As they drew closer to the Land of Fire, there were no further signs of Sand ninja.
Uchiha Hayashi gradually loosened the tension in his body, leaning back on the grain transport cart while soaking up the warm sun.
Occasionally, when he grew bored, he offered Minato pointers on minor issues regarding the theoretical aspects of chakra nature transformation.
Because her right arm was injured, Mikoto could not perform techniques with it, so she sat quietly to the side, listening as Hayashi explained the relevant theory.
Although Hayashi had not yet explained the principles behind Chidori to Mikoto, anyone could figure out that making Chidori envelop the arm or even the entire body would require a deep understanding of chakra nature transformation.
Nawaki, on the other hand, was sprawled out on the cart, half asleep and looking like a useless dog.
At the thought of having to see Tsunade again that evening, he felt like he would rather just disappear.
Himeji sat quietly nearby with a scroll open, reading about the Gentle Fist.
After spending time around her, Hayashi had noticed she was not as extreme as when she was younger.
Her temper was stable, and she responded politely whenever someone spoke to her.
Living like this for too long could be tiring.
Hayashi stood up to stretch his body, scanning the surrounding scenery.
A small smile crossed his face.
"We are about to enter the border of the Land of Fire," he said.
"Huh?" Nawaki did a quick kip‑up and stood on his tiptoes to peer ahead, but the horizon still looked like empty plains.
He turned his head and asked, "How do you know? Does that Sharingan thing have reconnaissance functions too?"
Hayashi shook his head, "The terrain of the Land of Rivers consists mostly of desert and scattered hills. Now, the foliage around here has clearly increased, and the air feels far more humid. That tells me we are nearly at the border of the Land of Fire."
"These were elective geography courses about the nations taught at the Ninja Academy," Hayashi continued, "Don't you ever listen in class?"
"Uh, I was busy studying Taijutsu and Ninjutsu back then," Nawaki said awkwardly, "how could I have time for that?"
Theory classes had always been his weakness.
If not for his excellent performance in practical classes, he would have definitely ranked last.
Minato nodded in agreement. "Same here. My theory grades were actually great, but at the time I dedicated every spare moment to catching up to Hayashi in training. I had no interest in those boring elective courses."
Hayashi looked at him without words.
In the manga Minato was portrayed as an obedient and excellent child, but over the years he had clearly been led astray by Nawaki, who was like a walking source of mischief.
Surely he was a bad influence.
Hayashi was about to lie down again when a thought struck him.
His expression turned mysterious.
"In the past," he said, "this knowledge was useless, but now it's quite valuable."
"Oh? How so?" the others perked up.
"Based on your achievements, you should have enough merit to apply for the Chunin rank, right?"
"Yes." Nawaki nodded, but then added strangely, "The problem is that the base here has suddenly stopped accepting Chunin evaluations. I don't know if we have to return to Konoha to get confirmed."
"I asked my sister," he continued, "but she just laughed and refused to say. She told me I would find out when we got back."
As Konoha's resident know‑it‑all, Nawaki was understandably puzzled.
"Could it be?" Minato already had a guess.
Hayashi grinned and patted Minato's shoulder. "Exactly. The Village closed the exams on purpose."
"Now that the war is over, Konoha is the victorious nation and should enjoy the fruits of victory. Aside from reparations from other villages, the most important thing now is a Chunin Exams to show Konoha's strength to everyone who might hire shinobi."
"It will be the kind of large‑scale Chunin Exams held jointly by several Villages!"
As far as Chunin Exams were concerned, they were occasions for major nations to observe each other's strength.
After three years of war, the various villages already had a general understanding of one another's power.
But understanding was not enough.
They had to let wealthy recruiters see the strength for themselves.
Konoha was powerful — one village defeating two of the Five Great Nations — but no one knew how much strength it had left.
To put it simply, this was the time to show the village's strength and secure more missions.
More missions meant the post‑war economy would recover faster, and Konoha would secure a more favorable position in future conflicts.
After all, the number of missions was limited.
Just as a village had more opportunities, others would have fewer, slowing their recovery.
Moreover, a large Chunin Exams would attract a huge influx of visitors to Konoha, boosting the village's long‑stagnant economy.
In many ways it was akin to the Olympics from Hayashi's past life.
Many nations fought for the honor of hosting because it brought money and economic revitalization.
As for why some places failed to profit while others succeeded, well, who could say?
Even a powerful nation like Konoha could not simply sit back and reap the benefits without effort.
In short, for the sake of this exam, the Village had to suspend all ninja promotions.
These "Chunin‑to‑be" who had just returned from battle were among the most experienced and capable, perfect candidates to showcase Konoha's strength.
Those who weren't outstanding had mostly fallen on the battlefield.
"Oh no," Nawaki suddenly said, looking distressed, "my theory classes weren't very good."
Hayashi chuckled quietly but did not comment further.
The theoretical exam was originally designed to test a ninja's reconnaissance and analytical skills.
Some questions were so difficult that even many genin could not answer them, let alone Nawaki.
But Hayashi would not spoil the secret.
That was something even Jonin would never willingly reveal to a genin.
"Hayashi, is there a study guide? Could you highlight the key points for me?" Nawaki asked hopefully, shaking Hayashi by the shoulder.
Hayashi smiled and asked in return, "Do you know what is even larger than the ninja world?"
Nawaki shook his head, confusion on his face.
"The scope of the exam."
Silence followed.
Perhaps because the air was now saturated with Nawaki's sorrow, the sky began to darken as they approached the Land of Fire.
Thick rain fell unabated.
The sound of wheels pounding the ground blended with the patter of droplets hitting puddles, creating a chaotic rhythm, like an orchestra with no conductor.
Inside his sealed cage, the Third Kazekage felt a single drop of rain trickle down and licked it off his lips by instinct.
He observed that the sealing formulas on his cage showed no sign of weakening.
The rain did nothing but bead on the surface before falling away.
After a moment, he narrowed his eyes to study the Konoha ninja who guarded him.
At the same time, he slowly moved his hand, which could now shift slightly, and touched the intricate sealing marks.
Using the smallest fraction of his remaining chakra, he analyzed the seals bit by bit.
As a Kage, he knew a little about everything.
Additionally, Shukaku's chakra had once granted him the power of Magnet Release.
That affinity naturally gave him a deep understanding of certain sealing techniques.
"Let the rain fall harder," he murmured to himself.
The Third Kazekage sat silently in the customized cage, praying that the downpour would continue.
Once they reached Konoha, any chance of escape would disappear.
But as long as the rain slowed their pace, there was hope.
With enough delay, he might complete his plan to break free, his own version of ninja redemption.
A powerful ninja redeems himself, while a great ninja saves others.
The Third Kazekage no longer aspired to be a great ninja.
Right now, he only wanted strength.
_____
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