata, and Uzumaki Naruto."
"Uchiha Haku, Hyūga Neji, and Uzumaki Karin."
The Uchiha present weren't surprised by the selections.
Sasuke was undoubtedly the most talented child of his generation. Haku, though originally from outside the clan, had officially joined the Uchiha family. There were many historical precedents for this, so he wasn't seen as an outsider. Moreover, his abilities were widely acknowledged.
Both of these children were already prodigies at the chunin level.
As for Naruto and Karin, there was no need to say much. They were the children of the Hokage, so their strength was guaranteed.
Hinata and Neji were the children of Hiashi and Hizashi, respectively. While Hinata's strength was uncertain, Neji had been the standout among last year's newly promoted genin. And as everyone knew, Hyūga genin were essentially the strongest genin in the ninja world.
They were all solid choices.
"Alright then, that settles it. Meeting adjourned." Seeing that there were no objections, Fugaku dismissed the gathering, allowing everyone to go about their business.
He still had to secure those nomination slots. The decision had to be finalized today, the Chunin Exams were only a week away. Ninjas from other villages, especially those who were close by or had departed early, might even arrive by today.
Masashi and Shisui bid farewell to Fugaku and left together.
---
As they walked through the clan district, the sun now fully shining and radiating its warmth, the two chatted casually.
"Shisui, thanks for your help on this one."
"It's no trouble at all, Masashi-nii. This is nothing," Shisui replied. Then, after a brief moment of hesitation, he couldn't help but ask, "Do you think a war is coming?"
"Oh? What makes you say that?" Masashi was interested in hearing his thoughts.
After all, he wouldn't stay in the ANBU forever, and as the ANBU commander, he had the privilege of recommending his successor.
If the ANBU had performed better in the past, he wouldn't have even had the opportunity to take over.
When the time came, he definitely planned to recommend someone from the Uchiha clan. In his mind, there were really only two suitable candidates, Shisui or Itachi.
"This joint Chunin Exam is gathering multiple Kage. That's just too strange," Shisui said.
He figured that if there wasn't an issue that absolutely required the direct involvement of multiple Kage, there was no reason for them to gather just for a Chunin Exam.
Kage were always overwhelmed with responsibilities, they wouldn't leave their villages unless absolutely necessary. And on top of that, even the leaders of several smaller villages were attending.
He had heard about the leader of Ame, for example, a man so busy ruling the Land of Rain that he was rarely seen. When he did appear, it was usually to eliminate foreign ninjas who had infiltrated the country and whom ordinary Ame ninjas couldn't handle.
"Whether there's war or not, that's not up to us. If we can avoid it, great," Masashi replied. "But if trouble comes, we'll deal with it as it comes."
"Kumo is acting strange, too. They still haven't chosen a Fifth Raikage," Shisui brought up another concern. "It's been years, how do they still not have a suitable candidate?"
"Actually, ANBU did uncover some information about that," Masashi recalled a document he had read earlier. "Right now, there are three strong candidates for the position of Raikage. But since there can only be one, and the decision requires unanimous approval, it's probably a tough battle for dominance."
Among the three contenders, there was one name Masashi was familiar with, Darui. In the original timeline, he had become the Fifth Raikage.
According to intelligence reports, he had also trained in the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, though he preferred using ninjutsu to solve problems. On top of that, he could imitate the Storm Release.
However, Masashi knew that Darui had also inherited the Third Raikage's unique technique, Black Lightning. He was far from weak. Compared to the Fourth Raikage, who specialized in taijutsu, Darui was a more well-rounded fighter.
As for the other two candidates, the ANBU had been unable to gather any information on them. It had been a long time since Masashi had paid attention to Kumo, and before he knew it, they had produced two more talents.
No wonder, in the original timeline, Kumo had eventually surpassed Konoha.
But right now, Iwa was strong while Kumo was weak. Targeting Kumo further would only make Iwa stronger, which was not in Konoha's best interest. There was no way he was going to help Iwa develop at Konoha's expense.
Shaking his head, he suppressed the impulse.
After leaving the Uchiha district with Shisui, the two parted ways. Shisui had to report for duty at the jonin office, while Masashi had the day off.
He decided to take a walk around the northern district. That way, he could quickly respond to any summon.
There was no more time to delay. The recommended genin needed time to complete their registration, and the recommending jonin had to provide special training to keep them in top form.
As he walked through the northern district, he noticed that the streets were filled with people dressed in foreign attire.
Being the area closest to the Hokage Rock, the northern district was the preferred lodging spot for dignitaries from various nations visiting Konoha. However, since the northern district was mostly occupied by village administration offices, large hotels, inns, and quality guesthouses were concentrated in the southern district. This made real estate in the northern district incredibly expensive, only the wealthiest could afford to stay here.
If someone wasn't a powerful figure from a daimyō's court, they had no choice but to stay in the south. Those of even lower status could only settle for the western district.
During this time, Konoha's public transportation industry was also thriving. The area beneath the Hokage Rock was a favorite photo spot for foreign visitors.
If the timing were better, an ice and snow exhibition could have been held to rake in profits.
Passing by Konoha Hospital, he saw that it was packed with people.
With the most advanced medical technology on the continent, many wealthy visitors took the opportunity to undergo check-ups, whether they were sick or not. If they did have a rare condition, they would naturally seize the chance to get treated.
This meant a lot of extra work for the medical ninja, but they didn't mind. As long as the patients weren't Konoha residents, the generous red envelopes from foreign visitors were considered legal income.
Masashi thought this was a great system, it boosted the pride of Konoha's citizens.
Besides, medical treatment for Konoha villagers was dirt cheap due to government subsidies, one of the key policies pushed forward by the Uchiha after taking a leadership role in village affairs.
In his view, if Konoha was already profiting off the entire continent, not using that wealth to support its own people would be outright cruel.
If Danzō could use brute force and money to turn Root into a powerful organization, the Uchiha could just as easily use strength and wealth to carve their own path into the Hokage's office.
After strolling around near the Hokage Rock, Masashi made his way to the northern district's food street.
It was packed, with lines stretching out onto the roads.
Since he wasn't the type to wait in line for food, he gave up on dining in and instead headed to the tavern where he had once shared drinks with Jiraiya. This particular tavern was one of the few places that remained relatively quiet, it was reserved for Konoha's jonin.
Lifting the curtain at the entrance, he stepped inside and immediately spotted Jiraiya, happily drinking alone.
"Jiraiya, what are you doing here?"
That didn't seem right. Shouldn't he be at the bathhouse? And if not, wouldn't he usually be at one of the more popular bars where the women were?
He had returned to Konoha, yet he wasn't gathering "research material" but instead lounging around here?
"Oh, Masashi! Come, have a drink!" Jiraiya turned to him, revealing a bright red handprint on the side of his face.
…My apologies, Jiraiya. I misjudged you.
"What's this unique tattoo you've got? It's so faint yet so artistic." Masashi sat down beside him, grinning as he teased.
"Don't mock me," Jiraiya sighed. "Sigh… The women in this village are still as strong-willed as ever."
Are you sure it's not just because you're too bold? Usually, getting slapped like that only happened when you got too handsy on the first attempt.
"How did this happen?" Masashi took a sip of the drink the bartender had brought him. "Was there some misunderstanding? The ladies I know are all very shy and gentle."
Well… they were gentle, at least. Maybe not all that shy. But it was more fun to phrase it that way.
"Sigh, let's not talk about it," Jiraiya rubbed his face, and the red mark faded a little. "By the way, shouldn't you be out in the streets? What if you miss a summon?"
"I won't. I left a shadow clone out there."
"You really know how to make the most of your shadow clones," Jiraiya said proudly. "Me, on the other hand, I use mine to spy together with me. That way, I get double the inspiration!"
"… If you weren't so strong, you'd have been beaten to death by now."
Speaking of which, his love story with the Uzumaki girl had also started with a fateful encounter. It had been a beautiful day. She was bathing, he happened to pass by, and then she chased him for over a hundred miles while swinging her massive chains.
And thus, a wonderful romance began.
Of course, if her clan's elders hadn't dragged him over to apologize, he probably would have had to run for another thousand miles before reaching the flirting stage.
Masashi took another sip of his drink, and the faces of those Uzumaki clan members from the past resurfaced in his mind.
Why didn't he manage to save them back then… Hiruzen and the others targeting the Uchiha, it might have been too aggressive, but their position was understandable.
But failing to save Uzushio… Forget it, no point overthinking it.
"Hmm? What's wrong with you?" Jiraiya asked, puzzled. He was the one who should be feeling down, yet suddenly, Masashi seemed like he was drinking to drown his sorrows.
Could it be…
"I see!" Jiraiya's eyes widened like a tiger's, and before Masashi could react, he slapped him on the shoulder and boldly declared, "My friend! Let's go again! This time, we won't fail!"
In the tavern, all eyes turned toward them. Everyone here knew Jiraiya's preferences. They also thought they understood Masashi's, but now… perhaps their understanding wasn't as complete as they believed?
"I have no such interests." Masashi quickly clarified. "I was just thinking about my former comrades."
"Ah… I see. My apologies." Jiraiya immediately withdrew his hand. "This round's on me."
He could joke about many things, but when it came to remembering fallen comrades, he knew not to take it lightly.
"No, I'll cover it instead." Masashi finished his drink and set the cup down. "Iis it true that Tsunade will return to the village?"
"Well, actually, that's just my guess. But…" Jiraiya made a gesture representing money. "All the top gambling tycoons of the Land of Fire have gathered in the village. If you're into betting, there's no better place than here right now."
That obviously wasn't the whole truth. But Masashi chose to believe it.
"I see. As expected of Tsunade."
He chuckled, called over the bartender, and told him to put Jiraiya's tab on his bill. Then, he stood up. His shadow clone had already sent feedback, the summons had arrived.
Fugaku was acting quickly.
"Well then, Jiraiya, I'll take my leave. The summons has arrived."
"Alright, go ahead. You all have a tough time ahead of you."
Masashi nodded, then vanished from Jiraiya's sight using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Jiraiya took another sip of his drink, staring at the seat where Masashi had just been, remaining silent.
---
Meanwhile, Masashi appeared at the entrance of the Hokage Building.
The people on the street weren't surprised to see a ninja suddenly appear. After all, this had been happening nonstop for a while now.
Masashi walked straight into the briefing room.
This so-called briefing room was the designated war room where the Hokage assigned battle orders during wartime, and where the village's jonin received their deployments to the battlefield.
He arrived fairly early.
But even so, there were already about ten jonin present, including Shisui, who was on duty with the jonin corps.
"Masashi-nii." Shisui saw him and waved.
Masashi walked over. The Hokage's seat at the front was still empty.
After a while, more summoned jonin began arriving one after another, making the briefing room feel a bit cramped.
Given the total number of Konoha's jonin, this room alone couldn't possibly fit them all. The ones summoned this time were either elite members of the jonin corps or jonin instructors leading a team.
In total, there were about twenty or so.
The side door of the briefing room opened, and Minato entered first, leading Konoha's Five Elders inside.
Each of the five high-ranking officials took their seats, facing the gathered jonin.
"I won't waste words. The reason I called you all here is to announce an important matter," Minato said as he looked around the room. "Though judging by your expressions, I assume you've already guessed."
"Of course, Hokage-sama. We've been prepared for a while now," Kakashi spoke first. "Now that we're seeing ninja from other villages in the village, I assume you've already issued entry permits to them."
"That's correct. Ninjas from Kiri and Kumo have already entered the village, and Suna ninjas should be arriving soon as well," said Hiruzen. "Everyone will have a busy time ahead."
"Kumo? Didn't they refuse to participate?"
Not every clan had a clan leader acting as the Hokage Advisor, so some people were still behind on information.
"They originally did refuse," Hiruzen replied. "However, upon learning that the Mizukage, Tsuchikage, and Kazekage would be attending in person, they changed their minds and agreed to participate."
"Any more questions?" Minato waited for a moment. When no one else spoke, he continued, "Then I hereby officially announce that we will be holding the Chunin Exams in seven days."