The conclusion that a Wood Release user had engaged in battle with other ninjas seemed absurd to the Anbu of Konoha, making them question reality itself.
However, for Hui, it was nothing out of the ordinary.
Currently, in the ninja world, there wasn't just one Wood Release user.
There were two.
One was Konoha's Nawaki, who had awakened Wood Release.
The other was Uchiha Madara, who had gained Wood Release through Hashirama's cells.
Since Nawaki had always stayed within the village, it was impossible for him to be the one involved.
That left only one possibility.
Uchiha Madara.
The last time Hui had sent a shadow Avatar to manipulate Black Zetsu and Uchiha Madara, Madara had been wandering the ninja world, searching for traces the mysterious figure.
So, the Wood Release user who had fought in the ninja world could only be Uchiha Madara.
This intrigued Hui.
Though Uchiha Madara was old, his strength remained formidable, existing on a different dimension compared to ordinary ninjas.
Even if he fought against powerful ninjas, his "Uchiha Madara" abilities alone should suffice.
But now, he had used powers that belonged to "Senju Hashirama."
Who could have forced him to resort to using Wood Release?
Could it be that Uchiha Madara, by sheer coincidence, had truly found Ōtsutsuki Isshiki?
Hui drew in a sharp breath.
If that were indeed the case, then this would be a significant development.
Suddenly, a sense of urgency filled Hui, and at the same time, he felt a bit speechless.
No matter how miserable Ōtsutsuki Isshiki might be, there was no denying his overwhelming strength.
Let's not forget, in the original storyline, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki had forced Naruto to unleash the Baryon Mode, a power that came at the cost of his life.
Even with Naruto in Baryon Mode and Sasuke fighting alongside him, they couldn't defeat Ōtsutsuki Isshiki.
If Kawaki hadn't ambushed Isshiki, the entire "Boruto" series might have come to an abrupt end.
So, in the current ninja world, the ceiling of combat power was Ōtsutsuki Isshiki.
Even Hui, as he was now, couldn't defeat him.
The reason Hui had exposed Ōtsutsuki Isshiki in the first place was simply to keep Black Zetsu and Madara occupied.
He had never intended for these two to actually find Isshiki!
Who could have predicted that they might truly locate him?
And if Ōtsutsuki Isshiki realized he had been exposed, would he take drastic actions or make decisions that deviated from the original storyline? That would be troublesome.
This is such a headache… Thankfully, my evolution is almost complete. Otherwise, if I had to face Ōtsutsuki Isshiki now, I really wouldn't know what to do.
After his initial shock, Hui felt a wave of relief.
He could sense that his next metamorphosis was imminent.
As long as he was given a little more time, he would undergo his transformation!
This time, Hui was confident he would ascend to the Six Paths level!
In other words, he would reach the average level of the Ōtsutsuki clan.
By then, combined with his eyes that could control life and death, Hui would be confident in dealing with Ōtsutsuki Isshiki.
Moreover, what if this transformation awakened yet another divine ability within him?
Thus, once he transformed, Hui would no longer fear Ōtsutsuki Isshiki.
I need to confirm if Madara was actually fighting Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, Hui thought to himself.
"Wait, so there really was a Wood Release user?"
Beside him, Hatake Sakumo spoke. Seeing Hui's serious expression, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.
Having followed Hui for so many years, it had been a long time since he had seen him look so grave.
To be honest, when Sakumo first received this information, he had been utterly baffled, frowning as he thought the Anbu must have made a mistake.
But now, it seemed the matter wasn't so simple.
"Yes, and I know who it is."
Hui replied. Previously, he had only shared details about Madara with Senju Tobirama and had not informed Sakumo.
"Do you need me to do anything?"
Sakumo didn't ask who it was. He knew that if Hui wanted to tell him, there was no need for him to ask.
"No need. It's still uncertain."
Hui shook his head. If it truly was Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, then not even Sakumo would be of any help.
"Don't worry. Although it's a tricky individual, I'll handle it. Don't forget, I'm Mochizuki Hui."
Hui gave Sakumo a reassuring smile, letting him know there was no need to worry.
If the Great Toad Sage's dream foretold that he would unify the ninja world, then it meant that nothing would happen to him before that.
So, this time, it was unlikely that Ōtsutsuki Isshiki would stir up trouble.
"All right then."
Seeing this, Sakumo felt slightly relieved.
His trust in Hui was absolute and unconditional.
If Hui said so, then he believed it.
...
Meanwhile, Nawaki and others were heading toward Iwagakure.
As kids who had never left the village, they were full of curiosity and excitement.
They looked around, chattering and asking countless questions.
"Brother-in-law, how do you plan to make the other villages' ninjas lose this time?"
After his initial curiosity waned, Nawaki grew bored and initiated a conversation with Hui's shadow Avatar.
Hearing this, the shadow Avatar rolled its eyes.
This kid was getting too cocky.
"During this time, don't call me brother-in-law. Address me as Teacher Miyashiro.
And don't be so presumptuous as tho think about making others lose even before the match starts. If you end up getting eliminated, that would be hilarious."
The shadow Avatar responded. It had already been set up by Hui to take on a different identity upon its creation. Now, it was known as Konoha's elite jonin, Miyashiro Yu.
"Lose? Impossible!"
Nawaki rejected the notion outright. If he couldn't even handle a bunch of chunin in this exam, he might as well quit being a ninja.
That would be an insult to his abilities.
"I agree. If Nawaki loses in this exam, then the other villages must be sending Kage-level ninjas to participate."
Minato chimed in. As Nawaki's "little brother" and sparring partner, he was familiar with Nawaki's strength and had full confidence in him.
"Exactly! If they send Kage-level ninjas, that would just be shameless."
"Yes, exactly."
Kushina Uzumaki and Konan also joined in.
To them, Nawaki losing in the chunin exams was unthinkable.
Hui's shadow Avatar, however, shook its head. "Don't underestimate the geniuses from other villages. If they're the same age, their strength might not match yours. But remember, there's no age restriction in the chunin exams.
"Your opponents could be anyone.
"The chunin exam doesn't simply test strength; it's a comprehensive evaluation.
"There might even be elite jonin or Kage-level ninjas who, for some reason, are still genin and "eligible to participate.
"For other villages, this exam might be a significant event. So don't be surprised if you encounter monsters.
"Arrogance could lead to failure."
The shadow Avatar's words left the four of them stunned.
What had seemed like an easy exam now didn't feel so simple.
Indeed, this was the ninja world. Anything was possible.
Perhaps this time, they really might face opponents at Kage-level.
Now, the four became serious.
This brought a hidden smile to the shadow Avatar's face.
While the chunin exam could bring unexpected challenges, it was unlikely to involve anything as extreme as Kage-level threats.
Besides, this was a comprehensive test. But with talents like Nawaki, Minato, Kushina, and Konan, how could they possibly fail?
If these four were deemed unqualified, then the title of chunin might as well cease to exist in the ninja world.