SWNOVELXO Chapter 79: Chapter 089
[Senju Tobirama]: Cough cough cough...
[Senju Tobirama]: This Naruto...
Tobirama, who had been called out by name, nearly coughed up blood. He was clearly trying to correct the chaos, but instead he was getting blamed.
[Minato Namikaze]: But... even though Naruto grew up being treated like that, he still called the Third Hokage "Grandpa."
[Minato Namikaze]: It doesn't sit well with me.
[Senju Tobirama]: I'm in the middle of interrogating Hiruzen. Minato, just wait a bit longer.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: How nice, to be able to use my body again.
[Senju Tobirama]: ...
[Senju Tobirama]: Big Brother, please don't envy this. The reason for using my body like this... I don't want it at all.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: Fair enough.
And so, everyone began to get busy.
About 20 minutes later, Kitahara Kaede received information from Kakashi Hatake — Mitarashi Anko had been found. She had been knocked unconscious by Orochimaru, but had recovered and resumed her role as the proctor for the second stage of the Chūnin Exams.
They also found the corpse of the Grass ninja that Orochimaru had impersonated.
Apparently, Orochimaru had killed the person he impersonated, but when posing as Anko, he had spared her life.
Perhaps because Anko had once been Orochimaru's student, he showed some mercy.
Students of Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to have a habit of showing mercy.
The Third Hokage spared Orochimaru, Orochimaru spared Anko,
Jiraiya spared Pain,
Minato spared Obito.
It really felt like Konoha kept passing down... some very strange things.
[Beep!]
Kitahara Kaede continued to participate in the Chūnin Exams, and the small group live broadcast continued.
... .. 0
However, aside from him, the other Konoha ninja were all getting busy.
[Today's small group broadcast is about to end]
[Today's small group broadcast is about to end]
And so, even the small group's broadcast was coming to a close.
[Filial Son - Black Zetsu]: ...
One person remained silent — Black Zetsu.
The ruined structure of Konoha had finally started running again, its rusted gears rebooted.
All the chaos was being brought back to the surface.
But for Black Zetsu... Konoha, the shinobi world — none of that mattered.
What it cared about, what it noticed, what it focused on — was the tired little ninja bunny resting on Kitahara Kaede's shoulder.
So...
[Beep!]
[Today's small group broadcast has ended]
[Please come again tomorrow]
[Beep!]
The system let out a chime.
And Black Zetsu made a decision.
As a devoted child, it could no longer let its mother suffer like this.
Kaede ran so fast — even though his ninja stride was stable — but couldn't he at least place a towel on his shoulder for the bunny, or put it in a pocket?
Letting it hang on like that while sprinting?
Didn't he see how its eyebrows were furrowed the whole time? Clearly uncomfortable?
······
"Team 13 has arrived at the central tower."
"According to exam rules, you've passed the second stage."
"So congratulations, rookies — pass one more test, and you'll become the Chūnin your villages can be proud of."
"Being a Chūnin is just the start of being a real ninja. Don't get cocky."
In the central tower of the Forest of Death, the real Mitarashi Anko resumed her duties.
She was giving a stern speech to the examinees.
She'd had it rough.
Once Orochimaru's disciple, discarded by him, yet she rose to become a Jōnin of Konoha through her own strength, even being appointed proctor of the Chūnin Exams.
But she almost had her reputation ruined by Orochimaru impersonating her.
Still, the current situation...
Felt a bit odd.
"Proctor Anko, what's the meaning of this?"
Kaede's team had been slightly delayed, so they were the third team to arrive at the central tower.
And upon arrival, they found Mitarashi Anko, along with several assistant proctors, distributing high-quality towels and food to the examinees who'd made it.
Including thinly sliced premium carrots.
"The standard exam period is three days and three nights."
"And food is supposed to be self-prepared."
"But I'm a generous person, and your senior after all, so consider this a reward."
That was Anko's explanation.
But who the heck eats only carrots?
Still, it was good to have actual food. And sliced carrots could pass for fruit, so the examinees didn't question it too much.
Kaede's team also received towels and carrots.
He opened the towel, wet it, and wiped his face — then reached to wipe the little ninja rabbit's face too.
But suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed his wrist.
"!" Hinata's eyes darted over too.
Which meant — the one grabbing him was a girl.
Kaede turned his head... and saw the proctor Mitarashi Anko standing in front of him.
"I'll give you another towel," Anko said.
"It's not really good for people and pets to share the same one," she added.
"..."
Kaede glanced at his exhausted bunny.
The bunny didn't seem to mind.
Or perhaps — it was expecting to be pampered, so it didn't really care.
But at that moment, Anko handed over a fresh towel.
Then she wet it herself, wrung it out, and gently wiped the bunny's little paw — her movements cautious, even trembling a bit.
She looked careful and nervous at once.
As if afraid to touch it, just quietly holding the towel — until the bunny, annoyed, pressed its paw against the towel.
"I can handle this myself," Kaede said.
"No, let me do it," Anko insisted flatly.
"..."
Kaede scooped the bunny up in both hands.
Was Mitarashi Anko always this proactive...?
Did she know he had been entrusted with an important mission by the Second Hokage, and was trying to curry favor?
Or did she find out he helped expose the Orochimaru impersonation, and wanted to repay the favor?
No — something wasn't right.
Kaede's gaze shifted to Anko's neck.
The left side — smooth and unblemished.
The right side — also smooth and unblemished.
"..." Kaede.
Yep. Just as he thought.
This Anko was clearly off.
He recalled — back when they were heading to the Forest of Death with Temari and the others, Kakashi Hatake had told him something:
When Orochimaru used Edo Tensei, he originally planned to capture two ANBU members alive.
But in the end, he only used one. The other had changed somehow — and ended up dead.
But the body they found wasn't a Konoha shinobi. It was entirely white, with a grotesque face, no clear gender — extremely strange.
And those words instantly triggered a thought in Kaede's mind — White Zetsu.
In the original story, during the Fourth Great Ninja War, White Zetsu were used as soldiers on the enemy's side. They could mimic other ninja — not just appearance, but even chakra attributes.
Perfect for infiltration and espionage.
So was it a White Zetsu that had impersonated a Konoha ANBU?
White Zetsu were scattered all over the shinobi world — like surveillance cameras.
In terms of combat strength, they were roughly Genin-level — but what made them dangerous was their sheer number.
So one or two among the ANBU was no surprise.
But this current situation — was very strange...
Because…
This Mitarashi Anko was a fake. The real Anko had once been Orochimaru's disciple, and had been branded with the Cursed Seal of Heaven, which was located on her neck.
But this one — had a completely smooth neck.
Something was wrong.
An imposter.
A White Zetsu?
No...
White Zetsu were mostly dumb and easy to fool. They wouldn't be able to handle situations this smoothly — giving exam instructions, responding to candidates' questions...
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