The tense standoff in the street ended quickly after Kakashi arrived.But honestly, everyone had already achieved their real goal:
Gathering intel!
No matter how many rumors you hear, nothing beats direct, personal observation.Both Gōdo from Iwagakure and Maki from Sunagakure now saw each other as their biggest rivals for the championship.
As for Kakashi?Originally, they'd assumed he was just some overhyped seven-year-old — the kind of fame only Konoha's propaganda machine could generate.But after seeing him in person, they started quietly recalibrating in their minds, recognizing him as a serious, equal-level opponent.
So, after trading some harsh words, both groups turned and left.
Elsewhere…
Akira Sato and Yamashiro Koji headed over to their usual gathering spot — the training field used regularly by Team Three.At this point, it was basically their private ground.
Three people were already there.Two of them were familiar: Minato Namikaze, their teacher, and Kakashi.
The third was a young woman, wearing the Konoha forehead protector and a green jōnin vest.She had long, fiery red hair tied up in a high ponytail, radiating pure energy.
Kushina Uzumaki!
Even though Akira hadn't seen her before, he recognized her instantly.First, that rare red hair was a dead giveaway.Second, the way Minato looked at her made her identity completely obvious.
Right — because she was a jinchūriki (a tailed beast host), Akira and Koji had never met her until now.The fact that Minato had brought her here suggested he fully trusted their personalities — otherwise, he definitely wouldn't have introduced them.
As for Kakashi?Well, sorry — he was Minato's true disciple, practically family, so of course he'd already met her.
"Akira, Koji!" Minato called out warmly. "This is Kushina!"
Hmm, yeah…Notice how he didn't mention her family name too loudly — because it was a sensitive matter.
"Big Sis Kushina!"Without missing a beat, Akira dropped to his knees in a dramatic slide and called her "big sister."
For him, someone who had no shame about flattering others if it gained him something, this kind of move was nothing.Besides, calling her "big sis" didn't cost him anything — she was a sealing arts powerhouse, a top-tier expert.If it weren't awkward to ask, he'd have called her "teacher" on the spot!
"Haha! Not bad, little guy! From today on, you're officially my little brother!"Kushina couldn't hold back her cheerful, boisterous side anymore.She immediately threw her arm around Akira's neck, practically smothering him with affection.
But don't underestimate her.She wasn't just some dumb, loud big sister type.This was the Nine-Tails jinchūriki, a member of the Uzumaki clan with an insanely sharp intuition.If someone had bad intentions, she'd sense it instantly.
"Big Sis Kushina, I… I can't breathe!"Akira struggled as he felt like he was being hugged by a literal grizzly bear, gasping for air.
"Alright, Kushina, you're scaring him!"Minato stepped in to help.With his intervention, Akira finally escaped from her crushing hug.
Akira could already guess why Kushina had been so enthusiastic.Because she was from another village originally, and because she was a jinchūriki, she didn't have many friends in Konoha.So, when she saw someone like Akira calling her "big sis," she couldn't help but get excited.
Once Kushina had calmed down, Minato turned to his three students.He knew just how dangerous the upcoming joint Chūnin Exams would be — that's why he had been training them so thoroughly these past weeks.Today, he'd gathered them to share the intelligence he'd collected.
That intelligence handbook they had?It was useful, sure — but incomplete.Getting direct updates from a jōnin like Minato was far more valuable.
And no, this wasn't considered cheating.All the major ninja villages did the same.It was only the small villages, lacking intelligence networks, who had to risk lives to gather this kind of intel on their own.
Kushina, meanwhile, sat quietly nearby, listening calmly as Minato spoke — showing none of her infamous "hot-blooded red pepper" personality.She was someone who might appear brash and rough on the outside but was deeply kind and gentle on the inside.
In contrast, Minato himself was outwardly warm and sunny but inwardly ice-cold.For him, the village always came first.No matter who it was, if they threatened Konoha, he wouldn't hesitate to cut them down.
Maybe that's why, in the future, the Third Hokage would choose Minato as his successor instead of Orochimaru, who prioritized personal research and didn't put the village above all else.
Of course, Akira didn't care about any of that right now.He was laser-focused on memorizing the intel Minato was sharing.
This information could literally save their lives.Sure, there would be exam proctors during the test, but if real danger struck, they wouldn't have time to intervene — you'd be on your own.Dying during the exams wasn't unusual at all.
This time, the danger level was even higher.The major ninja villages were all determined to eliminate the talented youths from rival villages.Even though Kumogakure and Kirigakure weren't officially part of the joint Chūnin Exams, they'd still sent people disguised among the smaller village teams.
Their goals were clear:Create chaos, assassinate prodigies.
But no matter how obvious the danger, the big three villages couldn't make a preemptive move.Why?Because if they attacked before the others struck, they'd ruin their own village's reputation.Who would trust or cooperate with them in the future?
This was the unspoken game rule: if you didn't like it, don't play.
"Alright," Minato said at last, encouraging them with a smile, "with your current strength, as long as you stay cautious, you'll be fine. I believe in you — good luck!"
And this wasn't just comforting talk — it was a fact.Even though Team Three had only graduated two months ago, their strength was now on a whole different level.
Once a shinobi had seen blood, their growth skyrocketed.
Chakra itself was a fusion of mental and cellular energy.You could boost your cells through plenty of food and medicine, and you could sharpen your mind by facing life-or-death battles.When your mental strength grew, all your other abilities grew with it.
That's why, after graduating and seeing real combat, ninja power levels tended to explode upward.With constant fighting and survival, your mental resilience and overall strength kept climbing.
Right now, even Kakashi, just seven years old, could hold off a special jōnin for a while.And that was only because his young body still limited him.If he were a bit older, he'd easily be operating at the special jōnin level or higher.
He wasn't called a super genius for nothing — he completely deserved the title.
In comparison, Yamashiro Koji, considered a "genius" among the smaller ninja clans, now looked fairly ordinary.
And then there was Akira Sato.He was the one who had given Minato the biggest surprise.
Not because he was a combat prodigy, but because of his development ability.In just about a month, he'd developed a new jutsu with enormous potential — how could Minato not be excited?
That talent was probably also why the Third Hokage had agreed to let Kushina meet him.Akira's interest in learning sealing techniques had never been a secret.But sealing knowledge was incredibly rare and valuable — they couldn't just hand it over casually.
Now, though, by arranging this meeting, the Third Hokage was making his intentions clear.Hiruzen Sarutobi was playing a smart game:
Both Minato and Kushina were trusted "inner circle" figures.Teaching Akira some sealing arts wouldn't be a huge risk — it wasn't like just anyone could master them.And besides, if Akira developed new jutsu with the help of the Hokage's circle, wasn't it fair for those jutsu to eventually benefit the village?It was a win-win.
From Hiruzen's perspective, it was a great deal.He felt like he was making a perfect investment.
And honestly, Akira didn't feel like he was losing anything, either.The jutsu he was developing were all tailor-made for himself — even if he had to "submit" them, no one else could really use them.In contrast, gaining sealing knowledge was true treasure.
Oh, and to reduce suspicion from others, Akira deliberately kept his medical ninjutsu progress looking average.He hadn't even returned all ten of the introductory textbooks he'd borrowed yet, let alone advanced to learning D-rank medical jutsu or applying for experiments.On the surface, it looked like his only talent was in development and research — nothing threatening.
But in reality?His medical ninjutsu knowledge was progressing lightning-fast, even outpacing his jutsu development work.He just couldn't show it openly yet.
"Akira, why don't you show Kushina the jutsu you've developed?"Minato suddenly suggested, smiling.
Akira instantly understood Minato's good intentions — this was his chance to impress and secure access to sealing arts knowledge.
"Yes, Minato-sensei!"With a sharp nod, Akira stepped confidently to the center of the training field.Under the curious gazes of everyone present, he began to demonstrate his jutsu.
(End of Chapter)