Susanoo's towering figure loomed, nearly filling the entire arena. Its oppressive presence cast a shadow that silenced even the most restless whispers.
Shikamaru and the others had long since retreated to safety. The battle was far beyond the level of a Chunin Exam. Now, no one dared move—every gaze was fixed on the clash between Naruto and Sasuke. The true final showdown.
Who would win? That was all that mattered now.
Naruto had already displayed terrifying strength, but Sasuke… Sasuke had revealed a power far beyond their imagination. And more shocking than his abilities was the revelation of who he truly was.
Whispers spread among the spectators like wildfire.
"His eyes… that's the Mangekyo Sharingan!"
"He's… he's from the Uchiha clan?"
"Then why isn't he in the Land of the Gods with the others?"
Murmurs grew louder. Among them were those who knew fragments of the truth—stories of the night the Uchiha abandoned Konoha. Some called it a betrayal, others called it an exodus. But all agreed it had changed the shinobi world forever.
They recited the tales they'd heard: that Uchiha Itachi had betrayed his own clan, seeking to slaughter them all. That Fugaku, the clan's head, attempted to stop him, only to be struck down by his own son. That Mikoto, their mother, was slain by Kaede's own hand.
Other versions told of a conspiracy—of the Third Hokage and Danzo orchestrating the massacre, using Itachi as their tool to make the Uchiha turn on one another.
Yet the truth most people believed was that Kaede had stood alone against the world—protecting his clan from annihilation with his overwhelming power, and striking down the Hokage himself.
Some even whispered that Kaede was no mere shinobi, but the reincarnation of the Uchiha's first ancestor. Others spoke of him as a god in human form, the savior destined to lead the Uchiha to a new future.
But through all the tales, one thing remained certain: Itachi was remembered as a traitor. And Mikoto's death, falsely tied to Kaede, had become an accepted truth.
No one knew the real story—that Mikoto had fallen by Danzo's hand, sacrificed in his twisted plan to manipulate Sasuke. To him, Sasuke was a perfect pawn, the key to forcing Kaede into despair by turning his brother against him.
But Danzo had never understood. He had never grasped the true extent of Kaede's power.
And now, as Susanoo's burning sword raised high, the Chunin Exam itself was revealed for what it truly was: a trap.
Kaede's trap.
Every shinobi present—whether ally, enemy, or conspirator—was already caught in his web. This exam was nothing more than bait, cast into the waters to see who would stir.
A stone thrown into still waters, waiting to reveal the ripples.
(End of Chapter)
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