Chương 79: The Pitiable Uchiha and the Inquisition

Entering the Chunin Exams as a solo participant—now that was a hallmark reserved exclusively for monsters. Kakashi Hatake had reached the rank at age six, though Zhen couldn't recall if he'd started alone or with a team. He only knew the silver-haired prodigy eventually retook the exam to shepherd Obito and Rin through. In Zhen's memory, the only other confirmed solo entrant was the future "paragon of filial piety," Itachi Uchiha. Wait... Uchiha? A thought struck Zhen.

If the Third Hokage was pushing him to enter alone, the old man's motives were likely far from pure.

"Lord Hokage," Zhen began tentatively, "aside from myself, is there anyone else entering the exams as an individual?" The expressions of the three elders shifted slightly. They clearly hadn't expected the boy to sniff out the subtext so quickly. Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a long, billowing cloud of smoke.

"You're as sharp as they come, Zhen. Indeed. Aside from you, Shisui Uchiha will also be competing alone. I know the two of you are close friends. How do you feel about a high-stakes confrontation with your comrade, witnessed by the entire village?"

"To be honest, Lord Hokage," Zhen replied, "I'm actually quite looking forward to it." Like hell I am, Zhen thought bitterly. You four old fossils are truly relentless when it comes to suppressing the Uchiha. The Uchiha clan simply wanted to climb the ladder, but they had no "gate" to walk through.

They'd likely seen the Chunin Exams as a chance to boost their prestige before the nation's dignitaries and the citizenry—a way to cement the merits they'd earned on the Eastern Front before someone "accidentally" buried their achievements in a filing cabinet. But the elders had countered their opening move by doubling the stakes. It was a clear message: an ambitious Uchiha was a dangerous Uchiha. They were to remain "salted fish," or else.

If the shinobi world had a list of unsolvable mathematical mysteries, the top two would surely be: Calculating the exact area of the shadow Madara Uchiha cast over the elders' hearts after the battle at Final Valley, and Determining the sheer mass of the resentment Tobirama Senju left in his wake. The meeting seemed to be concluding with Hiruzen's explanation, but as the four turned to leave, a voice rang out, cold and authoritative.

"Dongye Zhen. I am Danzo Shimura." Zhen glanced at the Third, who provided a brief introduction.

"Danzo is the Hokage's Assistant. He has a few questions for you."

"Lord Danzo," Zhen acknowledged. Danzo gave a stiff nod before turning to Yunmi Gekko.

"Captain Yunmi, you may take your other two pupils to finalize their promotions." Yunmi shot Zhen a meaningful look—a silent warning—before leading Hayate and Yugao out of the room.

"Dongye Zhen," Danzo began, his lone visible eye boring into the boy.

"We are aware that you have developed a proprietary suite of defensive ninjutsu. Can you walk us through the development process?" Zhen knew his secrets weren't entirely safe. Apart from his Sage Arts, which were buried too deep for any mundane probe, his combat techniques were public record. Between captain reports, witness accounts, and the interrogation of prisoners or corpses, the Leaf had a thousand ways to strip a ninja's repertoire bare.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Zhen organized his thoughts before responding.

"It's quite simple, Lord Danzo. My mother is a Special Jonin in the medical corps, so I spent my childhood immersed in anatomical texts. Later, through my father, I learned that a shinobi's life can be snuffed out by something as trivial as a single explosive tag, a kunai, or even a stray shuriken. It struck me then: no matter how devastating our offense, our bodies remain tragically fragile. I became obsessed with the problem of defense." He paused to let the logic sink in.

"As my chakra control matured and I studied the basic sealing principles available in the library, I began to synthesize a system that could bridge that gap." Danzo's face remained an unreadable mask.

"Demonstrate."

"Of course." Zhen extended his left hand. In an instant, a translucent, amber-hued shield of chakra coalesced in the air, large enough to cover his entire frame.

"This is Earth Release: One-Horned Great Wall," Zhen explained.

"I manipulate my chakra into a solid plane, using rudimentary sealing logic to bind the shape while infusing it with the rigidity and density of the Earth element. it effectively nullifies kinetic impacts from metal weaponry or blunt force. By expanding the surface area, I can shield my entire squad." Danzo flicked his wrist. A kunai whistled through the air, striking the shield with a sharp clink. The blade failed to penetrate and fell uselessly to the floor.

"A respectable defense," Danzo conceded. He had imbued the kunai with Wind-natured chakra; the shield hadn't even buckled. Zhen shifted his flow. The amber wall morphed into a pale blue, hemispherical dome that enveloped his body.

"This is Water Release: One-Horned Serenity. The principle is the same, but I infuse the fluid, yielding properties of Water to disperse large-scale ninjutsu attacks. Like the other, it can be expanded to protect multiple comrades. Both forms are modular; I can adjust their size and shape on the fly. Currently, I'm experimenting with a Wind-based variant to further diversify the system." The four elders looked satisfied.

To their ears, this wasn't just a technical briefing; it was a testament to the boy's character. His entire R&D focus was rooted in the protection of his comrades. The "Will of Fire" was burning so brightly in this kid that one practically needed tinted goggles to look at him. Hiruzen stepped forward, breaking the tension.

"That will suffice, Zhen. We appreciate the transparency. I apologize for the necessity of disclosing your tactical secrets."

"It's no trouble, Lord Hokage. If the village requires a formal scroll of these techniques, or if there are others who wish to learn them, I am happy to assist." Zhen didn't care about the "good cop, bad cop" routine. He'd gladly hand over the scrolls. Go ahead, try to learn them, he thought. I guarantee you won't even be able to form the first seal without my specific control.

"Your generosity is noted," Hiruzen smiled.

"But we have the principles now; there's no need for you to document them formally. As compensation for your cooperation, name any jutsu you wish to learn. I shall see it done." Zhen suppressed a sneer. I want the Reanimation Jutsu. I want the Reaper Death Seal. Would you dare give those to me? The old man hadn't even whispered the words "Scroll of Seals." It seemed that unless one was in the direct line of the Hokage's succession, that treasure remained off-limits.

In truth, Zhen had little interest in conventional ninjutsu. Most didn't fit his combat style, and if he really wanted a specific effect, he could likely reverse-engineer it. Ninjutsu was just the application of chakra control—his greatest strength. He'd already figured out the mechanics of the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu on his own; he just hadn't used it due to the inherent risks. He played the "finesse" game instead of Naruto's "brute force" approach. However, one never leaves a reward on the table.

"Lord Hokage," Zhen said after a moment's thought, "I would like to deepen my understanding of Fūinjutsu. May I have access to more advanced sealing materials?"

"Ho ho! A scholarly pursuit. Very well. We are finished for today. I will have the sealing archives delivered to you shortly."

"Thank you, Lord Hokage. Honored Councilors. Good day." After Zhen departed, the room fell into a heavy silence. Each of the four veterans was lost in thought. Finally, Koharu Utatane broke the quiet.

"That boy's defensive arts... specifically the One-Horned Great Wall. It bears a striking resemblance to Chiyo's Chakra Shield from the Sand."

"You don't think..." Homura began, trailing off. A defensive technique that manifested chakra as a physical barrier was a rarity in the shinobi world. Outside of Chiyo of the Red Sand, such a feat was almost unheard of.