It had been a month since Konoha's internal meeting, and the haze of war once again enveloped the entire ninja world. Ever since the end of the Second Ninja World War, the cloud of conflict had never truly left. Just as Aizen Sosuke had predicted, this world had a peculiar obsession with war and bloodshed. Almost everyone was certain that the Third Ninja World War was imminent. Although the outbreak of the war seemed inevitable, the swiftness with which it unfolded still took many by surprise. Konoha and the Sand Village faced incidents one after another, and strangely enough, they were interconnected—Konoha's White Fang, the Kazekage, and Scorpion. Wasn't this too much of a coincidence?
No sooner had White Fang committed suicide than the Kazekage and Wind Country's geniuses met their end. Information in the ninja world is fluid, and the news everyone receives constantly changes. By the time true confirmations are made, significant time may have already passed. But whether it was the death of Sakumo or the disappearance of the Third Kazekage, along with his guards and the genius puppeteer, there was no doubt that these events happened in close succession, almost simultaneously.
Though Konoha strongly denied that White Fang's death had anything to do with the Sand Village and insisted that they had not driven him to his demise, the intelligence gathered by various countries painted a different picture. In fact, many of the great nations had already pieced together a mental picture of what had occurred.
During the recent tensions, Sand Village, being the closest to Konoha, had shown exceptional prowess due to its genius puppeteer and its powerful Kazekage. This led to Konoha taking drastic action. They supposedly sent White Fang to the Sand Village on a high-stakes mission to deal with this threat. In essence, Konoha traded its White Fang for the strongest Kazekage, his Shadow Guard, and the most promising puppeteer genius. In the minds of the other nations, it was a trade worth making.
Although Konoha lost White Fang, the Sand Ninja leadership was decimated. While Konoha still had several Kage-level ninjas, Sand Village had been left without any top-tier leadership. The idea that White Fang committed suicide due to the fallout from a single failed mission or public backlash seemed implausible to the rest of the world. No one believed that a political dispute could drive the village to eliminate its most skilled assault ninja. It was clear that the truth ran much deeper.
Rumors began to circulate that White Fang had undertaken a covert mission from which he never returned. Although these rumors were quickly suppressed, they lingered just long enough to convince many of the truth behind them. In the ninja world, widely circulated stories are often false, while cryptic whispers tend to carry more weight.
Konoha's cold and calculated action earned the respect of some, while others were left in awe of the village's ruthlessness. The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, already revered as the "Professor" for his mastery of all five chakra natures, now earned further recognition for his resolute leadership. As nations across the ninja world prepared for war, they did so with an eye on Konoha, lest they fall victim to another surprise move.
The fragile peace of the entire ninja world was quickly shattered by the actions of Konoha and the Sand Village.
But the Konoha higher-ups knew the truth about their own affairs. No one really knew why the Kazekage had disappeared, but they were sure it had nothing to do with them. After Sakumo's death, the Third Hokage and Danzo's plan to muddy the waters was only in motion for a day before it was called off, but it's possible someone had already caught onto something. Under such circumstances, Konoha could only hold its breath and prepare for war. After all, they couldn't afford to show any weakness. At this time, showing weakness would lead to being surrounded and attacked by the other villages.
Although Konoha had faced similar situations during the Second Ninja World War, they were determined to avoid a repeat. In the strange and tense atmosphere, the entire ninja world began mobilizing for war. Even the schools and villages, which should have remained neutral and uninvolved, were shrouded in an air of desolation and indifference.
Under normal circumstances, anxiety and tension in Konoha would lead to a rise in bullying and social disputes. But today was different. Today was the final day for Kakashi Hatake to test the improved version of the Blut.
Standing amidst the gathered Jonin and Chunin, Kakashi, who had earned his Chunin qualification through his own strength just a week ago, stood in the middle of the training ground with calm eyes. As chakra flowed through his body, blue chakra began to spread along his blood vessels, which had been corrected and modified by medical-nin. The induction liquid applied beneath his skin formed sharp, edged stripes on the surface of his body.
Unlike the static Blut suit developed by Aizen, which only adhered to the body's surface, Kakashi's version of the Blut extended its blue light over his clothing. His Konoha vest, leggings, and forehead protector all began to shimmer with the defensive ripples of the light blue Blut armor.
"...I'm ready." Kakashi, his body brimming with the blue markings of the Blut, nodded calmly at the research ninjas operating the instruments. The testing ninjas quickly adjusted their data and raised their hands in signal.
A clear command rang out from the loudspeaker: "The thirteenth static Blut test has officially begun."
"Stage one: Ninjutsu test."
On command, the waiting Chunin immediately began forming seals, unleashing multiple ninjutsu in succession.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
"Wind Release: Breakthrough!"
The four ninjutsu collided, filling the training ground with clouds of smoke and chaos. Despite the confusion, the orders over the loudspeaker continued unwaveringly.
"Stage two: Projectile test."
Almost instantly, the thick smoke was blown away. Dozens of kunai and shuriken were hurled toward Kakashi, striking him in an instant, only to fall harmlessly to the ground. Kakashi hadn't moved, standing calmly while the projectiles bounced off the surface of his Blut armor.
"Stage three: Taijutsu test."
Next, several ninjas specializing in taijutsu emerged from the shadows, attacking the six-year-old Kakashi with Konoha's Fluid Fist style. To an outsider, the scene might have looked cruel—a group of adults seemingly bullying a child. But no matter how they attacked, be it with ninjutsu, taijutsu, or throwing weapons, Kakashi remained still, watching them with calm, unblinking eyes.
Several minutes passed, and the attacking Chunin were visibly exhausted, their chakra reserves nearly depleted. Finally, the loudspeaker announced the end of the test.
"This concludes the test. The Blut has been confirmed to withstand all common attacks at the Chunin level."
"Okay, everyone, please leave in an orderly manner."
"Research ninjas, please pay attention to the relevant procedures and details..."
"There are a few things to keep in mind regarding serialization..."
Perhaps due to the looming war, not many people came forward to congratulate the team on the successful improvement of such a great technique. Instead, the researchers nervously collected data and immediately began analyzing it. Only one kind-looking, middle-aged man approached Kakashi, who was dusting off his clothes and preparing to leave. The man offered a somewhat stiff smile.
"Well, it seems the initial improvements to the Blut equipment have been completed. That's truly something to be proud of. Kakashi, is there anything you'd like?"
"No," Kakashi replied curtly.
"The atmosphere isn't great lately, so there's no need to be so distant, Kakashi. Besides, Aizen asked us to take care of you. Why don't we treat you to something?"
"No, really. If there's nothing else, I'll be going now," Kakashi insisted.
"What an unpleasant child... Well, when you get back, make sure to send my regards to the consultant for me."
"Mm," Kakashi murmured in acknowledgment.
The man was likely a consultant's agent... Kakashi pushed those thoughts aside, leaving the middle-aged man's words behind him as he started running along the ceiling, heading towards Aizen's house.
Hatake Kakashi was a genius boy. Why call him a genius? Because despite his young age, he had already learned how to navigate complex situations. He knew when to make sacrifices and what decisions would secure his future. Even though he was only six years old, he had already become a ninja. He had secretly tested out of school early, and even completed a few missions without his father's knowledge or the school's permission. Kakashi had seen and understood many things beyond his years.
In this world, even a six-year-old needed to know such truths. That's why he hadn't refused Aizen Sosuke's invitation. Accepting it allowed him to shed the burden of being White Fang's son and take on the new identity of Aizen's adopted child. The whispers of disdain and gossip still lingered, but no one dared speak ill of him directly. This engendered a measure of appreciation for Aizen within Kakashi.
But just a small measure.
'Are there any guests?' Kakashi thought as he landed softly in the yard, noticing the brightly lit room where Aizen typically worked. His brow furrowed slightly in confusion as he made his way over. Normally, Kakashi would be expected to greet any guest who came. Despite being Aizen's adopted son, and not always easy to approach, he understood the importance of basic etiquette. Survival, after all, often depended on such things.
However, as he peered inside, Kakashi felt a strange sense of unease. The figure sitting within wasn't wearing the familiar green vest of a Konoha ninja. Instead, they wore a white haori, much like Aizen Sosuke himself.
'...Is there a ninja in Konoha who wears a haori?' Kakashi thought, feeling a bit unsettled. The ninja's disheveled hair and calm posture seemed out of place.
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