A month is neither long nor short, and the third Chūnin Exam finally arrived. The examination venue was a specially constructed dueling arena, capable of accommodating thousands of spectators. This was the only exam open to everyone, and both ninjas and civilians were highly anticipating it, gathering at the venue early.
"Wow, so many people." Tsunade walked into the venue, looking at the audience seats in surprise. They were mostly filled with people, with only a few scattered empty spots.
Joining Tsunade were Satomi and her two daughters. Satomi was also a bit surprised by the crowd, but everyone who came to watch the matches had purchased tickets with assigned seat numbers. Satomi and Tsunade naturally had theirs, so despite the large crowd, they weren't worried about not having a place to sit.
They quickly found their seat numbers. Satomi and Tsunade sat down, letting Akemi and Asuna sit between them. The audience seats were divided into different sections based on people's identities: there were civilian areas, ninja areas, and noble areas. Their section was for ninjas and their families.
"Mother, where is Father now?" Akemi craned her neck, looking around. Not seeing fumori Masaki Masaki, she asked Satomi.
"Your father is serving as the Second Hokage's personal guard, so he'll be in the section for village leaders. Look, it's up there." Satomi pointed to a viewing platform above. It was higher than the regular audience seats and offered a full view of every part of the venue. This was where the Kage sat.
"I heard the leaders of the other ninja villages would also be coming here," Tsunade asked.
"Yes, the Raikage, Kazekage, Mizukage, and Tsuchikage will all be here," Satomi nodded, adding, "They arrived three days ago and have been staying in the annex prepared by the village."
"That's surprising, to dare to come to another ninja village with only personal guards," Tsunade said.
"That's trust, not just in oneself, but in the village. If the village truly doesn't want to start another war, it must live up to that trust," Satomi said.
At this moment, the nobles also arrived at their seats. For the self-important nobles, they naturally wouldn't use the same entrance as civilians and ninjas, but instead came through different routes under the protection of the guard squad. There, Tsunade could see her mother Misaki, her father Uzumaki Kazuhiko, and Kana. All three were nobles and did not have ninja status, so they could enter the noble seating area.
"Aren't you going to say hello?" Satomi asked.
"No need, I don't have much fondness for those people," Tsunade said indifferently. Perhaps because she had been pampered by her grandfather since childhood, her personality was quite free-spirited. Therefore, she deeply disliked the noble way of interacting by following etiquette, and she wondered how her mother and Aunt Kana put up with it.
"Ah, that person must be Princess Sen," Satomi saw a richly dressed young woman chatting happily with Kana and thought she might be the Princess of the Land of Fire who believed in Ninshū.
"Probably," Tsunade said nonchalantly.
That richly dressed young woman was indeed Princess Sen of the Land of Fire. She had pleaded tirelessly with her elder brother before being allowed to come to Konoha. The purpose of the Chūnin Exam was to allow the various nations to witness the power of the ninja villages. Therefore, in addition to these nobles curious about the Chūnin Exam, there were also ministers trusted by the Daimyō, who would report everything they saw to the Daimyō.
"Kana, where is Mr. fumori Masaki now? I very much hope to meet him," Princess Sen asked.
"I'm sorry, he is currently with Uncle Tobirama, protecting his safety, so it's unlikely he'll be able to meet you," Kana said apologetically.
Princess Sen looked a little regretful, saying, "That's a pity. I really wanted to discuss the Ninshū scriptures with him. When I saw him years ago, I didn't know he was such a devout follower of Ninshū. As far as I know, no ninja has ever believed in Ninshū."
"Indeed, Mr. fumori Masaki is a completely different kind of ninja. In fact, ninjas like Mr. fumori Masaki are what this era needs. After my father established the ninja villages, the ninjas within the village became quite different from those of the past," Kana said with a smile.
"But there are still some old-fashioned ninjas," Princess Sen hinted, referring to the Anbu organization established by Tobirama, which was created to maintain the traditional ninja image.
"After all, they are still needed for now. If one day, the era predicted by the Sage of Six Paths—where people live in harmony, help each other, and resolve conflicts—comes to pass, perhaps such an organization will no longer be necessary," Kana said.
"Yes, I just wonder if we will live to see that day," Princess Sen looked towards the arena, her gaze distant, as if observing a far-off future.
At this moment, the five Kage arrived one after another, taking their seats on the viewing platform, accompanied by their most trusted personal guards. After their last Kage Summit, this was their first reunion. Tobirama, the Second Raikage, and the Second Kazekage already showed signs of age, while the next generation, Onoki and the Third Mizukage, appeared younger.
fumori Masaki Masaki stood beside Tobirama, smiling and nodding in greeting to the personal guards of the other Kage. The Kumogakure guard nodded kindly, while Chiyo had a forced smile. fumori Masaki Masaki showed no unusual reaction to this.
"Welcome everyone to Konohagakure. Now, please enjoy the performance of the examinees in this Chūnin Exam," Tobirama said directly.
"Indeed, I'm truly looking forward to the performances of Konoha, Kumogakure, and Sunagakure. It's a pity some people won't be able to see it," the Third Mizukage said with a hint of schadenfreude, looking at Onoki.
Onoki's expression darkened, and he retorted without hesitation, "Are you talking about yourself? Hmph, causing examinees to be eliminated due to personal desires, I truly wonder how you became the Mizukage."
"Isn't it the same for your Iwagakure?" the Third Mizukage snorted.
The other three Kage exchanged bitter smiles and shook their heads. These two were both nearing forty and had been Kage for more than a year or two, yet they still acted so antagonistic upon meeting. They had seen it at the last Kage Summit, and it was still the same now.
"Calm down, Lord Tsuchikage, Lord Mizukage. This was merely an accident. There will certainly be an opportunity to see the performances of Iwagakure and Kirigakure next time," Tobirama coughed lightly, saying.
Hearing Tobirama's cough, the Second Raikage quietly asked, "Lord Hokage, it seems your health is also deteriorating. Are you feeling a bit powerless?"
The word "also" used by the Second Raikage clearly indicated that his own health was similar. This was a common state for ninjas from the Warring States period, and his tone held a touch of melancholy. Tobirama, of course, understood the Second Raikage's meaning, pondered for a moment, and smiled, "Ah, indeed. It's time for us old fellows to step down and let the capable take over."
"Lord Hokage is right. If one's health is failing, one should hand over the position sooner. The ninja villages ultimately need to be inherited by the next generation. Alas, it's a pity that capable individuals in the next generation are few and far between," the Second Kazekage shook his head slightly, glancing at fumori Masaki Masaki.
It was a known fact that this person had killed the Second Kazekage's favored successor. Although there were other successors, the death of the most outstanding one was always a regrettable matter.
Watching the three Kage lament their old age, Onoki and the Third Mizukage, being younger, found it awkward to join in. They had only recently become Kage and would likely serve for a long time, so they didn't need to consider the issue of successors yet.
"Since we all hope for the next generation of successors, then let's take a good look at the performance of the new generation of ninjas," after their reflections, Tobirama turned to the main topic, saying.
The others nodded. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the third exam was about to begin. Under the guidance of Mitokado Homura, the examinees entered the arena from the walkway, allowing everyone to see their youthful faces.
"Stand tall and proud. You are the protagonists here now," Mitokado Homura said expressionlessly, his tone very serious, as he looked back at the crowd.
Once all the examinees were in position, including Mitokado Homura, they bowed to the entire audience. Then, Mitokado Homura turned to face the examinees and said, "The exam rules are the same as before, so I don't think a detailed explanation is necessary. The contestants for the first round are Otoju and I. Everyone else, please return to the waiting area."
Although the contestants in the first round were considered excellent, they were not the ones Satomi and the others were particularly interested in. They merely watched out of curiosity. However, for others, the battle between Otoju and I was exciting enough, and they debated who would be the victor.
Sunagakure's traditional ninjutsu was Wind Release Ninjutsu, which was undoubtedly a great threat to the people of Kumogakure. Moreover, both individuals were intelligent, so neither was in a hurry to attack at first, instead testing each other.
I's Lightning Release Ninjutsu was very disadvantageous. The Lightning Release Genjutsu used against the Byakugan could only be effective here with its blinding flash. Otoju was clearly well-prepared, blocking all of I's attacks. However, his own attacks also failed to threaten I.
"So that's the genjutsu that affected Hyūga Kazuya?" In the audience, Hyūga Hideharu, the head of the Hyūga clan's main family, said upon seeing I unleash that blinding genjutsu.
Beside Hyūga Hideharu were two identical-looking boys, his twin sons, the elder named Hizashi and the younger named Hiashi.
Hyūga Hizashi asked, "Father, is that genjutsu a natural enemy of the Byakugan?"
"A natural enemy? Not quite. Its range is too small, and the genjutsu's power is limited. Hyūga Kazuya was affected because he was too close and his own abilities couldn't quickly suppress the disrupted chakra," Hyūga Hideharu shook his head. "A genjutsu of this level cannot overcome our Byakugan. Our Hyūga clan has not been wiped out in a thousand years; if the Byakugan could be overcome so easily, the clan would no longer exist in this world!"
—However, if this genjutsu were to be amplified, it might truly become a secret technique against the Hyūga clan.
While emphasizing the long history of the Hyūga clan to his sons, Hyūga Hideharu silently thought to himself that one truly couldn't underestimate the other ninja villages.
After a period of entanglement, perhaps due to insufficient chakra, the pace of the subsequent battle undoubtedly quickened significantly. This made the audience, who had initially found the strategic combat boring, cheer. After all, they weren't ninjas and couldn't appreciate the strategic thinking involved; what they looked forward to was intense, powerful combat.
The result was unexpected yet logical: both individuals simultaneously lost their ability to fight. Otoju should have won, but he was paralyzed by the Lightning Release explosive tags I had set up earlier, causing them both to fall. Mitokado Homura then ruled that both were simultaneously disqualified.
As their teacher, Sora wasn't disappointed. She knew that facing an enemy whose chakra nature was a counter to her own and whose intelligence was very close to hers, I achieving such a result was already excellent. In a ninja war, it would have been an impeccable battle. So, she applauded, showing her approval of her student.
After the two left the arena, the contestants for the second round were Jiraiya and Orochimaru. As fellow students, becoming opponents here was something both eagerly desired. Jiraiya hoped to defeat Orochimaru, while Orochimaru wanted to see what kind of training this dead last had undergone in the past month to face him.
"I heard Jiraiya got a bye into the third exam, lucky him. But facing Orochimaru, he'll probably be eliminated here," Tsunade said.
"Not necessarily. Masaki said Jiraiya seems to have a trump card. Hiruzen thinks he has a chance to win, though the odds are low," Satomi said.
"Really?" Tsunade rested her hand on her cheek, watching the arena, and said, "Then I'll look forward to his performance."
At this moment, Jiraiya immediately began running in the arena, circling Orochimaru. Orochimaru didn't move, merely turning his body according to Jiraiya's running. Suddenly, Jiraiya pulled out a large number of shuriken from behind him and threw them at Orochimaru. This was not the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu, but just ordinary kunai throws, though the quantity was very close to the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Orochimaru quickly pulled out a shuriken, throwing it while forming hand signs. The shuriken multiplied rapidly, almost matching the number of kunai Jiraiya threw. This was the true Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu.
A large number of shuriken collided, accompanied by the clanging of metal and the explosive sounds of the shadow clone shuriken, temporarily blocking Orochimaru's vision. Hearing footsteps behind him, Orochimaru immediately turned around, only to see Jiraiya running behind him, forming the Fire Release hand signs, and taking a deep breath—
Seeing this, Orochimaru was about to counterattack, but then heard breathing sounds behind him. A quick glance showed a Jiraiya behind him and another on his right side, both forming Fire Release hand signs. Immediately, three streams of flames from different directions engulfed Orochimaru.