"Konoha ninja fighting their own… and resorting to mob tactics justified as 'righteous'?" Tenzo muttered, observing the defeated shinobi sprawled on the ground before him. He couldn't help but shake his head. "Aren't you lot getting a little carried away?"
He had just taken down this squad of four, and there was no doubt they were all shinobi from his own village.
Considering the proportion of ninja participating from different villages, Konoha shinobi clashing with each other during the exams was practically normal. However, the fact that this team had targeted him—a solo participant—for a group assault, simply because he wasn't part of a standard squad… well, that left a bad taste in his mouth, no matter how you looked at it.
Clearly, it demonstrated a distinct lack of honor.
Furthermore, Tenzo's abilities far exceeded the level of an average genin. Frankly, considering the unique nature and versatility of Wood Release, classifying his current combat prowess as jonin-level wouldn't be an exaggeration. Because of this power gap, even though he'd defeated these Konoha genin, he couldn't really do much more to them. If their strengths had been comparable, accidental injuries or even deaths during such a fierce battle might be understandable. But for someone vastly stronger to inflict serious harm in this situation… it would inevitably raise questions about their basic humanity.
"You… could you be…" the Konoha squad leader stammered, struggling fruitlessly to get up. The sheer shock of the preceding battle compelled him to voice his dawning realization.
Unfortunately for him, the only person left standing wasn't particularly interested in hearing his commentary.
"Relax," Tenzo said coolly. "I have no intention of harming you further. Quite the opposite, actually. Out of consideration for your dignity, I'm preparing to give you a respectable exit from this stage. And for safety reasons, I plan to provide you with appropriate protection until the exam concludes… It's just the Chunin Exams. Better luck next time."
With that, Tenzo brought his hands together, flexing his fingers. Instantly, thick wooden strips erupted from the ground, binding the four Konoha genin into tight cocoons right where they lay, conveniently gagging them in the process. It just went to show… proximity to virtue might not always make one virtuous, but proximity to darkness definitely leaves its mark.
Another point worth noting was that Tenzo had started actively using his Wood Release during combat. The reasoning was simple: although his power originated from the First Hokage, the techniques Tenzo could currently employ were all considered "tactical-level Wood Release." Their strategic value in terms of secrecy was minimal.
This line of thinking wasn't inherently wrong, but the true significance of Tenzo possessing Wood Release wasn't just about the power of the jutsu itself. His very existence was proof that the power of the God of Shinobi could, through some method, be wielded by a third party. This objective fact had already spurred certain individuals to actively seek out that method… Individuals like Orochimaru, but not only Orochimaru.
Although the second stage of the exams had just begun, Tenzo had already engaged in four or five battles. He had actually fulfilled the exam's objective even before dealing with this final Konoha team. Therefore, Tenzo could technically "turn in his paper" early.
"Hm? Is it snowing?" Just as Tenzo left the battlefield, intending to head towards the designated reporting point in the forest's center, flakes began to drift down from the sky.
"Well now… 'ashes drifting across the sky'," he murmured, unsure if the phrase better described himself or the scenery.
Just then, a series of booming explosions echoed from the distance.
The unusual sound immediately caught Tenzo's attention. He quickly scaled a nearby tall tree, reaching a vantage point from where he saw large plumes of purple smoke billowing upwards.
"This… Are we sure this is the Chunin Exams and not the Jonin Exams?" Tenzo hesitated. Logically, an exam for genin promotion shouldn't be causing a commotion on this scale. Just as he was debating whether to investigate, he heard the distinct sound of something heavy, like a sack of potatoes, crashing into the canopy of a nearby tree, followed by a muffled groan.
Tenzo wrinkled his nose. He caught the faint scent of blood.
An enemy attack? Or perhaps someone thrown a long distance after being attacked?
Then, he heard a familiar voice call out:
"Tenzo? Is that you? Give me a hand over here."
"Kakashi-senpai?"
Recognizing the voice, Tenzo swiftly moved to the adjacent tree. Sure enough, hidden—or rather, caught—within the dense leaves was Kakashi Hatake. His condition, however, was clearly not good. First, his breathing was rapid and shallow. Second, his Sharingan was blazing, activated to its Mangekyo state. Finally, two sharp, sturdy branches impaled his left shoulder, pinning him to the tree.
It became apparent that Kakashi wasn't hiding in the canopy; he was hanging there. One could almost omit the phrase "in the canopy" when describing his predicament.
Tenzo glanced towards the direction of the purple smoke, then looked back at Kakashi with a bewildered expression. "Kakashi-senpai, how did you end up here?"
His intuition told him Kakashi should have been near the source of that smoke moments ago. Yet, here he was, suddenly appearing impaled on a tree. If an enemy had sent him flying this far, the impact should have been much louder. Tenzo was genuinely confused.
"Tenzo," Kakashi said, his voice strained but laced with familiar dryness, "Do you really think my top priority right now is answering your questions or satisfying your curiosity? Before we delve into academic discussions, shouldn't we perhaps address the immediate survival problem?"
Whatever Kakashi had been doing, it was clear he had succeeded, but not entirely. It seemed he'd encountered a bit of a 'mishap' along the way.
"My apologies."
Tenzo immediately formed a hand seal and pressed his palm against the trunk of the tree holding Kakashi. The branches piercing Kakashi's shoulder began to slowly retract, withdrawing back into the wood as if time itself were reversing, the emergent growth unnaturally receding.
Freed at last, Kakashi peeled away from the branches and slumped rather gracelessly to the ground below, much like someone shedding a heavy, unwanted burden. He clutched his bleeding shoulder with one hand, briefly assessing the damage before quickly retrieving a roll of bandages from his ninja tool pouch and beginning to dress the wound himself.
"Shouldn't you go to Konoha Hospital?" Tenzo asked, though seeing Kakashi already treating himself gave him a pretty clear idea of the answer.
"No. We're going back there," Kakashi stated firmly, his voice regaining some of its usual steel despite the pain. "The enemy's identity and objective are unknown. We need to contain the situation."
In the span of those few sentences, he had managed to apply a basic field dressing to stop the bleeding. He pushed himself to his feet and immediately started heading back towards the rising purple smoke.
Tenzo, naturally, followed close behind.
When they arrived back at the location, they found Habara sitting on the ground, another Konoha ninja carefully bandaging his arm.
"Habara, the enemy?" Kakashi asked immediately, his visible eye flicking towards Habara's injured arm.
"Identity unknown," Habara reported concisely, "but they've been dealt with."
An incident like this occurring within the Chunin Exam grounds was bound to disrupt the proceedings. Curious genin candidates drawn towards the commotion were already being intercepted and turned away by the Konoha proctors… While the situation was still unclear, no one could afford to halt the exams entirely—it wasn't just Konoha's event, after all.
Konoha's genin would naturally comply with the proctors' instructions. But the genin from other villages? Their reactions varied.
Currently, several shinobi from other villages lingered nearby, observing the situation intently.
Among them were Sand ninja, particularly keen on figuring out exactly what had transpired within Konoha's territory.
There were also others, seemingly confident in their own abilities, watching the unfolding events with detached curiosity…
Ninja from Takigakure.