Time flew by, and before anyone realized it, autumn had arrived in September, bringing a golden season.
Leisurely moments always brought joy.
At least for Kitagawa Minamoto, these past days had been nothing short of delightful.
His daily routine alternated between sparring with Guy, Kakashi, and even Jiraiya, with occasional guidance from none other than Hiruzen Sarutobi himself.
In addition, he had been learning medical ninjutsu from Tsunade.
Medical ninjutsu was, after all, a practical application of Yang Release. While his Yang Release was exceptionally strong and allowed for impressive self-healing, applying it to others was a different story.
He also wanted to research Obito's arm for future use, should the need arise.
But while Minamoto was enjoying himself, others were not having such a great time.
"Damn it!"
In the depths of the Root base, Danzo slammed his fist on the table in frustration.
"What on earth is Orochimaru up to? Why has there been no word from him at all?"
Danzo was deeply troubled. He had all but lost contact with Orochimaru. For a moment, he even suspected that Orochimaru might already be dead.
But based on his understanding of the man, it was unlikely. The only plausible explanation was that Orochimaru had grown distrustful of him.
"Was it because of what happened in the Land of Wind?"
Danzo didn't know the full details of what had transpired there. All he knew was that something sealed by Minato Namikaze years ago had erupted, affecting everyone present.
If not for Kitagawa Minamoto's Flying Thunder God Technique, Kakashi and the others might not have survived.
"Has Kitagawa Minamoto already surpassed Orochimaru?"
The thought of Minamoto, at such a young age, being able to contend with the renowned Orochimaru, sent a pang of regret through Danzo's heart.
Why hadn't he discovered this talent earlier?
"Perhaps Orochimaru resents me for not informing him... or maybe he's upset about losing the Ryūmyaku. That must be it."
The word "trust" sounded almost ironic coming from Danzo.
After all, there had never been much trust between him and Orochimaru; their relationship was one of mutual exploitation.
But Orochimaru's current behavior had indeed made Danzo feel uneasy.
Not to mention, Orochimaru held a significant amount of incriminating information about him.
"And without Orochimaru, dealing with Jiraiya becomes even more troublesome."
Danzo felt a headache coming on. Perhaps the only silver lining was that his connection with Hanzo of the Salamander had been reestablished.
"Still, why does that guy keep asking about the Chūnin Exams? Could he have ulterior motives?"
Danzo couldn't figure it out. Hanzo had even suggested meeting in person, which only made him more suspicious.
He saw no reason for a meeting between them.
"I need to keep him at bay. Still, his network is valuable for gathering intelligence. I'll have to provide him with some information in exchange."
But what information should he give to Hanzo? That was a question worth pondering.
After all, information exchanges often required sacrifices to obtain something of greater value.
"You're such a pain!"
Meanwhile, back on the streets of Konohagakure, Naruto was glaring at Minamoto with a look of exasperation.
"You've really screwed us over this time!"
"How is this my fault? You're the one who caused all the trouble!"
Minamoto shot Naruto an annoyed look.
"And don't act like you're the only one who got scolded. I got chewed out too, you idiot!"
"Damn it! Then why do you look like you're enjoying this?"
"You're imagining things. I'm so upset right now that I feel like punching you. Seriously, what's wrong with Konoha's education system? How can someone as talented as me end up surrounded by people like you?"
Minamoto nodded solemnly, as if he truly believed his own words.
After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi had indeed given him a lecture—not because Naruto and Sasuke had blown up someone's house, but because Naruto's Harem Technique had knocked the Hokage himself unconscious.
Fortunately, the conversation had quickly shifted to topics like Kekkei Genkai and the Jōnin exam.
Ever since Minamoto had developed Ice Release, Hiruzen's interest in him had grown significantly.
"You, talented?"
Naruto pouted but couldn't come up with a rebuttal.
After all, the guy in front of him was about to take the Jōnin exam.
The thought made Naruto sigh deeply.
"This is bad. If people like him become Jōnin, does this village even have a future? I guess I really do need to become Hokage!"
Naruto couldn't help but recall how Minamoto had turned tail and fled at the first sign of trouble, leaving him and Sasuke to face the Hokage's wrath.
The incident had also led to sweeping reforms at the academy, making the rules stricter than ever.
The frequent changes in regulations had left the students miserable, with complaints piling up.
Naruto and Sasuke, knowing the real reason behind it all, kept their mouths shut, fearing they might incite a mutiny if the truth came out.
"Becoming Hokage? You're dreaming. You should focus on graduating first."
Minamoto snorted, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"If all goes well, you'll graduate next year. By then, I'll already be a Jōnin. Tsk, tsk."
"Hey, hey, hey! Don't joke about that!"
Naruto's eyes widened. His biggest regret at this point was demonstrating the Harem Technique to the Hokage.
How could he escape the consequences of offending the village leader?
He genuinely felt like his future was doomed.
"Tsk, tsk. You'd better get to class. I've got to head to my exam."
Minamoto patted Naruto on the head before adding with a sly grin:
"I might even request to personally oversee your graduation exam. After all, you got me scolded."
"..."
Naruto's face turned ashen. His steps slowed, as if he were dragging himself to his own execution.
Seeing this, Minamoto couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head.
"Idiot. Genin graduation exams are conducted by Chūnin. Too bad I'll already be a Jōnin by then."
Still, he felt a twinge of regret. As a Jōnin, he wouldn't be involved in graduation exams.
"But after you're assigned to a team, you'll probably end up with Kakashi. And we'll have plenty of opportunities to interact during the Chūnin Exams."
It was almost certain that Naruto and Sasuke would be placed under Kakashi's guidance.
After all, in Konoha, who else but Kakashi could teach Sasuke to use the Sharingan while also having ties to Naruto?
It would be unthinkable to assign them to anyone else.
"Even if I don't stay on their team, helping Kakashi train his students shouldn't be a problem."
As Kakashi's first disciple, Minamoto had certain privileges, after all.
With these thoughts in mind, Minamoto made his way to a training ground.
September marked the time for his Jōnin exam, as well as the moment he would receive his Main Quest reward.
"You're here."
As he approached the training ground, he saw Kakashi leaning casually against the gate, engrossed in his familiar orange book.
When Kakashi noticed him, he quickly put the book away and smiled.
"You're early. I was worried you might be late."
"Don't worry, Kakashi-sensei. I wouldn't be late for something like this."
Minamoto grinned as he walked up, then lowered his voice to ask:
"So, who's the examiner this time? It's not you, is it? Because if it is..."
"It's not me. Though I wouldn't mind, it's not up to me this time."
Kakashi shrugged and began leading Minamoto inside, explaining as they walked.
"You're quite the celebrity. Almost all the Jōnin in the village are here to observe, so there's a need to avoid bias."
"Avoid bias?"
Minamoto nearly rolled his eyes.
"Come on, Kakashi-sensei. Didn't you say this was just a formality?"
"Hey, don't put words in my mouth!"
Kakashi immediately grabbed Minamoto, glancing around to make sure no one was listening before letting out a sigh of relief.
"I never said that. That's just what you assumed. But don't worry; the examiner is someone you know well."
"Oh? Who?"
"Jiraiya-sama."
"Jiraiya-sama, huh..."
Minamoto blinked. If it was Jiraiya, then it really did seem like a formality.
"You little..."
Kakashi could tell exactly what Minamoto was thinking. Shaking his head, he warned:
"Don't get too cocky. Even if Jiraiya-sama is close to you, he'll take this seriously. Be prepared."
"Understood."
Minamoto nodded confidently. After all, he had sparred with Jiraiya plenty of times over the past few months.
"Once this is over, we might have a new mission."
Kakashi's tone grew serious, prompting Minamoto to raise an eyebrow.
"A new mission?"
"Yes. Next year, the joint Chūnin Exams will begin. We'll need to deliver an invitation to Amegakure."
"Amegakure..."
"Yes, and we'll also investigate the situation there. While we've reestablished contact with Hanzo, the Hokage is concerned there might be underlying issues."
Kakashi's voice dropped to a whisper. The invitation delivery was just a cover; the real mission was to gather intel.
Minamoto's thoughts drifted back to his previous visit to Amegakure.
Back then, the Akatsuki had chosen not to expose themselves, allowing him to leave unscathed.
"But after everything I've done to the Akatsuki, will they still let us walk away so easily?"
Just then, his System lit up.
[New Side Quest Acquired]
[My Style Surpasses Yours]
"..."
Seeing the System's notification, Minamoto knew this mission wouldn't be simple.
"Still, this might not be a bad thing. It's about time my true self got some exercise."
With these thoughts, he and Kakashi entered the training ground.
"You're here."
"That's the kid, huh? I heard he only graduated a year ago."
"Well, with Kakashi-senpai and Guy-senpai training him, plus Jiraiya-sama's endorsement, he might have talent on par with the Fourth Hokage."
"One generation surpasses the next, huh? Let's trust the Hokage's judgment."
As Minamoto and Kakashi arrived, the gathered Jōnin began murmuring among themselves.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up, his voice cutting through the chatter.
"Now that the examinee has arrived, let's begin."
(End of Chapter)
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