Karura ignored Shinichi's attempt to argue and calmly explained,
"Whether there was hatred or not..."
"Your clan failed to save a helpless young girl when she needed you the most."
"That is your first sin."
Shinichi froze.
"If we had known who kidnapped Kushina and Yu..."
"Our clan would have torn those people to pieces!"
Hiruzen silently looked away.
Karura paid him no attention.
"When the girl had finally survived countless hardships..."
"Instead of comforting her, your clan pressured her to return in the name of family."
"That is your second sin."
"..."
This time...
Shinichi couldn't refute her.
"And after Kushina clearly declared that she had no intention of returning..."
"Someone from your clan even threatened to erase her from the family registry."
"That is your third sin."
Karura spoke without emotion.
She wasn't criticizing old clan traditions.
She was merely stating facts.
"Besides..."
"Kushina abandoned the Uzumaki surname the day she arrived in Loulan."
"Is that explanation clear enough?"
Silence filled the room.
After a long while...
Shinichi frowned again.
"Then..."
"When we asked where the other survivors of our clan were..."
"Why wouldn't Kushina tell us?"
Karura smiled.
"No one is obligated to give you answers simply because of your family name."
"If you want answers..."
"You should first offer something in return."
"That's basic courtesy."
Her rebuttal left Shinichi completely speechless.
Only then did Hiruzen slowly speak.
"...Perhaps she has her own reasons."
"Let's end this discussion here."
"Lady Mito would never wish to see the Uzumaki Clan tearing itself apart."
Hearing Mito's name...
Shinichi finally fell silent.
Everyone returned their attention to the examination.
The Battle Begins
Both teams had confirmed their scrolls.
One possessed the Heaven Scroll.
The other...
The Earth Scroll.
Exactly what each side needed.
Battle erupted instantly.
Thanks to the traps Kaito had prepared earlier...
His team narrowly avoided Kushina's furious Adamantine Sealing Chains.
The reason...
Was rather simple.
Natsu had just mocked Kushina.
"So that's your decision?"
"You abandoned your own clan..."
"...and chose another country?"
To Natsu...
Aside from the Hyuga Clan's cursed Branch House system...
Every other family in the world must surely be warm and welcoming.
Those careless words...
Pierced straight into Kushina's deepest wound.
"What do you know?!"
"What could someone like you possibly understand?!"
BOOM!!
Four silver chains shot toward Natsu.
She instantly disappeared with the Body Flicker Technique.
The chains pierced straight through the enormous tree behind her.
"A chance!"
Natsu's goal had always been to prove herself.
Even if she belonged to the Branch Family...
She wanted to surpass the Main Family.
Seeing Kushina's chains embedded in the tree...
She believed Kushina had been immobilized.
Two shuriken flew from her hands.
At the same time...
Ebisu noticed Guren and Sara rushing forward and prepared to intercept them.
Before he could move—
Sara raised an unfamiliar weapon.
A pistol.
She aimed at the incoming shuriken.
Bang!
Bang!
Two purple energy rounds shot out.
Clang!
Clang!
Both shuriken were blasted away.
Without hesitation...
Sara holstered the pistol.
Then pulled out another strange device.
A metallic hilt.
She pressed a button.
With a loud hum...
A blade of violet light burst from the circular emitter.
"...The age of ninja..."
"...is over."
Watching from nearby...
Kaito subconsciously scratched the strange black Kāma mark on his arm.
"Shouldn't that line be mine?"
Sara charged directly toward Ebisu.
Ebisu had never seen anything like this before.
He panicked.
Several shuriken flew from his hands.
Sara sliced them apart effortlessly.
Seeing no other option...
Ebisu drew a kunai to block.
SHHK!
The glowing blade cut clean through his kunai...
...as if it were paper.
Just then—
A kunai flew from the side.
Clang!
It struck the energy blade.
Its trajectory shifted slightly.
Instead of piercing Ebisu's chest...
It merely sliced across his arm.
Blood splashed through the air.
Sara stopped cold.
"...Huh?"
"...Blood?"
"Why is there blood?"
Ebisu stared at her speechlessly.
How can someone say something so stupid...?
And what the hell is that weapon?!
The sheer difference in equipment left him feeling hopeless.
Kushina glanced toward Sara but said nothing.
To her...
Combat accidents happened.
Retrieving her chains from the tree...
She landed lightly on the ground.
"Honestly..."
"Aside from Kaito..."
"None of you are our opponents."
"Hand over the Heaven Scroll."
"Withdraw from the Chunin Exams."
"In your dreams!"
Natsu shouted angrily after seeing Ebisu injured.
"Winning with fancy weapons doesn't prove anything!"
She activated her Byakugan.
Her plan was simple.
Close the distance.
Seal Kushina's chakra points with Gentle Fist.
Kaito could take care of Ebisu.
Unfortunately...
Kushina merely sighed.
"You still don't understand."
Four tiny spatial portals opened before her.
The next instant—
Four silver chains exploded outward.
"I surpassed ordinary Chunin..."
"...a long time ago."
The chains whipped through the air.
Natsu's Byakugan tracked every movement.
"I can see them!"
"I can see everything!"
She dodged every chain flawlessly.
Her confidence surged.
Kushina remained perfectly calm.
"I think you've misunderstood something."
Natsu was already within five meters.
Close enough to strike.
Then...
The four chains behind her suddenly changed direction.
"What?!"
"Who said..."
"...my Adamantine Chains only attack once?"
WHOOOSH!
The rear portions of all four chains suddenly curved inward.
Like living snakes...
They wrapped tightly around Natsu from every direction.
In less than two seconds...
She was completely bound.
The Adamantine Chains possessed powerful sealing properties.
The moment they tightened...
Natsu lost the ability to fight.
Just like that...
Two members of Kaito's team had been defeated.
Only one remained.
Kaito.
Standing casually atop a tree branch.
"Haah..."
"What a bunch of rookies."
Even though he'd participated in this exam countless times...
He still couldn't help teasing newcomers.
"So..."
"How strong are you?"
Kushina looked up.
Kaito scratched his cheek.
"...Probably."
"Stronger than you."
Kushina snorted.
"Ridiculous."
She knew exactly how harsh Root's training had been.
The missions she'd completed...
Had already placed her firmly at Jonin level.
As for Kaito?
He merely possessed an enormous amount of chakra.
Otherwise...
He would've already become a Jonin.
Or at least...
A Special Jonin.
Instead of remaining...
A mere Genin.
Only Guren knew Kaito's true identity.
Neither Kushina nor Sara had any idea.
The cheerful Guren smiled confidently.
"Handsome Genin big brother~"
"Please surrender."
Inside...
She was celebrating.
Master definitely doesn't want to become Chunin.
This is my chance to help him!
Kaito folded his arms.
"Hmph."
"I refuse."
Before anyone else could react—
A faint rustling came from beneath Natsu's feet.
BOOM!
A hand burst out of the earth.
It was Kaito's Shadow Clone.
With a Wind Release-enhanced kunai...
He sliced through all four sealing chains in one motion.
"What?!"
"Kaito..."
Natsu looked at him with gratitude.
The damaged chakra chains lost stability.
They dissolved into particles of white light.
The clone caught her effortlessly.
"You alright, Natsu?"
Blushing slightly...
She nodded.
"Thanks to you..."
"We would've lost otherwise."
Inside the monitoring room...
Every instructor exchanged strange looks.
No wonder he's called Konoha's playboy...
Karura sighed inwardly.
Exactly how many women does Lord Kaito have...?
What if he runs out of time...?
Or worse...
What if his body can't handle it...?
Maybe the research department should start developing stamina medicine...
Meanwhile...
The real Kaito rushed toward Ebisu.
Sara instantly switched weapons.
She raised the pistol.
"Don't even think about saving him!"
Guren remained completely silent.
She knew perfectly well...
Those shots would never hit her teacher.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Purple laser rounds blasted through the trees.
Kaito dodged every one of them.
Grabbing Ebisu...
He disappeared into the forest.
Sara stomped her foot.
"Damn it!"
"Why is he so hard to hit?!"
"I never miss targets during training!"
Guren:
"..."
If you actually managed to shoot Master...
I'd make sure you couldn't get out of bed for a week.
Being princess-carried by Kaito...
Ebisu looked deeply moved.
Through his sunglasses...
His eyes sparkled.
"Big Brother Kaito~~"
"You're such a good person~~"
"..."
"If you keep talking like that..."
"I'm dropping you."
"N-No!"
"I was joking!"
"But seriously..."
"Thank you, Kaito-senpai."
"Otherwise we'd already be eliminated."
"From today onward..."
"You're my big brother!"
Kaito sighed.
"Whatever."
He glanced behind him.
Sara and Guren were already giving chase.
Meanwhile...
Kushina had certainly gone after his Shadow Clone.
Looking at Ebisu's bandage...
He frowned.
"Your wound's bleeding again."
"You wrapped it poorly."
Ebisu lowered his head.
"...Sorry."
"I didn't expect the Chunin Exams..."
"...to be this brutal."
Kaito smiled reassuringly.
"It's alright."
"You were just unlucky."
"You happened to run into three people using cheats."
"Two bloodline abilities..."
"And one loaded with overpowered equipment."
"None of them are easy opponents."
"Don't run!"
Sara used the Body Flicker Technique and suddenly appeared beside Kaito.
The pistol gathered energy.
Countless purple particles converged before the muzzle.
"Gunsmith Art..."
"...Photon Bullet!"
BANG!
Kaito instinctively assumed it would be another small energy shot.
Then...
A chill ran down his spine.
He turned around.
HOLY—
When did that tiny fireball become a freaking laser rifle?!
Without hesitation...
He threw out a wire-connected kunai.
The wire wrapped around a distant tree.
Using the momentum...
He swung sharply downward.
ZZZT—
The laser punched straight through the massive tree he'd been standing beside a moment earlier.
That attack...
Was definitely no longer D-rank.
If it hit someone directly...
It would absolutely kill them.
High above...
A camera-equipped bird recorded the entire exchange.
Inside the monitoring room...
Complete silence filled the room.
Everyone stared at the screen.
One thought echoed through every ninja's mind.
"...Maybe..."
"...the age of ninja really is coming to an end."
To be continued..
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