While Sora was chatting with the system, Ao, the envoy from the Land of Water, arrived in Konoha, inviting the Leaf to participate in their upcoming Chūnin Exams.
In the past three years, Kirigakure had gradually recovered from its dark reputation as the Village of the Bloody Mist and was now holding this event to demonstrate its renewed strength and attract more missions.
Ao also cautiously mentioned the return of the Three-Tails, a request Minato immediately rejected—not because he intended to keep the tailed beast permanently, but because Rin Nohara was still alive. Removing the beast would effectively kill her, something Minato, as Hokage, could never allow.
After Ao departed, Minato directly passed the mission to Sora, given he was the only one in Konoha currently free. Despite Sora's many refusals, he eventually relented.
The team participating in the Chūnin Exams consisted of Uchiha Itachi from the Uchiha Clan, Hyūga Ryūya from the Hyūga Clan, and a spirited young girl, Uchiha Izumi, who had boldly approached Sora to secure her spot.
Sora understood that Izumi's real interest wasn't the exam itself, but Itachi. Of course, he was more than happy to help her pursue young love. After all, wasn't love something best nurtured from a young age?
Three days later, early in the morning, Uchiha Fugaku and Hyūga Hiashi personally brought the three children to meet Sora.
"Sora-san, I'll leave Ryūya in your care," Hiashi said, forcing a rare, awkward smile. Normally serious, the attempt made his expression look stiff.
Fugaku, who was far more familiar with Sora, simply smiled and gently pushed Itachi forward. "My son's already your biggest fan; do as you see fit. Also, keep an eye on Izumi."
"Haha, rest assured. I'll take good care of them," Sora confidently promised.
He was already quite familiar with Itachi and Izumi, both under ten. Despite their young age, their strength wasn't to be underestimated, especially Itachi, who could easily deal with an average Chūnin.
Hyūga Ryūya was slightly older, around twelve or thirteen, roughly Sora's height. His chakra already matched an elite Chūnin—a testament to the Hyūga bloodline.
At Fugaku's teasing, Itachi blushed shyly and hid behind Sora, while Izumi confidently stood her ground, completely at ease.
Ryūya was even more intriguing; his lively personality stood in stark contrast to his typically stoic clan, reminding Sora somewhat of Naruto.
After chatting briefly with Fugaku and Hiashi and securing permission from Minato, Sora set off with the three excited kids.
"Lord Sora, are we really walking all the way to the Land of Water?" Ryūya hinted enthusiastically once they were out of Konoha. After all, everyone knew Sora usually flew everywhere—a unique feat in Konoha.
Who wouldn't want to fly, especially as a kid—even a ninja? Even the calm and reserved Itachi couldn't hide the anticipation in his eyes.
"Heh," Sora chuckled, shaking his head. "Alright, we'll fly. I'll fulfill your wish."
Around them, trees suddenly burst from the ground, rapidly weaving into a large wooden boat that gently settled down in front of them.
"Hop in!" Sora called, and the trio eagerly climbed aboard.
"Earth Style: Light-Weight Rock Technique!"
With a gentle tap, the boat rose steadily into the air, hovering over a hundred meters high. It shot off rapidly towards the Land of Water, traveling faster than even Jonin could run.
Given Sora's vast chakra reserves, the flight was effortless. Initially, the children were ecstatic, exploring and gazing around. However, after the initial thrill faded, they soon settled down to quietly refine their chakra.
"Hold tight; we need to speed up!" Sora suddenly tensed, sensing a familiar chakra signature nearby. He quickly accelerated but soon realized escape was futile, his face becoming visibly distressed.
Ahead, a graceful figure hovered, paper wings fluttering gently as she awaited them.
"Keep running, why did you stop?" Konan glared at him, her face dark with annoyance, clearly eager to smack Sora on the head.
She had noticed Sora from afar while on her mission. Just as she'd approached, Sora had suddenly sped up, forcing her to use considerable effort to catch him.
Though Konan knew she was no match for Sora unless she risked her life, she'd chased him anyway, driven by impulse.
"Heh heh," Sora awkwardly scratched his head. "How could I dare run from you, Sister Konan? I just didn't know it was you! If I did, I'd never have fled!"
Seeing her dubious expression, Sora quickly continued, "Come aboard first. Isn't flying like this exhausting?"
"Hmph!" Konan scoffed, her voice filled with pride, before gently landing onto the wooden boat.
The three kids in the corner—Itachi, Izumi, and Ryūya—were utterly stunned. Who was this woman who could make even the mighty Sora nervous?
If Sora had known their thoughts, he'd have definitely knocked some sense into them. Nervous? Apart from the Sage of Six Paths himself, who in the ninja world could truly frighten him?
This was respect. Konan was someone who had saved his life once, genuinely treating him as her younger brother. She was the only reason he wouldn't raise a hand against the Akatsuki organization.
After boarding, Konan fell silent, realizing she didn't even know what to say. Ask why Sora had left Amegakure? He'd always been Konoha's ninja—it wasn't surprising at all.
Or should she ask why he'd deceived her? Yet, hadn't all of that been her own assumptions? Sora had never explicitly claimed to be a wandering orphan.
Thinking this, Konan felt irritated and shot another fierce glare at Sora.
Sora blinked innocently, utterly baffled. What had he done to deserve that glare?