On this day, the Chuunin Exams officially began.

Candidates entered the exam site one after another. Some were full of confidence, some looked anxious, and others acted like they were just playing around.

Natsuki had only just returned and was immediately assigned a mission—mainly free patrol. He was to keep an eye out for any foreign infiltrators and lend a hand wherever needed.

At the moment, he was near the examination site, quietly observing the candidates entering.

Among them, he spotted a green-haired, dark-skinned girl—that had to be Fu, the Jinchuuriki of the Nanabi (Seven-Tails). Instead of staying safely in Takigakure, she came out to take part in the Chuunin Exams, saying she wanted to make a hundred friends.

In the original timeline, she was ambushed by Kakuzu and Hidan on her way home after the exam... and that was the end of her.

Such a cheerful and optimistic Jinchuuriki, gone just like that—it was truly a shame.

Takigakure's village leader had always spoiled Fu. Who knows, maybe after receiving the news of her death, he regretted it so much he wanted to end himself.

Though Kakuzu and Hidan were now dead, the possibility of Akatsuki sending others to capture her still couldn't be ruled out. It was best to stay vigilant.

Originally, Natsuki intended to respect the flow of fate in this world... but if he could stop some things from happening, he would act.

If Akatsuki failed to capture the Nanabi Jinchuuriki, wouldn't things be a bit better?

Then again, maybe they'd just go flatten Takigakure tomorrow?

No way to know for sure. So before acting, Natsuki had to think this through, maybe even consult Tsunade—acting on his own wasn't always the best move.

He also spotted some people from Amegakure. Among them was a rather pretty girl—Ajisai.

Ajisai, who later died and became the vessel for the Animal Path of Pain.

She was also skilled in space-time ninjutsu. In the anime, she even interacted with Tenten a bit. Who would've thought she'd die shortly after the exams? Another unfortunate loss.

But Amegakure affairs weren't his problem—Natsuki decided to pretend he didn't see anything.

Later, after making a full patrol, he found nothing. No enemies. Not even a single spy.

By the time he returned to the exam site, the written test had already ended. Next was the second round of the exams—any teams that passed would have to travel from Konoha to Sunagakure within three days. Only if the whole team arrived would they pass.

Once the proctor announced the start, the examinees immediately set out toward the Hidden Sand.

The proctors who stayed behind all stretched lazily—clearly worn out by these past few days.

Now that the examinees had left the village, security in Konoha would ease up, and the workload would decrease. Still, some proctors needed to head to Sunagakure, since the third round was scheduled to be held there.

After some thought, Natsuki went straight to the Hokage's office.

"Oh? You want to go to Sunagakure?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow in surprise. "That's rare. You're volunteering for work? Let me guess—you're worried about Tenten's safety? I did assign her as a proctor for the next stage, but there shouldn't be any danger. You're underestimating her strength."

Natsuki shook his head and got straight to the point. "I found the Nanabi Jinchuuriki."

Bang! Tsunade shot to her feet.

Clearly caught off guard, her face turned serious. "Explain."

"The green-haired girl from Takigakure," Natsuki said grimly, "She's the Nanabi Jinchuuriki."

"With the next stage being held in Sunagakure, that means the Ichibi, Nanabi, and Kyūbi Jinchuuriki will all be there. Akatsuki might already know and could make a move. Even if they don't attack during the exam, we should still monitor the Nanabi Jinchuuriki and ensure she returns to Takigakure safely."

Tsunade turned around, arms folded in her sleeves, silently gazing out the window for a long moment before replying.

"Your concern isn't unfounded. But it's risky for you to go alone. Fine. You'll team up with Kakashi—your main priority is ensuring the Jinchuuriki's safety. If Akatsuki shows up, your first duty is to protect her. Understood?"

Natsuki nodded and immediately turned to leave, heading straight to Kakashi's house.

Kakashi was also on patrol duty today. But since the written exam had concluded, he was planning to finally get some rest... until Natsuki showed up and ruined that plan.

After hearing the situation, Kakashi frowned.

"Didn't expect Takigakure to send their Nanabi Jinchuuriki to the Chuunin Exams. Are they bored or what?" he muttered.

"Kakashi-senpai, our own Kyūbi Jinchuuriki is also in the exams. Are we bored too?" Natsuki countered.

"...Yeah, I guess we're all bored."

That was Kakashi's conclusion. "But seriously, Takigakure is a small village. Their strength isn't high. They should've just kept the Jinchuuriki hidden inside. Letting her out like this is reckless. If Akatsuki finds out, there's no coming back."

Natsuki replied, "Don't underestimate Akatsuki's intel network. I think they already know. Plus, from my two-month investigation, I'm pretty sure Akatsuki's base is in the Land of Rain. Now that Amegakure has sent candidates to the exam too, I suspect they're here to gather intelligence on the Jinchuuriki."

Kakashi let out a long breath and scratched his head. Clearly, this was becoming a headache.

He thought he'd get some rest, but trouble just kept piling up.

Especially with three Jinchuuriki gathering in one place, and potential Akatsuki spies among the examinees from Amegakure. If Akatsuki really knew, they might send a strike team to eliminate all of them in one go.

Right now, none of the Jinchuuriki were truly strong. Even Gaara, despite becoming Kazekage, was at best elite jōnin level in full power.

If Akatsuki sent Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame, the three Jinchuuriki wouldn't stand a chance!

"Alright, let's move now!" Kakashi said, no longer willing to waste time.

Natsuki first stopped by the ninja tools shop to inform his future father-in-law. He only said he was heading to Sunagakure. The shopkeeper immediately encouraged him to hurry up and go.

From the shopkeeper's perspective, Natsuki was clearly worried about Tenten's safety and wanted to accompany her. Naturally, he was more than happy with that—if Natsuki was around, Tenten would definitely be safe.

Soon after, Natsuki and Kakashi rendezvoused at the village gate and quickly set off to catch up with the examinees.

With their speed, it didn't take long to reach the front of the pack. Leading the way were the three from Takigakure—with the Aoba Squad close behind.

Fortunately, Naruto's team wasn't far behind either.

Natsuki and Kakashi didn't reveal themselves. They simply followed from a distance, focusing entirely on ensuring the safety of the two Jinchuuriki...

(End of Chapter)

[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/zaelum]

[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]

[Thank You For Your Support!]