"It sounds quite lively in here. What are you all discussing?"

The door creaked open, and the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, walked in slowly, a trail of smoke curling from his pipe.

"Lord Hokage!"

Everyone immediately rose to their feet. Hiruzen waved a hand, gesturing for them to be at ease, his gaze falling on Anko. He frowned.

"Anko, are you certain it was Orochimaru who did this to you?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Anko confirmed, her voice tight with conviction. "I tried to use the Mutual Death technique, to force him to tell me why he's returned after all these years. But… my strength was not enough." As she spoke, she gritted her teeth, her fists clenched with a helpless resentment.

The Anbu beside her added in a low voice, "There is no shame in it. Orochimaru is one of the legendary Sannin and a former student of the Hokage. Combined with the effects of the curse mark, the odds were stacked against you."

Hiruzen glanced at the Anbu member, a knowing look in his eyes, before continuing. "Anko, did he say anything suspicious to you?"

Anko pondered for a moment, then her eyes widened. "Yes! I asked him why he returned, and he said he came back to 'turn the windmill'!"

"Turn the windmill?" the Anbu repeated, stunned. "What does that mean?"

Anko shook her head helplessly. "I don't know. I assume he was just trying to fool me again. He's always been like that, feeding me lies ever since I was a child."

"No," Hiruzen said, a knowing, weary smile touching his lips. "Perhaps this time, he was not lying. I know my former student. He is a man who values his time above all else; he never does anything without a purpose. 'Turning the windmill'… it means he intends to set historic events in motion. He has come to cause trouble for Konoha. Hmph. He has always been a worrying child."

"What?" Anko was shocked. "Then… Lord Hokage, if that's the case, we must reinforce our defenses at once! If necessary, we should recall all our shinobi on external missions to bolster the village's strength. Orochimaru is too dangerous! We must be fully prepared!"

"No," Hiruzen said, exhaling a slow plume of smoke. "The Daimyo and the leaders of the other great nations will be arriving in Konoha within days. If we overreact now, we will arouse their suspicion. The reputation of our village is at stake. To panic over a single rogue ninja would damage our standing."

Hearing this, Anko became immediately anxious. "Lord Hokage, this is no time to be concerned with appearances!"

"Remain calm, Anko. Hiruzen's decision is the correct one. You will understand when you become a leader yourself one day." An old, stern voice came from outside the door. The next moment, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado walked in.

The two took their seats on the sofa, and Koharu spoke first. "As a great power, we must project the image of a great power. The most important thing is to remain calm in the face of a crisis."

"But—!" Anko started to protest, but the Anbu quickly grabbed her arm, signaling her not to be impulsive.

"Let go of me!" Anko angrily shook off his arm. Seeing the tense atmosphere, Hiruzen stood and walked to Anko's side, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry," he said with a kind smile. "I am here."

"Lord Hokage…" Looking at Hiruzen's calm and confident face, Anko finally relented, her shoulders slumping as she nodded reluctantly.

"Good. You should go, Anko. You are the chief proctor for the second exam. It wouldn't do for you to be absent."

"I… I understand." With that, Anko turned and left with the other staff members. Now, only Hiruzen and his two advisors remained in the room.

"Hmph," Koharu sneered. "I didn't expect Orochimaru to join the festivities. Perfect. We can deal with both problems at once."

"He has simply come at an inopportune time," Homura added. "Let the world think Konoha's defenses are stretched thin. Little do they know, all of our external forces have already been recalled to the village. All for the purpose of completely eliminating that wretched Uchiha clan."

"Hah…" Hiruzen looked out the window at the bleak moonlight, a deep sigh escaping his lips.

"Do not worry. For the stability of Konoha, I will not be lenient this time."

"Whether it's my former, beloved student… or the Uchiha clan."

"I will personally settle all of these grudges."