NOVEL WEB Chapter 61: Chapter 071
[One Tail - Shukaku]: …You're all bullying me like this.
[One Tail - Shukaku]: I'll remember this grudge.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: Shukaku, that's not something you should be holding a grudge over.
[One Tail - Shukaku]: …
[One Tail - Shukaku]: …
[One Tail - Shukaku]: Hmph, fine. I won't remember it.
·····
"Then it was your turn..."
Because Gaara was absent, the Suna team withdrew, and some other teams dropped out as well.
In the end, only 33 teams continued participating.
Kitahara Kaede's Team 7 also waited at the entrance, ready to set off with the Heaven and Earth Scrolls.
And [luckily], Hinata's solo team was just ahead of them in the lineup.
So they should be able to team up with her quickly.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: I see now, Little Kitahara Kaede impersonated Anko for this reason.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: As the proctor, he could influence the order in which examinees enter.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: Looks like he really likes that little Hyūga girl.
[Tobirama]: Hm?
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: You don't need to get it, Tobirama.
[Tobirama]: ?!?!
[Minato Namikaze]: Yeah, but I don't think it's against the rules.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: Mhm.
[Tobirama]: ??!?
[One Tail - Shukaku]: …
[One Tail - Shukaku]: So… it's still not over?
[One Tail - Shukaku]: I'm really reaching my limit.
[Kakashi Hatake]: …I'll go say something.
[One Tail - Shukaku]: Ugh…
Shukaku let out a pitiful whimper.
·········
"Well then…"
Hinata's solo team had already departed, and Kitahara Kaede's Team 7 was getting ready to head out.
"Wait." Kakashi hurried over.
"Kakashi-sensei, we're about to take the exam," said Naruto, a bit puzzled.
After Gaara disappeared, Naruto and Sasuke were told they no longer needed to keep an eye on him and could focus on the Chūnin Exams.
So the two of them were fully focused on the exam.
But Kakashi-sensei kept coming over to interrupt.
"Uh… sorry."
"But…" Kakashi looked a bit awkward.
"Is Shukaku really going to be okay?" he asked Kitahara Kaede in a low voice.
"I've isolated him," Kitahara Kaede replied.
"Uh… is that isolated place dangerous?"
"…" Kitahara Kaede.
"…Forgot."
Kitahara Kaede answered.
And at that moment, it was their team's turn to set out.
"Let's go." Kitahara Kaede directly grabbed the Heaven Scroll and led the way into the field.
Thus, Team 7's three members entered the Forest of Death.
But—
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: Wood Clone is really handy.
Hashirama commented.
Because even though Kitahara Kaede had followed Naruto and Sasuke to continue the exam, the group's perspective wasn't focused on the Forest of Death.
Which meant the Kitahara Kaede going to the exam with Naruto and the others wasn't the real one—it was a clone.
[Tobirama]: I used to think my Multiple Shadow Clone Technique was the most convenient, but now I see, Wood Clone is also excellent.
[Tobirama]: It's nearly indistinguishable from the original.
[Minato Namikaze]: Minabō also developed the Shadow Clone Technique.
[Tobirama]: …
[Tobirama]: Minato, sounds like you've got something to say about my invention?
[Minato Namikaze]: Eh? I just meant Minabō really worked hard to study ninjutsu, and it moved me. Second Hokage-sama, what did you say?
[Tobirama]: …Nothing.
[One Tail - Shukaku]: Huff… finally, you're here!
With that cry from Shukaku, everyone noticed the perspective had shifted—finally, they saw what was happening with Shukaku.
····
Minato had great talent and insight into space-time ninjutsu.
He quickly mastered the Flying Thunder God and even developed a second stage technique.
As for the Second Hokage - Tobirama, aside from his Sea Release talent, he was adept at developing all kinds of (forbidden) ninjutsu and had well-rounded abilities.
As the developer of both Flying Thunder God and Flying Thunder Slash, he also had deep insights into space-time techniques.
However—
When he saw Kitahara Kaede enter a realm filled with an ocean of lava, Tobirama realized… maybe there were still things he hadn't seen.
No, this kind of place, he definitely had never seen.
Had such a lava world ever existed?
Amidst the boiling sea of magma, a raccoon was floating on its back, dog-paddling furiously.
This raccoon—was the original form of the One Tail.
Kitahara Kaede entered with his ninja rabbit, Little White Bunny.
"…"
The bunny didn't speak, or write.
Or rather, it seemed stunned…
Previously, it had only accidentally discovered that infusing some of its power into Hyūga Hinata caused a small change in her.
That barely counted as a power-up.
But with Kitahara Kaede, it was very different.
Just as it once said to Black Zetsu—it knew Kitahara Kaede had talent and could potentially reach its level.
However—
Seeing how he instantly gained control over the inner domain of Heavenly Royal Palace, he might surpass even it.
Even though it could freely enter and exit this magma world, the dangers here treated even it equally.
But right now, the situation was... strange.
Because Kitahara Kaede was walking through lava with the bunny in his arms, and neither he nor the bunny were hurt by it.
Which meant—
He had already surpassed it.
Kitahara Kaede noticed his rabbit's dumbfounded expression, but he was already used to that look.
He also found the Rinnegan really handy.
Its most basic powers—Almighty Push and Chibaku Tensei.
Using Almighty Push, he could repel surrounding magma.
So even walking through magma seemed completely safe and untouchable.
Though, his ninja bunny was kind of dumb. Technically, its Byakugan could do the same, but it had frozen up. So he helped by activating the repulsion effect too.
Kaguya = Dumb sweet girl.Kaguya = A woman with infinite chakra who can't do anything.Kaguya = Fully geared-up but plays worse than a noob.
He understood this very clearly now.
Kitahara Kaede walked up to Shukaku.
"Shukaku," Kitahara Kaede said.
"…" Shukaku was doing the frog stroke. "You… you called me?"
"Can you hurry up and save me?" Shukaku asked.
"I'd advise you not to speak to me like that," Kitahara Kaede replied.
!?!!
Shukaku seemed confused.
[Nine Tails - Kurama]: Dumb raccoon, you'd better behave. Last time Kitahara Kaede said that to me—
[Nine Tails - Kurama]: I got wrecked.
[Nine Tails - Kurama]: He said, 'Fox, I want you to help me train,' then he just beat me up.
[Nine Tails - Kurama]: I launched a Tailed Beast Bomb and it blew up in my own face.
[One Tail - Shukaku]: Uh… so the dumb fox had its fur blown off.
[One Tail - Shukaku]: …
[One Tail - Shukaku]: …
[One Tail - Shukaku]: That's terrifying!
"Ahem…"
"Lord Kitahara Kaede…"
"I have no hostility toward Konoha."
"So, can you save me, please?"
"I swear I'll never harm Konoha." One Tail quickly promised.
"Hmm…" Kitahara Kaede said, "The reason I captured you alone this time was because I thought you might endanger Konoha."
"But…"
"I'm not unreasonable," Kitahara Kaede said.
"If Shukaku didn't lose at least once, those people from the Sand Village wouldn't stop."
"…"
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