As long as you could make it to the main arena, you would be noticed by the Third Hokage.
Forget about taking first place—just being acknowledged by Sarutobi Hiruzen in the main arena was already considered an immense honor among the students.
Amid the cheers and roars of the third sub-arena, Yuya left the area and headed toward the main arena!
Kushina wanted to just drop her own matches and head straight to the main arena too. However, since she had already entered the assessment, even if she forfeited every match, she still had to complete them and get ranked.
So, she stood among the crowd, watching Yuya leave with a gaze full of hope.
The uproar in the third sub-arena was deafening.
It was so loud that even the first, second, and fourth arenas, as well as the main arena, took notice.
—In the First Sub-Arena—
Namikaze Minato, who was about to start his fourth match, looked in surprise toward the noisy third sub-arena.
"Looks like someone already won over there. And they did it faster than me."
After a flicker of surprise in his eyes, he smiled calmly.
It didn't matter who entered first—when it came down to it, the main arena would decide the rankings through combat.
And first place? He wasn't planning to let anyone else have it.
Namikaze Minato's eyes shone with relaxed confidence.
—Meanwhile, in the Main Arena—
Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was already seated at the main stage after preparations were completed, heard the commotion and smiled gently.
"Looks like an outstanding kid has already emerged. I wonder who it is?"
"Definitely that prodigy who surpassed even Orochimaru—Namikaze Minato!"
Standing behind him was Jiraiya, who was now an Elite Jonin and one of the future Sannin.
In the Ninja Academy, Namikaze Minato was undisputedly the best in every aspect, nearly always crushing the second place without effort. He was even more outstanding than Orochimaru had been at his age!
Because of this, Minato's reputation had long since caught the attention of Konoha's top brass.
Hearing Jiraiya's comment, Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled and nodded.
In his mind, it was almost certainly Namikaze Minato.
However, at that moment, from another direction, Orochimaru strolled over, a mysterious smile curling at the corner of his lips.
"Tsk, tsk… That's not necessarily true."
"Oh? Orochimaru, are you jealous? Even at that age, you weren't as impressive as Minato!"
Jiraiya snorted, glancing at Orochimaru.
Orochimaru, too lazy to argue, shrugged his shoulders and said plainly, "That's not what I meant."
"Then what do you mean?"
"Look for yourself!"
Orochimaru gestured subtly in one direction.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Jiraiya both looked over curiously.
And then, both of them were stunned.
Because they saw the first victor walking toward the main arena.
It was a silver-haired boy.
Not Namikaze Minato—but Yuya!
"Impossible! Someone was faster than Minato?!"
Jiraiya practically shouted in disbelief, his face filled with shock.
The first victor...wasn't Namikaze Minato?!
Orochimaru's face curled into a slightly wicked smile. "What's so impossible about that…"
"Interesting. I thought this era only had one genius: Namikaze Minato."
Just then, Tsunade walked over from the back, her voice slightly lazy but her eyes shining with curiosity. "That's the kid who's going to have a life-or-death duel with Uchiha Han, right?"
"Yes, that's him," Orochimaru nodded.
Jiraiya, who had been the biggest supporter of Namikaze Minato, grew visibly annoyed as the conversation shifted entirely to Yuya.
"So what if he got here first? There's no way he can beat Minato! Minato's talent is even greater than yours, Orochimaru!"
"Hehehe…"
Orochimaru just chuckled at Jiraiya's comment. He wasn't angry—in fact, his smile grew a bit more sinister. "A unique Bloodline Limit and remarkable mental fortitude… I think that kid might surpass Minato one day."
The moment those words left his mouth, everyone around was visibly shaken.
Although many didn't believe that Yuya could surpass a prodigy like Namikaze Minato, hearing such confidence from Orochimaru made them reconsider.
Even Sarutobi Hiruzen fell into a brief silence, his gaze flickering with thought.
Of course, he had heard about Yuya.
Faced with a dead-end situation, Yuya had chosen to fight Uchiha Han in a life-or-death duel, buying himself three months of time. But no matter how you looked at it, it still seemed like a path to certain death.
But upon deeper consideration, it was probably the best choice he could have made in that situation!
That kid...wasn't simple.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
If Yuya really had that kind of talent, then he couldn't just let the Uchiha Clan crush such a good seed.
In that case, he'd watch closely to see how Yuya performed next!
Under Sarutobi Hiruzen's slightly expectant gaze, Yuya finally arrived at the main arena, stopping quietly and waiting below.
As he waited, Yuya took the chance to survey the main arena.
Compared to the sub-arenas, the main arena was far more formal.
It was structured similarly to the venue for the Chunin Exams in the original series.
At the highest point sat Sarutobi Hiruzen in his Hokage robes, observing everything from his seat.
Beside him and standing slightly behind were three very familiar figures to Yuya.
Yuya looked up, his eyes glimmering faintly.
Orochimaru, Tsunade, Jiraiya!
The future Legendary Sannin—all three were here.
But right now, they looked much younger than in the original series, dressed in formal Jonin uniforms.
Seeing so many familiar faces at once, a ripple of emotion flashed through Yuya's eyes.
While Yuya was looking up at Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others, they were also evaluating him.
Sometimes, you could tell a lot just by looking into someone's eyes.
Being too calm could be suspicious, but Yuya's composed gaze, mixed with a faint trace of excitement, was flawless.
"Not bad," Tsunade commented after observing Yuya for a moment.
Coming here as the first winner and remaining so composed while facing the Hokage and the Elite Jonin—this was the mindset of a qualified ninja.
Sarutobi Hiruzen also nodded in approval. Although Yuya came from another village, that was a long time ago.
In Sarutobi's eyes, Yuya was no different from any child born in Konoha.
To him, Yuya had been a kid whose talent was hidden away due to his inability to refine chakra. Now, after awakening his Bloodline Limit, he was shining with true genius.
While everyone was studying Yuya, the second victor finally arrived. This time, there was no surprise—it was Namikaze Minato!
Arriving at the main arena, Minato also carried a calm expression.
Jiraiya, who had been a bit down earlier, immediately perked up with excitement.
"See! Minato has the same look in his eyes! No matter how good that Yuya kid is, he can't be better than Minato!"
"Hmm… Well, let's just wait and see, shall we?"
Orochimaru's face held a slightly sinister smile as he leaned back against the wall, saying nothing more.