The tense confrontation on the street ended quickly once Kakashi appeared.
Still—everyone had achieved what they came for: intel.
No matter how much secondhand information you gathered, it could never match firsthand experience.
Both Gantō and Maki had now confirmed one another as their greatest rivals for the championship.
As for Kakashi?
They had initially dismissed him—a mere seven-year-old child whose fame, they assumed, was exaggerated by Konoha's propaganda.
But after meeting him in person, they couldn't help but take him seriously.
Having exchanged some harsh words, the parties turned and left.
Meanwhile—
Shien and Yamakana Kōji arrived at Training Ground No. 3, their team's usual gathering place.
At this point, the field had basically become their private domain.
Three figures were already there.
One tall, one short—Namikaze Minato and Kakashi.
The third was a young woman wearing a Konoha forehead protector and a green jonin vest. Her long red hair was tied high into a ponytail, radiating energy and vitality.
Uzumaki Kushina.
Even if he had never met her before, Shien recognized her instantly.
Forget the striking red hair—just the way Minato was looking at her made her identity obvious.
Right, of course!
Because she was a jinchūriki, even Konoha genin like Shien and Kōji had never met her until now.
That Minato had brought her here said a lot. He must have trusted their characters enough; otherwise, there was no way he would have arranged this meeting.
As for Kakashi—well, he was Minato's real disciple, practically family, so of course he'd already met her long ago.
"Shien, Kōji," Minato said with a smile,
"this is Kushina."
He was tactful enough not to mention her clan name aloud—it was still a sensitive topic.
"Big Sister Kushina!"
Shien instantly dropped to his knees in a perfectly executed 滑跪—a dramatic "sliding kneel"—and declared her his elder sister.
For him, this was nothing. If he could stomach eating soft rice (depending on others for benefits), calling someone "big sister" was hardly a big deal.
Besides—she was a master of fūinjutsu, leagues above the rest. If it weren't so inappropriate to ask, he'd have begged to be her student right then and there.
Kushina blinked, then broke into laughter.
"Haha! Not bad, brat. From today on, you're officially my little brother!"
With that, she broke her "gentle lady" façade completely, threw an arm around Shien's neck, and pulled him into a crushing hug.
Don't be fooled by her cheerful personality—this was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, descendant of the Uzumaki clan. Her instincts were razor-sharp; if someone harbored bad intentions, she'd sense it instantly.
"Big Sister Kushina—I can't breathe!"
Shien felt like he was being strangled by a bear, gasping desperately for air.
"Alright, Kushina, you're scaring him," Minato said, stepping in to rescue him.
With Minato's help, Shien narrowly escaped her iron grip.
He could more or less guess why she was so warm to him.
Because of her background as an outsider and jinchūriki, Kushina didn't have many close friends in Konoha. Meeting someone she could call "little brother" must have touched her deeply.
It was affection by association—she loved Minato, so she was kind to his students.
Once things had calmed down, Minato turned to his three pupils.
He knew how dangerous the upcoming Joint Chunin Exams would be, and had been giving them extra training these past weeks. Today, he'd gathered them to share the intel he'd personally collected.
That so-called "intel manual" sold on the streets was still too incomplete—this was the real deal.
And no, this didn't count as cheating. Every major village did the same.
Only the smaller villages lacked the means to gather intel, forcing their ninja to risk their lives to probe enemies directly.
As Minato spoke, Kushina sat quietly beside him, not at all like the fiery "Red Hot-Blooded Habanero" she was famous as.
On the surface, she looked fierce and impulsive—but inside, she was gentle and warm.
In contrast, Minato was all sunshine and kindness on the outside—but inside, he was as cold as steel.
Because to him, the village came above all else.
Anyone who endangered Konoha—friend or foe—he would eliminate without hesitation.
That, perhaps, was why the Third Hokage would one day choose him as successor, instead of the brilliant but self-absorbed Orochimaru, who valued knowledge over the village itself.
Of course, none of that mattered to Shien now. He was busy scribbling down every bit of intel.
This was the kind of knowledge that saved lives.
Sure, there would be proctors during the exam—but if something went wrong, they might not have time to step in. Survival depended on yourself.
Death during the exams wasn't unusual.
And this time, with every major village intent on eliminating rival geniuses, the danger was far higher.
Even though Kumogakure and Kirigakure weren't official co-hosts, they had still slipped operatives into smaller village teams.
Their goal was obvious: sow chaos, assassinate prodigies.
And yet, even knowing this, the Big Three couldn't act first.
If they attacked preemptively, before the enemy made a move, their reputations would be ruined. Who would ever cooperate with them again?
That was the unspoken rule of the game— If you don't like it, don't play.
"Alright," Minato said at last, smiling reassuringly,
"with your strength, you'll be fine as long as you stay cautious. Do your best."
That wasn't empty comfort—it was the truth.
Their three-man squad might have only graduated less than two months ago, but their progress since then had been remarkable.
Once you've faced real bloodshed, growth accelerates.
After all, chakra was a fusion of spiritual and physical energy. Physical strength could be increased with proper food and medicinal baths. The spirit grew sharper through battle and the experience of killing.
That's why new graduates improved so dramatically after their first missions—fighting hardened both body and mind.
Kakashi, for instance, could already hold off a Special Jonin for a short while, despite his age.
If his body were more mature, he'd already be at that level outright.
A true prodigy—without question.
Compared to him, Yamakana Kōji, the so-called "genius" of a minor clan, looked rather ordinary.
And then there was Shien— the one who had surprised Minato the most.
Not because of natural talent in combat, but because of his inventive mind.
In just over a month, he'd developed an entirely new ninjutsu with enormous potential.
No wonder Minato was impressed.
That very ability to innovate was why the Third Hokage had approved his meeting with Uzumaki Kushina in the first place.
Everyone knew Shien was eager to learn fūinjutsu—there was no hiding that.
Of course, sealing techniques were priceless; they wouldn't just hand them out.
But now that he was meeting Kushina? The implication was obvious.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's plan was ingenious.
Both Minato and Kushina were loyal to the Hokage faction—"his own people." Teaching a bit of fūinjutsu to Shien under their supervision? Perfectly safe.
Besides, if they helped him develop new ninjutsu, it was only natural that he'd have to submit them for review later.
A win-win.
Hiruzen was definitely getting the better end of this deal.
But so was Shien.
His self-made ninjutsu was tailored to his own style—no one else could use it properly anyway.
And in exchange, he'd gain genuine sealing knowledge—the real treasure.
To keep suspicion low, he deliberately hid his progress in medical ninjutsu.
He hadn't even returned all ten beginner manuals he'd borrowed, nor had he applied to learn the basic D-rank healing jutsu.
To everyone else, he just looked like a kid with a knack for research, but mediocre in everything else.
That made him far less threatening.
In truth, though, his progress in medical theory far outstripped even his ninjutsu development—it just wasn't something he could show.
"Shien," Minato said suddenly,
"why don't you show Kushina your jutsu?"
It was a perfect opportunity—since sealing knowledge would be key to his next step, and in that area, Kushina's expertise far surpassed Minato's.
"Yes, Sensei!"
Understanding Minato's intent, Shien stepped into the center of the training field.
Under the curious gazes of Minato, Kushina, Kakashi, and Kōji— he began to weave his hand seals.
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