In two days, on July 1st, the first round of the Chunin Exams would begin. By this time, nearly all the ninja who were supposed to arrive had already done so, greatly easing the pressure on the ninja stationed at the village entrance.
"Phew, I can finally relax for a while." The newly assigned female ninja let out a long breath.
Yet just then, the faint sound of bells rang out. Through the heat of midsummer, two blurry figures appeared in the distance.
"Huh? Someone's still arriving at this hour?" The female ninja, who had been lying on the desk, murmured in confusion and pulled herself together again.
As the figures drew closer, black robes patterned with red clouds came into view. Tall conical hats and two hanging strips of white cloth concealed their faces.
"Honestly, do people from other villages all like hiding their faces? Are they all that shy?" the female ninja muttered in mild complaint.
The two figures came closer and closer. They were not moving quickly, yet the increasingly distinct chime of bells brought with it an unusual sense of oppression, as though even the scorching heat had cooled by several degrees.
They completely ignored the female ninja and headed into the village without hesitation.
"Hey!" one of the female ninja's companions called out from behind her. There were three ninja in total stationed at the village gate to handle registration.
At his shout, the two stopped. The shorter of them turned toward them. Just as the three were about to speak, they suddenly saw a sea of crimson before their eyes, where three ghostly, eerie tomoe emerged and slowly spun.
"Let's go." Uchiha Itachi lowered his hat again, his voice calm.
Kisame gave a soft chuckle. "That really is convenient."
Itachi did not reply. The