After several days, the three members of Teruharu's team finally reunited.
Upon their long-awaited reunion, both Shota Sarutobi and Haruyuki Yuhi were amazed by the changes in Hatake Kaede.
He grew taller and taller, like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.His face, which had originally resembled a young boy, now appeared more angular and masculine, exuding a strong and heroic aura, due to his thinner build.
On his forehead, a purplish-red diamond-shaped mark was particularly eye-catching, adding a touch of mystery to him.
Looking behind him, he carried a uniquely shaped short sword.Its presence made Hatake Kaede appear even more capable and sharp, as if he could unleash astonishing power at any moment.
The design of this short knife is truly unique and unforgettable.[Note 1]
Hatake Kaede trained in the Hatake family's swordsmanship under his father, Hatake Sakumo, but he never developed any interest in the family's ancestral short sword.Therefore, Kaede decided to have the family blacksmith forge a short sword specifically for him.
If another time traveler existed, he would definitely be able to recognize the style of this short knife—the Embroidered Spring Knife.
Due to the sudden outbreak of war, a large number of ninjas were urgently conscripted and transferred to the front lines in the Land of Rain.This made the already busy ninjas even busier, and those who remained in the villages had to take on even more assignments and missions.
At this tense moment, many ninja teams were extremely busy, and Teruharu Team was one of them.After completing a mission, they arrived at a barbecue restaurant, exhausted, ready to treat themselves.
Entering the private room of the barbecue restaurant, the three plopped down on the chairs.Once all the barbecue was served, the three little ones couldn't wait to launch an "attack" on the meat in front of them.
These were all young men who were still growing, so they naturally had big appetites.In no time, each of them had seven or eight plates of roasted meat stacked up in front of them.
However, Hatake Kaede's appetite was even more astonishing.There were at least ten plates of grilled meat in front of him, and he was still stuffing more into his mouth.
The three finally put down their chopsticks, rubbed their bellies, and lay down on the chairs in the private room to rest.The three little ones whimpered and fussed, looking like piglets that had escaped from somewhere.
Hatake Kaede's lips curled up slightly as he chuckled softly, "Ah, this meal was so satisfying!My stomach feels so warm, I almost want to take a short nap!"
As he spoke, he stretched comfortably, as if the delicious meal had melted away from his bones.
Seeing this, Sarutobi Shota and Yuhi Haru, who were sitting next to him, also narrowed their eyes in unison, revealing an expression of great enjoyment on their faces, while nodding repeatedly in agreement: "Mmm!Mmm!"
They looked like three kittens who had just been fed and were lazily basking in the sun.
However, just as the three children were enjoying the afterglow of their meal, the door to the private room was suddenly pushed open.A figure slowly walked in—it was their instructor, Yuhi Teruharu.
"Ha!I knew the three of you would be here." Yuhi Teruharu looked at the three little ones in front of him, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
Upon hearing the voice, the three children jumped up from their seats as if electrocuted, shouting in unison, "-sensei Teruharu, what brings you here?"
Yuhi Teruharu entered the private room and slowly sat down next to his younger brother.
Yuhi Teruharu looked at them, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"Of course, we have something to discuss with you.The Hokage's office has issued an order to hold a Chunin Exam soon."
As soon as he finished speaking, a soft gasp of surprise rippled through the private room.The Chunin Exams were undoubtedly a crucial opportunity for these young ninjas, a chance to showcase their strength and growth.
Seeing their excited expressions, Yuhi Teruharu felt a sense of relief.
He continued, "I'm here to ask if you want to participate.Of course, to participate in the Chunin Exams, you need to form a team of three."
These words were like a fire, instantly igniting Shota Sarutobi's passion.
He excitedly stood up from his seat and shouted to Yuhi Teruharu with a face full of excitement, "Great, Teruharu-sensei, I want to participate in this Chunin Exam!"
At the same time, Yuhi Haru and Hatake Kaede exchanged a glance, a hint of excitement flashing in their eyes.Clearly, they too were filled with anticipation for participating in the Chunin Exams.
Yuhi Haru smiled and nodded to Yuhi Teruharu, indicating that she was also willing to participate.Hatake Kaede hesitated for a moment, but finally said firmly, "I'll participate too."
Yuhi Teruharu's lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile.He then took out three pieces of paper from his pocket and gently unfolded them.
His gaze slowly swept over the three little ones in front of him, a hint of gentleness and expectation flashing in his eyes, and he said softly, "Actually, I expected you would come to participate in this Chunin Exam."
After saying that, he handed the three pieces of paper in his hand to the three little ones and continued to explain, "These are three Chunin Exam application forms.I had already recommended your three names before I came here."
Upon hearing this, the three children's faces lit up with joy, and they excitedly accepted the application forms for the Chunin Exams.
After the three children received their application forms, Yuhi Teruharu paused briefly before continuing, "However, since we are currently in a period of war, the assessment standards for this Chunin Exam have been slightly lowered compared to previous years."
He paused, letting the three children process the information, before continuing, "The exam mainly consists of two parts: theory and practice."
Finally, Yuhi Teruharu's tone became serious, and he solemnly.The earth warned the three little ones: "Although the difficulty has been reduced, you must not let your guard down!You must concentrate on every step and never be careless or underestimate the enemy."
"Hmm~ -sensei Teruharu is right," suddenly, as if he had thought of something important, Hatake Kaede stood up from his seat with a "whoosh".
He held the application form in his hand, then began pacing around the private room.As he walked, he kept giving his two companions meaningful glances, the meaning of which couldn't be clearer—they needed to catch up with him.
Hatake Kaede walked up to Teruharu Yuhi and said seriously, "-sensei Teruharu, we're not afraid of actual combat, after all, we've trained a lot.But as for theoretical knowledge." He deliberately dragged out his words, a troubled look on his face.
"So, Shota and Haru, come to my house with me and study together.That way you'll be better prepared for the upcoming exams," Hatake Kaede said, turning to his two companions with a firm and unwavering tone.
After saying that, without waiting for Shota and Haru's response, he rushed out of the private room like a gust of wind, leaving behind a stunned Yuhi Teruharu and a still-unresponsive Sarutobi Shota and Yuhi Haru.
Haru and Xiang Tai exchanged a glance.Although they didn't quite understand what Hatake Kaede was thinking, as teammates, they trusted Hatake Kaede's decision very much.
So the two of them quickly stood up, bowed deeply to Yuhi Teruharu, and then hurriedly chased after Hatake Kaede as they left the barbecue restaurant.
As Yuhi Teruharu watched the three boys' departing figures, a slight smile crept onto his lips.He slowly picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and thought to himself, "These kids really know how to work hard.No wonder they're my lovable subordinates."
Just as Yuhi Teruharu was about to leave, a staff member at the barbecue restaurant stopped him.The staff member said, "Sir ninja, please wait a moment."
Yuhi Teruharu looked at the shop assistant who had stopped him with a puzzled expression and said, "Is there a problem?"
The clerk respectfully handed over a piece of paper and said to Yuhi Teruharu, "Sir Ninja, this is the bill from that private room.How would you like to pay?"
When Yuhi Teruharu took the bill, he was stunned by the string of zeros on it.
He looked at the shop assistant in surprise, then slapped his forehead and said, "Damn, are these three little brats pigs?They eat so much!"
By now, Yuhi Teruharu had long understood that all the talk about learning was just an excuse; it was all about making him pay the price!As his mentor, he had never treated his students to a proper meal before, so this time he would treat his three lovely subordinates to a meal together.
He never expected that his three adorable subordinates would eat so much.It was equivalent to the reward he would receive for completing five A-level missions.
[No doubt about it, this was definitely that brat Hatake Kaede's idea.My little brother is so cute, he would never have such a mischievous thought.Sarutobi Shota, you know he doesn't have that kind of brain!]
[As expected of Sakumo-senpai's son, his tricks are even more sophisticated than Sakumo-senpai's.]
(Hatake Kaede: Hehehe, do you think the future Kakashi Hatake tricked Yamato into paying the bill?It's all about family connections.)
That night, one more heartbroken person walked the streets of Konoha.Yuhi Teruharu hadn't even had a bite of grilled meat before emptying his bulging wallet.
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