The dazzling light slowly faded, and the roar of the explosion died away.
Smoke drifted up from the center of the arena, finally beginning to settle.
At the edge of the field, Gekkō Hayate looked down at the scene with a helpless expression. Two battered figures lay collapsed on the ground.
"Was it really necessary to fight to this extent… just for the Chunin Exams?" he murmured.
His answer was already clear.
"The first round of the Chunin Exam… ends in a tie! Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke!"
As Hayate's voice carried through the arena, the spectators erupted in noise.
It wasn't disbelief in the result—it was disbelief in Naruto.
Uchiha Sasuke was a prodigy of Konoha, a genius from the infamous Uchiha clan.
Naruto, on the other hand, was a troublemaker, the boy scorned as the host of the Nine-Tails.
Yet today, that so-called "demon fox brat" had fought Sasuke to a standstill.
"The little fox can fight evenly with the Uchiha genius?"
"They both can't even stand up!"
"What a fight! Those two are better than I thought!"
For the first time, many spectators began to reconsider their opinion of Naruto.
Who would have expected this kind of strength from him?
Swish!
A blur of movement streaked across the field, and another figure landed beside the fallen boys.
"Shigure!" someone in the stands exclaimed.
"That speed… incredible body flicker!"
"That's Gekkō Shigure, the third member of Team 7!"
"What's he doing on the field?"
Shigure exchanged a quick nod with Hayate, who could only smile helplessly.
Naruto and Sasuke weren't just exhausted—they were seriously injured.
"Medical team, hurry! Get down there!" one of the proctors shouted.
But Shigure raised his hand to stop them. "No need. Leave it to me."
He quickly formed hand seals, each hand extended toward one of the fallen genin.
Ninjutsu—Healing Technique!
Streams of water-like chakra flowed from Shigure's arms, spreading over Naruto and Sasuke like shimmering springs. Their wounds began to knit together instantly, skin and muscle healing before everyone's eyes.
"What in the world?!"
"What kind of medical ninjutsu is that?!"
"It looks like he fused it with an elemental technique!"
"Incredible… I've never seen medical ninjutsu this strong!"
Before long, Naruto and Sasuke stirred, shakily pushing themselves upright. Their injuries were almost completely healed.
From the stands, Terumi Mei's eyes gleamed.
"Sandaime Hokage, that's the boy—Gekkō Shigure, the one with Ice Release, isn't it?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded. "Yes. That's him."
"He can merge elemental ninjutsu with medical techniques… that kind of mastery of nature transformation is reminiscent of the Second Hokage."
Her words made Hiruzen frown, but he said nothing.
The Fourth Kazekage, however, glanced sharply at Mei. He seemed to grasp her hidden motives for attending these exams.
As Naruto and Sasuke were guided from the field, Shigure prepared to follow them—but Hayate stopped him.
"Not so fast, Shigure. The next match is yours."
"Oh?" Shigure blinked, then smiled faintly. "All right."
Hayate straightened his voice.
"Next match: Gekkō Shigure versus Chōjūrō of the Hidden Mist!"
The crowd stirred again.
Konoha versus Kirigakure?
The first match had already been spectacular, and now the strongest member of Team 7 was stepping up. But could a Mist genin stand against him?
Crash!
A sudden commotion broke out in the audience as someone tumbled clumsily down toward the arena floor.
Gasps filled the air.
During an event as important as the Chunin Exams—with Kage watching no less—such an incident was almost an embarrassment to Konoha.
But out of the smoke staggered a red-faced Chojuro. He brushed himself off awkwardly, clearly having tried to make a dramatic entrance… only to trip and fall in front of everyone.
Mei pressed her hand to her forehead. That boy—so much talent and ability, yet so cripplingly lacking in confidence.
Hiruzen chuckled softly. "So this is the prodigy of Kirigakure?"
Mei offered a quick bow. "My apologies, Lord Third. Please forgive his clumsiness."
"He'll be fine once he gets used to the pressure," she added under her breath.
On the field, Shigure tilted his head. So my opponent is Chojuro—the prodigy of the Hidden Mist, and the last of the Third Generation Seven Ninja Swordsmen… Interesting.
"You all right?" Hayate asked kindly.
"I-I-I'm fine!" Chojuro stammered, his voice betraying his nerves.
The Konoha spectators burst into laughter.
"This is the Mist's prodigy?"
"Some entrance! Hahaha!"
"Is he really a shinobi?"
Chojuro's embarrassed expression hardened. Laugh at him if they wanted—but mocking Kirigakure was another matter entirely.
His eyes sharpened, a flicker of steel cutting through his nerves.
Hayate noticed the change and glanced at Shigure. "Be careful."
Shigure only smiled.
"The match begins!"
With that declaration, Gekkō Hayate stepped back, ceding the arena to the two combatants.
Shigure's eyes fixed on Chojuro.
"Since you're from Kirigakure… why don't we change the battlefield to something more fitting?"
Chojuro, who had been about to strike, froze mid-step.
"Change the battlefield? How?"
Shigure smiled faintly.
"Like this."
He formed a single-hand seal.
Ninjutsu—Great Waterfall Technique!
Boom!
A torrent of water erupted from behind Shigure, crashing forward in a violent surge. In the blink of an eye, the entire arena floor was flooded, the force gouging out a pit nearly three meters deep.
Shigure stood calmly on the churning surface, his figure steady against the rushing current.
"A battleground like this should be more suitable for a shinobi of Kirigakure, don't you think?"
Chojuro's eyes widened. To release such a massive jutsu in an instant—this boy's mastery of ninjutsu was on par with a Kage!
He swallowed hard, tightening his grip on his weapon as he forced himself to focus completely.
From the stands, the Konoha shinobi were equally stunned.
"Impossible… he created that scale of ninjutsu instantly!"
"Even most jonin couldn't manage that!"
"His talent in ninjutsu is incredible… just like the Second Hokage!"
...
TN:
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