Otsutsuki Kinshiki's technique is similar to Kamui, not Yomotsu Hirasaka.
"Seventh Hokage, the village has been under a lot of pressure these past few days. You must strictly stop Genin from fighting each other inside the village."
"If anyone breaks the rules, immediately revoke their exam qualification. We absolutely can't let a small issue grow into a major incident."
Arisu rested both hands on the edge of the desk and calmly looked at Minato Namikaze, who was sitting in the main seat.
"Mm... mm..."
Minato listened carefully, frowning slightly with a hint of nervousness in his eyes.
After all, this was the first time he had overseen such a large Chunin Exam as the Hokage. There were still many things he needed to learn from his teacher.
Before, they had only been held within the village.
Now it was the Joint Chunin Exam.
"Yes, Teacher. I'll strictly maintain order and won't let any hidden danger break out during the exam."
Minato nodded seriously, his voice firm.
Arisu only gave a slight nod without saying anything more.
He didn't tell Minato that the Akatsuki had already joined forces with the Sand Village and were preparing to attack Konoha.
"Well done, Minato. You're already doing an excellent job."
Arisu praised him.
Minato smiled gently and replied modestly, "It's because you taught me well, Teacher."
"Hahaha." Arisu laughed and asked, "Minato, is your son ready for this Chunin Exam?"
At work, the two held equal positions. In private, however, they were teacher and student, and they got along very well.
There had never been any struggle over power. That was mainly because Arisu always knew where the line was, and Minato himself had a gentle personality.
"Naruto..." Minato sighed softly.
"To be honest, I'm still a little worried about him. He's able to use the Nine-Tails' power much more reasonably now, but I'm afraid he'll hurt innocent people during the Chunin Exam."
"So I've forbidden him from entering full Tailed Beast form. He's only allowed to use the Tailed Beast Cloak."
"As for whether he'll pass... that depends on him."
Arisu raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected Minato to put such strict limits on Naruto.
It looked like there would be no chance of seeing Naruto use the golden cloak or enter the Four-Tails state during the Chunin Exam.
The corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
Just two days ago, he had given Yukio a huge cheat by granting him the power of Karma.
Meanwhile, Minato had directly sealed away his own son's cheat.
"How's Yukio doing?" Minato suddenly asked. "He's already the greatest genius among people his age. Even Sasuke can't compare to him. Without the Nine-Tails, Naruto probably wouldn't be his match either."
"My son..."
A confident smile appeared on Arisu's face.
"He has a very good chance. I haven't been watching his training progress all the time, but with Sage Arts, Yukio truly has no equal in this Chunin Exam.", Arisu said with a faint smile.
After all, he had given his son such an enormous cheat.
If Yukio still couldn't pass the Chunin Exam, then he, as his father, really wouldn't know what to say.
"All right, I won't keep you any longer, Minato. There are plenty of things to deal with these next few days."
Arisu was about to leave when Minato hurriedly stopped him.
"Teacher, wait!"
"Well... on the day of the Chunin Exam, let's sit together on the viewing platform and watch the younger generation compete."
Arisu nodded readily.
"Sure. Just arrange a seat for me."
With that, Arisu turned and left the Hokage Building, his shadow stretching long under the hallway lights.
———
After walking out of the building, Arisu stood on the street and slowly closed his eyes.
"Hmm... they're almost all here."
He clearly sensed a large number of unfamiliar chakra signatures entering the village.
Some belonged to ninja from other villages.
Some belonged to the Akatsuki.
Those presences hid like undercurrents in every corner of Konoha.
Because the Chunin Exam was taking place over the next few days, a large number of ninja from other villages had entered Konoha.
Some had genuinely come for the exam.
But others had certainly been sent by their villages under the cover of participating in the exam.
Just like Orochimaru's Sound Village.
The corner of Arisu's mouth curved upward as he turned toward a familiar place...
———
[Ichiraku Ramen]
The shop was filled with steam, and the familiar smell greeted him.
Teuchi skillfully stretched noodles while looking in surprise at the masked middle-aged man beside him, whose movements were unusually practiced.
"Brother Kakuzu, I really didn't expect you to know how to make ramen... and yours actually tastes even better than mine...", Teuchi said in amazement.
Without stopping what he was doing, Kakuzu scooped up the noodles, poured on the broth and toppings, and said calmly, "Heh... it's been many years since I last made it. Even so, you still have to pay me for these few hours of work."
"Hahaha!"
"Of course, of course."
Teuchi laughed awkwardly and scratched his head.
Standing at the entrance, Arisu raised an eyebrow as he watched the scene.
He hadn't expected Kakuzu to sneak into Konoha like this... by working as a temporary employee at Ichiraku Ramen.
After Kakuzu washed his hands and walked into the back alley, Arisu quietly followed him.
———
"Hehehe, Kakuzu. After all these years, your cooking hasn't changed at all. It's just like when we ran a shop here together."
Arisu's voice slowly sounded from behind Kakuzu.
Kakuzu turned around. Beneath his mask, the corners of his mouth lifted into a nostalgic smile.
"Old Master, this place has changed a lot, but the feeling is still the same. The moment I smelled this, I remembered the days when we ran a shop here together.", Kakuzu said with emotion.
Arisu smiled, walked over, and patted him on the shoulder.
"What? Missing the old days?", Arisu asked.
"Hehe... sigh...", Kakuzu chuckled.
"Hahaha. Back then we weren't as rich as we are now, but those days really are worth remembering. At least... we didn't spend every day thinking about how to make money."
The two fell silent for a moment, as though they had truly returned to those distant days.
"Have the other Akatsuki members all infiltrated the village too?", Arisu then asked.
Kakuzu shook his head.
"Old Master, Hidan, Kisame, Itachi Uchiha, and I are in Konoha. Deidara, Sasori, and the others are outside the village. Our plan is to create chaos during the Chunin Exam, and then...", Kakuzu said calmly.
He quietly told Arisu the Akatsuki's full plan, including the timing of the attack, the targets, and what they would do afterward.
When he finished, he looked at Arisu and waited for his reaction.
After listening, Arisu was briefly stunned, then couldn't help laughing. Shaking his head, he said, "Too naive."
Kakuzu nodded as well.
"Exactly! These mortals actually dare to challenge a Great Immortal. They're nothing more than a praying mantis trying to stop a chariot, an egg striking a rock."
Arisu couldn't hold it in anymore, "Kakuzu, we're family. There's no need to flatter me."
"Oh, right. Have you met my son?", Arisu suddenly asked with a smile.
Kakuzu's eyes immediately lit up.
"I have. This morning he came here to eat noodles with a little blonde girl. The moment I saw him, I felt that child looked exactly like you."
"His appearance, his bearing, even the way he carried himself... they're all just like yours."