[56] Show

"What's that supposed to mean, Kumo-nin?" A brown-haired girl with a stern expression glared.

"You started this, Kiri-nin." A girl with light brown hair replied showing no sign of backing down.

Their teammates, meanwhile, exchanged wry smiles.

They were powerless to intervene. Both girls were true prodigies in their respective villages. Though here for the Chunin Exams, their skills already surpassed many Chunin.

The brown-haired girl from the Kirigakure was Terumi Mai, a ninja with two kekkei genkai. Her unique Lava Release and Boil Release wielded immense power, and in the future, she would rise to become the Fifth Mizukage.

The Kumo-nin was no less formidable. She was Yugito Nii, the Jinchuriki of the Two-Tails, Matatabi, and the Kumogakure's second jinchuriki after Killer Bee.

No one expected the Kumogakure to send her to the Chunin Exams.

"Then let's settle this." Terumi said slowly. "Whoever loses skips the Chunin Exams."

"Bet!" Yugito replied.

Both girls drew their kunai, their figures blurring as they charged at each other. Despite their youth, their taijutsu far outstripped their peers.

Clang!

Their kunai clashed, the impact forcing them apart.

"Not bad." Terumi said with a smile.

"You're not half bad yourself." Yugito shot back.

The brief exchange told them neither would be an easy opponent. Now, they are prepared to unleash ninjutsu.

"Try my ninjutsu." They said, their eyes gleaming as they began forming hand signs.

Their teammates quickly backed away. Both girls' techniques were no joke, and staying close risked getting caught in the crossfire.

"Who's there?" Both halted their signs, their kunai flashing toward a figure at their side.

Ding! Ding!

Two kunai were knocked away by Terumi and Yugito. In their sights, a boy their age approached, a girl by his side. It was Tengen and Anko.

"Were you trying to kill us?" Terumi demanded, her gaze darkening as she fixed on Tengen.

"Of course not. I saw your spar and trusted you could dodge." Tengen shook his head.

"Konoha-nin, what do you want?" Yugito asked.

Why would he attack them with kunai out of nowhere? Was he picking a fight?

"This is Konohagakure. Using powerful ninjutsu here could damage the village. Save it for the Chunin Exams, where you can go all out." Tengen said calmly, eyeing Yugito and Terumi.

This was showing off, blatant, unapologetic showing off.

"What gives you the right to stop us?" Terumi's eyes flashed with cold intent, ready to fight at the slightest provocation.

"What right?" Tengen's figure vanished from their sight.

"Not good!" Terumi reacted, but a kunai appeared at her throat. "Do I have the right now?"

"Is that so?" To Tengen's surprise, the Terumi before him dissolved into a puddle of water.

Water Clone.

A kunai mirrored his, now at Tengen's neck. "Now it's my turn to ask."

Unnoticed, Terumi had used a Water Clone to evade Tengen's attack.

Just as she smirked, another kunai pressed against her throat.

"This time, it's your real body, right?" Tengen said with a faint smile. The Tengen she had pinned turned to smoke and vanished, a Shadow Clone.

"You…" Terumi's face twisted in frustration.

A genius of the Kirigakure, subdued so easily by a Konoha peer.

"I'll take my leave, ninja of Kirigakure and Kumogakure." Tengen's voice came from behind. Terumi glanced at the Tengen she'd targeted, only to realize it was another Shadow Clone.

She gasped. Shadow Clones lacked the full strength of the original, yet he'd outmaneuvered her.

"Konoha-nin, what's your name?" Terumi called after the departing Tengen.

"Tengen." His calm voice echoed back.

"Tengen..." Terumi murmured. "Quite the intriguing one."

"Kiri-nin, what's your name?" She asked, turning to Yugito.

"Yugito." Yugito replied.

"I'll remember you. We'll settle this during the Chunin Exams." Terumi said to her teammates. "Let's go."

"Right." Her teammates nodded, following her lead.

Clearly, Terumi was the team's leader.

"We should head out too." Yugito said to her companions.

"Yugito, what happened?" A burly man approached, accompanied by a white-haired youth, the same Killer Bee Tengen had once defeated using the Eight Gates.

"It's nothing, A-sama, Bee-sama." Yugito said.

The other Kumo-nin echoed her.

After all, one was the Third Raikage's son, the other the Jinchuriki of the Eight-Tails. Both were among the Kumogakure's elite.

"Hm." Killer Bee's gaze lingered on Tengen's disappearing figure, his expression faltering. That silhouette felt familiar.

But that person should be dead.

"Bee, what's wrong?" A noticing Killer Bee's distraction.

"Nothing." Killer Bee's shaking off the thought.

"Good, let's head back." A said.

"Got it." Killer Bee replied with a grin.

...

In the distance.

"Tengen, were you doing that on purpose?" Anko stared at him intently.

"Doing what?" Tengen blinked.

"Showing off to impress girls." Anko said.

"Anko, what's going on in that head of yours?" Tengen exasperated.

"Come on, let's test your skills."

"Don't cry when I beat you."

***

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