The howling wind nearly froze everything in its path, turning people into ice sculptures.
If an ordinary person were here, they would probably freeze to death in less than an hour.
Simu's coat of justice flapped violently in the wind. He slowly opened the scroll in his hand and saw a large Yang (陽) character written on it.
"So that means we need to find a team holding the Yin (陰) scroll and defeat them," Simu concluded.
Minato nodded. "There's no time to waste. Let's go."
The time limit for this exam was only one day, and the Snowstorm Mountain Range was vast.
This setup made it clear that participants had to fend off attacks from other villages while racing toward their destination at full speed.
It was a test of combat ability, endurance, and stamina management—along with a bit of luck.
If a team encountered allies from their own village early on, forming an alliance would make things much easier.
Simu scanned his surroundings.
"Looks like someone isn't planning to let us go so easily," he said.
A massive black shadow emerged from the snow-covered forest.
A towering giant frost bear, at least five or six meters tall, stepped forward.
Minato quickly pulled out a kunai, keeping a safe distance. "This is a giant frost bear, unique to the Land of Iron. They're extremely ferocious."
"Yeah?" Simu remained still, watching as the enormous white bear roared and charged at them.
It was the king of this forest! These insignificant humans… were nothing more than prey!
Simu sighed and reluctantly pulled his hand from his pocket.
He raised his palm lazily toward the charging bear.
Armament Haki—released!
A powerful force surged outward, forming an invisible shockwave that crashed into the beast.
The frost bear, mid-lunge, suddenly froze. Its eyes rolled back, and with a heavy thud, it collapsed sideways, sending up a spray of snow.
A giant crater formed where its body landed.
Minato and Kushina stood frozen in place, staring in disbelief.
Simu simply raised his hand, and… the bear just dropped from the air?
What kind of technique was this?
"Simu, is this some kind of new ninjutsu?" Minato asked, still confused.
"Ah… it's a martial art. You know the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist? It's kinda like that," Simu said vaguely.
Minato frowned in thought.
It was true that the Hyuga Clan had long-range techniques that used chakra to attack.
But how did Simu do it?
Could it be something he learned from Rei?
Kushina's expression turned serious at that thought.
"Simu, when did you start training under Rei?" she asked suspiciously.
Simu stiffened for a moment.
Wait—when did he say he learned it from Rei?!
He quickly coughed. "I just… figured it out by watching! What's the problem?"
To avoid further questioning, he nudged the bear with his foot.
"Hey, quit playing dead. Get up, or I'll roast you," he threatened.
The frost bear, as if understanding his words, immediately scrambled to its feet.
If it had hesitated for even a second longer, Simu might have actually killed it and roasted it for dinner—just to distract Kushina from her questions.
"Woo~"
The once-dominant beast of the snowy forest had now become Simu's obedient pet.
With its thick, snow-white fur providing excellent warmth, it became the perfect ride.
So, Simu, Kushina, and Minato climbed onto its back and continued on their way, comfortably shielded from the icy wind.
Simu lay atop the bear, feeling completely at ease.
Minato sighed. "This is still a competition, you know. Is it really okay for us to be this relaxed?"
Noticing that both Simu and Kushina ignored him, Minato hesitated for a moment—then lay down as well.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the mountains…
The Uchiha team found themselves in a life-or-death situation.
Before them stood twelve opponents, blocking their path completely.
At the forefront was none other than Cloud Shinobi's Troy.
Uchiha Fugaku narrowed his eyes as he studied the group. "I didn't expect shinobi from the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Ash to join forces with Cloud Shinobi."
Indeed, not all twelve opponents were from the Land of Lightning.
Two teams were from the Land of Hot Water (Yu no Kuni) and the Land of Ash (Iwa no Kuni).
Fugaku wasn't entirely surprised. These two small nations had always leaned toward the Land of Lightning.
During the Second Great Ninja War, they even allowed the Lightning forces to pass through their territory to attack Konoha.
However, what intrigued Fugaku was how they managed to coordinate so quickly.
As if reading his thoughts, Troy smirked and pulled out a small glass bottle.
Inside was a fine layer of magnetic sand.
He uncorked the bottle and let the sand flow out, watching it swirl and float around him like a school of obedient fish.
"Do you get it now?" Troy said smugly.
"As long as they carry magnetic sand, I can find their location instantly."
With that, Troy grabbed the massive shuriken strapped to his back.
"You're the famous Uchiha prodigy, Uchiha Fugaku, aren't you?" he sneered.
"If I defeat you here, my reputation in the village will surpass that woman's in an instant."
Fugaku's expression darkened.
His scarlet pupils spun rapidly, and the three tomoe in his Sharingan began to rotate.
Sharingan—Three Tomoe, activated!
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