The Yumin ninja fighting Hyuga Tetsu and Himura looked toward the source of the disturbance.
Hyuga Tetsu did the same.
Once Yozuki Kei caught sight of Kiyoshi, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. Taking advantage of Tetsu's momentary lapse, he struck at a weak point.
Smack!
Tetsu, unprepared, took a punch, stumbling back.
He vaguely felt the sound of ribs cracking—at least three of them broken.
"Ah, Tetsu!"
Hyuga Natsu shouted in concern.
"I'm fine, Natsu,"
Tetsu wiped the blood from his mouth and waved her off.
He couldn't afford to lose face in front of Natsu.
They were both branch family members, classmates who had grown up together. Branch families were forbidden from intermarrying with outsiders, so their matches were internal.
Natsu happened to be from three generations apart, the most beautiful girl among the branch families—a perfect "buff" for Tetsu. Losing face was unthinkable.
...
Meanwhile, far away.
Monitoring screens inside a tall tower displayed the riverbank downstream.
The river wasn't far from the tower, comfortably within the cameras' range.
If it were farther, the monitors couldn't track it.
"That kid is Uchiha Kiyoshi?"
Jiraiya took a bite of his apple, pointing at the screen.
He had requested the position of assistant proctor.
"Yeah, that's Kiyoshi,"
Minato Namikaze nodded. Having heard Kushina mention him, he immediately recognized Kiyoshi from his appearance.
"The situation doesn't look promising,"
Jiraiya shook his head.
On the screen, the Hyuga team was being surrounded by Yumin ninjas.
Kiyoshi's team rushed from afar, and the two sides seemed to be negotiating.
"The Hyuga with Byakugan are weaker than the Yumin."
Jiraiya tossed the apple core into the bin with a clatter.
"So Kiyoshi wants to save them, huh? Helping his fellow villagers,"
Minato nodded. Seeing Natsu talking to Kiyoshi, Minato assumed they were familiar.
If so, he would surely lend a hand.
"That's some Will of Fire,"
Jiraiya said with a smile.
It was rare for Uchiha to care about comrades and uphold the image of the Land of Fire.
Jiraiya had only heard of one Uchiha, Kagami, who embodied the Will of Fire—but he was long gone.
Since then, Jiraiya hadn't seen any Uchiha worthy of the title—until Kiyoshi.
"Seems like things are changing,"
Minato noticed the Yumin ninjas beginning to negotiate with Kiyoshi.
"Let's watch,"
Jiraiya focused on the enlarged but slightly blurry monitor, studying Kiyoshi's attitude toward the Yumin.
Being from the Land of Lightning, any improper attitude could be reported.
All threats to the village had to be eliminated at the root!
Jiraiya's expression turned serious, and Minato followed suit.
...
"You're Uchiha Kiyoshi, right? Want to team up with us? We welcome strong allies,"
Yozuki Kei spread his hands in invitation.
There were many eyes around; he didn't mention other matters.
This was a priority mission for Yumin—to recruit Kiyoshi for the team going to Konoha for the Chunin Exams.
While other bloodline limits were valuable, only Kiyoshi displayed the excellent heritage of both the Yozuki clan and Uchiha.
To create Yumin's own bloodline ninja, they had to assimilate properly. Only suitable candidates were useful.
"You must prove whether you're truly strong,"
Kiyoshi said, surprising everyone.
The Hyuga team froze.
This wasn't what they expected. All were comrades from the same village—shouldn't they band together against the Land of Lightning?
"I knew you'd betray the Land of Lightning!"
Hyuga Tetsu shouted, his eyes showing distrust.
A ninja from the Land of Lightning couldn't possibly understand the "Will of Fire"!
Yuuhi and Asuma looked on in astonishment.
Hyuga Himura remained silent, equally indignant, thinking the same as Tetsu.
"Tetsu, Kiyoshi isn't that kind of person!"
Though he didn't know why Kiyoshi said this, Yuuhi felt uneasy hearing Tetsu accuse him.
"Kiyoshi, you…"
From prior interactions, Kiyoshi had already become a mature, composed genius in Asuma's eyes. Surely he knew such words could harm the Will of Fire.
"Great minds think alike,"
Yozuki Kei's expression shifted briefly.
He hadn't expected Kiyoshi to be so easy to communicate with.
Once they found a private place, he could negotiate with Kiyoshi, spin a plan, and bring him back to the village—a major success.
High-level ninjutsu, guidance from Yumin masters, heroes of the village… Yozuki Kei felt a bright future beckoning.
"Druke, Tuff, you two go together."
"Got it."
Druke, dark-skinned, grunted, wielding twin swords as he charged.
Tuff, fair-skinned with golden hair, elegantly followed with a slender longsword.
The temporary pause caused by Kiyoshi's arrival vanished; battle erupted anew.
"Aren't we comrades, Kiyoshi?"
Hyuga Natsu considered herself familiar with Kiyoshi; he had even helped her before.
Why was he acting this way today?
"Really? Think carefully—what did the noble main family say about us Uchiha?"
Kiyoshi said lightly.
His voice, though soft, struck Natsu like thunder!
Did Kiyoshi overhear the last incident?
Natsu was stunned.
Lady Ginka wasn't one to gossip; she had only mentioned it once outside.
It must have been then… words that undermined unity.
"That was Lady Ginka…"
Natsu struggled to explain.
"Ah? You mean Hyuga Ginka? That day, besides me, Kushina also heard it,"
Kiyoshi pulled out Kushina, confirming his source. Natsu couldn't deny it.
"Ginka… Lady Ginka was because…"
Natsu stammered, unable to articulate her prepared excuse.
Her hesitation immediately altered Kiyoshi's reputation among the others—everyone sensed hidden truth.
"What happened, Natsu?"
Hyuga Himura, hearing it involved the main family, did not dare to take it lightly.
Natsu remained silent.
Yozuki Kei watched with interest.
Seems the Hyuga couldn't handle Kiyoshi.
Recognizing this, Kei refrained from joining the battlefield, instructing Druke and Tuff to fight slower.
(End of Chapter)