Outside the Uchiha clan grounds.
Kushina stood at the gate with a smile, holding a small, snow-white Vulpix.
"Mikoto, I've come to see you!"
The wooden gate to the Uchiha grounds was pushed open gently, and Mikoto Uchiha walked out slowly, carrying a bag with her Ninja Beast Egg inside.
The moment she saw the fluffy, bright-eyed Ice Vulpix in Kushina's arms, her entire face lit up.
"So cute..."
Mikoto could hardly stop herself from jogging forward, reaching out to gently tickle Vulpix's chin.
Vulpix narrowed its eyes slightly and let out a contented whimper, then lifted a small paw and gently patted the back of Mikoto's hand.
Whoosh...
A gentle layer of silvery Icy Snow drifted down from the tips of Vulpix's tails, sprinkling onto the back of Mikoto's hand.
It wasn't ordinary snow, but fine ice crystals like sorbet, emitting a faint, cool aura.
Kushina explained with a smile, "You can eat this, you know."
Mikoto paused, hesitating for a moment before scooping up a bit of the snow and placing it in her mouth.
A slightly sweet, sorbet-like flavor?
Kushina puffed out her chest proudly. "I didn't expect Vulpix's control over snow could reach this level either."
Vulpix let out an obedient "Wuuu—" and wagged its six tails again, scattering a circle of shimmering Snow Powder in the air.
The two girls chatted and laughed as the little Vulpix jumped back and forth between their arms.
This heartwarming scene was witnessed in its entirety by Fugaku Uchiha, who was passing by not far away.
He stopped in his tracks, his gaze fixed on the Vulpix in Kushina's arms.
Those crystalline snowflakes, that unique aura belonging to a Ninja Beast...
A slight tightness formed in his chest as an indescribable sense of loss crept into his heart.
He had clearly been training so hard for so many days.
Yet now, seeing his peers hatch their Ninja Beasts one after another while he remained at a standstill...
Fugaku silently retracted his gaze.
Mikoto Uchiha saw Fugaku passing by, about to enter the Uchiha grounds. "Brother Fugaku..."
He lowered his voice, leaving behind only two short words before turning to leave.
His retreating figure carried a hint of loneliness, which he deliberately concealed within his stride.
"He... must be very anxious to hatch his egg."
Kushina patted Mikoto Uchiha. "Fugaku will definitely hatch a very powerful Ninja Beast."
After a moment of silence, Mikoto Uchiha spoke in a slightly strange tone, "But, I feel like my Ninja Beast is also about to enter the final hatching stage."
Night fell over the Hidden Leaf Village's frontline camp.
Sakumo Hatake sat in the main tent, his eyes fixed on the unfurled map.
The map was marked with the border of the Land of Rain, and the most conspicuous spot was the Flame Gym, which was abruptly wedged on a key frontline route.
It was like a sharp stone, stuck between the three powers.
"This Hanzo fellow is even more cunning than the rumors say."
The moment the Gym appeared, he immediately retreated deep into Amegakure, not even deploying his Beedrill.
He even sent three consecutive letters requesting aid to the Hidden Leaf camp:
"The Flame Gym threatens the safety of the Land of Rain. We request the assistance of our Hidden Leaf allies in eliminating it."
Sakumo Hatake only scoffed coldly after reading the letters.
Hanzo didn't want to waste any of his own forces to test this mysterious Gym.
Sakumo rubbed the bridge of his nose, lost in thought.
The intelligence from Red's battle gave him useful information to calculate and analyze.
Fire Body Technique... that fighting style that sets the whole body ablaze and changes the weather...
As he was pondering, the tent flap was lifted.
A familiar figure walked in.
"Sakumo, I'm here!"
Sakumo Hatake looked up and couldn't help but be slightly stunned.
"Duy? You... why are you at the front lines?"
Might Duy stood under the lamplight, his face bearing its usual simple, broad smile.
He carried a large bag on his back, and inside it was the Ninja Beast Egg he had obtained in the first round of the exam.
The Ninja Beast Egg with the Golden Flame Red Cloud pattern!
Seeing Might Duy's smile, Sakumo's heart instantly warmed.
He and Might Duy were the same age, but Duy had been held back multiple times, lingering in the Ninja School for many years.
But Sakumo had never looked down on this hot-blooded fool.
Seeing his friend whom he hadn't seen in years, Sakumo also showed a rare smile. "I got the news. Congratulations... you've obtained a Ninja Beast Egg too."
Might Duy scratched the back of his head, his eyes smiling into a thin line.
"Hahaha! Lord Hokage also said that my youth can't fall behind others!"
As he spoke, he patted his backpack again.
"This little one has been moving around a lot lately, full of spirit! So! I wanted to come to the front lines."
"To temper myself! To feel the true atmosphere of a battlefield!"
Sakumo looked into his eyes.
That sincerity, that burning passion, made him involuntarily breathe a sigh of relief.
Sakumo Hatake glanced at his own Ninja Beast Egg, and he vaguely began to feel a sense of anticipation.
The front lines were tense and oppressive, and Might Duy's appearance was like a sudden, sunny melody.
"Since you're here..."
Sakumo Hatake closed the map and slowly stood up.
"Then for the time being, you can stay by my side."
Might Duy's eyes lit up instantly. "Really!? Sakumo!?"
"That's great!! Youth burns infinitely!"
Might Duy's eyes immediately welled up with tears of passion as he gave Sakumo a thumbs-up.
Sakumo sighed softly but revealed a gentle smile.
"But there's one thing you need to understand first."
"What is it?"
Sakumo's voice grew serious. "This is the front line. At any moment, you might have to trade your life for victory."
Might Duy, however, didn't flinch in the slightest.
"I know! That's why I had to come!! If I don't break through my limits here, I'll never become a true ninja!!"
Sakumo gazed at Duy, as if seeing an inextinguishable green flame.
Inside the Flame Gym.
Red sat quietly in the center of the Gym, his eyes tightly closed.
A faint, scorching heat wave swirled around him, like a quietly breathing furnace.
Just then, space distorted slightly.
Shiroishi stepped out of the Different dimension. The moment his feet touched the ground, the surrounding high temperature was suppressed somewhat by the calm aura emanating from him.
Within the range of the World Tree, Shiroishi could freely transfer from the Breeding House to the Flame Gym before him.
Because this was all within the territory he controlled.
Red slowly opened his eyes.
The instant he did, the air seemed to ignite.
Within his blazing golden pupils burned a fire that made it impossible to look away.
Shiroishi raised an eyebrow. "Your fire... it's gotten stronger again?"
Red raised his right hand, and a pale golden flame danced gently in his palm.
"At first, I wasn't used to how Chakra works in this world, so my fire wasn't pure enough."
He clenched his fist, and the golden flame instantly erupted along his arm. "But now... I'm starting to adapt."
The flame receded. His expression was calm, but he couldn't suppress the battle intent radiating from his body.
Seeing this, Shiroishi smiled slightly and handed over a scroll that sealed the light within. "Next, you may face challenges from the Hidden Leaf and Hidden Sand. Here is detailed intelligence on Chiyo and Sakumo Hatake."
This intelligence was all compiled by Shiroishi based on his memories from his previous life.
Now that the various powers were gradually shifting their focus to this Gym in the Land of Rain, Shiroishi also hoped that Red could buy enough time for his two Ninja Beast Eggs to hatch.
Red took the scroll and scanned it ten lines at a time.
When he noticed the part about how Sakumo Hatake consistently upheld the Will of Fire from beginning to end, Red suddenly smiled.
After reading it, he slowly stood up.
A scorching firelight swirled at Red's feet, forming a fiery sigil like molten gold that seared the air.
Red looked up and grinned, a smile that seemed to bloom from within a raging inferno—bright, blazing, and fearless!
Like a fighting machine, he was ready to welcome the next hot-blooded battle.
"A clash of wills is what gets the blood pumping the most."
At this moment, Red's eyes were as bright as the burning sun. "I'm looking forward to it... a battle against the Will of Fire."