Hearing Uchiha Lei discuss team assignments, Minato Namikaze glanced at Kushina Uzumaki, then said with a light chuckle:
"I'm a civilian ninja, so any team is fine with me. What about you, Lei? Who do you want on your team?"
"Of course I want to be on a team with my fiancées!"
Uchiha Lei answered with a smile, wrapping his arms around Kushina Uzumaki's and Mie Hyuga's slender waists!
The smile gradually faded from Uchiha Mikoto's face. She gazed enviously at Kushina and Mie and said with a hint of bitterness:
"I really want to be on Lei's team too. Too bad we're not in the same year!"
"Mikoto, we're all graduating together. Why would our year matter for team assignments?"
Kushina Uzumaki immediately reminded her close friend Uchiha Mikoto. The smile gradually faded from her face as well, and she continued:
"My status is special, so I probably won't be able to graduate. I'm planning to be Lei's devoted wife. You still have a chance, Mikoto!"
"Really? Kushina?"
Uchiha Mikoto responded with delighted surprise, then walked up to Kushina Uzumaki, clasped Kushina's fair hands in her own, and comforted her softly:
"Kushina, not having to graduate is pretty good too. You won't have to fight in this war against Amegakure!"
"That's right! Kushina, I'm really envious of you too!"
Hyuga Mie turned her head and chimed in to comfort her!
Uchiha Lei squeezed Kushina Uzumaki's waist with his warm hand and reassured her softly:
"Kushina, spending more time with Grandma Mito is good too. I'll take care of protecting all of you!"
"Mm, I know. I'll learn more about cooking and try to make dishes you like!"
Kushina Uzumaki answered excitedly, clenching her right fist and bending her arm at a ninety-degree angle while gripping her right upper arm with her left hand, her eyes brimming with enthusiasm!
Whenever Uchiha Lei heard about Kushina Uzumaki cooking, he thought of those charred black dishes in the show. He couldn't help shuddering and immediately tried to persuade her in a quiet voice:
"Kushina, the four of us will be living together in the future. Having Mikoto cook will be enough. You can just relax!"
"All right. I knew you'd think my cooking was terrible, Lei!"
Kushina Uzumaki answered with her head hanging low, her earlier enthusiasm vanishing in an instant!
Sato Ichiro's shout rang out from nearby.
"It's time for the assessment. First match: Uchiha Lei against Minato Namikaze. Both students, enter the arena!"
"Lei, hold back a little. Don't kill me!"
Minato Namikaze reminded him with a somewhat frightened expression, then rapidly formed hand seals with both hands and used the Body Flicker Technique to take his position on the left side of the circular arena!
"All right, my assessment is starting. Let's talk later. Comfort Kushina for me!"
Uchiha Lei lowered his head to give them that instruction, released both girls' waists, and formed one-handed hand seals with his right hand so quickly it blurred. He appeared on the right side of the arena in an instant and answered Minato softly:
"Minato, give it everything you've got. Our future team leaders are watching from the sidelines!"
After speaking, Uchiha Lei looked toward Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru, who were standing in the stands to the left, and nodded to them in acknowledgment!
In the stands...
Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru stood on the left, in the middle, and on the right respectively. All three wore matching purple ninja tops, black ninja trousers, and black ninja sandals!
With his arms folded across his chest, Orochimaru was the first to notice Uchiha Lei's nod. He turned his head and said with a smile:
"That boy called Uchiha Lei has very keen detection skills. He actually noticed us!"
"I don't like that kid. I like the blond one next to him. Neither of you had better fight me for him!"
Jiraiya excitedly raised his right index finger to point at Minato Namikaze as he warned them, feeling that Minato was very important to him!
Tsunade folded her arms across her developing chest. At the sight of Uchiha Lei, her eyes filled with anger, and she couldn't help muttering under her breath:
"You annoying brat. You'd better lose. Watching you flaunt your romance drives me crazy!"
"Tsunade, you know that Uchiha Lei?"
Orochimaru asked in some surprise!
Tsunade snorted and snapped in a low voice:
"Of course I do. He stays at my house from time to time. How could I not know him?"
"He stays at your house? You and that brat... Ow..."
Before Jiraiya could finish, he cried out in pain. Holding the swollen pink lump on his head with both hands, he muttered to Tsunade with an innocent expression:
"I can't even say anything now. Seriously!"
Tsunade's brow was tightly furrowed, veins bulging at her temples. Holding her clenched right fist high above Jiraiya's head, she scolded him in a low voice:
"Jiraiya, could you stop being so filthy-minded? He stays at my house, not in my room!"
"Stop fooling around. The match has started!"
Orochimaru reminded the bickering pair!
Tsunade snorted, turned toward the arena, and answered quietly:
"Hmph, who's fooling around with him?"
"I don't have time to fool around with you!"
Jiraiya answered quietly and straightened up, ready to watch his future student Minato Namikaze's performance!
In the arena...
Minato Namikaze and Chiya Rai had already raised their hands and completed the Seal of Confrontation!
Two swishes rang out!
Minato Namikaze threw two shuriken, then formed hand seals for the Body Flicker Technique with both hands at full speed, his hands blurring before he vanished from the spot!
Watching the black blurs of the approaching shuriken, Chiya Rai instantly gripped the Kusanagi Sword at his waist with his right hand and, with lightning speed, traced a silver full moon through the air before him!
A clang rang out!
The incoming black shuriken were sliced in half and fell to the ground with a clatter!
A whoosh rang out!
Minato Namikaze had appeared behind Chiya Rai, swinging the pitch-black kunai in his right hand fiercely toward Uchiha Lei's head!
Swish!
Uchiha Lei vanished, and Minato Namikaze's kunai swept through empty air. His instincts warned him to retreat immediately, so he pushed off hard with both legs and leaped backward, just in time to see a silver flash of sword light sweep past, grazing his right cheek!
Feeling pain in his right cheek, Minato Namikaze sucked in a cold breath and landed three meters behind his previous position. He spotted a lock of long blond hair on the ground and glanced to the right. Sure enough, the hair on that side was gone!
Uchiha Lei seized that precise moment of distraction. His left hand blurred as he used the Body Flicker Technique, appearing behind Minato Namikaze like a gray afterimage. The Kusanagi Sword in his right hand lay steady as a silver snake, ten centimeters in front of Minato Namikaze's neck!
Minato Namikaze felt the intense chill at his neck and heard faint breathing behind him. Cold sweat had already broken out on his forehead as he thought:
I only forced Lei to use two moves. What a failure! But a loss is a loss!
I wonder if I'll be able to graduate. Forget it, I'll stop thinking about it...
"I lost!"
"Not bad, Minato! Your reactions were fast. You forced me to make a second sword strike!"
Uchiha Lei praised him with a smile, lowering the Kusanagi Sword in his right hand to his side. He pushed off the ground with both legs and instantly retreated two meters, spun a stylish silver flourish, and sheathed the Kusanagi Sword. Then he looked at Sato Ichiro to signal him!
The match had happened so quickly that the duel had been over almost in an instant!
It had left Sato Ichiro dumbfounded. Noticing Uchiha Lei's gaze, he cleared his throat and announced:
"Ahem, the winner is Uchiha Lei!"
Their classmates below were already used to it. Over the past three years, they had almost never seen Uchiha Lei lose a duel, and naturally, they had expected no exception this time!
Uchiha Lei and Minato Namikaze formed the Seal of Reconciliation. Turning around with a sunny smile, Lei glanced at Tsunade, then formed hand seals with his right hand in a blur and used the Body Flicker Technique to appear before the three girls. He spread his arms and closed his eyes, ready to receive their embrace!
Sure enough...
The most excited of all was Kushina Uzumaki, who had been dejected just moments before. Kushina threw herself straight into Uchiha Lei's arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his lower back, her soft chest pressed against his firm chest. She lifted her head, her eyes filled with excitement, and praised him loudly:
"Lei, you looked so handsome swinging your sword just now! I really loved it!"
"As long as you liked it. I spent a few days practicing swordsmanship especially for you girls!"
Uchiha Lei answered, showing off as he wrapped his arms around Kushina Uzumaki's lower back and closed his eyes, secretly rejoicing:
Sure enough, wielding a sword looks cool enough. I knew Kushina would love it!
"Congratulations, Lei!"
Hyuga Mie and Uchiha Mikoto congratulated him with sweet smiles and crowded close to Uchiha Lei, gazing at him with stars in their eyes-two fangirls through and through!
Before you continue