Time is like the plumpness of a young girl—if you don't grasp it, it slips by in a flash.
Three days later.
At the entrance to Konoha Village, Sarutobi Hiruzen stood with solemn dignity, donning his Hokage robe and hat. Behind him was a formation of elite Konoha shinobi, a sight reserved only for the highest level of receptions.
To his left, Danzo stood, arms crossed with his usual frigid expression. Beside Danzo, Jiraiya had just returned to the village the day before. On Sarutobi's right were the two Hokage advisors, Homura and Koharu.
This was the highest diplomatic welcoming Konoha could offer.
Hiruzen drew a slow breath through his pipe, the tobacco smoke curling like the complicated thoughts in his head. He was surrounded by trouble.
Yesterday, Jiraiya had returned carrying an unconscious Hatake Kakashi, claiming that Maito Gai had most likely died in battle while saving him. Kakashi had collapsed from severe chakra depletion during the escape.
Hiruzen didn't believe a word of it.
He knew exactly what Kakashi and Gai had been doing. He also understood why Jiraiya would lie—to shield his comrades from punishment for leaving the village without authorization.
Still, what surprised Hiruzen was that Gai chose to remain behind to cover their retreat. It was tantamount to sacrificing his life for Jiraiya's.
Although Gai's body hadn't been recovered, the odds of his survival after opening the Eight Gates were slim to none. As someone familiar with the forbidden Eight Gates Formation, Hiruzen knew all too well the price of unlocking the final gate.
He could only hope Gai took a few members of Akatsuki down with him.
Hiruzen exhaled again, frustration darkening his gaze. Ever since the live broadcast system activated, the entire shinobi world had descended into chaos.
Everywhere one went, people were talking about it.
Especially in Konoha, the commoners had flooded the administration with requests to leave the village, terrified by the instability and danger. After much effort in calming the masses, Jiraiya had returned with even more grim news.
Nagato had reawakened—and grown stronger.
As if that weren't enough, representatives from the other four great shinobi villages were now en route to Konoha.
And to top it all off, the neutral Iron Country's three ships were also approaching.
While it was a diplomatic honor, Hiruzen found no joy in it. The Five Kage Summit was never meant to be held inside any of the five great villages. Neutral ground was standard for safety and fairness.
As Hiruzen mulled over the mounting pressure, a sudden gust of yellow sand swept across the entrance to Konoha. When it settled, several figures emerged.
Rasa, Chiyo, Maki, Temari, and a few others stood before him.
Before Hiruzen could even greet them, three lightning-fast figures landed with a crackle of thunder.
Raikage A, the Fourth, stood tall as he dispersed his lightning cloak. He dropped Killer Bee and Karui gently to the ground.
"Konoha's beast—Maito Gai—where is he?" Raikage Ai barked.
The faces of the Konoha shinobi darkened. Those aware of Gai's sacrifice felt a sting of anger and grief.
Suppressing his rising fury, Hiruzen took a long drag from his pipe and exhaled slowly. His tone was steady, yet cold.
"Maito Gai was killed in the line of duty two days ago. Do you have a problem with that, Fourth Raikage?"
"Dead?" Raikage Ai was momentarily stunned. He cast a glance toward Jiraiya, whose expression was grim. Sighing, Ai shrugged. Apparently, the matter no longer concerned him—after all, there was no glory in clashing with a fallen warrior.
Just then, Mifune of the Iron Country arrived, trotting up with a squad of samurai. Ai's sharp gaze swept over them—no weaklings among them.
After another short while, Terumi Mei and Ao arrived. Then came Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage, floating in on his particle-style jutsu platform.
Now, the leaders of the Five Great Nations and Iron Country had assembled.
"I'll get straight to the point," Onoki began as he took his seat. "I came to share intel on the Akatsuki... and also, Iwa Village demands a slot in your upcoming Chunin Exams."
"Exam quota?" Hiruzen blinked. He hadn't expected that.
Konoha's next Chunin Exams weren't scheduled for another six months—Naruto's graduation exam wasn't even for another two days.
Was their target... Naruto?
Jiraiya's brow furrowed. He hadn't even seen Naruto since returning.
"In our original plans, Iwagakure wasn't invited to participate," Hiruzen said coolly. His pipe tapped rhythmically on the ash tray. "Is this the reason all of you came?"
The three remaining Kage glanced at one another, hesitation in their eyes.
Sarutobi allowed a slight smile. They were thinking. That was good.
Just as he was about to feign refusal, Onoki's sharp voice cut through the tension.
"Hiruzen, don't be so quick to say no. If you were Akatsuki, and knew Konoha would interfere with your goals... which village would you destroy first?"
"You—!" Hiruzen slammed the table, scowling.
But Onoki kept going.
"Konoha is Akatsuki's first and primary target. I'd wager they've already infiltrated your village."
"Nonsense!" Hiruzen's rage grew. Still, his thoughts aligned with Onoki's. He had already suspected as much.
With Jiraiya's intel, Konoha held the advantage. Now, he needed to bait the others into a deeper alliance.
"The Akatsuki's goal is to capture the tailed beasts. All our villages have jinchuriki. None of us are safe."
Onoki leaned in, his voice steady and commanding.
"No single village can fight them alone. We may not be able to form a full Ninja Alliance yet, but we can establish an offensive-defensive pact."
"We share all intel on Akatsuki," he continued. "If any village is attacked, the others must send reinforcements."
"I agree." Raikage Ai's eyes gleamed. This was exactly the sort of clause that allowed him to squeeze Konoha during their time of weakness.
Rasa remained silent. After the failed alliance with Orochimaru, he had no footing to oppose Konoha. Sand Village was little more than a vassal now.
"We will form an alliance—strictly against Akatsuki," Rasa finally said, emphasizing the limit of their cooperation.
Hiruzen smirked inwardly. They'd taken the bait.
Onoki was correct—Konoha would be Akatsuki's first strike target.
So why not drag all the other villages into the crossfire?
Now for phase two, Hiruzen thought.
"The war has already begun. We can't let our children live in peace any longer," he said solemnly. "I propose advancing Konoha's Chunin Exams. They will begin in five days."
He paused dramatically.
"And to show our sincerity—your villages may send every genin who graduated this year to participate."
Shock swept the room, followed by greed.
They hadn't expected such a generous offer.
"Yes," Onoki said quickly. "That's acceptable."
The five leaders soon finalized the terms of the alliance and the joint Chunin Exams.
Meanwhile, Mifune began engaging Jiraiya in a deep conversation, particularly interested in Sage Mode.
The next day, all Konoha Academy graduates were formally assigned to teams and notified: in four days, they would take the Chunin Exam alongside genin from the other villages.
News spread fast.
That night, a pure white snake slithered out from within Konoha's walls, crossing the village boundary undetected.
It crept into the hands of a young peasant girl standing alone in the forest clearing.
The snake twirled around her wrist and spit out a note before vanishing into the darkness.
Unfolding the parchment, the girl read:
Lord Orochimaru, the Konoha Chunin Exams will begin in four days.
Rasa has sent Maki to coordinate with me. The plan to destroy Konoha is still in motion.
Sand will create chaos. You and he will move together to assassinate Sarutobi Hiruzen. Once that happens, the other villages won't miss their chance to pounce.