"So you just ran away from Sasori of the Red Sand?" Kushina's eyes flashed with a look that was less than satisfied.
There was a certain explosive aura gathering in her voice. Although the details of the mission were classified, Kushina was clearly outside the "need-to-know" restrictions for Ui.
On the surface, Ui remained as steady as a mountain, but internally, he discreetly shifted his weight on the chair, moving just an inch further away from her...
He had to be ready to dodge a fist.
Taking a slow sip of water from his cup, he replied unhurriedly, "What else was I supposed to do?"
"What do you mean 'what else'?! You take him down! You beat him! He was served to you on a silver platter! And that Pakura from earlier—you were right there, why did you let her go?"
"Cough—!"
Ui nearly choked on his water. He shot a sidelong glance at Kushina. She made it sound so simple. This was Sasori of the Red Sand. What was he supposed to do, "Talk-no-Jutsu" him to death?
Pakura might have been manageable with enough effort, but Sasori? Regardless of the outcome, taking him down would have required Ui to go into a full-scale, life-risking overdrive.
"Kushina-sensei, that was the puppet master Sasori. An S-rank missing-nin. A confirmed Kage-level powerhouse. And me?" Ui pointed a finger at his own head. "I'm a Chunin. A freshly minted one. Is there even a comparison? Considering I'm still breathing, they should give me the 'Greatest Escape of the Year' award."
Be reasonable, woman. Does Minato know how violent you are?
"Tch. If I had been there, I could've taken on two Sasoris," Kushina said, pouting.
Despite the bravado, she knew she was just blowing off steam. She had confidence in facing Sasori one-on-one, but a one-versus-two? Impossible. Though Ui had described the battle with characteristic understatement, Kushina could sense the lethal danger inherent in the exchange.
Truly, escaping alive was achievement enough.
"Of course. If teacher and student teamed up, forget Sasori—we could take down the entire Hidden Sand village," Ui added, his flattery reaching shameless levels.
Kushina didn't even bat an eye at the claim. Take down the Sand? What, by letting the Nine-Tails loose?
"Besides, according to the 'mission' you gave me previously, I made sure to report your name to Sasori."
There was a reason for Ui's self-introduction during the fight. Kushina had a small personal goal: she wanted her name to echo through the ninja world, hopefully even overshadowing the "Yellow Flash." She wanted fame for her own merits, not just as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
It was mostly a joke—ninjas are supposed to be stealthy, and fame is usually a debuff—but Ui had taken it seriously. He'd act as Kushina's disciple, or even impersonate her directly if it helped.
"Really?"
Before Kushina could dig deeper, a call for Ui drifted in from outside. Ui had been expecting this.
"Sensei, I have to go. I'll be in the village for a few days, but I have a prior engagement to handle now."
The Wall and the Green Beast
The person waiting outside was Might Guy.
Ui bid Kushina farewell and stepped out to greet him. The two began walking toward a training ground, talking as they went. Their conversation revolved mostly around the war.
Ui had been stationed on the Western Front, while Guy and his father, Might Duy, had been part of a squad on the Mist Front. Since graduation, they had rarely seen each other—certainly less than Ui saw Obito.
Guy and Duy had a perfectly valid reason for returning to the village during a gap in their duties: A father and son, both taking the same exam... the Chunin Exams.
Technically, in wartime, battlefield performance usually dictates promotion. Ui, for instance, had been promoted directly by the Third Hokage. But the formal exams were still held once a year for various logistical and traditional reasons.
Might Duy was a Genin. Might Guy was a Genin. So, they were taking the exam together. No contradiction there.
As the sun began to dip toward the horizon, Ui and Guy stopped in the center of a training field.
"Guy, think about this. The Chunin Exams are about to start. If you choose to spar with me now, it's going to affect your condition for the test."
"Besides," Ui added, a final attempt at persuasion, "isn't your 'Eternal Rival' Kakashi?"
"The exams are important," Guy said, his face unusually solemn. "But testing whether my moves can affect a ninja of your caliber is just as vital. Kakashi is my eternal rival, but Ui... you are the wall standing in my way."
He continued, "As for the exams, the technique I'm about to use is a forbidden one. I can't use it there anyway."
Despite his frequent "Grown Beast" antics, Guy wasn't stupid. His father had been a Genin his whole life, and both had been mocked for it. But after spending time on the front lines, Guy had matured. He understood his father now. The rank of Chunin was both important and utterly irrelevant to him at the same time.
He and Ui hadn't clashed since the graduation exam, where Guy had lost decisively. He accepted the loss, but that didn't mean he was content with it.
To Guy, Ui was the wall. And he wanted to see if he could finally leave a crack in it.
Ui nodded, accepting the challenge. They stood ten meters apart. Guy began to unwrap the bandages on his arms.
"My father taught me that this is a forbidden art not to be used against comrades. But with you, Ui... I feel like you can handle it."
Guy's growth since graduation had been explosive. Yet, his intuition told him that Ui had stayed ahead.
"The First Gate: Gate of Opening, OPEN!"
"The Second Gate: Gate of Healing, OPEN!"
"The Third Gate: Gate of Life, OPEN!"
"The Fourth Gate: Gate of Pain, OPEN!"
The Storm vs. The Orchard
To face Ui, Might Guy opened four of the Eight Inner Gates simultaneously.
The Third Gate is the last "safe" zone. From the Fourth Gate onward, the user's body begins to suffer actual damage. This is where the Eight Gates truly start to show their fundamental power.
Ui didn't take this lightly. As Guy's aura flared, lightning began to dance across Ui's skin. The iron sand he carried (now disguised as his sleek black breastplate) liquefied and began to swirl around him in a dense, defensive cloud.
"A new technique? I see I'm not the only one who's been growing," Guy noted. He wasn't surprised; a spar only has meaning if both sides are pushing forward.
"You could call it a new move," Ui said, pausing for a moment. He realized calling it "Iron Sand Sword" didn't quite fit the current aesthetic.
"The name is Raiden Mei." (Lightning Orchard Bud/Sprout).
"My new technique, Lightning Style: Raiden Mei."
He ignored the fact that the name sounded like a refined young lady's name. And he absolutely refused to admit he had just pulled the name out of thin air because of a sudden brain itch.