The Undercurrents Behind the First Exam

"Hey, why is Minato here?"

"Lord Kakashi is here too!"

The appearance of the team leader and deputy leader plunged Neji's squad into great confusion.

They mustered their courage and came to help, but when they arrived, the enemy had already left, and Minato and Kakashi had reappeared. This trick was completely baffling.

"They've probably called for help!"

Neji deduced.

However, he couldn't think of any way to contact Minato, who was at the embassy in Kumogakure.

There aren't many methods available during the Chunin Ninja Exams.

"Neji, should we still go?" Tenten asked.

Neji was stumped by the question. He vividly remembered the battle between the three from Shuyuan, and immediately understood why Senju Sayuri had sought him out in the first place.

They really are a bunch of extraordinary kids!

He wasn't the kind of arrogant fool; his confidence and pride were based on his own strength. He was able to face his opponents squarely, rather than deceiving himself.

The combined strength of the three of them is only enough to deal with the Uchiha Clan and the two blond brats.

That red-haired guy, when he took down those two Rain Ninja, his eyes, his aura—he was no match for him.

"Withdraw."

Neji uttered a single word.

He turned around and ran back the way he came without looking back.

Tenten and Rock Lee glanced at Shuyuan and the others through the dense foliage of the bushes, then followed closely behind Neji's retreating figure.

"They've left! Aren't you going to chase after them?"

Kakashi looked at the swaying bushes on the hillside and asked with a smile.

"Don't pursue them. They mean no harm, and they're all Konoha ninja... there's no need."

Shuyuan refused.

Neji and the Neji's approach could not escape his senses, and they were already very close, close enough that he and Sasuke could see them.

After seeing Neji's Forehead Protector, they abandoned their plan to intervene.

"There are plenty of prey coming to our doorstep; there's no need to chase them."

Sasuke added.

There was a considerable amount of Chakra surrounding them, and besides, with the strength of the three of them, as long as they didn't run into those two monsters, Senju Zen and Uchiha Genso, they could roam freely throughout the Chunin Ninja Exams area.

"Naruto, Shuyuan, Sasuke," Minato called out each name, looking at the three boys. "I'll contact the Cloud Ninja now, but as I said before, the Cloud Ninja most likely won't cancel the exam. You still need to continue your mission. Be extremely careful during this time. Naruto, if there's any danger, immediately contact the Toad to let me know, and I'll get there as quickly as possible."

"Clear."

"Dad, I know. You don't need to say it so many times. I'm no longer a student at the Ninja Academy. I'm Genin now."

Naruto straightened his chest and reached up to adjust the Forehead Protector on his forehead.

Minato smiled and beckoned to Shuyuan and Sasuke, "You two come here for a moment."

Slender, fair fingers gently touched their shoulders, and a string of tadpole-like black runes crawled onto their clothes as if they were alive, leaving their mark.

"I'll leave my coordinates here too, so you can find each other if you get separated."

Minato offered a brief explanation.

The two nodded, indicating that they understood.

Minato had arrived earlier using the coordinates left on Naruto, but if they were separated from Naruto for some reason, without coordinates, even Minato wouldn't be able to find them.

Having this rune coordinate gives me an extra sense of security.

Minato grabbed Kakashi's shoulder, glanced at the three of them one last time, and then the golden light suddenly contracted and disappeared.

Shuyuan plopped down on the ground, panting heavily, looking exhausted.

"Worn out!"

The physical fatigue was negligible, but the pressure from the Senju Zen and Uchiha Genso placed a considerable burden on his mind.

"Sasuke, Naruto, there's a squad at four o'clock and another at nine o'clock. You two handle them! I'm going to rest for a bit."

"I'll take care of the four o'clock position; I've noticed them too."

Sasuke nodded and agreed.

"That one at nine o'clock is mine."

Naruto spoke excitedly, stretching his fists and feet, Hand Seals, and casting a spell. Then, a large group of Shadow Clone surged forward like a tsunami.

Kumogakure, Konoha Embassy.

With a flash of golden light, Minato and Kakashi were back on the open-air balcony.

Looking at the bright sunshine in the sky, the gray mountain peaks in the distance, the rolling sea of clouds, and the pedestrians walking on the streets outside the embassy, I suddenly felt a strange sensation.

"Senju Zen and Uchiha Genso Gensō... the Cloud Ninja are likely in for a horrible time."

Kakashi sighed.

The fact that Senju Zen and Uchiha Genso, as the highest-ranking wanted rogue missing-nin of the Anbu, could live peacefully for over a decade is an extremely impressive feat.

Not to mention, Senju Zen now possesses the Rinnegan and has mastered the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu... in addition to his already extraordinary Wood Style Jutsu.

In addition, there is Uchiha Genso. Although there is not as much information about him as that about Senju Zen, the fact that he can act together with Senju Zen indicates that he is not an easy person to deal with.

Such an enemy would be a disaster for the Cloud Ninja.

"Kakashi, when you meet the Cloud Ninja later, let's not Rinnegan the Cloud Ninja... You can share the information about the Impure World Reincarnation with them." Minato frowned. "No matter what, Senju Zen and Uchiha Genso are both missing-nin to Konoha, and their identities are special. We absolutely cannot let them fall into the hands of the Cloud Ninja or any other force..."

After pondering for a moment, Minato gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

"Kakashi, wait a moment. I need to go back to the village and discuss this with the Lord Hokage. We must inform the village of this information first."

While Senju Zen and Uchiha Genso are indeed formidable, Cloud Ninja is, after all, one of the Five Great Ninja Villages and should not be underestimated. If those two were to fall into the hands of Cloud Ninja, it would not be good news for Konoha.

Wood Release and the Sharingan's Kekkei Genkai are Konoha's two trump cards, belonging to the highest level of secrecy.

The Cloud Ninja, the Stone Ninja, the Mist Ninja, and even their current ally, the Sand Ninja, have always coveted these powerful Kekkei Genkai. Given the opportunity, it's unlikely anyone would give up the chance to acquire Senju Zen and Uchiha Genso.

After all, they were missing-nin. If they fell into the hands of forces like the Cloud Ninja, it would be virtually impossible for Konoha to reclaim them.

Kakashi nodded, his lips pressed tightly together. With the appearance of those two S-rank missing-nin, the outcome of this Chunin Ninja Exams was no longer so important.

"I'll go and talk to the Jonin first, and make some preparations."

After saying that, he quickly left.

The Minato operation was swift and decisive; a flash of golden light, and it vanished. (To be continued)