Qualifications

Bang!

A heavy slap on the desk rang out in the Hokage's Office.

Kushina Uzumaki glared fiercely at the Third Hokage. "Why? Minato's students are qualified to take the Chunin Exams, but mine aren't!"

The Third Hokage looked at Kushina Uzumaki, his face full of exasperation. One hand unconsciously stroked his beard as he signaled Minato Namikaze behind her with his eyes to quickly say something.

"Kushina, calm down." Minato Namikaze looked at his lover with a wry smile. "This was Third Lord's decision. It can't be changed now; the slots have already been set. Adding another team at this point would only cause trouble for others. Besides, all three of them have obvious talent. You don't need to care so much about the rank of chunin."

But contrary to her usual gentle obedience, Kushina Uzumaki abruptly turned around, her red hair flying as she snapped, "Minato, your students are qualified to take the exam, so of course you don't care!"

Choked by her words, Minato Namikaze could only smile bitterly and say somewhat awkwardly, "Kakashi isn't competing."

"Your legendary Kakashi is already a chunin, so naturally he doesn't need to participate. If our Chiba had been born a year earlier, your Kakashi might not have been the legend!" Kushina Uzumaki folded her arms, turned away, and gave a cold snort.

Minato Namikaze was left thoroughly embarrassed, but he knew his lover's personality and could only smile wryly.

Then, he looked toward the Third Hokage, signaling that he had no way to handle her.

The Third Hokage rubbed his brow with a headache, exhaled a long puff of smoke, and said, "Kushina, enough. Things are already decided. Besides, although your three students are outstanding, they don't have any mission experience. Even if they were allowed to take the Chunin Exams and passed, it might not necessarily be good for them."

After speaking, the Third Hokage looked up at Kushina Uzumaki, only to see her pouting at him. "Hmph!" She snorted again and turned her head away.

Minato Namikaze, watching from the side, could only keep smiling bitterly.

The Third Hokage bit down on his pipe and coughed heavily twice. "Kushina, this matter has already been decided."

"Anyway, you're just favoring Minato. You've always thought Minato's students were better than mine. Ah, anyway, you just think I can't teach students well. You think it was inappropriate to entrust these three geniuses to me, and when you decided that I would be their jonin instructor, you were reluctant about it too!" Kushina Uzumaki said.

"Pfft..." Hokoma, the ninja assistant at the side, saw Kushina Uzumaki close her eyes, tilt up her head, and throw a tantrum. He found her utterly adorable and laughed without meaning to.

"Ahem!" The Third Hokage coughed heavily and shot Hokoma a glance. Hokoma immediately put on a serious expression, though he could not hide the smile at the corners of his mouth.

"Then let my students spar with Minato's students! If my students win, they'll replace Minato's students and take part in the Chunin Exams!" Kushina Uzumaki suddenly proposed something that left all three people present speechless with shock.

A spar?

The three looked at one another.

"If my students lose, I'll never bring up the Chunin Exams again!" Kushina Uzumaki added.

The Third Hokage looked at Minato Namikaze, clearly asking for his opinion. Then Kushina Uzumaki turned her gaze toward Minato Namikaze as well, her eyes full of threat.

If you don't agree, I'll never speak to you again!

That was the meaning conveyed by Kushina Uzumaki's gaze.

Judging from Kushina's expression, she was serious.

Minato Namikaze smiled bitterly.

"Fine, then let our Chiba compete against your Kakashi and decide the winner! Kakashi is a genius among geniuses, becoming a chunin at the age of eight. That should be acceptable, right?" Kushina Uzumaki added another condition.

Kakashi?

The Third Hokage considered it.

No matter how formidable or talented Chiba was, he could not possibly defeat Kakashi as he was now. Yes, this can work. As long as it stops Kushina from bringing this up again.

With that thought, the Third Hokage said, "Fine. If Chiba can defeat Kakashi, I'll make an exception and switch them with Minato Squad. Is that acceptable, Minato?"

Minato Namikaze had never been able to do anything about Kushina Uzumaki. Now that the Hokage had said so, he could only nod. "All right."

"Then it's settled!" Kushina Uzumaki broke into a broad, radiant smile and happily walked out of the Hokage's Office.

After she left, the Third Hokage and Minato Namikaze both wiped away a bead of sweat and let out long sighs of relief.

Hokoma, watching from the side, nearly made himself sick trying not to laugh.

"Chiba, do you think we'll be able to take the Chunin Exams?" It was lunchtime, and Yukina carried her bento over to Chiba, who was wolfing down his food, then sat beside him.

Hirohiko sat down on the other side as well.

Without realizing it, Kushina Squad had come to revolve around Chiba. Whenever Hirohiko and Yukina encountered something concerning the three of them, they had grown used to seeking Chiba's decision.

"There's a ninety percent chance we can't," Chiba said. Over the past month, he had trained and eaten with the two of them every day. They had become familiar with one another, and he trusted them, so he did not hide certain things from them.

"Why?" Hirohiko asked concisely.

"We have no mission experience," Chiba answered.

Neither of them was foolish, and they immediately understood. Disappointment appeared on their faces. Unlike Chiba, they had been looking forward to the Chunin Exams.

As descendants of great clans, they bore something Chiba had never carried: the honor of their clans. If they passed the Chunin Exams and became chunin at this age, it would itself bring glory to their clans. It was their duty, and an ideal that had been instilled in them since childhood.

Clan honor above all else! Seeing their disappointed expressions, Chiba froze.

Do they care that much about the Chunin Exams? There's clearly no real benefit... Even if we become chunin, Kushina will probably just keep training us and won't let us take missions. Though the rewards for chunin-level missions are rather tempting.

Chiba did not quite understand.

At that moment, Kushina Uzumaki came striding over aggressively. Without a word, she grabbed Chiba by both shoulders, gripping them hard enough to hurt.

Before Chiba could show either confusion or pain, Kushina Uzumaki fixed him with a fierce stare and said word by word, "You absolutely cannot lose the match in three days! For the next two days, I'll train you super strictly!"

Wha-wha-what... what was going on?

Chiba stared at her with a face full of bewilderment, his heart filled with an intensely ominous premonition.

A match in three days? What match? Who was he competing against? What had happened?