Third Raikage A regarded Dodai's suggestion with approval. This Joint Chunin Exam was indeed a rare opportunity—perhaps even a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
Being someone known for his decisiveness, A no longer hesitated. "Now the question is, who should we send? Even if we're not joining for the sake of the exam itself, we still can't afford to perform poorly."
Kumogakure had always viewed Konoha as its primary rival, constantly seeking an opportunity to surpass and eventually replace it.
Third Raikage certainly had no intention of letting their Genin disgrace the village in front of Konoha.
After a brief pause, Dodai offered his opinion. "Let's have B participate, with Toroi leading the team. When the operation begins, we can also have A go in for backup."
The "B" Dodai referred to was none other than Killer Bee. The "A" was the Fourth Raikage—A's own son. In the future, they would become the next generation's famed "A-B Combo" of Kumogakure.
This duo would go on to gain tremendous renown throughout the shinobi world.
Though Killer Bee was still quite young at this point, his strength had long surpassed that of a typical Chunin. In Dodai's view, he would easily stand out in the Chunin Exams.
He doubted that any of Konoha's Genin could be stronger than Killer Bee.
As for Toroi, he was a Jonin with a Kekkei Genkai—Magnet Release. Though his Magnet Release wasn't as refined as the one used by the Kazekage, it was still formidable.
This team wouldn't disgrace Kumogakure, and they would certainly have the strength to complete their mission.
A nodded in agreement but added a key instruction: "Dodai, when the time comes, go with A to support them."
Knowing his son's impulsive temperament well, A insisted on Dodai accompanying him to ensure things didn't spiral out of control.
Within the village, Dodai was one of the few people A trusted enough to keep his son in check.
---
Land of Rain.
Unaware of Konoha's upcoming Joint Chunin Exam, Aoshi had been busy with other things.
In the days following their first mission, he led Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato on several more assignments. Fortunately, these missions went smoothly—no surprises or complications.
With experience from their initial encounter, the three Genin performed better with each task.
Time flew by, and soon, Mikoto and Jiraiya had fully recovered from their injuries. It was time for them to return to Konoha.
What had begun as a simple C-rank mission ended up dragging on for more than half a month. They had even ended up fighting the so-called "Demi-God" Hanzo.
Even Jiraiya wouldn't dare write something that far-fetched into one of his novels. At that moment, he hadn't yet started writing the Icha Icha series.
"Konan, Yahiko, Nagato—your talent is outstanding. I hope the next time we meet, you'll already be excellent shinobi."
Konan held Aoshi's hand, reluctant to part. "Take care of yourself, Aoshi-nii. I'll come visit you in Konoha if I get the chance."
Yahiko gave a confident thumbs-up and grinned, "You better not slack off, Aoshi-aniki, or I'll surpass you in no time!"
Nagato, however, was far more composed. That was just how he was. "I'm truly grateful for your guidance during the missions, Aoshi-nii. I'll remember it for the rest of my life."
---
Konoha's Main Gate.
After returning from the Land of Rain, Aoshi and his group arrived at Konoha.
"We're finally back. That place was awful—raining every single day," grumbled Tomoki.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Out of the more than two weeks they'd spent in the Land of Rain, only two days had been rain-free—and even then, it had been overcast and gloomy with not a trace of sunlight.
"Alright, let's go submit our mission report, and then we're free to go home."
Once all procedures were completed and Minato's team had dispersed, Aoshi gently took Mikoto's hand.
Since their relationship had progressed, Mikoto no longer resisted such gestures.
"How about we grab a bite to eat and catch a movie?"
Yes, the ninja world did have movies—though their production quality was nowhere near what Aoshi remembered from his previous life.
If it were just him, Aoshi wouldn't bother going. But with Mikoto as company… that was another story.
Mikoto smiled and nodded. "Sure! But I want to go home and shower first. I feel gross. Let's meet at Ichiraku Ramen later."
After being away from Konoha for so long, she missed the taste of Ichiraku's ramen.
"I need a shower too. How about we go together? I'll help scrub your back."
That earned him a light punch from Mikoto, her cheeks blushing. Though their relationship had evolved, they hadn't exactly "cleared the final stage" yet.
"See you soon," Mikoto said and quickly headed home—likely worried that Aoshi might actually take his joke seriously.
Shaking his head, Aoshi didn't head home immediately. Instead, he stopped by the Konoha weapon shop. After all, the trio from Amegakure had gifted him a small piece of chakra metal.
"Welcome! Looking to buy some ninja tools?"
"I'd like to have this chakra metal fused into my ninjatō. Is that possible?" He handed over both the blade and the metal. The shopkeeper examined them and nodded.
"Yes, that's doable. But we've got a backlog of forging orders right now. If you're lucky, it'll take two weeks. If not, maybe a full month."
"No problem, I'm not in a rush. Just make sure you put care into the process. I'll come back in a month."
"Rest assured, our shop never compromises on quality."
After paying the deposit, Aoshi returned home and enjoyed a long, refreshing bath.
By the time he reached Ichiraku Ramen, Mikoto had just arrived as well. Aoshi's eyes lit up at the sight of her.
She had changed out of her mission gear and into a casual, form-fitting outfit that showed off her graceful curves.
Around her neck was still the necklace he had gifted her. Beneath her skirt, her slender, fair legs caught more than a few stares.
Aoshi took her hand and led her into the shop. At this time, Teuchi was still young, and instead of his daughter Ayame, his wife was helping him run the place.
"Two bowls of tonkotsu char siu ramen, please."
"Coming right up!"
After their meal, they went to the cinema to watch an old-fashioned romantic adventure film—your classic tale of a hero rescuing a princess.
Aoshi found it boring, but Mikoto seemed thoroughly entertained.
When the male lead finally confronted the villain and declared, "I'll never abandon my comrades," Mikoto was reminded of how Aoshi had said the exact same thing during their fight with Hanzo.
Swept up in emotion, Mikoto leaned in and kissed the visibly surprised Aoshi. By the time the film ended, the sky had turned completely dark.
Just as the two stepped out of the theater, they ran into Tsunade, who had just come out of the casino.