"This..."
"Isn't that a little too shameless?!"
A faint smile appeared on Orochimaru's face as he said:
"That's because you don't understand the Shinobi World well enough."
"..."
Uchiha Shingen was stunned for a moment. Once he understood what Orochimaru meant, his expression turned strange.
So nobody followed the rules, huh?
Even so, having Konoha send two Jonin-level ninja to take part in a Chunin exam still felt like taking shamelessness a bit too far.
But after he calmed down, Uchiha Shingen found himself tempted.
Getting promoted to Jonin was much more troublesome than becoming a Chunin.
For the latter, all you needed was a recommendation from your Jonin instructor and to pass a one-time exam set by Konoha.
But becoming a Jonin required not only a certain level of strength, but also a lengthy assessment period. It could take as little as half a year or as long as several years.
The process was cumbersome, and the standards were strict.
If he could skip the whole process and become a Jonin directly, that would certainly save Uchiha Shingen a lot of trouble.
After thinking for a moment, however, Uchiha Shingen still voiced his concern:
"Just relying on me alone..."
"Kakashi's process is underway, too."
Orochimaru cut in before he could finish:
"The kid beside you is going through the process as well."
"Shisui?!"
Uchiha Shingen's mouth twitched violently.
Orochimaru was right. He really had underestimated the Shinobi World...
Or, to put it plainly, Konoha's shamelessness. They were practically rubbing their faces against the ground!
Still.
For now, this could only benefit him.
It was only a Genin-level exam, after all. With him, Kakashi, and Shisui tagging along, nothing should go wrong.
"Then I have no objections."
"Hmph~"
Orochimaru chuckled softly. After giving Uchiha Shingen a long look, he turned and walked away, soon disappearing into the distant crowd.
The heart of the Land of Lightning.
Clouds and mist drifted over endless mountain peaks, making the place seem like a heavenly realm.
Buildings of every size dotted the mountains, all surrounding a massive, fortress-like structure at the center.
A lightning bolt stood out at the very heart of the building.
This was Kumogakure, a village as renowned as Konoha.
Boom—!
A loud rumble echoed through the Kumogakure tower.
The Third Raikage, in the prime of his life, stood before his desk.
He was tall and powerfully built. Just standing there, he seemed like an iron tower, oppressive enough to take one's breath away.
"This Joint Chunin Ninja Exam is our chance to restore the Land of Lightning's prestige!"
"We must use overwhelming force to suppress every power in the Shinobi World."
Dodai stood beside the Third Raikage. He glanced at the figures standing in front of him, especially the capable-looking young woman at the very front, and hesitated.
"Samui and Darui are one thing, but even Yugito is going? Isn't that a bit excessive?!"
"After all, she's..."
"Put aside your moral scruples, Dodai!"
The Third Raikage folded his arms and sat back down in his chair.
He glared out the window toward Konoha.
It was as if he could see through the vast sea of clouds and meet the gaze of Hiruzen Sarutobi, who now ruled Konoha and, like him, bore the title of Third Kage.
"I can say with absolute certainty!"
"That fellow Hiruzen Sarutobi has no intention of playing by the rules, either. Even if he does, his black-gloved enforcer, Danzo, certainly won't sit by and do nothing."
"In other words,"
"we're not breaking the rules. We're just breaking them defensively!"
"..."
Dodai was at a loss for words.
When dealing with the powerful figures of the Shinobi World, he sometimes couldn't help wondering whether his own moral standards were too high, or whether these people had no morals at all.
Was that really something the Third Raikage should say?
Still.
Dodai kept his thoughts to himself. He wouldn't let a hint of them show.
He wasn't B, the Third Raikage's partner, but he'd become his right-hand man all the same thanks to his sharp mind and ability to read the situation.
Whatever the boss said was always right!
But he still had to offer the necessary warnings.
"Yugito is a Jinchūriki, after all. If she goes to Konoha just like that, I'm worried something might happen."
The Third Raikage thought it over and said:
"Have that brat A make the trip."
"It'll give him a chance to see how much of its former strength Konoha still has. If it's really just a lion that's lost all its claws and fangs, then this is our opportunity."
With that, the Third Raikage turned to the other three people in the office. The chill in his expression softened slightly as he spoke with solemnity:
"I didn't send you out just for this so-called Chunin exam. You're all already Chunin, and Yugito only recently passed the Jonin assessment."
"This time, you represent Kumogakure!"
"All I want to see is victory—an overwhelming victory that crushes everything in its path!"
"Yes!"
The three bowed in acknowledgment, their eyes seeming to burn with flames.
At the same time.
Kirigakure.
Clouds hung low in the sky, and white mist drifted through the village, shrouding it in a heavy, oppressive gloom.
Tap!
Tap!
Tap!
Kisame, who had only recently become a Jonin, carried a longsword on his back as he hurried through the mist.
His appearance was strange. He had gills on his face and shoulders, making him look less like a human and more like a monster born of a human and a shark.
His unusual appearance gave him a Water Release talent far beyond that of ordinary people, but it also made him the target of constant discrimination.
"Ho~!"
"Even you, you monster, got called in?"
Kisame turned to look beside him. A boy with a short sword on his back and bandages wrapped around his body had caught up with him.
The boy hadn't even reached him yet, but the palpable bloodlust radiating from him already made Kisame instinctively uneasy.
Even Kisame was surprised.
The boy was several years younger than him, yet his killing intent was fiercer than anything Kisame had ever seen!
"Zabuza?!"
Kisame said the boy's name. A rare spark of interest showed in his fish-like eyes as he said:
"Yet you carry the name of a monster yourself, don't you?"
"If I remember right, you killed everyone in your class, didn't you?!"
"To resist the village's decision like that..."
Kisame's voice suddenly stopped. The sword on his back flashed free, neatly blocking Zabuza's savage slash!
Clang—!
Sparks flew in the damp air.
Two pairs of equally cold eyes met, and killing intent spread in every direction!
"I don't mind killing you before this mission even begins!"
Zabuza made no attempt to hide his murderous intent. There was even less reason to hide it in Kirigakure.
After all, Kirigakure was an outlier in the Shinobi World, a village with slaughter and the law of the jungle etched into its very bones!
"Heh heh heh~"
Kisame held his sword with a steady hand, his posture relaxed.
"Pressure, huh~"
"Enough!"
A sharp shout rang through the air. Kisame and Zabuza turned toward the speaker at the same time, their pupils shrinking to pinpoints the moment they recognized the newcomer!
Before you continue