Konoha had already entered the sweltering summer.
Kumogakure, however, was even hotter than Konoha.
Natsuki walked along the bustling main street.
Everywhere, Kumogakure shinobi and residents wore cool, lightweight clothing.
Although Kumogakure was at war with Kirigakure, it had not affected them.
After all, they were farther from the battlefield.
Besides, they all firmly believed that Kumogakure would achieve the final victory.
Natsuki nodded slightly.
He had to admit that Kumogakure was indeed different, exuding a rugged, fierce atmosphere.
That could be seen from the shinobi and residents on the streets. Every one of them was broad and powerfully built.
There was another distinctive feature: their skin tended to be dark.
However, a large portion of them had normal skin tones as well.
Natsuki could not quite figure out why.
Skin color was caused by the environment.
Logically speaking, if they all tended to be dark-skinned, then everyone should be dark-skinned.
But that was not the case in Kumogakure. Half were dark-skinned, and half were fair-skinned.
Suddenly, a burst of commotion caught Natsuki's attention.
He raised his head and looked over, finding a crowd gathered around a huge viewing platform.
Natsuki recalled the intelligence he had seen that morning.
Today was the day Kumogakure was holding its Chunin Ninja Exams. They had already reached the individual matches—the third round.
Unlike Konoha's Chunin Ninja Exams, quite a few of Kumogakure's higher-ups had come.
Natsuki looked around and spotted the Third Raikage seated on the elevated platform.
His features were extremely distinctive, making him recognizable at a glance.
Natsuki then looked toward the Genin participating in the Chunin Ninja Exams at the edge of the arena.
He raised an eyebrow and recognized three of the girls.
Yugito Nii, Mabui, and Samui.
Because of the plot, very few named shinobi from the Third