"What was so urgent that you had to call all four of us at the same time?" Danzō was the first to speak.
"Sit down first. This is a very important piece of news related to the disappearance of the Third Kazekage," Hiruzen said, glancing at his old teammate.
Danzo's eyes swept across Team Eight before he turned and sat in a chair to Hiruzen's right. Homura and Koharu sat next to each other to the left, while Shikaku remained standing.
Hiruzen looked at Shinra. "Start from the very beginning."
Shinra nodded and narrated the story again. Naturally, the three elders and Shikaku were shocked by the report. While they had many questions, they chose to wait until they had heard the full details regarding the Third Kazekage.
"My plan largely worked. After I detonated the explosive tags, I managed to slip into the ground using the Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique. Since I had already deduced that Sasori was not a sensor-type ninja, I assumed my escape would be unhindered. However, before even a few moments had passed, explosions began echoing through the earth. My chakra reserves were being drained rapidly trying to maintain the jutsu."
"To avoid my chakra running out, I reached my hand out of the earth and threw a smoke bomb to mask my reappearance. As I resurfaced, I was met with a barrage of Iron Sand bullets. It was only after the assault stopped that I fully emerged." Shinra's face hardened. "But once the smoke cleared, I witnessed the former Third Kazekage puppet hovering around Sasori."
The office fell silent. This had been one of their greatest fears once they learned Sasori was capable of controlling the dead and utilizing their Kekkei Genkai. The four elders exchanged looks; they had reached a silent consensus. It was time to apply significant pressure to Sunagakure.
Shinra continued, "As my chakra grew low, I formed a shadow clone and used a transformation jutsu to disguise my real body as a kunai before the smoke had cleared. My clone threw multiple kunai in rapid succession, among which was my real body. After Sasori realized I was not Lord Jiraiya but a mere Genin, he wasn't apprehensive anymore and used the Third Kazekage puppet to unleash another barrage of Iron Sand. Thankfully, my clone managed to dodge by using an incomplete Kenjutsu technique I had invented."
'He developed a Kenjutsu technique on his own? Why didn't Yogi ever mention that?' Hiruzen wondered.
"Having had enough, Sasori manipulated his hundred-puppet formation and surrounded my clone. Yet, before he could strike, I detonated the explosive tags hidden inside its clothes, dispelled my transformation, and escaped."
Everyone in the meeting was internally impressed by such tactics. Even Shinra's teammates were thoroughly surprised, as they hadn't heard the full extent of his performance.
Danzo, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
"…Do you take us for fools?"
His lone visible eye settled on Shinra with quiet scrutiny.
"You expect us to believe that an S-rank shinobi was deceived by a mere Genin? Do you know that supplying the village with incorrect information is treason?"
Shinra stared at Danzo and replied, "Like I said I never truly engaged in a fight with him. I only reported what had happened, if you don't believe me there are two eye witnesses and even Yogi-sensei who can vouch for me at least in the first part. If you still don't trust them, if you visit the village where the fight took it wouldn't take long for you to deduce that my words were indeed true."
Danzo shifted his gaze toward Hiruzen.
'He is very composed and can think rationally under pressure.' Hiruzen reassessed Shinra in his mind.
Danzo's single eye returned to Shinra.
'He has potential to be recruited into Root. Although, he is a little old to make him completely 'Loyal.' He is still 10 years old.'
Shinra observed the expressions of Hiruzen and the elders, feeling satisfied. He had, of course, omitted the fact that at the start he had been the one to push for aborting the mission. He had intentionally highlighted his achievements and painted himself as a model shinobi upholding the Will of Fire to bolster his reputation in their eyes.
"Explosive tags? You rigged your clone with explosive tags before the smoke screen had cleared?" Shikaku asked.
"No. Before the start of any mission, I always rig my jacket with explosive tags so that if I need to act as bait, I don't have to prepare them mid-mission."
Shikaku looked mildly disturbed; while such a tactic was common during wartime, few people enjoyed the idea of having a time bomb standing next to them.
"After escaping, I rushed into the Land of Rivers and reached Tanigakure. I was quickly escorted to the hospital, where I met Inumaki and Hyori. I spoke with Yogi-sensei after his operation, and he ordered me to report the mission details personally to Lord Third. Since the medical ninja of Tanigakure were unable to fully remove the poison, we returned to Konoha at top speed. He is currently in the hospital receiving treatment."
Once the details were laid out, questions flooded in. The elders probed for holes in the report—asking how Shinra had identified Sasori from his base alone, and how he had managed to fool Sasori long enough to rig the area.
Shinra had spent three days crafting his report and anticipated these questions. He answered by saying that he had found documents at the base that bore Sasori's name, and argued that his performance as Jiraiya had been convincing enough. Since he had been alone during those critical moments, no one could refute his claims.
After the elders finished, it was Hyori and Inumaki's turn to report. Their account mirrored Shinra's, and they did not mention his push to abort the mission nor did Hyori mention the strange technique he had used to shatter one of Sasori's puppets. Whether this was due to gratitude or guilt for leaving him behind, Shinra did not know.
Hiruzen said, "It is unfortunate what occurred during this mission. Despite the extreme circumstances, you have all performed exceptionally. Especially you, Shinra; saving a Jōnin and escaping a hopeless situation is impressive. If you have any requests for delivering such important news, ask, and I will do my best to fulfill them."
Shinra looked at the gathered officials. "Before we embarked on this mission, we were one mission short of meeting the requirements for the Chūnin Exams. Is this mission considered a failure or a success?"
Hiruzen remained silent for a moment. "Your mission was to investigate the disappearance of the villagers and find them. Technically, the mission was completed. But… due to the premature ending of the mission and the abandonment of the client, I cannot classify this mission as a success."
Team Eight's expressions soured; it appeared they would be ineligible for this year's exams.
' I could ask for a special exception,' Shinra thought. 'I doubt Hiruzen would go back on his word.' However, he felt that trading such a request for a mere exam spot was a waste. His individual strength was what truly mattered.
'What should I ask for?' he wondered. 'An S-rank jutsu would be rejected, but perhaps an A-rank can be accepted?'
Hiruzen noticed their dejection and added, "Although the mission was a failure, the intelligence you recovered is of national importance. It will be recorded as a completed S-rank mission, which carries a reward of three million Ryō. That would make you eligible for the requirements of tomorrow's Chūnin Exams, the information of the mission and its rank will remain a secret and so is everything that had been told in this room."
Inumaki's and Hyori's eyes widened, a Genin team completing an S-rank mission is unheard of. This will also allow them to participate in the Chūnin exams tomorrow.
Hiruzen did not mind rewarding the younger generation, especially since Sunagakure would soon be paying a hundred times that amount for this information.
"Lord Third, I have thought about my reward," Shinra said. "I would like a new sword that contains chakra metal. The sword my shadow clone used cracked under the strain of the Kenjutsu technique." He was being honest; during the fight, he had overloaded his blade with lightning chakra to increase his speed, causing it to shatter.
"Didn't I already fulfill your request regarding the Chūnin Exams?" Hiruzen wondered if the boy was getting greedy. He would already receive nearly a million Ryō after the team split the reward, could he not buy his own sword?
"I didn't request to participate; I only asked if we qualified," Shinra countered. He knew exactly what Hiruzen was implying, but he didn't want to exhaust his mission reward money on a weapon. He doubted Hiruzen would retract the S-rank payment; the Hokage cared too much about his reputation as the village's benevolent grandfather.
Even if he is unable to participate in the Chūnin Exams he didn't truly mind, he cared more about the S-rank mission reward and would spend the entire next year training anyway.
'An A-rank jutsu would've been useful… but my chakra reserves aren't large enough to fully utilize one yet. A chakra metal sword will increase my combat strength immediately.'
Hiruzen faced a dilemma; a chakra metal sword could cost anywhere from a million to hundreds of millions of Ryō, depending on the concentration of chakra metal used in the blade.
Shikaku smiled at the subtle maneuvering, while Danzō remained uncharacteristically quiet.
After a moment, Hiruzen replied, "I will contact a well-known blacksmith to forge a new sword for you." He did not specify when, or how much he would invest.
Hiruzen decided to wrap up the conversation before more requests could arise. "You have all been through a lot. Go home, rest, and be prepared. Tomorrow is the first day of the Chūnin Exams—be at the Academy by 8:00 AM."
After exiting the Hokage Building with nine hundred thousand Ryō in hand, Shinra felt the happiest he had been since becoming a shinobi.
As he entered through the door of his house Shinra barely had enough strength to remove his sandals and walk to the bed before collapsing onto the bed.
Within seconds, he was asleep.
What he didn't know however was that the meeting was still ongoing, even after their departure and his name came up several times in it.