I Punch the Tailed Beast Ball

After Nagasawa dismissed the participants, Kabuto didn’t go to find Nagasawa. Instead, he left with Itachi and Isamu.

”I didn’t expect that we still have to wait for others even though we pass the exam first. I should have waited to pass the exam later; we could have found more Tags in the forest,” Isamu casually said after stretching.

Although the Tags weren’t officially released yet, judging from their power, they were undoubtedly valuable. They were of the same level as Explosive Tags, and since they were new, their prices might even be higher than Explosive Tags.

Explosive Tags weren’t cheap; their prices fluctuate between 3000 to 12000 ryo. The better the quality, the more expensive they were.

If they could pick up a few more Tags, they could save money. And there were unique Tags like Medical Tags, which should be quite pricy.

For Shinobi, a profession that lived by the sword, the demand for Medical Tags is high.

Kabuto smiled helplessly, unsure of how to explain. He couldn’t say that Nagasawa deliberately dropped the Summon Steel Tag near them to trigger intense battles.

Nagasawa was revered among the Special Combat Division; almost everyone there was a fan of Nagasawa, including Isamu.

Kabuto felt that even if he told Isamu the truth, Isamu wouldn’t mind. In fact, he might appreciate Nagasawa, thinking of it as a trial for them.

As for Itachi, it was hard to say. Although Itachi was also one of Nagasawa’s many fans and his disciple, he had always been rational and calm.

”Finishing early also has its perks. At least, we got to know the opponents’ information through the live broadcast,” Itachi spoke up.

Yes, there were screens inside the exam tower that broadcast the Chunin Exam live. However, it was not as large as the main venue, just a bit larger than a regular home TV.

When Kabuto and the others saw it for the first time, they were surprised because no one informed them that the exam would be broadcast.

While watching the broadcast, they noticed that it would deliberately select some exciting battles, so they started collecting information and discovered several formidable opponents.

One of them was a Kumogakure Shinobi skilled in Storm Release and swordsmanship that defeated an entire team on his own twice.

Sunagakure also had a skilled Wind Release user who effortlessly used various Wind Release Techniques and led his team to successfully obtain the Summon Steel Tag on the fourth day in a fight among dozens of teams.

The most skilled Shinobi in Iwagakure was the Explosion Release user, who was extremely violent, causing either death or injury with each attack.

Of course, this also meant that their information might have leaked to others. Kabuto didn’t believe that this broadcast was only for the benefit of those who passed the exam early.

After leaving, they each went home to take a shower, changed into clean clothes, and then gathered together to celebrate passing the exam.

But as they walked on the street, the three of them noticed something unusual.

It was as if flowers had bloomed on their faces; many people were casting curious glances at them.

”What’s going on? Is there something on my face?” Isamu touched his face, smooth and clean, nothing there.

Itachi pondered, ”Usually, even if there’s something on the face, people won’t look at me like this.”

Itachi couldn’t quite understand; those glances were just out of curiosity, without malice.

It wasn’t until they met an Uchiha, who praised Itachi and Isamu and complimented Kabuto’s talent, that they inquired and found out what had happened.

”You guys are now known as the most talented Team from Konoha. Your excellent performance in the broadcast has been recognized by many, even the Kage,” the Uchiha, who was part of Konoha Military Police Force, explained.

”So that’s it,” Isamu was somewhat excited. It sure felt good when he was acknowledged as part of the most talented Team from Konoha.

Kabuto, on the other hand, wasn’t as thrilled as Isamu. He had initially thought that their information might have been leaked through the broadcast, but now it was clear that there was no such a thing. However, it was certain that they had already attracted attention and people should’ve started analysed them.

However, Kabuto remained calm and composed. In the Forest of Death, he and Itachi never revealed their true abilities, and Isamu rarely made his move.

If those people thought he was just as capable as he showed in the live broadcast, they better be prepared for a surprise.

This unexpected joy made Kabuto even more aware of the importance of concealing his skill.

Although they gained a bit of fame in Konoha, apart from Isamu being somewhat excited, Kabuto and Itachi didn’t pay much attention to it.

After finishing their meal, Itachi bid farewell to the two, saying, ”For the next seven days, I’ll be training alone.”

Because they formed a team, they had engaged in joint training for some time to make sure they at least didn’t get in each other’s way in battle. The third stage involved individual combat, and there was even a chance that you could face your own teammate. Itachi felt that joint training was meaningless at this point, so he decided to undergo solo training for the next seven days to defeat Kabuto.

He wanted to defeat Kabuto without holding back. It wasn’t about the rewards promised by Nagasawa; he simply wanted to win.

From Nagasawa, Itachi learned about the complexities of this world. War wasn’t something you could choose to engage in or avoid at will, and peace wasn’t something achieved through mere words.

Some of what Nagasawa said was so complicated that Itachi couldn’t fully understand it even with detailed explanations from Nagasawa.

However, what left the deepest impression on him was that achieving world peace required strength.

Kabuto was well aware of this. Some people, even after years of acquaintance, remained strangers, while others, after just a few words, would eventually form lifelong friendships. He and Kabuto belonged to the latter category.

They happened to encounter each other by the river. Itachi was intrigued by Kabuto’s Water Release, and after chatting, both felt that the other was no ordinary person.

Itachi firmly believed that even without that fated encounter, he and Kabuto would eventually cross paths at some point.

”Solo training? If you’re trying to hide information, it’s useless against me, Itachi. I know your moves inside out,” Kabuto teased. Before forming a team, they had practiced together.

”Likewise, Kabuto. I know everything about you,” Itachi retorted, refusing to be outdone.

Isamu watched this scene, and was lost in thought. Maybe he shouldn’t be here. No, these two are so strong that they might not have demonstrated their true strength even during joint training. Isamu was baffled. Itachi and Kabuto had figured out all of his moves, but he had no idea about their trump cards.

”No, even if I knew, I couldn’t beat them. That’s fine,” Isamu suddenly remembered the times when Kabuto defeated him over and over again. Upon careful thought, he realized that both of those freaks were the strongest in the Special Combat Division. Even if he knew everything about them, he wouldn’t win.

...

In Hokage’s office, Minato and Nagasawa discussed the Five Kage Summit.

It was said to be imitating their ancestors in bringing peace to the world, but the complexity of the matter couldn’t be summarized in a single sentence.

Fortunately, all four Kage were currently in Konoha. Otherwise, selecting a venue for the summit might have led to some disputes.

Then, there was the issue of the masked man.

”At that time, I vividly sensed the sudden appearance of a Flying Thunder God mark, and then that monster showed up. It seems that the masked man has been trying to find opportunities to harm Konoha,” Minato said with a somewhat serious expression.

There were only a few individuals who could make Konoha wary now, and the masked man, with his mysterious identity and space-time abilities, was one of them.

Hadn’t it been for Nagasawa’s plan, Konoha might have suffered severe damage, despite being well-prepared.

”I suspect that guy is Madara Uchiha,” Minato said seriously.

Being able to easily ignore Konoha’s Barrier, possessing the Mangekyō Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan, and having such immense strength along with malice towards Konoha, Minato couldn’t think of anyone else but Madara Uchiha.

Nagasawa felt a bit awkward as he watched Minato confidently solved the mystery.

Though he knew it was due to the lack of information, Nagasawa couldn’t help but find Minato’s current detective-like demeanor amusing.

”Ahem.” As he restrained his urge to laugh, Nagasawa carefully chose his words and said, ”Is there a possibility that even if Madara didn’t die in the Valley of the End battle, he might be dead now as so much time has passed, and the masked man is his successor?”

Minato nodded, agreeing that Nagasawa made sense.

”While it’s not ruled out that Madara used some technique to prolong his life, the possibility of a successor is indeed more likely. We must take some measures. If he attacks during the Five Kage Summit, it can be extremely dangerous,” Minato said.

Nagasawa thought for a moment and then said, ”You don’t have to worry about that. This Five Kage Summit will be the masked man’s end.”

After some thought, Nagasawa decided not to inform Minato about the news that the masked man was Obito.

Because it might make Minato sad and blame himself.

Minato was a rather emotional person. Even though he was a Hokage and wouldn’t let these emotions affect his work, Nagasawa didn’t want to see Minato look so disappointed.

He planned to catch Obito and snap him out. Once he did, he’ll tell him to apologize to Minato.

Hearing Nagasawa’s words, Minato immediately thought of many possibilities, speculating that Nagasawa was planning to use the Five Kage Summit as bait to lure out the masked man.

”The masked man is cautious; it’s not that simple to trick him,” Minato was deep in thought.

Nagasawa smiled mysteriously, ”I’m not betting on him coming to disrupt the Five Kage Summit. I have other plans. You know, I have some unconventional ways of obtaining information. Anyway, just trust me.”

Minato nodded and smiled, saying, ”Since you’ve put it that way, I’ll be waiting for the good news.”

It was the same during Kushina’s childbirth. Even though it was still early, Nagasawa seemed to have foreseen the possibility of a powerful enemy’s attack. He made thorough preparations, even bringing back Tsunade, who was outside the village.

If it weren’t for the fact that Nagasawa was the one handling it, even someone like Minato might have thought it was an overreaction.

This was Konoha, the strongest Shinobi village, with the most potent barriers, numerous skilled Shinobi, and with Minato himself as the Hokage providing protection. Wasn’t that enough?

But the reality proved otherwise.

Minato suddenly stood up, walked to the massive window, and smiled as he looked out at the peaceful Konoha.

”Nagasawa, what do you think if I pass on the title of Hokage to you?” Minato suddenly said.

Nagasawa was taken aback for a moment, and then replied with a pained look on his face, ”No way. I don’t want to spend my days dealing with all kinds of paperwork and handling various matters. Not everyone wants to be the Hokage. I’m one of them.”

Upon hearing Nagasawa’s response, Minato chuckled and said, ”Only you could say something like that. Being the Hokage is all Shinobi’s dream.”

”Why should I care about others’ dream? Once the world settles down in the future, and there’s no war, I might not even want to be the Hokage’s Assistant anymore. Trust me,” Nagasawa shrugged and said.

His dream was living in a small villa with his wife, spending his days in leisure, fishing and gardening, all while continuing to grow stronger.

Once the henchmen he trained grew reliable, his goal would be achieved, and he had it all planned out.

After retiring, he would let Shisui assist Minato as the Hokage Assistant, Kakashi would take over as the captain of the training squad, and Ensui would become Shisui’s assistant.

Once Shisui and the others grew up, and Kabuto and Itachi’s generation were ready, they could take on certain responsibilities. After that, it would be Naruto and Sasuke’s generation.

With this posistive cycle, Nagasawa’s goal of becoming stronger while lying down was on the verge of being realized.

”You really are...” Minato couldn’t help but show a helpless expression when he saw Nagasawa’s laziness.

It was as if he never changed from their time back in the Academy, where he was more knowledgeable than his peers but refused to stick out, so he just maintained average grades.

Even after graduating, it was the same. It took several years before he passed the Chunin Exams and was promoted to Chunin.

He had indeed considered passing on the Hokage’s mantle to Nagasawa because Nagasawa’s strength was the key to Konoha’s intimidating presence. It would undoubtedly be more fitting if Nagasawa became the Hokage.

However, seeing Nagasawa’s attitude, Minato felt that passing the position might be impossible. If Nagasawa didn’t agree, there was nothing Minato could do.

”As long as you are the Hokage, it’s no different from me being the Hokage,” Nagasawa smiled, patting Minato on the shoulder comfortingly.

This was the reason why Nagasawa was reluctant to become the Hokage. Minato believed him, and he had the same authority as the Hokage.

If the Hokage were someone else, Nagasawa might aggressively try to become the Hokage. Because he was bound to Konoha, everything about Konoha was closely related to him. If he handed over the title to someone else, it would be equivalent to handing himself over to someone else, and Nagasawa would never allow that.

After discussing some other matters, Nagasawa left the Hokage Building and went to Orochimaru’s office. Orochimaru did mention that he needed to talk to him, and Nagasawa was also planning to ask Orochimaru about Sharingan-related information.