The Third Mizukage turned his hourglass over once again, falling into silent contemplation.
Yagura sat in his seat, half-nervous, half-expectant, quietly awaiting the Mizukage's decision.
During this time, Elder Genshi pulled Yagura over to sit beside him on the couch.
Patting the back of Yagura's hand, Elder Genshi gave him a kind nod.
"Don't worry, there's an eighty percent chance it'll work out."
Understanding the reassurance behind the elder's gaze, Yagura accepted the cup of water handed to him and nodded in gratitude.
"You will participate in the Chunin Exams."
The Third Mizukage finally spoke, his hawk-like sharp eyes locking onto Yagura.
"Aside from yourself, you may recommend one other person."
It worked!
Yagura suppressed the urge to pump his fist in excitement and began frantically searching his mind for someone suitable to take the exam with him.
A three-man squad was required for the Chunin Exams. One spot was filled by him, meaning he needed two teammates.
And now, the Third Mizukage had granted him the right to choose one of them!
Yagura's first thought was his three closest friends.
However, after careful consideration, he had to painfully rule them all out.
Mangetsu was a no-go. The fact that he bore the Hozuki surname would definitely not pass the Mizukage's scrutiny.
Kaede and Zabuza—while talented—were still lacking in strength to take the Chunin Exams at this time.
After much deliberation, Yagura thought of someone he had met only once. He enunciated each syllable clearly: "Terumi Mei."
"No."
The Third Mizukage instantly rejected the choice.
At the same time, he was slightly surprised.
He had expected Yagura to pick Hozuki Mangetsu, or perhaps Zabuza or Kaede.
Yet Yagura had chosen Terumi Mei, someone he wasn't even familiar with.
Why?
Yagura was dumbfounded, staring at the Mizukage in disbelief. The latter, however, did not leave him guessing and provided an explanation: "Terumi Mei possesses two Kekkei Genkai. That information must not be exposed. Choose someone else."
"..."
Yagura was speechless.
Seeing the look in Yagura's eyes, as if calling him a hypocrite, the Third Mizukage remained unbothered. He simply stated, "If you can't decide, I will choose both of your teammates for you."
"Wait, let me think! Give me another moment!"
Damn it, he had wanted to take this opportunity to get to know Terumi Mei, but that plan was crushed immediately.
Faced with the Mizukage's threat, Yagura quickened his mental search, rummaging through his memory for any other potential candidates.
Among the future Mist ninja he knew, all the strong ones were currently off-limits.
However, there were still others—those he knew of but had yet to locate or meet in person.
"Ringo Ameyuri. How about her?"
"..."
The Third Mizukage remained expressionless but asked, "Who?"
It wasn't surprising that he didn't recognize the name. At this point in time, Ringo Ameyuri was not yet the future prodigy of Lightning Release in Kirigakure. She was just another faceless Anbu member among many.
"Uh…" Yagura realized the issue and awkwardly scratched his head.
He actually had no idea where Ringo Ameyuri was or what she was doing right now.
He had even asked Mangetsu and Kaede about her before but got no useful information.
The Anbu under the Mizukage quickly gathered Ringo Ameyuri's file and placed it on the desk.
As Mizukage, was there any ninja's file he couldn't obtain?
Yagura watched the file with nervous anticipation.
He wasn't sure how strong Ringo Ameyuri was at the moment. But based on her future reputation, she had to be good!
"Ringo Ameyuri… eleven years old?"
A brief glance was enough for the Mizukage to sense her potential.
He carefully read through the full file—family background, ninja experience, skill assessments, mission records, social interactions, and more.
After finishing, the Mizukage tapped his fingers lightly on the table.
Seeing this reaction, Elder Genshi could already tell that Ringo Ameyuri was promising.
Setting down the file, the Mizukage looked at Yagura again and said, "She will do."
There was no hesitation in his decision.
Yagura cheered internally and eagerly asked, "What about the third teammate…?"
"You have another candidate?"
The Mizukage raised an eyebrow. Another genius, perhaps?
Why didn't he know about this one?
"Yes, I do."
Mangetsu and Kaede weren't viable options!
And where better to find someone than directly from the Mizukage?
[Mangetsu & Kaede: Sneeze!]
Not wanting to give the Mizukage a chance to refuse, Yagura quickly revealed his final pick: "Hoshigaki Kisame."
As before, the Anbu swiftly retrieved Kisame's file and presented it to the Mizukage within a minute.
The Mizukage skimmed through it and dropped a harsh reality on Yagura: "He's already a Chunin."
"Ah… oh…"
Like a deflated balloon, Yagura's dream of assembling an all-star squad to dominate the Chunin Exams was crushed.
Unfazed, the Mizukage stacked Kisame's file atop Ringo Ameyuri's and stated,
"For Kirigakure's first participation in the joint Chunin Exams, your third teammate won't be weak."
Yagura pressed on, "Who is it?"
Would it be another future Mist ninja he had forgotten about?
"I'll keep it a secret for now, hahaha."
The Mizukage chuckled, clearly in a good mood. "It's getting late. Go deal with your Tailed Beast Cloak first. Also… your friends will probably come looking for you soon."
Friends? Mangetsu and the others?
Yagura suddenly remembered—he still hadn't told them about becoming a Jinchuriki.
"Alright, I'll get going then."
Satisfied with his gains, Yagura took his leave, closing the door behind him.
Halfway down the hall, he suddenly turned back and poked his head into the office again.
The Mizukage frowned. "What is it now?"
Yagura had almost forgotten something important.
His expression turned serious. "Mizukage-sama, look into the person who submitted that Tailed Beast Plan to Fuguki Suikazan."
Was it someone controlled by Uchiha Madara's genjutsu?
Or a White Zetsu?
"Understood."
He didn't have the means to investigate it himself, so he had to rely on the Mizukage.
After confirming the Mizukage had truly taken note of the matter, Yagura finally left for real.
The Mizukage ran his hand over the two files on his desk and asked, "Elder, when is the next Chunin Exam?"
Elder Genshi smiled knowingly.
After working together for decades, they understood each other's thoughts with just a glance.
"The Chunin Exams are held twice a year. The next one is in June, hosted by Sunagakure."
The Mizukage smirked. "Sunagakure in June… those two sure know how to pick a place."
"If nothing changes, the following exam will be in December, hosted by Konoha."
The Mizukage tapped his fingers again and ordered, "Bring Hoshigaki Kisame to me. Immediately."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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