Juri Slaps Ina

A plaza somewhere in Konohagakure.

The moon hung in the night sky, and no one was around.

Diejian, sitting on a bench, leaned on his cane and slowly stood up.

The injuries from the previous battle had not yet healed, and Diejian was wrapped in bandages in many places.

He walked with unsteady steps, cradling his aching leg.

"Lord Second Hokage's funeral is over..."

"Is that so..."

From the darkness behind him, a voice called out, and Diejian answered without turning around.

He knew even without looking back.

That clear voice belonged to Yamanaka Ina.

Since their reunion after a long time, the sweet atmosphere of their parting had not returned between them.

Diejian had been gazing at the distant sky.

Ina, dressed in a black mourning dress, placed her hands over her chest and lowered her eyes sadly.

This was because she had already realized what Diejian was gazing at.

"The Third Hokage will be Hiruzen Sarutobi."

"Naturally. In Konoha today, there is no ninja more outstanding than him."

To Ina's words, Diejian turned around with a reluctant air.

Diejian had ceded the credit for discovering and retrieving Tobirama's body to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

To Diejian, that credit was meaningless.

Furthermore, Mito, who had rushed to him upon sensing his return, reported the village's current situation.

With this credit, Danzo and Hiruzen, who had suppressed the opposition, had decided on Hiruzen's succession as Third Hokage.

In other words, as long as Hiruzen was alive, Diejian could not become Hokage.

Diejian still yearned for the position of Hokage, but not with the same desperation as before.

Hiruzen's appointment as Third Hokage was Tobirama's final command.

Moreover, Diejian himself believed there was no ninja more outstanding than Hiruzen.

Therefore, Diejian had no particular feelings about the position of Hokage.

It was just--

"Another Face Rock will be added."

Diejian's words, as he gazed once more at the Face Rocks of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, were like a soliloquy.

He sought no answer, merely confirmation.

An additional Face Rock meant the end of an era.

Just like the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, would also become a figure of the past.

Was this not a sad thing?

--The children of today do not know Hashirama Senju.

At least Diejian's younger brother, Nawaki Senju, had never met Hashirama.

Even the greatest hero Diejian admired would one day be forgotten.

Perhaps Diejian's persistent reading of Nawaki the hero legends of Hashirama was precisely to prevent people from forgetting that such a hero had existed.

But no matter how one struggled, humans could not overcome the torrent of time.

No matter how strong one became, no matter how one resisted death, they would eventually be swallowed by history and disappear.

Despite this, people hated each other, killed each other, and fought over their inherently short lives.

Hashirama Senju was a man who faced this very human nature head-on.

It was precisely because of this that people admired him.

Those who believed in the hero Hashirama Senju would likely also believe in his successor, Diejian Senju, who carried his dream.

However, the essence of the person named Diejian Senju was precisely the "hatred" that Hashirama Senju had fought against.

That collective resentment, eager to kill enemies and even spanning eras to achieve its goal, was the origin of Diejian Senju.

Who could acknowledge that their capacity was built upon hatred?

To speak of the Senju protecting their comrades was laughable.

When this very body was born precisely to kill those comrades--Diejian, mocking himself, therefore treated Izuna's heart as nonexistent and sealed it away.

Diejian's torment, having severed a part of his own soul, was unimaginably arduous.

--Life is only pain, it is a meaningless thing.

He volunteered to be bait, not for any noble reason.

For Diejian, rather than continue living in this human hell, dying as the man who protected the heroes was a form of salvation.

He wanted to leave his name in history through a heroic death and sever his karma.

But Diejian knew that was just a child throwing a tantrum out of pessimism for things going contrary to his wishes.

--You must protect those who admire the village and trust you. And you must nurture those who can be entrusted to the next generation.

Tobirama's words shook Diejian's heart.

Who would believe these were the words of a dying ninja?

Where in those words were resentment, pain, or hatred?

What was contained in those words was a warm heart, worried about the future of the children after his departure, and loving those who would follow in his footsteps.

That will illuminated Diejian, and another Konoha sprouted--.

The peak to which he must go is distant and endless.

The suffering that awaits is likely beyond imagination.

Nevertheless, the hatred rooted in Diejian's essence will never change in the future.

Diejian will continue to be exposed to the flickering of the Black Flame and will always fear the "someday" when he might take the wrong path.

Even if he chose to flee, thinking of that suffering, perhaps no one could blame him.

However, Diejian had decided.

He yearned to inherit that way of life.

He would never let the love left by Senju Hashirama, the bonds left by Senju Tobirama—that continuously passed down will—be severed.

He must have come to save me, his unworthy disciple.

Even with a fatal wound, he still tried to protect "the future of the village."

When he witnessed the body of Senju Tobirama, who had sacrificed himself heroically, Diejian's heart indeed surged with intense hatred.

He even had the fleeting thought of dragging his broken body back and attacking Kumogakure.

But--Diejian understood Tobirama's way of life, which he had carried through to his death.

What Tobirama wanted to protect was precisely the "future" in which Diejian and the others lived.

Tasting wine, knowing women, having children, and then entrusting them to the next generation—this was a livelihood as a human that many ninjas had never been able to obtain.

The opponent Diejian should fight was not Uchiha Izuna's hatred.

Nor was it the cruel and ugly reality.

It was his own fragile heart, possessed by hatred, trying to abandon himself.

Diejian saw Ina looking at him with concern.

Diejian thought he had also caused this lovely girl a lot of trouble.

He hadn't noticed before, but that crybaby girl had become womanly at some point.

It wasn't that he was unwilling to reciprocate her feelings, but for now--

"Hey, you didn't really have to go to the funeral, did you...?"

"Ah... I've already said goodbye."

"--Diejian. Just call me... 'Uncle'."

The words exchanged in that forest contained all their feelings.

Between them, no more words were needed.

"The next time we 'meet,' it will be when I have completed my mission."

Even after undergoing the extraordinary technique of Reincarnation, it was unknown whether a world after death existed.

Perhaps Tobirama was still protecting Diejian.

But Diejian felt he had no face to meet Tobirama now.

He wanted to wait until he truly grew up, until he became someone who could entrust the Will of Fire to the next generation, before he would slowly go to see him.

He didn't know if he could one day surpass great predecessors like Hashirama and Tobirama.

But when he could stand tall, side-by-side with that broad back, and become a true man--

"Huhu... In that case, wouldn't I have to re-learn from the Ninja Academy? Can you recite all of Konoha's rules?"

"...What about you?"

"Of course, I can definitely recite them. You don't mean..."

To Ina, who was joking, Diejian replied with a straight face.

He knew he wasn't good at cultural subjects, but being thought of as unable to remember even basic rules like these made him a little unhappy.

"Of course I can recite it."

"Honestly, I was just kidding. But... yeah. From now on, it's going to be lonely..."

--Lonely.

His heart skipped a beat.

This sentence perfectly filled the gaping hole left in his heart after losing his master.

Like a lock being opened, countless memories gushed out like a spring, then flowed by like a revolving lantern.

Diejian lowered his head, hiding his face from Ina's sight.

"Nin..."

Diejian's lips trembled.

As expected, the pinnacle of the ninja way was still far out of reach.

Once upon a time, Diejian had run away with Hashirama and been severely reprimanded by Tobirama.

He had also taken punches.

The ghost-like expression he wore then was unforgettable.

The days of torture disguised as training were a psychological trauma that would never fade in his lifetime.

He had come close to death countless times.

Always wary of Tobirama's sudden appearances, he'd try to escape, only to be caught.

Everything was so noisy, every day was a struggle.

He had also played with Tobirama.

After rigorous training, Tobirama would take him to soak in hot springs and treat him to delicious meals.

He remembered Tobirama saying the fish here were delicious, and he'd cook fish caught in the clear rivers of Konohagakure around a campfire.

Diejian still found Tobirama's smile, when he laughed and called it a secret spot, a little frightening.

But Diejian would never forget the memory of them both devouring freshly grilled fish.

"--Ninja Regulations, Article Twenty-Five! Under no circumstances shall a ninja reveal their emotions! Mu, no matter what! You must possess a strong heart that does not shed tears easily!"

"Diejian..."

These were the Ninja Regulations of Konohagakure, established by the Second Hokage, known for his strict wisdom.

Konoha ninjas were required to abide by these regulations, and violators would be severely punished.

Even Diejian was no exception.

Tobirama, known for his strictness, was the embodiment of these regulations.

As a disciple, Diejian had been instilled with all the Ninja Regulations.

What he had just told Ina was not a lie; even though he wasn't good at cultural subjects, Diejian could recite the Ninja Regulations.

This was because Tobirama valued this mindset more than jutsu or taijutsu.

Precisely because it was a world where betrayal and slaughter were commonplace, these established regulations must be protected at all costs.

Therefore—in the ninja world, those who did not abide by the regulations were branded as trash.

Tobirama had always strived to make Diejian remember this.

There had been many painful experiences.

Countless hardships.

But those noisy days were far more...

--Please forgive this unworthy disciple who, until the very end, failed to uphold your teachings.

"It's raining..."

Ina gently turned away from Diejian, who was pressing his eyes, desperately holding back his breath, his shoulders trembling.

A certain hospital in Konohagakure.

Leaning on a crutch, Diejian walked stiffly down an empty corridor.

He stopped and looked at the nameplate hanging on the wall.

After knocking once on the familiar name, Diejian pushed the door open.

"Yo, how are you doing, Dai."

Entering the room, he saw a man wrapped tightly in bandages lying on the bed.

Diejian clumsily leaned his crutch against the wall, sat down on a nearby chair, and smiled at Dai.

When Diejian regained consciousness, Might Dai, for some reason, was found lying beside Tobirama's corpse with injuries similar to Diejian's.

Diejian had hoped he might know about Tobirama's final moments, but Dai himself...

"Well, I still can't remember anything. It feels like I fought something terrifying, but also like I didn't..."

Duy replied apologetically, his gaze shifting to Diejian.

His neck was immobilized by a cast, preventing him from moving.

Upon regaining consciousness, Duy had lost his memory of the events.

The Eight Inner Gates was designated a forbidden jutsu, a dangerous technique that truly eroded the user's body.

It was possible that side effects like amnesia or damage could occur.

Diejian had hoped to learn about Tobirama's final moments, even if only through someone else's account, but it seemed that wouldn't be so straightforward.

Hiding his slight disappointment, Diejian proposed a possibility.

"That terrifying thing, could it have been Kakuzu? Perhaps I didn't finish him off completely, and you delivered the final blow?"

"Even if you say that, I don't even know who Kakuzu is..."

"Right... Simply put, he's a ninja who manipulates black tentacles."

"...No, I don't know. I can't remember. Second Lord seemed to be present, but also not. Hmm--"

"Most of your injuries are self-inflicted damage. It seems you really used the Eight Inner Gates... perhaps it's a sequela of the Gates. Duy, I think it's best to have a professional doctor examine you..."

"Th-that won't do! I can't add to my family's financial burden!"

"I don't particularly like that way of putting it, but as long as the Senju name is involved, most things can be resolved. I can take care of you too."

"How can I ask a friend to do such a thing! I'll work to pay back these hospital fees once I'm discharged!"

Diejian shrugged at Duy's impassioned response.

(I knew he was a principled, hot-blooded man, but I didn't expect him to be this much... If I interfere too much more, it might hurt Duy's pride.)

"I understand, Duy. However, the Eight Inner Gates. I knew it was a dangerous technique, but I didn't expect it to cause memory loss... Duy, although it's a technique I taught you, don't use it too often."

"It's fine. I only use the Eight Inner Gates when I'm staking my life to protect my ninja way. That's my own rule."

"Your own rule, huh... I don't think you need to adhere to it to that extent... But even if you do use it, it would be safer to control it at the Gate of Opening level."

The First Gate: Gate of Opening.

Although it was a physical enhancement that consumed a great deal of stamina, it could improve the user's physical functions.

It also had effects on bodily damage and wound recovery. After regaining consciousness, Diejian had kept the first gate of the Eight Inner Gates open, continuously concentrating chakra on the recovery and regeneration of his body.

The result—it seemed the bloodlines of the Senju and Uzumaki clans were not just for show, as all his bodily injuries showed signs of recovery.

Although his fractured limbs caused intense pain with any movement, it wasn't to the point where he couldn't walk.

When he could finally stand up with difficulty, Diejian used the Flying Thunder God Technique to return to Konohagakure with Duy and Tobirama's body.

The place they arrived at was the Senju residence.

There, he found his grandmother, Mito.

Mito, happy at Diejian's return, also fulfilled her duty as the Second Hokage's Substitute.

She summoned Hiruzen, handed over the body of the Second Hokage, Tobirama, and with this accomplishment, forcefully ordered him to assume the position of the Third Hokage.

Hiruzen, though confused, accepted the order, and thus, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was decided.

Meanwhile, Diejian, who had lost consciousness again due to the backlash of using the extremely high-level ninjutsu, Flying Thunder God, while ill, was arranged by Mito to stay in Konoha's large hospital.

Coincidentally, Might Duy was also admitted to the hospital.

However, compared to Diejian, who had recovered enough to walk, Duy remained in a severely injured state, still unconscious.

Unlike Diejian, who was placed in a regular ward, Duy was sent to the emergency room and only recently became available for visits.

"Well, in any case. I'll tell Tsunade to come visit you. Unlike me, she's proficient in Medical Ninjutsu. Although she's still a Genin, her skills far surpass those of ordinary doctors. It should help with your recovery."

"Tsunade! It's been a while!"

Diejian was completely inept at Medical Ninjutsu.

Once, under Mito's guidance, he had conducted an adaptive experiment using a fish carcass, and the result was that the fish was instantly turned into mincemeat.

Imagining it being used on a human body was utterly terrifying, and Diejian's training in Mystical Palm Technique was unanimously halted.

If Diejian were to use Mystical Palm Technique on Duy, Duy's body might explode.

"Alright, I should be heading back now."

"Oh, is it that time already! Please do visit again!"

"Of course. Take care."

After being immersed in conversation for a while, Diejian picked up the crutch leaning against the wall and stood up.

Duy seemed to want to express his enthusiasm with words, unable to move his body.

He was noisier than usual, but Diejian found it somewhat amusing.

Shortly after leaving Duy's room.

On his way back to his own room, Diejian glimpsed a familiar female figure outside the window.

Diejian was on the second floor.

That Woman was pacing around the hospital's perimeter fence, seemingly unaware of Diejian's presence.

"It's Shuri... still doing strange things as usual."

Wandering outside the hospital was Uchiha Shuri.

She was dressed in a way rarely seen, like a dress.

At first glance, it looked like the attire of a Deep Boudoir Lady, but her movements lacked any elegance.

If she wanted to enter the hospital, why didn't she just go in? Diejian tilted his head in surprise.

After watching for a while, Shuri's shoulders slumped as if she had given up, and she dejectedly started to leave the hospital.

Diejian tilted his head, thinking, didn't she have something to do?

Immediately after, in front of Shuri, who was about to leave, another familiar woman appeared.

It was Yamanaka Ina, with her blonde hair swaying.

She was wearing light clothing, but it was more conservative than usual.

Ina, with a basket slung over her arm, stood with her legs spread in front of Shuri, as if to say, "This path is blocked."

"What are they doing..."

Diejian muttered in a speechless tone, frowning in confusion.

Ina raised her index finger, as if lecturing about something.

Though her words couldn't be heard, her demeanor was exactly like a Teacher scolding a Problem Child.

Judging by the basket she was holding, she was probably visiting someone, but their location was a passageway.

As expected, Ina didn't notice the person approaching from behind and ended up blocking the path of someone completely unrelated.

Realizing this, Ina hastily turned around, waving her hands and apologizing profusely.

The Passerby initially looked displeased, but Ina's overly humble attitude eased the atmosphere, and he finally smiled helplessly and left.

After the Passerby left, Ina let out a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from her forehead with her arm.

Shuri pointed at Ina, laughing heartily.

She was probably laughing at Ina's clumsiness.

Still the same reckless person.

Ina seemed to get angry and hit Shuri on the head.

Although no sound could be heard, the action was so crisp it felt like it would make a pleasant sound.

Shuri trembled and clutched her head.

Ina, as if worried she had gone too far, bent down and said something to Shuri.

But Shuri suddenly slapped Ina.

Ina's eyes went blank for a moment, but she quickly recovered and slapped Shuri's cheek in return.

Shuri grabbed Ina's cheek, and Ina grabbed Shuri's cheek.

Both of them wore beautiful smiles, but their hands, which were pulling each other's cheeks, refused to let go.

It was as if they were pulling each other's cheeks, trying to restrain each other so as not to inflict irreversible damage on the other's face.

"Let's just pretend I didn't see anything."

Although quarrels are proof of a good relationship, Diejian could never grasp the distance between the two of them.

As the saying goes, if you don't meddle in other people's business, you won't get into trouble.

Diejian averted his gaze and returned to his hospital room.

Not long after returning to his room, two familiar women visited.

It was Uchiha Shuri and Yamanaka Ina.

While trying hard not to recall the scene just now, Diejian invited them into his room.

He had met Ina a few times, but this was the first time he had seen Shuri since returning to Konoha.

Diejian reported that he was safe.

Shuri's eyes welled up, and she poured out how worried she had been.

Diejian apologized sincerely.

To Ina, who took the opportunity to scold him, Diejian also calmly bowed his head and admitted his fault.

Especially for Ina, hearing that Diejian had left his Arch-enemy, Kakuzu, as bait to fight must have made her restless.

After all, he was an opponent who had killed Diejian once before.

After a period of conversation, the three shared the emotion of their reunion.

Sakumo's absence left Diejian feeling regretful.

But he had already reunited with Sakumo in Sakumo's hospital room at another time.

Perhaps his injuries looked worse, but it shouldn't be possible—Diejian bowed his head again, apologizing for his unhealed wounds.

As Sakumo accepted the apology, he also reassured Diejian that there was no need to worry so much.

In fact, most of the injuries Diejian had inflicted had already healed.

The reason Sakumo was still hospitalized was all thanks to Juri's actions.

Unaware of the truth, Diejian could only apologize to Sakumo.

Sakumo had no intention of revealing the truth to protect Juri's reputation.

Their mismatched apologies continued for quite some time.

In contrast, the meeting with Juri and Ina was a typical exchange.

Juri finally confirmed Diejian's safety with her own eyes and breathed a deep sigh of relief.

However, Diejian didn't feel much emotion, having just witnessed Juri's strange behavior.

It was just a little strange—

"You two, what's going on?"

For some reason, both of them were wearing masks, which they hadn't been wearing when Diejian first saw them.

(Ah, could this be... from a fight...)

Diejian sensed the situation internally but pretended not to know.

While he found it a bit amusing, he also felt it would be unnatural not to mention it.

"Are you catching a cold? It would be bad if I passed it on to you."

"I don't have a weak illness like a cold. This is to prevent catching one."

As expected, their reactions were completely opposite.

In any case, knowing Juri was still her old self put him at ease.

"--They say idiots don't catch colds."

To Diejian's slight surprise, Ina actually took the bait.

She had maintained a certain distance until now, so he hadn't expected her to engage directly.

He felt a sense of distance, wondering what had happened while he was away.

"That means you wouldn't notice even if you caught one. Smart people manage their health carefully, so they don't catch colds. Like me."

"Huh?"

"Oh?"

"Oh, come on, spare me."

"Ah, hahaha. Sorry."

"I'm sorry."

With their foreheads touching and glaring at each other, if one ignored their expressions, they might have seemed like a pair of beautiful girls in an intimate interaction.

However, Diejian had no interest in that, and causing a scene in the hospital would be troublesome.

He stopped them with a cold tone, and both of them awkwardly moved apart, scratching their heads.

Huh? Diejian was surprised.

Juri had apologized so readily.

In Diejian's memory, Juri had a childish side where she disliked apologizing.

But he couldn't see that in Juri now.

However, this wasn't a problem; it was a good sign.

Diejian brushed it off and started making small talk.

After chatting for a while, Diejian remembered something and brought it up.

"But that Sakumo guy, he was injured so badly..."

Juri's body trembled violently.

Ina awkwardly averted her gaze.

Diejian didn't know that Juri and Sakumo had argued.

He only blamed himself, thinking the injuries he inflicted before leaving for Kumogakure were that severe.

But to Juri and Ina, this was a huge deal.

Even if they wanted to hide it, it would be exposed eventually.

After a moment of silence, Juri spoke hesitantly.

"Um, how should I put it? It's just... you know, something that happens between friends... It's not like there's no way around it, but..."

From Juri's fumbling, Diejian immediately realized she had done something.

He chuckled inwardly, thinking what an easy-to-read woman she was.

At the same time, he understood Juri's difficulty in speaking, so he decided not to press further.

Diejian raised his hand to stop Juri.

"If it's hard to say, you don't have to. Sorry if I say anything strange."

Hearing Diejian's words, Juri pouted.

Because she understood that Diejian's actions meant he had noticed something about her.

But Juri felt like she had lost since her words were interrupted, and she turned her face away with a "hmph."

Then, while her gaze wandered aimlessly, she mumbled, "Sakumo and I had a fight."

"Is that so."

"That's it?"

"That's it? Isn't it just that the two of you fought and made up? Sakumo and I used to do that often when we were kids."

Juri looked at Diejian in surprise.

She probably expected Diejian to scold her or be speechless.

But Diejian's attitude remained unchanged, and he smiled at Juri.

Ina, as if observing, stared at Diejian like that.

"How do you know they made up?"

Ina interjected.

Diejian, realizing Ina was testing him, spoke those words.

"Because I don't feel any hatred from Sakumo."

"Is that so... Diejian, you really..."

Diejian didn't miss Ina's whisper.

At the same time, he was certain.

As expected, Yamanaka Ina knew Senju Diejian.

When Senju Hashirama died, Yamanaka Ina entered Senju Diejian's mind and saw his deep psychology.

--The burning Amaterasu fire and the spreading forest.

The Uchiha's karmic fire and the Senju's love.

The three chairs Ina saw at that time, one belonged to the main body, Diejian.

Another belonged to Hashirama, who had infused chakra.

Then, what was the other one--

If Ina were smart, she would have figured it out with a little thought.

And Diejian's thoughts were not wrong.

Yamanaka Ina sensed that something else resided within Senju Diejian.

Although she didn't know what it was, discovering it was accidental.

But since she had discovered it, she was not a woman who could ignore it.

Although she had always been worried--hearing Diejian's words, Ina understood that Diejian had overcome that "something."

She never felt it was fake.

To say it was like Diejian was indeed like Diejian.

But Ina felt that the Diejian of the past was too immature for his age.

Although he liked playing pranks originally, she really felt it was a bit inappropriate at his age.

Ina actually thought this.

Ina believed that his usual innocence was not his true nature, and the occasional calm demeanor was the true essence of Senju Diejian.

But she had never been able to confirm this.

Ina felt uneasy about it.

But now, seeing Diejian's calm demeanor, Ina was sure her thoughts were correct.

Relieved, Ina's gaze had lost its probing quality.

On the other hand, Diejian once again felt deeply cared for by others, savoring this happiness.

Ina was also one of those women who continued to believe in Diejian even after knowing his true nature.

"Diejian..."

Completely unaware of the subtle changes in Diejian and Ina's hearts, Juri's voice rose with emotion.

"Then, Diejian, you should argue with me too!"

"Eh--?"

Despite a look of genuine disgust, Diejian roughly guessed what Juri intended to say.

Juri probably admired the bond between Hatake Sakumo and Senju Diejian.

Wanting to strengthen her bond with Diejian, Juri thought that all she had to do was do the same thing Sakumo did.

To achieve this, they had to argue.

But didn't she notice—the number of times Diejian and Juri had argued far, far, far, far exceeded the number of times Diejian and Sakumo had argued.

She herself probably didn't consider those past incidents as arguments, perhaps seeing them as a child acting spoiled towards a parent—but it had to be said, a woman with a decade-long blank history of friendships was indeed different.

"Ah, but, before that... Diejian, I'm sorry for everything up until now."

Juri, suddenly removing her mask and bowing her head to apologize, caused Diejian's brain to freeze.

Understanding couldn't keep up.

Recalling, after they reunited, Juri had consistently addressed Diejian by name.

There must have been signs of change.

Glancing over, Ina was smiling with amusement.

Because she knew the reason for Juri's change in demeanor.

"Wh-what are you sorry for?"

Diejian asked tremblingly.

Juri smiled mischievously, saying it was a secret.

A smile of innocence Diejian had never seen before.

Diejian's heart skipped a beat.

--As the youths learned of pain, they ascended the stairs to adulthood.

Then time flowed, and they grew another year older.

A moment of peace and tranquility allowed warmth to blossom in their hearts.

But was that merely a sweet poison that numbed the heart honed by their ninja training—

The cruel tide of history suddenly bared its fangs at a certain girl.

And what was about to descend was...

"Juri, for this Chunin Exam, I've become an examiner."

"...Eh?"