Year 46 of Konoha: The Fourth Raikage kicked me.

"You're here to see me too?" Pakura stared intently at Tōka. The two had met once before, when Tōka was with Sakumo Hatake on an infiltration plan for the Land of Wind.

"Looking for you? You could say that!" Tōka's lips curled into a smile, leaving Pakura completely bewildered.

Tōka did come with Pakura to find her, but not to seek revenge.

"Hmph, if you want revenge, it should be us from Sunagakure who come after you!" Pakura stared coldly at Tōka.

In the battle of Kikyo Mountain, it was this kid, who was even smaller than himself, who killed tens of thousands of Sunagakure Shinobi.

Although the majority of them were Chunin and Genin, just imagining that dense Bone Forest sent chills down my spine.

"Revenge? You've misunderstood." Tōka said calmly, then shifted her gaze to the other side.

"When did the people of Kirigakure and Kumogakure become so compatible? Could it be..."

"What nonsense are you talking about? We don't need to cooperate with those useless trash from Kumogakure." Before Tōka could finish speaking, Zabuza him, sneering as if he were the most important person in the world.

Instantly, even Darui, the lazy and easygoing man from Kumogakure, frowned, his dark face as black as ink, shrouded in a gloomy cloud.

Kisame grinned, clearly enjoying the spectacle. Although Mei Terumī felt it wasn't good to make enemies everywhere, she kept quiet after considering the mission at hand.

In an instant, because of those two short sentences, the atmosphere in the room froze and became eerie.

Pakura, representing Sunagakure, Tōka, representing Konoha, were outnumbered, and their positions were close together, making them appear to be on the same side.

Meanwhile, Kirigakure and Kumogakure each occupied a corner, subtly creating a three-way power balance.

Sudden!

A strong wind arose, and an extremely dangerous feeling arose spontaneously. Tōka subconsciously looked up and saw One Flash lightning.

"Raikiri!"

With a loud shout, a figure crackling with lightning raised his right leg and kicked Tōka hard from above.

Boom!!

The world seemed to tremble; the earth shattered, solid rocks turned to dust and smoke, and countless cracks spread across the ground.

"BOSS?"

"That guy is the Raikage?"

"Kumogakure's Lightning Release Taijutsu!"

"Konoha's... Tōka was instantly killed?"

Everyone stared blankly at the newcomer, then their gazes shifted downwards to the feet of the Fourth Raikage, their pupils suddenly contracting.

Where did that brat go?!

Did he dodge it? Or was he kicked to dust by the Raikage?

A thought flashed through Kisame's mind: no blood was drawn, so he must have dodged it, just like when he dodged Mei Terumī's Lava Release.

"This brat is quite fast!" The Fourth Raikage's eyes narrowed slightly, his sharp, eagle-like gaze sweeping around, searching for Tōka's figure.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, Raikage paused slightly, then withdrew his Lightning Release Taijutsu, and the crackling lightning all over his body gradually subsided.

Swish!

A Golden Flash flashed by, Minato Namikaze appeared in the alley at the same time.

Minato immediately noticed Tōka, who was strangely emerging from a corner with a gloomy face.

He looked Tōka up and down, and seeing that Tōka didn't seem to be injured, Minato secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Although it's unclear how Tōka dodged the Raikage's attack, it's no longer important.

Minato and the Third Hokage used the Crystal Ball to monitor everything here. The moment the Raikage appeared, Minato used the Flying Thunder God to rush over.

How fast is the Raikage? While not as fast as Minato's Flying Thunder God, it's still extremely fast.

Minato didn't have time to rescue Tōka. Luckily, Tōka was alright, otherwise...

"Raikage, you must give Konoha an explanation for this!" Minato's ever-smiling eyes suddenly snapped open, revealing a piercing glint.

The air seemed to be gripped by an invisible hand, the oppressive atmosphere making it hard to breathe.

Whether it was Pakura from Sunagakure, or the elites from Kirigakure and Kumogakure, they all felt a tightness in their chests.

What a terrifying aura! Is this the strength of the soon-to-be Fourth Hokage?

A feeling that they could not afford to be enemies with him flashed through everyone's minds.

The three from Kumogakure mechanically moved their necks to look at the Fourth Raikage. Only the boss could possibly match the golden-haired man before them.

"Explanation? What explanation?" Raikage sneered, shouting arrogantly, "I'm just giving some guidance to a junior, do I need to explain myself?"

The three members of Darui, Kumogakure, showed expressions of "I knew it," their leader being as domineering as ever.

The people from Kirigakure and Sunagakure glanced at the overly arrogant Raikage with bewilderment, muttering under their breath, "Idiot! This is his territory! Aren't you afraid Konoha will just leave you here?"

If Iwagakure could use 10,000 ninjas to capture the Third Raikage, wouldn't it be easy for Konoha, which is stronger than Iwagakure, to take down the Fourth Raikage?

"Is that so?" Minato suddenly laughed, a laugh that sent chills down one's spine.

He didn't make any move at all; a golden light flashed in the dim alley.

A chill suddenly rose, and Raikage's expression changed slightly. A burst of lightning flashed as he charged towards the Yugito.

"Xi, stop him!" Darui reacted even as Minato spoke.

He and Nozomi's speed was simply no match for Minato Namikaze, so they had to anticipate his movements!

However, how easy is it to predict a Minato attack?

With a simple sidestep, Minato easily dodged Darui and Shi's attacks, his hand flashing with chakra as he slammed it down on Yugito.

Sensing the impending danger to his life, Yugito's hair stood on end.

Just as she was preparing to Tailed Beast Transformation.

Sizzle...

A piercing crackling sound of electricity rang out, blinding flashes of lightning appeared, and chakra erupted like a storm.

"Lariat!"

"Rasengan!"

Boom!!

One is a change in the Lightning Release, and the other is a change in the form of chakra.

The two collided violently, creating a violent gust of wind that forced everyone to crouch down to lower their center of gravity and avoid being blown away.

"Hokage, what do you want to do?" the Raikage roared angrily. Even though Minato hadn't taken office yet, he still addressed Minato as Hokage.

The purpose was to elevate Minato's status; how could the Hokage, the leader of the Five Great Nations, Genin who came to participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams?

Once this gets out...

"Well, it's nothing." Minato didn't seem to mind at all, smiling slightly as he said, "I was just giving some guidance to our friends from the Land of Lightning."

Although Tōka is still under surveillance, he is a registered ninja of Konoha and belongs to the Konoha.

If he doesn't stand by Tōka's side in this matter, how can he claim to be protecting Konoha?

"..." The Raikage was furious but speechless. This guy who became Hokage at such a young age was indeed very strong!

They are powerful, and their political maneuvering is impeccable!

They said it was guidance, and the Hokage, a man of great stature, took time out of his busy schedule to provide guidance. What else can we say but thank you?

Besides, these words were said by the Raikage himself.

"If the Raikage doesn't want me to guide the people of Kumogakure anytime, anywhere, he'd better give me an explanation!" Minato wasn't the Third Hokage; he was kind to his own people.

Regarding the enemy...

The title of "Yellow Flash" was earned with human lives!!

The Raikage remained silent. A single exchange between experts was enough to gauge each other's strength, and the Raikage was not confident he could defeat Minato Namikaze.

Moreover, in his most prized area of speed, he was actually slightly behind his opponent.

"If the Fourth Hokage were to launch a sneak attack on Yugito every now and then..." The Raikage felt terrible at the thought.

Because the Chunin Ninja Exams are related to the future distribution of benefits, they will have to stay in Konoha for at least another half a month to a month.

For such a long time, they were still within the Konoha headquarters.

Minato Namikaze has too many opportunities to make a move, and he can't possibly be there to watch over Yugito all the time.

His thoughts raced, and Raikage formed a plan in his mind.

You've got guts on your own turf!

"Hmph, I understand!" Raikage snorted coldly, his tone already revealing a hint of submission.

A small matter yielded a political benefit, which was a win-win situation for Minato and even more so for Konoha.

To the people from Kirigakure and Sunagakure, the Raikage was a complete idiot.

If they could kill Tōka, that would be fine, but now, it seems the opponent hasn't even been injured. The Land of Lightning will have to pay a significant price to protect the Two-Tails Jinchūriki.

That's absolutely... incredibly stupid.

However, all of this is from the perspective of Konoha and Kumogakure.

As for Tōka, he had a brush with death.

Tōka, standing behind Minato, remained silent. To the strong, the roar of the weak was nothing more than the barking of a dog that wouldn't bite.

If it weren't for the Six Harmonies Divine Technique, Raikage's kick would probably have turned him into a meat pie!

Tōka squinted, a deep gaze One Flash across his eyes. He lowered his head, the wisps of hair on his forehead obscuring his eyes, making it impossible to see what he was thinking.

Taking a deep breath, Tōka glanced at Raikage with a strange expression before turning and leaving.

The sound of rustling footsteps rang out, and only then did everyone notice the protagonist who had been overlooked throughout the incident.

"This brat isn't so easy to deal with!" the three from Kirigakure thought to themselves.

"I have a feeling this is going to cause a lot of trouble!" A thought flashed through Darui's mind, and he became wary, deciding to keep a closer eye on this kid from now on.

Minato glanced at Tōka's retreating figure and silently said, "I'm sorry."

Even if Yugito were killed, it would only invite retaliation from Kumogakure. Konoha needs to recuperate at this time.

Not to mention dealing with the Raikage himself; not to mention how many people would be lost to capture Raikage, the series of consequences that would follow are unpredictable.

It could even directly trigger World War IV!

"Hokage, if there's nothing else, we're leaving." The Raikage was very unhappy; the feeling of having tried to steal a chicken but losing the bait made him want to vent his frustration.

"Remember what you just said!" Minato glanced meaningfully at Yugito, who was standing behind the Raikage.

The threatening look in his eyes spoke volumes!

"I know!" Raikage squinted, almost losing his temper!

"Let's go!"

After the Raikage left with the people from Kumogakure, the three guys from Kirigakure and Pakura from Sunagakure also quickly left.

They didn't want to face a Kage-level alone, especially a powerful and ambitious young Hokage!

"Looks like Chunin Ninja Exams! A bunch of restless guys, they're a real headache!" Minato muttered to himself, then vanished in a Flying Thunder God Technique.

The next morning, Tōka, who was fast asleep, was not very conscious, but he felt like he was being watched by a strange gaze, and he couldn't sleep soundly.

After hesitating for a few minutes, Tōka finally raised his eyelids in annoyance, opening one eye just a crack, and sure enough, he saw a silver-haired boy squatting by the window.

This guy seems to be staring at me in a daze?

"Kakashi? Have you seen enough?" Tōka raised an eyebrow, his tone languid yet carrying a hint of chill.

The air seemed to freeze, as if it had been put to stillness.

A chill swept over him, instantly waking Kakashi.

"Uh... haha..." Kakashi touched the silver hair on his head. Tōka was indeed very handsome, and he was momentarily stunned.

"What's up?" Tōka squinted one eye, keeping the other closed, as if he could sleep with one eye closed.

Kakashi, regaining his senses, then remembered that he had come to inform Tōka of the time and location of the second Chunin Ninja Exams.

"The first test is Genjutsu, and the Second Exam is Taijutsu."

Kakashi's expression turned serious, and he said in a deep voice, "The location is the Forest of Death. We need to arrive before 2 PM. Shisui and I agreed to meet at 1:30 PM."

"The exam is about Taijutsu?" Tōka opened both eyes, his drowsiness almost completely gone.

"To be precise, it's a physical fitness test, and it's also the key to this mission." Kakashi deliberately emphasized the word "mission."

Tōka sat up abruptly, and roughly understood what Kakashi meant.

The Forest of Death, the Assassination Plan.

The simplest and least strenuous way to kill is to slit one's throat; in the Forest of Death, conserving energy is of utmost importance!

Because no one knows what kind of person, enemy, or venomous insect or beast they might encounter next.

What do you do before starting a raid? Wait for everyone to gather, of course!

"Have you contacted Kai and the others?" Tōka asked after a moment's thought.

"Yes, we've decided to carry out the plan we devised at the Barbecue Restaurant." Kakashi's eyes narrowed slightly, his words carrying a chilling undertone.

Too many people survived the first exam; this one will have to eliminate at least 90%!

"Is that so...? This exam seems quite interesting..." Tōka grinned, casually threw back the covers, and got out of bed.

"Kakashi, are you planning to squat here and watch me change?" Tōka gave Kakashi a strange look.

Kakashi was completely taken aback. With a bang, a puff of White Smoke rose, and Kakashi's figure instantly disappeared from the window.

"It seems like this guy never got a girlfriend by the end, right?" Tōka squinted at the silver-haired boy who was gradually disappearing into the depths of the street.

A thought suddenly popped into his mind.

"Kakashi... could he be gay?"