Chapter 178: Students with Opened Eyes
"Whoa! This is too incredible! Is this the level of the Genin participating in the Chunin Exams?"
Naruto watched the battles unfold one after another, his eyes struggling to keep up with the action. The other students were the same. Even those from prominent clans, who knew what a Chunin's power looked like, were dazzled by the display.
"So these are the people who want to become Chunin. Each one has more tricks up their sleeve than the last," Shikamaru muttered under his breath.
Iruka explained to his students, "Do you see? This is the strength required to reach the final Chunin selection. Watch closely; learning even a little bit will be extremely useful on your path as a ninja."
Every student sat transfixed. In just nine months, it would be their turn to become Genin. This was a golden opportunity they couldn't afford to miss.
"The referee is the truly impressive one. To be able to clearly judge the strength of both sides in such intense combat and intervene at the exact critical moment... that level of insight is terrifying!"
A voice suddenly rang out from right next to Naruto, giving him a fright. He turned around: "Hey! Why do you always pop up out of nowhere?"
"I've been sitting here the whole time. You just didn't notice," Shino said flatly.
"..."
"So cool!" Konohamaru watched the fierce battles, exceptionally excited. He was waving his hands about as if he were the one down there in the arena.
Hiruzen Sarutobi watched with satisfaction. Since the end of the Third Great Ninja War, Konoha had gradually returned to its peak prosperity. Excellent ninjas were emerging every year.
"Whoa, Grandpa, what is that?" Konohamaru suddenly pointed at the field and shouted.
Boom!
"Cat God Possession!"
Izuno Zaizai unfurled a scroll, formed a hand seal, and pressed down. Chakra surged from his body. A massive, pink Maneki-neko (Beckoning Cat) appeared in the arena. Swiping its massive paws, it blocked a continuous barrage of explosive tag attacks from the enemy.
Zaizai's pudgy body controlled the giant cat as he charged forward, ignoring all incoming attacks. He simply swatted away explosive tags and shuriken with the phantom paws. Relying on the agility provided by the "Cat God Possession," Zaizai pinned a paw against his opponent's chest.
"Iduno Zaizai wins! Next match: Kido Yuuto vs. Gouenji Shuuya."
Tonbo Tobitake was very satisfied to see that Zaizai could now manifest his "Neko-no-oh" (Cat Susanoo). He promptly moved on to the next match.
"That's a huge cat! How are we supposed to fight something like that?"
"Once we graduate and learn powerful ninjutsu, we'll definitely be able to beat it."
"An average ninja's chakra can't maintain a jutsu like that for long. We just need to stall for time, wait for his chakra to run out, and then strike."
"Kiba, I didn't know you were so smart."
"Dammit, when was I ever not smart?"
Woof! Woof!
The rest of the matches proceeded without incident. The assessment went smoothly. Tonbo made mental notes of those suitable for promotion. In a standard Chunin Exam, almost anyone who reached the third stage could technically become a Chunin, as their leadership skills were already quite seasoned—unlike the "Konoha 12" era, where the Genin were combat-heavy but lacked maturity and experience.
"Now then, this year's Chunin Exams are officially concluded. The Hokage will issue notifications regarding who has earned a promotion. However, today, as your senior, I want to give a special benefit to all the ninjas who participated in the final round."
Tonbo spoke to the contestants after the matches ended.
"A reward?" Konohamaru looked at his grandfather.
Hiruzen didn't know what Tonbo was up to either. "As the Chief Proctor, everything about this exam was left to his arrangement. If he wants to give a reward, it's likely because he's quite satisfied with this year's candidates."
"I see."
"A reward?" Kabuto's brow furrowed. It was the first time he had heard of a reward being given at a Chunin Exam. Being promoted was usually reward enough. This gave him a sense of unease, as if the situation was slipping out of his grasp, but it also piqued his interest. This man was always full of surprises.
"A reward?"
The contestants were equally stunned. It was completely unexpected. However, they were very interested in what "Captain Tonbo" had to offer. He was a Jonin of Konoha; surely his gift wouldn't be mediocre. Perhaps it was a secret ninjutsu?
"For the next half-day, your time belongs to me. Conveniently, your promotions still require a final review by the Hokage," Tonbo said.
Competence alone wasn't enough; they had to undergo a background check to ensure they weren't spies. A Chunin was mid-level management in Konoha, a squad leader responsible for the lives of others. Of course, those who came prepared usually passed the review easily.
"Yes, Master Tonbo!" All the candidates complied.
"Then, let us go."
Boar – Dog – Bird – Monkey – Ram – Rat
Poof!
Beneath the feet of the twenty-two candidates, a colossal creature manifested and carried them slowly into the air. Tonbo stood atop the eagle's head, hands behind his back.
Whoosh—!
The massive wings flapped, whipping up a gale within the arena. The spectators had to shield their eyes from the wind as they watched Tonbo standing there, looking every bit like a grandmaster.
Screech!
The giant eagle cried out and soared into the sky. Soon, they were nothing but a small black dot in the distance.
"Wh-What... what is that?" Naruto's jaw nearly hit the floor as he pointed at the departing eagle. It was massive. Just one feather looked bigger than his entire body.
"A summoning beast, obviously. But to summon something like that at will... Captain Tonbo's strength must really be like the legends say—he can take a Tsuchikage's Particle Style to the face," a student behind Naruto whispered.
Iruka laughed. "No, that's a genjutsu, not a summoning. Remember this: once you become ninjas, never be deceived by the surface appearance of things."
Even Iruka thought it looked incredibly cool. Cooler than before. He lamented that he hadn't learned this move; if he used it in front of his students, they would worship him.
Shino's voice droned on. "Genjutsu? No... it should be more than that. To simply reward candidates, one wouldn't need to pay such a high price. Using genjutsu to warp reality costs far more than my insects. It's likely a certain nature transformation of Yin Release. Even so, it's terrifying."
In Shino's eyes, the fact that the eagle was physically carrying the candidates was a reality. Therefore, it wasn't just a simple illusion. He trusted his bugs.
"Shino, that is a remarkable deduction. You're right," Iruka said, his eyes bright. He hadn't expected a student to guess the basic principle behind his teacher's " Eye of the Creator" technique.
"Yin Release? What's that?" Naruto scratched his head and pouted at Shino. Shino was always saying things he didn't understand.
Iruka sighed and rolled his eyes. "Naruto, I told you to study. That's part of the fourth-year curriculum. Go back and hit the books!"
"But I was so excited by what I saw today! I feel like I can do what those candidates did! I want to go back and train!" Naruto's head started to ache the moment "studying" was mentioned—especially fourth-year material.
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