“Hey, Kakashi-sensei, why are you looking for me so early?”

“The Hokage has called a meeting. You’re a jōnin too, remember?”

“But I haven’t even taken a team.”

“That’s the price of being a jōnin.”

The turmoil outside hadn’t yet reached Konohagakure.

On the streets of the village, Kitagawa Gen walked beside Kakashi, looking drowsy and sluggish.

His state left Kakashi a little puzzled.

“What’s wrong? I don’t recall you having any missions lately. Why are you this tired?”

“Don’t even ask. Two idiots started yelling outside my window at the crack of dawn. It was unbearable.”

Kitagawa Gen rubbed his brow, as if recalling something too troublesome to relive.

“Those two Uzumaki are a real headache!”

“Naruto and Karin, you mean?”

Kakashi rubbed his chin in thought.

“Aren’t they usually fine? Why is it only with you that things go bad?”

“Heh.”

Kitagawa Gen rolled his eyes, unwilling to explain further.

How could he possibly say it out loud—that whenever the matter involved him, those two always managed to start fighting?

Time passed quickly, and Karin gradually settled into life in Konohagakure.

After all, it was Kitagawa Gen who had brought her back. Apart from the surveillance carried out by the ANBU, he was also responsible for watching over her.

She was an outsider, and regardless of her being from the Uzumaki Clan, certain procedures had to be followed properly.

Fortunately, Kitagawa Gen was the one who had taken charge of the matter; otherwise, it wouldn’t have been handled so smoothly.

That was why Karin had been placed near Kitagawa Gen’s home. After a period of monitoring and investigation clarified her situation, the surveillance finally ceased.

Now, she could be regarded—at least officially—as a member of Konohagakure.

“What’s with that look?”

Kakashi, oblivious to what Kitagawa Gen was thinking, spoke while flipping casually through his little yellow book.

“But she didn’t lie. Her sensory ability and healing power make her an excellent prospect. I heard she’s been pretty well-behaved too.”

“She hasn’t lied, that much is true.”

Kitagawa Gen yawned and nodded offhandedly.

What Karin had claimed about her talents was indeed accurate.

As for being “well-behaved”…

In front of Kitagawa Gen, she certainly was. Karin was the type who, once shown kindness, would etch it into her heart and repay it fully without hesitation.

Life in Konohagakure was nothing like Kusagakure. And the only reason she had made it here was because of Kitagawa Gen.

Naturally, she regarded him as her benefactor.

Fortunately, she didn’t treat him the same way she treated Sasuke. Most likely, the battle in Kusagakure with Kitagawa Gen had left her shaken enough.

Still, it was troublesome. For example, whenever Naruto came by to water the flowers—or whenever he started quarreling with Kitagawa Gen—Karin would immediately jump in as his mouthpiece.

At first, watching their arguments had been amusing to Kitagawa Gen. But over time, it became nothing but a headache.

“But she’s gotten close with Naruto, Sasuke, and the others. Doesn’t that mean she should count as a graduate shinobi by now?”

“Not sure. But I heard the Hokage seems to want her to study under Lady Tsunade.”

Kakashi rubbed his chin, thinking before he spoke.

“Talent like that shouldn’t go to waste.”

“I see.”

Kitagawa Gen was a little surprised, but on second thought, it made sense. Having Karin learn under Tsunade really did seem like a good match.

“Looks like her luck turned out pretty well.”

“Alright, enough about that. Let’s get to this meeting.”

Kakashi stretched lazily, speaking with a tone of resignation.

“Chances are, we’ll be assigned students this time. What a pain.”

“Can’t we just refuse like last year?”

Kitagawa Gen raised an eyebrow, grinning mischievously.

“We put it off once already—why not again?”

“No. We promised last year. This year we have to take students.”

Kakashi gave him his trademark dead-fish stare and said flatly, “Besides, the situation is different this time. There’s no escaping it. Especially since we’re a team with two jōnin.”

He wasn’t wrong. This year really was different.

A whole batch of the ‘second generation’ was graduating, and there was no way their squad would be overlooked.

The shinobi world wasn’t just about killing and fighting—it was about politics and ties.

Kakashi didn’t even know who exactly they’d be assigned, since he hadn’t bothered to follow the academy exams.

But one thing was certain: this time, he’d be taking a team.

“I see. Got it.”

Kitagawa Gen nodded. Deep down, though, he felt a surge of excitement. That familiar feeling was finally returning!

Not only would Naruto’s first real mission be completed without a hitch, but afterward he’d also have every reason to settle matters with Gato.

On top of that, he was looking forward to the Chūnin Exams. After all—

'That’s where my dream really began!'

In high spirits, Kitagawa Gen glanced at the distracted Kakashi and broke into a mischievous smile.

“There’s no need to trouble yourself so much, Kakashi-sensei.”

“Hm?”

“Forcing yourself won’t do any good. Why not just eliminate them?”

“…”

“After all, you almost sent me home back then!”

“…”

“If you don’t have the heart to do it, how about I take care of it instead?”

...

“Kakashi, Gen, you’re here.”

Inside the Hokage’s office, Kitagawa Gen and Kakashi had just arrived when Asuma greeted them with a smile.

The other jōnin nodded in acknowledgment, but Sarutobi Hiruzen’s expression stiffened slightly.

He still remembered what Uzumaki Karin had told him back then—it had sent him straight to the hospital in an instant.

Though Kusagakure was despised in many ways, the development model of small shinobi villages wasn’t something they could control, and Kusagakure was considered their ally.

But then Kitagawa Gen and Nagato had struck together, dealing them a heavy blow that caused significant losses!

Even if Gen couldn’t be blamed entirely for it, the damage itself was fatal.

“You’ve come, then let’s begin.”

In the end, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn’t say much more. There were far too many troublesome matters at hand.

“This time, I’ve gathered you all here for two matters. First, the issue of the genin exam. This time, Iruka and Mizuki will be in charge. The proposed test is the ‘Clone Technique.’”

“I expect you all to take this responsibility seriously, and teach your future subordinates and students well. Understood?”

“Yes.”

Everyone nodded. Yet Kitagawa Gen’s eyes narrowed strangely. He felt as if Sarutobi Hiruzen had been looking his way the entire time.

“That’s odd… Kakashi-sensei, aren’t you pretty responsible? Why does the Hokage seem so worried about you?”

“...”

Kakashi didn’t want to speak. He was tempted to ask if Gen had any clear understanding of him at all.

But in the end, he swallowed the words. Before he could say anything, Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke again.

“There is another matter. I want you to keep a closer eye on Mizuki—something about him isn’t quite right.”

“Mizuki? One of the exam instructors?”

Might Guy asked in puzzlement. Though he didn’t have to lead students anymore, this meeting wasn’t just about the genin exams.

“Yes. Because this year’s chūnin exam is unusual, I made arrangements in advance. That’s when I noticed something off about him.”

Hiruzen gave a direct nod, pipe clenched between his teeth as he spoke calmly.

“He shows up near my house from time to time, and he seems to be investigating the Scroll of Seals. That caught my attention."

"On top of that, Mizuki himself… perhaps he desires power too strongly. I also discovered that at the Academy, he’s been observing Naruto.”

“Naruto?”

At that, the jōnin present could no longer remain calm. Asuma thought for a moment, then asked: “Then why not arrest him? Are you trying to find out who’s backing him?”

“Exactly.”

Sarutobi Hiruzen gave a slow nod, his gaze growing solemn.

“This is a serious matter, one we can’t afford to treat carelessly. Not only because it involves Naruto himself, but also because of this year’s chūnin exam. That’s why I haven’t acted rashly. However...”

As he spoke, his eyes shifted toward Kitagawa Gen.

“Gen, you’re the youngest here, and you already have a good relationship with Naruto. I’d like you to step in—find out what Mizuki is really planning.”

[New Side Quest Acquired]

[As the silver-haired character, of course it’s best to eliminate the threat]

[Resolve the Mizuki problem and investigate the secrets behind him]

“Yes.”

Kitagawa Gen nodded. Seeing the new quest appear, he wasn’t particularly surprised.

After all, ever since he had sent Sarutobi Hiruzen into the hospital out of sheer anger, he had been acting much more restrained—turning down countless ridiculous quests along the way.

Things like Ino’s [Golden Blossom About to Bloom], or Shikamaru’s [Your Family’s Deer Aren’t Just Good for Antlers—Their Meat’s Pretty Tasty Too].

Hardly any of them were reliable. This time, for once, he didn’t feel conflicted about taking it.

'As long as Naruto’s exclusive quests don’t suddenly drop on my head...'

It was a pity he couldn’t just slack off, but Mizuki’s case wasn’t so bad.

If he remembered correctly, Mizuki had once killed a comrade during a mission—right when Orochimaru happened to be watching.

Orochimaru had marked him with a curse seal, telling him to seek him out later.

But Mizuki never defected. Still, his crude attempt at assassinating his teammate had drawn Hiruzen’s suspicion.

There was no direct proof, but Mizuki’s dream of “advancement” had been shattered—and he seemed to be burning with resentment.

'Perfect. I can use him to drag Orochimaru into the open.'

Even though he wasn’t certain how this year’s chūnin exam would unfold, with all five great villages gathering—and even their Kage attending—there was no way things would remain peaceful.

'Even without Orochimaru, the Fourth Raikage would never just sit quietly.'

Remembering the Fourth Raikage’s demeanor from before, Gen shook his head. But he decided that was fine.

In fact, he was hoping for chaos. After all—

'With all the preparation in place, Konoha’s response could never be slow.'

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I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. /TitoVillar

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