Once the door closed, the entire arena for the second round of the Chunin Ninja Exams became a unified whole. Once they entered, they could not come out again, and they were now immersed in the atmosphere of the exam.
"We've now entered the testing phase. Although the distance between the doors is quite far, we could be attacked by ninjas from other villages at any time, so we must be fully focused. They might just strike to kill us in the first instance."
Minato immediately began to explain to Chen Sheng, his face very serious. This was his first time participating in such Chunin Ninja Exams or mission. Because of Nankain's rules and what that ninja had just said, he had already come to regard this matter as a mission assigned to them by Konoha.
From this perspective, there's actually no problem. After all, Konoha's request for them to participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams is essentially a request they're being made to. It's just that this isn't presented in a formal written form, but rather as a kind of exchange.
But in reality, they are just different names; the core is still not much different. This gave Minato Namikaze a very strange feeling that was hard to describe. It seemed that this Chunin Ninja Exams was not as pure as he had imagined, and it was completely different from the graduation exam of the Ninja Academy.
"Leave the sensory work to me." Kushina's expression turned serious. She had always been in charge of sensory work, but on the trip to the Konoha border, due to her carelessness, she hadn't noticed the presence of the ambushing ninjas in time.
Because of that experience, she was very careful and determined not to let it happen again.
"We not only need to detect if anyone is watching us, but we also need to search for other entities. However, before the mission begins, we should formulate a plan." Minato slowly spoke, looking at Araki and Kushina, and said, "When do you think is the best time for us to obtain that special, Kunai?"
"I have no objection," Kushina shook her head and said, "It's entirely up to you."
Araki's lips curled into a slight smile. He could sense the strong confidence in Minato's words, as if he could obtain that special Kunai at any time if he wanted to. Although the Chunin Ninja Exams were extremely dangerous, they were still no match for someone like Minato.
This level of confidence in the Minato was something he hadn't seen just minutes before.
Because of Nankain's overwhelming aura and the differences in their philosophies, Minato seemed to be suppressed for a time and did not show his usual energy Minato spirit.
Once they entered the Chunin Ninja Exams arena, everyone felt free to express themselves without any constraints. As the team Minato, Minato was able to fully utilize his ideas and easily lead the group forward.
"I think we can play it safe for now," Araki immediately suggested.
"How so?" Minato's eyes suddenly lit up.
"We all know who has those special Kunai, so there will inevitably be all sorts of battles over there. We can sit back and watch them fight it out. Once they've taken their fill, we'll make our move. Let them fight it out for the next few days," Araki explained.
"Then which day do you think would be the most suitable to make your move?" Minato asked casually.
"The sixth day," Araki answered after a moment's thought.
"Personally, I think it's a bit late. Perhaps we should get the Kunai around the third day and then hide," Minato analyzed in a deep voice. He largely agreed with Araki's idea of playing it safe, but in reality, he still hoped to secure the spoils first. He explained, "If by the end, those teams that have already obtained the Kunai have all gone into hiding, we'll inevitably expend a lot of energy searching for them. If they keep playing hide-and-seek with us, we'll be at a certain level of risk in the end."
"But..."
Araki was about to discuss it with Minato again, since if they were to get the Kunai first, they would likely become the target of others during this time, but he stopped abruptly before he could finish speaking.
He detected several auras within his perception range, constantly moving towards their direction.
Someone's coming!
Araki's expression darkened slightly, because he was certain that this was not a simple small team, but several small teams, and they were heading straight for them with great precision.
It's obvious.
These people knew their location from the beginning.
This is a pre-orchestrated conspiracy!
Chapter 66 The Kumogakure!
Konoha: Nobody knew I could Wood Release! Chapter 66: The Kumogakure's Conspiracy!
Araki didn't reveal this immediately, as it was his special perception ability. These people arrived very quickly, but they were still quite a distance away.
This is within Araki's perception range, not the perception range of a normal ninja. If they were any closer, Kushina might have noticed, but by then it would be too late.
This was, after all, a conspiracy by the Kumogakure.
Araki was almost certain that they had fallen into a trap from the moment they entered the door; after all, those who came here knew from the beginning that they would be here.
They have all signed waivers.
Whatever problems arise, they have nothing to do with Kumogakure.
The completed words have already been submitted.
In a way, this was indeed a very good plan to kidnap Kushina. Kushina had already signed a death warrant, so if she disappeared during the Chunin Ninja Exams, Konoha wouldn't have anything to say about it, and that would be the case.
Should we remind them?
Araki immediately found himself in a difficult internal struggle, because if he reminded the two of them now, he could give them a heads-up.
When danger comes, they can deal with it more calmly. Although it may not have much impact on the outcome, at least it won't leave them feeling particularly surprised.
However, the corresponding price is that his strength, or at least his perception abilities, will be exposed. Even if it's his teammates who are exposed, once his teammates know this, it won't be long before the villagers find out.
Araki is reluctant to easily reveal his sensory abilities, because for him it's like a radar; others don't know he has them, and they can play a very important role in many situations.
However, if his perception ability is exposed, and some people find out about it, they will keep a greater distance if they want to continue tracking him, or they will become more cautious from a very far distance. Perhaps doing so will not avoid his perception, but if he does manage to avoid it, it is something he would very much rather not do.
The scene fell silent immediately.
" Araki, what were you trying to say?"
Minato frowned slightly because he noticed that Araki stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence, not continuing with what he was saying. This gave him a very strange feeling, as if Araki had been interrupted while he was speaking.
"It's nothing." Araki shook his head. He was still thinking about how to say these words, but he no longer needed to hesitate. Things happened too fast, and he didn't need to give any more reminders or hesitate. The ninjas from Kumogakure were already within their perception range.
"Someone's here."
"Someone's coming!"
Minato and Kushina's expressions changed simultaneously. They both sensed clusters of Chakra rushing towards them. The Kumogakure ninjas making no attempt to conceal their presence made it easy to detect them without any special effort.
As soon as the two finished speaking, figures appeared on the cliff in front of them. Although the terrain here was complex, it was barren and there was no place to hide, directly exposing themselves to everyone.
There were about a dozen ninjas standing in front of them. They weren't divided into squads, but rather stood together as a whole, looking like one large group.
It's you!
Minato recognized these people instantly; they were all ninjas from Kumogakure, and coincidentally, none of them had been "lucky" enough to receive the special Kunai in the previous lottery.
"I see."
Araki suddenly understood. He realized the design of the Kumogakure. Whether Nankain's words were genuine or a deliberate design, he had at least presented everyone present with a sense of venerating strength, thus making everyone accept that if someone went missing or died during the Chunin Ninja Exams, it would be a perfectly normal thing, simply due to their lack of strength.
This initial groundwork provides the Kumogakure with a very reasonable explanation for any subsequent actions, and it creates a strong foundation that makes everything seem legitimate.
In addition, a Kunai, which was not exactly fair, was introduced and was still distributed to the ninjas of Kumogakure by lottery. This greatly attracted the attention of everyone present and drew everyone's attention to it.
After all this was done, almost everyone who signed the life-or-death agreement was thinking about who had obtained the special Kunai. The Kumogakure also dutifully placed the prey who had obtained the Kunai in front of everyone, so that everyone could remember their faces.
Correspondingly, another result occurred: the Kumogakure ninjas who did not receive the special Kunai were not remembered by the people present, but rather ignored. Even after the Chunin Ninja Exams ended, few people remembered their appearances, because these people were not their prey.
In this way, the disappearance of the Kumogakure ninjas can be explained logically, and those people were not there to participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams, but rather had other missions.
That mission was for Kushina.
In other words, from the moment they entered the gate, they were already caught in a far more complex and elaborate trap—a sophisticated hunting plan specifically designed for Kushina.
Compared to the previous ninjas from Kumogakure, this mission, which involved infiltrating Konoha, was clearly much easier.
The ninjas from Kumogakure who had gathered here all had their eyes on Kushina. After confirming that their mission target was here, they turned to look at Minato and Araki, their eyes flashing with intense killing intent.
Their mission was very simple: capture Kushina and leave the Chunin Ninja Exams stage. If anyone stumbled upon them during this process, they would all be dead.
This matter must never be known to anyone else.
They didn't know whether the others would die, but at least Minato and Araki, who were in the same group as Kushina, had to die.
Instantly.
The Kumogakure ninjas present had already decided to kill Araki and Minato.
Araki and Minato could both easily sense this intense killing intent, and they realized the problem and the trap they had fallen into.
"Let's do it."
Among the ninjas of Kumogakure, a man who seemed to have considerable authority spoke first. His voice was very calm and steady, without any fluctuation in tone, and it carried a very familiar quality.
Those two simple words made them feel as if they had heard that person's voice somewhere before.
Immediately afterwards.
Minato looked in the direction of the sound, glancing at the ninja who had just given the order. His brows furrowed, and a familiar feeling lingered in his mind.
etc.
Minato winced violently in pain.
Just as these Kumogakure ninjas were rushing towards them, Minato suddenly cried out in alarm.
"You are Nankain!"
Minato has an exceptionally strong memory and recognition ability. He is well aware of his advantages, and upon hearing the person's words, he immediately identified the person's identity based on their voice.
This person is none other than Nankain, the chief examiner of the Chunin Ninja Exams.
Although he was dressed in clothes completely different from Nankain and his face was partially covered, he could not completely conceal his identity.
Or rather...
Nankain seemed to have no intention of hiding her identity at all.
" Minato, you protect Kushina, leave this to me!"
Araki immediately raised his hands, pulled Minato back, and pushed him towards Kushina.
The current situation is not the time for Araki to completely conceal his strength. The moment Minato recognized Nankain, he also noticed her presence.
He couldn't fully identify someone by their aura, but when that person appeared before him, he could recognize them by their Chakra. If he wasn't mistaken, Nankain was the former head of the Kumogakure, and such strength was beyond what Minato Namikaze could handle.
Minato is very strong now, but he is still too young. It is certain that he can shine among the Chunin, but if he were to fight Jonin, he would likely face great danger.
" Araki, this is not the time for you to act recklessly. We are all in a bind right now, this is not the time for you to show off your personal heroism." Minato did not immediately heed Araki's advice, after all, he was the captain of this squad, and he needed to make the decisions at this crucial moment.
"I'm not being reckless." Araki shook his head. He didn't have time for further explanation, so he simply stated his thoughts directly, "If I'm not mistaken, their target is Kushina. One of us must stay behind to protect her. You Flying Thunder God Technique, so this is more suitable for you."
"It's precisely because I Flying Thunder God Technique that I feel I'm more suited to fight them." Minato picked up the Flying Thunder God Kunai, and his speech quickened as he watched the approaching Kumogakure ninjas.
"The fighting style of the Kumogakure ninjas is Nintaijutsu, and so is mine. It won't be so easy for you to harm them. Right now, protecting Kushina is what you should be doing."
After saying this, Araki ignored Minato and focused on controlling his metabolism. His heart rate suddenly increased, and streams of green Chakra surged from his body, forming a green armor around him in a manner similar to Lightning Release Armor.
However, his green armor is quite different from his Lightning Release Armor. Unlike Little A's Lightning Release Armor has a hazy green draped over his body. It's barely noticeable unless you look closely, as if his entire body is covered in a layer of Mystical Palm Technique, exuding vitality.
But in reality, this powerful life force is constantly stimulating Araki's cells, making all his muscles stronger, fully activating his vitality, and giving him a very strong regenerative ability.
In some ways, Araki's current state is somewhat similar to the Ninja Art: Creation Rebirth, except that the latter focuses entirely on recovery. Although his powerful Chakra is also manifested to some extent in his Chakra Enhanced Strength, it is not primarily a combat-oriented method, but rather a means of self-healing or healing others.
This is a difference in emphasis.
Immediately afterwards.