A swarm of Narutos charged forward, each wielding what looked like glowing lightsabers. The Cloud Jonin's expression twisted in alarm.
"Watch out for those chakra sabers! That kid used this trick earlier — it cuts clean through!"
The six Cloud Chūnin beside him grew wary. Rather than clash head-on, they flinched and scattered, coordination lost in their panic.
Haruto Itsuki watched in disbelief.
"What kind of knockoff version of my move is that? That's just a glowing stick... It might look like mine, but it's nowhere near as lethal."
Nearby, Haku turned to Daigo.
"Go help Naruto."
Daigo hesitated but finally nodded.
On another front, Sasuke moved to rush in, but Haku stopped him with a shake of his head.
"Your arm's injured. Hold back."
"But—"
"If we can't handle it, then you'll be our last resort."
Though Haku's voice stayed soft, his tone was iron. Sasuke clenched his fists.
"Fine... I'll jump in if it gets bad."
Haku nodded and advanced toward the Cloud Jonin.
anwhile, Haruto was clashing with Sha. The fight was tense—Haruto, drained from unleashing the Eight Gates and the Curse Mark, had clearly lost his earlier advantage.
But slowly, sothing shifted.
His attacks grew sharper, more instinctual—feral. The Curse Mark's taint sharpened his reflexes, twisted his movents. He grinned, eyes faintly red.
"Ah... this feeling."
He stopped blocking altogether, aiming only for Sha's vitals. Sha's calm began to crack.
Just a mont ago, I had the upper hand! Why is he pushing back now?!
Panicked, Sha poured chakra into his broken sword. The blade pulsed, faintly howling. His eyes turned icy blue.
With this boost, Sha reversed the tide again. Haruto was forced to retreat.
Watching from afar, the Cloud captain narrowed his eyes.
"This is going nowhere. I'll end it."
He ford a rapid sequence of hand signs:
"Forbidden Jutsu: Eight Dragon Form!"
Scales tore across his skin. His body twisted into sothing grotesque—less a dragon and more a monstrous, serpentine creature, not unlike Orochimaru's cursed transformations. He dove into a nearby river and disappeared.
Haku looked around warily.
"Where is he...?"
"Sideswipe—left!" Sasuke shouted.
A water serpent exploded upward. Haku dodged—barely.
But then—
"Got you!" the Cloud captain growled, slashing from behind.
Before it hit, black smoke erupted from Haku's shadow.
"Hidden Mist Jutsu: Smoke Binding!"
The Cloud Jonin froze. A figure burst from the water.
"Water Style: Binding Water Whip!"
The whip lashed across the enemy's back, forcing him away, coughing blood.
Masaki stood behind Haku, smirking.
"Did you forget? Every squad has three."
Cursing, the Kokuryo drew blood across his wrist.
"If I don't do this now, I'm dead anyway."
The blood fed the water serpents around him, inflating their size and chakra pressure.
They circled Haku's group like sharks.
Then—
"Storm Style: Spiraling Vortex!"
A towering cyclone of water rose around them, locking them inside.
Outside, Sasuke sprinted toward them—but his techniques couldn't penetrate the raging storm.
"Why... am I still too weak?"
Unseen, one tomoe in his Sharingan shifted—becoming a three-tomoe Sharingan.
Haruto saw the threat. He had no ti to rest.
The Curse Mark surged again.
"Gate of Life — OPEN!"
Chakra exploded from his body. A translucent aura cloaked him. Sha's eyes widened.
He's still this strong!? I have to run!
Too late.
Haruto charged. Muramasa roared to life—its chakra blade extended to ten ters.
"BOOM!"
A single swing sent Sha crashing into the earth.
Suppressing his bloodlust, Haruto turned and dashed toward Haku.
Inside the vortex, Masaki panicked.
"We're screwed when this collapses!"
Haku stood still, eyes narrowing.
"I didn't want to show this..."
He ford hand signs.
"Ice Style: Grand Freezing Burial!"
The water cyclone froze, encasing them in towering crystal ice. With a shattering crack, the team broke free.
Naruto and Daigo, having just taken out the six Chūnin, looked back.
Naruto's eyes sparkled.
"Whoa... that was cool."
Daigo stared at Haku, conflicted.
I said I'd kill him... but who was I kidding?
Finally, Haruto, Haku, and Sasuke surrounded the battered Cloud captain.
The man was pale. That last jutsu had drained him dry.
He looked up, laughed bitterly.
"Haha... of course. No matter how hard we fight, we can't beat you."
Tears slid down his cheeks.
"Why? Why do you grow stronger so easily, while we... We gave up our nas... our hos... everything. And still, we're worthless."
He clutched his bleeding arm.
"I was the only one who lived. Over twenty of us were test subjects. My jutsu is fed with blood. Sha's blade—he has to feed it daily with his own. We've lived in the dark... and still, we lost."
Silence.
"WHY?! Why do you get to shine in the light—while we die in the shadows?!"
Haruto sheathed Muramasa and turned away.
"Why... won't you kill ?"
Haruto stopped.
"Live. I ant what I said. Crawl toward the light."
Several groups split off, heading toward the central tower.
Due to severe chakra exhaustion, Haruto Itsuki lay motionless on Naruto's back.
"Boss, are you okay?"Haruto shook his head weakly. "I'm fine."
Then he fell silent.
He'd realized sothing.
He often cursed the system for being unfair—called it a cheat. But now, he thought: what if he never had it?
Without the system...Without a bloodline, without hidden power...No matter how hard he trained, he'd end up like Lee. Noble, but dood to irrelevance.
In three years, he'd be cannon fodder.
He'd die. aninglessly and no one would even rember.
Ideals? Dreams? They were empty without strength.
This world didn't care about your heart, only your power.
Haruto sighed quietly.
If he wanted to change the world...He'd have to spill blood. The enemy's blood—or his own.
Unless he beca a god...No one would ever listen to him.
He suddenly rembered Nagato's words and muttered without thinking:
"I want to beco the god of this world."
Naruto blinked. "Boss, what did you say?"
"...Nothing."
Then Haruto spoke again.
"Naruto, Sasuke."
"What is it?" both replied.
"No matter what happens... will you two support ?"
"Of course!" Naruto answered imdiately, sincere but confused.
Sasuke glanced over. "Naturally. What's gotten into you?"
Haruto gave a faint smile."Nothing. It's just... if I beco the enemy of the world one day, as long as you two are still with ... I won't be alone."
As they approached the tower, they ran into several teams. Haruto, though weakened, defeated them with ease and took their scrolls.
Eventually, they t up with Sakura, Hinata, Ino, and the others.
Hinata ran over imdiately. "Haruto! What happened?" She gently supported him, her eyes full of worry.
Haruto just sighed inside.
He'd thought the Chunin Exams would be simple. Instead, he'd faced monsters—and was forced to rely on forbidden jutsu just to survive.
Naruto tossed a scroll toward the others.
"Pick whichever's shorter."
Everyone froze.
Their expressions—shocked, unwilling to admit defeat—said it all.
Kiba, seeing Haruto with Hinata, looked conflicted.
The gap between us... it just keeps growing...
Ino didn't throw a fit. She just looked at Sakura—quietly.
She already knew Sakura had stopped fighting for Haruto and Ino realized...
Maybe she felt the sa.
It wasn't that she didn't love Haruto anymore. It was just...
Maybe stepping back was the most mature thing to do.
Ino walked up beside Sakura and gently took her hand.
"???" Sakura blinked.
Ino whispered, "I've been stupid. I'm giving up too."
She smiled. "There's no reason for us to be enemies. Let's still be best friends."
Sakura stared. Then she hugged her tightly. "Ino... I've always thought of you that way."
"Ino..."
Their eyes grew misty.
They rembered their childhood. Their laughter, their bond—almost destroyed by rivalry.
How did it co to this?
How close they'd co...To losing each other forever.
Later, the group entered the central tower and waited for the second exam to end.
After a long wait, the Third Hokage appeared, flanked by Jōnin.
From the platform, he spoke.
"This Chunin Exam is not just a test. It is a symbolic war between our allied villages.
"Through these battles, we consu resources, strength, and willpower. In that balance, we find peace.
"That... is the so-called friendship of the ninja world."
Everyone stared.
They hadn't expected this.
Especially the newcors—only now were they beginning to understand...
How cruel the ninja world truly was.
Then Hayate Gekkō appeared.
Many doubted him—sickly, thin.
But Haruto knew.
The Hokage had once told him: Hayate had resolved to spend the last of his life... for the village.
Then a voice rang out from the crowd.
"I abstain."
Kabuto.
He smiled as he said it.
"What? But you're a senior!"
Haruto narrowed his eyes.
He knew the truth.
Kabuto didn't need to hide anymore. With Orochimaru behind him, he had nothing to fear.
Even if Konoha suspected him...They wouldn't catch him in ti.
Haruto's gaze scanned the crowd—and t a pair of narrow, snake-like eyes.
Orochimaru.
That smile—twisted, amused. He wasn't hiding at all.
Haruto clenched his fist.
He couldn't stop him. Not yet, calling him out now would just cost lives.
The Chunin Exam moved into its next stage.
Haruto had expected a tough lineup. But surprisingly, many teams from Kumo and Kiri were missing mbers.
Despite higher participation, the number of finalists was close to canon.
Only Haku's team, and one unfamiliar team from Kusagakure, were new.
Daigo's team had failed—too few mbers survived.
Even Haruto had barely passed.
Others didn't notice—or maybe they just didn't care anymore.
But Haruto did.
He saw it clearly. "So many... dead. In a so-called exam... three-quarters of them are gone."
From small things... he saw the bigger picture.
If this is what a 'peaceful' test looks like...
Then what does real war look like?
Villages turned to graveyards. Lives erased like dust.
And yet... the more he saw...
...the more he wanted to change this world.
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