"First match of the Chunin Exam Preliminary... cough, cough... Naruto versus Karui."
After the matchups were decided, Gekko Hayate covered his mouth and coughed twice before speaking.
Naruto and Karui then walked to the center of the plaza together.
Ye Wuyue watched from the outer edge, with Xiang Lin standing beside him.
A ninja wearing a Kusagakure Headband walked toward them. Xiang Lin tugged at Ye Wuyue's sleeve, and he turned to look at the newcomer.
"How come you're the only one who passed the second exam? Where are your other teammates?" the Kusagakure ninja demanded angrily, reaching out to grab Xiang Lin.
"Talk if you want to talk. Don't put your hands on her." Ye Wuyue calmly grabbed the hand reaching toward Xiang Lin.
"She's a ninja from our Kusagakure, isn't she? What right does a Konoha ninja like you have to interfere?" Seeing the Gunbai embroidered on Ye Wuyue's clothes, the Kusagakure ninja spoke to him with obvious displeasure.
Although Ye Wuyue wore Deadly Armor, Mikoto had embroidered the Uchiha Clan's Gunbai onto it. The same was true of his white haori.
Unfortunately, there was no captain's number on the haori.
"Of course it concerns me. First, she is a member of the Uzumaki Clan, Konoha's ally. Second, she is the long-lost cousin of a friend of mine." Ye Wuyue smiled and spoke to the Kusagakure ninja with perfect confidence.
This was the explanation they had worked out over the past three days. Naruto had already informed Minato through Kakashi-sensei, and Ye Wuyue had also learned roughly what Xiang Lin and Kushina had discussed that day.
Xiang Lin's mother and Kushina had been childhood friends. They had been separated when Uzushio Village was destroyed. Kushina had wanted to take Xiang Lin as her goddaughter, but Xiang Lin had