Naruto: Unlocking Kaido Template

Sarutobi Hiruzen rubbed his temples, exhaustion settling deep in his bones. His thoughts drifted to Minato. If only he were still alive, perhaps an old man like him wouldn't have to bear the weight of everything alone.

Behind him, Mitarashi Anko stood rigid, her expression a mix of guilt and regret. She still remembered that night in the Forest of Death—when she crossed paths with Orochimaru once again. Even though she had resolved to die with her former teacher, she lacked the strength to make it happen.

Faced with the man who had once trained her, she hesitated.

Hiruzen could sense Anko's turmoil, and his voice was calm but firm.

"It's not your fault. There's no one in the village right now who can completely defeat Orochimaru."

At this moment, Hiruzen had no idea that another of his disciples—one he had once disappointed—had already returned to Konoha.

---

The Tension in Sunagakure

Temari and Gaara sat in the stands of the second-floor observation area, silently watching the Konoha genin making their way to a restaurant after a month of intense training. Kankuro sat nearby, his feet bare, legs crossed in a relaxed manner.

"That lazy bastard? You really think he can beat you? He looks half-dead—probably forced into training. Sister, you're definitely gonna win," Kankuro scoffed.

Temari barely paid attention. "That's trivial. The real battle ahead is what matters..."

Of course, none of them had come to Konoha just for the Chunin Exams. They had a mission.

"Cooperate with the soon-to-be Kazekage and the Sound Village to attack Konoha, reverse the decline of Sunagakure, and take advantage of Konoha's resources to strengthen ourselves…"

Kankuro's voice lowered. "Where's Maki-sensei?"

"He returned to the village to report our intel."

Meanwhile, deep within Sunagakure, the Kazekage sat behind a sheer curtain, his face partially obscured by a white cloth. He listened to Maki's report, fingers tapping lightly on the table.

"This move will raise our standing and restore Sunagakure's prestige. We attack."

Maki hesitated. "But we have limited forces in Konoha. Should we move additional troops to surround the area?"

"No need. Gaara was born for war. When he loses control, he doesn't differentiate between friend or foe. Sending more troops would be pointless."

Maki frowned slightly but knew better than to argue. "Understood, Lord Kazekage."

As she left, unease settled in her mind.

---

A Restless Mind Before the Storm

Uzumaki Zixu had been free of distractions for a while now. Over the past month, he had focused on his own secret training, yet he hadn't returned to Ryūchi Cave (Dragon Earth Cave) for some reason. The thought of tomorrow's third exam filled him with excitement.

"I heard the daimyo are coming soon," Zixu muttered. "These aristocrats are just regular people, yet ninjas have to obey their orders? What kind of nonsense is that?"

It didn't make sense. Unless, like the Celestial Dragons of another world, these daimyo held some hidden power or had an elite force backing them.

"Hmm… if I think about it that way, then the daimyo are like the Celestial Dragons, the hidden villages are like the navy, and rogue ninjas… are pirates?"

Zixu smirked. "Well, I'll be leaving Konoha soon anyway, so no harm in thinking outside the box."

He tossed his cloak over his shoulder, pulled out his old crowbar, and began making some repairs to it.

His thoughts briefly drifted to Kabuto. "I hope that guy doesn't get into trouble tomorrow…"

With that, he lay down and, for the first time in a long while, had a peaceful night's sleep.

---

The Departure

At dawn, Zixu rose, full of energy. He packed up everything useful from his room and took one last look at the place he had called home for years. Without hesitation, he closed the door behind him, a silent farewell.

Aburame Hatsuizumi and Hyuga Chinano had made similar decisions. They, too, had resolved to leave Konoha, choosing to follow Zixu in pursuit of what they believed to be the true "Will of Fire."

This was the perfect moment to leave. They couldn't guarantee that Sarutobi Hiruzen would be the only force opposing them in Konoha.

As for Uzumaki Karin, Zixu had already informed Yakushi Kabuto. Karin had immense potential, and being a member of the Uzumaki Clan, her ties to Konoha weren't particularly strong. She was a prime candidate to join them.

Zixu had considered recruiting more, but the so-called "Will of Fire" was an illusion—one deeply ingrained in the minds of most Konoha ninjas. Few could break free from it.

---

The Arena and the Grand Spectacle

"Whoa… what a crowd," Aburame Hatsuizumi muttered as they entered the arena.

The sheer size of the venue was staggering. It was a massive, circular coliseum, its stepped seating packed with spectators. From above, the audience looked like a swarm of black ants.

At the very top, within a series of grand viewing towers, the elites of various nations sat.

At the center was the Fire Daimyo, with Sarutobi Hiruzen and the Kazekage seated beside him.

Zixu remained calm. He had expected this kind of turnout, but looking at the sheer number of people, he couldn't help but worry.

Will Kabuto have enough chakra to handle this?

Since Gekkō Hayate had been assassinated by Maki and her team, a new proctor had been assigned. This time, the examiner was a man in a bandana, a senbon lazily dangling from his lips—Shiranui Genma.

Genma stepped forward, pulling out the match list.

---

The Crowd's Energy

Might Guy was already bursting with excitement. The electrifying atmosphere, the passionate crowd—this was the essence of youth!

"Burning! Youth!" Guy shouted, gripping Kakashi's shoulder with tears in his eyes.

Kakashi, unfazed, continued reading his book. "Ah? Ah. Yeah, sure, sure."

Hiruzen observed the young ninjas below with a rare smile. Scenes like this reminded him that, despite his age, he wasn't truly old yet.

---

The First Match Begins

"I've completely mastered the Summoning Jutsu!" Naruto grinned. "That big toad's kinda stubborn, but I'll show you what I've got!"

Beside him, Sasuke adjusted his bandages and smirked. "Tch. I've got something new too. Chidori (One Thousand Birds). There's no way I'll lose—not even to Zixu."

Sakura, meanwhile, was paying off her emotional mortgage.

Down in the arena, Genma Shiranui raised his hand.

"The first match—Hyuga Neji versus Aburame Hatsuizumi."

The other contestants stepped back, leaving the two to face off.

Hatsuizumi gave a polite nod. "Let's have a good match."

And before Neji could even reply, she attacked.

"Dorōbō no Tsuchi Ningyō (Earth Puppet)!"

She hurled several small insects at Neji. At first, they appeared as mere black dots, but as they flew, layers of hardened soil formed around them. By the time they reached Neji, they had transformed into earthen puppets of various sizes.

Neji's Byakugan flared to life.

Hyuga Neji activated his Byakugan in silence. He understood the key to victory—eliminate the poisonous insects hidden within the puppets, and they would naturally collapse. However, Aburame Hatsuizumi had trained countless times with Hyuga Chinano, making her well aware of the Byakugan's abilities.

Though Neji could see the poisonous insects inside the puppets clearly, these insects were highly elusive. They never stayed in one place for too long, and Hatsuizumi had cleverly mixed in ordinary insects with similar chakra signatures, making it difficult to strike the true core.

Frustrated, Neji shattered a puppet with a precise palm strike and charged toward Hatsuizumi. However, the puppet he had just destroyed rapidly repaired itself, extending a claw to grab at him mid-run.

Realizing that he couldn't easily shake off these puppets, Neji's expression darkened. He decided to unleash the technique he had been refining over the past month.

From the stands, the spectators watched in confusion.

"Wait… isn't Hatsuizumi from the Aburame Clan?" Kankuro frowned, scratching his head. "Why the hell does this look like puppet jutsu? Can she really mix it up like that?"

Tenten, her hair styled in panda-like buns, glanced at Rock Lee with a worried expression. "Do you think Neji will lose? Hatsuizumi looks strong."

"He shouldn't," Rock Lee answered hesitantly. "Neji is a genius. But... Zixu's team is no joke."

A moment later, Neji made his move.

"Hakkeshō Kaiten!" (Eight Trigrams: Rotation!)

A powerful, dome-like burst of chakra erupted from him, forming a spiraling blue sphere. The force of the technique obliterated the surrounding puppets, and the poisonous insects within them were instantly wiped out.

From the stands, Hyuga Hiashi's expression shifted. He straightened slightly in his seat, observing Neji's performance with keen interest.

Kaiten…?

This technique was a secret of the Hyuga Clan, something only taught to members of the main family. That meant Neji had mastered it on his own.

A complicated mix of emotions surfaced within Hiashi. Despite Neji's resentment toward the main house, he was undoubtedly a prodigy. If only there were a way to ease his hatred…

---

Hatsuizumi's Counterattack

Even though her puppets had been destroyed, Hatsuizumi remained calm. She had merely been testing Neji's abilities. Now that she had confirmed his strength in close combat and his lack of effective long-range options, she knew exactly how to handle him.

"Heh… let's see how you deal with this," she muttered, raising a hand.

"Gekka Kōgai!" (Moonlight Worms!)

Suddenly, crescent-shaped, deep-blue blades formed in the air, surrounding Hatsuizumi like a swarm of glowing moons. With a flick of her wrist, they shot toward Neji at speeds beyond normal reaction time.

Neji gritted his teeth and activated Kaiten once more. However, just as he evaded the primary barrage, several dark-green crescent blades curved mid-air and struck him in the back.

Hatsuizumi's strategy was clear—attrition. Neji's chakra was rapidly depleting, while she had an ace up her sleeve: the Refining Insects, which allowed her to sustain her chakra output far longer than him.

Neji panted heavily, sweat dripping from his brow. He knew he was at a disadvantage.

"The winner: Aburame Hatsuizumi."

Genma Shiranui raised Hatsuizumi's hand, signaling the end of the match. The crowd erupted in applause. Though there hadn't been any dramatic physical clashes, the dazzling blue-green moon blades had made the battle a visual spectacle.

Neji, exhausted, walked off the field—only to be approached by Hyuga Hiashi, who led him away for reasons unknown.

---

"The next match—Hyuga Chinano versus Aburame Shino," Genma announced, raising an eyebrow at the bracket.

What the hell? Another Hyuga vs. Aburame match?

Hyuga Chinano leapt onto the battlefield without hesitation. On the opposite side, Shino, ever the silent strategist, calmly adjusted his sunglasses before releasing a swarm of black insects.

The Aburame Clan wanted to make one thing clear to the audience—they were not a puppet-using clan.

Shino mirrored Hatsuizumi's tactics, unleashing a flood of kikaichū (parasitic insects) to suppress Chinano. His plan was to overwhelm her with numbers, drain her chakra, and force her into a defensive position.

But Chinano smirked slightly.

Predictable.

Sliding into a soft-fist stance, she activated her technique.

"Hakkeshō Dairekkō!" (Eight Trigrams: Great Whirlwind!)

A massive trigram circle appeared beneath her feet, its radius extending almost to Shino's position. Before he could react, the buzzing insects suddenly plummeted from the air, crashing to the ground in droves.

The audience gasped in shock.

At first, the strange cyclones forming around Chinano had been barely noticeable. But now, they had transformed into dark whirlwinds, swallowing Shino's insects whole.

Shino gritted his teeth. He tried to recall his kikaichū, but the whirlwind's pull was too strong. No matter how much he commanded them, the insects were trapped.

It was a losing battle. He had no choice but to surrender.

Total silence.

For a moment, the entire stadium was utterly still. Then, whispers broke out among the spectators.

"The Hyuga Clan… can do that?"

"And the Aburame Clan… have techniques like Hatsuizumi's?"

From the stands, Hyuga Hiashi returned, his mind elsewhere. He had just spoken to Neji, attempting to mend their fractured relationship by revealing the truth about his father's death. Yet, Neji had barely reacted, his face unreadable.

Hiashi sighed, but as he took his seat, he noticed something odd—the way the audience was looking at him.

"They don't seem… normal," he muttered.

A few whispers reached his ears.

"There are two freaks in the Hyuga and Aburame Clans?"

"They don't act like their clans at all."

---

The Final Match Before Chaos

"The winner—Hyuga Chinano!" Genma declared. "Next match—Uzumaki Zixu versus Gaara!"

Uzumaki Zixu, who had been sitting quietly up until now, finally stood up. He stretched his arms, a small smirk forming on his lips.

"This is it," he muttered, cracking his knuckles.

He turned to Aburame Hatsuizumi and Hyuga Chinano, patting them on the shoulders. They knew exactly what he meant.

There was no need to watch the remaining fights.

Because the moment Zixu stepped into the arena…

The Chunin Exams were over.

And the real battle was about to begin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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