Mikoto's sudden action left Aoshi a little stunned. In truth, even Mikoto herself was shocked by what she had just done.
A moment of impulse had driven her to kiss him. Now that she had calmed down and thought it over, she realized she had been too reckless.
Would Aoshi think she was a frivolous woman?
With that thought in mind, Mikoto glanced shyly at Aoshi—only to find him still wearing a surprised expression.
"T-That was just a return gift! Don't get the wrong idea!" Embarrassed by Aoshi's reaction, Mikoto blushed and quickly tried to close the door to hide.
But Aoshi wasn't about to let her run away. He swiftly reached out and grabbed her hand.
"A return gift like that isn't enough," he said with a smirk.
As he spoke, Aoshi gently pulled Mikoto into his arms. Feeling the soft warmth of her body, he lowered his head and kissed her lips.
"Mmm!" Caught completely off guard, Mikoto's eyes widened.
Her first kiss… was gone, just like that. Though that thought dominated her mind, she didn't feel repulsed. In fact, she had long harbored feelings for Aoshi.
And this sensation… was surprisingly pleasant, even comforting. Before long, she found herself lost in Aoshi's slightly forceful, yet tender kiss.
---
News of Konoha's plan to hold a Joint Chunin Exam had already reached the leadership of every shinobi village in the ninja world.
The smaller villages mostly chose to participate—sending their young shinobi to Konoha was an opportunity to broaden their horizons.
But things weren't as simple for the other four major ninja villages. Each had its own thoughts.
Iwagakure.
As the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki was buried in paperwork. Due to the village's lack of young talent, even retirement had become a distant dream for him.
Among all the current Kage, he was the oldest.
"Tsuchikage-sama, we've received an invitation from Konoha regarding a joint Chunin Exam." The speaker was Onoki's son, Kitsuchi. Though only seventeen, he was already a capable Jonin.
Onoki looked up at him, a trace of disappointment flickering in his eyes. He did recognize Kitsuchi's strength and potential. Though he hadn't inherited Onoki's Dust Release, that was understandable—Dust Release was simply too advanced.
It was a Kekkei Tōta—an evolution beyond Kekkei Genkai. A Kekkei Genkai fused two chakra natures to create a new release; a Kekkei Tōta, however, fused three.
The only known example in the ninja world was Dust Release, which combined Wind, Earth, and Fire.
Its difficulty was proof enough of its rarity.
Unfortunately, Kitsuchi's personality was a bit too simple and honest for Onoki's taste—traits unsuited for a future Tsuchikage.
"Tsuchikage-sama, should we send someone to participate?" Since it was official business, Kitsuchi addressed Onoki by title.
Onoki, clearly annoyed, waved a hand and snapped, "A joint Chunin Exam? More like Konoha flaunting their strength to the world. Why would we attend? Just to play second fiddle?"
Sunagakure.
Looking over the intelligence regarding the upcoming joint exam, the Third Kazekage turned to Rasa and asked, "Do you think we should participate?"
After a moment of thought, Rasa replied, "Right now, restoring the village's strength is our top priority. I think it's better not to attend."
But the Third Kazekage shook his head. "Rasa, while it's true the village must recover quickly, we still must participate in this joint exam."
"As much as I hate to say it, we have to admit that among the Five Great Shinobi Nations, Sunagakure is at the bottom. We need powerful allies."
"And Konoha is our best bet."
Rasa looked like he wanted to object, but the Third Kazekage raised a hand to stop him. "No need to argue. My decision is final. You and Pakura will each lead a team to attend the joint Chunin Exams in Konoha."
As the strongest of all Kazekage, his authority was absolute—there was no need for elder council discussions.
"…Understood."
Watching Rasa walk away, the Third Kazekage sighed quietly.
Rasa was incredibly talented. At a young age, he had inherited his Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai and could even suppress Pakura, another Kekkei Genkai user.
But this also made him arrogant and prideful.
Because he intended for Rasa to eventually take his place, the Kazekage had tried to mentor him repeatedly. He only hoped Rasa would soon mature and begin thinking like a true Kage.
Kirigakure.
The Third Mizukage, known for enacting the Blood Mist Policy, was not well-liked within the village. After all, any sane person would reject the idea of killing their own comrades just to graduate.
But the Mizukage's power was absolute—even the eldest of the village elders, Master Genji, couldn't overturn his decisions.
Still, the Third Mizukage wasn't completely reckless. The current Blood Mist Policy hadn't yet reached the madness it would under Uchiha Obito's future manipulation.
Suddenly, a masked ANBU from Kirigakure appeared in the Mizukage's office, presenting a scroll from Konoha—it contained the details of the joint Chunin Exam.
After reading it, the Mizukage responded without hesitation. "This has nothing to do with us. Ignore it."
Kumogakure.
Unlike the other villages, the Third Raikage A wasn't behind a desk—he was off to the side, training his body. Handling official duties in his place was Dodai, his most trusted and capable aide.
Only when something truly important came up would the Raikage get involved. Naturally, as soon as the invitation from Konoha arrived, Dodai brought it to him.
After hearing the report, A stopped mid-punch.
"What do you think? Should we participate?"
"Raikage-sama, I believe we should. This is a great opportunity."
By 'great opportunity,' Dodai meant the potential abduction of Uzumaki Kushina from Konoha. The Uzumaki clan possessed extraordinary vitality, chakra reserves, and sealing techniques—making them ideal Jinchūriki.
This was precisely why Konoha had brought Kushina into the village.
They needed her to seal the Nine-Tails—the strongest of all tailed beasts. Only an Uzumaki could suppress its power.
Meanwhile, Kumogakure had the Eight-Tails, second only to the Nine-Tails. But their current Jinchūriki, Killer B, still couldn't fully control it due to emotional instability.
That's what led to the plan of kidnapping Kushina. Still, Konoha's power and prestige made the Cloud hesitant to act.
But the joint Chunin Exam presented the perfect opportunity—they could send ninja into Konoha without raising suspicion.
"…Very well. We'll participate."