The guests from Konoha had arrived, led by the leader of Amegakure, Yahiko.
Accompanying him were numerous Ame ninjas, with Konan and Nagato prominently among them.
The third stage of the Chunin Exams was about to commence, and they had all come to witness the event.
As soon as they reached Konoha's gate, they were immediately drawn to the towering structure on the Hokage Rock.
The tower stood over ten meters tall, built atop the already high cliffs.
At its pinnacle was a massive glowing orb radiating dazzling purple light, capturing everyone's attention.
This was a structure they had not seen during their previous visit.
Yahiko inquired with the Konoha ninja who was receiving them, "Since when did your village build such a unique tower?"
"That is the Tower of Solarity, not a watchtower. The Hokage ordered its construction only recently."
"Tower of Solarity... what is its purpose?" Yahiko couldn't help but ask.
"It wards off malicious threats," the Konoha ninja answered.
Yahiko squinted slightly.
At first glance, the tower looked like nothing more than a decorative structure, and the massive orb at its peak resembled an oversized light fixture.
However, as seasoned ninjas, they could clearly sense the terrifying energy contained within it.
Nagato, in particular, with his Rinnegan, stared unblinkingly at the glowing orb.
The swirling purple light encircled a beautiful white core, giving him a strange feeling — as though the orb was somehow connected to his Rinnegan.
By Yahiko's side, his bodyguard Hakuryu was also deep in thought as he observed the tower.
Yahiko sighed in admiration, "Konoha's foundation and technological advancements are truly impressive."
"You flatter us, Lord Yahiko."
The streets were bustling with people, lined with shops and street vendors.
Today, many visitors from outside villages had come to Konoha, creating a lively and prosperous scene that Amegakure couldn't possibly rival.
Konoha didn't even need deliberate promotion; merchants had eagerly submitted applications long in advance, hoping to set up shop and do business during the exams.
Yahiko and his companions were led into a lounge for a brief rest.
Everyone sat on the sofas, while Yahiko stood quietly by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the bustling scene outside.
He suddenly spoke without any prompting, "A village like this is truly enviable."
Nagato responded, "Our Amegakure will be like this in the future."
Yahiko, however, calmly remarked, "What I mean is, such prosperity must attract a lot of greedy eyes."
Although the great nations were currently recuperating, war was bound to break out again in the future.
Yahiko could foresee that no matter how dignified the reasons for war might sound, at the core, it would always be about claiming such prosperity for oneself.
"Yahiko."
Konan stood up and walked to his side, saying, "Our dream will definitely come true."
Yahiko chuckled softly, then turned to look at Nagato, who was seated, and said, "Of course, I've always believed that."
......
The Chunin Exam arena was already packed with spectators on the stands.
"Ayari-nee, there's an empty spot here."
A group of young and beautiful women weaved through the crowd, drawing plenty of attention.
Some people recognized the crests of the Hyuga and Uchiha clans and automatically made space for them.
Natsu found an empty spot and waved to the others behind her.
"There are so many people here. Why did we have to come here?" Ayano asked helplessly. "Didn't the Hokage arrange a special seating area for us?"
Carrying a child, Ayari replied, "The atmosphere is better here. What's the point of sitting in one of those private boxes?"
She then turned to Mikoto behind her and said, "Be careful, don't bump into anything."
Mikoto felt slightly awkward under Ayari's concern, while Kushina remained indifferent, paying it no mind.
The women sat down together as the surrounding crowd continued to chatter noisily, with the exam yet to officially begin.
"When is Itachi's match again?"
"The fourth round, I think. His opponent's from Sunagakure."
"Do you think Itachi will win?"
"Not sure. I hope so."
At this moment, the crowd in the stands suddenly erupted into excitement.
Ayari looked into the distance and saw two figures walking out onto a solitary high platform, one of whom was her husband, the Fifth Hokage, Hyuga Makoto.
The other person was the Fifth Kazekage from Sunagakure, Pakura.
Some leaders from smaller villages were also present, but none were qualified to sit on equal footing with the two Kage.
Natsu suddenly smiled and said, "Ayari-nee, I heard the Fifth Kazekage is also a very beautiful woman."
Ayari cast a sidelong glance at her, instantly silencing Natsu, who awkwardly laughed and said no more.
On the high platform where the two Kage stood, the valiant and spirited Kazekage Pakura smiled and said to Makoto, "Konoha's arrangements are as grand as ever."
Makoto responded, "We're just fortunate to have your village's support."
The Fifth Kazekage had ascended to her position thanks to Makoto's assistance and was the first female Kage among the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
The relationship between Sunagakure and Konoha was as close as that between Konoha and Amegakure.
Just then, a purple pillar of light suddenly shot down into the central arena.
From within the pillar, more than ten figures emerged — the candidates for this round of the exam.
Kazekage Pakura's expression changed as she watched, and after a moment, she remarked, "Is that... space-time ninjutsu?"
Makoto replied, "It's merely a one-way teleportation technique."
This secret technique was an improvement upon the Flying Thunder God Jutsu, engraved onto the Tenseigan, allowing targets to be teleported to any location within the Tenseigan's range.
As the candidates appeared, the audience cheered enthusiastically at the novelty of their entrance.
Makoto then stepped forward, his voice echoing throughout the arena.
"Honored guests, thank you for coming to Konoha to witness the Chunin Selection Exams. Up next, ten candidates with Chunin-level qualifications will compete in official selection matches. Please enjoy the event."
.......
Compared to the lively atmosphere at the exam venue, the village felt much quieter at this moment.
At the base of the Solitary Tower, a figure slowly approached.
A guard ninja stepped forward to warn him, "Hello, this area is off-limits. Please leave immediately."
He assumed the person was an outsider curious about the place and intended to send them away.
However, the moment the figure got close, the Konoha ninja suddenly felt a sharp pain at the back of his neck, losing consciousness instantly.
The other guard was shocked but had no time to react either, as the figure had already flashed right in front of him.
Just like that, Hakuryu reached the entrance beneath the tower.
He looked up at the massive glowing orb at the top, then pushed the door open and walked inside.
The interior was filled with numerous rooms, but Hakuryu didn't stop or open any doors.
He simply ascended the spiral staircase continuously.
The higher he climbed, the more intense and terrifying the pure energy emanating from above became.
Reaching the end of the stairs, Hakuryu suddenly halted, glancing sideways with his peripheral vision.
Behind him stood someone who had appeared without a sound.
"May I ask what brings you here?" the person inquired.
Hakuryu's eyes flickered. "Ah, it's Kakashi."
Kakashi's brows furrowed slightly.
The man's tone suggested familiarity, but Kakashi had no recollection of him.
"I'm interested in this tower, so I came up to have a look," Hakuryu said as he turned, his face now transformed into a different appearance.
Kakashi responded calmly, "Sorry, this is a Konoha secret. Since you've made it here, I assume you've dealt with the guards below. Would you mind coming with me?"
Hakuryu chuckled softly and said, "It seems you've done well under his command."
Kakashi's gaze remained fixed on the man, his mind racing with thoughts.
Have I seen him before…?
Hakuryu continued, "Enjoying a position gained by betraying your own teacher — you're quite comfortable with that, aren't you?"
Kakashi's expression instantly turned icy.
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