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(Finals Begin)
Time passed quickly. A month flew by in the blink of an eye.
During this period, the Hidden Leaf Village had become livelier than ever. The upcoming Chūnin Exam Finals attracted not only shinobi but also merchants, nobles, and daimyō from every major nation. As a result, Konoha had strengthened its security forces, deploying ANBU and regular patrols across the entire village.
"Hey, did you hear? The finals this year are going to decide the strongest genin!"
"Yeah, they're using the melee format this time — it's been years since that happened!"
"I heard there's some mysterious ninja from another village who finished the second exam in just three hours!"
The streets buzzed with excitement as crowds made their way toward the arena.
---
The Finals Arena — a massive, circular coliseum surrounded by towering walls — could accommodate tens of thousands of spectators. By six o'clock in the morning, the stands were already full, filled with people waving banners and shouting in anticipation.
In the VIP section, a row of high-ranking guests sat behind the protective railing. Among them were daimyō from the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, as well as senior Konoha officials.
"This year's final roster includes shinobi from three major villages," one nobleman remarked. "There's even a mysterious ninja — name's Chen Xing, I believe?"
Another man, thin and sharp-eyed, nodded with curiosity. "I heard his team cleared the Forest of Death in only three hours. That broke Konoha's long-standing record."
The group murmured in awe. "Amazing. Usually, the finals are dominated by the Five Great Nations' genin. To think an outsider reached this far…"
---
Back in the competitors' area, Bai and Tiexing stared at the enormous crowd in disbelief.
"There are so many people!" Tiexing said nervously, glancing at the sea of faces around the arena.
Bai nodded. "It's even louder than the New Year Festival!"
Chen Xing, however, was unfazed. "The Chūnin Exams are basically Konoha's world cup. Nothing unusual."
His calm eyes swept across the packed stands. The cheering didn't bother him — his heart was steady, honed by countless hours of harsh training.
"You two find a place to sit," Chen Xing said quietly. "I'll head down."
As he walked to the center of the field, a few other contestants glanced at him — some curious, others openly hostile. Most didn't know his true strength. Konoha's administration had intentionally kept Chen Xing's identity and abilities quiet to avoid discouraging other participants.
---
A sudden swirl of leaves appeared in the arena. When the motion cleared, a silver-haired man in a flak vest and a tilted forehead protector stood in the center, one hand in his pocket.
"Kakashi?" Chen Xing raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're the referee for this?"
Kakashi gave his trademark lazy eye-smile. "What can I say? Orders from above."
He turned to the contestants and spoke casually, "I'm Hatake Kakashi, your examiner for the final stage. The rules are simple — fight until one of you can't continue. No killing. You've all heard this before, so let's skip the long speech. Anyone want to quit now?"
A genin from Sunagakure snorted. "Quit? Who'd do that?"
The others nodded silently — not one stepped back.
Kakashi shrugged and stepped aside. "Alright then… the finals begin!"
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(Battle of Instant)
The moment Kakashi's voice fell, the entire arena went silent — anticipation thick in the air. Then came a sound that split the quiet like a blade.
Chidori—!!!
A piercing cry, sharp as a thousand birds, erupted from the center of the arena. A blinding flash of pale-blue lightning burst forth, engulfing the field in a dome of electric light. The shockwave rolled outward, crackling across the stone floor and scattering dust into the air.
CRACK!
For a heartbeat, everything went still. Then — silence.
When the light faded, only one figure remained standing: Chen Xing, his arm still faintly sparking with residual lightning chakra. Every other genin in the field lay unconscious on the ground.
The crowd erupted in confusion.
"What— what just happened?!"
"Was that Lightning Release?!"
"The match just started— how is it already over?!"
---
Even the seasoned jōnin were stunned.
"Was that… Chidori?" one of the Leaf shinobi whispered. "No, it's different. Kakashi's Chidori doesn't discharge like that."
"It's a modified version," another said in disbelief. "He must've refined the Lightning Nature Transformation to a higher level."
---
Up in the VIP stands, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, exhaled a puff of smoke, eyes wide but amused.
"So it ended that quickly…," he murmured. "I expected him to dominate, but this is beyond imagination. His chakra control has evolved — even his elemental manipulation is sharper than before."
He shook his head with a half-smile. "That boy is going to be a handful."
The Hokage stood and raised his voice, his tone calm yet commanding.
> "Everyone, please be quiet."
His voice, amplified by chakra, silenced the roaring arena within seconds. All eyes turned to the elderly man in the ornate robes of the Hokage.
> "As you've all witnessed, this year's Chūnin Exam has revealed an extraordinary talent — a young ninja whose strength surpasses the limits of his rank."
The audience murmured in awe.
"Look at him… he's what, fourteen? Fifteen at most?"
"Impossible. A genin with power beyond even chūnin — maybe even jōnin level?"
---
Even the daimyōs exchanged astonished looks. The battle had lasted less than a minute — but the name Chen Xing would be remembered by everyone who witnessed it.
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