Suiguang's worries

"Yuhi Shinku?"

Hearing that name from Suiguang, Liumu instantly pictured Kurenai Yuhi.

"That's right."

Suiguang explained, "He's a Chunin instructor in the village. If we're lucky enough to get promoted to Chunin this time, we might receive instruction from him later."

"Is he really strong?" Liumu stuffed the last bite of rice ball into his mouth and stole a glance at Yuhi Shinku's back.

Kurenai Yuhi had burgundy hair, so why was Yuhi Shinku's hair black and red?

"Hmm, have I stumbled onto something huge...?"

Suiguang shook her head at his words. "I just happened to hear about his position. I don't know the details either."

"He's very strong!"

At that moment, Kakashi, who had remained silent all this time, finally spoke.

Although Kakashi did not know him, he had heard the name from his father, Hatake Sakumo.

As a ninja from the same graduating class as his father, Yuhi Shinku's abilities were probably known to only a handful of people in the village.

Three days later, Konoha's party officially entered the Land of Lightning. What Liumu had not expected was that the person assigned to receive them would actually be the future Fourth Raikage, A!

Although he had yet to make a name for himself in the Shinobi World, his entrance intimidated quite a few people.

As the squad raced through the desert, a flash of lightning abruptly streaked past. Less than a hundred meters ahead of the party, a sudden bang sent sand flying as though an explosion had gone off.

Then A slowly emerged from the dust, clad in fierce Lightning Release Armor.

Facing the fully alert Konoha party, he gave an arrogant laugh and said, "I'm A. I'm responsible for taking you to the venue for this year's Chunin Exams."

A's identity was no secret in the Shinobi World. As the Third Raikage’s son, he was also Kumogakure's strongest fighter after the Third.

"Big Brother A!"

Before the Konoha party could fully recover from their shock, a blonde-haired woman wearing a Cloud Ninja forehead protector suddenly ran up from behind A. Her figure flickered over, and she began scolding him in a complaining tone.

"Big Brother A, could you stop being so reckless in the future?"

A's stern face remained utterly expressionless, and he turned a deaf ear to the voice beside him.

Yuhi Shinku stepped forward to confirm their identities with A. Then everyone raced toward Kumogakure together.

Following at the rear, Liumu looked at A's muscular back and smiled faintly. After all, a fighter capable of cutting off one of the Eight-Tails' horns single-handedly did have the right to be so arrogant.

After arriving safely in Kumogakure, the Konoha party was housed together in a building. Kakashi, Liumu, and Suiguang sat around a window, watching the ninja from other villages arrive one group after another as they discussed tactics.

The Chunin Exams consisted of three stages.

The first stage was a theory exam. Having both been top students, Kakashi and Liumu were not worried about this at all. As for Suiguang's theoretical knowledge... only when Liumu asked did he learn that she, too, had been a top student at the Ninja Academy.

The second stage of the Chunin Exams would be decided at short notice by Kumogakure and the proctors from the various villages, so no one would know exactly what the test involved until it officially began.

The third stage was individual combat. For ninja, this was perfectly ordinary and came as no surprise.

Liumu told Kakashi and Suiguang, "The second stage will most likely test our teamwork. Since our squad was only formed recently, we might need to pay some attention to that."

Although Kakashi and Liumu had once been classmates, Kakashi knew very little about him. After a full year of growth, Liumu had become even more mysterious in Kakashi's eyes.

That went all the more for Suiguang. Although Kakashi knew her identity, that knowledge was limited to a fleeting glimpse of him during a mission back then.

Suiguang looked serious, her brows slightly furrowed. As though she had made a major decision, she told Liumu and Kakashi, "I mentioned before that I specialize in Earth Release and can harden my skin. I'm also a Sensory Ninja."

Sensory Ninja were extremely rare. Even Kakashi had to acknowledge Suiguang's importance in this exam.

"I can use Fire, Water, and Earth Release ninjutsu. Taijutsu is Liumu's specialty, so I won't bring that up here," Kakashi said, giving an honest account of his abilities.

"What about you, Liumu?"

Suiguang looked at Liumu curiously as she spoke.

In her view, since Liumu had become a Genin and earned such high praise from Kakashi, his actual abilities surely went beyond the Taijutsu alone that he claimed to know.

Besides, having graduated from the Ninja Academy at five, he was definitely a genius like Kakashi, and his strength should have been about the same as Kakashi's.

Propping his chin on one hand against the windowsill, Liumu watched three Sound Ninja being led along the path outside by Kumogakure ninja. He answered directly, "I really only know Taijutsu. If you insist on asking about ninjutsu, all I can say is that my chakra has a Fire Release nature, and the fireballs I produce are barely enough to light a fire. There really isn't anything else."

"That does make things difficult!"

Suiguang frowned and muttered behind her hand.

As a member of the ANBU, Suiguang's abilities were not well suited to actual combat. Kakashi was capable, but ultimately, he was only six. Against ninja whose average age in this exam was generally thirteen or fourteen or older, he would definitely be at a disadvantage because of his age.

And if Liumu was telling the truth and only knew Taijutsu, he would be almost no help at all in their exam.

"Are you worried?" Liumu looked at Suiguang with a faint smile and asked outright.

Although Suiguang did not answer, her expression said it all.

Seeing this, Liumu smiled faintly, rose, and patted Suiguang on the shoulder. His voice carried a smile. "The exam hasn't even started, and you're already worrying about this and that. Relax. We'll find a way when the time comes. Worrying needlessly only adds to your troubles."

With that, Liumu got up and left the room alone.

Recalling the squad of Sound Ninja he had just seen, Liumu instantly pictured an indistinct figure.

Midnight came.

In the mountains behind Kumogakure, a boy wearing brown glasses sat upright before a waterfall in a mountain stream, humming a strange song as he bathed in the moonlight.

Just then, a breeze sprang up, carrying a hint of something unusual.

The boy's languid expression instantly turned serious. A huge tail suddenly burst out from behind him and shot straight toward the shadows beside him.

All the boy heard was a bang in the air before the tremendous force transmitted through his tail dragged his body straight down into the riverbed.

"Who's there!" After hitting the ground, the boy sprang up from a crouch, immediately drew the long sword at his waist, and shouted sharply.

What the boy had not expected was that the one who answered him would be a child even younger than himself.

"Fuck, who ambushed a handsome guy like me when I was just lost...?"