In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen leaned back in his seat, fingers curled around his pipe. Across from him stood Danzo, Koharu, and Homura.
"You've grown soft," Danzo said coldly. "You let Orochimaru escape just because he was your student? What happens when he starts selling our secrets to the highest bidder?"
He knew Orochimaru had used him as a scapegoat to cover his escape—but saying that aloud now would only dig his grave deeper.
Hiruzen opened his eyes briefly. "You don't need to worry. He wouldn't do anything that doesn't benefit him."
Danzo slammed his hand on the desk. "Not in his nature? You've known him for decades and still don't see him for what he is! He turned his back on this village—the moment things didn't go his way!"
Hiruzen's voice remained calm, but his words were razor-sharp. "I wonder who helped him break so many laws unnoticed. Who provided the children. Who covered up the disappearances."
Danzo fell silent.
He knew Hiruzen had proof. Koharu and Homura exchanged glances but said nothing. With no allies in the room, Danzo had no choice but to swallow the loss—this time.
"We can't just hope he won't sell intel to enemy villages," Koharu added, folding her arms.
Homura nodded. "A missing-nin with Orochimaru's knowledge is a serious threat."
Hiruzen exhaled and stood. "Then it's settled. Orochimaru will be declared an S-rank missing-nin. I'll send word to Jiraiya—if he finds him, ANBU will move in to capture him."
He looked at each of them.
"Any further objections?"
None. Danzo clicked his tongue and turned away, storming out.
As the door closed, Hiruzen sighed deeply and rubbed his temple. Public trust was faltering. Orochimaru had gone rogue. Root was once again under scrutiny.
And now new reports were piling in.
Apparently, the Konoha Military Police Force had been using their Sharingan during interrogations—without any oversight for civilian safety.
He frowned.
'So now the Uchiha are overreaching too, great.'
Trouble was brewing on every front.
…
The next morning, massive news rocked the ninja world: Konoha had lost another powerhouse.
This time, not to death—but defection.
Word spread that the Third Hokage had personally led a mission to apprehend Orochimaru. But despite defeating him, the Sannin had escaped using Reverse Summoning.
Shinra, still grinding his body to the limit, feigned surprise at the news. Inwardly, though, he was composed.
'Orochimaru leaving is actually good news. He was going to defect eventually anyway. Nothing really changes. I just need to stay away from Danzo and get through this investigation.'
As he left the training grounds, two men intercepted him—dark uniforms, flak jackets. Konoha Military Police.
Shinra's brow twitched faintly.
'The Uchiha? Did Hiruzen hand the investigation over to them?'
Outwardly, his expression was one of innocent confusion.
One of the men stepped forward. "Kamikaze Shinra?"
His tone was neutral, but the sharp look in his eyes said this was no routine check.
Shinra nodded slowly. "Yes."
"Where were you yesterday evening—from sunset to midnight?"
The second man activated his Sharingan without a word. Two tomoe spun to life as his crimson eyes locked onto Shinra's face.
Shinra suppressed a scowl. 'Damn lunatics. They're dissecting my every micro-movement.'
He paused, then answered evenly.
"I was fishing by the river. I wanted to catch a fish for my grandma's birthday." Shinra didn't fully lie—his grandma's birthday was coming up.
The older officer nodded subtly. His partner clicked his tongue and deactivated the Sharingan.
"Did you encounter anyone suspicious? Hear anything unusual—fighting, shouting, chakra clashes?"
Shinra furrowed his brow in mock thought. "No one suspicious… but I did see a patch of blood in the woods nearby. Might've been from a wild animal."
The two officers exchanged a glance.
"If you remember anything else—report it to the Police Headquarters."
Without waiting for acknowledgment, they disappeared.
Shinra stood still, eyes narrowing slightly.
'I see… The Uchiha must've found the body before ANBU got there. Normally the police would be contacted first when a body is found. But if it was a Root operative, the ANBU would've taken over immediately. Still, rumors are already flying—of course the Uchiha want in. Catching the murderer would win them public support.'
Just as that thought ended, four figures entered the training grounds—three kids and one man Shinra recognized instantly.
Two scars along the right side of his face. Hair tied into a spiky ponytail. Dark, intelligent eyes. A neatly trimmed goatee.
Shikaku Nara.
A man feared for his mind.
The air turned heavy.
Then Shikaku looked at Shinra and spoke plainly:
"Why didn't you destroy the corpse after killing it?" Shikaku's voice was quiet. "Why hide it instead?"
Shinra's small face froze.
'Dilated pupils. Slightly parted lips. Good—he's caught off guard.'
Shikaku studied the brief flash of microexpression—just a split second of shock.
Then Shinra blinked, furrowed his brow.
"…Corpse? What are you talking about?"
Shikaku tilted his head slightly. Something felt off. But he continued.
"On your way home, you realized you were being tailed. You used Earth Release to hide underground and waited."
"You pulled him down, struck his right eye. Even injured, he managed to escape—so you lured him into the forest."
"That's where you struck again, from a blind spot. Killed him and crushed his skull to prevent intel leakage."
He raised three fingers.
"You made three mistakes."
He pointed to each in turn.
"One: You didn't destroy the information scroll he carried. If you had, the blame might've shifted to an enemy spy."
"Two: The Inuzuka clan's tracking dogs traced six of the ten suspects without solid alibis to locations far from the scene. Only four are unaccounted for—you're one of them."
"Three: You were definitely injured during the fight. You've been wearing a full-sleeve hoodie ever since—to cover it."
The silence was suffocating.
Faced with the precise reconstruction, Shinra remained unreadable.
'As expected of the future head of Konoha's intelligence department. He pinpointed my so-called mistakes—but they were deliberate. Meant to limit Danzo's reach, and ensure I wouldn't be kidnapped again… at least not until I'm strong enough.'
He watched Shikaku carefully.
'He's probing me. If he were truly certain, there'd be no need to outline my mistakes like a lecture. He's trying to rattle me.'
Shinra wasn't worried about punishment—the Root operative he killed had already been labeled "Orochimaru's subordinate." But exposure would complicate things. Ruin his training plans. Make enemies of Danzo early on.
'Danzo can't touch me through official channels, but there are other ways he might retaliate. Better to stay in the shadows.'
He reached his conclusion.
"What are you talking about? I don't understand any of this," Shinra replied, maintaining his innocent facade.
Shikaku narrowed his eyes.
"You might squirm past the first two mistakes. Neither proves guilt on its own. But how do you explain the third?"
He walked forward, calm but deliberate, and grabbed Shinra's arm.
Without warning, he peeled off the hoodie.
What greeted him wasn't a wound—but a set of weighted shin guards, each easily fifty kilograms, and a vest strapped tightly across Shinra's chest.
'Weights?'
Shikaku blinked, surprised. He unfastened one of the weights, scanned Shinra's skin beneath—no bruises, no scarring. Nothing.
'Was I wrong? Or did he heal faster than expected?'
He studied Shinra's expression again. Calm. Defensive—but not afraid.
Shikaku stepped back, eyes narrowed.
"I already told you, and I told the police—I don't know anything about the killer!" Shinra snapped, yanking the hoodie back over his shoulders and walking away.
Shikaku didn't move. He stood in silence, watching the boy's retreating figure, deep in thought.
'If he's innocent, then he's hiding something else. But if he's guilty… he's terrifyingly well-prepared.'
—
A/N:
Sorry if this chapter leaned more into political intrigue than action—I needed to lay the groundwork for future plotlines. The next chapter will return to the academy setting.