"I can't sense him at all! Black Zetsu, does your technique even work?"
"Shut up. This guy has absolutely no chakra—how am I supposed to sense him?"
In a distant, hidden base, Black Zetsu frowned deeply.
Though he was sensing through White Zetsu, even his abilities had failed to detect the target.
How can anyone in this world possess absolutely no chakra?
Even Black Zetsu found it difficult to believe.
More importantly, this man was capable of killing Jonin—yet had no chakra whatsoever.
What had begun as routine surveillance now held his full attention. He focused intently on the training ground.
Barrier: Canopy Method Formation!
An invisible sensory barrier radiated outward from Jiraiya, spreading in all directions.
"Found you." He turned and looked behind him.
Toji Fushiguro stood there gripping a short sword, his expression gloomy.
"Troublesome."
The word had barely left his lips before his entire body blurred. The next instant, he appeared directly in front of Jiraiya.
The blade danced, creating phantoms. White hair formed armor-like protection around Jiraiya's body.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
Crisp metallic sounds rang continuously. Both moved so fast they left afterimages.
After a bout of close combat, Jiraiya called a halt and announced that Toji Fushiguro had passed.
Tengen stepped up last. After casting a Barrier Technique, she flew directly skyward.
She then continuously deployed barriers to trap Jiraiya, ultimately completing her test as well.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze settled on the final youth who hadn't been tested.
"I wonder how to address this one. Though Jonin rank cannot be granted lightly, we could still evaluate him. If he performs well, Chunin is possible."
"His name is Choso. Death Painting Choso." Zenshu's voice remained indifferent. "He serves as a clan guard. There's no need for him to become a registered ninja."
Though becoming an official ninja granted corresponding rights, it also carried responsibilities.
If the Hokage personally assigned missions, they had to be accepted.
Therefore, one person needed to remain as a guard. Even if everyone else was deployed, someone would still protect Zenji and the other children.
After all, they were still young—bodies not yet fully developed. Even possessing special techniques, their strength remained limited by their physical frames and chakra reserves.
"That's reasonable. A clan ultimately needs guards." Hiruzen nodded slightly.
This held true for all major clans. Each maintained ninjas who weren't on the official roster.
The Hyuga and Uchiha clans had the most.
Hiashi Hyuga had been frowning from the start, his gaze occasionally drifting to the bored-looking Gojo Satoru.
Behind him, a pale-faced, gloomy Hyuga elder stared fixedly at the white-haired child.
Seeing the tests nearing completion—seeing Zenshu's group about to officially join Konoha—the elder grew anxious.
He was the Fourth Elder of the Hyuga Main House. The missing Hyuga Soka was his son.
"Lord Third, is the evaluation really going to end like this?" He couldn't contain himself any longer.
Hiashi's expression shifted, but the Fourth Elder had already stepped forward. There was no way to stop him now.
Hiruzen's face remained unchanged. He merely lowered his eyelids and regarded the elder.
Danzo Shimura snorted coldly beside him, voice merciless. "Clan Head Hiashi—does the Hyuga clan object to the village's decision? Or do you have opinions about the Hokage's judgment?"
The unreservedly menacing tone made the Fourth Elder's brow twitch.
Danzo coveted the Hokage seat, but he absolutely refused to allow the Hokage's authority to be questioned—because that authority was precisely what he desired.
This was also why he targeted the Uchiha clan.
In his view, the Uchiha's very existence challenged the legitimacy of every Hokage except the First.
The Hyuga clan's extreme insularity displeased him equally.
"Advisor Danzo, your words are too harsh." Hiashi stepped forward hastily.
"I believe everyone understands the Byakugan's importance to the village. It is an extremely precious Kekkei Genkai of Konoha."
"Now a member of the Main House has disappeared, and this young Gojo Satoru's eyes bear such striking resemblance to the Byakugan—how could it not arouse suspicion?"
"If we don't investigate thoroughly, it won't benefit the village either..."
Hiashi hurried to frame the matter as a village concern, using collective interests as his shield.
The people have already come to Konoha, Danzo thought with cold disdain. Even if it was them—so what?
As long as another village wasn't responsible, Konoha lost nothing.
Still, he was curious about what exactly Gojo Satoru's eyes were.
For that brat to be so arrogant—claiming his eyes were unparalleled—how could anyone not wonder?
"Suspicion?" Gojo Satoru's light smile appeared. His indifferent voice cut through the tension.
Every gaze turned toward him.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, his entire body slowly levitated—rising until he floated a head taller than Hiashi Hyuga, looking down at the Hyuga contingent.
"No need to worry. No need to suspect. Because compared to my eyes, the Byakugan is simply too weak."
Silence crashed over the training ground.
Zenji couldn't help but smack his forehead. This bastard was as insufferable as ever.
Knowing how many powerhouses existed in this world, Satoru had probably been itching to act for some time.
But the young body he'd chosen for optimal growth severely limited his current strength. There was no telling how well he could actually perform.
If he became a target, things could turn dangerous quickly.
Then again, this works too. Let Gojo Satoru draw all the heat while I develop in peace.
Zenji stroked his small chin thoughtfully.
After all, Satoru was just a Soul Book. If the body died, it died. He could always reincarnate again.
Fierce chakra erupted from Hiashi Hyuga. Hideous veins bulged around his eyes as his Byakugan fixed on Gojo Satoru.
As someone who believed the Byakugan was Konoha's supreme dojutsu, he absolutely could not tolerate such dismissal.
"What did you say?" His voice turned dangerously cold.
"Ah, didn't you hear me?" Gojo Satoru acted as if the killing intent didn't exist.
He sat cross-legged in midair, hands spread, wearing an expression that practically begged to be punched.
"Then let me make it clearer. No matter what kind of eyes they are—beneath these eyes of mine—they are—all—too—weak."
He pointed at his own eyes, smiling, enunciating every syllable.
"What?"
"Such arrogance!"
"Insolent brat!"
Before the Hyuga could react, the nearby Uchiha members lost their composure entirely, voices rising in outrage.
Cold chakra erupted. Sharingan manifested one after another.
That distinctive, intense aura of ocular power mixed with chakra, forming a violent pressure.
"Insolence!" Danzo snorted, glaring at the Uchiha Jonin.
Fugaku Uchiha remained at the Land of Bears front, so the clan was represented by several elders.
One elder—known for his moderate stance—hurriedly restrained the clansmen who were glaring murderously at Danzo.
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