Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, a full month had passed.
Raikage Building, Hidden Cloud Village.
The Fourth Raikage sat at his desk, frowning slightly as he glanced at the message from Konoha.
"Chunin Selection Exams? What kind of trick is Konoha trying to pull this time?" he muttered, clearly unimpressed.
Just then, a sharp chirp pierced the quiet of the office. Looking out the window, two eagles circled high above the village, their cries echoing across the sky.
Mabui, the Raikage's beautiful and highly efficient secretary, leapt out to intercept the birds and returned swiftly, carrying two sealed letters. With a nod from the Raikage, she handed them over.
The Fourth Raikage examined the letters carefully. His brow arched slightly. Hidden Cloud Village's spies in Iwagakure and Sunagakure had already reported back. Both nations had surprisingly agreed to Konoha's proposal: the Chunin Exams would be jointly hosted among the Five Great Shinobi Countries.
"An ordinary Chunin Exams… yet both the Cloud and Sand villages are unusually proactive," the Raikage muttered, spinning a dumbbell idly in his hand.
Tsuchida, standing nearby, spoke calmly, "The situation in Hidden Mist Village is still uncertain. However, with Konoha, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure all agreeing, our stance—along with Hidden Mist's—becomes almost irrelevant. The vote is effectively three to two."
The Raikage nodded thoughtfully. In recent years, although the Five Great Nations harbored secret rivalries, overt conflicts had been rare. Even if Kumogakure and Hidden Mist disagreed, Konoha's influence and the alliances forming a majority meant this initiative would move forward regardless.
Mabui added, "Konoha likely wants to use this joint Chunin Exams to display its strength, to restore its prestige as the top Shinobi nation."
"Exactly," Tsuchida replied. "Konoha remains the strongest, but its power has waned over the years. Its foundations remain, but much has changed."
Indeed, Konoha's image had suffered. During the Third Ninja World War, though victorious, the village had shockingly compensated the defeated Hidden Cloud Village with an enormous war indemnity. Later, the Nine-Tails' attack devastated much of the village, claiming the lives of the Fourth Hokage and his wife.
Other blows followed: Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin, disappeared while traveling the world; Jiraiya was nowhere to be found; and Orochimaru, Konoha's pillar of strength, had defected more than two years ago. Even the death of Hyuga Hizashi had shaken the village.
All these events tarnished Konoha's reputation among the Five Great Nations. Now, after two years of recuperation, the Third Hokage planned to use the Chunin Exams to restore Konoha's image, reassert its dominance, and ensure the village prospered once more.
Iwagakure, long a rival, and the Sand Village, with its dependence on Fire Country grain imports, had little choice but to cooperate. The Fourth Raikage, still holding his dumbbells, let out a small sigh.
"Tsuchida," he said slowly, "even weakened, Konoha is still formidable. Can our Genin really compete with them?"
Tsuchida shook his head gently. "Raikage-sama, isn't Neji still a Genin?"
The Raikage set down the weights, rubbing his temples. "I have absolute faith in that boy, but Konoha is… dangerous. If he goes there, will he even return alive?"
Tsuchida's expression remained calm, even faintly amused. "If we send Neji openly, and Hiruzen Sarutobi dares to harm him… then he wouldn't be Hiruzen Sarutobi."
The Raikage paused, considering Tsuchida's words. Hiruzen Sarutobi, though wise, was no longer the fearsome hero he had once been.
With a sharp smack of his fists together, he made his decision. "Alright. Send Neji. Let him give Konoha a small shock."
Tsuchida's eyes glinted dangerously. "Raikage-sama, this Chunin Exams… it is more than just a tournament."
The Raikage raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You mean…"
---
The following morning.
Neji received a summons from the Anbu: the Fourth Raikage wanted to see him immediately. Arriving at the office, he found three others already waiting.
First was Yugito, his captain, whose leg had fully healed after a half-month of recovery. Her injury no longer hindered her combat abilities.
Next was a man and a woman, both with dark skin. The man had short white hair and a long sword strapped to his back. Neji recognized him immediately: Darui, a prodigy who had recently been promoted to Jonin and now served in the Raikage's personal guard. Known for his Storm Release kekkei genkai and mastery of Black Lightning, Darui was a fearsome presence.
The woman, with long red hair, appeared younger and freshly graduated from the Ninja Academy. Neji had no prior knowledge of her abilities.
"Raikage-sama!" Neji greeted respectfully.
The Fourth Raikage waved off the formality with a hearty laugh. "Neji, Konoha proposed a joint Chunin Exams. Tsuchida and I have discussed it. Yugito will lead a team of you three to represent Hidden Cloud Village."
Neji's eyes narrowed slightly. "A Chunin Exams jointly hosted by the Five Great Nations?"
"Yes," the Raikage replied. "Hidden Sand and Iwagakure are particularly enthusiastic. Hidden Mist is uncertain. Other smaller countries may also participate."
Neji's mind raced. Although the exams were ostensibly a competition, the deployment of high-ranking individuals like Yugito and Darui indicated hidden agendas.
"The Chunin Exams is just a pretense," Neji realized. "There must be other missions we don't know about."
Tsuchida spoke with measured authority. "Darui, Karui, during this Chunin Selection Exams, let the Five Great Nations witness the might of Hidden Cloud Village."
The two nodded in unison. "Understood!"
"Prepare yourselves," Tsuchida added. "You will leave the village with Yugito this afternoon."
After they departed, the Raikage turned to Neji, smiling with an uncharacteristic warmth. "Neji, do you know why I selected only you and Yugito?"
Suppressing a chuckle at the simplicity of the question, Neji replied, "Please enlighten me, Raikage-sama."
Taking a gulp of ice-cold water, the Raikage's serious tone returned. "Neji, the Chunin Exams is merely a display organized by Konoha. The village itself has other priorities. Your team has three missions to complete—three, not one."
Yugito's eyes widened. "Three missions?!"
"Yes," Tsuchida confirmed, voice calm but firm. "First, you must rendezvous with the mole in Konoha."
Neji's confusion deepened. "A mole?"
The Raikage nodded. "Do you recall how you arrived in Hidden Cloud Village two years ago?"
Neji's eyes sharpened in realization. Troy's silent infiltration of the Hyuga compound—and the abduction of Hinata—had relied on a hidden ally. Despite the Hyuga clan's Byakugan, which could see through solid objects and over great distances, the mole had enabled such a precise and stealthy operation.
Neji understood immediately: this mission would not be simple. The Chunin Exams were a cover, a veil for intelligence operations, and the Hidden Cloud Village intended to assert its dominance discreetly—but decisively.
---
The weight of the mission hung heavy over Neji, but a spark of excitement stirred within him. This was not merely a test of skill—it was a chance to prove Hidden Cloud Village's strength, to show Konoha, and indeed the world, that the village's warriors were not to be underestimated.
As the sun rose over Kumogakure, its golden rays glinting off the Raikage Tower, Neji felt the familiar thrill of anticipation, the promise of challenges, and the silent whisper of destiny. The Chunin Exams would begin, but beneath the veneer of competition, the gears of war, politics, and strategy were already turning. Hidden Cloud Village had plans—and Neji, Yugito, Darui, and Karui were at the center of them.
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