Opportunity?

After meeting Haku and Ranmaru, it was unclear what agreement Genji had privately reached with Zabuza and Raiga Kurosuki. In the end, these two rogue ninjas personally assigned tasks to Haku and Ranmaru, instructing them to cooperate with Chojuro and participate in the battle as ninjas of the Hidden Mist Village.

Zabuza even hoped that Haku would inherit his Executioner's Blade and the title of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist in the future. Haku's strength was comparable to Ino's. However, not only did the Hidden Mist Village disagree, but even if they gave him the Executioner's Blade now, he wouldn't be able to wield it.

So, Zabuza gave Haku a katana he had used in the past, a weapon with a sharp and murderous aura.

At the same time, he ordered Haku to tie up his long hair, change out of his feminine attire, and wear a white straight robe, black hakama, and a pair of wooden clogs.

After this transformation, Haku's face remained handsome, but he now exuded a bit more masculinity, which was a significant improvement.

Haku's swordsmanship was mediocre, but after watching Zabuza cut down people every day, he had gained some experience.

There was no time for last-minute intensive training, as the Konoha ninjas were already waiting. Zabuza could only simplify some techniques for him, combining them with Ice Release ninja techniques, aiming to rely on close-quarters combat to disrupt the enemy's attack rhythm.

Indeed, their imaginary enemy was none other than Ino. On the other side, Raiga Kurosuki also gave Ranmaru some special training.

Ranmaru was too young and physically weak, so Raiga didn't expect him to engage in an 800-round battle of Water Release and Fire Release with Ino. Instead, he was to use his Red Eye to locate the enemy's traces in advance and relay the information to Chojuro and Haku. That would be considered a successful mission.

Thus, Chojuro, Ranmaru, and Haku formed a small team, representing the Hidden Mist Village in the battle.

Early the next morning, just as the sky began to lighten, Ao informed the Konoha ninjas of this news.

He spoke in an official tone, mentioning things like fostering relationships and providing growth opportunities for the younger generation, his words filled with enthusiasm.

However, at the end, he added, "The Second Mizukage used his Summoning Beast to create this Illusionary Maze, which contains a portion of his Chakra and can be considered as the Second Mizukage himself. The original purpose of this Illusionary Maze was to provide growth opportunities for the young ninjas of the village, so there are age restrictions."

His meaning was simple: in these times, Secret Techniques and Kekkei Genkai were almost impossible to guard against. What if a Jonin from Konoha shamelessly sneaked in using some other method?

The decision to open the Illusionary Maze was Genji's alone, and no one knew about it beforehand.

Now, Ao believed that the Konoha ninjas were completely unprepared, and as the hosts, they had a significant advantage in terms of intelligence. But if an elite Jonin, especially someone like Kakashi with the Sharingan, managed to sneak in, things could get complicated.

His prior statement was essentially a warning to Konoha.

Mitokado Homura whispered a few words to Kakashi and Asuma, then nodded on behalf of the Hidden Leaf Village.

"Since there are no objections, let's gather the Genin now. The Illusionary Maze is deep in the back mountains and only opens at specific times each day. Our time is very limited," Ao said, clearly not intending to give the Konoha ninjas any time to prepare.

"Heh," Asuma chuckled. "Sir, allowing my subordinates to prepare some Ninja Tools and taking a little extra time shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Ao's face remained thick-skinned and unchanged, as if he hadn't caught the sarcasm in Asuma's tone.

"Genji is still waiting for everyone. I hope we can hurry up." The people from Konoha had no choice but to summon the members of Team 7 and Team 10. Time was tight, so they could only say a few words.

Ino, Shikamaru, and Sasuke knew that the Hidden Mist Village wasn't their home; in fact, it could be considered an enemy nation. Even when they slept, they were fully armed. Naruto and Sakura, on the other hand, were not. They had been hastily awakened and were still in their pajamas. Choji, meanwhile, had a face full of soot—he had been called out while grilling fish in his room. Mitokado Homura cleared his throat, and Ao stood by his side, showing no intention of stepping aside.

Mitokado Homura had no choice but to "briefly" say a few words: "This exchange is a show of sincerity from both sides. The Hidden Mist Village is willing to open the Illusionary Maze for you. Inside the maze, you will encounter an image left behind by the Second Mizukage. If you pass the test, you may gain access to some valuable ninja techniques. We hope you bring your best and demonstrate your abilities, living up to the expectations and training both villages have invested in you."

As expected of an old comrade of the Third Hokage, Mitokado Homura spoke with eloquence and fluency. Ao, standing beside him, couldn't find an opportunity to interrupt.

The conversation went in circles, effectively buying them half an hour.

During this half hour, Naruto and Sakura changed into their combat outfits and prepared their ninja tools. Choji washed his face and wolfed down the slightly burnt grilled fish, letting out a couple of satisfied burps. Ino and the others also had some breakfast, adjusting their bodies to peak combat condition.

Asuma quietly explained the team they would encounter from the Hidden Mist Village. The Hidden Mist Village hadn't concealed the list of participants—it would be too fake to claim they didn't know who they were up against.

Haku and Ranmaru were old opponents. The former had a powerful Kekkei Genkai, while the latter's scouting and blocking abilities were particularly troublesome for Ino. Chojuro, however, was a complete mystery to the five Genin aside from Ino. They had never heard of him and had no idea what his abilities were.

Ino was the most excited. This Illusionary Maze felt like it was tailor-made for her! Who was the Second Mizukage again? The one with the mustache? What was his name?

She roughly recalled his ninja techniques. Huh? Wasn't he a Water Release user?

When it came to Water Release, she felt completely confident.

It was true that Chojuro would become the Sixth Mizukage in the future, but was Ino afraid? Did he have 9 points in "Ninja Skill," 8 points in "Stamina," and a Level 3 "Water Release"? No! Her stats were practically those of an elite Jonin.

Unless the maze tested some obscure knowledge, as long as the content was related to ninja techniques, she feared no one in her age group!

Ino raised her hand and asked in a clear voice, "Asuma-sensei, if we learn ninja techniques from the Hidden Mist Village, could it cause trouble for our village?"

Asuma glanced at Ao, signaling for him to explain.

Ao maintained his usual expressionless face: "How much you learn is entirely up to you. To be honest, the Secret Techniques and Ninja techniques of the Hidden Mist Village are as vast as the ocean. There are so many that even we, the less talented successors, have barely grasped a hundredth or a thousandth of them. If you manage to learn some powerful Ninja techniques, wouldn't you use them in the future? And if you use them, wouldn't that be helping us promote our village? We'd be more than happy about that."

He then raised a finger and added, "However, there's one thing I must emphasize. According to the rules between Ninja Villages, the Ninja techniques you learn in the Illusionary Maze are for your personal use only. Without the consent of the Hidden Mist Village, you are not allowed to teach them to others. Understood?"

Ino, with an innocent and carefree expression, as if her previous question had been nothing more than a child's thoughtless remark, replied, "Oh, thank you, uncle. Hearing that puts my mind at ease."