Chunin Exams (3)

In the Tanigakure undeground labyrinth, a group of Sungakure genin were piercing through the waves of summoned beasts as if they were wild beasts. Chunin-level summoned beasts has purposefully been dispatched throughout the labyrinth after months of preparation so that it would test the participants to learn how to survive in a battlefield with beings stronger than oneself.

This battle stage aimed at evaluating the capacity of each team to navigate through such enemies, as well as their survivability.

Suiton no jutsu : Water Shuriken

Fire jutsu : Fire Shuriken

Wind jutsu : Wind Shuriken

Fighting from a distance, Kaito, Eiji and Aki were sending waves of attacks towards the three-meters-tall summoned beast, which had the form of a horse. 

*SPLASH*

However, massive targets were easy to deal damage too, and if team 146 had anything, it was firepower. In a couple of seconds, hundreds of shuriken fell down on the poor summoned beast, dealing more than half of its total vitality in one wave.

[Level 32 Horse Summoned Beast - Gakku - HP: 330 / 860]

[Bleeding and poison ailment has been activated on the target...]

Seeing it wincing in pain, Eiji unsheathed his blade proactively, not letting any danger threaten Kaito. Such defensive formation had no hole, and stemmed from years of experience on the battlefield, completely unlike any other team in the exam. Had it been a few years ago, Eiji might have rushed and disregarded the formation, but they were a different team now, their eyes showing a coldness that was unique to assassins, a firmness tempered with war.

For this specific battle, Kaito only summoned [Jinx], for this shuriken launcher had been with him the longest and was the most versatile in terms of long-range combat.

However, he was not so dumb as to let the enemy summoned beast close the distance. Though he trusted Eiji to the core, knowing that he could easily cut down this horsey, Kaito had learned to monopolise every inch of experience coming his way, and the chunin exams was a gold mine in that regard.

Shuriken Jutsu : Tanigakure Giant Shuriken Launch [D]

The giant shuriken, which as big as Eiji's torso, was launched at terrifying speed, the mechanical sound of iron string tension being released reverberating throughout the labyrinth. Before it could react, the horse summoned beast was beheaded, and turned into smoke.

[You have killed [Level 32 Summoned Beast - Gakku ]. You have earned 396 EXP]

'He grew stronger again...', both Eiji and Aki contemplated at the massive display of strength from the giant tanigakure shuriken that had not only beheaded the chunin-level summoned beast, but deeply embedded itself into the nearest wall, proof of its extraordinary power.

"This is the fifth token already", Eiji said with a smile, "At this rate, reaching the hidden requirements of this stage will be a walk in the park"

Aki pinched his nose in a stern way: "Do not grow complacent. This time, our opponents are not just Tanigakure genins, there are also shinobi from the Rain Hidden Village Amegakure, and those tree huggers"

Seeing this peaceful scenery, Kaito could not help but smile: "Indeed, Aki is right. Konohagakure is the strongest village, and though it has been declining over the past few decades, the legacy left behind their first and second Hokage is not to be underestimated"

'Strictly speaking, Konoha itself with just the Uchiha clan is already extremely troublesome to deal with, but they do have more than one dojutsu. In battlefields, the tactical knowledge that can be gathered by the Hyuga make them the worst opponent to deal with. Thankfully, Sunagakure has chosen Konoha as its ally, and not its enemy', Kaito thought with a smile

Aki suddenly tensed, and sent a signal with her hands. After years on the battlefield, both Kaito and Eiji found out about her strong senses. Though she did not qualify as a sensor yet, she was better than the average shinobi in noticing enemy presences, a perk that was common to elite wind ninjutsu experts.

Immediately taking cover, the trio observed the situation as they saw a team of Konohagakure genins approach the giant Tanigakure Shuriken Kaito had just launched.

With a bit of shock, Kaito tensed, as he recognized two genins.

[Iruka Umino - Lv. 28 Genin]

[Mizuki - Lv. 22 Genin]

[Konoha Kunoichi - Lv. 25 Genin]

Iruka and Mizuki, both genins at the moment, would grow to become academy teachers at Konoha in a couple of years. The two of them, with dramatically opposed personalities, had been teamed up with a young girl who seemed to come from the Akimichi clan, judging by her weight. 

Iruka did not have his scar yet, but his kind gaze and nonchalant expression could not be mistaken for anyone else. As for Mizuki, he had this perfid gaze filled with envy, though his silver hair was what gave him away.

After years of living in the naruto world, Kaito had learned one truth, which was not to trust the series. Something displayed as "Will of the fire" was nothing but the brainwashing of a soldier army, and Hiruzen probably was the most perfid ruler of all, for he hid behind his facade of an old grandfather whereas his actions were that of an undecisive yet efficient Hokage who ordered the massacre of the Uchiha and dealt with political schemes, preventing the village from crumbling from within.

At first, Kaito was afraid to change the course of action, but he quickly noticed that it was meaningless to endure a wretched storyline. He did not want to passively witness the fall of Sunagakure after its crumbling relationship with the wind damyo. He did not want the witness the death of Rasa, the third Kazekage. He wanted to change the fate of Sunagakure, and for that he needed one thing: Strength.

This desire, hunger for strength was but a necessary requirement to change his fate.

At this moment, a blue screen popped in front of his eyes.

[Fate breaker - Optional Mission [B]

You have crossed the path of Iruka and Mizuki, characters who will impact the original storyline a lot. By killing them, you will disrupt fate, causing enormous waves in the stream of fate, confusing prophets and oracles, folding schemes and turning the world around. One small assassination would cause chaos in fate. 

Task - Change Iruka and Mizuki's fate (0 / 2)

Rewards - 20 000 EXP, Ring of fate [S]]

Kaito had seen what kind of benefits D-rank pieces of equipment could give him. Thus, there was no hesitation in his eyes when he muttered to his teammates: "We have to kill that silver-haired genin, no matter what"

What better way to change someone's fate, if not by killing him?

Mizuki was the first villain in Naruto, the one who had revealed to the blond jinchuriki his true nature. Removing him would result in one simple disruption of the story. Iruka would no longer be the same too, his kind-hearted nature probably turning for the worse. 

Unknowingly, Kaito had turned into a monster who saw shinobi from other villages as nothing but pawns in his board of ambition...