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"If there's nothing else, I'm heading home for lunch." Tōji had no interest in continuing the conversation.

Since Neru would be able to stay out of this—or rather, since she'd be able to avoid dangerous missions from now on—she naturally wouldn't go out of her way to help Tōji come up with a plan.

"With your talent for escaping, you're still this pessimistic?" Neru stood up as Tōji did.

Tōji couldn't put it into words—escaping from Kirigakure wasn't something his limited skills could handle.

"If you don't believe me, how about you take my spot in the medical corps, and I'll go to the Land of Water for you?" Tōji said sarcastically.

"I believe you, I believe you. But they say the good die young—so you'll probably live forever. Good luck!" Since winning her first-round match, Neru had been full of smiles, even teasing Tōji. It caught him off guard… She showed her disappointment, and now she showed her joy.

"Later. See you at the arena tomorrow." Without waiting for her goodbye, Tōji used Body Flicker and disappeared into the trees.

"See you tomorrow." Neru's big eyes gazed at the picturesque scenery, filled with warmth. "This place really is beautiful. I never noticed it before."

…

『Sigh—Neru's about to land on her feet, about to become a medical corps civil servant.』 Tōji had reached the road home.

『Even if Minato takes notice of me during the Chūnin Exams, there's no guarantee I won't still be sent on that Land of Water mission. And even if I do get noticed, it just means a chance to try learning the 【Flying Thunder God Technique】—and the odds of actually mastering it are pretty low.』

『I need to find another way. But Kokubō Kenji isn't easily fooled…』

Tōji was already at his door. 『Whatever—I'll figure it out after lunch!』

"Dad, Mom—I'm home! Is lunch ready? I'm starving!" Tōji called out as he pushed the door open, playing the part of an ordinary eleven-year-old…

At the table, his father asked curiously, "Tōji—out of all the contestants this morning, you put on the least show, didn't you?"

That was true. Even Neru had taken a full minute to win, using speed and her hair secret technique to show off some skill.

And the later matches—Tobitake Tonbō, Seishimon, and Dokurā—had demonstrated taijutsu, swordsmanship, sensory abilities, and genjutsu.

Only Akame Iwao was underwhelming, with mediocre taijutsu and a half-decent stealth jutsu.

Tōji had only taken three seconds, and had only shown off his Body Flicker. The civilian spectators couldn't even fully grasp what had happened.

"But our little Tōji won the fastest and most uniquely! Right, Tōji?" His mother didn't understand the details either, but she knew her son was the best.

"Mom, Dad—that's my strongest skill." Tōji wasn't lying. His other jutsu he'd only practiced to familiarity, but Body Flicker and its variations he'd trained relentlessly.

After all, the ability to run away was a shinobi's foundation!

No matter what others said, Tōji was willing to be this lopsided.

That afternoon, Tōji didn't train anymore.

He lay comfortably in a hammock in the small woods near his house, working on a plan.

Because if he just waited around and did nothing, he might end up facing certain death with no way to respond.

Thinking about it—if Konoha forced him to go to the Land of Water and he died for sure… then before they left, he'd have to come up with a way to have a secret conversation with Minato.

Tōji still wasn't sure if the Land of Water mission would involve entering Kirigakure itself.

But he did know that Rawari's group had gone into Kirigakure—and Rawari was dead. The rest were likely either wiped out or only one or two escaped.

And Kenji's group had gone once, and was going again…

『Am I really going to have to risk exposing myself to Danzo or Orochimaru's attention—and spill everything to the savior's father?』