"I surrender." Aburame Fujine raised her hands immediately.
Kushina, who had already clenched her fists, stumbled and nearly fell from the tree branch.
She never expected her opponent to yield so quickly.
"Wait—" Kushina's face twisted in exasperation. "Those two won't interfere. It's just you and me."
Among the three of them, her reputation was the most obscure—far worse than Uchiha Kin's.
At least Kin's name was known in certain circles, even if his exact strength remained a mystery.
But Kushina? Outside of higher-ups, no one recognized her.
Unbelievable.
Do jinchūriki not deserve basic respect!?
"Even so, I forfeit." Fujine didn't hesitate. She pulled out her number tag and prepared to toss it away.
No matter how strong this red-haired girl was, the other two wouldn't stand idle if she were in danger.
Their very presence guaranteed her victory.
A fight with no chance of winning was meaningless.
Against anyone else, Fujine might've risked it. But one opponent was a rising genius, the other a powerhouse endorsed by clan heirs.
The outcome was obvious.
"No!" Kushina's cheeks puffed like steamed buns.
If Fujine refused to fight, she would be the one losing out.
This exam was her chance to make the name Uzumaki Kushina known across Konoha!
How could she prove herself if her enemies surrendered before throwing a punch!?
She was going to be Hokage, damn it!!
Fujine ignored Kushina's protests and threw her tag into the distance, formally withdrawing from the exam.
As the tag landed far away, it emitted smoke and vanished—a conditional summoning seal.
"May I leave now?"
Fujine shrugged. Bad luck this time, but the Jonin Assessment wasn't a one-time opportunity.
Kushina glared, fists trembling, but with Fujine disqualified, she couldn't justify stopping her.
She could only watch as Fujine walked away.
"Why?!"
Kushina's face scrunched up. She kicked a nearby tree, leaving a deep footprint in the trunk.
(Tree: What did I do to deserve this?)
"You still have your other target," Kin remarked dryly. This violent gremlin—forcing a fight when the opponent had already conceded.
He glanced at Minato, already picturing his future as a henpecked husband.
Pathetic.
And hilarious.
Minato narrowed his eyes at Kin, sensing malicious amusement.
With Fujine gone, the trio relocated to a denser part of the forest to rest.
Staying in a compromised spot would only invite more trouble.
Dawn. Day Two of the Exam.
The search resumed.
"We should just camp at the exit and ambush anyone who shows up," Kushina declared, unusually tactical.
Kin shrugged.
"And if your target gets eliminated by someone else first? Tough luck."
Last night's Aburame had forfeited, voiding her hunter's chances too.
This exam was far more brutal than the Chunin Trials—not only did you need to secure your target, but also ensure they weren't taken out prematurely.
It mirrored an A-rank mission in complexity, bordering on S-rank.
(Though S-ranks usually involved fleeing an entire nation's ninja. This was mild by comparison.)
"There. Your target."
All three halted. Ahead, two figures clashed—one a bald shinobi (Kushina's mark), the other…
Minato and Kushina turned to Kin.
An Uchiha.
"Uchiha Hikaru?" Kin rubbed his chin. He knew the name—a clan chūnin—but they weren't close.
"Need backup?" Minato asked. Clan ties complicated things.
"I do!!"
Kushina lunged forward before Kin could answer.
"怪力拳!!" (Power Fist!!)
Her silhouette blotted out the sun as she descended toward the bald shinobi, who barely dodged in time.
BOOM!!
Her fist cratered the earth, sending soil, rocks, and uprooted trees flying. Hikaru leaped back, landing at the crater's edge, eyes wide.
What kind of monster—!?
Kushina ignored him, zeroing in on the now-sweating bald ninja.
Such brute-force strikes were infamous in Konoha.
Lady Tsunade's signature technique. Is this girl her student!?
Kushina flashed before him again.
Then—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The forest trembled under her onslaught. Distant examinees froze mid-battle and scattered.
This was Kushina venting all last night's frustration.
"Yo. Hikaru, right?"
Kin materialized beside the Uchiha, clapping his shoulder.
Hikaru spun, kunai raised—then dropped to one knee upon recognizing him.
"Lord Kin."
Though they'd only met in passing, Hikaru knew the rumors.
Uchiha Hokaku might've stopped interfering with Kin, but he still leveraged Kin's reputation to bolster clan morale—elevating Kin's status in the process.
In the Uchiha, strength dictated hierarchy.
Hence the deference.
"Scram. Your fight's been handled."
Kin smiled warmly, radiating sincerity.
(Those who knew him, like Minato, found it unnerving.)
"My gratitude." Hikaru vanished.
Kushina returned moments later, triumphantly waving her stolen tag.
"Done!"
She grinned. With Fujine's forfeit and her target's tag secured, the exam was as good as passed.
"Oh?"
Kin tossed another tag in his palm, smirking.
"What exactly have you completed?"
...
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(End of Chapter)