Yami left the villa quietly, allowing the mother and son, who had not seen each other for more than ten years, to reminisce about the past.
In fact, after the end of the Ninja World War, Yami had already planned to release Uchiha Mikoto. The reason why he had not revealed Mikoto's existence earlier was because he was worried maternal love would stir up family bonds and affect Sasuke's feelings toward Itachi.
But as time went on, he simply forgot.
It wasn't until he returned to the village that he made arrangements.
Still, good things are worth waiting for. As long as Sasuke could see his mother in person from now on, he wouldn't think too much about it. Knowing his mother was alive was his greatest happiness.
Naruto was stunned when he arrived at the examination room the next day.
Sasuke was completely different from yesterday, his face slightly flushed with a smile on it.
When he saw Sakura, he even greeted her warmly, leaving her flattered and at a loss.
"Sasuke, are you under a genjutsu?" Naruto stared at his best friend as if he had seen a ghost.
Normally, Sasuke would have quarreled with Naruto immediately, but today he only gave him a glance and whispered, "This isn't the place to talk. I'll tell you after the exam."
Naruto nodded dumbly. He didn't know what the good news was, but if Sasuke was happy, then he was happy.
The three-man team walked to a corner, and the surrounding shinobi automatically gave them a wide berth.
Many had devastated expressions on their faces.
Damn Assessment Department, look at what you've done!
You put Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke, who are stronger than Kage-level masters, into a Chūnin Exam filled with rookies.
Do you have no shame? Why don't you just let Yami take the exam too? Then everyone might as well lie down and wait to die.
Fortunately, this exam prohibited killing, and all battles were stopped at a certain point, otherwise some would have already withdrawn.
Only a few Konoha shinobi sighed helplessly, lamenting their bad luck, and quietly spread the news.
Naruto had followed Yami on missions for the past few years, and later underwent special training to master the Nine Tails' power. Sasuke had been away from the village for a long time, and their files still recorded them as Genin.
When other villages heard this news, their shinobi turned pale and cursed Konoha's previous assessment methods as inhumane.
How could it be fair that such strong people hadn't been promoted directly?
Naruto and Sasuke ignored the feelings of others. They were busy discussing strategies for the exam with little Sakura.
Don't think Naruto was the only poor student. Sasuke had forgotten almost everything he learned at the Academy. He could do many things in practice, but when it came to theoretical answers, he was hopeless.
Fortunately, Sakura's academic brilliance hadn't faded. She had reviewed extensively in recent days and could provide accurate answers.
Soon, Morino Ibiki, the proctor, arrived with several subordinates. The students entered the exam room and began the written test.
Ibiki's usual intimidation tactics were removed this time. The test only measured intelligence-gathering ability and basic knowledge.
There would be special illusion stages later to test the candidates' character.
In a large control room, three walls were covered with monitors displaying the conditions in every exam hall.
When Kakashi saw Naruto's examination room and the expressions of the other candidates, who looked like their parents had died, he couldn't help laughing out loud.
He understood their feelings. If he were placed against Naruto and Sasuke, he'd wear the same expression.
"This isn't even the worst…" Yamato, who had become gaunt after planting trees in the desert for a year, laughed as he looked at the screen.
Many others glanced over and reacted the same way. The control room was filled with laughter. Even Gaara and Kitsuchi, who had not yet fully integrated into Konoha, chuckled.
On the screen appeared Kurotsuchi, Temari, and Ajisai walking into their exam room.
"No problem," Yuji said casually. "Kurotsuchi and Temari have always been with Master Yami. They were captives during the last Chūnin Exam, so they're still Genin now.
"And Ajisai, she's a Genin from Ame. Even though she has the Rinnegan, its abilities are prohibited here. To pass, she'll have to rely on herself."
Yamanaka nodded in agreement and smiled. "There are many promotion slots in each exam hall, so it won't matter."
That said, no one believed any candidate would dare attack those three.
Kakashi scratched his head. "Exams at this time… shouldn't they be preparing for the wedding?"
Mentioning the wedding gave Kakashi a headache, as it did for many others.
When your boss is getting married, you're expected to give at least ten gifts to show your sincerity.
Especially when that boss doesn't forgive easily.
He might not remember who gave him what, but if someone failed to give a gift, or gave one half-heartedly, he would definitely remember it for ten or twenty years.
So apart from assessments and missions, Kakashi had been racking his brain over what to give.
"Guy, have you thought about what to give Yami for his wedding?"
"Of course!" Guy showed his trademark shining White Fang smile and gave a thumbs-up.
"What are you giving?" Kakashi asked curiously.
Guy proudly pointed his thumb at himself. "This is a training suit specially made for the Blue Beast of Konoha. It's super stretchy and the perfect training partner. I believe Yami-sama will like it!"
Kakashi: "…."
He looked at his best friend with pity, knowing his time was running short.
If Guy really gave Yami a training suit, the day after Yami's wedding might very well be Guy's death anniversary.
(To be continued.)
***
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