Mei Terumī glanced at Natsume.
After a moment, she curved her lips into a smile and lowered her head again, continuing to go through the documents.
Only after confirming everything was in order did she stop.
Mei stretched lazily, stood up, and was about to call out to Natsume when she noticed him lying on the sofa with his eyes closed, seemingly sleeping.
Was he too tired?
She instinctively thought.
Although Mei always said he had an easygoing lifestyle, she didn't really believe that.
She couldn't imagine someone managing both Konoha Village and the Thousand Sunny Merchant Guild having much free time.
She herself managed the affairs of Mist Village with barely enough time to spare.
Mei walked slowly in front of him.
Admittedly, he looked quite handsome—except for that mouth of his.
She moved behind him and began giving him a gentle shoulder massage.
Natsume opened his eyes and said, "Thank you for all your hard work, Lord Mizukage."
"Why didn't you thank me last time I gave you a massage?"
Mei smiled slightly as she asked.
She meant during their master-servant game.
"That was then, this is now," Natsume hesitated briefly before replying.
"After all, I can be caring too."
"You truly are..." Mei paused, struggling to find the right words, so she just pinched his shoulder instead.
Natsume let out a sharp breath and said, "You bit me already—now you're pinching too?"
Bit?
When did I bite…?
Suddenly, Mei flushed crimson and angrily retorted, "Fine! Just die from exhaustion then!"
With that, she pulled her hands away and stopped massaging him.
"And if I die, you wouldn't even care?"
Natsume stood up, wrapped his arms around her waist, lifted her up, and sat her down on his thighs.
Instinctively, Mei struggled a little, but quickly gave up.
"Better off dead—spared from causing trouble for others!"
She gritted her teeth and snapped angrily.
Natsume glanced at her gleaming, snow-white teeth.
They were surprisingly clean.
He hadn't tried that yet, had he?
"What dirty thoughts are going through that head of yours now?" Mei noticed his expression and glared at him immediately.
"What do you think?" Natsume rubbed his chin as he asked.
Mei shivered slightly, waving her hands frantically. "Not now!"
"Why not?" He raised his eyebrows in confusion.
Did she come at the wrong time of the month or something?
"The written exam will be ending soon," Mei explained.
"The second stage starts from the Ninja Academy and ends in Kiri. I must go along too."
Natsume paused briefly.
No wonder she was such a dedicated Mizukage.
Compared to her, he seemed kind of irresponsible.
Clearing his throat lightly, Natsume decided not to tease her further. "Then I'll go with you."
Mei gave a slight nod, wrapping her arms around his neck, kissed him on the cheek without a word.
The two embraced each other for a while until they heard a knock at the door.
Mei quickly got up, shot him a meaningful look, motioning for him to leave first.
Only after he disappeared did she adjust her dress and called out, *"Come in."*
It was Haku, who came to inform Mei Terumī that the written exam—the first round—had already concluded.
Meanwhile, Natsume arrived at the Ninja Academy slightly ahead of schedule.
A large crowd had gathered in front of the plaza, waiting.
They were all Genin who had passed the first round.
"Hokage-sama."
The proctor overseeing the first round was Anko Mitarashi.
In the original exams, she had been the proctor for the second round.
However, since the exam was relocated to Kirigakure, Mei made the arrangements instead.
"Your three students have all passed the exam."
Anko Mitarashi continued, "And they performed exceptionally well."
"What about Ino and Sakura's squad?"
Natsume gave a slight nod and asked.
He already knew their skill levels, but it never hurt to confirm.
Fortunately, those unlikely mishaps hadn't happened.
"They all passed."
Anko said with a smile. "Including Neji Hyuga and his team."
"That's good to hear."
Natsume instructed, "Go notify the Chunin and Jonin in charge of the second round. They'll be heading out shortly."
"Yes."
Anko turned and left.
The second round would take place far from the village.
To prevent interference and ensure the examinees' safety, Konoha would dispatch many ninjas to accompany them.
Likewise, so would Kirigakure.
With personnel from both villages present, fairness and impartiality could be maintained as much as possible.
Before long, Mei arrived at the plaza.
She glanced toward Natsume nearby and proceeded with the formalities.
Each examinee received a map, though it was very rough—just a straight line.
Exactly what lay ahead remained unknown.
This was mainly to prevent them from getting lost or straying off course.
Of course, there were also road markers along the way.
Mei explained the rules for the second round.
The task involved team battles.
Every Genin squad would randomly draw either a Heaven or Earth Scroll before departure.
Their goal was to acquire the opposite scroll during the journey.
Only those who obtained both scrolls could pass.
Fighting along the way was inevitable.
In the original exams, there had been fatalities during this round.
Natsume did not change that aspect, although it would be a waste to lose comrades from their own village.
Therefore, he arranged for numerous medical ninja to be stationed along the route.
As long as they were rescued before death, everything would be alright.
After Mei finished explaining the rules, the second round officially began.
The Genin rushed outward one after another.
Natsume withdrew his gaze.
Mei approached him and said, "That said, I must take my leave. I will accompany the examinees to Kirigakure."
[Chapter Not Yet Concluded!]
"Safe travels, Mizukage-sama."
With outsiders around, Natsume chose to speak sincerely rather than tease her, "I will come to Kirigakure for the third round."
"Then we shall look forward to Hokage-sama's arrival."
Mei smiled slightly, then turned and walked away.
Zabuza Momochi and the others vanished shortly afterward.
Considering the speed of the Genin and various unexpected incidents along the way, the second round would likely last two or three days.
Natsume saw no point in following them—it would only be tedious anyway.
He returned to the Hokage's office and received a classified message from Kakuzu.
It had first been delivered to the Thousand Sunny Merchant Guild before being passed on to him.
The message stated that Kakuzu had already departed for Kumogakure and was currently at a traditional izakaya, awaiting his arrival.
The two decided to go find B, the Eight-Tailed Jinchuriki.
So soon?
Natsume couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.
More than likely, Kakuzu's taken on another bounty or mission—just chasing cash again.
He himself wasn't in a hurry at all.
We'll head to Kumogakure once the third round starts.
Speaking of Kumogakure, Natsume thought about Black Cat. He called out, "Black Cat."
As soon as his voice fell, Yugito Nii appeared before him.
"Remove your mask."
Natsume ordered.
Yugito Nii gave a slight nod and took off her mask, revealing her delicate, youthful face. She did look surprisingly youthful—almost like a teenage girl.
But now, confusion clouded her expression—she didn't understand why he'd called for her.
"How's it been living in Konoha Village?"
Natsume asked casually.
"It's fine."
Yugito Nii honestly replied.
Aside from the initial torture, everything had actually been relatively normal afterward.
The treatment was excellent living among the Uchiha clan.
Being on the Hokage's bodyguard team meant having almost nothing to do all day.
Sometimes when Natsume remembered her, they'd play the Black Cat Shooter Game together.
That was about it.
Of course, she had considered escaping.
But with Matatabi—the Two-Tails, a traitorous tailed beast sealed within her—she had no choice but to endure.
Unless she wanted to commit suicide.
Even that might not have been an option.
Because Matatabi would stop her.
What would you do if Konoha and Kumogakure went to war?
Natsume asked offhandedly.
With Akatsuki organization on the move, war had already become inevitable.
When that time came, Kumogakure naturally wouldn't stand by idly.
Besides, for the sake of Killer B, the Fourth Raikage would certainly start a war.
Though not necessarily aimed at Konoha.
"Is Konoha planning to attack Kumogakure?"
Yugito Nii's expression changed drastically, unable to resist asking.
"No."
Natsume waved his hand dismissively. "I don't have that intention right now, though it's hard to say whether the Fourth Raikage feels the same."
Yugito Nii stayed silent.
She herself leaned toward Kumogakure.
Yet she also understood Konoha—and more accurately, Natsume's power.
If a real war did break out, Kumogakure would most likely be the ones defeated.
Since Matatabi had been subdued, she'd come to realize the Fourth Raikage wasn't invincible.
She lowered her gaze toward Natsume and, after a moment's pause, knelt down, resting her head gently on his lap.
"I hope Master will spare them."
"Are you already assuming Kumogakure will lose before the first blow is even struck?"
Natsume couldn't help but smile. He reached out, gently stroking her soft cheek.
"Of course they stand no chance against you,"
Yugito Nii sighed inwardly. "But they still hold value—they have strength Konoha can use, just as I do."
"If they surrender peacefully, there won't be a problem."
Natsume responded indifferently. "But do you really think they'll do that?"
Yugito Nii wanted to say something else but couldn't find the words.
Others might be willing to surrender.
But the Fourth Raikage and his group were probably the kind who'd rather die than yield.
Gritting her teeth, Yugito Nii finally spoke, "If that day truly arrives, please let me go and speak with them."
Natsume thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
After all, there wasn't any downside.
Especially since he recalled there were still two or three kunoichi in Kumogakure.
Like Samui.
She was just as formidable as Tsunade.
Of course, Natsume didn't mean anything by it. He simply thought it would be a shame to let such an opportunity go to waste.
Anyone who could contribute destiny points? Might as well keep them close.
"Thank you."
Yugito Nii exhaled in relief.
Whether it worked out or not, at least she still had a chance.
With that thought in mind, she got up again and settled into Natsume's lap.
She gave him a thorough massage to show her gratitude.
Eventually, she fell asleep from sheer exhaustion.
Natsume sent her home and then headed back himself after finishing his shift.
Three days later, the second phase of the Joint Chunin Exams ended.
In the original story, due to the large number of participants, they temporarily held a sparring match to eliminate some candidates.
But this time, that wasn't necessary.
Not because there were fewer people, but because Natsume thought it unnecessary.
More participants? So what?
They'd fight it out in the third round anyway.
Besides, it saved time.
In the original version, there was a one-month gap between the end of the second stage and the start of the third.
This time, however, there was no need for that.
Plus with the support of Konoha's medical ninja,
thanks to Konoha's medical ninja, everyone had fully recovered after just three days of rest.
So a week later, Natsume arrived at Kirigakure along with Fire Daimyo Enichi.
He brought a puppet because neither Yukie Kazahana nor Ena Uzumaki wanted to come.
Plus, they were both too busy.
Since Yukie was pregnant again, Natsume didn't want to put her through all this trouble.
Kirigakure.
Chunin Exam arena.
Whoa!
It was already extremely lively.
Every seat was occupied.
Up on the elevated platform, Mei Terumī, dressed in her ceremonial robe, waited patiently for the competition to begin.
She occasionally glanced at the empty seat next to her.
It was reserved for Natsume.
But he hadn't shown up yet.
Mei muttered under her breath. "What exactly is that guy up to?"
At this moment, Natsume had taken a detour to Kumogakure to meet Kakuzu.
"White Zetsu has delivered the message—the third match has already started."
Before Natsume could even speak, Kakuzu cut in first. "Yugito Nii and the Eight-Tailed Jinchuriki are at Cloud Lightning Gorge. We can head out now."
"Not in a hurry."
Natsume waved his hand, saying, "I came here just to inform you—we'll go tomorrow morning."
Since the third round of the Joint Chunin Exams had more participants, it was expected to span two days.
On the first day, he planned to honor Mei by watching the match together with her.
"Tomorrow?"
Kakuzu frowned slightly, visibly annoyed.
If it were anyone else, he'd have killed them and taken the bounty.
But Natsume—he couldn't defeat.
Moreover, alone, he couldn't guarantee capturing Yugito quickly enough.
If the Fourth Raikage showed up, he might very well end up dead.
He was confident—but never overconfident.
That was why he had survived this long.
"Yeah."
Natsume smiled and said, "You've got a problem with that?"
"..."
Kakuzu could only agree.
Natsume left the izakaya and activated [Flying Thunder God Technique], teleporting straight to Kirigakure.
He donned the Hokage's ceremonial robe before heading leisurely to the venue.
Mei Terumī was already anxious. Upon seeing him, she couldn't help but shoot him a glare.
Natsume smiled and took the seat beside her.
"Ao."
Mei instructed, "Begin the announcement."
Ao, having reverted to his normal eyes, nodded in agreement, walked to the center of the venue, and began explaining the rules.
Truthfully, there weren't many rules—victory was achieved by defeating your opponent or causing them to lose consciousness.
Soon, the first match began.
It should also be noted that the match pairings were randomly generated by computer. Natsume didn't interfere—it was truly random.
However, the order had been arranged by Mei.
The first match had to be exciting enough to satisfy the audience—especially the Daimyos and aristocrats. They were ordinary people with little understanding of real power—they only cared about flashy, visually striking battles.
Natsume glanced at the pairings. One of them was Choji Akimichi.
After a moment's thought, he began to understand Mei's reasoning. The Akimichi clan possessed the Expansion Jutsu. Regardless of skill level, the visual effects were top-notch.
His opponent was a puppet master from Sunagakure.
As expected, Choji emerged victorious. Still, the puppet master put up a decent fight, preventing it from being dull.
Then came the second match, and it was fairly uneventful.
It was Sasuke Uchiha.
As soon as he stepped forward, Sasuke activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, locked eyes with his opponent—and the match was over.
Yet his strength caught many off guard. Especially lower-ranked ninja from other villages.
The Three-Tomoe Sharingan was a symbol of Jonin-level ninjas. For a Genin to wield it was nothing short of shocking.
In an instant, Sasuke Uchiha became the focus of countless eyes.
He tilted his chin upward, hands in his pockets, and strode off coolly.
Natsume twitched his lip—a conceited brat if ever there was one.
Beside him, Mei murmured enviously, "Such a genius."
In Kiri, not just among the younger generation but even among her peers, few would stand a chance against Sasuke. This made Konoha's heritage all the more prominent.
[Word count: 4,000]
End of chapter.
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