Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha lacks motivation.

"Jingzai, how can you slander me out of thin air? I clearly drank lemon water yesterday."

Upon hearing the newcomer's revelation, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but roll his eyes. This kid's got too big for his britches now, daring to undermine him.

"But you did order milk tea."

"That's to reach the minimum order amount, to combine meals, you know? It's more cost-effective to buy two drinks together."

With a dark-skinned, mature woman by his side, how could Uchiha Gin dare to enjoy this sweet treat all to himself? He had to arrange one for Wang Jie too.

"Can"

"Hold on! May I ask what brings you here, Secretary?"

Sensing the increasingly dangerous gaze of Senju Itama beside him, Uchiha Gin quickly interrupted Kagami and instead inquired about the other's purpose.

Logically, these village leaders should be in their lavishly decorated VIP rooms right now, clinking glasses and plotting how to exploit the villagers.

"Uncle Yin, could you please persuade Aunt Guang to stop hitting her?"

Uchiha Kagami hesitated for a moment, a hint of embarrassment appearing on his face. He scratched his curly hair sheepishly, leaned closer to Uchiha Gin, and whispered...

So he was asking for a favor!

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Gin's face lit up with joy, and his gaze began to sweep over Mirror. However, his initial joy quickly faded like a receding tide.

How can you even bring this up without mentioning anything?

"As you know, I respect women the most, so how could I do something against their wishes?"

Gently shaking his head, Uchiha Gin refused Mirror's request.

Of course, this had little to do with the fact that the other party came empty-handed. The main reason was that he didn't want to spoil the two women's fun. Both women were his flesh and blood, and if he went out to mediate, he would only end up hurting his own fragile kidneys.

"but."

Uchiha Kagami gave a bitter smile. He knew Uchiha Hikaru's stubborn temperament; there was no way he would get her to stop now.

"No buts, don't worry, the battle will be over soon."

Uchiha Gin saw his nephew's predicament and, not wanting to embarrass him, patted him on the shoulder and made a firm promise.

"Uncle Yin, you..."

"You're welcome."

He slapped the other person's shoulder hard a few more times, then shook his head and said,

"Could you please not get oil on my uniform? It's a custom-made one, and it's a real pain to clean."

"I didn't notice, sorry. Would you like a piece?"

Without making a sound, Gin withdrew his greasy hand and offered the last bit of fried chicken to Kagami, who refused with a raised hand; he had no appetite for food right now.

Is it really almost over?

The two women were locked in a fierce battle, showing no signs of stopping, which Uchiha Kagami found somewhat unbelievable.

"Neither of them can do anything to the other. Once they've had their fill of playing with the Nine-Tails, they should stop."

No one understood Mito Uzumaki and Hikaru Uchiha better than Gin Uchiha. Their overall strength was roughly equal, and if they were to fight in a real battle, half of the Land of Fire would suffer.

The two women are currently holding back their power, relying solely on the Nine-Tails for their sparring. The match will end when they finally break the Nine-Tails.

Seeing the two Nine-Tails groaning in pain, Uchiha Gin was pretty sure that the match was nearing its end.

"Bang!"

Mito Uzumaki, clad in a golden tailed beast cloak, clashed with Hikaru Uchiha, who was covered in pure white armor. The shockwaves generated by their bare-handed exchange were far more powerful than any clash of ninjutsu.

"Your metal shell isn't bad at all~"

Mito Uzumaki looked Uchiha Hikaru up and down, her eyes filled with a hint of envy.

While her outfit wasn't bad, it still paled in comparison to the exquisite Extreme Fox Armor.

"It's just so-so, I feel it's not as good as Susanoo."

Stretching his sore arms, Uchiha Hikaru felt the constriction of the armor and his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

How did Madara Uchiha endure this equipment? It's so uncomfortable to wear.

Wearing the seemingly cool armor, Uchiha Hikaru not only did not feel the surge of power, but also felt that it was a burden and that her Susanoo was more practical.

"I also feel it's just average. Apart from being a little faster, the power has actually decreased quite a bit."

Like Uchiha Hikaru, Uzumaki Mito also had reservations about the Nine-Tails' power. After entering the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, her agility did increase significantly, but her other attributes clearly stagnated, making it a losing proposition.

"This useless thing!" *2

"Achoo!" *2

The two nine-tailed foxes hidden deep within the card space sneezed simultaneously, then rubbed their noses, somewhat bewildered.

Am I not a creation of chakra?

Can you catch a cold too?

"Ugh~ Why isn't it over yet?"

The Nine-Tails trembled and cowered in the corner of the Tailed Beast Card, its massive head filled with fear.

This cage, which was usually used to restrict its freedom, has now become a protective umbrella for its safety. If it weren't for the seal on the Tailed Beast Card, it would have been dragged out for a spin by Mito Uzumaki long ago.

"In that case, let's settle this with one move."

"Agreed, Gintoki is waiting to go home for dinner~"

"Tsk!"

Looking at the smug-looking Uchiha Hikaru, Uzumaki Mito curled her lip.

You can be smug for a while, but once Gintoki settles down in the Land of Waves, the two of them can be together openly.

Slightly resentful, Mito Uzumaki leaped high into the air first. Her golden figure was backed by the sun, with rays of light shining behind her. Countless chakra hands emerged from her body, making her resemble a thousand-armed Guanyin, her aura extremely terrifying.

"Take this punch. If you can block it, then take another one."

Countless golden arms slammed down from above, striking the seemingly insignificant pure white knight on the ground. The shockwaves from the punches caused the fox-tail-shaped cloak behind Uchiha Hikaru to flutter wildly.

Facing the overwhelming force of the chakra hand, Uchiha Hikaru remained unfazed, raising one hand in front of him, his palm condensing a destructive energy that sent chills down one's spine.

"Who do you think you're talking to?"

Uchiha Hikaru assumed a punching stance, and the terrifying energy attached to his fist rapidly gathered, eventually solidifying into a gel-like, obscure energy.

"Explode!"

As her fist slammed out, the energy erupted instantly, transforming into a dark pillar of light that directly met the descending chakra hand from the sky.

"Boom!"

The explosion caused by the collision of the two forces was so loud that it made everyone present's eardrums vibrate violently. Many of the less skilled spectators couldn't help but cover their ears, their faces showing expressions of pain.

Some even fainted on the spot, and two streams of blood could be seen slowly flowing from their ears.

"Huff, huff."

The children sitting next to Uchiha Gin huddled together, their faces filled with terror. It was clear they were also badly frightened by the violent explosion.

"How scary. Jiraiya, I want to go home."

Hiruko, who had just become a ninja, clearly hadn't accepted his new identity. Faced with such a terrifying scene, he almost fainted.

Fortunately, they had Uchiha Gin and others by their side. When the pressure from the explosion penetrated the barrier and blocked their location, Uchiha Izuna intervened.

A bright yellow half-skull stood before the crowd, completely blocking out the terrifying pressure. Inside the skull, Uchiha Izuna was furrowing his brow as he ate fried chicken.

"Wow, this woman is really strong. She can actually fight Guang-jie to a standstill."

Having experienced firsthand Uchiha Hikari's abilities, Uchiha Izuna couldn't believe that there was another woman as strong as Uchiha Hikari.

No, no, no, there's actually another one, but it's not red hair, it's white eyes.

"Thanks!"

Just as Uchiha Izuna was pondering, Uchiha Gin, with a beaming smile, patted his younger cousin's brightly colored Susanoo, a teasing smile on his lips.

Behind him, Uchiha Rinpoche's bloodlust faded from his eyes, and Senju Itama's chakra cloak dissipated.

"You guys are really something, you can't even handle a small situation, how will you be able to do big things in the future?"

Turning his head to look at the two women whose breathing had stabilized, Uchiha Gin shook his head and said...

"I've learned a lot, Mr. Yin."

"Hey! You curly-haired baboon, you really don't appreciate kindness."

"Uncle Yin, is it really over now?"

Uchiha Kagami, standing to the side with a grave expression, frowned and asked,

"It should be over. The Nine-Tails can't hold on any longer."

Nodding, Uchiha Gin pointed to the center of the arena.

As the smoke cleared, the two women on either side began to show extremely unstable auras. Mito Uzumaki's chakra cloak flickered, appearing as if it was about to dissipate.

Uchiha Hikari fared no better; the gauntlets on the hand she had just thrown a punch were completely shattered, exposing the girl's fair fist to the air, and her armor was emitting visible light particles.

"I didn't have much fun this time. Let's find another place to play next time, and I'll bring some teammates to have a proper match."

Uchiha Hikari glanced at her bare arms, then gently pulled the dim Nine-Tails Card from her driver at her waist. As her armor dissolved into particles and vanished, her beautiful face reappeared before everyone.

"Help? It's not that I look down on them, but those two kids on your side are not even worth mentioning."

Mito Uzumaki, who had also dispelled her golden chakra cloak, held the Nine-Tails card, formed from the tailed beast's chakra, between her fingers, shaking her head disdainfully, as if scoffing at the helper that Hikaru Uchiha had mentioned.

"Sister Zhili, I feel like someone is cricketing behind us."

Sensing a faint malice, Senju Itama frowned in confusion, then turned to look at the purple-haired girl beside him.

"I feel that way too."

It's unexpected that Uchiha Rinpoche felt the same way; it seems there really is something to it regarding crickets.

"It's not them, you'll find out when the time comes."

Uchiha Hikaru smiled mysteriously. Next time, she would definitely give the red-haired sea girl an unforgettable memory. She didn't believe that she and Otsutsuki Tsukihime together couldn't deal with Uzumaki Mito.

"Phew, it's over, finally over!"

Hiding in a corner, Danzo watched the two women, their Nine-Tails chakra severed, and was moved to tears. If the two continued fighting, his role as the organizer would be over.

"Ahem. Since the two of you are evenly matched, why don't you sign a contract together and become the Tailed Beast Riders of Konoha, and live a wonderful life with seven insurances and two benefits from now on?"

Danzo straightened up, brushed the dust off his clothes, strode over to a spot not far from the two women, and announced loudly that he knew.

Upon hearing Danzo's voice, Uchiha Hikaru curled her lip in disdain. She had no interest in being a Tailed Beast Rider; wasn't it better to stay at home and be supported by a man?

"You want to go?"

Turning his head to look at Mito Uzumaki, who was locked in a fierce battle with him, Hikaru Uchiha asked a question.

"I'm just playing around, I'm not interested."

Playing with the dull Nine-Tails card in her hand, Mito Uzumaki also revealed a hint of disdain. How could she, the daimyo of the Land of Whirlpools, possibly condescend to be a Tailed Beast Knight of Konoha?

Unless the Land of Whirlpools also establishes a few, she might be interested in taking on the role concurrently.

"Then what should we do? Neither of us is interested in this card."

Uchiha Hikaru shrugged, his gaze falling on the dull Nine-Tails card in his hand. The once arrogant fox on the card now huddled timidly against the corner, looking like it had been castrated.

Although he had been castrated long ago.

"Don't worry, I've already found someone else."

Mito Uzumaki chuckled and extended her hand. Following her pointing, Hikaru Uchiha showed a surprised expression.

"Why is she still here?"

Not far away, at the edge of the barrier, Senju Hisama, whom Uchiha Hikaru thought had long since left the scene, was lying there looking utterly exhausted, surrounded by a thick layer of barrier.

"I have my reasons for keeping her here. Anyway, I can't take this card with me, so I might as well give it to someone I like and who is destined to have it."

"What do you mean you can't take it with you?"

Sensing the hidden meaning in Mito Uzumaki's words, Hikaru Uchiha couldn't help but appear and ask.

"Before I participated in the competition, I had already reached a private agreement with the organizers to rent out the food street outside the examination venue in exchange for the qualification to take the exam."

As she softly explained why she, as a foreigner, was able to take the exam, Mito Uzumaki's smile remained unchanged.

Ha, filthy adults.

"The agreement states that even if I pass the exam, I cannot become a Tailed Beast Rider, but that does not affect my ability to select the next Tailed Beast Rider."

The more you try to appoint someone, the less I will comply with your wishes.

Mito Uzumaki witnessed the scene of the Ninja Alliance members besieging Senju Hisana. Since the Konoha higher-ups are so unwilling to let a member of the Senju clan serve as a Tailed Beast Rider, I'll make sure she gets through.

"What do you want to do?"

Seeing that Mito Uzumaki didn't answer him but instead suddenly strode towards a corner of the barrier, Danzo panicked. He had a secret deal with this woman.

Now that the other party has successfully passed the exam, he can legitimately manipulate things behind the scenes afterward, stealing a Tailed Beast Card that the other party gave up and keeping it in the Shimura clan for research.

"The exam isn't over yet, and there's still a third person here."

Mito Uzumaki glanced back at Danzo, whose face was filled with anxiety, and a slight smile played on her lips.

"ha?"

"What do you want to do?"

The same question arose from Senju Hisama's lips. Weak and exhausted, she struggled to lift her head, looking at Uzumaki Mito with a mocking expression, her eyes filled with wariness.

"Little white hair, for your father's sake, I'll give you this card. I hope you'll use it well and not bring shame to our ancestors."

"ha?"

"Wait, there's this one too." (End of Chapter)