As soon as Kurenai finished speaking, the previously quiet Hokage office erupted into murmurs. The jōnin instructors began whispering among themselves.
Only Danzō's expression turned unusually grim.
Suspicious by nature and jealous of talent, a trace of killing intent had already surfaced in his heart toward Kamikawa.
And he had already found his justification.
On one hand, Kamikawa was close to a girl from the Uchiha clan. Danzō strongly suspected he might have already aligned himself with them—or even planned to marry into the clan.
On the other hand, this could very well be a second Namikaze Minato.
The current Konoha leadership—the so-called "Konoha F4"—were all aging. Even though Hiruzen had reclaimed the Hokage seat, he could only hold it for another decade at most.
After that, it would be time to select the Fifth Hokage.
With Kamikawa's talent, clean background, and apparent admiration for Hiruzen, it was highly likely that Hiruzen would groom him as the next Minato—
and support him in the Hokage position.
If that happened, clans like the Ino–Shika–Chō, traditionally aligned with the Hokage, would undoubtedly follow.
And the Uchiha—
given Kamikawa's connection—might also support him.
He had already endured Minato.
Then Minato died, and Hiruzen returned.
If another Kamikawa appeared—
this cycle would repeat endlessly.
And his own path to becoming Hokage?
Forever out of reach.
That was something Danzō absolutely could not accept.
Hiruzen, of course, had no idea that Danzō had already thought this far ahead.
He, too, was shocked by Kamikawa's growth and felt a faint sense of wariness.
But then he reminded himself—
Kamikawa wasn't an Uchiha, nor did he possess a bloodline limit.
A civilian through and through.
His ceiling was clear—at most another Kakashi, or perhaps another Yūhi Shinku.
With that, Hiruzen relaxed.
He exchanged glances with Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado. The two subtly nodded, about to speak—
but Danzō cut in first.
He had no intention of letting Kamikawa gain further prestige through the Chūnin Exams.
He used the same tactic he once used on Itachi:
praise to destroy.
Guide him early, before his worldview solidified—
and, ideally, draw him into the darkness. Into Root.
"Since Kurenai-jōnin believes Shimizu Kamikawa already possesses jōnin-level strength," Danzō said,
"then there's no need for him to participate in this Chūnin Exam."
He turned to Hiruzen.
"How about this—we designed a special assessment just for him. If he passes, he is promoted directly to Chūnin."
Hiruzen hesitated, as usual.
"That's… not impossible. But since the establishment of the Chūnin Exams, there has never been such a precedent."
Still—
Danzō's proposal aligned perfectly with his own thoughts.
The Uchiha situation was worsening, even more volatile than before Shisui's death.
If civil war broke out, it would be disastrous.
They urgently needed another operative inside the clan.
"Precedents are meant to be created," Danzō continued smoothly.
"Just like Uchiha Itachi—he graduated in a single year during peacetime and became a pillar of the village."
Old foxes always spoke in layers.
Danzō was essentially saying:
I'll support using Kamikawa as an Uchiha informant—just fast-track his promotion.
"Koharu, Homura—what do you think?"
Hiruzen asked, though he had already made up his mind.
As expected, the two advisors—even the fence-sitters—offered no objections.
The matter was settled.
After leaving the Hokage building, Kurenai found Kamikawa and the others and explained the arrangement.
"That's the situation. Kamikawa, you won't participate in the Chūnin Exam next month. The Hokage will arrange a separate assessment for you."
"As for Airi and Pangci, they'll be placed with an experienced genin to form a temporary team."
"So… a setup, huh?"
Kamikawa sneered inwardly.
"Looks like those old men can't sit still anymore. Perfect… I'll use this chance to make all of you fall under Kyōka Suigetsu."
Beside him, Airi suddenly hugged him tightly, tears streaming down her face.
"Waaah… Kamikawa-kun, I'll miss you…"
After half a year together, some bond had naturally formed.
Even though Kamikawa was usually distant, he was always reliable when it mattered—saving them multiple times.
Deep down, Airi truly liked him—
in a big-sister kind of way.
In a world as brutal as the shinobi world, survival mattered more than romance.
Otherwise, you'd have died a hundred times over already.
Feeling the warmth and faint fragrance of the girl, Kamikawa flushed slightly—caught between discomfort and enjoyment.
Kurenai, watching from the side, gritted her teeth.
Memories of his earlier confession—and their months together—surfaced in her mind.
Don't get mad… don't get mad…
Yet somehow—
The air carried a faint scent of jealousy.
Meanwhile, Pangci continued stuffing chips into his mouth, fully committed to being a spectator.
Noticing Kurenai's expression, Kamikawa quickly extricated himself.
"Airi, it's not like we'll never meet again."
"Waaah… but I'll still miss you…"
Only when Kurenai spoke did Airi finally calm down.
"Then how about this—once Kamikawa becomes a Chūnin, let's celebrate at my family's barbecue restaurant!"
"Barbecue?"
At the mention of food, Pangci's eyes lit up instantly.
"You run a barbecue place?"
Kamikawa asked, slightly surprised.