Shigeo couldn't help but laugh at the scene. He turned his head toward the embarrassed Ōnoki, gave him a thumbs-up, and said:
"Dinner isn't necessary, but I must say—Third Tsuchikage, quite the scheme, quite the plan. Too bad it failed!"
With that, he turned around and left, leaving everyone else in the room staring at Ōnoki.
"Third Tsuchikage… could it be that this so-called joint examination had some ulterior purpose?"
At the beginning, when Iwagakure had suggested to Takigakure that they hold such a tournament, there had indeed been suspicion. But Iwagakure was clever. They listed all the supposed benefits—stimulating the local economy, drawing in gambling and tourism, spreading the fame of Takigakure across the land. They even volunteered to pay for the construction of the venue.
With so many profits to be gained, the daimyō of the Land of Waterfalls agreed. He even thought this could bring prestige to Takigakure and strengthen ties with the other villages. On the surface, it looked like they were getting the better end of the deal.
But Shigeo's parting words left alarm bells ringing.
"Third Tsuchikage, could the appearance of that chimera beast at the arena… have anything to do with Iwagakure?" the Takigakure daimyō pressed. Others also furrowed their brows, glaring at him.
"N-No, of course not! I don't know anything about it. It has nothing to do with me!" Ōnoki waved his hands quickly. If he admitted it here, he'd be a fool.
In the end, no matter how much suspicion they held, there was no proof. And even if there was, what then? A small nation like the Land of Waterfalls couldn't possibly strike at the Land of Earth. They had no such power.
After this incident, though, many villages returned home unsettled. From that day forward, for many years, no other village dared propose such a "joint examination" again—until, much later, the Konoha-hosted Chūnin Exams.
But that is a story for another time.
Meanwhile, though the hotel's top floor was still in chaos, Shigeo happily carried a bulging bag of money, a trophy, and a certificate back to his Konoha squad.
"Without the trophy and prize money, it wouldn't count as completing the mission. Now, the Third Hokage can't complain!" he said with a grin, raising the rewards high for everyone to see.
The others were shocked. No wonder he had left the group—he'd gone to demand the rewards!
"So much cash… how much is in there?" The other students, their earlier misunderstandings cleared, gathered around with wide smiles.
Might Guy's eyes gleamed, then dimmed. "What a shame. I bet on you to win in the finals. If I had cashed in my ticket, I'd be rich right now!"
Kakashi patted him on the shoulder. "What, three hundred ryō? Forget it. I'll treat you to dango later."
"Really? Then how about you treat everyone?" Guy's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Eh? Wait—" Kakashi checked his pockets. Unlike Guy, who had at least won some wagers, Kakashi had been losing nonstop.
"Great! When we get back, Kakashi-sensei's treating us to dango!" Shigeo cheered, jumping up.
Even Itachi chuckled, bumping Shigeo's shoulder. "Shouldn't you be the one treating us? You already treated those two girls—Yugito and Fū—to a feast. But not us?"
The others immediately erupted:
"Yeah! Don't forget us just because of a couple of pretty faces. You won twenty thousand ryō from the first two rounds—it's still with Nara-sensei. When we get back, Shigeo's treating!"
"Shigeo treats! Shigeo treats!" everyone chanted.
"Fine, fine, I'll treat!"
"I want yakiniku—just like with the girls!"
"I want barbecue too! And juice! And a hot spring—"
Laughing and chattering, the group set off back toward Konoha.
At the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled as he admired the gleaming trophy and prize money. For once, his usually stern face showed genuine satisfaction.
"Well done, all of you. Shigeo, you've worked hard. Nara Shikaku, Kakashi, Guy—you three stay. The rest may go."
The students bowed and left. The three instructors remained, recounting every detail of the mission.
When they described Shigeo's sudden burst of unknown tailed-beast chakra, Hiruzen's smile slowly faded.
"Was he in control of it… or not?" The strongest weapon in the world was still a threat, if it could not be tamed.
"It seemed controlled," Shikaku answered carefully.
Hiruzen nodded, though his gaze was grim. He had always wondered—how could a mere child have destroyed half of Iwagakure? Now, perhaps, he understood. There was a strange and terrifying power within him.
After the report, Hiruzen closed his eyes for a long moment. At last, he said: "That's enough. You may rest."
The three bowed and left. Outside, they found the nine students waiting. Shigeo was play-fighting with Itachi. Despite his usual cool and reserved nature, Itachi laughed openly when he was with Shigeo.
"Sensei! Sensei!" the students crowded around. "Shigeo said he's treating us all to a hot spring, then yakiniku! You must come too!"
Kakashi coughed, ready to refuse, but Guy threw an arm around his shoulders:
"C'mon! We just got back. Work can wait until tomorrow. Let's go!"
"Alright!" the students cheered, leaping high with joy.
Together, they headed off in a noisy crowd toward the hot spring.
Hot springs, grilled meat, laughter, and playful arguments filled the night with joy.
After a feast and a long soak, the group finally dispersed near dawn.
But when Shigeo pushed open the door to his quarters, he froze.
There, hanging upside down from the ceiling, was Jiraiya—white hair tumbling like a ghostly curtain, arms crossed, his booming voice stern:
"You went to the hot spring and yakiniku without me?"
"When did you get back? You knew I was there—why didn't you just come find me?" Shigeo asked helplessly, dropping his pack and changing clothes.
Even after he finished changing, Jiraiya was still hanging there.
"Sensei, please get down. Good thing I can see clearly at night—otherwise, with your long white hair hanging like that in the dark, you'd scare anyone to death!"
(End of Chapter)
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