"What?"
"Rasa is dead?"
Gasps echoed through the exam space. Every shinobi turned their head in disbelief, staring at the yellow answer board that had just revealed the shocking truth.
Someone whispered, "Where's Rasa?" Eyes swept across the viewing area—sure enough, the Fourth Kazekage of Sunagakure was nowhere to be seen.
"Wait a minute—what about Konoha's Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi?"
Heads turned sharply toward Konoha's section. Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Uchiha Itachi stood at the forefront, but the old Hokage was conspicuously absent.
"Could it be…"
The thought hit everyone at once like a silent explosion, rippling through the crowd as they all instinctively turned toward the Konoha section.
---
Sand Village's Unease
"Maki, explain. What happened?"
Chiyo's face was grim, her voice low and dangerous. It was rare to see her show emotion—rarer still to see rage flicker behind those old, battle-hardened eyes.
Maki hesitated. His eyes flicked toward Sasori—silent and statue-like—and then toward the distant Konoha delegation. His fists clenched, but he said nothing.
He didn't need to.
Chiyo caught every twitch of his expression and drew her conclusion.
"Hmph." Her cold snort was filled with restrained fury.
She looked to the system's question, which was still active. "Sand gets to answer next, right?"
"Y-Yes!" a shinobi responded, stiffly.
---
The Emotionless Realization
In Sunagakure's team, the three Genin—Kankuro, Temari, and Gaara—sat frozen.
"...He's dead?" Temari murmured. They waited for sorrow to rise, but instead found… something else.
Sadness? Yes, faintly.
But also… relief?
Surprise?
And in Gaara, perhaps even a strange peace.
The man who was supposed to be their father, their Kazekage, had fallen.
And they didn't miss him.
---
Suspicions of a Hidden Scheme
"That guy… Rasa is really dead?" Raikage Ai's eyes gleamed sharply. His mind had already begun parsing the implications.
Akatsuki's presence had drawn all the village leaders to a single battlefield. Every Kage had shown up—except two.
Rasa of the Sand.
And Sarutobi Hiruzen of the Leaf.
"Big Bro," Killer Bee chimed in, catching on. "That leaves only Sarutobi and Akatsuki behind, right?"
Ai nodded slowly. He didn't often credit Bee with strategic thought, but his brother's deduction was sharp this time. Bee might act like a fool, but his mind was anything but dull.
Why think when you're strong enough to punch the answers out?
But even Ai knew this wasn't a matter that fists could solve.
---
Onoki's Doubts
"It's Sarutobi Hiruzen…"
The moment the question formed, Onoki's sharp mind lit up with suspicion. Could the Third Hokage have orchestrated a grand ploy?
Draw all the Kage away with the Akatsuki as bait, and eliminate rivals while they were distracted?
It could make sense—if this were about Rasa.
But Hiruzen?
Old Monkey was many things, but treacherous wasn't one of them. Onoki respected him, even when they clashed.
"...No. He's a defender, not a conqueror."
Onoki stared at Konoha's forces—Sannin, Uchiha, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Nara, Hyuga… their strength was terrifying.
If Hiruzen had plotted all this, Konoha would have to be confident it could take on the world.
Could they?
He glanced sideways at Deidara.
"What's your guess?"
"Hmph, don't ask me," Deidara scoffed. "Even if I knew, I wouldn't say. Let these idiots drown in their confusion. Art is... a surprise."
---
The Purple Team's Turn
Nagato's voice cut through the silence.
"Team Purple, the countdown is almost over. Answer, or it passes to the white team."
Raikage Ai stepped forward, a rare glint of logic in his eyes.
"Akatsuki," he said clearly.
Nagato froze.
Just as he was about to confirm the answer, a giant red ❌ appeared, along with a small note:
[Answer too broad.]
"..."
Nagato's voice chilled.
"Why not say 'ninja world' while you're at it?"
"The answer is incorrect. White team, you now have answering rights."
---
The White Team Answers
As the white glow lit up, Terumi Mei stepped gracefully forward, her figure passing between Kisame and Zabuza like silk through mist.
She turned to them with a charming smile.
"You two… I'm answering with 'the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.' Objections?"
"..."
"...None."
Kisame and Zabuza both understood the unspoken offer. Mei wasn't just answering. She was recruiting.
Their return could restore Kirigakure's strength. As former S-rank rebels, they could be the new pillars of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
She filed away the thought. It wasn't time yet.
Not when the world was watching.
"Our answer," she said confidently, "is Konoha's Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
The exam's candidates are all from Konoha. Only he and Rasa have not appeared. They perished—together."
The smile she gave her teammates radiated charisma.
The crowd went wild.
"Shuiying-sama is gorgeous!"
"We'll always support her!"
"She's so strong and graceful!"
---
Naruto's Rage
In the red team's section, Naruto Uzumaki's eyes darted around.
"So this is the exam space?" he whispered.
It felt different from the previous broadcasts—more immersive. More… real.
He realized, slowly, that the whole shinobi world could see him.
If I do well here… will they acknowledge me?
His heart swelled at the thought.
Until—
"—Sarutobi is dead."
"—He set them up."
"—He's a traitor!"
Voices in the space accused the man Naruto trusted most. The only adult who showed him kindness growing up.
The man who gave him milk and ramen so he wouldn't starve alone in that empty apartment.
"LIES!!"
Naruto jumped up, fury on his face, and pointed straight at the white team.
"You're lying! The Third Hokage would never do that!"
He glared at them, fists clenched.
"He's not dead. He's not a traitor. He was my… my only family!"