The nobles sat in the uppermost audience stands, while villagers and ninja crowded the side seats.
The hierarchy was starkly evident.
On his way through the preliminary matches, Kiyoshi had faced only minor opponents, defeating them with just a few moves.
Some even recognized him and chose to surrender outright.
"Is that an Uchiha ninja?"
Kiyoshi's remarkable performance naturally drew the attention of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
The Daimyo had traveled a great distance to witness the exam firsthand.
Even he felt uneasy with the recent unrest and was eager to see Konoha's emerging talents.
If the Land of Fire were to lose, his own interests would suffer.
Rival nations would greedily attempt to seize Fire Country's resources.
"Yes, that's Uchiha Kiyoshi."
Hiruzen Sarutobi, unusually refraining from smoking in such a grand event, nodded.
"Well done. I hope the other candidates perform as well, so I can gauge Konoha's current standing."
"We won't disappoint the Daimyo."
Hiruzen smiled.
Most ninja did not engage in production; only lower-ranked ninja performed mundane tasks.
From Chunin upward, they mainly handled assassination, protection, infiltration, and other dangerous missions.
Their income came from mission fees, which were unreliable. To develop the village's economy, Daimyo funding was essential.
The Daimyo, in turn, benefited from having ninja, allowing them to govern with greater security—an interdependent relationship.
In other words, the Daimyo was the largest patron of their missions.
"Uchiha Kiyoshi…"
Tomei Meimei, seated in the audience, gritted her teeth at Kiyoshi.
Since the death of Hoozuki Reigetsu, she had devoted herself to training, aiming to avenge her fallen comrades.
Those who had died amid the Blood Mist were precious to her.
Due to political reasons, everyone schemed and betrayed one another—cold, deceptive ninja like Kisame Hoshigaki.
Tomei Meimei despised such behavior.
She had resolved to change it and thus willingly came to Konoha for the Chunin selection—to showcase her skills and strengthen her resume for when she returned home.
She aimed to become the Fifth Mizukage and reshape things.
The current Third Mizukage was aging, and the next likely successor was the village prodigy Kogitsu Yakura.
Tomei Meimei wanted to secure the position of the Fifth Mizukage, the generation after that.
Yet as soon as she left her village, one precious comrade had died—everything ruined by the detestable Uchiha Kiyoshi.
Anger surged within her; she wished to strike Kiyoshi down immediately.
"Tomei Meimei, control your emotions. This isn't your village," said Biwa Juzou, her lead Jonin from the Kirigakure squad.
He carried a massive execution blade on his back.
"Yes, Juzou-sama," Tomei Meimei replied, suppressing her feelings.
This was one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist—her respect was obligatory.
"I'm looking forward to this fight," said Kaguya Shouya, his bones practically boiling with anticipation.
Only a strong opponent like Kiyoshi deserved to face his Corpse Pulse technique.
"Next, Konoha's Uchiha Kiyoshi versus Kirigakure's Tomei Meimei!"
Due to the unusually large number of participants, a tournament-style format was adopted.
Victors would receive some rest to recover chakra before the next match.
"Tomei Meimei, huh."
In the center, Kiyoshi ate a ration pill to restore chakra.
He had expected opponents like Kaguya Shouya or members from the Iwagakure team.
Facing Tomei Meimei would hardly trouble him.
Seeing this graceful woman, Kiyoshi decided to help her grow stronger.
After all, during the Five Kage vs. Madara battle, Tomei Meimei's performance had been lackluster, often making discouraging remarks.
The best way to improve someone's strength was to give them a rival or grudge.
And Kiyoshi could also improve his ocular abilities by observing her reactions—truly a win-win.
"What are you smiling at?"
Tomei Meimei, having leapt from the waiting area near the audience, frowned slightly.
Kiyoshi's smile instinctively unsettled her.
"Nothing," Kiyoshi replied, shaking his head.
"Uchiha Kiyoshi, do you need more rest?"
The proctor inquired.
"No need. Start immediately," Kiyoshi declined.
The tournament format disadvantaged those continuously fighting, as rest time was insufficient to fully recover.
Kiyoshi knew this, and the high-ranking officials above did too.
The Chunin Exam, to put it politely, was a miniature war between nations.
But at its core, they were nothing more than tools—expendable insects.
As Hiruzen had said, a ninja's true abilities only emerge when life is on the line.
Even the final question of the written exam tested courage and willingness to accept dangerous missions.
In other words, ninja were nothing but instruments and consumables.
"Hmph, I won't hold back."
Even her cold smile carried an alluring charm.
Kiyoshi watched silently.
This woman, exuding a natural allure, had a figure outlined by her tight ninja attire.
"Begin!"
The proctor's command rang out.
Tomei Meimei formed hand seals for a water-style technique.
"Water Style…"
Her cheeks puffed slightly as she exhaled.
"Kirigakure Art: Mist Concealment."
A thick fog enveloped the arena, obscuring everything.
"Hehe, Uchiha Kiyoshi, let's see how you die," she thought, smiling at the thought of avenging her comrades.
Deaths during the exam went uninvestigated.
At the start of the second round, everyone had signed agreements, and Konoha could not use casualties to pressure Kirigakure.
Konoha had already consented to these rules—death in ninja battles was normal.
"Is that so? I'm looking forward to it."
Kiyoshi smiled.
Though he could not see her face clearly, he sensed her grin.
Water Style: Mist Concealment was merely a D-rank technique.
Yet it could achieve something many S-rank jutsus could not—blocking the Rinnegan's vision.
Kiyoshi's Sharingan was now obscured by the mist.
Only Byakugan could easily see through it, locking directly onto the caster.
This explained why Kirigakure later went to great lengths to seize a Byakugan—once an upper-level Kirigakure ninja obtained one from the Hyuga main branch, they carried Sealing Talismans 24/7.
(End of Chapter)
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