Departure, the Land of Whirlpools!

The Land of Water was the first to expose itself, and a large number of Mist Ninja openly attacked the borders of various countries, displaying unparalleled arrogance.

This incident alerted the other three major powers' Kage cities: a vanguard force from Kirigakure had been completely wiped out within Konoha's territory.

Before they could even consider planting spies in Konoha, another piece of news sent shockwaves through the entire ninja world:

The first joint Chunin Exams of the ninja world, spearheaded by Konoha and fully supported by the Land of Fire, is about to be held.

The invitation has been solemnly presented to the dignitaries of various countries.

At a time when the ninja world was in turmoil, Konoha's sudden move instantly drew all attention.

The Mist Ninja stopped harassing the border, the Iwa Ninja stopped assassinating, and even the Sand Ninja hurriedly climbed out of the mine.

Each of the shadows clutched the intelligence report, examining it closely, and the same thought simultaneously popped into their minds:

Well then! You, Hiruzen Sarutobi, want to be the next Hashirama Senju?

He organizes the Five Kage Summit, and you come to organize the Chunin Exams?

Do you deserve it?

The strongest Tsuchikage and the strongest Kazekage of all time were the first to express their dissatisfaction.

After reading the letter, the Third Mizukage sneered and immediately selected the village's most elite genin.

This exam is bound to turn into a battlefield, causing pain to the ninja world!

Deep within Yunlei Gorge, the Yunren (a type of ninja) quietly gathered.

The newly appointed Third Raikage's eyes flashed like lightning as he swiftly assigned tasks:

First, investigate the movements of the Hidden Stone Village. If the Tsuchikage really does head to the Land of Fire... then we'll pull off a big heist.

Hokage Building.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, wearing the Hokage hat, stood by the window and summoned his staff once again.

"I've thought about the matter of Kirigakure for a long time," he said slowly. "The ninja world is about to descend into chaos, and Konoha cannot remain unaffected."

Mitomon Homura continued, "We occupy the most fertile land, and those people have long been eyeing the Land of Fire."

Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a puff of smoke.

"Instead of passively waiting for others to start a war, it's better to take the initiative. The Daimyo has agreed to my request, and the joint Chunin Exams will be held in Konoha."

The three nodded. Mitokado Homura, still worried, asked, "Will they agree?"

"They had no choice," Danzo said calmly.

The strength of Konoha is a well-known fact.

Even though Hashirama and Tobirama have long since passed away, Konoha's overall strength remains unshaken.

Moreover, the Land of Fire is located in the center of the continent, and once war breaks out, Konoha is an unavoidable part for everyone.

Now that there's an opportunity to personally visit Konoha and see for yourself, even if Konoha doesn't invite you, some people will try every means to sneak in.

Mitokado Yan realized something, but then another thought crossed her mind: "But holding it in the village... wouldn't the risk be too great?"

With all five Kage gathered at once, if negotiations break down, they could start fighting on the spot.

He was truly afraid that his courtyard would be flattened by ninja magic.

Xiaochun, who was turning over to her new room, also opened her eyes; this was also the question she cared about most.

"It's alright," Hiruzen Sarutobi said calmly. "I will take action."

He had already prepared for these possibilities.

He was confident he could handle the other four shadows.

Both the Mizukage and Raikage are newcomers who have just taken office and are not a threat.

The so-called strongest Tsuchikage and strongest Kazekage are nothing but paper tigers that don't live up to their names.

These people are under his personal supervision, the strongest Hokage in history, so there's no way things will get out of control.

If that really doesn't work... then we'll have to trouble Mito-sensei to do it for each of them.

Upon hearing this, Danzo pursed his lips slightly, secretly deciding that he must make thorough arrangements.

"Besides the four great ninja villages, we also need to inform our allies," Danzo continued. "They will be a vital force in the war."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded.

"I have already made arrangements in this regard."

Uchiha Kagami's team had to temporarily split up after completing their first mission.

Due to the special nature of Yang Xiang's mission, the village arranged a temporary team for him.

This made the little girl quite reluctant to part with it.

She handed Yang Xiang her prepared ninja tool kit, which contained neatly arranged disinfectant dressings, blood-activating medicine, and antidote injections.

"Where are Captain Mirror and Murakumo?" Yang Xiang asked casually as he took the ninja tool bag.

Mikoto gently pinched her sideburns, her tone tinged with dissatisfaction: "Those two seem to have gone drinking last night, they haven't gotten up yet... They even missed the time to send Yang Xiang off, that's really outrageous."

Yang Xiang was taken aback—Cong Yun, has he reached the age where he can drink alcohol?

Cong Yun: (อ﹏อ)

After saying goodbye to Mikoto, he walked towards the village gate.

Three temporary teammates were already waiting over there.

"Hey! Who was that girl just now? She's a member of the Uchiha clan, right? This is troublesome!"

As Yang Xiang walked past Sheng Shu, the latter was still looking in the direction Mikoto had left.

He waved his hand casually.

A cloud of smoke exploded, leaving only a wooden stake in the spot.

"Hey brat, stop scaring my brother! Someone who's always ready with a substitution jutsu looks really weird!"

Tsunade grabbed the rope tree that had appeared behind her in a flash and threw it to the ground.

"Haha, you're really strong, Rope Tree! I didn't even see your hand seals clearly." The white-haired man beside him clapped his hands with a laugh. "Thanks for your guidance on this mission."

These are Yang Xiang's temporary teammates.

The three Senju members represent the bonds and ties between the ninja clans, while Jiraiya and Tsunade highlight Konoha's emphasis on this mission.

Jiraiya was genuinely surprised.

Tsunade's younger brother is much stronger than he expected.

Based on his understanding, Rope Tree's skill level should have been quite ordinary.

However, after the four of them left the village, they traveled at high speed all the way. Not only was Rope Tree able to keep up with the pace, but he also showed no signs of fatigue.

In the ninja system, chakra is deeply tied to physical energy, and endurance and speed often directly reflect one's level of strength.

In addition, there was the speed at which he formed hand seals, as demonstrated earlier at the village entrance...

Who said this kid is weak? He's actually quite good.

Rope Tree wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead.

He could still withstand the intensity of the journey.

During Yang Xiang's month-long intensive training, he focused on honing his endurance and speed.

However, his current position made him feel a little uneasy.

He found himself directly in front of Yang Xiang.

He couldn’t help but urge Jiraiya, who was at the front, to go faster.

Click.

The soft sound of Yang Xiang stepping on the tree branches clearly reached Sheng Shu's ears.

The physiological response is triggered instantly.

He suddenly accelerated, his figure almost overlapping with Jiraiya at the very front.

Jiraiya's heart skipped a beat!

At the same time, in a fishing village somewhere along the coastline.

Three figures wearing straw raincoats and bamboo hats sat on a fishing boat.

Each had their own role: steer the boat, cast the net, and fish.

These three were ninjas from the Land of Water who had been stranded here.

Due to the sudden cancellation of the mission, they were unable to return to their homeland in time.

The leader sat on the side of the boat, holding a strangely shaped hook in his hand, pretending to fish with a suspended rod.

The boatman was Wuli Shenba, and the net caster was Tongcao Ye'erren.

They are all young and skilled fighters who have recently made a name for themselves in Kirigakure.

The small boat drifted with the waves, appearing and disappearing on the shore.

"I just got news from the gold exchange... Tsunade from Konoha will be passing through here."

"Her bounty in the underworld is incredibly high... which is perfect for us. Hahaha."