Konoha vs. Kirigakure

"You know, you've got the potential to become a great... beauty someday!"

Liumu looked at Suiguang, who had only a tank top left on, and spoke pointedly.

Suiguang: ???

"Turn around, or I'll punch you!" Although Suiguang didn't understand what Liumu meant, his expression had already said it all.

"You're still looking?"

On the mountain path, Suiguang chased after Liumu with a raised fist, scolding him in a delicate voice.

Following behind them, Kakashi watched Liumu's back, still not completely recovered from his earlier shock.

He doubted it, even searching for all sorts of reasons to deny it. Otherwise, how could Liumu, who was the same age as him, possibly possess such incredible power?

As he recalled, although Liumu had always done well in his studies, he almost never got into conflicts with anyone. Even during sparring classes at the Ninja Academy, he would simply forfeit.

At first, everyone might have thought Liumu was simply too kind and disliked fighting, but as time went on and he remained the same, they gradually began wondering whether he was actually bad at combat.

But now...

Kakashi sighed dejectedly. "Can the gap between people really be this huge?"

Extreme speed, extreme strength-the abilities Liumu had displayed had already dispelled the three-person team's initial apprehension.

Instead, at Liumu's suggestion, the three planned to head straight to the finish line of the second test and wait for other teams to walk into their trap.

But just as they crossed a mountain stream and reached a dense forest, Kakashi immediately discovered countless black flying insects littering the ground.

Kakashi crouched and picked one up. After examining it closely, he said uncertainly, "This looks like the Aburame Clan's..."

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"

Boom!

From a distance, the three saw a violent explosion suddenly erupt deep in the nearby forest, followed by a rising cloud of white vapor. They exchanged glances and immediately darted toward it.

When Liumu and the others reached the edge of the battlefield, they immediately discovered a team wearing Konoha forehead protectors fighting Kirigakure ninja.

Watching the fierce battle below, Kakashi turned and asked quietly, "Should we go down and help?"

"Sure!" Suiguang agreed immediately, but before either of them could move, Liumu, who stood between them, grabbed their arms.

"Wait!"

"Why? We're from the same village. We should help each other!" Suiguang looked at Liumu in confusion and immediately challenged him.

At that, Liumu gave a cold laugh. Looking at Suiguang's naive expression, he asked, "Do you know what we're doing right now?"

Kakashi: ???

Suiguang: ???

"What do you mean?" Suiguang asked with a frown.

Liumu sighed and sat on a branch, explaining to them, "We're taking an exam, the Chunin Ninja Exams. Anyone who passes this assessment will be promoted to chunin."

"Chunin are different from genin. Genin have a jonin leading them. Even if they encounter danger on a mission, there's a jonin in front to shield them, so the genin are relatively safe."

"But what about chunin? Chunin rarely form teams, and even after joining the ANBU, they often carry out missions alone. If a chunin without sufficient strength enters the battlefield, do you know what awaits him?"

By this point, Kakashi and Suiguang had more or less understood what Liumu meant.

Seeing realization dawn on their faces, Liumu continued, "So, ordinarily, if they run into danger, of course we can't stand by and do nothing as their comrades. But this is an assessment. Having them eliminated here because they aren't strong enough is better than having them go to the battlefield and lose their lives outright!"

People began life small and insignificant, but even the smallest life ultimately had meaning in its existence.

For Liumu, those who should be killed would be killed, and those who should be spared would be spared.

To consolidate power in the Land of Rain, Hanzō had slaughtered every enemy who threatened him, even including the original Akatsuki. As their junior fellow disciple, Liumu would not let Hanzō keep living.

The Uchiha made things difficult for Liumu at every turn, but they had not yet reached the point where their sins were unforgivable, so they were still alive.

As he watched the nearby Kirigakure ninja cast the Hidden Mist Technique, a vast bank of thick mist immediately rose through the forest.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

The Great Fireball was a C-rank ninjutsu and the technique most commonly used by all Fire Release ninja.

Mist itself consisted of water droplets. As the flames evaporated the mist of the Hidden Mist Technique that obscured their vision, the thick fog immediately dispersed, and visibility gradually cleared.

After several exchanges, neither the Konoha team nor the Kirigakure team could gain the upper hand.

Every ninjutsu they cast was perfectly countered by the other side.

However, Liumu suddenly noticed something: a white-haired girl on the Kirigakure team had not made a move the entire time.

Moreover, her expression was utterly placid, as though she had never intended to participate in this battle at all.

"What's wrong, Liumu?"

Noticing the odd look on Liumu's face, Suiguang asked.

"I'm afraid this Konoha team is going to lose this fight!"

In Kumogakure.

The investigation into the valley had finally yielded news.

However, even the ninja responsible for security at the examination grounds did not know what exactly had happened in the valley.

What they could confirm was that no enemies had invaded, nor had they received any death notifications from within the valley.

For the second round of the Chunin Exams, after all participants entered Thunder Warrior Valley, Kumogakure chunin and jonin would enter last to investigate conditions inside, in case any mishap befell the ninja from the various villages taking the exam.

But when the strange phenomenon occurred, not all the teams had entered yet. Moreover, that single tremendous boom had caused the last two teams to abandon the assessment outright.

"Then that more or less confirms it," A, the Third Raikage, said, his eyes glaring like those of an enraged lion.

"But they're only genin right now. How could they possibly..."

The guard standing before him immediately voiced his confusion.

"Why couldn't they?" A smiled helplessly.

As the Raikage, A naturally understood full well how important Thunder Warrior Valley was to Kumogakure. But as the host of this assessment, even if someone destroyed the entire valley, there was little he could say.

Just then, with a sudden burst of white smoke, a Kumogakure ANBU member appeared in the office.

He then rose, leaned close to A's ear, and whispered for a moment.

"Did he say that himself?"

A turned and demanded.

The ANBU member nodded at his question.

Seeing his confirmation, A, the Third Raikage, sprang from his chair. With a violent surge of chakra, the surrounding Lightning Release chakra instantly formed a suit of lightning armor, emitting a piercing hum.

"How could someone who clashed head-on with Gyuki in his four-tailed form possibly be a child? No, I'm going to ask him myself!"