"I told you, he might look a little gloomy, but he's actually very easy to talk to. As long as it's something he can do, he basically won't refuse."
Genma Shiranui patted Namiashi Raidō on the shoulder, his smiling words drifting faintly over.
"The Fourth Hokage's guard unit..."
Chiba watched the two leave, murmuring softly.
He had not expected the selection process to begin already, but it made sense. Minato Namikaze's term would last until the end of the Nine-Tails' Rampage, leaving only one year. Genma and Namiashi Raidō, as his guards, had learned the Flying Thunder Formation Technique before his term ended. This timing was just about perfect.
Moreover, although he had never seen Genma fight, in the original story, Genma and Namiashi Raidō had faced the Sound Four after returning from a mission, possibly not even in perfect condition. The Sound Four had admitted that if they had not activated their cursed seal state, they might have been killed. Genma and Namiashi Raidō were unquestionably strong enough to serve as the Hokage's guards.
Genma...
He was probably the one among them who hid himself the deepest.
A string of thoughts flashed through his mind.
Hmm...
He could probably develop the poison in a day. Better sooner than later. If he prepared it early, it would save him from keeping it on his mind—or forgetting it without realizing.
After watching the two disappear into the small woods, Chiba did not linger at the entrance. He stepped back into the house and casually pulled the door shut behind him.
Clack!
The Japanese-style door lightly struck the frame. Chiba tidied the tea set on the low table while frowning over which of several medicinal formulas would be the most suitable. After all, this was meant for candidates from the same village.