With One Blade, Overturning Konoha!

“Hakken-sama!”

“Hakken-sama!”

After a full five minutes, Hakken carefully set Ino down and lifted his head.

Chōji Akimichi and Shikamaru Nara stood stiffly in place, both looking somewhat awkward.

The Ino–Shika–Chō trio.

A family of secret technique practitioners with a long legacy. Thɪs chapter is updated by novel※fire.net

They never sought the position of Hokage or power. Regardless of who became Hokage, they would always choose to stand by their side, fulfilling their duties without fail.

Among the many secret technique families in Konoha—generally seen as merely clock-punching ninjas—they were a special exception.

Secret techniques differed fundamentally from kekkei genkai. These techniques relied on specialized ninjutsu to enhance the user, and members of such families typically received special training from childhood.

The coordination between the Ino–Shika–Chō trio was widely admired.

Yatsurugi had little interest in the other secret technique families.

But the Yamanaka clan, to which the girl he was holding—Ino Yamanaka—belonged, stood out to him in a unique way.

They excelled at controlling others' minds, infiltrating and reading the memories of the deceased, and had the ability to transmit information to allies. They also possessed formidable sensory perception.

A powerful clan of secret techniques—it was clear that their mental strength was extraordinary.

Moreover, the expansion of the Mind Body Switch Technique had enormous potential for development.

“Did you find the scroll?”

After setting Ino down on the ground, Hakken asked with curiosity.

“Bad luck. I only found the Heaven scroll of the same type.”

Shikamaru scratched his head in resignation. Unlike previous Chūnin Exams, this one had an absurdly high number of participants, making the difficulty increase dramatically. Moreover, simply gathering the Heaven and Earth scrolls wasn't enough to complete the task; the journey to the central tower was the real danger.

“Hang in there. I’ll be waiting for you at the finish line.”

Smiling, Hakken nodded at them before setting Ino down and turning to leave.

Team up and head forward?

He wasn't interested. What he wanted was to wander the forest and observe anything worth watching.

“Phew, thanks to Hakken-sama just now.”

Chōji Akimichi sat down with a sigh of relief. Facing that man was far too much pressure; even just standing before him made him feel completely out of place.

“Ugh, I thought Hakken-sama would choose to team up with us.”

Shikamaru sighed softly, his mind overwhelmed with the thought of trouble.

Why did he think that?

Come on, even though it was supposed to be mouth-to-mouth resuscitation for Ino, the actions were far more than just breathing.

He hadn’t dared to look, but from the flushed face Ino had when she was finally released, he could tell something was off.

That mouth-to-mouth wasn’t about saving her life—it was more like stealing her soul.

“Hey, Hakken-sama’s already gone.”

“So, could you get up already? This place just shook. We could run into other teams. Now that Hakken-sama’s left, we need to hide quickly and set traps.”

Rolling his eyes helplessly at Ino on the ground, Shikamaru said.

What was he talking about?

Given Ino’s tough-as-nails reputation in their squad, a small snake would scare her into passing out?

Not likely.

“He really left?”

Suddenly opening her eyes, Ino panted heavily, patting her chest.

She’d been faking it all along.

Poor girl’s heart.

Tapping his forehead, Shikamaru started scanning the area, looking for a good place to set traps.

...

The tremors in the Forest of Death certainly caused a stir, but for the genin undergoing their evaluations, acquiring the scrolls was clearly the more pressing matter.

Hakken wandered through the forest, observing the actions of the ninja completing their trials.

As he passed a river, he suddenly sensed an unusual aura.

A figure flickered, and the man crouched, landing silently.

“Hey, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and come over!”

“Yeah, can’t you see we’re injured?”

By the river, two genin, covered in blood, approached a red-haired girl in front of them.

Although their forehead protectors indicated they were from the same village, the injured ninjas showed no pity or hope in their expressions. Instead, their faces were filled with greed and desire.

Clearly, they never saw the girl as a comrade but as a special chakra "power bank."

“What do you want?”

The red-haired girl nervously took a step back, her panic and despair impossible to hide behind the glasses perched on her nose.

Her name was Karin.

Having inherited her mother’s unique physiology, she had been plagued by nightmares since birth.

After the fall of the Uzumaki clan, her mother brought her to Kusagakure—and that was when the nightmares truly began.

Her special constitution was more potent than any medical ninjutsu. No matter how severe the injury, a single bite would gradually heal it.

The nickname "power bank" was certainly earned.

As a child, she had witnessed her mother being bitten to death—an unimaginable tragedy.

Maybe nothing would change. This life would see her become just like her mother.

Kusagakure had given shelter to Karin and her mother, but her mother paid with her life. She never complained about the world’s injustices; accepting her fate seemed her only choice.

As the bloodsuckers stepped closer, Karin offered a bitter smile and numbly extended her hand.

The savage bite marks on it were the bloody remnants of her childhood!

This was probably how it would end.

She slowly closed her eyes, and just as darkness was about to envelop her, a blinding light suddenly appeared in front of her.

“Hey, companions aren’t meant to be sucked dry…”

With a sword over his shoulder, the man’s gentle smile startled the two Kusagakure genin, who quickly took a step back.

“You are...?”

Karin blinked, her eyes widening as she looked up at the man.

“Want to live again?”

Hakken tilted his head, asking calmly.

Karin.

A member of the Uzumaki clan.

Hakken had no particular attachment to Karin, but her fiery red hair reminded him of Kushina Uzumaki.

Sensei’s wife didn’t seem to have many friends besides Uchiha Mikoto.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have Karin, another Uzumaki clan member, keep her company.

“Hey, even if you are the legendary Konoha’s Kenpachi, you have no right to interfere in another village’s matters!”

The two genin recognized Hakken’s identity. Cautious but stubborn, they issued a warning.

Kusagakure was a peculiar place, holding an equally unique position in the ninja world.

There were even rumors about the infamous Hōzuki Castle, responsible for imprisoning the most dangerous criminals in the ninja world.

“Do you want to?”

Hakken didn’t even glance at the two genin. His focus remained entirely on Karin, waiting for her answer.

Ultimately, he didn’t owe anyone a rescue. He wasn’t intervening because he had any personal attachment to Karin.

Though her physique was special, Hakken didn’t need a "power bank" or anything like that.

“Yes!”

Karin’s gaze locked on the light that was so close, and she nodded eagerly, desperate to reach it.

“Good.”

Hakken patted her head and slowly turned away. “You said I have no right to interfere with Kusagakure’s affairs?”

“Your leader must have taught you that, huh?”

He ran a hand over his chin and casually tapped the ground.

“Summoning Jutsu!”

Boom!

A puff of smoke, and Itachi Uchiha appeared, his hair flowing as he bowed respectfully to Hakken.

“Ken-san, what are your orders?”

“Take people and wipe out Kusagakure.”

“Understood.”

Swish.

The figure vanished.

No extra words, just a simple command.

To this man, it seemed utterly trivial.

Wipe out the village!

The two genin were stunned, frozen in place, completely at a loss.

“Do you like this gift? The village that killed your mother—I think it's rotten to the core.”

Hakken casually grabbed the golden dagger hanging from his neck and handed it to Karin. He yawned.

“Take this and leave the exam grounds. Find the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. He’ll know how to handle you.”

Thump! Thump!

One kick each sent the stunned Kusagakure genin stumbling away. Hakken turned and walked off with effortless grace.

It all felt like a dream.

By the time Karin fully snapped back to reality, the man was already far away.

She wanted to ask his name desperately, but in the end, she couldn’t bring herself to speak.

Silently closing her eyes, she felt his chakra, like the brightest star in the night sky.

The strongest perception technique—Mind's Eye of the Kagura!

That was his scent.

Karin nodded as if she remembered something.

Running her fingers over the small sword in her hand, she walked backward.

The moment she took that step, the Kusagakure forehead protector she had been wearing fell to the ground.

Starting tomorrow, she would embrace her own new life.

...

The second round of the Chūnin Exams continued.

In stark contrast to the easy first round, the Forest of Death now exuded an overwhelming atmosphere of death.

Amidst fierce competition, genin from one village after another withdrew from the exam grounds—some gravely injured, others unable to continue and choosing to forfeit, while a few lost their lives.

Inside Konoha’s observation room.

Orochimaru returned to his seat.

However, this time, his gaze was not on the large screen. Instead, he fixed his eyes on Minato, sitting at the very front.

I have a superior teacher than you.

His attention shifted back to Sarutobi beside him, and those words echoed persistently in his mind until, finally, he leaned back silently against his chair, lost in thought.

Do I truly despise Konoha this much?

The village before him was completely different from how it had been years ago.

Feeling the atmosphere around him, Orochimaru was lost in thought.

Time passed.

The number of genin deaths in the Forest of Death rose sharply.

In just three days, over a hundred bodies had been sent back to the leaders of each ninja village.

At the central tower, the first candidate had now arrived.

Without a doubt, the only one who could reach the finish line so quickly was Hakken Yoru.

With the increased number of candidates, this Chūnin Exam was far more difficult than before.

Having found the person he needed and said what he had to say, Hakken had no further goals for the second round.

He would simply wait at the finish line for the preliminary matches to begin.

This time, the finish line was guarded by ANBU. Kakashi and other jōnin instructors from various teams, along with jōnin leaders from other villages, gathered there, waiting. Some of them, during the wait, received news that their subordinates had already been disqualified.

“Feeling down?”

Leaning against the railing of the central tower, two men sat slumped together. One of them puffed on a cigarette as he spoke.

“Not too bad.”

The other man, looking sickly, gave a wry smile and shook his head.

Hayate Gekkō and Sarutobi Asuma.

At this moment, they both felt a touch of melancholy.

But the resentment and anger had long faded.

People mature, and when facing that man, they just couldn’t bring themselves to feel such emotions anymore.

Where did the gloom come from?

The answer was clear when they saw the man surrounded by women in the distance.

The first man to reach the finish line, now had his arms around Kurenai Yūhi and Yūgao Uzuki, chatting animatedly.

At the happiest moments, he’d even lean in and give them a loud kiss.

The resentment of the single dog.

Taking a deep drag from his cigarette, Asuma watched the three figures in the distance and suddenly smiled.

“Well, while focusing my energy on raising the next generation, I think I’ve finally figured out what the old man meant by ‘the jade.’”

He stood up and leaped forward, landing in front of the Ino–Shika–Chō trio.

Those with a goal are truly enviable.

Hayate cleared his throat and followed him.

As an examiner for the Chūnin Exams preliminaries, he needed to explain the procedures to the genin beforehand.

“You’re being way too mean.”

In the distance, Kurenai Yūhi winked at Hakken. “Just standing there like that makes you look shameless.”

Even now, she still couldn’t quite accept that this man had actually entered the Chūnin Exams.

This was blatant bullying.

After staying with the Mitarashi family for a while, Kurenai Yūhi had tacitly accepted her other role. She had grown accustomed to being taken advantage of every now and then.

Like now, for instance. This man’s hand was resting on her waist, yet she didn’t feel a hint of aversion.

“I’m just here to observe potential recruits for Konoha. Nothing else.”

Hakken replied calmly.

“The truly shameless part comes later. This bastard straight-up altered the backend match sequence. He swapped his original bye slot for Hinata, and now he plans to personally torment the genin.”

Yūgao Uzuki sighed, stepping around Hakken to speak to Kurenai Yūhi.

“Now that’s true bullying.”

Indeed.

Hakken arriving early wasn’t without purpose.

According to his original plan, a bye for someone of his caliber was the best option.

But this bastard had actually tampered with the backend program—soon, the very first match would be his.

And whoever he’d chosen to face him... well, they were the ones who’d truly drawn the short straw.

Of course, this was just Yūgao Uzuki’s one-sided perspective.

…

The sun slowly dipped toward the horizon.

The countdown to the end of the second round had already begun.

Below, Kakashi glanced at the time and frowned.

Team 7 still hadn’t arrived.

That was unexpected.

Judging by Naruto and Sasuke’s abilities, it made no sense for them not to have reached the finish line by now.

He scanned the surroundings. Everyone who should have passed had already made it through.

Up in the viewing stands, the seats were filled with the leaders of various villages, along with the Kage of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

Clearly, watching from the observation room was no longer enough to satisfy them.

Even though this was only the preliminaries, they wanted to see the genin with their own eyes. It wasn’t the finals, but the atmosphere already felt like it. Everyone was present.

“Why activate the plan early?”

In a secluded corner of the upper stands, three figures crouched low, speaking in hushed voices.

Orochimaru, Obito, and Black Zetsu.

It was Black Zetsu who voiced the doubt. To him, the timing still wasn’t ripe. More importantly, that dangerous man was standing at the entrance, his arms around two women, calmly observing everything.

“Our goal is to trigger the collapse plan when all five Kage are present. Now that everyone’s here, there’s no need to wait for the finals.”

Orochimaru spoke indifferently.

He had already run out of patience.

What difference was there between the preliminaries and the finals?

The preparations were complete. Driven by an urgent need to prove himself, he had fallen into a near-mad state. He couldn’t wait even a single day longer.

Right now, although it was technically the preliminaries, nearly every village’s leadership, including the Five Great Shinobi Villages, was already seated in the viewing stands.

The opportunity had arrived.

Creak.

At the entrance below.

The gates were about to close.

At the very last moment, the three members of Team 7 finally arrived, scrolls in hand.

And with them came five more people.

The Sound Five.

Eight figures stood facing one another, sparks flying in their gazes.

It was obvious that a skirmish, small but intense, had broken out just moments earlier.

If the passageway hadn’t been closing, a bloody clash would have been unavoidable.

The atmosphere instantly turned solemn.

On the field below, Hayate Gekkō stepped forward and pointed at the large screen.

“The preliminaries officially begin!”

“First round!”

“Hakken Yoru vs—”

He paused.

Hayate Gekkō looked at Hakken Yoru in surprise as the name was confirmed. It didn’t match the name he remembered.

Wasn’t that kid originally called ‘Knowing Pain’?

Why had Hakken-sama changed it?

“Nianchen.”

Hakken Yoru nodded calmly at Hayate Gekkō.

“Ahem!”

“First round, Hakken Yoru vs Uzumaki Nagato!”

“Damn it, prepare the Konoha Collapse Plan!”

Leaving behind a string of curses, Orochimaru sprinted straight toward Hiruzen Sarutobi in the distance.

The most unexpected turn of events—had begun.