Under the vendor's dejected gaze, Uchiha Hikaru casually walked away with all the prizes.
He handed the masks to several girls, who immediately lit up with joy.
Uchiha Hikaru smiled slightly. Though the vendor had been shady with his business, the quality of the masks wasn't bad.
They were light yet durable, brightly colored, and clearly well-crafted.
One by one, he distributed the masks to the girls.
Tsunade, Nonō Yakushi, and the others accepted them, their faces blooming with delight.
What he didn't know was that their joy didn't come from the masks themselves—but simply from the fact that he was the one who gave them.
Uchiha Hikaru let out a soft chuckle, his mood growing lighter.
He looked around. The festival was growing livelier, filled with laughter and chatter, with booths overflowing with dazzling goods.
He felt as though he had blended into this joyful world, his worries momentarily forgotten.
Not long after, who knows what whispers were exchanged among the girls.
Nonō Yakushi and Tsunade, once at each other's throats, were now laughing and chatting as the three strolled with Uchiha Hikaru through the festival.
Together, they sampled various delicacies and played fun games.
Under the high-hanging full moon, they remained immersed in the festive mood.
Suddenly, several fireworks soared into the sky, breaking the stillness of the night.
Uchiha Hikaru and the girls looked up, their gazes captured by the mesmerizing display.
The fireworks blossomed in the night sky, each one radiating vivid light like a beautiful dream.
Their hearts lifted with the colors above.
The girls cheered excitedly, waving their masks as if encouraging the explosions above.
Uchiha Hikaru silently watched them, his heart filled with warmth and contentment.
Not far away, Mito Uzumaki stood watching with Uchiha Ang and several other clan heads.
Seeing their joyful faces, she couldn't help but sigh.
"This must be the kind of scene Hashirama hoped to see…"
Once the New Year passed, the shinobi of Konoha quickly shifted their mindset.
With the Chūnin Exams approaching, even Mito Uzumaki became caught up in the rush.
To ensure the exams went smoothly, a large number of personnel were mobilized for preparations.
Besides, nearly all Jōnin and higher-ranked ninja in Konoha were now aware of Uchiha Hikaru's existence.
To them, this wasn't just an exam—it was a demonstration.
A demonstration to the rest of the shinobi world that: The era hasn't changed.
With that mindset, everyone involved in the preparations worked with full effort.
They knew how important these exams were—and what they meant for the representatives of the other villages.
They wanted to see the looks on those shinobi's faces—wanted to see their shock when faced with Konoha's strength.
After his early stage of capital accumulation, Uchiha Hikaru now found himself relatively free.
Restless as always, he began mentoring Tsunade and the others in their training, even concocting pills they could use.
While he enjoyed his leisurely days, the rest of the villages began sending their teams toward Konoha.
In a world of swirling yellow sand stood the Hidden Sand Village—a land carved out of the barren desert through sheer tenacity.
Atop the village stood Second Kazekage Shamon, eyes gazing into the distance.
He turned to face Kurosuna and Akasuna, two of the village's most capable shinobi.
"Kurosuna, Akasuna, everything hinges on you this time."
"Akasuna, the Ten of Chikamatsu are in your hands. Remember, you can only control three at a time—any more and you'll lose command."
"Kurosuna, I trust your strength, but be careful. Sunagakure must win this time!"
The two exchanged a look, seeing resolute determination reflected in each other's eyes.
They knew—this was their time. For their village. For their families. For themselves.
"Yes, Kazekage-sama!" they said in unison.
Far away in Iwagakure, Ōnoki was troubled.
The next generation of Earth-natured ninja didn't seem all that promising.
After thinking it over for a long while, he sighed and said to the man across from him, Roshi:
"We've got no other choice. For the sake of Iwagakure, you'll have to be demoted to Genin."
Roshi couldn't hold back his reaction. His face flushed red.
"Hah?! Are you serious? Forget my rank—I'm a Jinchūriki!"
"You want me to enter the Chūnin Exams? Are you for real?!"
Ōnoki's forehead bulged with rage, roaring back:
"You brat! Watch your mouth!"
"This exam is crucial! It's tied to the future of Iwagakure! If I say you're going, you're going!"
Seeing Ōnoki so enraged, Roshi's presence wavered slightly, but he still muttered stubbornly:
"You're mad, you're mad…"
Before he could finish, Ōnoki clocked him with a punch.
Fortunately, it wasn't too forceful. Roshi got back up unfazed.
"Fine, I get it. I'll go."
Hidden Cloud Village
Third Raikage spoke directly to the Jōnin standing before him:
"You're all demoted. You're Genin now. Go prep for the Chūnin Exams."
The Jōnin looked at each other awkwardly, but no one dared to object.
They simply nodded.
Once they left, Third Raikage paced uneasily.
In his view, if he could be this shameless, then surely the other villages could do the same.
Those Jōnin weren't nearly enough insurance.
Thinking this, he shouted:
"Someone get Dodai in here!"
To him, Dodai—young but possessing the Lava Release kekkei genkai—was the ideal candidate.
Before Third Raikage could say anything, Dodai had already stepped forward.
"Rest assured, Raikage-sama. This victory will belong to the Hidden Cloud."
Far across the sea in the mist-shrouded Hidden Mist Village, Madara Uchiha stood calmly before the Third Mizukage.
In the Third Mizukage's eyes, Madara's Mangekyō Sharingan spun slowly.
Though he wasn't a Jinchūriki, making him harder to control—
—for Madara, it was only a matter of exerting a bit more effort.
"For the upcoming Chūnin Exams in Konoha, you'll go personally."
"Let the Three-Tails go berserk midway, and while chaos erupts—find the hidden powerhouse lurking in the village."
"Yes."