As Chik fainted, Mitokado Homura watched silently, saying nothing. After confirming that Chik had truly passed out, he declared, "The winner of the third round is Hattori Heizo."
If Chik had heard Mitokado Homura's announcement, he would have been greatly surprised, but for Homura and the audience present, it was an impeccable judgment. This was because Hattori Heizo stood not far away, silently observing the unconscious Chik. There were no signs of secondary damage from explosive tags on his body; that had merely been an illusion in Chik's eyes.
To the other people present, it appeared that after Chik was kicked in the head by Hattori Heizo, he fell to the ground and seemingly tried to counterattack with explosive tags immediately, but only detonated them near himself, knocking himself out. However, true masters could discern the truth: Chik had not misused the explosive tags, but had been misled by Hattori Heizo's genjutsu.
The shadow clone that Chik had shattered carried a genjutsu trap. The moment it was broken, anyone who made physical contact would fall into the genjutsu; it was a contact-based genjutsu.
Genjutsu is a technique that disrupts the opponent's chakra to affect their mind. The method of disrupting the opponent's chakra is to inject one's own chakra into their body, primarily through the five senses. For example, the Sharingan uses sight; with just a gaze, the Sharingan's chakra enters the opponent's body, disrupting their chakra and trapping them in genjutsu.
The genjutsu Hattori Heizo used was through touch. This genjutsu is very suitable for close-quarters combat with an enemy. In later generations, the genjutsu master Kurenai Yuhi would excel at this combat style, combining clones with genjutsu, calling this genjutsu the "Naraku Clone."
And now, Hattori Heizo had already begun using this genjutsu tactic early on. Fumori Masaki knew that merely relying on movement to deceive an opponent was not perfect, so learning a genjutsu that could truly mislead an opponent was an excellent choice. Combined with Hattori Heizo's fighting style, this genjutsu called "Naraku Clone" was taught to Hattori Heizo by Fumori Masaki. Although Fumori Masaki wasn't particularly skilled in genjutsu, by simply explaining its principles, Hattori Heizo quickly mastered this genjutsu.
"Your spirit is commendable, Chik," Hattori Heizo said, even though the other party couldn't hear him now.
After Mitokado Homura announced the winner, Ran couldn't help but sigh. Although there was some disappointment on her face, her gaze towards Chik was still gentle. She knew Chik had done his best, even resorting to such self-harming tactics. There was nothing to criticize; one could only say that the opponent was indeed powerful.
Ran looked at the representative's seat. Sora-sensei's face showed no anger, but rather a somewhat helpless smile, and he clapped lightly, as if praising Chik's courage.
"You did your best, Chik," Ran whispered.
Hattori Heizo watched as Chik was carried away by medical ninja, then turned and left. Although he was short, his recent victory made him seem exceptionally tall at that moment, exuding the aura of a strong individual.
"As expected of a Hidden Leaf ninja, Lord Hokage has trained them well," said the Second Raikage.
With Chik's departure, all the candidates from the Hidden Cloud Village were eliminated. Although it was a bit regrettable, compared to the Hidden Stone Village and Hidden Mist Village, which didn't even have any candidates enter the third round, the Hidden Cloud Village was very fortunate. Therefore, the Second Raikage had no complaints and genuinely evaluated Hattori Heizo's abilities.
"Haha, this is all Masaki's teaching. Lord Raikage should praise him," Tobirama said with a smile, not taking credit for himself.
"Hmm, Lord Hokage is right. Fumori Masaki, I didn't expect you to be an excellent teacher in addition to being an outstanding ninja," the Second Raikage nodded slightly and said to Fumori Masaki.
During the Shinobi World War, Fumori Masaki's performance was known to the Second Raikage. What impressed him most was during the alliance negotiations, when Fumori Masaki's cautious attitude led him to promptly discover the conspiracy of Kinkaku, Ginkaku, and others. He led the Hidden Leaf and Hidden Cloud ninja to the negotiation site, preventing Kinkaku and Ginkaku's rebellion.
Now, Fumori Masaki had been entrusted with a heavy responsibility by Tobirama and could even come here as his personal guard. As a fellow village leader, the Second Raikage naturally knew what this represented. He glanced at A, who stood nearby, and pondered what kind of changes Fumori Masaki would bring to the Hidden Leaf Village if he truly inherited the position of Third Hokage.
Fumori Masaki was a powerful Wind Release ninja, which had been proven during the Shinobi World War. A had an abnormally strong physique by nature, but he had been injured by Fumori Masaki at that time. Even though A's level had advanced further now, Fumori Masaki's mastery of Wind Release would naturally not have made no progress. A, who was skilled in Lightning Release, had no advantage against Fumori Masaki.
—Truly, why is the Hokage skilled in Wind Release? Even a Kazekage might not have that level. Speaking of which, the Second Hokage was also skilled in Water Release, a level that even a Mizukage might not reach.
The Second Raikage thought with some irritation. The Kage of other villages were truly worthy of their titles, but the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village was a facade. The First Hokage was skilled in Wood Release secret techniques, the Second Hokage in Water Release, and the Third Hokage was of Wind Release. He truly wondered why they were called Hokage.
When Sora had come to the Hidden Leaf Village before, she had been tasked with collecting information on the Hidden Leaf Village's recent policies. After the Second Raikage arrived, she submitted the intelligence she had gathered. Although there was no definite data, the prosperity of the Hidden Leaf Village's commerce suggested unimaginable revenue, even from basic taxes.
Moreover, the Second Raikage personally witnessed how the Uchiha clan, rumored to be proud and arrogant, formed a police force that interacted warmly with the public. They maintained order throughout the village without any distance from the people. The Hidden Leaf Village's commercial prosperity was inseparable from the police force's upholding of the law.
Besides these, there were various other novelties, such as secret medicines allowed for external sale by the Medical Department, the specialized education in the Ninja Academy, and the Research Department, which only existed in rumors. The Second Raikage was also an exceptionally intelligent person; he could fully imagine the benefits these could bring.
And all of this was related to one person: Fumori Masaki. Now, his student was also so outstanding, undoubtedly capable of becoming a pillar of the village. The Second Raikage didn't know how this young man from a minor ninja clan possessed such talent. If he were to ascend to the position of Third Hokage, the Hidden Leaf Village's strength would swell to an exceptionally powerful level.
At that time, how should the Hidden Cloud Village position itself? The Second Raikage couldn't help but wonder. Should they unite with other countries to weaken the Hidden Leaf Village, or should they cooperate closely with the Hidden Leaf Village, form an alliance, and turn to deal with other ninja villages?
Alas, which choice would be most beneficial to the Hidden Cloud Village? The Second Raikage thought, troubled.
Meanwhile, the fourth round of the examination finally began. This time, it was Hatake Sakumo of the Hidden Leaf Village against Ryu of the Hidden Sand Village. They had also developed animosity during the second exam. It remained to be seen who would be the final victor.