In an instant, Minato Namikaze appeared right beside Veigar Koshima.
"Veigar, are you alright?"
A flicker of worry surfaced in Minato's heart—he was concerned that Veigar might suffer some side effects from using the Rasengan: Revolving Heaven just moments earlier.
After all, it was a newly developed ninjutsu, and with it came countless unknowns.
"Sensei?"
"What brings you here? I'm fine!"
"I just overused my chakra a bit. I'm a little tired, that's all—a short rest and I'll be good as new."
Veigar straightened up and responded calmly to Minato.
Still uneasy, Minato pressed further. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I saw it with my own eyes—the Rasengan you used."
As the creator of the Rasengan, Minato was intimately familiar with its essence: a solid sphere of compressed chakra.
Yet moments ago, Veigar had positioned himself inside the Rasengan. That alone sparked Minato's concern—he feared Veigar's body might have been harmed by the Rasengan's spiraling force.
But Minato's concern was entirely unnecessary—for Veigar, at least. His ability to perform the Rasengan: Revolving Heaven came from a unique modification: his body had been etched with a constant Rasengan. Essentially, Veigar's own body acted as the core of the technique. With a stabilized Rasengan at his center, Veigar could safely unleash Revolving Heaven without the destruction Minato feared.
"You saw that, Sensei?"
Veigar was a bit surprised that Minato had shown up at just the right moment to witness his first successful use of Rasengan: Revolving Heaven.
Then, with certainty in his voice, he added, "But really, I'm fine."
Seeing Veigar's insistence, Minato finally relaxed—he trusted Veigar, after all. If the boy said he was fine, then he was.
Only then did Minato reveal the real reason he had come.
"That's good to hear!"
"I happened to have the morning free, so I figured I'd check in. See how much you've grown this month. And maybe answer any questions you've had during your training."
Since Minato had come to guide him, Veigar wasted no time. He had indeed run into quite a few problems lately—this was the perfect chance.
"I do have a lot of questions I'd like to ask you."
...
Veigar cherished that entire morning of instruction. After listening to Minato's answers, it felt as if fog had lifted from his mind—many of the issues that had been troubling him were finally resolved.
As Renchi Furuyama strolled through the streets of Konoha, he subtly observed and sensed the presence of Hidden Leaf shinobi lurking in the shadows. Inwardly, he contemplated how he might probe whether Veigar was truly the suspect—all while avoiding detection under the ever-watchful eyes of the village's ninja.
Even if he managed to confirm Veigar's guilt, Furuyama knew he wouldn't risk acting within Konoha. If nearby shinobi were alerted, escaping the village would become a major problem.
Besides, the third round of the Chūnin Exams was just days away. Even if he missed his chance to test Veigar in secret, the matches themselves could serve as a viable observation point.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
After a night of rest, Veigar was ready. His preparations for battle were complete.
"The third round… I'm ready."
Muttering to himself, Veigar stepped out of his home, eyes filled with confidence and resolve as he headed toward the exam arena.
Located in the southeastern part of Konoha, the Konoha Grand Arena stood as one of the village's most iconic landmarks. Nobles and dignitaries from across the Five Great Nations were familiar with the place—after all, it had hosted countless Chūnin Exams over the years.
Just as he arrived at the arena gates, Veigar spotted someone he hadn't seen in days—Kakashi Hatake.
Veigar walked over to him immediately and asked, "Kakashi, were you waiting for me?"
Kakashi gave a calm nod. "Minato-sama asked me to pass along his apologies. He might not make it today to cheer you on."
"I understand."
Veigar smiled, completely understanding. As a jōnin, Minato's responsibilities were certainly not light in a village like Konoha.
Then Veigar turned to Kakashi and asked, "What about you?"
"Shouldn't you be here to cheer me on?"
Still wearing that neutral expression, Kakashi replied simply, "Good luck in the exam."
"I've got other duties, so I'll be heading off."
With that, Kakashi turned and disappeared swiftly.
As one of the village's chūnin, Kakashi had plenty on his plate. It was one of the reasons Veigar hadn't seen him in some time.
Upon entering the arena, Veigar quickly spotted Hoshino Sarutobi, who had already arrived.
"Veigar, you're here!"
"Long time no see!"
As soon as their eyes met, Hoshino greeted him with a bright smile.
Veigar returned the gesture. "Yeah, it's been a while."
"Didn't expect you to be here this early."
Hoshino nodded, and then his expression changed—his eyes gleamed with fighting spirit.
"I can't wait."
"I'm going to fight—not just for myself, but for Kōtarō Akiyama too. We'll defeat our opponents and rise to the rank of chūnin."
Veigar, seeing his friend's determination, offered his heartfelt support.
"Go for it. I believe in you—you will win and become a chūnin."
With a resolute nod, Hoshino replied, "You too—good luck!"
Time ticked by as the two continued their exchange.
As the exam neared its start, Shōgetsu Uchiha arrived, and Veigar also noticed that Samui and her team were already present.
The arena was filled—nobles from every nation had taken their seats, awaiting the tournament's commencement. Hiruzen Sarutobi sat atop the highest observation platform, presiding over the proceedings.
Suddenly, as Veigar stood silently, awaiting the official start, he felt it.
A gaze. One laced with overwhelming aggression. Locked onto him.
At first, Veigar hadn't paid much attention to the people watching him. But now, the intensity of this stare startled him—it was far from casual.
His eyes shot toward the source.
"Who is it? A Cloud shinobi?"
"Impressive sensory perception…"
Both Veigar and Renchi Furuyama thought the same thing in that instant.
Though Veigar saw no one at the source, he was certain—absolutely certain—that someone had been watching him from that spot with hostile intent.
He glanced around and noticed that the area housed many foreign shinobi, including several with the Kumogakure forehead protector.
Could it be one of them?
Veigar lowered his head, silently falling into deep thought.
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