War is a machine that devours people. Let's not talk about low- or mid-level ninjas; even the most powerful ones cannot always emerge completely unscathed.
Although his [Constitution] and his [Sharingan] have evolved for the fourth time, greatly increasing his strength, even keeping his Sharingan hidden, his current level can only be considered among the best of the ninja elite.
Despite his power being impressive compared to others his age, in the midst of war, he is still unable to guarantee his absolute safety.
…
Time passed in silence, and in the blink of an eye, more than a month had gone by.
Although the feat of Gen defeating a Jōnin caused a great stir in the village, as time passed and due to the handling of certain individuals, the matter gradually calmed down.
Of course, the impression left by this Uchiha was deeply engraved in the minds of many, and he was recognized as a super genius who even surpassed Kakashi Hatake, becoming Konoha's newest and brightest talent.
A month may seem like a short time, but it was enough for many things to happen.
For example, during his high-intensity training, Gen also completed numerous missions.
Although most were low-ranking missions, ranked D and C, some new B-rank missions were occasionally interspersed.
Of course, incidents like that of Baishi Ryunosuke were exceptions. Under normal conditions, B-rank missions generally involved confrontations against Chūnin-level ninjas.
In the several B-rank missions he undertook afterward, everything proceeded without major setbacks or significant difficulties.
At the same time, in the meeting room of the Hokage Mansion, a high-level gathering was taking place.
It was not a large assembly that included all the Jōnin but rather a smaller meeting in which only the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and his three advisors—Homura Mitokado, Koharu Utatane, and Danzo Shimura—participated.
"Regarding the invitation from the village of Kumogakure for our village to participate in the Chunin Exams, what do you think...?" Hiruzen swept his gaze over the three and spoke in a grave tone.
"It is evident that this is an attempt by Kumogakure to gauge our strength and even that of the other three great ninja villages," said Homura with a serious expression.
The Five Great Ninja Villages had the custom of organizing the Chunin Exams on a rotating basis, but in doing so, they only invited smaller villages, usually allies or neighbors. Preventing the other great villages from participating was not only a security measure but also a strategic issue, as the rivalries between them were too deep.
The last two ninja wars had revolved precisely around the conflicts between the Five Great Villages, so invitations among them for such events were rarely extended.
However, this time was different. Kumogakure had decided to break that unwritten rule, sending invitations not only to Konoha but also to the other three great villages.
The most striking thing was that they had not done so discreetly. On the contrary—their invitation was issued with great ostentation, as if they wanted to ensure that the whole world knew about it.
Because of this, even before officially receiving it, Hiruzen and his council were already aware of the situation thanks to their intelligence network.
"The global situation is obvious to everyone. All that's missing is a trigger for war to break out. Now that Kumogakure has made this move, who knows if they have some hidden plan," Koharu said in a grave voice.
Hiruzen and Homura nodded slightly. What Koharu was saying was not far-fetched. Given the current landscape, they had to act with extreme caution.
"You're being too cautious. It's not about whether Kumogakure dares or not, but even if they did, should we fear them? To me, war is inevitable. Instead of waiting for it to happen, we should take the initiative and launch a surprise attack inside their village," Danzo said in his usual uncompromising tone.
Hiruzen frowned and stared at him intently. "It's not a matter of fear, but we also cannot be the ones to start it. Danzo, your approach is too aggressive."
"Exactly. In the last two wars, even though we emerged victorious, the cost in lives and resources was enormous. The other villages watch us with suspicion. If we provoke a conflict, we could end up surrounded by enemies on all sides," Homura added seriously.
Danzo scoffed with disdain. "So, do you plan to reject the invitation? Don't forget, Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure have already accepted. If we are the only ones to refuse, our image will be weakened."
"Hmm... Danzo is not entirely wrong. We cannot give the impression of being weak, but we also cannot afford to unleash a war without reason. In any case, we must participate in this Chunin Exam," Koharu said, attempting to ease the tension.
Hiruzen did not want to prolong the discussion with Danzo, so after hearing Koharu, he nodded. "That's true, we cannot appear weak. Besides, this Chunin Exam is an opportunity to demonstrate the village's power.
It's likely that Kumogakure not only wants to measure our strength but also intends to use the exam as an opportunity to eliminate the promising new generation of ninjas from the other villages.
But this also gives us an advantage. If we manage to use the event to eliminate the most talented young ninjas of our rivals, Konoha's future will benefit."
"...Hiruzen is right. The new generation is the future of a village. If we manage to eliminate the most promising ones before they grow, the other villages will be at a great disadvantage.
Furthermore, Kumogakure's invitation specifies that participants must be Genin under fifteen years old, which already gives us a clue about their intentions.
Konoha is known as the cradle of geniuses—we have never lacked outstanding talents. Therefore, we can send our best young ninjas to participate in the exam and eliminate the new generation of the other villages," Homura said quickly.
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