The Hokage’s office was as busy as ever, a flurry of papers stacked on the desk, and sunlight filtering through the large windows. Hiruzen sat behind his desk, he had a tired expression. Yet, there was a fire in his eyes, maybe even the will of fire he kept talking about. He was sipping from a cup of green tea but his mind was as always calculating the ways to strengthen Konoha.

The door opened, and Might Guy entered. He was not used to visiting Hokage’s office and there was a noticeable mix of worry and respect on his face. He stood straight, his hands clasped behind his back.

“You called for me, Lord Hokage?” Guy asked, his tone eager but respectful.

Hiruzen set the cup down and crossed his fingers. “Ah, Guy. Thank you for coming. I understand you recently had a sparring match with one of the Takimura shinobi, a young woman named Maki. Is that correct?”

Guy nodded and his expression lightened. “Yes, Lord Hokage! It was incredible! She’s one of the strongest opponents I’ve faced.”

Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, his expression remained calm and neutral. “Tell me about her. What was your impression?”

Guy tilted his head, thinking for a moment. “Maki… well, she’s strong. Really strong. Her taijutsu skills are on a completely different level. At first, I thought I’d have the upper hand, but the moment she activated that… uh, technique of hers, it’s quite similar to mine Eight Inner Gates, I realized just how wrong I was.”

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow, taking another sip of tea. “Similar to Eight Inner Gates, huh? What kind of technique is it?”

Guy rubbed the back of his neck, looking both impressed and a little sheepish. “It’s… terrifying, to be honest. Her chakra surged, and her whole demeanor changed. It’s like she turned into a predator, completely focused and overwhelming. Her speed and strength were amplified beyond what I thought was possible for someone her size. Honestly, I had to push myself to my limits—well, the Fourth Gate, actually—just to keep up.”

Hiruzen’s hand paused on the teacup, he had already started analyzing the information Guy gave him. [Fourth Gate… at his age? And she pushed him to that? Interesting.]

“And how did the spar end?” Hiruzen asked, his voice calm but probing.

Guy smiled, his energy returning. “We both stopped before things got too serious. Neither of us wanted to cause any real injuries. She’s strong, but she’s also respectful. She didn’t try to humiliate me or anything. Honestly, Lord Hokage, I think she enjoyed the challenge as much as I did.”

Hiruzen leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the desk. “And what was her attitude like? Did she seem… calculated, perhaps? Or overly cautious?”

Guy shook his head, his expression thoughtful. “No, not at all. She was… straightforward. Confident, for sure, but not arrogant, however, I’d not call her humble either.” Guy chuckled as he remembered Maki’s attitude. “She has this… presence about her, like she knows she’s strong but doesn’t need to flaunt it. At the same time, she’s approachable. She joked a little before the spar, and afterward, she even suggested we spar again while she’s in Konoha.”

Hiruzen nodded slowly, his mind working through the details. Confident but not reckless. Open to camaraderie but also powerful enough to keep others on edge. A dangerous combination if leveraged correctly.

“Did she mention anything about Takimura during your conversation?” Hiruzen asked, his tone was casual as if he did not even care about the information and was just politely making a conversation.

Guy frowned slightly, thinking back. “Not much, really. Just that it’s a new village and that she’s here as part of their first official delegation. She seems really proud of her village, though. Talks about it like it’s her family.”

Hiruzen smiled faintly at that. “Interesting. And what do you think of her as a shinobi, Guy? From your perspective.”

Guy’s face lit up, his enthusiasm returning full force. “She’s amazing, Lord Hokage! I don’t think I’ve met anyone like her. Her technique, her strength, her speed—they’re all incredible. I think she could hold her own against most jonin, honestly.”

Hiruzen raised his eyebrows, his expression betraying nothing of the weight of Guy’s words. “Most jonin, you say? That’s high praise.”

Guy nodded eagerly. “It’s true. I mean, I’m still training to become stronger myself, but if she’s any indication of what Takimura has to offer, their village might be small, but it’s full of potential.”

Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk. “Thank you, Guy. Your insight has been most helpful. I’m glad to see you taking your training so seriously. Keep it up.”

Guy beamed, giving his signature thumbs-up. “Of course, Lord Hokage! Youth waits for no one, and I’ll keep pushing forward with everything I’ve got!”

Hiruzen watched as Guy left the room, his grin unwavering even as the door closed behind him. The Third Hokage’s gaze turned back toward the stacks of papers on his desk, though his thoughts lingered on the Takimura shinobi.

[A village full of potential, led by a youngster as capable as Maki. I’ll have to keep a close eye on them… and decide whether they’re an ally worth supporting—or a threat worth neutralizing.]

He reached for his tea again, the faintest trace of a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Interesting indeed…” he murmured.

<<<>>>

The tower was finally visible in the distance, but the closer it came into view, the larger the problem loomed. The path ahead was full of ambushes—too many teams lying in wait. Kaoru stood still for a moment, scanning the area with his Suijingan, carefully picking out the chakra signatures. He could plot a path with fewer and weaker teams, but even that wasn’t guaranteed to be safe.

Kaoru recalled his encounter with Toji Senju, where his Suijingan had been tricked by chakra suppression. While Kaoru had easily spotted the faint difference in water particles in Toji’s body, the chakra suppression had been enough to mislead him into thinking that his chakra reserves were slightly larger than others. [If someone like Toji can suppress their chakra like that, it means relying solely on what I see is dangerous. We can’t take anything for granted.]

“Guys, we have a problem,” Kaoru said, turning back to the group. He quickly explained the situation. Although there were six of them, only four could realistically fight. Sugeru was completely out of commission, unable to move on his own, and Yuji’s shoulder injury had significantly slowed him down. Even out of the four who could still fight, one would have to stay back to guard Sugeru.

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“Basically, that leaves three of us,” Kaoru summarized. “Even though I’m confident we can defeat most of these teams, it doesn’t mean it’s a viable option. I’m not going to use lethal attacks against opponents who haven’t done anything wrong. This is just an exam, after all. Subduing them will be much harder than simply taking them out. Even if we somehow manage to defeat them without serious injuries or losses, the commotion will definitely draw more attention.”

He paused, his gaze scanning the group for their input.

“I don’t care about injuring those kids,” Mizuki said coldly. Her tone was sharp, and though her earlier rage had subsided, it was clear she wasn’t completely herself. “They knew what they were signing up for when they entered this forest. If I have to choose between Sugeru and Yuji’s well-being or passing this exam, versus sparing them, I’ll choose our side without hesitation.”

Kaoru frowned but didn’t immediately respond. Akane, standing quietly beside Mizuki, glanced between them with concern. It was rare to see Kaoru and Mizuki on such different wavelengths, but it was clear Mizuki’s anger hadn’t fully dissipated.

“While I don’t really deserve to have a say in this, since all of this is my fault…” Akito started, his voice low and heavy with guilt.

“Stop it already,” Yuji snapped, his tone was harsh and biting. He glared at Akito, clearly irritated by the self-blame.

But Akito didn’t react to Yuji’s tone and continued speaking. “Anyway, I think there’s another option.” He paused, gathering his thoughts before explaining his plan. “I’ll act as bait. I’ll draw their attention and lead them away so the rest of you can get Sugeru and Yuji closer to the tower. Once they’re safe, you can come back and help me.”

Kaoru’s brow furrowed, but Akito kept going. “I’m not confident in my ability to fight, but I’m fast, and my body flicker is better than most. I can keep them busy long enough for you to secure our injured.”

The brief pride in Akito’s tone quickly vanished, replaced by guilt once more as his expression softened. “It’s the least I can do… after everything.”

Kaoru glanced at the others. Mizuki folded her arms. Akane’s face was unreadable, but she opened her mouth to speak before quickly closing it again, unsure of what to say.

Kaoru sighed. “It’s not about blame or punishment, Akito. No one here blames you for what happened.”

He turned his gaze toward Sugeru, who was pale and barely conscious, and then toward the ambushes waiting ahead. The logic of Akito’s suggestion was undeniable, but the risk was enormous.

“It’s a bold plan,” Kaoru said with his tone softening slightly. “But if we go with it, we need to make sure you’re not putting yourself in too much danger. If something goes wrong—”

“It won’t,” Akito cut him off, his voice was firm despite his guilty expression. “I can handle this. I won’t let anyone else get hurt.”

Kaoru looked at Mizuki and Akane for their thoughts. After a brief pause, Mizuki shook her head. “I’m against this plan,” she said firmly. “But it’s not my place to tell Akito what he can or can’t do. I just don’t understand why we’re okay letting our friend risk his life just so we can feel better about ourselves by avoiding injuring our opponents.” Mizuki was displeased with her friends.

Akito didn’t flinch at her words. Instead, he straightened his posture and met her gaze with quiet determination. “The bottom line is that I’m being carried by you guys. If I can’t even do this much, why do I deserve the rank of chunin? What happens if I stay hidden behind your backs and pass this exam like that? What happens if I fail my friends when we’re on an actual chunin-level mission?” His voice grew stronger with each question. “Our enemies then won’t be just kids—they’ll be far stronger and far more ruthless. It might sound selfish, but I’d rather fail now, here, than fail in the future when your lives are on the line.”

Kaoru studied Akito’s expression, and he saw nothing but the determination in his eyes. [The risk is high, but he needs this,] Kaoru thought. He knew Akito’s resolve wasn’t something to dismiss lightly.

Mizuki crossed her arms, but her expression was much softer than before. Finally, she sighed. “Fine. If this is what you’ve decided, then I won’t stop you. But listen carefully, Akito. If you screw up and get caught, I’m coming to drag you back myself, and I won’t be nice about it.”

Akito’s lips twitched into a faint smile, the first since the attack. “Fair enough,” he replied.

“Alright,” Kaoru said. “We’ll move forward with your plan. But stay sharp, Akito. The moment we reach the tower and leave them, we’re coming for you.”

Akito nodded, “Don’t keep me waiting too long.” He smiled and flickered away.

It took Kaoru and his team nearly an hour to reach the tower. Their pace was slower than before, Akane was slowing down getting tired from carrying Sugeru and Yuji could barely keep up because of his wounds. Once they arrived, they immediately sought out Konoha shinobi to leave Sugeru and Yuji in capable hands. They also needed to find out if there was a healer on-site; if not, Sugeru would have to forfeit and seek medical attention outside the tower.

Thankfully, Konoha was prepared for such situations. It still took more than five minutes to bring a healer to them, which felt like an eternity to Kaoru, who had to maintain the water barrier holding Sugeru’s wound closed. When the healer finally arrived, Kaoru removed the barrier and quickly explained the situation. The healer immediately assured them that Sugeru’s condition wasn’t life-threatening and that he would recover shortly with proper treatment.

Relieved, Kaoru, Akane, and Mizuki rushed toward the exit, eager to find Akito. But just as they reached the doorway, they saw him entering the tower.

“What? How?” the three exclaimed in unison, their eyes wide with disbelief.

Akito, who looked exhausted but uninjured, gave them a faint smile. “How are Sugeru and Yuji?” he asked, deflecting their astonishment.

“They’re fine,” Akane replied, her voice tinged with confusion. “But how did you manage to get here?” She did not want to offend Akito with their surprise but they were praying he’d be okay by the time they found him.

Akito rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Well, soon after I drew the attention of those two teams, I ran into an ambush by another team—this one from Konoha. But…” He paused, his expression shifting to one of disbelief. “They didn’t do anything to me. In fact, one of the Konoha ninjas gave me this scroll and told me, ‘You’re even now.’” He handed Kaoru the scroll with a puzzled look.

Kaoru accepted it, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “What did this ninja look like?” he asked, though he already had a strong suspicion.

Akito shuddered slightly as he recalled the encounter. “He was just a kid—barely nine years old, maybe even younger. He had jet-black hair and these black eyes… like an abyss. Honestly, kinda scary.”

Kaoru chuckled, confirming his guess as he examined the scroll. It was the Heaven Scroll—the exact one they needed. “It looks like we both passed the second exam,” Kaoru said with a wide grin.

Akane and Mizuki exchanged surprised glances before Mizuki muttered, “Who even is this kid?”

Kaoru just laughed. “Someone worth keeping an eye on. Let’s head inside and rest—we’ve earned it.”

**

A/N -

I was not sure about this ending but It felt like something Itachi would do. I had a few different scenarios in mind, but in the end, I went with this one. It just felt like the best fit for his character.

Also, about that earlier scene where Guy said Maki was stronger than him—I’m not saying he was wrong, but just because he said it doesn’t make it the truth. Guy is only 15 or 16 years old here, and he was clearly being modest. He’s strong, but he still has room to grow into the powerhouse we know.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! From here on out, the exam is about to get way more heated.

Character Notes:

Might Guy – Modest - “The power of Youth is stronger in Maki than me, and because of that I will do 500 more pushups!”

Akito – Determined - “If I can’t pull my weight here, what kind of shinobi am I? I need to prove I can stand on my own.”

Hiruzen Sarutobi – Scheming - “A small village, but one with potential... What should I do?”

**