Uchiha Fenghuo looked down at the bloodied corpses scattered along the mountain trail.
It was his first time taking a life. Yet strangely, he felt nothing—no fear, no revulsion. A year of training under Maito Dai had hardened his body and spirit far beyond the average Academy graduate. His psychological fortitude already rivaled that of a seasoned shinobi.
But the trouble... was that Root operative.
Even if it was a battle of "kill or be killed," dealing with Root meant stepping into the underbelly of Konoha's darkness. There would be consequences. Danzo Shimura did not forgive.
Fenghuo descended the mountain road and returned to the small border town. He met with the mayor and informed him, bluntly, that the mountain bandits had been eliminated. The bodies were strewn across the slopes and needed removal. Then, he asked the mayor to issue a mission completion certificate, per standard protocol.
The mayor, startled but relieved, quickly nodded and dispatched a group of townsfolk to verify the scene. Then he hesitated, glancing toward a familiar figure among the townspeople.
"What about Goatee?" he asked. "He hasn't returned since the attack."
Fenghuo narrowed his eyes. "That guy? He's one of them. The bandits."
He raised his voice so the others could hear. "Think about it. Every time your caravans were ambushed, wasn't he always the one who mysteriously made it out unharmed?"
The townspeople exchanged uneasy looks. Now that he mentioned it… that was suspicious.
Driven by suspicion and sudden fury, several of them stormed into Goatee's house. After a brief search, they unearthed a hoard of cash hidden beneath the floorboards—far more than any honest trader in mountain herbs could earn. The richest man in town nearly choked on his own drool.
"Traitor!"
"He's been selling us out to the bandits!"
Outrage boiled over. The villagers began tearing apart Goatee's home—ostensibly to search for more evidence, but mostly to loot.
"I saw this table first!"
"Bastard, that iron pot is mine!"
"This tatami mat's going in my house, and nobody's taking it!"
The mayor looked deeply embarrassed. "Er… Mr. Shinobi, please forgive them…"
Fenghuo, face tight with irritation, held up two fingers and rubbed them together expectantly. A universal sign.
The mayor, a simple man who had never traveled far beyond the Fire Country border, looked confused.
He didn't understand what Fenghuo was implying.
Fenghuo's expression darkened.
Eventually, the crowd finished "redistributing" Goatee's possessions and dispersed. Right then, the team sent to verify the scene of the battle returned—ashen-faced and shaken.
"Mayor," one of them stammered. "The bandits are all dead. There's blood everywhere…"
"Some of the bodies… they were burned beyond recognition."
Fenghuo clicked his tongue. "Enough! Just write the damn certificate!"
Clearly irritated, he had failed to solicit a proper bribe for the first time.
The mayor hurriedly scribbled the mission completion form, affixed the town's seal, and bowed low. "Master Ninja, thank you. We owe you a great debt."
"There is one way to repay me…"
Fenghuo's fingers rubbed together again.
Still clueless, the mayor stretched out two fingers, perhaps thinking it was a strange Leaf greeting. Fenghuo nearly exploded on the spot.
After departing the town in frustration, he traveled through the night, crossing ridges and valleys under the stars. By dawn, he arrived at the gates of Konohagakure.
Today was the final day to register for the Chūnin Exams.
He passed through the village gates, showed his ID to the gate guards, and made his way toward the Hokage Tower. All around him, the village was already stirring—shopkeepers setting up their stalls, children sweeping porches, smoke rising from chimneys.
After submitting the mission proof at the mission hall, his first C-rank mission was officially complete.
Now, the next step: register for the Chūnin Exams.
In the original records, teams of three genin were required to enter, often coordinated in advance by jonin instructors. Fenghuo headed to the Hokage's office.
He knocked.
"Enter," came the calm, aged voice of Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage.
"Fenghuo. You've returned," Sarutobi said with a smile, puffing gently on his pipe. "Mission completed?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Fenghuo bowed respectfully. "May I register for the Chūnin Exams?"
After killing a Root agent, Fenghuo knew Danzo would not let him walk away unpunished. His only chance of survival was gaining the Hokage's protection.
"Of course." Hiruzen handed him a form. "Fill this out."
Fenghuo signed the document and passed it back.
"The exam begins tomorrow," Hiruzen said, his eyes briefly studying him. "Be at the Ninja Academy by eight o'clock sharp."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
Meanwhile, at the Foundation Headquarters beneath Konoha...
Danzo Shimura's eyes narrowed as he read the latest report.
"Uchiha Fenghuo… killed Yagui?"
His expression darkened. "Impossible. That child just graduated. In my plans, there were only two paths for him—submission… or death."
"And yet he returns unscathed."
A subordinate kneeled. "By the time I arrived, the townspeople had already cleaned the site. But Yagui's body remained. He was killed by a concentrated Fire Release—direct to the chest. The chakra signatures match Uchiha lineage."
"No other chakra traces?" Danzo asked coldly.
"Only one. Fenghuo was the sole Leaf ninja present."
Danzo's fingers clenched his cane.
"He eliminated a trained Root operative… barely a month after graduation? That brat's been hiding his strength."
He closed his eye. Darkness swelled in his mind.
"If he cannot be used… he must be eliminated."
That evening, at a barbecue restaurant near the main road...
Obito, Kai, Rin, and Kurenai all pooled their allowances to treat Fenghuo to a victory dinner, celebrating his survival and wishing him success in the Chūnin Exams.
Rin had even invited Kakashi, but the white-haired prodigy was undergoing special training under Hatake Sakumo, his father.
"Kakashi's already a genius," someone muttered. "And with the White Fang teaching him, he's bound to pass."
"If he does, he'll be the youngest Chūnin in history."
In the restaurant, the conversations swirled with excitement and tension. Everyone was talking about Kakashi Hatake—son of a legend, the pride of the Academy.
"Tch, everyone's always fawning over that Kakashi," Obito grumbled, crossing his arms.
Kai, chewing on a skewer, tensed. His thick eyebrows furrowed with burning intensity.
Kakashi… I swear I'll catch up to you!
Rin blushed faintly at Kakashi's name. Meanwhile, Yuhi Kurenai quietly watched Fenghuo. Despite the celebratory mood, he remained strangely silent, lost in thought.
She leaned in. "Are you okay?"
Fenghuo nodded absentmindedly. But inside, he was tense.
By now, Danzo surely knew about Yagui's death.
And if Danzo wanted revenge… the Chūnin Exam would be the perfect place to strike.
He was really on fire now.
Fenghuo tore into a grilled meat skewer, chewing with increasing fury.
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