The next morning, Kiyosuke woke up groggily.
The warmth in his arms was gone. Thinking back to last night...
Mm, not bad at all.
He got up, dressed, and found servants waiting outside with toiletries and breakfast.
After washing up, he sat down to a fragrant meal. When he heard it had been prepared by Mei Terumī herself, his appetite only grew. Once he finished, he asked the servants where Mei had gone.
"The Mizukage-sama has gone to work," they replied.
So diligent and responsible, huh?
Heading to the Mizukage Building, he saw Ao, Genshi, and Chōjūrō there. Naturally, Kiyosuke kept himself in check and, after chatting for a short while, excused himself.
Tomorrow he would be leaving. The Chūnin Exams were about to begin, and he had to return to the village to report.
That night, he stayed once more at Mei's home, enjoying her gentleness, which only reaffirmed that his decision had been the right one.
...
The next morning, Kiyosuke departed for Konoha along with five squads of Mist genin, led by one of Genshi's trusted subordinates.
The group set off together.
Originally, Ao had been considered for the role of leader. But since his Byakugan had come from Konoha's Hyūga Clan, Mei had decided against it—after all, that Byakugan was an important asset to Kirigakure.
Upon arriving in Konoha, Kiyosuke's shadow clone also returned with Sasuke and Naruto so they could take part in the Chūnin Exams.
Naruto had grown taller, though he was covered in bandages and bore fresh wounds. His mood wasn't great. Sasuke, on the other hand, was clad in white, with a purple rope belt tied around his waist just like Orochimaru's. A black Kusanagi sword hung at his back, his hair longer than before. It was clear he had gained much under Orochimaru's tutelage.
When the shadow clone dispersed, it relayed all the information about the two.
Sasuke was thriving under Orochimaru's care, almost worshiped like some honored heir. His training was intense, and word was that he was developing a new Lightning Style technique—Kirin. Compared to his old self, the current Sasuke could defeat several of his past selves at once.
Naruto, though, was another story.
Jiraiya, in an attempt to help him control the Nine-Tails' power, had loosened the Eight Trigrams Seal. But Naruto lost control at the Four-Tails state and went berserk. Jiraiya had been forced to reseal the Nine-Tails' chakra, sustaining serious injuries in the process.
Now, Jiraiya lay in Konoha's hospital, receiving treatment from Tsunade.
Without Tsunade, he probably wouldn't have been able to walk for a month or two.
Naruto's gloom came from that very incident.
He had nearly killed his own teacher. How could he accept that?
Truly, this was the shinobi world where "the rate of killing one's master" seemed absurdly high. Luckily, Naruto was the protagonist—otherwise Jiraiya might not have survived at all.
Kakashi had yet to return, still investigating matters in the Land of Rain.
This time, Amegakure hadn't sent any genin to the Exams. Pain had no interest in exposing himself just yet.
Though strong, he was still in the stage of biding his time. Best to remain patient.
The attack on Konoha had been Hanzo's doing, which had strained relations between Ame and Konoha. Sending people to the Exams now was out of the question.
He wasn't stupid.
...
"Kiyosuke, lend me someone," Asuma said, patting his shoulder.
"Lend you someone?"
Kiyosuke gave him a puzzled look.
"What's wrong with your team?"
Asuma sighed. "Since Shikamaru was promoted to chūnin ahead of time, my team is now short one member. As you know, the Exams require a full three-man squad. Without Shikamaru, we're incomplete."
The rules were clear. A three-man team was required to participate. If someone had already been promoted to chūnin, they couldn't compete, meaning the remaining members had to find a replacement.
Kakashi had once entered the Exams despite already being a chūnin, but that had been a special case. He had been too young when promoted, and the Third Hokage wanted to see how he functioned with his teammates. Exceptions like that wouldn't happen now.
With Shikamaru gone, Ino Yamanaka and Chōji Akimichi needed a new teammate.
Originally, Sakura had been considered, but with Sasuke and Naruto brought back, that plan fell through.
"You still have Karin at home, don't you?" Asuma said. "She's still a genin. Let her join my team for the Exams."
Kiyosuke thought for a moment. That could work.
After graduating, Karin had gone straight into working at Konoha's hospital and had yet to be promoted to chūnin. Meaning, she was still a genin—eligible for the Exams.
As a member of the Uzumaki clan, her sensory abilities were sharp, and she was skilled in medical ninjutsu. Under Kiyosuke's training, her taijutsu had also reached an impressive level. She was classmates with Ino and Chōji, familiar with them both. No one could be more suitable.
That was why Asuma had come seeking his help.
"You're asking the wrong person," Kiyosuke said casually. "You'll have to discuss it with Karin. Whether she takes part is up to her."
"Don't worry. Before you left, we already talked it over. Karin said she'd follow your opinion."
"My opinion is no opinion. Do as you like."
Kiyosuke rubbed his chin. If he remembered correctly, this round of the Chūnin Exams would end halfway through. Same with Boruto's later exam. So what was it with the Chūnin Exams always being cut short?
"Alright. We'll go ahead and submit the roster."
...
Kiyosuke gathered his own students.
"This time, I believe you'll all advance. Shino, you're calm enough to take command. Hinata, Kiba, and Akamaru—you'll follow his lead."
"The first round's written exam doesn't worry me. The second round should be crossing the desert. Be cautious. There's quicksand everywhere. Remember to walk as if on water, using chakra to stay atop the sand. It'll burn some chakra, but it won't slow you down as much."
Walking on sand drained more energy than usual, and the harsh environment was enough of a trial. As a testing ground, the desert was far more punishing than the Forest of Death.
"Also, be prepared for the cold. Desert nights get freezing," Kiyosuke went on, sounding like a fussy parent warning them of every danger.
The three listened intently.
After lecturing for half an hour, Kiyosuke finally stopped.
"Alright. Aside from Shikamaru, you're the most promising of your generation. Do your best and earn promotion. That way, we won't have to do D-rank missions anymore. As your sensei, I'll take you on higher-level ones."
"Ohhhh!!"
"Woof woof woof!!"
Only Kiba and Akamaru answered with enthusiasm.
Kiyosuke froze, embarrassed. Tragic!
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
+100 chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo