Revolution in the Ninja World

"I leave Konoha for just a few days, and somehow, I get the feeling everything's changed. It's not even just a feeling, is it?"

Returning from the Land of Eddies, Kushina Uzumaki stood on high ground just outside Konoha's perimeter. Gazing at the ravaged center of the Death Forest, she let out a sigh dripping with the frustration of unmet expectations—like hating iron for not becoming steel.

The destruction wrought by the battle inevitably caught her eye. After all, surrounded by dense woodland, that central area now resembled nothing so much as a stark, unnatural clearing, a bald patch amidst the green.

Kushina had been briefed in Uzu about the general chaos during the Chunin Exams. However, since the incident—while seemingly severe—hadn't caused substantial damage to Konoha proper, and because it was a sudden event without immediate follow-up, she hadn't rushed back. Instead, she had methodically finished her work. There was no point hurrying; it was over already.

Judging by her appearance now, her "archaeological dig" in her old homeland had yielded some results. A square, crate-like container was strapped to her back, filled with scrolls and books. Even considering the sentimental value of artifacts from her homeland, anything Kushina carried personally was bound to be significant.

"Lady Kushina, the Tailed Beast attack was certainly a major incident," an ANBU operative behind her stated. "The village's response was exceptionally prompt. So, although the battlefield looks devastating, ultimately, no severe damage was sustained…"

"Most ninja lack experience fighting large-scale opponents, and the Sealing Corps needs systematic preparation to be effective," Kushina mused, not overly critical. Konoha's handling of the Tailed Beast attack had been commendable, all things considered. "Good thing the Third Hokage is still sharp as ever, eh?"

The Uzumaki clan's chakra possessed unique properties useful against Tailed Beasts, but that didn't mean Kushina failed to grasp the difficulty ordinary shinobi faced. She certainly wouldn't make light of their struggle.

"The Hokage's contribution was expected," the ANBU operative added with a note of admiration. "Comparatively, the performance of Jonin Kakashi and Jonin Habara was truly astounding."

It was well known that ninja typically prioritized offense over defense—glass cannons, essentially. Therefore, Habara's feat of directly tanking a Tailed Beast Bomb with his Eight Branches Technique bordered on miraculous. No matter how battered the Yamata no Orochi form had been by the blast, the fact remained: Habara had stopped it.

Hearing the ANBU praise her subordinate, Kushina remained noncommittal. She stared thoughtfully at the scarred battlefield ahead before finally speaking. "Let's return to the village. I need to report to the Hokage about the Uzu mission as soon as possible."

Truthfully, digging around her ancestral home didn't particularly warrant an urgent report to the Hokage. Kushina was more interested in learning the outcome and follow-up regarding the Tailed Beast attack.

She'd heard the Seven-Tails was dealt with directly—the death of a Tailed Beast was indeed a major event in the shinobi world. But the attack wouldn't simply conclude with the demise of the main culprit. It was curious; the surface level of the ninja world was kill-or-be-killed, and its underlying nature was much the same. Yet, when handling problems, shinobi couldn't rely solely on violence. There were still politics and interpersonal dynamics to navigate.

Habara remained unaware that his direct superior was on her way back to the village. All he knew was that ever since he'd managed to "offload" Naruto during the Chunin Exams, he hadn't "reclaimed" the boy. He had neither the intention nor had he made any move to do so.

Technically, handing off a mission like that wasn't permitted. Fortunately, Habara had the perfect excuse: "hospitalized due to work-related injury." It was a neat escape from the wonderful time spent with the little hellion. Besides, Naruto wasn't in any danger with Daigo. While Daigo possessed little innate talent as a shinobi, her immense chakra combined with the Bashosen made her more than a match for the average ninja.

Forget average ninja; even a fully formed shinobi squad might not necessarily win against her.

As noon approached, Habara left his house, yawning as he walked through Konoha's streets, heading towards the Little Earthen Building to clock in for work.

Along the way, he noticed a commotion up ahead. Although Konoha seemed prone to various odd incidents, ninja villages were generally orderly places. Their primary function was military, after all, so disruptions weren't common.

Drawing closer, Habara realized Konoha's internal security forces were apprehending some ninja. Given that Konoha currently had two security divisions, he couldn't immediately tell if these were officers from the Uchiha-led Police Force or Konoha's own Public Security Department.

What surprised Habara, however, was that the "police" carrying out their duties noticed him the instant he approached. Their gazes, sharp and complex, fixed on him. But as Habara, merely curious about the spectacle, moved closer, they actually parted ways, clearing a path for him…

The surrounding chatter died down. For a moment, Habara felt oddly conspicuous, like some intimidating figure who silenced the streets just by appearing.

By now, Habara had spotted their armbands. Even without that visual cue, their expressions and the subtle shift in atmosphere told him who they were—Uchiha shinobi from the Konoha Military Police Force.

The notoriously proud Uchiha, yielding without a word? It was truly a bizarre sight in Konoha, and for a moment, Habara couldn't help but feel a surge of self-satisfaction. If you asked who the most arrogant shinobi in the world were, even the Uchiha usually had to take a backseat to Habara's perceived threat level now.

Alright, Habara knew this reaction stemmed from the sheer shock value of his Eight Branches Technique. Even the Uchiha clan felt the pressure.

Previously, Habara had managed to attribute the killing of the Fourth Kazekage entirely to Kakashi, boosting Kakashi's reputation to near the level of his teacher, the Fourth Hokage. This time, however, Habara couldn't deflect the attention. The abrupt transition from operating behind the scenes to being thrust into the spotlight felt… unsettling.

Given the unique, serpentine nature of the Eight Branches Technique, many now looked at Habara and saw echoes of Orochimaru. One Orochimaru left, and a new one stands up. For the ambitious elements within the Uchiha clan, this was certainly not good news.

Arrogant though the Uchiha might be, and perhaps not always the sharpest tools in the shed, they weren't brainless. A three-tomoe Sharingan was obviously no match for a Kinjutsu like the Eight Branches Technique. So, they chose to step back.

Habara certainly didn't want people associating him with Orochimaru. Techniques like the Eight Branches were best left unused if possible.

The Uchiha's deference was novel. In any case, there was no spectacle for Habara to watch now. Instead, he had become the spectacle. Only after he had walked clear of the area did the Uchiha resume their police work.

What is this nonsense, Habara thought wryly. Why would you Uchiha be afraid of the Eight Branches Technique? Isn't it supposed to be easily sliced apart by the Ten-Fist Sword like chopping vegetables?

What's that? You don't have the Mangekyo Sharingan? Oh, well then. Never mind.

Thus, Habara arrived uneventfully at the Little Earthen Building. He handed a certain scroll to Daigo and, incidentally, saw Naruto, who was under her care.

Theoretically, Naruto Uzumaki should have been a lively, exceptionally troublesome child. Yet, in Daigo's presence, he was remarkably well-behaved—no crying, no fussing, no mischief. One could even call him "good."

Based on Habara's impression, Naruto could seem quite dense at times, yet remarkably perceptive at others. The saying "the child is father to the man" seemed apt; these traits were already evident.

When little Naruto spent time with Daigo, he quickly noticed the unusual things about her humanoid form. For instance…

She didn't eat. She didn't breathe. She had no body heat. Her face showed no expression.

Given: Naruto is an infant, Daigo is essentially a dead person. Calculate the area of psychological scarring for Naruto spending time with Daigo…

Whatever the calculation, Naruto always seemed particularly delighted whenever he saw Habara, often greeting him with a small smile and absolutely zero fuss.

Habara had arrived at the Little Earthen Building; time to start work. He couldn't interfere in the follow-up to the Tailed Beast incident. Or rather, ever since hearing Danzo was handling it, he had no intention of getting involved.

However, he did have genuine work to do. Every afternoon since leaving the hospital, he met with several ninja at the Little Earthen Building—specifically, those participating in the preliminary system trials. He collected their opinions and listened to their experiences to further adjust and perfect the system.

It was a rare piece of legitimate work. Although it consisted entirely of "just talking," the task was important, and Habara took it very seriously.

Later that evening, Habara saw Kushina. If one had to ask who was most delighted by her return, the surprising answer was… her own son, Naruto.

The work of collecting feedback continued systematically over the following days and was expected to last for some time. Unexpectedly, however, Habara was suddenly summoned by the Hokage. An urgent mission had come up for him.

Could it be that the Tailed Beast incident has reached a conclusion? Habara wondered. Is Konoha preparing to discipline Takigakure, and the Hokage needs to rally forces?

His mind buzzing with questions, Habara arrived at the Third Hokage's office. Another shinobi was already waiting inside… unmistakably a ninja from another village.

However, it wasn't a ninja from Takigakure. It was a ninja from Sunagakure.

Seeing Habara, the Third Hokage got straight to the point. " Habara, our ally, the Land of Wind, has proposed a joint mission with Konoha. Furthermore, Sunagakure has specifically requested your participation."

Habara: "..."

Huh? Sand? A joint mission? Habara 's thoughts raced. Have they forgotten what happened at the end of the last war? Or do they also believe Kakashi was the real culprit, not me?

Aren't they the ones who should be wary of me*?*