Chapter 61: A Special Case

Veigar Koshima never imagined he would end up getting Minato Namikaze into such a mess—let alone that Kushina Uzumaki would send Minato flying with a punch.

The moment it happened, Veigar instinctively bolted, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the fiery-tempered Kushina. He quickly ran over to Minato, guilt and concern evident in his expression.

"Minato-sensei, I'm so sorry!"

"Are you alright?"

Minato rubbed his chest where the impact still lingered, offering a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I'm fine."

The fact that Minato could still smile after being sent flying was a testament to Kushina's restraint—if she had used her full strength, he wouldn't still be standing.

Seeing that Minato was merely sore but otherwise unharmed, Kushina's anger quickly subsided.

She knew full well that Minato could have dodged if he wanted to. The fact that he hadn't only made the situation more embarrassing. A faint blush crept onto her face.

"Did I just make myself look short-tempered in front of Veigar…?"

Love makes people hyper-aware of their actions, and right now, Kushina was no exception. Normally strong-willed and lively, she found herself overthinking how she had just acted in front of Minato's student. Their first meeting, and she had already lost her temper. The realization only deepened her embarrassment.

But she wasn't the type to dwell on it. Taking a deep breath, she quickly regained her composure.

"Hmph."

"You deserved it."

With a flick of her vibrant red hair, Kushina turned on her heel and marched back into the house, shutting the door behind her with a firm thud.

Veigar awkwardly scratched the back of his head, glancing at Minato. "Well, since you're okay, Minato-sensei… I'll be heading out now."

And just like that, he was gone.

Not daring to look back at Minato's ever-sunny smile, Veigar made his escape at full speed.

Minato chuckled as he watched his student flee the scene. His mood had noticeably improved.

...

Time never stops moving. Before he knew it, Veigar had been a genin for over a year since graduating from the Academy.

Once again, after completing a mission under Minato's guidance, Veigar and Kakashi Hatake returned to the Hidden Leaf Village.

After collecting their mission pay, they parted ways, and Veigar headed home.

Over the past year, under Minato's tutelage, he had grown into a remarkably capable genin.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Poof! Poof!

The moment he stepped into his home, Veigar wasted no time in activating the B-rank jutsu he had recently learned from Minato.

When he first mastered the Shadow Clone Jutsu, he had spent hours amusing himself by conversing with his own clones, completely fascinated by the technique.

But now…

"Heh. Veigar!"

Locking eyes with his two shadow clones, he issued his command.

"Let's stick to the plan. Get to work!"

There was something inherently strange about asking himself to do something, but he'd gotten used to it.

Both clones nodded in unison before swiftly leaving the house, heading toward their usual training grounds.

Since learning the Shadow Clone Jutsu, Veigar had been maximizing its potential. The ability to transfer experience and memories back to the original upon dispelling a clone made it an invaluable tool for training.

By the riverside, his two clones set to work—one honing his swordsmanship, the other refining his ninjutsu.

"Wind Release: Blade of Wind."

The progress he had made in just a year was staggering.

At present, Veigar had already mastered three Wind Release techniques: Great Breakthrough, Shuriken Storm, and Blade of Wind.

Recently, under Minato's guidance, he had also learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu and a more advanced version of the Teleportation Jutsu.

The difference between the academy's basic Teleportation and the high-speed movement technique Minato had taught him was night and day. Their speed wasn't even in the same league.

...

At the Hokage Residence, a meeting of the jonin instructors was underway.

Besides the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, all the attending jonin had gathered for one reason: the upcoming Chunin Exams.

Given the rising tension in the ninja world, Sarutobi was looking ahead, preparing for what could come next.

A Third Great Ninja War seemed inevitable.

To bolster Konoha's strength in preparation for possible conflict, Sarutobi had decided to host this Chunin Exam as a joint examination—both as a means of selecting competent chunin and as a show of force to rival villages.

By demonstrating Konoha's military might, they could instill fear in their potential enemies, making them think twice before initiating war.

Invitations had already been sent to every hidden village days ago, and replies confirming participation were steadily coming in.

Now, the assembled jonin were responsible for nominating their students to take part.

Minato Namikaze was among them, and he had someone in mind.

However, unlike the standard three-man squad format, Minato had only one remaining genin under his command—Veigar. Kakashi had already been promoted to chunin, leaving them short two teammates.

Thus, Minato intended to submit Veigar as a special exception—a solo participant.

Once the other jonin had finalized their nominations, only Minato remained.

He stepped forward, his expression serious.

"As Konoha jonin, I, Minato Namikaze, formally nominate my student, Veigar Koshima, to participate in the Chunin Exams as a special case—a solo competitor."

Minato had no doubts about Veigar's abilities. He was confident that his student could pass, even without a team.

The other jonin exchanged surprised glances. Special case nominations were rare, and Minato's request was unexpected.

However, given the setting, none of them voiced objections.

Ultimately, the only one with the authority to approve Veigar's participation was Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage.

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