The Forest of Death.
Within the damp and dimly lit forest, the sounds of explosive tags and ninjutsu roars echoed intermittently, accompanied by bloodcurdling screams.
The second stage of the Chūnin Exams had begun!
Each team was randomly assigned an entry point, disrupting any pre-planned alliances.
Moreover, the fierce competition for the Heaven and Earth scrolls caused newly formed alliances to crumble almost immediately.
The massive water sphere in the forest reflected scenes of countless battles taking place within the Forest of Death.
"This is what ninja battles look like? So brutal!"
"They're just kids, and yet…"
In the spectator stands, countless civilians and nobles gasped in astonishment. Some were awed by the power of the ninjas and the dazzling variety of their techniques.
Others, however, were struck by the cruelty of it all, their faces filled with shock.
Meanwhile, among the nobles, some had eyes gleaming with excitement, marveling at the strength of the most powerful ninja village in the world.
"Konoha's ninjas are truly incredible."
"The Hokage of Konoha wants to show us that their ninjas don't need any home-field advantage."
As the screen displayed the brilliant performances of Konoha's ninjas, countless people were left in shock and excitement.
The villages of enemy nations showed expressions of shock and apprehension. It was clear that Konoha's ninjas of the same age group had a much higher level of combat ability.
Meanwhile, those who smiled with excitement were either part of Konoha or belonged to small nations under its protection.
...
Inside the Forest of Death.
"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms!"
With a thunderous roar, the surrounding towering trees collapsed one after another, accompanied by agonized screams.
"Hyūga! That's the Gentle Fist of the Hyūga clan!"
"Impossible! How can the Hyūga clan's Gentle Fist be this terrifying?"
The ninjas lurking in the shadows around the area stared in horror at the slender figure at the center of the scene.
It was Hyūga Hinata.
This graceful girl, after unleashing her Gentle Fist techniques, had completely altered the surrounding terrain. The scene was so terrifying that many of the onlookers fled in panic.
"So... so terrifying…"
Yamanaka Ino, one of Hinata's teammates, couldn't help but twitch at the corner of her eye after witnessing this display of destructive power. Hinata had grown even stronger.
"What are you standing around for? At eight o'clock, under that tree, there's the Heaven Scroll we need."
After withdrawing her fists, Hinata glanced disdainfully at the fleeing enemies around her. "Just a bunch of weaklings."
"Wow, Hinata-senpai is amazing!"
As Hinata's number one admirer, Uzumaki Karin excitedly found the bloodstained Heaven Scroll among the rubble of trees, her face lighting up with joy.
The three teammates then headed toward the central tower of the Forest of Death, leaving behind a vast, cleared area littered with destruction.
Among the shattered tree stumps, the bodies of over a dozen genin lay buried.
This was the cruelty of the ninja world.
On the spectator side, Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin, rarely displayed a satisfied smile upon seeing this scene reflected in the water sphere.
"Hinata is a prodigy. In just over half a year, she's already learned my monstrous strength technique."
Shizune couldn't help but voice her envy. Talent like this was undeniable. Just because someone had potential in ninjutsu didn't mean they could master monstrous strength.
Beside her, Kurenai Yūhi sighed with rare emotion:
"Hinata's talent is extraordinary. The Hyūga clan's Gentle Fist combined with monstrous strength makes her strikes even more devastating."
As Tsunade's apprentice, Shizune had inherited her medical ninjutsu, while Kurenai specialized in genjutsu from the Senju clan. However, neither of them had the talent for monstrous strength.
Yet, Hyūga Hinata had mastered it in just six months and seamlessly integrated it into her Gentle Fist style.
"Uchiha Sasuke's Fire Release and Uzumaki Naruto's Wind Release—they're working well together."
"In terms of Wind Release, though, Temari is still more skilled."
"Kimimaro from Shisui's Squad hasn't even revealed a fraction of his strength. The current generation of genin is terrifying!"
As more scenes were reflected on the water sphere, countless jōnin from Konoha were both stunned and busy analyzing the power levels of the new generation of genin.
Many jōnin came to the same shocking conclusion: this group of genin contained several individuals who already had jōnin-level strength. At the very least, some of them were beyond the ability to be assessed.
Kaguya Kimimaro, for instance, demonstrated raw taijutsu that rivaled ordinary jōnin.
Hinata, Temari, and Tayuya also displayed abilities that could rival those of special jōnin.
Meanwhile, the standout team from Sunagakure was Gaara's squad. His mastery of Magnet Release and sand control was equally impressive.
...
The Central Tower of the Forest of Death.
The stage was set for the tournament.
The Ten-Person Tournament consisted of ten battle platforms, where fierce matches would continue until a single victor emerged from each platform.
This meant that even Konoha ninja would have to fight one another.
Through the combined use of the Telescope Jutsu and the Yamanaka clan's mental techniques, the audience could watch every match from the stands.
With each draw and battle, one thrilling genin fight after another began. Each platform had professional jōnin evaluators scoring the combatants and providing detailed assessments of their abilities.
After each match, professional commentary would evaluate the fighters, their combat levels, and their overall performance.
"This means that even some of the defeated ninjas have already reached chūnin-level strength—they just had bad luck!"
"Konoha is truly formidable!"
Compared to the first stage's written exam, which was more symbolic than challenging, the second stage was a true test of survival of the fittest.
In the spectator stands, countless ninjas wore solemn expressions. This was also the best opportunity to gather intelligence on potential rivals.
At the same time, betting pools had been established for the matches. Every battle brought massive profits to Konoha, attracting countless merchants and missions.
Beyond Konoha, external betting pools were also in full swing, with participation flooding in.
The ten final winners were the focus of many bets, further fueling the excitement and profits.
This frenzied, gold-generating endeavor made the envoys and daimyōs from other nations green with envy. Just this single betting operation had filled Konoha's coffers to the brim.
Many couldn't help but recall the time when Uchiha Shirou ascended to the position of Hokage. His strategic moves had brought an influx of economic opportunities to Konoha, and this time was no different.
"Ten finalists, huh? This format maximizes the retention of strength while also…"
In the spectator stands, Kakashi narrowed his eyes as he glanced at the Hokage on the high platform, his thoughts deep.
"What's so special about the ten finalists?"
Beside him, Uchiha Sasuke, wearing an ANBU mask, asked in a low voice. Always in pursuit of power, Sasuke seemed to sense a hidden purpose but couldn't quite grasp it.
Kakashi glanced at Sasuke, then lowered his voice to explain:
"You could call it rationality or bonds. But the Hokage's philosophy, it's about balance and sacrifice. As a Konoha ninja, it's crucial to understand the spirit of prioritizing and sacrificing when performing missions."
"For example, in ten matches, if everyone has this awareness, each team should carefully analyze the situation and then ensure the conditions to protect the strongest fighters for advancement…"
As Kakashi spoke, Sasuke gradually fell silent. Meanwhile, the Konoha ninja in the scene gathered together, analyzed the situation, and then dispersed. During the arena matches, Sasuke once again felt the warmth of his comrades.
When Karin, Ino, and other Konoha ninjas drew the same arena as Hinata Hyuga, they fought with all their might to defeat their opponents, all to preserve Hinata's strength.
This preservation wasn't just about conserving chakra and stamina but also about preventing Hinata's abilities and information from being exposed.
Similarly, when Kimimaro found himself on the third arena stage, Shikamaru, Choji, and Kiba also happened to be there.
Even though Kiba, usually the loudest and most arrogant, was still shouting, his actions displayed restraint. Perhaps Kimimaro's strength was so overwhelming that they didn't need to protect him.
But!
There seemed to be a subtle change in Kimimaro's usually cold expression. However, he remained silent, merely vowing in his heart:
"For Lord Shirou's dream! I will protect Konoha at all costs!"
Outside the arena, as Kakashi observed how Sasuke's expression changed, he couldn't help but smile and sigh:
"This is something the lonely you of the past could never have understood. But things are different now, Sasuke—you're a part of Konoha. If we were ever trapped in a desperate situation, I'd choose to let you break through, because your potential and value outweigh mine."
"The same principle applies. Lord Shirou once said that you have the potential to become Hokage. I hope you'll come to understand this soon. When faced with tough decisions, you must choose decisively, or the cost of hesitation will be even greater…"
Hearing Kakashi's words moved Sasuke, hidden behind his mask, though he quickly fell silent.
"Hokage…"
At that moment, Sasuke raised his head and gazed at the Hokage Rock with a somewhat confused look in his eyes, as countless memories flooded his mind.
In another world where he grew up in Konoha, his memories were solely tied to his family. The village only left him with indifferent stares, and then… hatred. He had lived his entire life consumed by vengeance.
But in this world, as he walked through the village, he was greeted with countless smiles, especially respect for the Uchiha clan symbol he bore.
Over the years, it seemed that he had once again felt the warmth of a home. But this time, it wasn't just the Uchiha clan—it was the warmth of all of Konoha.
"Konoha… The village… Hokage…"
As the countless images pieced themselves together, and as he saw the reflections of youthful, familiar faces in the water orb—especially a younger version of himself—he suddenly showed a relieved smile.
"Hokage, huh… Perhaps I have a mission more important than becoming Hokage."
At this moment, Sasuke raised his head, looking at the statue of Uchiha Shirou carved on the Hokage Rock. His eyes were filled with determination.
Under Kakashi's astonished gaze, Sasuke, still wearing his mask, revealed a smile.
"To walk between two worlds and protect the true world—I will become Konoha's guardian!"
At this moment, Sasuke found the purpose he would dedicate his life to!
He resolved to return to the other world—not just to uncover the truth, but to completely transform the distorted reality of that world. He would bring about a revolution in that flawed world.
"Lord Shirou's great Will of Fire shouldn't exist solely in this world, limited to expanding borders. The true Will of Fire should spread across…"
The more Sasuke spoke, the more resolute his gaze became. At last, he understood it all! His original world was wrong. If he merely returned to uncover the truth, what would he do afterward?
His once-confused heart had now found its direction.
Beside him, Kakashi also showed a look of surprise before laughing helplessly, scratching his head as he said:
"Sasuke, you're really like Lord Shirou. I have to admit, though—changing another world would be far more interesting."
The two exchanged glances and smiled.
Kakashi sighed inwardly. His keen mind had long noticed Sasuke's inner confusion over the years. He had likely already deduced the truth about the original world.
That truth had left him lost! Sasuke didn't know what to do once he found Itachi and uncovered the truth.
These years of monotonous training seemed to be his way of avoiding these thoughts.
Kakashi had intended to guide Sasuke and encourage him to aim for the Hokage title. Unexpectedly, Sasuke had found his ninja way.
And Sasuke, being sharp as ever, naturally understood Kakashi's meaning in this world.
...
"The top ten have been decided!"
As night fell on the second round of the Chunin Exams, the final top ten contestants were revealed, and the matchups were announced:
Tayuya vs. Temari
Gaara vs. Hinata Hyuga
Sasuke Uchiha vs. Naruto Uzumaki
Neji Hyuga vs. Rock Lee
Kimimaro vs. Jugo
"So these are the top ten… Nearly all of them are Konoha ninja!"
"This is incredible! The Konoha ninja are so strong, and there hasn't been a single instance of cheating!"
"The ninjas from smaller nations are indeed weaker. If there's a chance, I'd rather come to Konoha to post missions."
"Well, that's not entirely fair. Most other villages didn't send their elites. After all, no one wants their prodigies to meet an untimely end in Konoha, right? Better to keep them in their villages. After a few more years, they'll become Jonin."
As the matchups for the third round were announced, the crowd erupted in excitement.
The final battles of the third round were scheduled to take place in half a month in the main arena, with all five Kage gathering in Konoha for the event.
Countless people eagerly placed bets, and just the first match had already captured everyone's attention:
The Sand Village Kazekage's daughter, now Konoha's genius kunoichi Temari, would face the mysterious ninja Tayuya, rumored to have inherited the genjutsu skills of Jonin Kurenai Yuhi.
Konoha knew how to grab attention.
The second match: Gaara vs. Hinata Hyuga.
The son of the Sand Village's Kazekage would face the eldest daughter of Konoha's prestigious Hyuga clan, who was considered the strongest genius of her generation.
The third match: Sasuke Uchiha vs. Naruto Uzumaki.
Both were disciples of the Hokage, but the spectators were more interested in their lineage. Naruto was the son of Minato Namikaze.
At this moment, many saw echoes of the rivalry between Uchiha Shirou and Minato Namikaze, who had once competed for the Fourth Hokage title.
This was a new generation's reflection of that legendary competition.
Just these three matches were enough to generate incredible buzz, and countless people rushed to place their bets.
The third round of the Chunin Exams felt less like a test and more like a battle of star ninjas—a show of Konoha's might to the world.
The hype reached its peak when news broke that the Kage of the Water, Earth, Wind, and Lightning Villages would personally visit Konoha in half a month, alongside a Five Kage Summit. Anticipation and speculation skyrocketed.
The last Five Kage Summit had been during the First Hokage's era, which had established the structure of the five great ninja villages.
Now, all eyes were on whether this new summit would once again reshape the ninja world.
PS: Such nostalgia. I missed watching the OG Naruto.