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***
Swish!
As Itachi gazed at the Mizukage Building, a figure suddenly flashed before their eyes, landing gracefully.
"I'm sorry, I was delayed by some unforeseen events in the village and didn't make it to the village gate to greet you all."
A charming female voice echoed in everyone's ears.
A Kirigakure kunoichi appeared before Shikaku and the others.
Her agility was so remarkable that even Itachi only caught sight of her after hearing her voice.
Of course, this was largely due to Itachi's concentration on observing the Mizukage Building.
Itachi looked at the Kirigakure kunoichi for a moment, his heart stirring.
Shikaku, Baki, and Kitsuchi gazed at the young woman before them, each pausing in thought.
"Let me introduce myself briefly. My name is Mei Terumi. I'll be in charge of all matters related to the Five Nations Chunin Exams," the Kirigakure kunoichi said, a kind smile on her pretty face.
Her smile relaxed the hearts of Shikaku and the others, as well as all the other candidates participating in the Chunin Exams behind them.
Since entering the Land of Water, the Kirigakure ninja they had encountered had all been aloof, even cold and distant, but the kunoichi before them seemed incredibly approachable.
"Wow!"
Many of the Genin, both male and female, from Konoha, the Sand, and the Iwa teams, watched in amazement as they gazed upon Mei Terumi.
Mei Terumi had long, beautiful, curly brown hair, clear emerald-green eyes, fair skin, and delicate features.
She was clad in Kirigakure ninja attire.
Ninja attire was typically slightly tight, designed to facilitate movement during missions, thus accentuating Mei Terumi's curvaceous figure.
Standing before them, Mei Terumi was a breathtaking sight, captivating and impossible to look away from.
"This senior from the Hidden Mist Village is truly beautiful, and seems much more approachable than the rest of the village," Izumi couldn't help but praise.
While ninjas didn't place much emphasis on appearance, Mei Terumi was the only one of the Mist ninja they had met so far who looked normal.
Furthermore, Mei Terumi was indeed incredibly beautiful, and she gave off a very approachable vibe.
Itachi nodded in agreement.
While Mei Terumi might be beautiful, she was far from a mere beauty.
According to Itachi's knowledge, several years later it was Mei Terumi who orchestrated the revealing of the Fourth Mizukage's true identity and ended his blood-mist-like rule over the Hidden Mist Village.
Mei Terumi would become the future Fifth Mizukage.
"It's okay," Shikaku smiled.
Kitsuchi, standing beside him, said kindly, "I understand. As the host of the Joint Ninja Exam, the Hidden Mist Village will naturally be busier than usual."
Baki remained silent, but nodded at Mei Terumi.
"I'll take everyone to our accommodations first. Kumogakure should be arriving soon." Mei Terumi chuckled again.
Then, replacing the Kirigakure jonin who had led the way earlier, she led Itachi and the others to their accommodations in Kirigakure.
...
In the Mizukage's office in the Mizukage Building.
As the contestants from Konoha, Suna, and Iwa marched through the streets of Kirigakure, a single blood-red eye, piercing through the layers of fog, fixed its gaze on Itachi among the crowd.
"Here they are!"
"Hah, the show's about to begin."
...
Mei Terumi arranged for the contestants from the three villages to stay in a five-story building in Kirigakure.
There were few decent inns in Kirigakure, as the village had been closed off year-round since the previous Mizukage took office.
Even people from the Land of Water rarely visited.
The ninjas from Konoha, Suna, and Iwa were each assigned to a different floor.
The second floor housed the Konoha ninjas.
Itachi, Hattori Shinichi, Kido Daisuke, and several other Konoha Genin, older than the three of them, shared a room.
The room was sparsely furnished, with few items.
But for a ninja, accommodations were of little importance.
Itachi gazed out the window at the Hidden Mist Village, pondering something.
"I wonder what the format of this Chunin Exam will be like," Hattori said, his brow furrowed slightly as he stood beside him.
Itachi turned to look at Hattori, who had been pondering the same question.
The Chunin Exams of the five great ninja nationsâKonoha, Kumo, Suna, and Iwaâdid differ in format, but the basic procedures and content of the exams remained largely the same.
However, the Hidden Mist Village's approach to ninja training differed fundamentally from that of the other four nations.
During the height of the Blood Mist policy, the annual graduation exams for the Hidden Mist ninja schools involved battles between fellow students.
The cold and apathetic impression given by the ninjas of the Hidden Mist today is entirely due to this cruel and brutal training system.
While this system could indeed rapidly produce powerful ninjas, it also transformed those who survived years of slaughter into mere killing machines, their humanity completely extinguished.
The Hidden Mist's training methods were no secret in the current ninja world.
The joint Chunin Exams were hosted by the five nations, and although the Hidden Mist Village was the host, it was clear that the other villages would not accept its training system.
...
About two hours later, the ninjas from Kumo also arrived.
Because they were slightly slower than the Konoha and Suna ninjas due to their supplies, the Kumo ninjas were quickly relocated to the same building.
After the Kumo ninjas arrived, Mei Terumi immediately contacted the leaders of the other four villages and gathered in the leftmost room on the first floor, which was deserted.
Mei Terumi handed Shikaku, Baki, Dodai, and Kitsuchi a list documenting the procedures for the Chunin Exams in the Hidden Mist Village over the years.
They glanced at it briefly before their brows furrowed.
Shikaku immediately averted his gaze from the list.
He looked at Mei Terumi gravely and said, "Konoha absolutely cannot accept these exam rules."
"The same goes for Iwa," Kitsuchi said gravely.
"Although my subordinates are all ninjas, and all of them are prepared to die, I will never allow them to waste their lives in this kind of exam."
Baki threw the list away, his eyes lowered.
Dodai looked at Mei Terumi and said, "We need to meet with the Mizukage-sama to jointly formulate the rules for this Chunin Exam."
...
"I wholeheartedly agree with everyone's dissatisfaction."
Mei Terumi frowned.
Although she was a ninja from the Hidden Mist Village, she felt that the village's current system for training ninjas was flawed.
"However, the Mizukage has delegated all matters concerning the Chunin Exams to me, so regarding the formulation of the rules, please simply express your opinions."
She looked at Shikaku and the other two sincerely.
Mei Terumi actually believed that the joint Chunin Exams held by the Fourth Mizukage were undoubtedly a good thing for the candidates from the Hidden Mist Village this year.
While being a ninja carries a constant risk of death, ninjas are still human beings, not simply tools of slaughter.
Shikaku and Kitsuchi exchanged glances before expressing their opinions to Mei Terumi.
Their combined opinions ultimately amounted to opposition to the Hidden Mist Village's Chunin Exam system, which they deemed too bloody and cruel.
After hearing this, Mei Terumi nodded gently and said, "The Hidden Mist Village accepts the changes to the examination system."
"But the Mizukage has also instructed that this exam must be able to test the candidates' true ability to perform their duties as ninja. Your country's examination system is a bit gentle."
Mei Terumi looked at Shikaku and said with a hint of guilt.
This was not her own opinion, but the Mizukage's order, and it had to be conveyed.
"I don't think there's anything wrong with Konoha's current system of the Chunin Exams. I don't think there's any need to prove this."
Shikaku said confidently.
The true purpose of the so-called Chunin Exams is to select the elite Genin of the village and train them.
The current strength of Konoha's ninja is the most powerful proof of the correctness of their system.
Whether it was the older generation like the Sannin, whose names were now legendary in the ninja world, or Shikaku's own generationâthe Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash, who intimidated even the strongest of other nationsâthey were all cultivated by this system.
Today, Konoha's strength undoubtedly holds the top spot among the five great ninja nations.
This was clearly undeniable to Kitsuchi, Mei Terumi, and the others present.
But then, Shikaku chuckled and said, "But occasionally changing the system can be a test for these ninja from other countries who have become accustomed to the previous system."
"I'm also looking forward to seeing what the little guys in my village can achieve under the new system."
Dodai looked at Shikaku and said, "It seems you already have some ideas for the new exam rules."
Shikaku rose to fame in the ninja world during the Third Shinobi World War thanks to his unparalleled intellect. Everyone present knew this.
Shikaku nodded and said, "I do have some ideas, butâ" he looked at Mei Terumi, "these ideas require the approval of the Mizukage."
"Go ahead," Mei Terumi said, showing considerable respect for Shikaku.
Shikaku glanced at the four people before him and smiled.
"Since the Mizukage wishes to test these children's ability to perform as ninja, confining the venue to the Hidden Mist Village seems a bit limited for the Five Nations Chunin Exam. Therefore, I intend to expand the scope of the first exam to the entire Land of Water."
Upon hearing this, Dodai, Baki, and the others were suddenly surprised.
Although the specific rules of the exam were still unknown, the mere expansion of the exam to the Land of Water itself was bold enough.
Allowing these candidates from various countries to roam freely within their own territory was risky.
"You mentioned the first exam? What about the written exam?"
Kitsuchi asked.
The first round of the Chunin Exam in each country was always a written exam.
"Ours is a Five Nations Chunin Exam. The participants are the best Genin from each village. The written exam can be completely omitted," Shikaku said.
The candidates currently in the Hidden Mist Village had already been selected through screening within their respective villages. Therefore, the written exam could be omitted.
Mei Terumi pondered for a moment, then said to Shikaku, "Please explain the specific rules. If everyone present agrees, I will immediately consult the Mizukage."
...
Two hours later, Mei Terumi waited outside the Mizukage's office.
Half an hour earlier, she had recorded Shikaku's proposed plan for the joint Chunin Exams on a scroll and presented it to the Fourth Mizukage.
Baki, Kitsuchi, and Dodai all agreed with the rules Shikaku had laid out, and Mei Terumi had no objections either.
However, those rules were beyond her authority and had to be submitted to the Mizukage for review.
Outside the Mizukage's office, Mei Terumi leaned against the wall, gazing at the closed door before her, her brow furrowed slightly.
The Fourth Mizukage had been delegating tasks to the village ninjas in this manner since taking the throne.
Even Mei Terumi, now a key figure in the village, had only met the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, a few times.
Yagura's behavior was undoubtedly a bit strange, and in Mei Terumi's heart, doubts about the Fourth Mizukage had already sprouted.
Just as she was deep in thought, the door of the Mizukage's office opened, and a Kirigakure ANBU appeared in front of her.
"The plan you submitted has been approved by Mizukage-sama," the ANBU said, handing a scroll to Mei Terumi.
"However, Mizukage-sama will personally design the mission plans required for the first exam. Once they are complete, they will be handed over to you. You will then discuss them with the leaders of the other villages and make the final decision."
"Yes!" Mei Terumi nodded.
This response from the Mizukage was perfectly normal.
After all, allowing candidates from other countries to conduct activities on the Land of Water's soil required the Hidden Mist Village to take necessary defensive measures.
She put away the scroll and turned to leave the Mizukage's office, a faint smile playing on her pretty face.
The Fourth Mizukage had always been an autocratic figure, his decisions unchallenged even by the village's higher-ups.
This time, Yagura actually accepted the Konoha ninja's plan, simply because the rules formulated by Shikaku were endorsed by the leaders of the other three nations.
Behind them stood the will of the Four Nations of Fire, Earth, Wind, and Lightning, forcing the Fourth Mizukage to consider carefully.
...
In the Mizukage's office.
"Don't you think it's dangerous to let these ninjas from various countries run around in the Land of Water?"
A figure shrouded in a huge shadow said in the dark room.
"Really?"
Behind a short figure, a masked man with blood-red eyes beneath his mask said coldly,
"The real danger is only that one guy. I was worried that if we took action in the Hidden Mist Village, we would attract that troublesome Fourth Hokage. But since it was a plan proposed by the ninjas of Konoha themselves, if anything unexpected happens during the exam, the Hidden Mist Village can't be blamed."
....
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