The sounds of fighting in the Mist Forest gradually receded, and most of the examinees had already arrived at the Mist Fortress.
"All examinees, quiet!"
The fortress examiner climbed the wooden ladder to the high platform, the scroll in his hand trembling slightly in the wind.
He cleared his throat and said, "Due to multiple large-scale ninja village conflicts during the exam, after an emergency discussion by the higher-ups, the remaining stages of the Chunin Exams have been adjusted. The next stage will be a written exam, and those who pass will be considered to have advanced."
The examinee crowd instantly erupted into a commotion, but they could only obey the arrangements.
Ultimately, this Chunin Exams, which had its twists and turns, concluded in a hasty but peaceful manner.
On the flagstone path outside the Land of Water palace, Shun stood shoulder to shoulder with two women.
Mabui, on his left, wore a dark green brocade long dress, her long hair loosely tied into a bun, exuding gentleness in every gesture.
Yugito, on his right, wore a bright red kimono with flame patterns embroidered on the cuffs, her eyes showing a hint of liveliness and playfulness.
Four attendants followed behind the three, walking along the paved road towards Kumogakure's temporary residence.
"Shun, will it be too presumptuous for us to suddenly go see Raikage-sama?" Mabui gently tugged Shun's sleeve, her voice carrying a hint of imperceptible nervousness.
She had been away from Kumogakure for many years, and now seeing her hometown's Raikage felt somewhat strange.
Shun stopped, turned around, and took her hand, smiling gently. "Don't worry, A has a straightforward personality. I brought you two here for two reasons."
"First, to let you see your hometown people and clear up the misunderstandings from back then. Second, I want to officially tell everyone that I will hold a wedding for you and marry you as my queens."
As he spoke, his gaze swept over Mabui's eyes, full of sincerity.
Yugito immediately linked her arm through his other arm and shook his arm. "Really? So we'll be the queens of the Land of Water from now on?"
Ever since Two-Tails was extracted from her, she had been worried about being a "useless person." Now, receiving such a promise, her cheeks were flushed with a blush.
"My word is my bond." Shun ruffled her hair, his eyes full of doting affection.
Soon, the four arrived at Kumogakure's residence. The guards, seeing Shun's attire, immediately respectfully announced their arrival.
A moment later, the tent flap was lifted, and A strode out. He wore a deep white outfit, his metal armguards gleaming in the sunlight.
When he saw Mabui and Yugito, his steps suddenly halted, his eyes filled with shock. "Mabui? Yugito? You… you're still alive?"
Back then, Kumogakure had sent people to search everywhere for the two, and everyone thought they were long gone. They never expected them to appear together in the Land of Water.
Mabui's eyes instantly reddened upon seeing A's familiar face. "Raikage-sama, long time no see."
Yugito bowed, trying to calm her excited feelings.
A was stunned for a long time before he came back to his senses. He walked forward, patted Mabui's shoulder, then looked at Yugito, and then burst into laughter.
"Good! Excellent! It's good that you're alive. I'm overjoyed that you found such a home."
He turned to Shun, his tone solemn. "Shun, thank you for taking care of them. I will definitely attend the wedding. We'll have a good drink then, and not stop until we're drunk."
Leaving Kumogakure's residence, Shun then took Temari to Sunagakure's residence.
Temari wore a white gauze dress unique to the Land of Water, with silver wisteria patterns embroidered on the hem. Her long hair was styled into an elegant bun, adorned with a sapphire hairpin, and her face had a delicate makeup.
She had been training in Immortal Village for three years and was now 19 years old. She was no longer the little girl with a ponytail who used to throw tantrums, but had grown into a slender, gracefully tempered mature beauty, though a hint of girlish vivacity still lingered in her eyes.
"Shun, do you think father really won't recognize me when he sees me?"
Temari sat in the carriage, her fingertips gently caressing the patterns on her skirt, her voice carrying a hint of anticipation and nervousness.
Shun took her hand, gently patting the back of her hand. "Don't worry. Even if your appearance has changed, he'll recognize your eyes. Besides, you're so beautiful now, he'll only be happy for you."
The carriage slowly stopped, and the attendant lifted the curtain. The Sunagakure tents were already in sight.
When the two walked into the Sunagakure camp, Rasa was sitting at a desk, looking at intel, his brush writing and drawing on the paper.
Hearing footsteps, he didn't even lift his head, casually asking, "Is that Kankuro? How is Gaara doing?"
But when he looked up and saw Temari, the brush in his hand fell onto the rice paper with a "plop," and the ink spread in a large blotch.
He suddenly stood up, his eyes filled with disbelief. "You… you're… Temari?"
The woman before him was tall and graceful, completely different from the 16-year-old daughter who loved to throw tantrums while holding a fan, as he remembered her.
How could there be such a big change in just over eight months?
Seeing her father's shocked expression, Temari couldn't help but smile. She walked forward and gently hugged him.
"Father, it's me. Am I different from before?"
Rasa stiffly looked at his daughter, his fingers gently touching her bun, his voice full of emotion. "You're different, truly different. You've grown taller and become more beautiful. I almost didn't recognize you just now."
He released her, carefully observing Temari, his eyes slightly reddened. "Are you… happy in the Land of Water? Did he bully you?"
Shun walked forward and stood beside the two, his tone solemn. "Rasa, Temari has not only significantly gotten stronger but also become much more composed. I brought her here this time to formally tell you that I will hold a wedding for her and make her the queen of the Land of Water. I hope you will agree."
Rasa looked at the smile in Temari's eyes, then at Shun's serious gaze. After a moment of silence, he slowly nodded. "Good. I'll be at ease if you treat her well."
He reached out and patted Shun's shoulder. "On the wedding day, I will bring Kankuro with me to give you our blessings."
—
Within just a few days, the news that Shun was about to marry seven queens spread throughout the entire Ninja World at an astonishing speed.
People were full of curiosity and surprise about Shun's marriage.
When they learned the identities of these seven queens, they were even more shocked.
Among them, Temari was the eldest daughter of Fourth Kazekage Rasa of Sunagakure, Mabui and Yugito came from Kumogakure, and there was also Koyuki, the lord of the Land of Snow.
Besides these four prominent women, the remaining three queens also had their unique characteristics.
Guren, it is said, possessed the Crystal Release Kekkei Genkai and had considerable strength.
Shizune and Yūgao, on the other hand, were Shun's female secretaries.