Naruto: Unlocking Kaido Template

After successfully suppressing the Curse Seal, Uzumaki Zixu turned to Aburame Hatsuizumi, asking about her thoughts—essentially probing her views on Konoha. Her response was unsurprising. She still felt some attachment to the village, but it wasn't particularly strong. Moreover, she believed Sarutobi Hiruzen's policies had significant flaws.

"Well, that's enough. I might be making some big moves soon. Why do you want to follow me?"

I don't know what Zixu told Hatsuizumi, but once he finished laying out his plan, she immediately started rubbing her hands together, excitement flashing in her eyes. Given her personality, whatever he proposed must have been thrilling.

When Hyuga Chinano woke up, Hatsuizumi couldn't wait to fill her in. Chinano was a little shocked but not surprised. Zixu taking such action was well within expectations.

With books, an exam drags on; without them, it's over in a blink. The days inside the Forest of Death flew by. For most candidates, it was a living nightmare—not only did they have to guard against enemy ambushes, but they also had to remain constantly alert to the forest's lurking dangers. Survival was a brutal challenge.

Only Zixu's team lived comfortably, breezing through the trials until they finally reached the central tower. There, they smoothly combined the Heaven and Earth scrolls, summoning Gouda Takeshi. By now, two teams had already become infamous throughout the forest—teams no one dared to provoke.

The first was the Sand's "Gourd Boy," Gaara, who carried a massive gourd on his back. This guy was like a rabid beast, attacking any team he saw and slaughtering without hesitation.

The second was Zixu's group. They were much less aggressive—so long as you didn't show any bloodthirsty intent, your life wouldn't be in danger. However, if you provoked them, the red-haired boy would eliminate your entire team in an instant.

When Zixu and his group finally arrived at the central tower, the Third Hokage himself made an appearance in the surveillance room. After helping Mitarashi Anko suppress the black magatama-shaped Curse Seal burning on her neck, his gaze landed on the screen displaying Zixu. His eyes narrowed.

"Orochimaru... With your personality, I'd expect you to desire his body more than anything, yet you placed a curse on Itachi's brother instead..."

He recalled the promise Itachi had made to him.

"Protect my brother."

Hiruzen felt a headache coming on. But considering how poorly he had upheld his agreement with the Fourth Hokage, this hardly seemed to matter anymore.

His thoughts shifted to another boy—one with blond hair. These two shared similar circumstances... No, there were more pressing matters to attend to. He still had to deal with the Fourth Kazekage's affairs. But before that, he needed to hold a debriefing.

Inside the central tower's grand hall, the surviving candidates were gathered. Zixu scanned the room, a little surprised to see multiple teams from Konoha had made it through—including Gaara's squad and the three Sound ninja.

Many teams instinctively distanced themselves from both Gaara's group and Zixu's. But while they feared Gaara, their reaction to Zixu was different. They looked at him with awe. After all, any team that had survived this exam had likely been beaten down by Zixu's group at some point. Their respect was well-earned.

Sarutobi Hiruzen entered the hall, flanked by the Jonin instructors. At once, all attention shifted away from Zixu.

Zixu, however, was keenly observing the Hokage. The old man still wore that kind, grandfatherly smile. The pipe in his hand was hidden within his sleeve, and his ceremonial robes remained pristine. Anyone who looked at him would instinctively think of him as a wise, dependable leader.

The sheer authority he radiated weighed on the room, making it difficult for the younger shinobi to breathe. But unlike the others, Zixu didn't lower his head. He met Hiruzen's gaze head-on. Although he wasn't using Haki, the tension in the air felt like a silent clash of Conqueror's Haki.

Hiruzen had taken notice of this boy before.

This kid... He's dangerous. Not to my life, but to my authority.

"Young one, you have great spirit. You'll make an excellent ninja someday."

(A spirited one, huh? You think you can challenge my power? Foolish. When this exam ends, I'll have you executed and make you my hound.)

Zixu responded with a polite nod. "Thank you for your kind words, Hokage. The village will continue to thrive under your guidance."

(Old man, let's see if you even live through this exam. You should be more worried about yourself.)

Their exchange was the perfect example of "smiles on the surface, daggers underneath." To the untrained eye, this was nothing more than a respectful interaction.

Meanwhile, Sasuke's team, whom Zixu hadn't encountered before, stood off to the side. Something about them felt off. Zixu detected a familiar energy from Sasuke—it carried the stench of snakes.

Orochimaru...

"Well, it makes sense," Zixu muttered to himself. "This year's candidates with actual bloodlines and talent are few. The Hyuga Branch is a poor choice—too many fail-safes from the Main Family. But the Uchiha... Bloodline intact, an orphan, easy to manipulate..."

Hiruzen took a drag from his pipe and began his speech. Like any school principal at an assembly, he went through the formalities, explaining the importance of the Chunin Exams and how they reflected the battles between nations. Supposedly, these exams helped maintain peace by determining a country's shinobi strength, reducing unnecessary war casualties.

"The third exam will be observed by daimyo and dignitaries from various nations. Friendship comes first, competition second. However, remember—this is still a test where your life is on the line. Now, allow me to explain the rules—"

Before he could continue, a man with a frail appearance, dark circles under his eyes, and a sword on his back interrupted.

"Ahem... My name is Hayate Gekko, the proctor for the third exam. Ahem... I'll now explain the rules to you. Ahem..."

He coughed every three sentences, hunched over every four. The guy looked like he was on his deathbed.

Zixu studied him with a frown. Why is this guy so weak? Even though my name is Zixu, I'm not actually weak... but this guy? He looks like he's running on fumes.

"There are still too many candidates, so we'll need to trim the numbers further..." Gekko stated. After explaining the format of the preliminary battles, he turned to the Hokage for approval.

Hiruzen agreed but singled out Sasuke. He recommended that the boy not participate, as suppressing his Curse Seal was already difficult enough.

Zixu wasn't particularly interested in these battles. He barely glanced at the matchups. As expected, his opponent was from a team he had already beaten before. Predictably, they surrendered without a fight.

He wasn't planning to waste any more time here. Five days in the Forest of Death had been enough. Sure, they had caught wild game to eat, but his teammates' cooking skills were... less than ideal. He did not want to eat whatever questionable "protein" Aburame Hatsuizumi had been offering.

Now, all he wanted was a proper meal.

"Ah... The sun's shining bright, and I feel way better. Next up—time to track down Orochimaru's plants inside the village."

Just as he was about to step out, someone grabbed his sleeve. He turned.

Hyuga Chinano stood still, staring at the arena.

Zixu followed her gaze.

Two Hyuga were standing in the center.

"Hyuga Neji and Hyuga Hinata..." Zixu memorized their names, noting that Hinata was the current heir of the Hyuga Clan.

"It's fine to just observe, but making a move would be difficult. Too many high-ranking shinobi are watching, not to mention the Third Hokage himself," Zixu muttered, stepping next to Hyuga Chinano. He didn't mind waiting a bit longer.

After all, he had completely forgotten that Rock Lee still had a match. Last time, Lee didn't get his chance, but this time, with Guy-sensei present, Zixu had to make sure he learned the correct method of opening the Eight Gates. At the very least, he needed to figure out the future path of his own Eight Gates technique.

Meanwhile, Aburame Hatsuizumi had already dashed toward the arena to watch the match up close. She wouldn't miss this rare opportunity to assess the strength of her peers. Summoning Chōchō, she cradled the sickly little cicada in her hands, squatted down, and observed in silence. Hyuga Chinano, on the other hand, summoned Momohiko and absentmindedly played with it.

Zixu didn't summon Kokuyō (Black Phantom). Instead, he weaved hand seals and performed the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique). Though the clone remained silent, its interaction with the original was seamless.

"Didn't you tell me to rest? Why am I the one working? If I don't do it, my clone disappears. But I need rest. I must rest."

"Just go and handle it. Hard work now means better slacking off in the future. Your future self will thank you for this. Now, move."

Reluctantly, the clone left the exam hall with a look of despair. Sarutobi Hiruzen paid them no mind—as long as they didn't disrupt the exam, he didn't care.

"The heiress of the main family is about to lose," Zixu noted. He had trained in the Jūken (Gentle Fist) himself. Though he lacked the Byakugan, he understood the fundamentals well enough to judge who held the advantage.

As expected, despite Hinata's determined resistance, the gap in their skill was insurmountable. Most of her chakra points had already been sealed by Neji's precise strikes, signaling the inevitable end of the match.

"Come on! Don't give up!"

An ill-timed voice rang out from the stands—Naruto. He waved frantically, cheering Hinata on, urging her to keep fighting.

But Hinata was already at her limit. Though she struggled to stand, she was ultimately no match for Neji. A final blow sent her collapsing to the ground, blood spilling from her lips. At that moment, Neji considered finishing her off, but then he recalled what Hyuga Chinano had told him days ago. In the end, he held back.

Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed slightly. He had expected more ruthlessness from Neji. If he had actually killed Hinata, it would have deepened the rift between the branch and main families—a desirable outcome for those who wished to keep the Hyuga Clan divided. Internal strife was far more effective than external pressure.

Zixu waited patiently, and finally, Rock Lee stepped onto the battlefield. His opponent? Gaara of the Sand. The two were warming up, tension thick in the air.

Meanwhile, Zixu's clone had arrived at his destination—the area where the foreign shinobi were housed. The silent clone stood still for a while, as if lost in thought. In reality, he was simply double-checking that he was in the right place. Absolutely not slacking off.

After confirming everything, the clone stepped forward and opened the door—just as a frail figure stumbled toward him.

"Red hair. Glasses. Must be her."

Without hesitation, the clone sidestepped, caught her by the collar, and placed her upright before she could hit the floor.

"Eh...? Y-You're the one from that time..."

The red-haired girl adjusted her glasses, staring at him in shock.

A few days prior, Zixu had been out hunting and used Momohiko as bait to lure a bear. However, the bear managed to escape. Naturally, Zixu couldn't let such high-quality protein go to waste, so he chased it down.

Unbeknownst to him, this girl had been nearby. When she saw the bear charging, she panicked and ran for her life. By the time Zixu knocked the beast unconscious with a single strike, he finally noticed her.

"Oh? Another redhead. Well, whatever. Bye."

She had barely managed to stand when she hesitantly called out.

"U-Um... my name is Uzumaki Karin. You're really strong. Can you help me? I don't want to go back to my village..."

At the time, Zixu had ignored her. But now, it seemed he had unknowingly agreed.

"Alright then. What can you offer in return? We don't take in freeloaders," the silent clone recited Zixu's instructions—until he forgot the rest of the script.

At that moment, a crude, irritated voice interrupted.

"Oi! You little shit! We're injured! Hurry up and heal us, bakayaro!"

"Trying to run again? If you get caught, I'll skin you alive! Might as well cut off your hands and feet—you don't need those to heal people, do you?"

"Wait... who the hell are you? Another red-haired brat? Piss off. This is Kusagakure business, nothing to do with you!"

Several older Grass shinobi stepped out, cursing and sneering. Karin trembled, clutching the back of the clone's cloak with a desperate grip. Her body was littered with bite marks—evidence of repeated abuse.

"Tch. This is annoying. Extra work means extra vacation time..."

The clone sighed and pried Karin's fingers off him. Her tear-filled eyes widened in shock.

"Hah! Yeah, that's right. Hand her over and scram, kid. Don't make me beat some sense into y—"

BOOM.

Before they could react, the clone instantly appeared before the leader and slammed his head into the ground. A crater formed beneath him, but not a single sound had been made in the process.

No one, not even Karin, saw or heard what had happened.

Meanwhile, back in the arena, Zixu had also jumped into the battlefield. One hand gripped Gaara's hair, and a seemingly friendly smile spread across his face.

In two separate locations, Zixu's original body and his clone spoke in unison:

"You dumbasses... this is Konoha. If you don't want to die, learn your place."

The sheer malice and overwhelming dominance in his voice sent chills down everyone's spines. In that moment, Zixu wasn't just another shinobi.

He was a dragon rising from the depths of the sea—impossible to suppress.

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