Upon arriving at the Federation capital, Ino Yamanaka and the other outsiders were stunned by the scene before them. Not only them—the lead ninja from each village were equally shocked.
Oases surrounded towering buildings, and a semi-circular transparent barrier covered the entire city, providing both protection and temperature regulation inside and outside the barrier.
"This… how is this possible? The books clearly said at least eighty percent of the Land of Wind is desert, and yet…"
Sakura Haruno said in disbelief. The environment here was far superior to Konoha. Living here would be blissful, especially with Sasuke nearby.
Although her voice was low, it was still heard by Yoko Nakamura behind her, who scoffed and approached Sakura, clicking her tongue.
"Stop looking at outdated textbooks. The Sunagakure of the Land of Wind is history. Now we are Federation ninja. You outsiders always view us through old perspectives, no wonder so many of you were eliminated in the first two exams."
Sakura's face flushed red. She hadn't expected her words to be overheard, but Nakamura's statement was true.
Their two teams had exchanged information privately. Among the Five Great Nations' ninja, the Federation's were the hardest to deal with.
Moreover, the top three teams in performance were all from the Federation. During the second-stage exam, they didn't return with injuries like the outsiders—they seemed as if they had just taken a casual trip.
"Outsiders, this is the map of the Federation. Red zones are strictly forbidden. Other areas or markets are open for sightseeing. Approaching red zones will be considered espionage and investigated by ANBU."
Maki distributed maps to the outsider ninja and emphasized the Federation's strict anti-espionage measures.
"Federation competitors may disband after the battle list is announced. Outsider competitors will be guided to their accommodations."
There were many visitors this time—over a hundred outsider ninja alone, along with ordinary spectators for the third-stage exam. This event attracted the attention of the entire ninja world. Anyone with the means wanted to witness it.
Over the past two days, five thousand non-Federation individuals had arrived, and more were expected.
Federation security would be busy for a while. Maki did not believe the Four Great Nations wouldn't send spies, and the Federation could not possibly know all secret techniques, so they had to prepare.
Still, visiting ninja were well accommodated. Each received a joint Hyakusa-Uzumaki Trade Association credit card, usable at over eighty percent of Federation shops.
Sakura and Ino Yamanaka were bewildered upon receiving their cards—they had never encountered such a thing.
Maki then led them to the Wind Shadow Building to announce the third-stage exam rules and match lists. Although Yakura knew the Four Nations' intentions, he performed well enough to impress Onoiki and others.
Once the announcements were complete, Maki officially dismissed everyone.
After leaving the Wind Shadow Building, Yoko Nakamura asked, "Sasuke, where are you going next?"
"Home, Yoko. For now, we're opponents."
"If you defeat Naruto, I'll make sure you understand my power, Yoko-sama!"
The individual match list was set. Uchiha Sasuke's first opponent was Naruto Uzumaki, just as he wanted. Nakamura's boast was hollow—her first opponent was Gaara. Unless there was an upset, she would likely be eliminated in the first round.
"Sasuke, let's go home together!"
Naruto caught up from behind, slinging an arm over Sasuke's shoulder. Their houses were nearby, making it convenient.
"Let go of me first…"
"If I let go, you'll sneak off to train! You can't hide it from me, Sasuke."
Sasuke, caught off guard, momentarily lost his composure, raising his voice in protest. "Ridiculous. I can easily defeat you now; I don't need training…"
"Then let's go home together?"
"…"
After the others walked ahead, Nara Shikamaru approached Ino. "Let's go. Sasuke and Naruto aren't the classmates we knew. Don't hold onto old expectations unless you understand what happened years ago."
Shikamaru's advice was sensible. Sasuke and Naruto had clearly integrated into the Federation. Only Ino and Sakura still saw them as old classmates, but now they were outsiders. Childhood admiration needed to end, or someone would get hurt.
After Sasuke and Naruto returned home, Mikoto Uchiha was away handing over duties to the security team, so Sasuke went with Naruto. Kushina Uzumaki took the opportunity to praise Sasuke, making Naruto sulk, though she had an excuse—Sasuke's highlight moments were the most, followed by Gaara.
"Mom, is Uncle Mirai home?"
Naruto was stopped by Kushina.
"Don't disturb next door, Naruto. They're busy. Let me prepare a celebratory meal tonight instead."
Naruto and Sasuke were puzzled, but sensing his mother's slight sadness, Naruto quieted down, preparing to wait for dinner.
Ayaka Uzumaki's boldness was overwhelming—even Hyuga Mirai struggled.
During her first refusal, Ayaka had been testing Mirai's limits and preferences.
For example, now she wore a shortened maid outfit, increasingly bold, often wrapping around Mirai's arm.
"Ayaka, wait until the ninja world unifies and after marriage,"
Mirai firmly pulled his arm free and addressed Ayaka seriously. She was too skilled; without warning, he might fall for her.
The ninja world was not unified yet; he couldn't get distracted by such matters.
Mirai then received a message, smirked, and patted Ayaka's head. "If everyone listened to you like this, it would be great."
"Hehe,"
Ayaka giggled, her day brightened by Mirai's praise.
"Prepare yourself. You and Kushina will use the Four Yang formation. Share some Nine-Tails chakra with her,"
Mirai instructed Ayaka. The battlefield in Kawasagori was set, with Tsunade fully involved in planning, ultimately selecting an ideal ambush location.
Using the Four Yang formation on that plain would trap five thousand ninja within a barrier, outside Byakugan range.
However, the formation required constant chakra supply. Though Kushina had massive chakra, without the Nine-Tails, maintaining a multi-kilometer barrier was difficult.
"I understand, Mirai-sama,"
Ayaka nodded solemnly. She took the war seriously, even more than Mirai, hoping to end it quickly.
After briefing Ayaka, Mirai left home with strong resolve.
Defeating the allied ninja in Kawasagori required Sasori's puppet unit, Mirai's summoned beasts, and members of the puppet division. Before sealing the enemy's chakra, the allied ninja posed a threat.
Gaara and Naruto might also need to intervene. The fastest way to break the allies' morale, besides Tsunade's betrayal, was unleashing the fully transformed One-Tail and Nine-Tails before them.
Combined with Sasori's puppets, Mirai's summoned beasts, and Rinnegan stone giants, surrounded by multiple disaster-level enemies, any rebellious thoughts in the allied forces would earn Mirai's respect.
Konoha's internal stability was not fully confirmed yet, so Mirai needed to visit personally.
It had been over ten years since he saw that young lady. In another timeline, he had witnessed a very virtuous Kiyo Hyuga.
Konoha
After returning from Kurenai Yuhi, Kiyo Hyuga's mind buzzed until late at night when silence allowed her to realize she knew nothing.
"Yuhi, you traitor."
Kiyo felt betrayed. When Kurenai asked her before, Kiyo revealed everything. Yet now, when needed, Kurenai had withheld the truth until the last moment.
"What's wrong, Kiyo?"
A voice suddenly came from behind Kiyo. In the silent night, she immediately activated her Byakugan and swung to strike, then froze.
The person behind her was too powerful to surprise-attack.
"Coming back late at night… business, or planning revenge on the main family?"
Kiyo controlled her emotions and spoke calmly.
Hyuga Mirai, seeing Kiyo like this, said with some nostalgia, "Kiyo, you're still the same. Being overly stubborn isn't good."
Having spent hours reading Marvel comics, Mirai could only think: what is this nonsense?
It felt like preparing for a major exam—if not recorded, it would be forgotten.
(End of Chapter)