The atmosphere in the Hokage tower was tense. Hiruzen Sarutobi listened with a seriousness he rarely displayed, his pipe forgotten to the side. In front of him, Kakashi Hatake and Anko Mitarashi, both jonin in charge of supervising the Chunin Exams, presented their reports with expressions of deep dismay.
"Hokage-sama," Anko began, her voice unusually deep. "There is... something anomalous in the Forest of Death. A presence. It wasn't a genin, not a chuunin, not even a high-level jonin. I felt... an energy similar to that of tailed beasts, but more restrained, more... cold. And then, it was gone."
Kakashi nodded, his visible eye serious. "Confirmed. My shadow clones, who were monitoring the area, detected a distortion. An extremely potent, but atypical, chakra signature. And more worryingly, it's the same signature we noticed when Naruto's team was attacked."
The Third Hokage frowned. He knew exactly who they were talking about. Satoru Gojo. His presence in Konoha was already a calculated risk, but for him to interfere with the exams...
"Was there a direct confrontation?" Hiruzen asked, his voice low and heavy with concern.
Anko hesitated. "Not directly, Hokage-sama. But minutes after sensing that signature, Orochimaru... he withdrew from the exam area. And not in the way he normally does. He seemed... disturbed. As if he'd found something that made him reconsider."
Kakashi added, "Naruto and his team were near the epicenter of that energy. Naruto was more excited than usual, while Sakura and Sasuke seemed confused. They couldn't give any clear details, only that 'the guy with glasses' was there."
A heavy silence fell over the office. The implication was clear: Gojo Satoru had had a run-in with Orochimaru, the legendary and traitorous Sannin, and had scared him off.
"How powerful is that man, Hokage-sama?" Anko asked, her fists clenched. Orochimaru was her former teacher, and the idea that someone could scare him perplexed her.
Hiruzen closed his eyes, recalling his own brief and bewildering encounter with Gojo.
"His power... defies our understanding of chakra. He doesn't use hand seals, doesn't seem to need to concentrate his energy. He's... a force of nature. And yes, he is the man with glasses."
Kakashi considered. "His arrogance isn't unfounded, then. The way he dismissed my abilities or those of my genin... I thought it was simple pride. Now... I'm not so sure."
"It's not arrogance, Kakashi," Hiruzen said, opening his eyes. His gaze was grim. "It's a statement of fact. Gojo Satoru is, by far, the most powerful being to have set foot in Konoha in a long time." That's why my biggest concern isn't whether he's an enemy, but whether we can control him."
An idea crossed Anko's mind. "Do you think Orochimaru was there to attack Sasuke, or Naruto?"
"It's very likely," Hiruzen replied. "And Gojo's intervention, though unsought, seems to have thwarted his plans. For now."
News that a being as enigmatic and powerful as Gojo Satoru not only existed, but was also capable of repelling a Sannin, began to spread quietly among the elite jōnin.
Uncertainty about Konoha's future, and the safety of its most valuable genin, loomed like a shadow. Gojo's presence was not a blessing; he was a new and unpredictable wild card on the geopolitical chessboard.
"For now," Hiruzen ordered, his voice authoritative, "maintain vigilance over Gojo. Do not confront him directly unless absolutely necessary. And don't discuss your power with anyone else. This must stay between us."
Kakashi and Anko nodded, their minds processing the magnitude of the situation. Konoha had a new "protector," or perhaps a new problem, and only time would tell which of the two it was.