The first to receive this news was the host village, Konohagakure.
Then came Sunagakure, followed by various other shinobi villages, each receiving the same message one after another.
...
Iwagakure.
Intelligence from Konoha, along with an invitation from Kirigakure to participate in the upcoming Chunin Exams, was placed on the desk of the Third Tsuchikage, Ōhnoki.
"Hmph!"
After reading through the documents, Ōhnoki let out a snort of disdain, tossing the papers onto his desk. Leaning back in his chair, arms crossed, he scoffed,
"Has the Third Mizukage gone senile? Kirigakure has fallen so low that they now bow to Konoha."
"Tsuchikage-sama."
When it came to official matters, Kitsuchi maintained a respectful tone towards his father. "I believe that Kirigakure's unexpected participation in the Chunin Exams is a strategic move to gather intelligence on Konoha before the next war."
Apart from Ōhnoki himself, the two people in the room were among his most trusted subordinates.
Because of this, Kitsuchi dared to mention war so openly.
"I'm not that old yet, Kitsuchi."
Ōhnoki shot a sideways glance at his son, who was four times his size, and asked,
"Think again. What other motive could Kirigakure have for joining the Chunin Exams?"
"Well..."
Kitsuchi scratched his head, struggling for an answer. "I can't think of anything."
"Use your brain! How hard is it to figure out?! Honestly!"
After berating his son, Ōhnoki sighed inwardly, though his expression remained unreadable. He then explained,
"Kirigakure has been declining for years. If they continue like this, the Five Great Shinobi Villages will soon become four. Hmph!"
This wasn't mere speculation.
No matter how isolated Kirigakure had been, its top-tier shinobi should have at least made a name for themselves in the shinobi world.
The Third Kazekage was widely recognized as the strongest Kazekage in history, possessing the Magnet Release bloodline limit and still in his prime.
Aside from the Kazekage, Sunagakure still had formidable fighters like Chiyo and Ebizō.
But in Kirigakure, the only shinobi who could stand on equal footing with the other Kage over the past few decades was the Third Mizukage.
Unlike the Third Kazekage, however, the Third Mizukage already had one foot in the grave.
"Sensei."
The third person in the room, Akaiwa, clasped his fists and bowed.
"I don't understand. Isn't Kirigakure known as the Village of the Bloody Mist—"
"The Bloody Mist? Hah!"
Ōhnoki sneered, cutting Akaiwa off. "Sounds terrifying, doesn't it? Listen carefully, Akaiwa—never be deceived by appearances."
To Ōhnoki, Kirigakure had already fallen beneath Sunagakure in terms of strength.
Akaiwa nodded. "Understood, Tsuchikage-sama."
Kitsuchi then asked, "How should we respond to Kirigakure?"
Ignore them… That was the plan.
But just as Ōhnoki was about to voice his decision, his gaze fell on his most promising disciple.
At just twelve years old, Akaiwa already stood over 160 cm tall. His well-developed muscles, visible even beneath his simple white short-sleeved ninja uniform, were testament to his strength.
After a moment of contemplation, Ōhnoki suddenly smirked.
"Akaiwa, do you want to test the strength of Konoha's shinobi?"
The question was unexpected. Both Akaiwa and Kitsuchi were momentarily stunned.
But then Akaiwa's eyes lit up with excitement. "I'd love to!"
Kitsuchi quickly interjected, "Tsuchikage-sama, Akaiwa is already a Chunin."
"Idiot!"
Ōhnoki nearly leaped from his chair in frustration.
"Just make some adjustments to the records before submitting them to Konoha! It's that simple!"
He had already seen through the Third Mizukage's intentions.
It was clear that the Genin Kirigakure would send to the exams wouldn't be weak.
Kirigakure wasn't just participating—they were showing off their strength to the entire shinobi world.
And conveniently, Iwagakure had its own genius to display.
Not long after, Iwagakure announced its participation in the joint Chunin Exams. At the same time, Konoha formally welcomed both Iwagakure and Kirigakure to the competition.
The news shook the entire shinobi world!
As various factions kept their eyes on the last of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Kumogakure finally made its stance clear.
—As always, Kumogakure would not be participating in the joint Chunin Exams.
The announcement was like a bucket of cold water dumped over the excited masses.
But before long, both Kirigakure and Iwagakure released their lists of participating Genin, rekindling interest in the upcoming exams.
For frequent exam participants like Konoha and Sunagakure, their candidates were relatively easy to gather intelligence on.
Among Konoha's participants, one name stood out—Sarutobi Asuma, the son of the Third Hokage.
Iwagakure made a bold move, sending a total of 51 participants, including the Third Tsuchikage's disciple, Akaiwa!
In terms of sheer numbers, this placed them between Sunagakure's 27 participants and Konoha's 81, securing Iwagakure's reputation as the third strongest village.
But when the world saw Kirigakure's participant list, their reactions were all the same.
It was the equivalent of an old man staring blankly at his phone in the subway.
Kirigakure had sent only three candidates.
Even some minor villages had sent more.
The shinobi world erupted in mockery, ridiculing Kirigakure for losing all dignity by sending so few participants.
Yet Kirigakure made no response, retreating into its usual silence.
...
Kirigakure.
Yagura breezed through his graduation exam at the Academy, easily earning his Kirigakure headband.
As soon as he stepped out of the exam room, two ANBU appeared before him.
"Alright, alright, I know the drill. But hold on a second, no need to rush."
Dodging their grasp, Yagura stepped back, tying his headband around his right arm instead of his forehead. "Wearing it on my head just seals away my good looks. Don't you think?"
The three ANBU remained silent, having already discussed how to deal with this annoyingly sociable brat.
—Maintain absolute cold indifference. Do not engage.
"You guys are no fun."
Shrugging, Yagura got to the point. "So, what does the old man want this time?"
"You'll find out when we get there."
"Same answer as always. Are you guys NPCs?"
Sarcasm: ineffective.
Sighing, Yagura followed them once again to the Mizukage's office.
Inside, the Third Mizukage and Elder Genji were already waiting.
Yagura greeted them with a nod before turning his attention to the two unfamiliar faces in the room.
"Hello."
A boy with silver-white hair, streaked with hints of blue, nodded. "Mukumo, your teammate. Second time meeting—pleased to work with you."
"Second time? When did we meet?"
"I was at the Three-Tails' sealing ritual."
Isobu: ....
Yagura: "Oh? You actually reacted."
Isobu: ...
As Mukumo's words proved true, Yagura turned to the other teammate—a sharp-eyed girl with dark red twin ponytails.
"I'm Ringo Ameyuri!"
With a confident grin, she said, "I've heard a lot about you, Karatachi Yagura. Let's see if you live up to the rumors!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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