Ch-23 Four Years.

Once the three major villages became aware of Uchiha Karan's power, they refrained from attacking him or the River country. As time flew by, the training of the recruits progressed rapidly, and many talented individuals were discovered among them, including several geniuses.
....
Four Years Later.

Baki, an Elite Jonin, led a team of four ninja from Sunagakure as they entered the River country. Kazeko, one of the team members, asked, "Captain, why are we going to this country?"

Fuko responded, "In the past five years, the Daimyo of the Wind country entrusted numerous missions to the River country that should have been assigned to our Sunagakure. And now, with the emergence of the five generals under Uchiha Karan, we have lost even more resources that should have been ours."

Hayate added, "Their strength has depleted our already limited resources."

Baki listened to their grievances before stating, "I don't know why Kazekage-sama wants to invite the people of the River country to participate in the Chunin exams. All I can say is that he must have a purpose that we are unaware of. Let's not forget that we are envoys of Sunagakure and are here to invite Uchiha Karan to our village during the Chunin exams."

After his words, the team continued their mission, moving quickly towards the Daimyo's mansion in the River country.

Upon arriving at the Daimyo mansion, Baki informed the guards that he and his team wished to meet with the Daimyo of the River country. The guards obliged and led them to a spacious meeting room, adorned with traditional decor and comfortable seating arrangements.

As they entered the room, they saw the Daimyo seated on the main chair, wearing a regal robe and a wise expression on his face. Baki bowed respectfully and said, "Daimyo-sama, we are here on the orders of Kazekage-sama to deliver this letter, which holds a formal invitation to the River country to participate in the Chunin exam. After reading it, you will know of our purpose."

The Daimyo accepted the letter and read it carefully, his eyes scanning each word with interest. Upon finishing, the Daimyo looked up and spoke, "I cannot speak about Uchiha Karan. You will have to ask his generals for this."

Baki and his team were then escorted out of the meeting room by Fura, the Daimyo's trusted personal guard, who took them to a spacious training ground. As they walked, Baki observed the stunning architecture of the mansion and the lush gardens surrounding it. Eventually, they arrived at the training ground, where soldiers in uniform were practicing various techniques and combat moves.

As Baki and his team arrived at the training ground, they noticed that a large group of soldiers were marching in a particular direction. Curious about the commotion, Fura stopped one of them and asked, "What is happening? Why is everyone heading towards the arena?"

The soldier responded, "Generals Hiroshi and Matsuda are having a sparring match, so everyone is going to watch."

Baki and his team were intrigued by the news and decided to follow the group towards the arena. As they made their way through the bustling crowd, they could feel the excitement and anticipation building up inside them.

Matsuda and Hiroshi stood in the center of the arena, surrounded by a cheering crowd. Matsuda, a young girl with a fierce determination in her eyes, gripped her sword tightly. Across from her stood Hiroshi, a boy of the same age, his own sword glinting in the sunlight.

Without a word, they charged forward, swords clashing in a shower of sparks. The crowd gasped as they watched the two young warriors move with incredible speed and agility, their swords meeting in a series of swift strikes and parries.

As the fight wore on, Matsuda and Hiroshi pushed themselves harder and harder, each determined to emerge victorious. They moved with an almost supernatural grace, their swords moving in a blur of motion as they circled each other.

Finally, with a swift move, Hiroshi landed a blow on Matsuda's sword, sending it flying from her hand. She stumbled backward, her eyes widening in surprise.

Hiroshi lowered his sword, looking down at her with a mixture of respect and admiration. "Your swordsmanship has improved, Matsuda," he said, a note of pride in his voice.

Matsuda grinned, picking up her sword and resuming her fighting stance. "You have also improved, Hiroshi," she said, her eyes sparkling with determination. "But this fight isn't over yet."

And with that, they charged forward once again, their swords meeting in a flurry of strikes and parries. The crowd roared, caught up in the excitement of the fight.

Baki was completely taken aback by the sheer speed and strength of the two generals, who were fighting without any chakra or instantaneous technique. Instead, they relied solely on their physical strength and swordsmanship skills, which were beyond impressive.

As Baki watched the battle unfold, he realized that these generals could easily defeat the Jonin companions he had brought with him. Their swordsmanship and physical prowess were unmatched, and Baki knew that his team wouldn't stand a chance against them in a fight.

Despite feeling a bit intimidated, Baki couldn't help but admire the generals' incredible fighting abilities.

Following their exhausting fight, they left the arena and headed to a private room where Emiko awaited them.

"Congratulations on improving your swordsmanship," Uchiha Emiko commended them both.

Suddenly, Fura knocked on the door and Emiko welcomed him inside.

"What brings you here with these Sunagakure ninjas?" Emiko inquired.

"They wish to meet with Lord Karan and extend an invitation for the Chunin exams," Fura explained.

"Master Karan is currently engrossed in training and has instructed us not to disturb him unless it's crucial. It's not worth disturbing him for such a trivial matter," Emiko responded.

Hayate, however, spoke out, "Hmph, he's only a missing nin from Konoha. It's an honor for him to be invited by the Kazekage."

The comment triggered a sudden increase in pressure from the three generals, causing their Sharingan to activate with three tomoe.

Emiko quickly appeared before Hayate and demanded, "Repeat what you just said."

Hayate was so petrified that he couldn't even speak. Realizing his blunder, he attempted to apologize, but it was too late. His head was separated from his body and his impulsiveness had cost him his life, and in his final moments, he regretted his words.