Revolution in the Ninja World

"So, Lord Habara, you had no prior contact with the Takigakure ninja before this? The sudden incident during the Chunin Exams was completely without warning?"

Inside Habara's room at Konoha Hospital, two ANBU operatives were questioning him. This wasn't necessarily because ANBU suspected Habara of anything; it was merely routine questioning following the incident, aimed at gathering as many clues as possible to reconstruct the truth.

"Just before the Takigakure Tailed Beast went berserk, I was suddenly attacked," Habara recounted, thinking carefully. "After finishing an inconclusive battle, as we were withdrawing past that Takigakure ninja, he abruptly released the Tailed Beast. Judging from the specific circumstances at the time, I don't believe it was a planned attack... The beast's rampage was sudden for us, and it seemed equally sudden for the Jinchuriki himself." Intuitively, Habara felt the first attack was aimed at him, but the second—the "Tailed Beast assault"—had been too abrupt.

Clearly, they were asking the wrong person. If they questioned Kakashi, perhaps he might know why the Seven-Tails suddenly went wild, though whether he'd divulge the reason to ANBU was another matter entirely, given it involved the secrets of his Mangekyo Sharingan.

"Also," Habara added, "just call me Habara. There's no need for 'Lord'."

He keenly sensed a subtle shift in the ANBU's attitude towards him, likely due to his earlier performance. But he certainly wouldn't let a little deference go to his head.

The two ANBU operatives exchanged a glance and nodded simultaneously. The one taking notes continued, "One more thing. It's reported that during your battle with the Tailed Beast, you used a ninjutsu called... hm, the 'Eight Branches Technique'. If we're not mistaken, that technique should be a forbidden jutsu secretly held by the village. Under normal circumstances, a Konoha ninja couldn't acquire this Kinjutsu through legitimate channels. Do you have an explanation for this?"

Since Habara had used a Konoha Kinjutsu publicly, the village naturally needed to inquire.

"Lord Orochimaru taught me this forbidden technique before he left Konoha," Habara stated calmly. "As for how he obtained it, that is beyond my knowledge."

The transmission path of the Kinjutsu was clear; the unclear parts had nothing to do with Habara. His respectful address of Orochimaru was relatively unimportant. In Konoha's current public opinion, Orochimaru wasn't yet a universally reviled figure—otherwise, Jiraiya's primary goal wouldn't still be trying to bring him back.

"Was it a trade?" one ANBU asked pointedly.

"No, it was instruction."

It was indeed a trade; the ANBU had hit the mark. However, Habara wouldn't admit it. Acknowledging a trade would imply he had given Orochimaru something equivalent in value to the Eight Branches Technique, a point difficult to explain away. So, he simply denied it. Trades follow the principle of equivalent exchange; instruction, well, that follows the principle of "because I felt like it."

"Do you still maintain contact with Orochimaru?"

"If possible, I would like to be able to contact him," Habara replied, his tone earnest despite the empty words. "After all, Lord Orochimaru is a Konoha missing-nin. Regardless, this matter must be addressed..."

Though his statement was essentially correct but meaningless filler, it sounded remarkably "sincere," not because Habara possessed any particular art of conversation, but because of its apparent straightforwardness.

"Anything else you gentlemen need to ask?" Habara inquired, noticing the recording ANBU's pen had stopped moving.

"No, that will be all. Thank you for your cooperation."

The two ANBU operatives then departed the room with a surprising degree of politeness, a manner inconsistent with the ANBU's usual forceful and often bloody reputation.

This routine questioning felt rushed, almost like they were just going through the motions. They were fulfilling their duties, certainly, but Habara got the distinct impression that the ANBU hadn't harbored much doubt about his statements. Considering their identity as ANBU, their inclination to believe him seemed rather unusual.

Did I overdo it a bit...? Habara mused, shaking his head slightly. Reputation, after all, was cumulative. And this situation was different from previous ones... There's a vast difference between landing a surprise kick on a Tailed Beast or intercepting a Jinchuriki on the battlefield's periphery, and transforming into a monstrous entity the size of a Tailed Beast to engage in a head-on brawl. Anyone astute could tell the difference.

While not all ninja were astute, some certainly were.

Meanwhile, in the Hokage's Office.

As the saying goes, major events necessitate major actions, and before major actions, one scene inevitably unfolds... a meeting.

The Third Hokage was gently tapping his right shoulder with his left fist. The earlier battle hadn't been easy for him—or at least, not as easy as he might have expected. It made Lord Hokage keenly aware that he had, indeed, grown old.

"Why would a village like Takigakure secretly dispatch a Jinchuriki to Konoha under the guise of the Chunin Exams? Was the rampage accidental, or part of some plan?" Utatane Koharu finally broke the silence, unable to hold back her question.

"Considering the consecutive attacks on our ninja, it's difficult to dismiss this as mere coincidence. We cannot deceive ourselves on this matter... Takigakure was definitely plotting something," Mitokado Homura stated firmly.

Konoha certainly didn't fear an attack from a minor hidden village, but...

"What reason could they have? The shinobi world only recently regained peace," Koharu countered.

"There are always those who thrive on chaos," Homura retorted curtly. His words, however blunt, rang true as a fundamental principle of the ninja world.

In this world, for every person desiring stability, there seemed to be another eager to stir up major trouble.

"Whether it was accidental or intentional cannot be determined yet; further investigation is required," the Third Hokage interjected, halting the minor standoff between his two advisors. He set the official tone for handling the incident. "Overall, this matter should be downplayed. Even if Takigakure was planning something, it must be framed as the actions of certain rogue individuals, unrelated to Takigakure as a whole... Takigakure will bear corresponding responsibility, but Konoha will not initiate war over this."

"..."

Honestly, the statement sounded rather absurd and severely deviated from the likely facts. The advisors' assessment seemed more logical; the incident was clearly linked to Takigakure. Yet, following the Hokage's decree, Koharu and Homura had nothing more to say.

They understood the underlying rationale for the Hokage's chosen approach. It wasn't that present-day Konoha lacked the strength to deal with a minor village; rather, war seldom proceeded according to plan. Konoha versus Takigakure posed no problem, but what if, in the midst of it, another major hidden village saw a golden opportunity to intervene?

"The current priority is to heighten security and ensure the remainder of the Chunin Exams proceeds smoothly without further incident," Hiruzen continued. Although Konoha had already lost significant face due to the unexpected disaster, precisely because of that, they couldn't afford any further embarrassment.

"I heard Habara confronted the Tailed Beast directly?" Homura brought up.

"Yes," Hiruzen confirmed. " Habara essentially held off the rampaging Tailed Beast single-handedly. If not for him, the beast would very likely have broken into Konoha proper, and my subsequent efforts to resolve the situation wouldn't have been as straightforward."

"To fight a Tailed Beast head-on... Habara already possesses such strength. Truly surprising."

Hiruzen elaborated further, "Mm, you should both have heard by now. During the confrontation, Habara utilized the Eight Branches Technique."

"Let's set aside the matter of his strength for now," Koharu interjected. "Previously, the only person in Konoha known to have mastered the Eight Branches Technique was Orochimaru, stemming from his prying into and theft of Konoha's secret techniques. The fact that Habara can use this jutsu now... does it imply his relationship with Orochimaru is deeper than we imagined?"

Habara couldn't possibly bypass numerous barriers to steal a Konoha Kinjutsu. Therefore, his technique naturally originated from Orochimaru. Whether Habara admitted it or not, others could deduce this point.

Logically, having a powerful Konoha ninja should be cause for celebration among the village's leadership, such as the advisors. However, their feelings towards Habara couldn't be simple joy. After all, Habara wasn't Jiraiya.

"Specifically?" Homura prompted, though all three understood the unspoken implication. They were masters of feigning ignorance, however, leading to dragged-out exchanges.

The Third Hokage shook his head, offering his conclusion. "Impossible. Habara and Orochimaru are not cut from the same cloth. He wouldn't be Orochimaru's spy left behind in Konoha... Habara has always had his own ideas; he wouldn't be manipulated by Orochimaru."

Habara was someone consistently striving for institutional innovation within Konoha. He couldn't be Orochimaru's spy; it went against the fundamental nature of the man.

From the perspective of the two stubborn old advisors, however, someone like Habara, dedicated to "change," certainly wasn't a 'proper' individual. Thus, they deeply doubted the Third Hokage's judgment. Spy or not, Habara's connection to Orochimaru was undeniably strong.

Seeing the expressions on his advisors' faces and knowing their thoughts, Hiruzen added firmly, "My judgment of people is never wrong."

If only he hadn't said that. His declaration actually made the advisors more suspicious, recalling how highly the Hokage had regarded Orochimaru right before his defection. And it wasn't just Orochimaru; it included all three Sannin, whom the Hokage had painstakingly raised...

"Ahem," Hiruzen cleared his throat. "In any case, let's wait for ANBU's detailed investigation report first."

However, there was truly little to investigate. Tracing clues made it difficult to ascertain the "motive for the crime." Determining the sequence of events wasn't hard, but that was the limit of what ANBU could achieve. It wasn't that the Takigakure ninja were uncooperative; rather, the ones who came to Konoha couldn't cooperate. Following the violent deaths of the Tailed Beast and its Jinchuriki, they too had promptly died from "unknown reasons." The whole family, wiped out neatly together.

All that remained was to see how Konoha would handle the affair moving forward.

For the next few days, Habara relaxed—or "slacked off," as some might call it—in the Konoha Hospital. Soon, news arrived via Tenzo: the Chunin Exams had "smoothly" concluded. After the Tailed Beast riot, the remaining examination process had proceeded at remarkable speed. Upon conclusion, the ninja from visiting villages were promptly expelled from Konoha.

Habara didn't bother asking if Tenzo had passed; there was no reason Tenzo wouldn't. His assumption, in fact, was correct.

So, Tenzo had finally transcended the invincible Genin stage, "degenerating" into the most underwhelming rank of Chunin. The reasoning was simple: as a Genin, Tenzo had participated in assassinating a Kazekage. Would he ever get such an opportunity again? It was a classic case of peaking at debut.

That being said, while the Joint Chunin Exams were typically a major event, the preceding chaos had rendered them somewhat trivial this time. If Tenzo prepared a bit more, perhaps leveraging the uniqueness of his Wood Style, he might soon be eligible for the Jonin assessment.

Soon, a full week had passed with Habara laid up in the hospital. One morning, Kakashi appeared before him. It had to be said, compared to those ANBU operatives, Kakashi actually had some manners; he at least knew to bring a fruit basket instead of showing up empty-handed.

"Taking it easy, are we? The village has been quite chaotic these past few days," Kakashi remarked immediately upon seeing Habara, beginning his typical commentary.

Habara was doodling in a notebook with a pen. Hearing Kakashi's "accusation," he replied without looking up, "Seven days is a good cycle. Whether hospitalized or unconscious, anything less than seven days just feels wrong, you know? Besides, I'm not idle. I'm clearly engaged in voluntary overtime, working from home." He was on work injury leave, after all, entitled to be waited on hand and foot. Why leave so soon?

"So, what kind of work are you doing?" Kakashi asked, peering over.

"Perfecting the ninjutsu I couldn't complete during the previous battle," Habara explained earnestly. "It's a kind of five-element 'fusion' technique, though actually, it only requires four types of chakra. This kind of fusion aligns better with my understanding of the world... Since the technique was unsuccessful last time, I need to re-research the combination and balancing ratios of these four chakra types." He still felt a pang of regret that the new jutsu's debut hadn't been flawless... it hadn't quite achieved the desired effect of "coating the Seven-Tails in batter and deep-frying it until golden brown."

"Well, if you manage to complete its development, please be sure to let me see it."

"Of course," Habara agreed readily. "Once it's fully developed, I plan to contribute this S-rank composite ninjutsu to the Infinite Library."

"You're sure?" Kakashi visibly paused, surprised.

"Of course." Habara knew what Kakashi was thinking, but he affirmed his decision. S-rank techniques, more than just powerful moves, could be considered the core of a ninja's combat style and lifeline. Therefore, ninja often guarded them jealously. Habara proactively offering to make his newly completed jutsu public seemed somewhat counter-intuitive.

Well, perhaps not entirely counter-intuitive. Even with the same technique, the effects Habara produced would undoubtedly differ from others', given he was the developer. Furthermore, how many ninja could actually master a multi-composite ninjutsu requiring four distinct chakra natures? Those possessing four or more nature transformations were exceedingly rare, meaning the learning threshold for this technique was absurdly high.

"Enough about that," Habara said, setting down his notebook. He turned to Kakashi. "Regarding the Tailed Beast attack from Takigakure, what does Konoha intend to do?" Having been confined to the hospital, Habara's access to information was naturally limited, so he asked Kakashi directly.

"The village plans to dispatch a special representative to Takigakure," Kakashi informed him. "On one hand, to exchange the bodies and officially inform them of the deaths of the Tailed Beast and its Jinchuriki. On the other hand, for accountability and investigation."

The matter wouldn't simply be dropped. Konoha's reaction could be described as "restrained, rational, and demonstrating the dignity of a major power."

Habara nodded. That sounded like an approach aimed at resolving the problem, not escalating it.

"Who is this special representative?" he asked casually.

"Danzo Shimura," Kakashi replied.

Habara: "..."

He retracted his previous assessment. This was looking for trouble.

Habara couldn't help but spread his hands and rub his face. Does someone particularly skilled at committing crimes somehow appear skilled at investigating them? Danzo Shimura in charge of verifying the facts? What the hell could he possibly uncover?

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?" Kakashi asked, noticing Habara's reaction. Kakashi actually thought Danzo was quite suitable—not out of respect, but because he believed Danzo possessed the necessary capabilities. He had status, ability, and had even liaised with Takigakure previously regarding the Chunin Exams. Wasn't such a candidate perfectly suitable?

Exceedingly suitable, even.

"No, the choice is perfect," Habara said dryly. What else could he say? He thought, Danzo probably smuggled the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki into Konoha himself, but could he voice such a suspicion aloud?

"When does Danzo depart?" he asked instead.

"I don't know, but it should be very soon." Kakashi lacked precise information on this, nor should he have it. To prevent ambushes, the specific timing and routes for high-level departures were kept strictly confidential.

Habara, of course, had no intention of ambushing Danzo. Although Danzo had previously arranged assassination attempts against him, Habara wouldn't hold a grudge—not out of magnanimity, but because Danzo was a "rare commodity," valuable while alive.

Danzo still had his uses; he couldn't be eliminated so simply. In fact, if some minor player tried to kill Danzo, Habara might have to eliminate that person first. Danzo needed to die meaningfully, at a time and place of significance. At the very least, his death should involve "killing the body and condemning the soul," destroying his legacy along with his life.

In any case, hearing Danzo's name again, even based purely on intuition, Habara felt that this Tailed Beast incident, much like the Nine-Tails incident before it, would likely yield no conclusive results from the investigation.

After spending a few more days in the hospital, Habara fully recovered. Unable to justify lingering any longer, he finally had to check out of Konoha Hospital.

He had barely stepped out when, within the next few days, he received a special, high-specification mission.

This mission didn't even originate from within Konoha.

The "requesting party" was, to put it mildly, fantastical and utterly unexpected.