Hearing what Seisui said, both Minato and Uchiha Haru looked at him in surprise.
"Sell it?!"
Seisui nodded seriously.
"We only need three to pass. If we have an extra one, it'd be a waste to lose it. So we sell it!"
Then, as if struck by inspiration, Seisui suddenly slapped his forehead.
"Wait, that's it!"
"We could just rob other teams for their badges and then sell those too!"
"Screw this tree hole, we're going on a looting spree!"
"Isn't that... kind of wrong?" Minato scratched his head, sounding unsure.
"I'm in!" Uchiha Haru immediately stood up in the tree hole and agreed enthusiastically, "Let's take them all!"
She hadn't experienced this kind of thing before. Just imagining it got her blood pumping.
Seeing Haru agree, Seisui gave her a big thumbs-up.
Then he turned to Minato, putting on a mock-serious face.
"Minato, I practically watched you grow up!"
"Why is your brain still so rigid!"
Minato's expression turned annoyed.
"Idiot, you didn't watch me grow up!"
"Huh? Weren't we raised together?" Seisui said with a dramatic look of heartbreak.
Minato was instantly at a loss for words.
Well… technically, that was kind of true.
As the two descended into their usual bickering, Haru remained calm and added,
"We're stronger than they are. Robbing them is perfectly reasonable."
"This is the ninja world."
"And this is Konoha."
As she said this, she shot a glance at Seisui.
"Exactly." Seisui nodded.
"This is Konoha. What's there to be afraid of?"
"Being robbed by the future Hokage, what an honor!"
He stood proudly, hands on his hips.
"Most people would kill for that chance!"
Minato, hearing them both, finally nodded in reluctant agreement.
"...Fine. I'm in."
"Alright then, let's move!" Seisui declared.
The more they looted, the more money they'd make.
==========
Meanwhile, not far from them, Yuhi Makoto's team was lying low in the canopy of a massive tree, whispering amongst themselves.
"Are you sure hiding here is a good idea?"
"Absolutely," Uchiha Fugaku replied with confidence.
"Most people heading toward the central tower pass through this area."
"If we stay hidden, we can ambush them directly."
"Plus, we've got Hizashi with us. With the Byakugan for reconnaissance, even I can't compete with that."
"So we'll be fine."
Hyuga Hizashi proudly nodded at the compliment.
When others said this kind of thing, it didn't move him, but hearing it from the young heir of the Uchiha Clan filled him with pride.
As expected, the Byakugan was the greatest dojutsu in the shinobi world.
After all, even Uchiha Fugaku admitted he couldn't match it.
Of course, Fugaku had no idea what was going on in Hiashi's mind. When he saw him nod silently, he just assumed the Hyuga was simply reserved and stoic, exactly the reputation his clan was known for.
If he did know what Hiashi was thinking, the two might've been fighting by now.
Yuhi Makoto, reassured by Fugaku's plan and reminded of the Byakugan's utility, finally relaxed.
The Byakugan's range and abilities were well-known, it could see across kilometers with 360-degree vision, peer through obstacles, and analyze chakra flow.
A very powerful kekkei genkai.
Makoto looked at Fugaku, feeling a touch of envy.
Two of his teammates had prestigious bloodlines, and powerful abilities to boot.
Their team was practically ideal.
Fugaku was their main offensive force, Makoto provided genjutsu support, and Hizashi handled detection and recon.
A perfectly balanced lineup.
While Makoto was still feeling proud of their setup, Hizashi suddenly made a silencing gesture.
"Someone's coming," he whispered.
The other two immediately went still, pressing flat against the branches as they scanned their surroundings.
After a moment of observation, Hizashi drew in a sharp breath. He flattened himself against the tree and whispered so low it was barely audible:
"People coming from both the east and the west."
"And the chakra I'm sensing from both groups… completely outclasses the three of us."
"Both groups!"
Fugaku's body tensed on the branch.
The east? That's where the central tower is. Someone's coming from that direction?
As he processed this, Hizashi continued scanning with his Byakugan. Then suddenly,
"I see them!" he whispered.
"It's… Yuki Seisui?!"
His voice was full of disbelief.
"How does he have so much chakra?!"
"And the two with him… they're just as strong as us now!"
Makoto sighed in relief. Judging from Hizashi's alarmed reaction, he'd feared it was a group far stronger than them.
As long as it was fellow Konoha ninja, he wasn't too worried.
==========
Seisui, Minato, and Haru were walking casually along a forest path.
Looking around at the scenery, Seisui muttered with boredom,
"We're not even hiding."
"How come no one's attacked us yet?"
"Could it be… my overwhelming strength has already struck fear into their hearts?"
"Shameless," Minato mumbled under his breath.
"This forest is huge. It's not like people are just gonna stumble into us."
None of them had sensory abilities, so they could only walk around openly and hope to lure some overconfident team into attacking them.
Eventually, the three of them reached the base of the very tree where Fugaku's team was hiding.
Seisui abruptly halted and raised his hand, signaling the others to stop.
"Still not coming out?" he suddenly shouted toward the trees ahead.
Yuhi Makoto, startled by the voice, glanced at his teammates. But seeing neither moved, he decided to remain still as well.
Just then, the sound of rustling leaves came from the opposite direction.
Moments later, a tall, muscular youth stepped out.
"Ha ha ha! Finally ran into you!"
It was A, the younger version of the future Raikage.
"The genius of Konoha! The youngest graduate in history!"
Seisui's name had some recognition, even among enemy villages. His basic intel had already been leaked by spies.
Though all they really knew was that he was "a genius."
"A… from the Raikage Clan," Seisui said with a tense expression.
Minato and Haru looked equally serious.
==========
"The real show's about to start," Hizashi whispered.
"Should we help?" Makoto asked.
"They're Konoha shinobi too."
Fugaku shook his head.
"We'll wait until that brat can't hold out anymore. Then we step in."
He wanted to see for himself just how capable this kid was, the same one who was getting close to his clan's genius girl.
"Hmph, if you know who I am, then cut the chatter!" A laughed, cracking his knuckles.
"Don't interfere," he said to his teammates behind him.
"I want to test their strength myself!"
=============
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