The air of Konoha was filled with the charred fragrance of grilled meat. Amid the bustling crowd, Haotian strolled leisurely, his thoughts still lingering on the Chunin Exam not long ago.
Now that he had been promoted to Chunin, what awaited him next?
He felt both eager and uneasy.
"Yo! Haotian!" A rough voice rang out behind him. Haotian turned and saw Genma, a senbon between his teeth, walking toward him.
Behind him, Hayate Gekko and Ebisu followed with smiles.
"You're here too!" Haotian greeted them with a smile, warmth rising in his heart.
Seeing friends he had not met in a long time made him feel especially close to them.
"I really didn't expect it. You're a celebrity now, kid!" Genma gave Haotian's shoulder a hearty slap, his tone teasing.
"Exactly. You used to be completely unnoticed in practical combat class, and now you've become Konoha's rising star!" Ebisu chimed in, teasing him as well, though his eyes were full of admiration.
"Haha, I just got lucky." Haotian scratched his head and smiled modestly.
"Lucky? Crippling an Iwagakure force on your own and killing Kari, who possessed two bloodline limits—simple luck can't explain that." Hayate Gekko spoke seriously, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
"Yeah, I heard Iwagakure even put out a bounty on you. The amount is terrifyingly high!" Ebisu added, sounding surprised.
Haotian merely smiled without explaining further.
"Come on, come on! I'm treating today. Let's go get some barbecue!" Genma threw an arm around Haotian's shoulders and headed toward a barbecue restaurant.
The four sat around a table in the restaurant, where the steaming grilled meat gave off a mouthwatering aroma.
As they raised their cups, they chatted about all sorts of recent events, and the mood was relaxed and cheerful.
In the middle of