The remaining Genin finally got a clear look at the person before them.
Though he appeared friendly on the surface, he was actually cold and ruthless beneath that exterior.
So, none of them dared to respond to him.
Yuki Seisui didn't seem the least bit bothered. He casually found a spot to sit down.
Moments later, Sarutobi Hiruzen arrived at the central tower, accompanied by the other three Kage.
The Third Kazekage glanced at the heavily injured Rasa before turning his gaze to Yuki Seisui. A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Such a powerful prodigy," he remarked.
Onoki snorted coldly.
"Tch! Just a brat, and yet he dares act so arrogantly."
Clearly, he didn't approve of Yuki Seisui's rough and domineering actions.
Raikage A, on the other hand, seemed to admire the boy. Even though Yuki had beaten up his younger self, he showed no signs of being upset.
"I like this kid! Hahaha!"
Feeling the eyes of all the Kage on him, Yuki Seisui coughed awkwardly and subtly shifted closer to Uchiha Haru.
Hiruzen exchanged a subtle glance with Danzo, who instantly understood what his old comrade was thinking.
"Your Sand Village has produced some impressive talents as well," Danzo offered coolly.
The Third Kazekage merely gave him a side glance and remained silent.
Instead, Onoki turned to Danzo and said,
"And who exactly are you to speak here, Konoha shinobi?"
"You dare interrupt the Kage?"
Onoki was well aware of who Danzo was, Hokage's advisor, and technically, he did have the qualifications to speak here.
But Danzo hated being looked down on, even if he knew this was just an act on Onoki's part.
"You Iwa shinobi, "
"That's enough, Danzo!"
Before Danzo could finish, Hiruzen cut him off, clearly aware of what he was about to say.
Danzo still wanted to argue, but Hiruzen was already turning to address the gathered Genin below.
"You'll regret this, Hiruzen…" Danzo thought bitterly, casting a fierce glare toward Onoki.
"I'll make sure you pay for this slight."
Hiruzen caught the edge of that glare from the corner of his eye and quietly thought to himself:
"Forgive me, Danzo. Now isn't the time."
Shifting his attention back to the significantly reduced group of Genin below, Hiruzen's gaze lingered a few extra moments on Yuki Seisui.
"Blocking the entrance… that was a move I didn't expect."
"Clearly, we'll have to update the rules, can't have people camping the gate like that anymore."
Clearing his throat, he finally spoke aloud.
"Congratulations. You've successfully passed the second phase of the exam."
"Next comes the final battle assessment!"
"However, since most of you are injured, the final test will be held in half a month!"
Yuki Seisui, standing below, wasn't surprised in the least.
Too many participants had sustained serious injuries. Even with Konoha's medical ninjas, it would take more than a few days to recover.
Half a month sounded about right.
"Half a month left. You two are about to become Chunin," he said, turning to his two teammates.
"Excited?"
Yuki Seisui had no doubt the two would make it.
Their strength wasn't far off from Young A, and on par with the likes of Rasa, they were clearly in the top tier.
If even they couldn't be promoted, then only he and Young A would be worthy of the rank this time around.
Minato blinked, surprised.
"Wait, aren't you going to become a Chunin too?"
"Of course I am!" Yuki Seisui smacked Minato lightly on the head.
"I'm the leader of our Chunin squad."
"I'm stronger than both of you, after all!" he said, arms confidently akimbo.
Uchiha Haru rolled her eyes.
"Leader or not, you're still a Chunin..."
By the time Hiruzen and the other Kage left, Yuki and his teammates paid no mind to the cautious glances from the other Genin.
They simply turned and walked away.
"I need a good soak in the hot springs," Yuki Seisui muttered.
"These last three days were torture."
"Mm-hmm!" Minato and Uchiha Haru nodded in firm agreement.
"I'm going to see Kushina!" Minato added boldly, he no longer tried to hide it, growing more shameless by the day.
Haru remained silent, simply walking beside them.
By the time the three emerged from the Forest of Death, the sky had already dimmed.
At the forest's edge, Yuki Seisui spotted a familiar figure.
It was Uchiha Setsuna.
Feigning a glance up at the sky, Yuki turned to his teammates.
"Alright, time to head home. See you tomorrow!"
With that, he vanished, reappearing instantly in another direction.
Haru tilted her head as she watched him go.
"Is my grandpa really that scary…?"
Uchiha Setsuna snorted upon seeing Yuki flee.
He couldn't stand little pigs trying to steal his precious cabbage!
When Haru and Minato stepped out of the forest, Setsuna shot Minato a sharp glance. He didn't say anything, but Minato could feel the pressure radiating off him.
A silent warning.
When Setsuna walked toward them, Haru quickly stepped forward and chirped,
"Grandpa!"
She then introduced her teammate,
"This is my teammate, Namikaze Minato."
"Grandpa, this is Minato."
Minato looked at Setsuna, nervous sweat beading on his forehead.
"Nice to meet you, sir. Goodbye, sir!"
And with that, he turned and ran off without looking back.
Only after he left did Setsuna's stern expression soften. Looking at Haru, he asked gently,
"You didn't get hurt, did you?"
"You've lost weight!"
His eyes were full of concern, he now looked like a doting old grandfather.
Haru shook her head with a smile.
"Come, let's go home," Setsuna said, taking her small hand as they walked together. He quietly listened to her excitedly recount the events of the past few days.
Meanwhile, Minato bolted away from the Forest of Death like he was running from death itself.
The pressure Uchiha Setsuna gave off was even worse than facing the Third Hokage.
It felt like he could die at any moment.
Wandering through the streets, Minato grabbed a few skewers of tri-color dango and headed toward the Senju compound.
As he passed the ninja academy, his steps slowed. He stopped at a corner, squatted down, and picked up a few familiar strands of red hair.
"This… this is Kushina's hair?"
"But why is it here?"
Having spent so much time with her, he knew for certain, Kushina would never come to this spot.
Following the trail, he found more strands of red hair nearby.
"This location…"
He mentally calculated the distance and placement between the hair strands and suddenly snapped his head toward the village outskirts.
"This trail leads outside the village!"
His face darkened.
Without hesitation, Minato bolted forward, eyes scanning for more clues as he moved.
Soon, he found himself deep within the forest.
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