Uta stepped forward and greeted Naruto with a gentle smile. "It's nice to see you again, Naruto."
Then she turned toward the second team from Uzushiogakure and gestured lightly. "And these are Ren, Aoi, and Haruki. They are the second team from Uzushiogakure who will be participating in this Chunin Exam."
Naruto nodded as he listened, his eyes briefly scanning the three unfamiliar faces. Then, suddenly, something clicked in his mind. Wait… if that's a team of three… His gaze shifted back to Shamrock and Uta, a faint crease forming on his forehead.
"If that's the case," Naruto said, voicing his confusion, "then only you two are going to participate as a team? You don't have a third team member?"
For a brief moment, Shamrock and Uta exchanged a glance, then both of them smiled, as if they had expected this question.
"In our village," Shamrock began calmly, "there is no constraint on the number of team members one should have. If they want, they can even operate alone."
Uta continued smoothly, "Only for the first three missions, guides accompany them—for protection and to observe whether they are truly worthy of being ninjas. That period can also be considered an assessment phase. After that, we operate freely. There is no hard rule that we must have three teammates like most of the major villages."
As soon as Naruto heard this, a thought suddenly crossed his mind. How good would it have been if things were the same here as well? For a brief moment, he imagined it—then it would have been just me and Sakura on one team…
Naruto, still the same, was very much a simp for Sakura, while Sakura didn't care much about him. Even so, her attitude toward Naruto was generally polite—not as rough as it used to be. After all, Naruto is the Hokage's son, and somewhere in her mind, she maintained that boundary. Still, her heart belonged only to Sasuke, not Naruto.
Naruto shook the thought off and looked back at Shamrock and Uta. Since they had already introduced their village teams, he figured he should do the same. Straightening slightly, he began introducing his friends gathered around him.
"You've already met Sakura and Sasuke," Naruto said, gesturing casually. Then he pointed toward the others one by one. "This is Shikamaru… that is Choji… she is Ino…"
As he continued, the group shifted slightly—some giving small nods, others simply watching in silence. A faint murmur of movement passed through them as Naruto introduced all the nine rookies one by one.
Finally, he came to a stop at the last person. Turning slightly, he gestured toward him. "And this is Kabuto. He was just telling us about some prominent participants from the other villages."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses lightly, the faint glint catching in the light.
As soon as Naruto said this, Shamrock and Uta turned their attention toward Kabuto.
The moment their eyes landed on him, something felt… off.
After a brief look, both of them glanced at each other, a trace of suspicion flickering in their eyes. For ordinary sensory ninjas, Kabuto's method of hiding his aura might have been clever—but in front of Uta and Shamrock, who used Observation Haki, something far more refined, the disguise fell short.
They could feel it.
This Kabuto was definitely not some ordinary weak ninja. On the contrary, there was a hidden sharpness to his presence. At the very least, he was on the same level as Haku and Zabuza.
Still, neither of them voiced their thoughts. No need to expose it here…
Shamrock then smiled, his tone light as he looked at Kabuto. "Oh? So you know about the prominent participants from all the major villages?"
He tilted his head slightly.
"Then how about you tell us something about me and my sister here? Are we both on that list of yours or not?"
Kabuto didn't show any unusual reaction. His expression remained composed, almost practiced. He adjusted his glasses again, the lenses catching a brief glint.
"You both are definitely among the prominent candidates," he said calmly.
After saying this, he reached into his pouch and took out a card. With a smooth motion, he placed it on the ground. His fingers moved through a series of precise hand seals—
—and the card reacted.
An image of Shamrock appeared upon it, accompanied by detailed information, its surface faintly shimmering.
Kabuto began speaking, his voice steady and analytical.
"First, I will tell you all something about Uzushiogakure's mission levels."
He pushed his glasses up slightly.
"In Uzushiogakure, missions are generally divided into three levels—A, B, and C. There is nothing below that, and above them are S-rank missions. The initial classification of a mission is based on the level of threat it is expected to pose."
A brief pause followed.
"However, after the mission is completed, if unforeseen circumstances arise and the danger turns out to be higher, then the rank of the mission is automatically reassessed."
The surrounding Genin listened more intently now.
"Before coming to the Chunin Exams, both Shamrock and Uta have completed three B-rank missions… and one S-rank mission."
For a split second, silence hung in the air—
"What?!" several of the Konoha Genin exclaimed at once. "How is that possible? They were allowed to go on an S-rank mission?!"
Kabuto remained unfazed.
"I am only about to tell you what I have heard as rumors," he said evenly.
"Just last month, Shamrock and Uta took on what was supposed to be a normal B-rank mission—to escort someone to the Land of Waves. However… during that mission, they were ambushed."
A faint tension crept into the atmosphere.
"They were attacked by Zabuza missing-nin of Kirigakure, along with Haku—one of the last surviving, or rather, the only surviving member of the Yuki Clan, and a user of the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai."
A subtle shift passed through the group.
"Shamrock Uzumaki defeated Zabuza. Uta Uzumaki defeated Haku."
The words landed heavily.
"Shamrock excels in Fire Release and Yin Release and is a master swordsman. Uta uses Lightning Release and Yin Release and is also a master swordsman. And since both of them are half Uchiha… both possess the Sharingan."
As he spoke, Kabuto placed another card beside Shamrock's. The surface shimmered, and Uta's face appeared along with her details.
A wave of shock spread across the Rookie Nine.
Shikamaru frowned slightly and spoke up, unable to hold back. "They were protected by someone, right? Someone must have injured those opponents beforehand?"
Kabuto shook his head.
"No."
His tone remained calm.
"They fought Haku and Zabuza in one-on-one battles. And respectively, both of them defeated their opponents with their own strength… without any external intervention."
A faint pause followed.
"Now, the complete truth of that mission is only known to Shamrock and Uta themselves," Kabuto added. "Because, according to the information I have gathered, it is said that the Dragon Emperor, Antares, was following them from behind."
He adjusted his glasses once more, the sharp glint flashing across the lenses.
"So… I cannot say for certain."
----
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