Konoha Hospital
Next morning
At the top floor of the hospital was the most protected ward. Inside the room, filled with the sharp smell of disinfectants, near the window on a hospital bed lay Gekko Hayate, his face pale and drained of color, his left leg—half missing—completely wrapped in bandages.
Standing beside the bed was the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, silent, a deep and troubled look in his eyes as he took slow puffs from his smoking pipe.
The elders, Homura and Koharu, were also present. A heavy silence hung in the room, as what Hayate had revealed deeply unsettled them.
Hayate's scream the previous night, after his leg had been amputated, had awakened the surrounding neighborhood. Shinobi were swiftly dispatched to the scene, and Hayate was rescued.
He was given immediate medical treatment at the hospital and later questioned personally by Sarutobi and the elders. Without hiding anything, Hayate recounted everything that had happened.
What unsettled Sarutobi and the elders most was Hayate's unwavering claim about the enemy's strength—describing the man, without a hint of doubt, as being on the same level as a Hokage.
"There's no way Orochimaru would attack a random jōnin while hiding his identity," Koharu said, her voice tense. "Moreover, every word Hayate reported and his actions doesn't align with Orochimaru's personality… Clearly, some other unknown and extremely dangerous individual has also managed to sneak into the village."
"Maybe you should seriously reconsider the option of postponement, Hiruzen," Homura added. "With such dangerous individuals lurking around, the safety of the daimyo and the other guests can never be guaranteed."
The two elders voiced their opinions once more, and this time—unlike before—Sarutobi's eyes lacked their usual firmness. Clear hesitation had settled within them.
A long silence followed in the ward, the elders' gazes fixed on the pondering Hokage as they waited eagerly for his decision.
"Sigh…"
Eventually, Sarutobi broke the silence, exhaling a long, tired breath of smoke.
"Dispatch ANBU squads to the daimyo and all other important guests," he said at last. "Have them deliver the message that the Chūnin Exams are postponed until Konoha deals with the enemies who have infiltrated the village and can once again provide a safe venue."
"Notify the teams from the other villages as well," he continued. "Tell them they are to leave the village as soon as possible."
With those words, Sarutobi turned and walked out of the ward, his back slightly hunched, his face seeming as though it had aged ten years in mere moments. The elders soon followed after him.
The Hokage's orders carried absolute authority. ANBU squads immediately moved out of the village, tasked with delivering the message before the guests could arrive in Konoha. The teams from the other villages already residing within the village were also informed without delay, unseen undercurrents beginning to surge.
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Arisawa Residence
"No way…"
Isagi, having just received news of the exam postponement from an ANBU, barely managed to maintain his composure in front of him. Once alone in his room, he nearly stumbled from shock.
"Damn it! How can it cause such a huge change?"
Isagi cursed, anger flashing across his face as he forcefully sat down on the bed. He hadn't expected Hayate's survival to alter the future to such an extent. He had clearly underestimated his own existence—and the level of caution that would follow after displaying such strength.
"Am I the first transmigrator to have actually saved Sarutobi…?" he muttered, a mocking smile tugging at his lips. The frustration made him want to lash out and break something, yet he barely managed to restrain himself.
The postponement of the exams meant that Sarutobi—whose death had once been certain—might now survive, throwing Isagi's envisioned peaceful days under Tsunade's governance into uncertainty.
Isagi remained in a state of shock and frustration for quite some time before eventually standing up and walking toward the window. His lips parted as he spoke quietly, "Well, Orochimaru… I guess it rests in your hands now. Is your will to destroy the Hidden Leaf strong enough to crush this butterfly effect born from my existence?"
Isagi knew that this postponement would never be enough to make Orochimaru back down and simply walk away. He would attack—without a doubt. When and how, however, was no longer something Isagi could clearly predict.
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At an unknown basement within the village
"Hehehe… your cowardice really is growing faster than your age, Sarutobi-sensei," Orochimaru said with a chilling laugh, his snake-like tongue slithering out. Kabuto, standing behind him, could clearly sense the anger hidden beneath Orochimaru's tone.
"I couldn't obtain detailed information regarding the reason behind the exam's postponement," Kabuto reported, pushing his round glasses up the bridge of his nose. "However, my sources mentioned a fight that occurred last night, resulting in the injury of a special jōnin named Gekkō Hayate. It may be related."
His curiosity was evident—he was eager to know who had injured that jōnin and for what reason.
Orochimaru turned to look at him, his expression chilling. "It doesn't really matter who was responsible," he said calmly. "What matters is that the plan will still go through."
Kabuto hesitated slightly before speaking again. "One of your main objectives was the Third Hokage's death. Now, we can't be certain of his location in order to trap him within the formation."
At this concern, Orochimaru's lips curled into a smile, a sharp gleam flashing in his yellow, snake-like eyes.
"You don't need to worry about that," he replied smoothly. "Just inform our little Sand allies to be ready. I'll go pay an old partner a visit."
With that, Orochimaru slowly walked away, his figure disappearing into the surrounding darkness.