As they walked, Suigetsu's gaze kept drifting toward Samehada, the great sword on Kirin's back. With a fawning grin, he asked, "Captain, can you lend me Samehada for a bit?"
Kirin glanced at Suigetsu. "Beat me, and Samehada is yours."
"Uh..."
Suigetsu immediately recalled how Kirin's Lightning Release had shocked him so badly not long ago that he wished he were dead. He shuddered instinctively.
Without a doubt, this "Kirin," who was proficient in Lightning Release, was Hyuga Kagami controlling a Lightning Release Clone.
Since Hyuga Kagami had not rapidly matured this clone, it looked and sounded only sixteen or seventeen years old.
However, the Byakugan in its eye sockets were far too conspicuous, so Hyuga Kagami wore a specially made mask.
That was nothing unusual in the shinobi world. Shinobi wearing sunglasses, eyepatches, masks, or even bandages wrapped around their entire bodies were everywhere, because being a shinobi was itself a profession that required concealing one's information.
The other person beside him was naturally Karin.
Since Karin was now wearing the lighter Type-Three Biological Armor, she was noticeably smaller than when she wore the bulky Type-Two Bio-Armor. Though she was originally only twelve, she now appeared to be fifteen or sixteen—just the right age to take part in these Chunin Exams.
Moreover, the Type-Three Biological Armor could block chakra sensing and ocular jutsu detection. As long as Karin was careful, she would basically not be exposed.
Karin also wore a specially made mask to conceal the Rinnegan in her eye sockets, which she could not deactivate.
After traveling for a while, Suigetsu asked boredly, "Captain, how come I've never seen you in the village before? With strength like yours, you shouldn't be unknown!"
Because of Hyuga Kagami, Orochimaru's life path had changed, so Suigetsu had not been captured by