Hikari Kaguya

Friday, 9:00 AM. 

Konoha Training Ground Zero, North Gate. 

A rusted "Zero" sign hung atop the steel gate, supported by a metal pillar. A vast, seemingly endless wire fence encircled the dense forest. A jet-black crow with piercing red eyes perched on the gate, staring down. The sprawling branches of a banyan tree stretched outward, slipping through gaps in the fence as if pleading for escape. 

"Homeroom teachers, announce the rules for this exercise," commanded Kazama Etsu, the overseer of this survival training. His cold, emerald eyes scanned the group of small, backpack-laden genin—little "carrots," as he thought of them. His gaze lingered briefly on a silver-haired figure, childish yet familiar. 

The wound on his chest had mostly healed, but a strange, phantom pain still lingered. Returning to the Ninja Academy these past few days, he'd noticed his name had become tied to one in particular: Hikari. Whenever someone mentioned Harii, another voice would inevitably chime in, "Oh! You mean the one who sent Kazama-sensei to the hospital on her first day—!" 

Every time he heard it, regret gnawed at him. Why had he tried to block her enrollment? Why had he underestimated her, holding back his ninjutsu? Why had he gone so far as to teach her the nature transformation of wind chakra? With Harii's absurd talent, any future achievements of hers would only amplify the humiliating story of how she'd sent him flying with one kick. Just thinking about it made his future seem bleak. 

The other teachers, oblivious to Kazama's inner turmoil, began explaining the rules to their students. Iruka-sensei rambled on at length, only getting to the point when the kids started fidgeting impatiently. 

The exercise would last three days. Each survival team could bring only one day's worth of food and water, testing their teamwork. They'd need to hunt forest animals to sustain themselves. If danger arose, they could fire a signal flare for rescue—but that would mean failing the exercise. During the training, Ninja Academy instructors would hunt the students, testing their ability to hide in the wilderness. If caught, they'd lose all their food and water. Three captures meant elimination. 

What was meant to be a survival exercise for safety had morphed into a bizarre kind of test. 

"Line up, everyone! Weigh your food and water on the scale up front. Anything over five pounds, hand the excess to me," Iruka instructed. 

At those words, Naruto hurriedly pulled instant ramen from his backpack, stuffing it into his clothes. Harii glanced at him—his belly bulged like he was ten months pregnant. Naturally, Naruto's sneaky attempt didn't escape Iruka's sharp eyes. He was dragged to the front as an example, held upside-down by his legs, and shaken until every hidden snack spilled out amid his wails. 

Seeing Naruto's pitiful state, Kiba—who'd been planning to smuggle food for Akamaru—quickly emptied his pockets of dog treats. With Naruto's lesson fresh in mind, the others fell in line, and in the end, only Naruto suffered. 

The team assignments for this survival exercise were intriguing: 

Naruto and Harii in one group. Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji, the classic Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Shino, Kiba, and Hinata together. Sakura paired with two minor teammates. 

Aside from Team 7, the groupings mirrored their future squad assignments almost perfectly. The original manga clearly hadn't paired them randomly. 

Once everyone's food was weighed and approved, Iruka collected the excess into a towering pile. "Now, line up and enter the training ground in batches!" 

Harii and Naruto stood near the front of the line, watching classmates disappear into the lush, green forest ahead. Naruto, already over his earlier embarrassment, buzzed with excitement, looking around eagerly despite the heavy double load of food on his back. 

That's right—Harii had stuffed all her food into Naruto's pack, claiming it was "to build his physical strength and forge his iron will to endure hardship." Naruto didn't mind; in fact, he was thrilled. To him, Harii entrusting him with her precious food and water was a sign of deep trust. It also made Harii realize just how terrifying a "lovestruck brain" could be, strengthening her resolve to steer clear of romance. 

Soon, the team ahead vanished into the forest, and it was their turn. 

"Let's go!" Naruto charged forward eagerly. 

Harii, gripping her blind cane, tilted her head skyward. Activating her Byakugan, she scanned the vast sea of green. The forest teemed with wildlife—prey aplenty. This was the enemy's domain, but it was also crawling with chunin instructors from the Ninja Academy. To Harii, it wasn't an ideal place to make a move. 

But if the enemy struck first? That'd be perfect. 

She wasn't afraid of an open fight—what scared her was an enemy lurking in the shadows, watching her every move, waiting for the right moment to strike. To stay ready for a surprise attack, she'd avoided using shadow clones these past few days, preserving her chakra. 

Crunch, crunch. 

"Ughhh—!" 

From a sealed chamber, a man's anguished cries echoed, accompanied by horrifying chewing sounds. The wails grew fainter until a final scream cut off, leaving silence. 

Skree! 

A rat in a cage, as if startled, twitched frantically, its red eyes glowing, cheeks puffing in and out. 

Sawada Fuka, dressed in a sleek tracksuit, ignored her animal companion. Covering her nose and mouth, she rhythmically pounded dried herbs into powder with a pestle. Behind her, neat rows of sealed plastic bags held similar powders. 

Hikari and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki had entered Training Ground Zero as planned. The Kumogakure ninja were also in position. Only when everyone was in place did Kumo share the full plan with her. 

It was far more meticulous than she'd expected. She hadn't anticipated they'd send a top-tier elite jonin into Konoha. As one of the five great ninja villages, Kumogakure's strength was truly formidable. 

With the Uchiha clan's affairs settled, Konoha had relaxed from its state of high alert. Now was the perfect time to act. 

Fuka finished grinding the powder, packing it into a bag, leaving just a small pinch behind. She rubbed it between her fingers, sprinkling it into the rat's cage. 

Skree! 

The rat sniffed the falling powder, its front paws scratching wildly. As the powder rained down, Fuka's handful quickly vanished. 

SKREE!!! 

The rat shuddered, its red eyes darting upward, searching for more. But no more came. 

Skree! 

Its cries turned shrill. Bang, bang, bang! The once-docile rat went berserk, slamming its head against the cage bars, eyes blazing. 

Fuka's lips curled into a grin. Watching the bloodied, frenzied rat, she was thoroughly satisfied with the powder's effects.