Chapter 52: Oh No, But Even More Delightful
The meeting concluded after finalizing the specific details of the reformed Chunin Exams.
Afterward, Namikaze Minato wore a deeply troubled expression as he glanced at Uchiha Kazuki with complicated emotions, clearly wanting to say something but holding back.
Who could have imagined that such a gentle, kind-looking young man could devise such a terrifying examination format?
At the same time, Minato couldn't help but feel grateful that he was already a Jōnin.
Otherwise, if he'd fallen into this guy's hands during his own Chunin Exams, he might still be stuck as a Genin!
Sigh.
Namikaze Minato offered a sincere prayer for this year's examinees. "I really hope they don't suffer permanent psychological trauma from participating in this Chunin Exam."
As for Obito and Rin, all he could say was: may the Will of Fire watch over them.
The Hyūga clan representative glared fiercely at Uchiha Kazuki before leaving, then hurried back to his compound while muttering curses under his breath.
He was planning to warn his clansmen immediately—they absolutely must exercise extreme caution during this Chunin Exam!
If things looked bad, just forfeit. Better to fail than end up with lasting psychological scars.
"Heh, a very interesting concept." Orochimaru glanced at Kazuki with visible interest before departing. A hint of amusement colored his voice. "I'm impressed, Uchiha Kazuki. Your research into genjutsu is remarkably sophisticated. I have some questions about this field myself. We should discuss it sometime."
With that cryptic statement, he strode away without caring about the stares from others.
The two Hokage advisors also wore deeply unfriendly expressions, their faces practically gray. Whether they were more humiliated by their political defeat or furious about being stripped of power was unclear.
They left without even offering a farewell greeting.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Kazuki—the instigator of all this chaos—felt absolutely no guilt whatsoever. In fact, he was quite pleased with himself.
What was that saying again?
"Because I've been rained on, I tear up other people's umbrellas!"
Though honestly, even if he hadn't been rained on, that wouldn't stop him from tearing up umbrellas anyway.
"Whoa, another mission?"
Several lines of semi-transparent text suddenly materialized before Uchiha Kazuki's eyes.
[Side Quest: The Deepest Fear]
[Fear is humanity's most primal emotion. Please ensure the Genin participating in the Chunin Exams experience a deeply memorable and profound terror.]
[Reward: Witch's Ring]
Corresponding Sequence: Demoness Pathway Sequence 5 - Affliction Demoness
Appearance: A silver-black ring with an intricate design, inlaid with blood-red rubies.
Extraordinary Abilities: Significantly enhances the wearer's natural charm and grants certain witch-like characteristics. The wearer can also create mystical viruses and bacteria, spreading devastating plague diseases. The first ten minutes of use carry minimal side effects, but as the contagion spreads in range and duration, the negative effects accelerate exponentially.
Negative Effects: Prolonged wearing will subtly corrupt the user, gradually transforming them into an Extraordinary being of the Demoness Pathway.
"..."
This left Uchiha Kazuki momentarily speechless.
The quest reward wasn't necessarily bad, but it was certainly... problematic.
The side effects of this thing clearly outweighed its practical utility!
However, everything had two sides to consider.
Although the negative effects were substantial, it wasn't entirely without value.
After a moment's contemplation, Uchiha Kazuki quickly formulated a plan, and a meaningful smile appeared on his face.
Oh no... but this actually seems even more delightful.
Meanwhile, at the Hokage Building...
Nara Shikaku and Yamanaka Inoichi, who were about to leave, were stopped by Sarutobi Hiruzen at the doorway.
"Shikaku, Inoichi—wait a moment, both of you."
After the others had departed, Sarutobi Hiruzen coughed twice and gave the ANBU guard a meaningful look.
The masked shinobi immediately understood and closed the door, then stood guard faithfully outside to prevent anyone from approaching or eavesdropping on the conversation within.
"Shikaku, give me your honest assessment of Uchiha Kazuki."
Hiruzen Sarutobi settled into his seat and relit his pipe, a sharp glint flashing in his otherwise clouded eyes.
"An 'outsider' among the Uchiha clan—that's probably the most fitting description." Nara Shikaku pondered briefly, recalling various details from their earlier interactions. After a moment's consideration, he continued, "From my initial encounters with him, he presents as kind, polite, and genuinely gentle."
His assessment was objective, without any bias or prejudice stemming from the Uchiha name.
Based purely on the facts, Shikaku genuinely admired Uchiha Kazuki. The young man possessed a unique personal charm, and his gentle demeanor naturally drew people closer.
"Hmm."
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned slightly, clearly not entirely satisfied with this answer.
He took several contemplative puffs from his pipe, then shifted his gaze to Yamanaka Inoichi. "Inoichi, tell me your opinion of him."
Yamanaka Inoichi glanced at his friend Shikaku, a somewhat bitter expression crossing his face. What opinion was he supposed to have? But since the Hokage had directly asked, he could only steel himself and rack his brain for something meaningful to say.
"Hokage-sama, I don't have extensive personal contact with him on a daily basis, but... throughout Konoha, Uchiha Kazuki has built an excellent reputation."
Although this statement was partly meant to satisfy his superior, it wasn't entirely inaccurate either.
Thanks to his unique position as a psychological therapist, Uchiha Kazuki had cultivated a remarkably positive reputation among Konoha's ninja community. Moreover, his gentle and considerate temperament—completely lacking the typical Uchiha arrogance—coupled with a complete absence of scandals, made him quite popular even among the civilian population.
If you mentioned Uchiha Kazuki's name to anyone in the village, you'd be hard-pressed to hear a single negative word about him.
"I see. I understand."
Sarutobi Hiruzen pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling the beginnings of a headache.
Initially, he'd thought the same way—that Uchiha Kazuki possessed tremendous potential and was well-suited for careful cultivation and guidance.
If properly utilized and brought into the fold, he might become a valuable asset to the Hokage's faction, similar to the late Uchiha Kagami. He could simultaneously help pacify the increasingly restless Uchiha clan members.
However, Danzō's constant nagging had become unbearable recently. Hiruzen sometimes wondered if the name "Uchiha" had personally offended his old friend, given how obsessively fixated Danzō was on the clan. He relentlessly promoted his "Uchiha Threat Theory" at every opportunity.
The more Danzō nagged, the more paranoid Hiruzen himself became.
In particular, one sentence Danzō had mentioned kept echoing in his mind, prompting him to launch this secret investigation:
"Hiruzen, have you forgotten about the Uchiha clan's Mangekyō Sharingan?"
That single question had pulled Hiruzen Sarutobi's memories back several decades, to a figure deliberately obscured in Konoha's official history—
Uchiha Madara, one of the village's two founding fathers.
Although the Uchiha clan hadn't produced a Mangekyō Sharingan user in decades, he couldn't afford to be complacent.
A three-tomoe Sharingan might not be cause for serious concern, but an Uchiha who awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan was an entirely different matter. Who could predict what kind of chaos the already volatile Uchiha clan might unleash with such power?
As Hokage, it was his responsibility to eliminate any potential threats before they could fully develop.
"Shikaku, continue the investigation."
Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a long breath of stale smoke, his mind somewhat exhausted from days of handling political affairs. "But exercise extreme caution—do not let him notice he's under surveillance."
"Understood, Hokage-sama." Nara Shikaku bowed slightly, his expression serious.
As the two Ino-Shika-Chō representatives left the office, neither could shake the uneasy feeling that something significant was brewing beneath Konoha's peaceful surface.
[End of Chapter 52]
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