New rule: no spitting.

"Yo~, Raikage, is your Kumogakure trying to take this opportunity to wipe out the Konoha?" Chiyo said gleefully, as if she were watching a show and hoping for more trouble.

Immediately, the expressions on the faces of everyone present darkened.

Raikage glared fiercely at the old woman. Although he had indeed thought that way in his heart, could he really say it out loud?

Can't you see that there are Konoha Anbu all around? There must be at least a hundred of them, and the Fourth Hokage is even here!

"Hokage, we can make an agreement that Yugito can participate in this Chunin Ninja Exams!" The Raikage has paid a heavy price for this plan.

Minato frowned slightly; that was precisely why he found it troublesome.

Based on the current situation, even Konoha's elite Team Kakashi was almost instantly defeated when facing Jinchūriki who could perfectly control their Tailed Beast.

The other Asuma squad didn't fare much better after encountering the Two-Tails Jinchūriki.

As for the teams from other villages, Minato didn't think they were stronger than Team Kakashi of three.

"It seems the Lord Raikage must have expended quite a bit of money to Jinchūriki in here," Chiyo said sourly.

"Hmph, who says Jinchūriki can't participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams?" the Raikage retorted righteously. "Yugito is under fifteen, why can't she participate?"

Chiyo was speechless, unable to find any rebuttal.

Being fifteen years old is a strict requirement, but whether someone is Genin or not is ultimately up to the village.

One of the Jinchūriki in Sunagakure is already several decades old, and...

The same situation applies to Iwagakure and Kirigakure; they simply cannot send Jinchūriki to fight, and Kumogakure has indeed exploited their weakness.

"More than that, I'm concerned about what price the Raikage paid!" Hozuki Mangetsu grinned, revealing a sharp fang, and said with a sly smile.

"Hmph, none of your business!" Raikage retorted with a domineering remark.

While the representatives of several major powers were arguing and bickering, Minato took the opportunity to quietly inquire about the specifics of what had just happened from Tōka and Shisui.

"Tōka, Shisui, tell me honestly, are you confident in dealing with the Two-Tails Jinchūriki?" Minato asked in a low voice.

Tōka and Shisui exchanged a glance and both frowned.

Tōka possesses the Ninjutsu -type Kekkei Mōra: All-Killing Ash Bones and the Genjutsu -type Kekkei Mōra: Six Harmonies Divine Technique.

However, Genjutsu have little effect on Jinchūriki, while the properties of the All-Killing Ash Bones can indeed instantly kill Yugito.

However, that's based on the assumption that the shot hits the opponent.

Tōka's largest area-of-effect attack against aerial attacks, All-Killing Ash Bones - Bone Rain Scatter, was countered by Yugito using Tailed Beast Bomb.

Therefore, he really didn't have any good way to deal with the Two-Tails Jinchūriki.

Shisui was calculating combat strength, starting with chakra reserves. He was completely outmatched by his opponent, who was practically a Milky Way ahead of him.

Secondly, his Genjutsu, which he excels at, isn't very effective against Jinchūriki. Next, his Fire Release Ninjutsu probably won't cause much damage, and as for Taijutsu...

After a brief silence, Tōka and Shisui shook their heads together.

"Tōka, you can't do anything either? I remember your ability..." Minato's expression was rather unpleasant, and the smile that was usually on his lips was gone.

"The All-Killing Ash Bones can indeed instantly kill Yugito, but..." Tōka shrugged helplessly, explaining with a pained expression, "If I can't hit her, there's nothing I can do!"

"Can't it hit?" Minato looked thoughtful. This was indeed a serious problem. No matter how strong the attack, if it couldn't hit the target...

After pondering for a moment, Minato couldn't think of a good solution either.

If he could make a move, he could directly close in and leave a Flying Thunder God Mark on the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, making it impossible for any subsequent attacks to miss.

A quarter of an hour passed in silence among the three.

"Perhaps..." Suddenly, Minato, who had been at a loss, laughed, and Tōka and Shisui felt a chill run down their spines.

"You could try cooperating with teams from Kirigakure, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure."

As Minato finished speaking, a strange thought popped into Tōka's mind: Isn't this just like teaming up to fight a big boss?

Tōka's mind flashed through the Elite Squad of the three great hidden villages. Just the three members of Kirigakure —Mei Terumī, Kisame, Zabuza— were all extremely powerful fighters.

Furthermore, the Sunagakure's Pakura, Baki, Yashamaru are also formidable, as are the Iwagakure's Bee Squad...

"That might work, but what if that guy does it again..." Tōka still felt a little scared when faced with the Tailed Beast Bomb.

"Don't worry, the Tailed Beast Bomb is too destructive; it must be stopped." Minato assured Tōka, seeing that he was confident in dealing with Yugito.

The big shots over there seemed to have noticed the whispers between Minato, Tōka, Shisui.

They immediately stopped arguing and quickly moved closer together.

"Hokage, what are you doing sneaking around like that?" The Raikage's voice was loud and clear, reaching the ears of the nearby Anbu.

Everyone's foreheads creased with disbelief. Was the Raikage's brain just made of muscles?

Minato's lips twitched slightly, then he smiled. "Raikage, everyone, shall we continue the exam?"

"Continue? The Two-Tails is here, how can a bunch of Genin continue?" Chiyo was the first to jump out.

"That's right, the Hokage should revoke the Two-Tails' qualification for the exam," Hozuki Mangetsu chimed in second.

As for Kitsuchi, who had remained silent, although he didn't speak, his expression told everyone that he supported Chiyo and Hozuki Mangetsu.

"Hmph, if you're afraid of dying, then quit. I don't mind!" Raikage said, arms crossed and nose in the air.

His tone was full of disdain, as if to say, "If you're afraid of death, I'll spare your dog lives!"

Chiyo, Hozuki Mangetsu, and Kitsuchi's auras solidified, and a chilling killing intent spread out.

One is Advisor to Sunagakure with a reputation higher than that of the Kazekage; another is the head of a major clan in the Land of Water; and the third is the son of the Tsuchikage. They have never suffered such humiliation before!

The atmosphere instantly turned tense, becoming fraught with danger.

If it weren't for the fact that this was Konoha territory and there were over a hundred elite Anbu guards nearby, the three of them almost couldn't resist attacking the Raikage directly!

However, with that arrogant look on his face, the Raikage seems genuinely eager to fight the others!

"Hokage, what do you think about this?" Chiyo took a deep breath, calming the anger in her chest.

Upon hearing this, everyone's gaze fell upon Minato Namikaze.

"Hmm..." Minato stroked his chin and pondered for a moment before saying, "The exam can continue, but you absolutely cannot use Tailed Beast Bomb!"

"Why..." Raikage instinctively tried to retort, but before he could finish, he was silenced by Minato's icy glare.

"Do you want to destroy Konoha?" Minato retorted forcefully, without backing down even slightly.

"..." The Raikage pursed his lips, glancing at the destroyed Forest. It seemed that the Tailed Beast Bomb had been blocked by some kind of Secret Technique.

If they hadn't been stopped and had charged straight into Konoha, it's estimated...

Seemingly sensing the Raikage's concession, a thought flashed through everyone's minds: what if that Tailed Beast Bomb had hit Konoha?

It's likely that the Raikage and his crew won't be able to leave the Land of Fire!

Immediately, Chiyo, Hozuki Mangetsu, and Kitsuchi exchanged glances, a hint of regret flashing in their eyes.

"If everyone agrees, let's leave now; the exam is still ongoing." Minato took in the expressions of the three men, and a feeling of inexplicable disgust welled up inside him.

To become a ninja, one must be prepared to kill and be killed, both of which are undeniable. However, the rule that ninjas cannot harm civilians is an unwritten rule among them.

During wartime, the situation was too chaotic, Five Great Nations were preoccupied with their own problems, which weakened their ability to maintain order.

However, during peacetime, most ninjas do not attack civilians. Although it is not absolutely forbidden, it is restrained by the Five Great Hidden Villages, and once discovered, they will be wiped out.

If ninjas were to act with impunity and attack civilians, the Five Great Nations would likely be devoid of civilians within ten years.

Because of the Minato, the atmosphere gradually calmed down.

The conversation between the big shots was so intense that Tōka and Shisui had no say in it. Seeing that everyone remained silent, the conversation seemed to be coming to an end.

"Minato, we'll head in now. Kakashi, don't worry," Tōka whispered in Minato's ear.

"Okay, go ahead, be careful." Minato nodded in agreement.

Having received permission, Tōka darted away from where he stood, disappearing into the Forest in a few leaps.

Shisui, who was standing to the side, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose to remain silent and followed Tōka.

Chiyo squinted at Tōka's retreating figure, One Flash murderous intent crossing her eyes, until Tōka disappeared into the depths of the forest before she withdrew her gaze.

However, Hozuki Mangetsu's attention was on Minato. The Hokage was so calmly letting the exam continue; could it be that he had some way to kill the Two-Tails Jinchūriki of Kumogakure?

Kitsuchi and Hozuki Mangetsu shared similar thoughts, so neither of them spoke.

"Boss, we'll be leaving now." Darui quickly said upon seeing this, feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of powerful figures.

"Yes, go ahead!" Raikage nodded slightly.

The Kumogakure team received the order and quickly left. The team's sensory, Genjutsu, and Medical Ninja, Hii, was not in good condition and needed to recover as soon as possible.

"In that case, let's leave too." Seeing that no one spoke, Minato waved his hand, signaling the nearby Anbu to leave.

Before long, all the figures in the woods disappeared, and it became quiet.

Deep within the Forest of Death, in a tranquil Forest, all is quiet except for the occasional cry of birds.

Tōka and Shisui found Kakashi. By then, Kakashi's bleeding had stopped and he was out of danger, but it would probably take him a month or so to recover to his full strength.

Upon seeing the Original Body arrive, the Shadow Clone nodded slightly and vanished from the spot with a bang.

The memories were transferred back to his Original Body, Tōka roughly understood Kakashi's information, but he still decided to give Kakashi another full-body examination.

"Tōka, why didn't that person tell Minato?" Seeing that Kakashi was out of danger, Shisui finally asked the question that had been bothering him for a long time.

The person mentioned in Shisui's mouth is naturally Orochimaru, who appeared in the Forest of Death.

Upon hearing this, Tōka, who was giving Kakashi a thorough check-up, tilted his head and looked thoughtful.

Then...

Tōka suddenly realized, blinked, and said, "I forgot!"

"Holy crap, you forgot? You're kidding me!" Shisui's eye twitched. Looking at Tōka's serious expression, he wanted nothing more than to slap him.

If you don't want to talk about it, then don't. At least come up with a decent reason! You're even ignoring a perfunctory excuse?

Forgot? Hehe...

"Shisui, carry Kakashi on your back. Let's find a safe place to rest." Tōka finished checking, clapped his hands, and stood up.

"Why me?" Shisui was still secretly complaining about what had just happened when she suddenly heard Tōka's words and subconsciously asked a question.

"I'm quite tired after so much treatment!" Tōka said with a straight face.

A vein bulged on Shisui's forehead. "The thing I was treating Kakashi with was a Shadow Clone, okay? I have the Sharingan, not Red Eye!"

Even if it's Red Eye, it doesn't mean you'll go blind!

Despite his complaints, Shisui still squatted down and carried Kakashi on his back, thinking that Tōka's small frame Budong Kakashi.

After all, Tōka is several years younger than the two of them!

The three quickly retreated, cleaning up any traces in the vicinity. Kakashi remained unconscious, and Tōka and Shisui were unsure how to contact Asuma's team.

Therefore, Tōka and Shisui decided to hide for the time being and wait for Kakashi to wake up before making any further plans.

Meanwhile, the Kumogakure team also found a secluded Valley and hid themselves under the cover of towering Big Tree.

"Yugito, can't you break Hii's Genjutsu either?" Darui frowned as he looked at Hii, who was staring blankly.

He knew absolutely nothing about Genjutsu; the only person he could rely on was Yugito.

"No, I've already tried. That brat's Genjutsu isn't that simple." Yugito's brows furrowed deeply. "I tried using Matatabi's chakra to attack, but there was no reaction at all."

"This is really troublesome! Hi..." Yugito was at a loss, and Darui was even more helpless.

He could only silently pray that hope would come to her senses on her own.

It seemed that even the heavens were on the side of Kumogakure. Darui had just finished praying when Xi's gaze gradually focused, and she slowly woke up.

"Ugh... where am I?" Xi looked at the lush green Big Tree above her head with a tired expression, her voice low and weak.

Although he was physically unharmed, Xi's mind was on the verge of collapse after spending a hundred hours in the Primordial Illusion Realm.

He kept reminding himself not to fall asleep, which is why he has managed to stay awake until now.

Xi's choice was correct. If she fell asleep in the illusion, she would never wake up. Perseverance was the only way to break the Golden Wheel Nine Revolutions.

"Xi, you're awake?" Darui and Yugito were taken aback at first, then exclaimed with joy.

"Darui... Yugito..." Xi licked his not-so-dry lips. He felt so thirsty, so thirsty... that if there were a river in front of him, he could drink it all in one gulp.

"How are you feeling?" Darui helped Xi sit up and lean against the Tree Stump.

"I really want to drink water." hope swallowed, not because her body was dehydrated, but because her soul was parched.

"Water? Oh, okay!" Darui quickly untied the water bottle...