The exams temporarily concluded, and the people in the high tower left one after another. Although all the examinees from the Hidden Stone, Hidden Mist, and Hidden Rain Ninja Villages were eliminated, they could still witness the third exam nearby. In a month, all Five Kage would arrive, but for the Tsuchikage and Mizukage, it might be a bit embarrassing.
Hanzo returned to the Hidden Rain Village's annex with his students. The accompanying Hidden Rain Jonin, whose students were eliminated in the first exam, couldn't enter the Forest of Death and stayed in the annex awaiting news. Now, upon hearing that Hanzo's students were also eliminated, he said, "Since that's the case, let's just leave."
"Leave?" Hanzo frowned slightly and said, "Aren't you going to watch the third exam? Representatives from all ninja villages are here. You can witness the strength of the Five Great Ninja Villages' ninja and also foster good relations with other villages."
"You mean foster good relations with the Hidden Leaf Village, right?" the Hidden Rain Jonin said mockingly.
"What do you mean?" Hanzo's gaze turned cold as he quietly looked at the Hidden Rain Jonin.
"Hmph, don't think your affairs can be kept secret. The leader has long known about your clandestine contact with the Hidden Leaf ninja. How many Hidden Leaf Anbu members have slipped through the areas you're responsible for? Can you count them?" The Hidden Rain Jonin stared fearlessly into Hanzo's eyes.
"You're monitoring me?" Hanzo's pupils constricted slightly.
"If you don't want others to know, don't do it," the Hidden Rain Jonin said slowly. "Hanzo, don't forget that it was the village that nurtured you, not some Hidden Leaf Village!"
"Of course I know. Although I'm in contact with the Hidden Leaf Village, my goal is for the Land of Rain. You haven't forgotten how many people from the Land of Rain were saved by the Hidden Leaf Village's medical ninja in the last ninja war, have you?" Since the other party had exposed him, Hanzo no longer concealed his contact with the Hidden Leaf Village. He said, "The village's secrets have never been leaked. I'm just providing convenience to the merchants who invest in the Hidden Leaf Village. In exchange, the medicine sold to our Hidden Rain Village is discounted. Don't you know how much money this saves the village?"
"Ah, that's true, which is why the leader hasn't said anything yet," the Hidden Rain Jonin shook his head slightly and said, "However, you dare to secretly provide convenience to them behind the leader's back. Who can guarantee that you won't betray the village one day!"
"If the leader hadn't refused to establish diplomatic relations with the Hidden Leaf Village, why would I have done this?" Hanzo's voice deepened, and a certain abundant and powerful aura seemed to emanate from his entire being.
The Hidden Rain Jonin couldn't help but take a step back, looking at Hanzo cautiously. Regardless, Hanzo was a top expert in the Hidden Rain Village; even the Hidden Rain leader wasn't confident he could defeat Hanzo. He took a deep breath, allowing himself to look Hanzo directly in the eyes, and said, "The leader's vision is correct and far-sighted. How could a ninja village as large as the Hidden Leaf Village truly take us seriously? You delude yourself into thinking you can get along with them, unaware that you're inviting a wolf into your home. When they show their true colors, you will be the village's sinner."
Hanzo had to admit that such a possibility indeed existed. However, recalling his conversation withFumori Masaki, the predictions the other party described to him, and his own opinion ofFumori Masaki, he felt willing to try trusting once, trusting the promises the other party made to him.
"If the Hidden Leaf Village truly betrays my trust, then I will for the first time pick up my ninja tools and strike at them," Hanzo said after a while.
The Hidden Rain Jonin could hear the resolve in Hanzo's voice, his gaze fixed on him. He sighed softly and said, "Don't be too optimistic, Hanzo. You must remember that other villages are ultimately other villages; they are not the same as us."
"If we don't try to make contact, we might provoke unnecessary enemies," Hanzo mused, "Given the current situation, we should stay in the Hidden Leaf Village."
"No! Anyway, none of our village's examinees made it. Wouldn't staying be disgraceful? The leader wouldn't accept that." The Hidden Rain Jonin turned around to pack his belongings.
"Let's leave early. If you stay, I will report it to the leader."
A trace of anger flashed in Hanzo's eyes. He had already deeply experienced the Hidden Rain leader's stubbornness. He hadn't expected the Hidden Rain leader to be so close-minded. Was he still living in the Warring States period, with its emphasis on secrecy and isolation, asFumori Masaki had said?
The Hidden Rain Jonin in front of him wasn't as stubborn as the leader, but he was also a conservative who supported the leader. His attitude towards Hanzo had softened somewhat, but that didn't mean he would oppose the leader's orders. And Hanzo currently had no intention of falling out with the leader. Therefore, he could only choose to accept, and he reluctantly returned to his room, wrote out his departure application, and handed it over to a member of the security force.
The Hidden Rain Village wasn't the only ninja village that wanted to leave. Therefore, the security force had no reason to refuse. After confirming that they weren't carrying any secret items, they allowed them to leave.
"Seriously, the leader of the Hidden Rain Village is a troublesome fellow." While inspecting the security department,Fumori Masaki unexpectedly received news of the Hidden Rain Village's representatives leaving. His first words were exactly that.
"You're not unaware of this, but it's a pity about that man named Hanzo. He seemed very willing to cooperate," Uchiha Kagami, who was writing a report nearby, said.
"Hmm, if Hanzo were the leader of the Hidden Rain Village, we wouldn't have to worry about such things,"Fumori Masaki said.
"The Hidden Rain leader must really dislike Hanzo. Can such a person legitimately ascend to the position of leader?" Uchiha Kagami thought for a moment and asked.
"Not very likely. If he ascends to the leader's position through other means, that's another matter."Fumori Masaki felt that with Hanzo's ability, he could certainly become the leader. If the Hidden Leaf Village could contribute to that, it would be an unquestionable matter.
"Well, since they've left, we don't need to worry about them. I have a few important people arriving here," Uchiha Kagami said, pulling out a stack of registration forms.
"Oh, who?"
"One is Princess Sen from the capital. We've met before, and isn't Miss Kana good friends with her? Miss Kana said that Princess Sen has been interested in the Hidden Leaf Village for a long time, but because it was difficult to leave the capital, she decided to come at this time," Uchiha Kagami said.
"That's true,"Fumori Masaki wouldn't forget Princess Sen. Her love for Ninshu had given a push to Fumori Masaki's Ninshu revival movement. At this time, the Hidden Leaf Village could be considered the center of the Ninshu revival movement, so it was very normal for Princess Sen to be willing to come.
"It's fine for Miss Kana to receive her. They're good friends, after all,"Fumori Masaki said.
"That's good. It's just that with such important figures, our security pressure increases," Uchiha Kagami shook his head helplessly, looking at the registration forms. "The others are also somewhat related to you. They're from the Land of Whirlpools. Although they didn't have their ninja village participate in the exam, quite a few merchants and nobles from there have arrived."
"Related people, could it be Miss Misaki?"Fumori Masaki thought for a moment, a name popping into his head, and he quickly asked.
"It's her. She's also brought her child, Nawaki, I believe. I seem to have heard that she had a child in the Land of Whirlpools, but she never brought him back to the village," Uchiha Kagami said.
"Ah, because she's been maintaining relations between the two countries in the Land of Whirlpools all these years,"Fumori Masaki knew about this. Kana had mentioned that her sister had a child named Nawaki. He was quite looking forward to seeing this child, and Tsunade was the same, but Misaki hadn't returned in recent years.
"Tsunade was left in the village. I wonder if this child named Nawaki will also stay," Uchiha Kagami tapped the table lightly and said.
"That depends on the decisions of others. We can't say much,"Fumori Masaki smiled.
After leaving the security department,Fumori Masaki returned home. Because Hatake Sakumo and Hattori Heizō had advanced, Tsunade wanted to celebrate with them, so they chose to do so at their teacher's house. Upon arriving home,Fumori Masaki saw Rimi and Tsunade cooking together and couldn't help but find it a bit odd, saying, "Oh, Tsunade can cook too?"
"If I can't, I can learn, Sensei Kazamori, really," Tsunade said while cooking. "Sakumo and Heizō performed very well. Since I can't participate in the exam, I can only help them here. Well, I also have to comfort those who accidentally failed."
The person Tsunade was referring to was Hyūga Kazuya. Although Hyūga Kazuya wasn'tFumori Masaki's student, he had contributed a lot in the second exam. It was only right to not leave him out, so he was invited toFumori Masaki's house as well.
Hyūga Kazuya gave an awkward laugh. If he had won, he could have enjoyed the dinner with a clear conscience, but the result was precisely that. To be comforted during a dinner celebrating Hatake Sakumo and Hattori Heizō's advancement felt somewhat strange.
"Don't worry, Kazuya. The opponent was specifically prepared by the village to counter the Byakugan. It's normal to be caught off guard for a moment. Try harder next time,"Fumori Masaki said, looking at Hyūga Kazuya.
"Thank you, Sensei Kazamori," Hyūga Kazuya bowed slightly.
"By the way, Tsunade, your mother and younger brother seem to be coming to the village soon,"Fumori Masaki said to Tsunade after sitting down.
"What!" Tsunade quickly turned around, looking atFumori Masaki in surprise. "Mother and younger brother are coming? That's great! I haven't seen Mother in so long, and I can finally see my younger brother."
"It's truly a joyous occasion that Miss Misaki is returning with her child," Rimi said with a smile.
"I wonder what kind of child Nawaki is," Hatake Sakumo and Hattori Heizō were also curious about Nawaki. They were somewhat looking forward to seeing if Nawaki's personality would be similar to Tsunade's, and if he had inherited the powerful bloodline of the First Hokage. Tsunade hadn't inherited the First Hokage's Kekkei Genkai, so if Nawaki did, he might be able to recreate the First Hokage's legend.
"Mother's letter said that Nawaki is an enthusiastic child, not much like me," Tsunade said. "I heard he wanted to come to the village to learn ninjutsu very early on, but Mother wouldn't let him."
"Perhaps now is the time for him to come to the village to learn ninjutsu," Hatake Sakumo said.
"No way. Father probably wouldn't agree to this. He probably let me do as I pleased because I'm a girl, but Nawaki is a boy," Tsunade said.
"Not necessarily. Your father might be more open-minded,"Fumori Masaki knew that Nawaki did indeed become a ninja later, but unfortunately perished in the war.
"Who knows," Tsunade didn't have a very deep impression of her father. In her childhood, she mainly lived with her mother and grandfather, rarely seeing her father.
"In any case, we'll know when they arrive,"Fumori Masaki said. "Sakumo, Heizō, your goal isn't this, but the upcoming third exam. The list of opponents has been released. We will conduct targeted training based on their abilities. No problems, right?"
"No," Hatake Sakumo and Hattori Heizō replied.
"The third exam also depends on your ability as a teacher. If they lose because of insufficient training, you as a teacher will also be disgraced," Rimi said with a smile.
"Sakumo and Heizō's fundamentals are very solid. There isn't really any special training needed. The main thing is to study the opponent's fighting style,"Fumori Masaki said.
As he spoke,Fumori Masaki began to analyze the opponents for Hatake Sakumo and Hattori Heizō, while Tsunade and Rimi continued cooking. After dinner was ready, everyone began to eat. After the meal, they continued their analysis, dissecting the abilities displayed by Chic and Ryu one by one.
After completing the analysis of the two individuals' fighting styles,Fumori Masaki began to formulate a training plan. As he had said, there was nothing particularly special that needed training. The main goal was to help them adapt to the opponent's potential combat abilities, and most importantly, to maintain a cautious attitude and not underestimate the opponent.
Over the next month,Fumori Masaki would conduct training to ensure that the two of them wouldn't lose their sense of crisis due to temporary complacency, keeping their bodies in a state where they could quickly enter combat at all times.
"Don't think this will be easy. The training will be very tough,"Fumori Masaki said to the two of them.
Soon after, Misaki and her husband arrived at the Hidden Leaf Village with Nawaki. Misaki was very curious about the village she hadn't returned to for many years, and she also missed her daughter dearly. She said to Nawaki, "Nawaki, you'll see your sister very soon."
"Mm!" Nawaki nodded emphatically, imagining the appearance of the sister he had never met.
After receiving permission to enter from the security force, Misaki took Nawaki's hand and walked towards the Senju compound. She hadn't seen her mother in a long time and wondered about her mother's health. Mito hadn't mentioned any health issues in her letters, but knowing her mother's personality, she naturally wanted to see for herself.