The Kumo ninjas who were fighting Tetsu and Homura turned their gaze towards the commotion.
Tetsu did the same.
Seeing Kiyoshi, a glint flashed in Yotsuki Kei's eyes.
Taking advantage of Tetsu's distraction, he broke through his loosened defense.
Pa!
Tetsu, caught off guard, took a punch.
He staggered back, vaguely hearing the sound of his ribs breaking. At least three were broken.
"Tetsu!"
Natsu called out worriedly.
"I'm fine, Natsu."
Tetsu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and waved his hand.
How could he look so embarrassed in front of Natsu?
They were both from the branch house, and they had entered Ninja school at the same time.
It could be said that they had grown up together.
And branch house members are not allowed to marry outside the clan, so they were all internally married.
Natsu was also the most beautiful girl in the branch house.
So, Tetsu couldn't allow himself to lose face.
....
At the same time, far away
Inside the tall tower, the monitors displayed the downstream riverbank near the tower.
This river wasn't far from the tower and was conveniently within the surveillance range of the monitors.
If it were any further, the monitors wouldn't be able to see it.
"That kid is Uchiha Kiyoshi?"
Jiraiya took a bite of an apple and pointed to the monitoring screen.
He had asked the old man for a position as a deputy proctor.
"Yeah, that's Kiyoshi."
Minato nodded.
Having heard Kushina mention Kiyoshi, he recognized Kiyoshi at a glance based on his appearance.
"The situation doesn't look optimistic." Jiraiya suddenly shook his head.
On the screen, the Hyuga clan's team was being surrounded by Kumo ninjas.
Kiyoshi led his team from a distance, and the two sides seemed to be confronting each other.
"Those Hyuga with Byakugan are not as strong as those Kumo ninjas."
Jiraiya threw the remaining apple core into the trash can, making a clanging sound.
"So Kiyoshi wants to rescue them, a comrade from the village." Minato nodded.
Seeing Natsu talking to Kiyoshi, Minato assumed that the two were familiar with each other.
Since they were familiar, he would definitely lend a helping hand.
"He has some Will of Fire." Jiraiya laughed.
It was rare for an Uchiha to have the desire to protect their comrades and maintain the image of the Land of Fire.
He had only heard the old man mention that a man named Uchiha Kagami once had such a Will of Fire.
But unfortunately, that person was no longer around.
After that, Jiraiya had never seen an Uchiha who was qualified to bear the title of Will of Fire.
Kiyoshi was the first.
"The situation seems to have changed." Minato said.
Minato saw the Kumo ninjas beginning to negotiate with Kiyoshi.
"Let's see."
Jiraiya looked at the somewhat blurry screen due to the zoom and observed Kiyoshi's attitude towards the Kumo ninjas.
Kiyoshi came from the Land of Lightning.
If his attitude isn't right, there is a possibility that he is mindful of old relationships.
He would report this matter.
Any danger that can harm the village has to be nipped in the bud.
Seeing Jiraiya's expression become serious, Minato followed suit.
...
"Looks like you're Uchiha Kiyoshi. Are you interested in joining our team? We welcome strong people."
Yotsuki Kei spread his hands out in an inviting gesture.
There were too many people around, so he didn't mention anything else.
Kumogakure specifically wanted their team, which was going to Konoha to participate in the Chunin Exams, to invite Kiyoshi over.
This could be considered the main mission.
Because although other kekkei genkais were precious, only Kiyoshi showed the excellent traits of integrating the qualities of both the Yotsuki clan and the Uchiha clan.
If Kumogakure wanted to have its own Kekkei genkai clan, it will have to constantly localize it.
Since the Yotsuki clan already belonged to Kumogakure, it was suitable.
"That has to be proven, whether you are strong or not."
Kiyoshi's words took everyone by surprise.
Natsu and the others were immediately stunned. This wasn't the expected script.
Weren't they all comrades from the same village?
Shouldn't they be joining forces to fight the Land of Lightning?
"I knew you were a traitor from the Land of Lightning!"
Tetsu immediately shouted, his eyes filled with xenophobia.
Ninjas who came from the Land of Lightning like this couldn't understand what the 'Will of Fire' was.
Kurenai and Asuma both showed surprised expressions.
They didn't understand why Kiyoshi would say that.
Homura didn't say anything, his expression was also indignant, and he thought the same as Tetsu.
"Tetsu, Kiyoshi isn't that kind of person!"
Although she didn't know why Kiyoshi had said that, Kurenai felt uncomfortable when Tetsu said that about Kiyoshi.
"Kiyoshi, you..."
With his previous performances, Kiyoshi had already become a mature and steady genius in Asuma's mind.
He should know that these words were not conducive to the 'Will of Fire'.
"Great minds think alike."
Yotsuki Kei's surprised expression disappeared in a flash.
He also hadn't expected Kiyoshi to be so easy to talk to.
When they get to a deserted place, he will communicate with Kiyoshi, draw a picture of the future, and bring Kiyoshi back to the village.
That would be a great achievement.
High-rank ninjutsu, the guidance of Kumogakure's famous teachers, the hero of the village...
Yotsuki Kei seemed to see a bright future waving at him.
"Deruke, Tafu, you two go together."
"Okay."
Deruke, who had dark skin, said in a muffled voice, rushing over with two swords in his hands.
Tafu, who had very white skin and blond hair, elegantly followed with a slender long sword.
The situation, which had temporarily stopped because Kiyoshi and the others had arrived, ignited once again.
"Aren't we comrades, Kiyoshi?"
Natsu thought that she was acquainted with Kiyoshi, as Kiyoshi had even helped her before.
Why was he acting like this today?
"Is that so? Think carefully, what did the "noble" main family say we Uchiha were?" Kiyoshi said lightly.
Although his voice was soft, it sounded like a thunderclap in Natsu's ears.
Kiyoshi had heard about the last incident?
Natsu's heart was filled with shock.
Ginka wasn't a bigmouth either, she had only mentioned such a thing once outside.
It could only be that time... when she said something that wasn't conducive to unity.
"That was Ginka-sama..."
Natsu was thinking about how to explain.
"Oh? Is her name Ginka? But that day, besides me, Kushina had also heard it." Kiyoshi brought up Kushina.
He indicated that he had another witness, and there was no way for Natsu to deny it.
"Ginka... Ginka-sama... because..."
Natsu stammered, unable to say the lines she had prepared.
She had originally planned to deny it and say that Kiyoshi had misheard.
Her performance immediately reversed Kiyoshi's reputation.
Everyone could see that there was something else going on here.
"Natsu, what happened?"
Homura heard that the matter involved the main family, so he didn't dare to be careless at all and wanted to understand the whole story.
Natsu was silent.
Yotsuki Kei watched this scene with great interest.
It seemed that this Hyuga clan didn't like Kiyoshi.
Thinking of this, Yotsuki Kei didn't join the battlefield, but instead told Deruke and Tafu to fight a little slower.