One hour and four seconds. That was too fast.
"Which team they are ?" Hatake Sakumo asked curiously.
"The first team led by Tsunade-sama," the proctor replied. "The students are Uzumaki Kushina, Uchiha Mikoto, and Hyūga Hikari."
"Oh? A Hyūga and an Uchiha in the sa squad... interesting." Sakumo mused, rubbing his chin.
Unlike previous exams, this ti, they didn't have to fight other genin to the death in the Forest of Death.
Still, one hour and four seconds was far too fast. Even without traps and the interference of chūnin-level shadow clones, reaching the central tower in such a short span should've been nearly impossible.
If they hadn't even taken a short rest, they might have been even faster.
Inside the Hokage's office, several proctors rushed in, their faces full of urgency.
"Lord Hokage, the list of the first batch of chūnin has been finalized."
"Already? That fast?" Hiruzen Sarutobi raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, Lord Hokage. Uzumaki Kushina, Uchiha Mikoto, and Hyūga Hikari reached the central tower of the Forest of Death in just one hour and four seconds."
"One hour and four seconds?" The Third Hokage's eyes widened slightly. Even without the usual hazards, this speed was unnatural.
Tsunade's disciples...
A pleased smile crossed Hiruzen's face. It seed that these three had already surpassed the level of ordinary chūnin.
"I see. The students of this team are no ordinary shinobi."
Konoha was in need of fresh blood, and the ergence of such talented individuals gave him hope for the future.
Kushina's team was the first to arrive. The second team arrived five hours later.
Gradually, more Konoha genin reached the central tower—Ino-Shika-Chō, Hyūga Hizashi, Inuzuka Tsu, and Namikaze Minato among them. By the end of the day, Konoha's internal chūnin exams had concluded.
Out of forty-five participants, thirty-six passed the assessnt.
As for the remaining nine... they weren't as lucky.
So beca prey to the beasts lurking in the forest. Others fell victim to traps. So drowned, unable to gather chakra properly to walk on water.
But that was the nature of the ninja world. It was ruthless.
Still, even Naruto and Sasuke had struggled with tree climbing at first. Naruto himself had needed extensive practice to master water-walking.
Despite the casualties, the village had no choice. After the Second Shinobi War, there was a dire shortage of skilled ninja. As a result, all thirty-six successful candidates were promoted to chūnin.
The chūnin exams were over.
To celebrate, Kushina, Mikoto, and Hikari gathered together that evening.
As they were laughing and enjoying their al, Hyūga Hizashi walked in, his posture as rigid as ever.
"Hikari-sama, there is an urgent matter in the clan. Please return imdiately."
Hikari nodded, her face unreadable. "Understood."
She turned to her friends. "I'll see you later."
As soon as she left, Mikoto frowned. "Kushina, don't you think sothing seems off about Hikari?"
Kushina leaned back, arms crossed behind her head. "Yeah, but if she doesn't want to talk about it, we can't force her."
Mikoto blinked in surprise. "Huh? That's... oddly mature of you."
"Pfft, what's the rush?" Kushina grinned mischievously. "If she doesn't open up, we'll just march into the Hyūga compound and find out ourselves!"
Mikoto sighed. "Never mind. There's the old Kushina."
The next morning, within the central tower of the Forest of Death, the Third Hokage addressed the newly promoted chūnin.
"You are the future of Konoha. From this day forward, you bear greater responsibility."
Kushina and her team stood in the front row, listening—or pretending to listen.
"As shinobi of Konoha, we will dedicate ourselves to the village!" they all chanted in unison.
Kurama stirred within Kushina, chuckling darkly.
"This old man sure knows how to manipulate people," the Nine-Tails muttered. "The sa trick worked on Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi. He's got them all dancing in the palm of his hand."
He wasn't wrong.
Sarutobi Hiruzen might not have the sheer might of Hashirama or the tactical genius of Tobirama, but his ability to earn the unwavering loyalty of powerful shinobi was his greatest strength.
Even those who wielded the Mangekyō Sharingan, like Shisui and Itachi, ultimately served the village—and, by extension, the Hokage himself.
Education and ideology were powerful tools.
As the Third Hokage continued his speech, Kushina and Mikoto... completely tuned out.
Mikoto had been thoroughly corrupted by Kushina's bad habits. Listening to boring speeches? No way.
Ti passed. Before they knew it, Kushina and her teammates had risen to the rank of jōnin.
Their first A-rank mission ca swiftly.
Recently, Sunagakure's shinobi had been spotted lurking near the borders of the Land of Fire. Their objective was unclear, but Konoha wasn't taking any chances.
The mission: eliminate the threat.
These kinds of political gas between major villages were always a delicate affair. A single mistake could escalate into all-out war. And with tensions simring beneath the surface, a Third Shinobi War wasn't out of the question.
The night before the mission, however, was special.
It was Kushina's birthday.
After a small celebration with Mikoto and Hikari, Kushina returned to her now-empty ho. The warmth of the evening lingered, but she couldn't shake the loneliness that crept in once she was alone.
The night stretched on. Sleep evaded her.
With a sigh, she slipped outside to wander through the quiet streets of Konoha, taking in the peaceful night.
[Ding!]
A familiar voice echoed in her mind, breaking the silence.
Kurama stirred.
[Given the current status of the host, two options are now available:]
[Option 1: Reveal your true identity to the jinchūriki. Reward: ???]
[Option 2: Continue as the Nine-Tails sealed within the jinchūriki. Reward: ???]
A choice.
Kurama narrowed his eyes. The rewards were hidden.
He hated that.
Tomorrow, he'd be heading to the Land of Wind—perhaps even running into that oversized raccoon, Shukaku.
But now, another thought crossed his mind.
He had been hiding for too long.
Tonight... perhaps it was finally ti for the truth.
A surprise?
No.
For Kushina... it would be a shock.
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