The examiners regained their composure, though their hands trembled ever so slightly as they shuffled their clipboards.
One coughed quietly, his eyes darting between the Snow Hidden Village team and the Sand siblings, weighing the likelihood of a full-blown battle breaking out right here and now.
But nothing happened.
After that, neither team spoke again. The Sand team joined them in the rest area, settling into silence.
--
At the same time, on the other side, inside the hotel where the Snow Hidden team was staying.
Knock… knock…
A soft knock sounded at the door.
Inside the room, Yugao frowned slightly and let out a quiet sigh.
The moment that person entered the hotel, she had already sensed who it was.
After a brief pause, she stood up and walked over, opening the door.
"Yugao…"
When the door opened and he saw that familiar yet distant face, Hayate Gekkō couldn't hide the emotion in his voice.
"…."
In contrast to Hayate's barely contained excitement, Yugao's expression remained calm. There was no visible reaction to his appearance.
"Is there something you need?" she asked, standing firmly in the doorway, neither stepping aside nor inviting him in.
"Yugao… I'm glad to see that you're still alive," Hayate said quickly, a hint of relief in his eyes.
"Are you… doing well? After all these years?"
When she still didn't invite him inside, a trace of sadness flickered across his face, mixed with confusion. Still, he pushed it aside.
It's been so long, he thought. Of course she'd be guarded. That's fine.
"Yes," Yugao replied flatly. "Quite well, actually."
Her answer was noticeably restrained compared to his concern.
"Then… why did you disappear from the village back then?" Hayate continued. "And why are you a shinobi of Snow Hidden Village now?"
"I was taken out of Konoha," Yugao said lightly. "From there, I went to the Land of Water, and eventually to the Land of Snow. That's all."
"Taken?" Hayate's eyes widened. "Who took you away?!"
The moment the words left his mouth, he had unknowingly stepped on a landmine.
Yugao's gaze darkened, a trace of displeasure surfacing.
"Are you interrogating me?"
"No—! I just meant—" Hayate faltered, coughing lightly as he tried to recover. "I didn't mean it like that."
He hadn't expected such a sharp reaction.
Yugao immediately understood what he was trying to say. Her expression remained impassive as she spoke:
"You want me to return to Konoha, don't you?"
"…Yes," Hayate nodded.
"The Hokage-sama is willing to negotiate with Snow Hidden Village, and then—"
Before he could finish, Yugao narrowed her eyes. A cold glint flashed through them.
"When did I ever say that I wanted to return to Konoha?"
"…Huh?"
Hayate froze for a moment, stunned.
"Hayate Gekkō," Yugao said calmly but firmly, "to be clear—it's impossible for me to go back to Konoha."
"I don't know what you're trying to accomplish here," she continued, folding her arms across her chest, "but let me be direct. I have no intention of changing my position. So please, leave."
"Yugao—"
Anxiety crept onto Hayate's face as he tried to say something more.
But Yugao had no interest in continuing this conversation.
"I understand your concern," she said evenly. "As an acquaintance, it's natural to worry. But we're not children anymore."
Her eyes were steady as she looked at him.
"Don't pry into my life as if you still have that right."
"…."
After a brief pause, she added calmly:
"I need to rest now."
The meaning was clear—he was being dismissed.
"…Understood."
Hayate's expression wavered. In a daze, he turned around and quietly took his leave.
Inside the room, Yugao leaned against the window, watching his retreating figure without a trace of emotion.
"…To think he still harbors those feelings."
Her lips curled slightly.
"Disgusting."
If Hayate could have seen her expression at that moment, he would have been genuinely shaken.
The thought of it made Yugao feel faintly nauseous. She had endured enough already—yet he still dared to appear before her, overstepping again and again.
In her heart, there was only one truth.
She would not allow anyone to look at her that way anymore...
No one but her master.
--
At the same time, outside the Forest of Death
As the chief examiner of the second stage, Mitarashi Anko's expression changed drastically after examining the bodies of three Grass Village shinobi.
Their faces… were gone.
"Report this to Hokage-sama immediately," Anko ordered sharply, her voice tight with urgency. "Apply at once for two ANBU squads to enter the Forest of Death."
She turned toward the examiners beside her, eyes burning.
"I'm going after that bastard myself. Do you understand?!"
"Yes!" the three examiners answered in unison.
Meanwhile, after leaving the hotel, Hayate Gekkō headed straight for the Hokage's office.
"I'm sorry, Hokage-sama," Hayate said, his voice heavy. "Yugao… refused."
His gaze lowered slightly.
"She's probably dealing with some kind of trouble…"
"Oh?" the Third Hokage replied calmly.
After listening to Hayate's report, Sarutobi asked, "You believe she's being threatened?"
"Yes," Hayate nodded without hesitation. "If that weren't the case, there's no reason she wouldn't return. Konoha is her home."
The Third Hokage frowned slightly, then asked in return:
"Hayate… have you ever thought about how old she was when she left the village?"
"…Ten years old," Hayate answered after a pause.
"That's right," Sarutobi said quietly. "At that age, setting aside what she may not remember, her actual memories of Konoha amount to only five or six years."
He tapped ash from his cigarette.
"And now, twelve years have passed since she left."
He looked at Hayate steadily.
"In her heart… is Konoha still her home?"
The words struck heavily.
Hayate froze in place, unable to respond.
Knock. Knock.
The sound of knocking broke the silence.
"Come in."
"Hokage-sama," an examiner reported as he entered, "something has happened in the Chūnin Exams."
"I see… Orochimaru," Sarutobi muttered after hearing Anko's report, drawing deeply from his pipe.
"He's gone as far as issuing a threat," the examiner continued. "He made it clear that interfering with the exams would only invite disaster."
"Hokage-sama, what should we do?"
Sarutobi's gaze hardened.
"There is no choice," he said firmly. "The Chūnin Exams will continue."
"Orochimaru would not act without purpose. Increase village alert levels immediately."
"Yes!"
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