Messenger from Cloud Hidden!

"I'm off!"

The first rays of dawn had only just touched the earth, and before all things had even begun to stir, Uzumaki Kushina grabbed a small bag and dashed out of the house.

"Do your best today, you must pass the exam!" Standing at the gate of the estate, Uzumaki Mito, Tsunade, and Jiuming watched Kushina head off to school, Mito waving her hands to cheer her on.

"I know! I'll definitely pass, after all, I'm going to be the first female Hokage!" Kushina shouted back over her shoulder before disappearing at the end of the street.

"Funny how Sister got up so early today. Isn't she the type to slide into the classroom just as the bell rings? Why so motivated today?"

Though Jiuming was young, his articulation was already remarkably clear. Compared to his peers, he was an absolute prodigy when it came to speech.

"I know why. Teacher Sarutobi mentioned it to me a few days ago."

"He said a delegation from Kumogakure in the Land of Lightning has arrived in Konoha today for an exchange, and one of their stops is to tour the Ninja Academy."

"The Ninja Academy established by the Second Hokage is truly one of a kind in the ninja world!"

As Tsunade said this, she couldn't suppress her sense of pride. After all, the Ninja Academy was, in a sense, something that had genuinely protected many children; it was an epoch-making development in the ninja world.

During the Warring States period, the average age for children to be sent to the battlefield was around eight. The establishment of the Ninja Academy had pushed that age to twelve. While it was still essentially employing child soldiers, fifty steps was still better than a hundred; one had to admit, it was a form of progress. Furthermore, at the academy, teachers taught children basic combat techniques, and after graduation, they were led by Jonin on simple missions, which drastically reduced the mortality rate of young ninjas.

Although the current Konoha was still a far cry from the utopia envisioned by Hashirama and Madara, there was no doubt that the Ninja Academy was a pioneering institution. As for why children were sent to the front lines again after Mito passed away and war broke out, one would have to ask what the leaders of Konoha were doing at that time!

Looking back, however, one couldn't entirely blame the Third Hokage. After all, for a Third Hokage without a Kekkei Genkai to reach such heights relying on his family's summoning beasts was already quite impressive. In a ninja world filled with "cheats," there were very few who could reach the level of the Third through personal ability alone.

"Kumogakure? Is that the village that spends all day plundering Kekkei Genkai?" Jiuming blurted out after hearing Tsunade, only to change his tune under the surprised gazes of Mito and Tsunade:

"I heard some people in the village talking about it~" Cold sweat beaded on the back of Jiuming's head.

"You little brat, you sure know a lot." Tsunade ruffled Jiuming's hair, accepting his explanation. Mito nodded as well, also believing his story.

"You're right, Kumogakure is indeed that kind of village. But sending envoys this time is actually a good thing. Since the Second Hokage passed away, this is the first time Konoha has had an exchange with Kumogakure."

"Teacher Sarutobi has had a very difficult time maintaining the current situation." Tsunade sighed. Ever since the Second Hokage died, the ninja world had known no peace. It was only thanks to Mito's deterrence that the flames of war hadn't reached Konoha, but other nations were already locked in total conflict, and the small countries caught between the great powers were truly suffering in the depths of misery.

"Let's go, Jiuming. Today I will teach you the Four Symbols Seal." Mito patted Jiuming's head, not overly concerned about the Kumogakure delegation. As long as she was alive, Konoha would never be touched by the flames of war!

"Alright, Grandmother." Jiuming consciously took Mito's hand, ready to head to the study. Tsunade, hearing their conversation, nearly had her eyes pop out of her head. She shrieked, "You're teaching him the Four Symbols Seal at such a young age?"

"Grandmother, don't just teach him anything! How can a child learn something so dangerous?"

Tsunade's face was full of disbelief; she couldn't fathom that Jiuming could learn the Four Symbols Seal at his age. The Four Symbols Seal was no low-level sealing technique; if one had to rank it, it could be considered an A-rank sealing jutsu. Such a technique was simply not something a child could comprehend.

However, Tsunade didn't know that when it came to comprehension, Jiuming was not weak—after all, he wasn't a child in the true sense of the word.

"Enough, go do what you need to do, and stop making such a fuss."

"Also, don't let word get out that Jiuming is learning ninjutsu, not even to the Monkey."

"Do you understand?"

Mito had her own plans. She had known for a long time that Jiuming was a genius, not just in learning ninjutsu, but his very constitution was one in ten thousand even among the Uzumaki Clan. Mito had kept this information sealed away as a form of protection for Jiuming.

If one were to ask who had the shortest life expectancy in the ninja world, it was undoubtedly geniuses—especially those without a backer!

"This little brat, he actually has such talent?" Tsunade still couldn't believe it, bending over to look at Jiuming with a suspicious face. Under Tsunade's gaze, Jiuming felt goosebumps break out all over his body.

"It has nothing to do with you. Spend this time mastering the Yin Seal I taught you; it will be of great use to you." After saying this, Mito led Jiuming away, leaving Tsunade in a state of disarray. She didn't notice that in the center of Jiuming's forehead, a faint blue diamond shape flickered in and out of existence, vanishing as the sunlight hit it.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

"Thud, thud, thud!"

Following the sound of three kunai piercing the air, all three struck the dead center of the target almost simultaneously. Enthusiastic applause followed.

"Clap, clap, clap, clap!"

"Very good, a truly talented child!"

On the playground of the Konoha Ninja Academy, the academy teachers were leading the Kumogakure delegation to observe the students' graduation exams. The blonde boy who had just thrown the kunai with such precision had won the applause and praise of the delegation.

"Hehe, he is the most talented child among this year's graduates. In terms of strength, even some older Genin are no match for him."

The teacher watched Minato Namikaze in the center of the field with a smile, waving for him to step aside so the next candidate could enter.

"Tch! Show-off!" Kushina was the candidate following Minato. Seeing him throw three kunai at once, all hitting the bullseye, she felt incredibly annoyed. That classic rivalry between a poor student and a top student flared up instantly.

"Oh? A redhead? Is this child from the Uzumaki Clan?" The leader of the Kumogakure delegation saw Uzumaki Kushina enter the field, a flicker of imperceptible light flashing in his eyes! He then asked nonchalantly, as if merely inquiring about an ordinary student.

"Yes, her name is Uzumaki Kushina. This child has great talent for ninjutsu, though her temper isn't the best; she's a bit of a little tyrant in school." Seeing Kushina enter, the teacher's smile faded slightly, though he felt a sense of relief.

After all, Kushina was a troublemaker, and she had caused him quite a lot of trouble at school.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

"Clang~"

"Thud, thud!"

Kushina didn't throw the kunai one by one as she usually did; instead, she tried to mimic Minato's method of throwing all three at once. Little did she know, she hadn't controlled her strength or aim at all. Two kunai collided and veered off course; one missed the target entirely, while the other pinned to the very edge of the board. Only one, by luck, hit the bullseye.

"Hehe, this child has one good quality: she never admits defeat." The teacher had just praised Kushina's talent, and she immediately pulled this stunt, making the veteran teacher lose a bit of face. However, he quickly tried to smooth things over to hide his embarrassment.

"Hahaha, this student is interesting, and I admire her courageous, challenging spirit."

"How about this? I have a small gift here; I'll give it to her as encouragement."

The leader of the Kumogakure delegation seemed to hold Kushina in high regard; he pulled a kunai from his robes and handed it to the ninja academy instructor. The kunai looked no different from any standard-issue blade. The instructor gave it a cursory glance, found nothing amiss, and promptly called Kushina over to pay her respects.

"Kushina! Come here for a moment." The instructor beckoned to her. Seeing the gesture, Kushina walked over slowly, feeling a bit anxious that her lack of precision might have angered the teacher and worried that she might not pass.

"Don't be nervous. These gentlemen are envoys from Kumogakure. They saw your performance just now and felt you had the courage to challenge high-difficulty tasks, so they've decided to reward you with this kunai." As he spoke, the instructor handed the kunai to Kushina. It must be said that in this day and age, kunai were strategic assets, indispensable tools for any ninja confrontation.

Gifting a kunai to a ninja was much like gifting a katana to a samurai; while the item itself might not be exceptionally rare, the sentiment behind it was quite significant.

"Thank you, Teacher! Thank you, honorable envoys!" Seeing that the teacher wasn't there to reprimand her but rather to reward her, Kushina's little face blossomed with joy. She took the kunai with both hands, rubbed it gently, and then tucked it into the pouch at her waist.

"Keep up the good work for the remaining tests. If you perform normally, you'll definitely pass." The instructor offered a word of encouragement before waving for Kushina to leave. Afterward, he led the Kumogakure delegation around the school, introducing them to its history and various teaching philosophies.

Encouraged, Kushina performed steadily in the subsequent tests, successfully passing every requirement and earning her genin headband. The Kumogakure delegation toured until quite late; they wandered the school grounds a few more times after all the examinees had finished before being escorted back to their guesthouse.

By this time, the sun was already beginning to set.

"I did it! Jiuming, Grandma, Tsunade-nee, I did it!" The sun hid behind the clouds, casting a crimson glow across the horizon. The twilight scenery before the fall of night was truly beautiful, yet Kushina's shout shattered the tranquility of the dusk.