Naruto :Madam, You Don’t Want Anything To Happen To Sasuke, Right?

"I don't really understand what this curse seal is," Sarutobi Hiruzen said slowly, taking a puff from his pipe. "Orochimaru seems to have a habit of researching strange and forbidden things. This curse seal must be one of his more recent experiments."

Sasuke lifted his shirt slightly to cover the cursed mark again. For some reason, the mark always made him deeply uncomfortable.

"Does this curse seal change over time?" Hiruzen asked.

"Yes," Sasuke replied, his eyes half-closed, a trace of pain flashing across his usually impassive face. "I remember what I went through in the Forest of Death. When I'm low on chakra or my body is weakened, the curse seal spreads over half of my body."

"Even this ugly mark appears on my face."

"At the same time, I feel a surge… an endless power. My chakra reserves swell, my speed and reflexes improve drastically."

Hiruzen's eyes flickered with concern. "Is there anything else? Any other changes?"

Sasuke thought briefly, then shook his head. "No."

The Third Hokage frowned, hesitating for a moment before placing a firm hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"Alright. I understand the situation now. I will search for information and find a way to remove this curse seal for you."

"You must not use the curse's power anymore. Who knows what unpredictable consequences might follow."

"In this world, nothing is free. Every gain comes at a price. You must understand this."

"Yeah," Sasuke said quietly, nodding.

Though the Hokage didn't solve the problem outright, just knowing Sarutobi Hiruzen was involved brought Sasuke a measure of comfort.

After Hiruzen finished his questioning, Sasuke rejoined his team.

Meanwhile, the leaders of the other ninja villages also approached the Hokage after hearing about the incident.

The second round of the Chūnin Exam had been shaken by a serious accident.

Though only one Hidden Grass ninja had died, it was enough to raise alarm.

This time it was a Hidden Grass ninja. What about next time?

No one could guarantee that misfortune wouldn't strike their own people, and of course, they couldn't just ignore it.

"Lord Hokage, this is just the Chūnin Exam. Can Konoha not even guarantee the safety of young ninjas?"

"Orochimaru... is he really a traitor ninja from your village?" sneered Akatsuchi from the Hidden Rock Village.

"A traitorous Konoha ninja who dares return and act recklessly? That's a joke!" others echoed.

Samui from the Hidden Cloud Village looked grave.

"Hokage-sama, if Konoha cannot explain this incident, I think our young ninjas have no reason to stay here any longer."

"These young shinobi are our future, our hope. We can't lose them for no reason."

"Yes, it's simply too dangerous."

"If you can't guarantee the safety of your ninjas, it's better we leave."

"Orochimaru is a Kage-level fighter and one of the three legendary ninjas of Konoha back then. No matter how wicked the new generation is, they cannot stand against Orochimaru!"

Listening to the chorus of doubt and questioning, Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart sank.

There was no denying the damage to Konoha's reputation.

A simple Chūnin Exam—meant to be a routine event—had been marred by a grievous mistake.

Especially now, when Konoha was no longer the unshakable power it had been before.

Just when the village needed to prove its strength and reliability, such a scandal was a bitter blow.

But those were his private thoughts.

As a seasoned old fox, Sarutobi Hiruzen had long mastered concealing his emotions.

No matter how painful or frustrating, he never let others see it.

Now, facing the scrutiny of many ninja leaders, he simply puffed calmly on his pipe, his face composed and unruffled.

It was as if their criticisms meant nothing at all.

He spoke slowly, with the weight of authority.

"Everyone, the incident during this Chūnin Exam was indeed a grave failure on Konoha's part."

"On behalf of the Hokage, I sincerely apologize."

"In the past, we have hosted many Chūnin Exams and even more significant events, never once making such mistakes."

"This accident was due to a momentary lapse, nothing more."

"We have acknowledged this and will ensure it never happens again."

"I give you all my word."

Hearing Hiruzen's firm and sincere words, the tension in the room eased.

His reputation as a veteran leader in the ninja world was unquestioned.

He was no longer young—but the respect he commanded was immense.

But because of this, there were no shortage of legends about him in the ninja world.

On the other hand, it was precisely because of Konoha's strength.

Don't look at Konoha as if it were weaker than before, or in gradual decline.

That depends on whom you compare it with.

Compared to the Hidden Cloud Village and the Hidden Rock Village, it might seem a bit diminished.

But no matter what, the current Konoha remains one of the five strongest ninja villages in the world.

There is no doubt about this.

It is strong enough to crush ninety-nine percent of the other ninja villages.

In the eyes of many, Konoha was a behemoth.

What Konoha said naturally carried weight, and some people believed it.

Only a few villages — such as the Hidden Cloud, Hidden Rock, and Hidden Mist — still bore looks of disdain.

They had heard too many of these polite but hollow words on this very stage.

They sounded pleasant, but what about reality?

In order to prevent Orochimaru's reappearance and ensure nothing like this happened again, what decisive words had Sarutobi Hiruzen offered?

The answer was nothing—absolutely nothing.

He had only spoken empty phrases.

Still, everyone agreed not to press further.

After all, this was Konoha's territory.

Though they had never been on friendly terms, the rivalries were subtle, and no one wished to openly tear each other apart.

Uchiha Haru stood apart from all this.

No matter what happened here, it concerned him little.

He only needed to wait.

Wait for the Chūnin Exam to progress, step by step.

Wait for time to pass.

Wait for Orochimaru to make his move.

Wait for Sarutobi Hiruzen to die.

"…"

Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke slowly, his voice rich with emotion.

"The Chūnin Exam is a critical milestone in every ninja's career."

"Each one of us remembers the trials we faced during our own Chūnin Exams."

"Are you willing to let the younger generation in your village endure an unfinished exam?"

"Everyone, I ask you to trust me once more. Give Konoha the chance to prove itself, and allow the younger generation to see a complete process through!"

After these words, the hall that had been filled with suspicion fell utterly silent.

No more doubts. Not even a whisper.

Then, no one knew who started it first, but applause began to swell.

Soon, almost everyone was clapping.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's words had dramatically shifted their thoughts.

They were convinced—and willing to stay.

Uchiha Haru nodded silently.

Though he had never liked the old fox Sarutobi Hiruzen,

there was no denying the Hokage's achievements—and his capabilities.

Especially his skill in rallying people, which was extraordinary.

He was truly worthy of being the one who proposed the "Will of Fire" and inspired countless ninja.

He was strong.

Seeing the agreement around him, Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled with satisfaction.

No matter what happened, he always handled things with ease.

That was why he was Hokage.

Once the doubts were resolved, the leaders of the major ninja villages slowly dispersed to prepare for the next phase of the Chūnin Exam.

Time was running out, and they needed to get ready.

Only the leaders of the five great ninja villages remained.

"Lord Hokage's words are truly powerful," Akatsuchi, leader of the Hidden Rock Village, said with a hint of amusement.

Though it sounded like praise, there was an unmistakable sense of irony beneath it.

Samui of the Hidden Cloud Village snorted coldly, but said nothing.

Her meaning was clear.

She did not believe a word the Third Hokage said.

Only Uchiha Haru and Orochimaru—posing as the Fourth Kazekage—stood silently, observing.

They did not engage.

"What else do you want?" Hiruzen challenged.

"Didn't I make myself clear just now?"

Since these people refused to give him respect, he didn't feel compelled to be polite.

After all, he was the Hokage.

The ninja of the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Rock villages were unfazed.

With the strength of their villages, they weren't afraid of anything Sarutobi Hiruzen might do.

"Hokage, this isn't about what we want to do."

"It's about what you want to do."

"We aren't like those smaller ninja villages.

Your words might fool them, but they won't fool us!"

"We're telling you, we don't want to see another incident like what happened in the Forest of Death."

"Especially, we will never allow such tragedy to befall our ninjas!"

"If any misfortune comes to them later, don't expect us to come to see the Hokage!"

With that, the two turned and left without another word.

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