Kazuki smiled and said, "You don't believe me."
Orochimaru stared at Kazuki. "Are you messing with me? Even the God of Shinobi, Senju Hashirama, was only called 'the legendary ninja'—and you're telling me it's Uchiha Madara?"
Without waiting for Kazuki to answer, Orochimaru shook his head. "Impossible. Absolutely impossible. Uchiha Madara died long ago at the hands of the First Hokage…"
But before he finished, Orochimaru recalled a piece of secret history that very few people knew.
After the battle at the Valley of the End, Hashirama had quietly taken Madara's body and sealed it away in a hidden underground chamber.
Yet when he returned later…
Madara's body was gone.
That was something Orochimaru had seen with his own eyes—recorded in the final materials left behind by the Senju.
Orochimaru swallowed hard and said, "No… it's been decades. The First and Second have been dead for years… and you're saying Madara is still alive?"
Orochimaru looked at Kazuki, thinking to himself: Who the hell is this guy? How does he know all of this?
He shouldn't be an undercover agent… should he?
At this time, although Orochimaru was already deep down the path of a rogue scientist, he still had Konoha in his heart. He hadn't reached the point of defecting yet.
"By the way," Orochimaru said, "I've got some information. You might find it interesting."
He pulled out a thick folder and handed it to Kazuki.
Kazuki flipped through a couple pages and his eyes lit up.
It contained evidence on the Shimura clan, along with the Mito and Aburame clans—core families tied into the same network—plus their "future successors," including figures like Shimura Mato and Mito Ryōsuke.
For years, they had been stealing credit for other people's achievements, faking mission records, and using money to "pad" mission completion.
They advanced at an absurd speed—through stolen merit, falsified missions, and bought rankings—going from genin to jōnin in under five years.
Kazuki thought to himself: No wonder Konoha's jōnin quality is so uneven. People have been cheating their way up.
Jōnin represented power and status. Many shinobi from ordinary families weren't weak at all—but their missions were hijacked, their accomplishments stolen.
Entire squad achievements were being monopolized by these clan members.
Even graduation tests and the shinobi exams were riddled with it.
The pass rate for first-time examinees from the Shimura, Mito, and Aburame clans stayed above 90% year-round.
Meanwhile, shinobi from ordinary families had a pass rate of about 40%, and it often took them one to three years after graduation just to become official ninja.
But the Shimura, Mito, and Aburame clans routinely passed in their very first monthly assessment.
It wasn't like nobody complained. It just never caused a real uproar.
In the end, the clans stepped in and smoothed everything over with money.
And now, laid out in this thick folder, were the receipts—data, records, and proof.
Kazuki let out a slow breath. This is the definition of a bonus.
Orochimaru hadn't just helped him keep tabs on Danzo—he'd handed him a gift big enough to shake the entire village.
If this evidence of stolen merit went public, it would explode across Konoha.
Konoha was a ninja village. Every shinobi dreamed of climbing higher while they were young.
Genin to chūnin to jōnin—C-rank, B-rank, A-rank, S-rank missions. That was their pride, their livelihood, and their future once they retired.
And now it turned out three major clans had been sabotaging the entire promotion system.
This evidence was enough to nail the Shimura, Mito, and Aburame clans to the wall and leave them on Konoha's permanent Hall of Shame.
...
The next morning, the Ninja Academy.
Obito pointed at Kazuki, clearly annoyed. "Kazuki-sensei, don't tell me you're a shadow clone again?"
Kazuki's shadow clone blinked and said, puzzled, "How'd you figure that out?"
Obito shouted, "Sensei, you don't respect us at all!"
Rin pursed her lips too.
Kakashi didn't say much. He understood that top-tier shinobi were always busy. The stronger you were, the more missions you got. His father had come home for half a day once and then left again immediately.
At least Kazuki left a shadow clone behind.
If the clone hadn't suddenly disappeared yesterday, they wouldn't have even noticed.
"What's wrong with a shadow clone?" Kazuki said. "Did it eat your lunch?"
He flicked Obito on the forehead.
"If the real you doesn't show up, I'm not going to class!"
Rin nodded along.
Kazuki's shadow clone sighed and grabbed Obito by the collar.
"Skip class? With skills like yours? You've got the nerve to run your mouth? Beat me, and I'll call the original to come teach."
Obito dangled in midair, kicking wildly. "Then I, Uchiha Obito, swear right here—I'll defeat you!"
One hour later…
Obito was planted in the ground with only his head sticking out, looking completely defeated.
Kazuki crouched down, looking down at him. "Didn't you say you were going to beat me?"
At that moment, a kunai flew in.
"Hmph!"
Kazuki smiled slightly and used Body Flicker to evade Rin's attack.
Kakashi had already predicted where Kazuki would reappear.
His right hand crackled with lightning.
Lightning Blade—Chidori!
Since it was only a shadow clone, Kakashi didn't hesitate for even a second.
Obito watched Kakashi charge in and grinned.
But in the next instant, Obito's smile froze.
Kakashi's Chidori passed through Kazuki—
Because it wasn't Kazuki.
It was an afterimage left by sheer speed.
At the same time, Kazuki appeared behind Kakashi and grabbed him.
Kakashi reacted instantly, his lightning-wrapped hand snapping back for a counterthrust.
Bang!
Kazuki's shadow clone dispersed.
Team 7 lit up immediately.
Rin's eyes sparkled as she looked at Kakashi. "Kakashi… you're amazing!"
Obito pouted, jealous and annoyed. "What—Rin, I'm the one who sacrificed myself to draw Sensei's attention!"
Kakashi lay there smiling, though no one could see it under his mask.
Suddenly, a hand shot up from the ground.
"Ah!"
Rin yelped—Kakashi had been yanked underground too, leaving only his head showing beside Obito's.
Kazuki's shadow clone emerged, smiling.
"Kazuki-sensei, that's cheating!"
"How is that cheating?" Kazuki said. "You didn't look carefully. That was a substitution just now."
"Ah! I don't accept that!"
Kazuki's shadow clone smiled. "You can complain all you want, but you've improved a lot. Honestly, even a chūnin—or most jōnin—still couldn't touch me."
"Of course," he added, "I'm only using one hand. I'm not even leaning on Earth Release, and you still couldn't land a hit."
After that, Kazuki pulled the two of them out of the ground.
Kakashi said, irritated, "Sensei, what you used just now was Earth Release."
...
Kazuki was genuinely satisfied with how unhappy Team 7 was with his shadow clone.
That frustration was fuel.
And in just a few days, their improvement was obvious.
...
In the Hokage's new office, Hiruzen frowned at the three people in front of him: Danzo, Mito Homura, and the head of the Aburame clan, Aburame Kōmei.
"Hiruzen, what are you going to do about Kazuki?"
"Just look at what happened with the Hidden Mist mission—Kazuki is clearly provoking hatred toward Konoha! Does he want to shatter the hard-won peace and drag the ninja world back into war?"
"And Elder Koharu's death has always been suspicious."
Danzo's gaze was sharp as he stared at Hiruzen.
Hiruzen took a slow drag from his pipe and said, "I know what I'm doing. You three can leave."
Danzo coughed coldly. "Hiruzen, I haven't even mentioned my side yet. Kazuki killed Mito Ryōsuke last night. That's murder."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Homura added. "Not only is Koharu's death strange, but Aburame Shintō was crippled by Kazuki yesterday and is still in the hospital! Tsunade-hime says his legs are gone!"
Homura and Kōmei complained one after another.
Hiruzen looked at the three of them coldly. "Enough. I was present yesterday. In truth, it was the Hidden Mist mission that caused the incident, and Mito Ryōsuke and Aburame Shintō… died for Konoha."
Danzo, Homura, and Kōmei's eyes widened. They immediately understood what Hiruzen was doing—protecting Kazuki.
Hiruzen continued, "Maybe you don't know the results of yesterday's negotiations. But it was precisely because of Ryōsuke and Shintō's 'sacrifice'—and the others—that Kazuki led the negotiations and secured a final agreement."
"Konoha got what it deserved."
Hiruzen sighed inwardly. Kazuki makes the mess, and I'm the one who has to clean it up… being Hokage is exhausting.
Homura and Kōmei's faces were ugly.
But "dying for Konoha" was the Will of Fire, wasn't it?
They had nothing they could openly argue with.
Danzo said in a low voice, "Hiruzen, I hope you think carefully. Is Kazuki really worth turning the clans against us?"
Just then, the wooden door slammed.
"Come in."
Kazuki pushed the door open and entered with Uzumaki Mito, and Hiruzen's eyelids immediately twitched with a bad feeling.
Danzo, Homura, and Kōmei all turned hostile the moment they saw Kazuki.
Kazuki paused briefly, then smiled.
"Mito-sama, Kazuki-kun," Hiruzen said evenly, thinking, Please, don't start another fire in my office.
Kazuki glanced at Danzo but said nothing.
Hiruzen's tone deepened. "Danzo, Homura, Kōmei—you three leave first. I will give you a satisfactory answer. There's no need to worry."
"So, Hokage-sama, we'll take our leave."
Danzo sneered at Kazuki, flicked his sleeve, and walked out.
"Hokage-sama, we'll take our leave."
Homura and Kōmei followed, ignoring Kazuki and Mito completely.
From that day onward, the three major clans had effectively torn off the mask with Uzumaki Mito.
Outside the Hokage Building, Homura said grimly, "Danzo… are we really going to wait for the joint Chūnin Exam?"
Danzo sneered. "Joint Chūnin Exam? They think we'll wait? I'm done waiting. We're just waiting for the Cloud delegation to arrive—once they're here, Konoha's guard will be focused on them."
Homura blinked. "The Hidden Cloud is sending an embassy too?"
Danzo chuckled. "Heh. The Eight-Tails and the Amber Purifying Pot are in Konoha. Kumogakure won't swallow that. They'll be here soon. And when they come… that's when we move."
"Can we really pull it off?"
Danzo said flatly, "Homura, you're a jinchūriki. And besides… we have people behind us."
...
Hokage's Office.
Hiruzen pinched the bridge of his nose and said, irritated, "Mito-sama, Kazuki-kun—what is it?"
Kazuki handed over a copy of Orochimaru's file, along with additional records pulled from the administration department.
"Hokage-sama, please look. This is evidence that the Shimura clan, the Mito clan, and the Aburame clan have been cheating in the Academy exams and the shinobi promotion process."
Hiruzen froze, then opened the file.
A moment later…
His expression grew darker and darker.
"This is outrageous!"
His shoulders shook as anger rose. He knew there were games being played in the selection system, but he hadn't realized it was this bad.
Stolen merit. Replaced missions. Bought and sold mission records.
"Who gave them the nerve to think they could do whatever they want?!"
Hiruzen slammed his palm on the desk.
Just minutes ago he'd been thinking about how to placate the clans.
Now he felt there was no need.
If this got out, the reputations of the three major clans, built over generations, would be obliterated overnight.
They had brought this on themselves.
Uzumaki Mito looked at Hiruzen coldly. "Sarutobi… these are documented facts. So how much happened in the past that never came to light? Who takes responsibility for that?"
"Who had the audacity to let this go on?"
"If this continues, will Konoha still be Konoha?"
"Hiruzen… how do you plan to handle it?"
Under Mito's gaze, Hiruzen's body stiffened.
He looked at Kazuki and said in a low voice, "With Sakumo Hatake gone, Kazuki, you are fully responsible for this. Anyone who obstructs you—kill them. No exceptions."
He pulled out a token representing the highest authority of ANBU.
Kazuki stepped out of the Hokage's office, and ANBU immediately went into full operational mode.
Minato Namikaze was still at the Academy—but he left behind only a shadow clone as his real body departed.
At the same time, the Senju and Uzumaki clans, long hidden within Konoha—members who had changed names and blended into the village—quietly surfaced.
Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru, along with their respective teams, also moved into position near Shimura, Mito, and Aburame territory.
Even Danzo and Homura, who had only just returned to their clan grounds, felt something was off.
"What the hell is Hiruzen planning?!"
"Is he really trying to force us to defect?!"
"What the hell does the Hokage mean by this?!"
All three clans assumed this was Hiruzen's work.
But in reality, with Uzumaki Mito and the Senju backing him—and with the ANBU supreme token in his hand—Kazuki's authority at that moment was already close to that of the Hokage himself.
This day was destined to be anything but peaceful.