In Konoha, inside the Hokage's office, a quiet calm filled the room. Sunlight streamed in through the large window behind the desk, casting a warm glow across the polished floor.
Kakashi stood in front of Minato after reporting everything that had happened in Uzushiogakure. His posture was relaxed but respectful, his visible eye steady as he finished recounting the events.
Minato listened carefully the entire time.
After hearing that Uzushiogakure had accepted the invitation for the Chunin Exam, Minato's expression brightened. A satisfied smile appeared on his face as he leaned slightly back in his chair.
"You did very well, Kakashi," Minato said warmly. "You handled everything perfectly."
Minato had also heard about the fight between Sasuke and Ryuko. The moment Kakashi mentioned it, Minato couldn't help but remember the first time he had seen the child.
He had seen Ryuko when the boy was just born. Back then, Makima had personally come to Konoha to meet Kushina and introduce her newborn child to her. Minato still remembered that quiet visit — Kushina holding the baby with excitement while Makima calmly stood nearby.
At that time, the child had looked completely ordinary.
But Minato knew the truth behind that child's lineage.
Ryuko was the son of Antares, the Dragon Emperor.
With a father like that… weakness was never really an option.
Because of that, Ryuko defeating Sasuke was not something Minato found shocking. In fact, to him, it was quite obvious and completely understandable. If anything, the result aligned perfectly with what he expected.
As for Sasuke provoking Ryuko, Minato didn't think too deeply about it. Sasuke was still a child after all, and children—especially those with strong pride—could easily become hot-headed.
Minato's smile slowly faded into a more serious expression as his thoughts returned to the upcoming event. His fingers lightly tapped against the desk once before he spoke again.
"Continue the preparation for the Chunin Exam," Minato said, his voice calm but firm. "I want no errors this time."
Kakashi remained silent, listening attentively.
Minato continued, his gaze drifting toward the window as he thought about the wider implications.
"If this Chunin Exam goes well, our relations with most of the villages will definitely be elevated to a higher level. This event is not just about the younger generation proving their strength—it is also about diplomacy, trust, and how the world sees Konoha."
A faint glint of calculation appeared in his eyes.
"And now that Uzushiogakure has accepted our invitation," Minato added, "there is a high chance that Iwagakure, Kirigakure and Kumogakure might also accept it."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"After all, they would also want to prove themselves against Uzushiogakure… against the younger generation of Uzushiogakure."
Minato leaned forward slightly, folding his hands together on the desk.
"So I won't be surprised if Kirigakure, Kumogakure, and even Iwagakure decide to accept the invitation for the Chunin Exams."
For a moment, the office fell quiet again.
Kakashi, after hearing Minato's words, nodded slowly. He completely agreed with Minato on this matter. If Uzushiogakure had accepted the invitation for the joint Chunin Exam conducted by Konoha, then there was a very high chance that the other major villages would also participate.
After all, none of them would want to miss an opportunity like this.
Uzushiogakure was currently considered the strongest village in the world. Naturally, the other villages would want to test their younger generations against Uzushiogakure's younger generation. It was not only about competition but also about measuring strength and gathering information.
They would especially want to probe the strength of the Uzukage's children.
Shamrock.
Uta.
Both of them were going to participate in this joint Chunin Exam.
The children of Shanks Uzumaki… Kakashi thought silently.
It was impossible for the other villages to ignore that fact. Whether it was curiosity, pride, or political calculation, every village would want to see for themselves what kind of strength the children of the Uzukage possessed.
Kakashi then gave a respectful bow and said, "I will take my leave now."
Minato nodded calmly in response.
Without another word, Kakashi turned and walked out of the Hokage office, the door closing softly behind him.
…
After a few days, the news that Uzushiogakure was going to participate in the joint Chunin Exam conducted by Konoha began spreading across the ninja world.
Like ripples expanding across a still lake, the information quickly traveled from one village to another.
As Minato and Kakashi had expected, the reaction was immediate.
All the major villages accepted the invitation without hesitation.
Before now, only two major villages had confirmed their participation in the joint Chunin Exam conducted by Konoha—Uzushiogakure and Sunagakure. Many of the other villages had remained silent, carefully observing the situation.
But the moment it was confirmed that Uzushiogakure would be participating, everything changed.
And when the news spread further—that not only Uzushiogakure would participate, but also the son and daughter of the Uzukage would be competing in the Chunin Exam—the response from the other villages became even more decisive.
Almost immediately, the major villages began preparing their teams.
They decided to send the very best of their Genin.
Many of them were not ordinary Genin either. Several villages began selecting candidates whose strength had already reached the level of a Chunin… or in some cases, even higher.
Their goal was very clear.
They wanted to gauge the strength of the son and daughter of the Uzukage, Shanks Uzumaki.
Do they truly deserve to be the children of the Red-Haired Emperor?
Or was it simply a case of a dog being the son of a tiger, rather than a tiger being the son of a tiger?
Questions like these quietly circulated through the higher ranks of many villages.
Because if the children of the Uzukage truly possessed strength worthy of their father's name, then Uzushiogakure's future would be even more terrifying.
With just one move from Uzushiogakure, the world—which had been relatively calm until now—suddenly went into a frenzy.
News spread rapidly through the ninja world.
Many smaller ninja villages that had initially decided not to participate in the joint Chunin Exam began reconsidering their decision. Some of them had originally refused because their allies, major villages themselves were not showing interest.
But now the situation had completely changed.
Since the major villages were now participating, these smaller villages also decided to send their Genin teams to the Chunin Exams.
Some wanted to build stronger ties with the larger villages.
Some simply wanted their young ninjas to gain experience.
And others wanted to witness with their own eyes the strength of Uzushiogakure's new generation.
What had originally been planned as a normal joint Chunin Exam was now rapidly turning into something far bigger—an event that had drawn the attention of almost the entire ninja world.
…
Days continued to pass, and soon only two days remained before the Chunin Exam.
In Uzushiogakure, the final preparations were completed, and the candidates who would participate in the Chunin Exam were finally decided.
Two teams from Uzushiogakure were going to participate in the joint Chunin Exam conducted by Konoha.
One team consisted of Shamrock and Uta.
The other team was made up of three graduates who had just finished their academy training this year—the same batch as Shamrock and Uta. Although they had only recently graduated, they had already been selected to represent Uzushiogakure in this important event.
So in total, two teams from Uzushiogakure would be participating in the joint Chunin Exam conducted by Konoha.
Leading them was Renji.
Renji had been assigned the role of their leader and guide during the journey, but his most important responsibility was clear—to act as the protector of Shamrock and Uta.
After all, the two of them were not ordinary Genin.
They left the Land of Uzumaki aboard a motorboat, the vessel cutting smoothly across the waves as it carried them toward the mainland. The sea breeze brushed against their faces while the distant shoreline of the Land of Fire slowly grew clearer.
After some time, the motorboat finally reached the dock located along the coast of the Land of Fire.
The moment they stepped onto the dock, Renji made a quick hand sign.
With a soft poof, a cloud of white smoke appeared beside the pier.
As the smoke cleared, a car appeared.
The vehicle looked similar to the old cars of Earth from around the 1900s—large, sturdy, and simple in design. Its metal body reflected the sunlight faintly, and it had enough space for six people to ride comfortably.
This car had been created by Shanks himself.
He had only managed to successfully create this kind of vehicle about five years ago. Since then, several improvements had been made—especially to the engine and certain parts of the design.
Even so, vehicles like this were still extremely rare.
But for transporting multiple people comfortably across long distances, this car was the most suitable option available to them.
So without wasting time, the group climbed into the car.
Of course, the speed of the car was nowhere near as fast as the ninjas sitting inside it.
Every one of them was capable of moving at incredible speeds on their own. If they truly wanted to, they could easily travel faster than this vehicle by using chakra to enhance their movement.
But there was no need for that.
They were not on an urgent mission, and there was no reason to exhaust themselves unnecessarily.
This journey was meant to be more than just travel—it was also an experience.
For Shamrock, Uta, and Renji, the feeling of riding in a car was nothing particularly special. They had already experienced it before and were quite used to it by now.
But for the other three graduates, it was a completely different story.
They had never sat in a car before.
So as the vehicle slowly began moving along the road, the three of them looked around with clear curiosity and excitement, occasionally glancing at the wheels, the steering mechanism, and the strange rumbling sound of the engine.
For them, this journey was not just the beginning of the Chunin Exam.
It was also their very first experience riding in a car.
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