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The first round of the flag-capturing battle had come to an end.
From the Konohagakure side, four teams—a total of twelve candidates—had successfully advanced to the next stage, while the rest had all been eliminated, falling one after another before their formidable opponents.
There was nothing to be done about it. After all, the major Hidden Villages of the Five Great Nations had dispatched their elite forces for this event. That Konoha was able to secure this many spots was already a remarkable testament to the success of its ninja academy system.
After a full day of rest, the eight remaining teams—twenty-four candidates in total—were set to engage in direct duels, battling each other one-on-one. Only the twelve most outstanding candidates would be able to advance to the next round.
On the eve of the next stage of the exam, Haruto found his father, Kyōsuke, who was leisurely basking in the sun. With confidence brimming in his voice, he declared, "Don't worry, Dad! I will win in the end—no matter what!"
"Big Brother is the best~!" From the side, his younger sister, Nagisa, clapped her hands in delight, her enthusiasm bordering on excessive flattery.
Taking a casual bite of the watermelon in his hand, Kyōsuke cast a sidelong glance at his son, thinking to himself: If you lose, you'd really be letting down the excellent bloodline you inherited from me.
Of course, if Haruto did lose, it wouldn't be the end of the world either.
Just look at the lineup in this year's Chūnin Exams—it was practically a gathering of future powerhouses who would one day dominate the ninja world.
More importantly, in the early stages of a ninja's growth, bloodline advantages weren't necessarily decisive factors.
Whether it was special "eyes" or extraordinary "physical prowess," these traits only grew stronger over time. At this stage, they might not even be enough to compete against those who could harness the power of tailed beasts.
Take, for instance, one of Haruto's biggest obstacles on his road to victory: Kurama Jun.
With his ability to control a terrifying genjutsu that manipulated all five senses, it was uncertain whether Haruto could even endure such an assault, let alone emerge victorious.
"Just do your best," Kyōsuke finally said, his voice calm. "As long as you fight without regrets, that's all that matters."
With a flick of his wrist, the watermelon peel arced gracefully through the air before landing neatly in a distant trash bin.
After wiping his hands, Kyōsuke bent down and lifted his smiling daughter into his arms, preparing to head to the examination venue with his family.
The sealing techniques sold to Kumogakure were highly refined, meaning that as long as their jinchūriki weren't completely incompetent, they would still be able to use a certain amount of chakra from their tailed beast.
As for Haruto's current strength…
He was likely still below the level of Sasuke Uchiha during the Valley of the End battle—back when Sasuke had first unlocked the second stage of his Cursed Seal transformation.
That was to be expected.
The two were a full year apart in age. If Haruto had an extra year of dedicated training, surpassing Sasuke at that stage wouldn't be an impossible feat.
But then, just as he was walking, Kyōsuke's eyes suddenly lit up.
It was as if he had just thought of something particularly interesting.
Sasuke had been able to fight against Naruto in his Nine-Tails Cloak form not just because he had awakened his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, but also due to the power granted by Orochimaru's Cursed Seal.
And the key thing was—Kyōsuke knew how to apply that seal as well.
Turning toward his son, who was deep in thought, Kyōsuke smiled and asked, "Hey, kid, there's a way to make you stronger—right now. The effect is immediate, and you won't be any weaker than a jinchūriki who has tapped into their tailed beast's chakra."
"Wait, really?!" Haruto's face lit up with excitement.
"Do you want to learn it?"
"Of course I do!"
"Alright then, but in exchange, you'll be doing the dishwashing for the next six months."
"...Fine! But I'm telling you now, if this technique turns out to be useless, don't expect me to keep my end of the deal!"
Kyōsuke smirked. "Relax. You really think your old man would lie to you?"
Handing his daughter over to Mito, he told her to take Nagisa to the exam venue first. Then, without another word, he grabbed Haruto's hand.
In a flash, they vanished—reappearing in the secret underground laboratory built by their clan.
Watching the two of them disappear in an instant, Mito let out a helpless sigh and murmured under her breath, "Just don't be late, you two..."
---
The Chūnin Exam Battle Arena.
The matches had already progressed to the seventh round.
And now, a high-stakes battle was about to unfold—Sarutobi Hiruzen versus Ōnoki!
A true clash of powerhouses.
The battle was fierce and drawn out, with both combatants displaying their incredible ninja talent. In the end, however, Hiruzen emerged victorious, his flawless coordination with Enma forcing Ōnoki to taste the bitter sting of defeat.
"Well done!"
"That was amazing!"
"Hiruzen, you really are the best!"
Amid the roaring cheers from the crowd, Sarutobi Hiruzen scratched his head sheepishly, his innocent-looking smile making him appear as harmless as ever.
But the only one who truly understood him was Danzo.
Danzo alone knew that beneath Hiruzen's seemingly honest and straightforward exterior lay an extremely shrewd and calculating mind.
From his seat in the stands, Senju Tobirama leaned back, casually crossing his legs as he acknowledged the congratulations from those around him with effortless grace.
"Ah, it was mostly the boy's own hard work," he said indifferently. "I only played a small role—seven or eight percent, at most."
"As for whether he'll win the whole tournament… who knows? The Hokage's kid is no slouch either. There's a real chance he might defeat my student."
Tobirama had always been at a disadvantage in his rivalry with Kyōsuke, constantly finding himself on the losing end.
He had never truly won against him.
But this time, things would be different.
He would surpass Kyōsuke in training the next generation—thoroughly and undeniably.
Only then would he finally quell the frustration and resentment that had simmered in his heart for years.
Of course, this was an internal struggle within Konoha.
Before settling their differences, Hiruzen's top priority remained the elimination of external threats.
Regardless of who emerged victorious, in the end, the final showdown would be fought among Konoha's own candidates.
This was an unspoken agreement among all parties—and they had the power to make it happen.
The only obstacle left in their way was Kumogakure's representative—the Jinchūriki Of The Two-tails.
Just thinking about it made Tobirama curse inwardly.
Damn that First Raikage—how reckless can you be?! You finally gain a jinchūriki, and instead of safeguarding them, you send them right into Konoha's hands?!
Had the man lost his mind?!
Tobirama knew the truth, though.
Kumogakure had no choice.
Their defeat in the war had left their reputation in shambles. If they wanted to restore their prestige, the next generation had to prove their worth—no matter the risk.
---
As the eighth match concluded, young Danzo had been completely overwhelmed by a dark-skinned boy from Kumogakure.
That boy—the future Third Raikage, a man who would one day stand alone against ten thousand shinobi without falling.
At this moment, his name was still unknown to the world.
But he was already far beyond Danzo's level.
"Son of a bitch, where the hell did this mutt come from?"
On the surface, Danzo appeared calm and immovable, but internally, he was nearly consumed by his burning fury.
The thing he despised the most was being inferior to Sarutobi Hiruzen. Yet now, while the latter had advanced smoothly through the ranks, he himself had been utterly crushed on the arena by some dark-skinned brat.
Was it because he lacked strength?
No, it had to be bad luck. If their positions had been reversed, he was certain he would have been able to pass this stage with ease.
There was no denying it—at such a young age, Danzo had already mastered the art of self-deception. Truly, this was a remarkable talent in its own right.
The ninth match soon commenced.
However, murmurs of discontent rippled through the crowd.
Most of the spectators had come specifically for one reason—to witness the battle of Uchiha Haruto.
The son of the God of Shinobi, set to face off against a rumored Jinchūriki from the Hidden Cloud. A match of this caliber was a spectacle no one would want to miss.
Yet, just as the battle was about to begin, the organizers from Konohagakure suddenly announced a last-minute change in the fight order.
Their reasoning?
Due to certain circumstances, the contestant Uchiha Haruto was currently unable to appear on the field.
By now, the eighth round had already concluded, and many in the audience were growing anxious.
Would they even get to witness the Uchiha prodigy's match today?
"Damn it, give us our money back!" someone in the crowd couldn't help but shout in frustration.
The ninth round. The tenth round. The eleventh round.
One after another, the matches came to an end. The battles of all the other candidates had already concluded, yet the most crucial individual had still not arrived at the venue.
The representatives from the Hidden Cloud Village were already protesting, and amidst the restless crowd, accusations of Konoha's favoritism began to echo throughout the arena.
Just as Sarutobi Sasuke was about to announce the final decision, a sudden gust of wind howled through the stadium.
Leaves swirled in the air, scattered and danced wildly before gradually converging into a spiraling mass. Within that swirling storm, two figures—one tall and one smaller—gradually became visible, their forms flickering in and out of sight.
As the wind settled and the whirlwind dissipated, the crowd gasped in astonishment.
Standing in the center of the arena was none other than the Hokage himself, alongside the missing participant—Uchiha Haruto.
"WAAAHHH!!!"
For a brief moment, the audience was stunned into silence. But that moment quickly passed, and what followed was an explosion of cheers, louder than anything the arena had ever witnessed before.
Amidst the roaring applause, Kyōsuke leaned slightly toward Haruto and murmured, "How was that? Pretty impressive entrance, don't you think?"
"Not bad at all. You've got a knack for this," Haruto replied with a smirk.
On this, father and son were in perfect agreement.
Kyōsuke cast a glance at the opponent waiting on the other side—a dark-faced Two-Tails Jinchūriki, his expression heavy with tension. Smiling, Kyōsuke casually asked, "Do you think you can take him down?"
Haruto smirked confidently. "Just watch me."
Satisfied, Kyōsuke gave an approving nod before vanishing in a blur, reappearing high above the arena. In a flash, he formed a hand seal, and four shadow clones materialized beside him.
The clones swiftly positioned themselves at four key points around the arena, their hands pressing down as a powerful barrier erupted to life.
Ninja Art: Four Red Yang Formation!
With this, the arena was now completely enclosed, ensuring that neither combatant would have to hold back. The spectators would be granted a firsthand view of an unrestrained shinobi battle—an unforgettable spectacle.
"Let the match begin!"
At Kyōsuke's signal, Sarutobi Sasuke stepped forward, his voice carrying across the arena as he officially declared the start of the final match of the second round.
Across the battlefield, Haruto spread his arms slightly, his voice brimming with anticipation. "Prepare yourself—I'll show you the power I've just acquired!"
Black markings slithered across his skin like creeping veins, his Sharingan igniting to life.
Within his crimson gaze, three tomoe spun menacingly.
Curse Mark—First Stage: Activated!
Curse Mark Senjutsu—combined with the exceptionally pure Sage body DNA coursing through his veins—made Haruto, at this very moment, a force that surpassed even Sasuke during the Valley of the End battle.
Suppressing Indra's reincarnation at the same age—a feat so simple in words, yet in reality, an accomplishment few could ever hope to achieve.
People often revered Madara and Hashirama for their legendary strength, yet by the age of fifteen, Naruto and Sasuke had already battled Kaguya herself.
And where were Madara and Hashirama at fifteen? Still skipping stones in a river.
Even without the Six Paths Sage's intervention, Naruto and Sasuke had already reached a level where they could rival the likes of Madara and Hashirama in their prime—both in their perfect forms.
Wood Golem versus Kurama Manifestation. Perfect Susanoo versus Perfect Susanoo.
There was no true disparity in power between them.
When comparing shinobi strength across different eras, age was often overlooked—yet it was a crucial factor that could not be ignored.
By the time Naruto and Sasuke reached thirty, they were capable of defeating Momoshiki Ōtsutsuki together. Their combat abilities had long surpassed Madara and Hashirama at the same age.
As for Hashirama's ultimate technique—Sage Art Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands—while it was effective for large-scale destruction, in single combat, it arguably lacked the sheer destructive potency of Naruto's Baryon Mode.
And that was precisely why Kyōsuke was looking forward to these two kids.
The inevitable battle against the true Ōtsutsuki Clan would come sooner or later, and when it did, Naruto and Sasuke's presence would be indispensable. Even if they could not stand by his side in battle, their ability to protect their home would be more than enough.
Watching Haruto relentlessly overwhelm the Jinchūriki before him, Kyōsuke allowed a rare smile to touch his lips. It seemed that all his painstaking efforts had not been in vain.
With Haruto's exceptionally strong physique, activating Curse Mark—Second Stage would not be difficult. A bit more familiarity, and he'd master it entirely.
Unless the Jinchūriki was willing to risk his life and completely unseal Matatabi, there was no chance he could defeat Haruto.
No—at this stage, there was no one in the Chūnin Exams who could challenge Haruto in his Curse Mark state. Not even Kurama Jun's genjutsu could stand a chance.
Kyōsuke's gaze sharpened as he noticed something.
"Getting ready to unleash Tailed Beast Chakra?" He shook his head slightly, knowing the battle was about to end.
Then suddenly—his expression shifted dramatically.
His gaze snapped upward toward the sky, where dark clouds churned ominously.
And there, descending from the heavens, was a figure—bloodied, battered, and barely conscious.
A figure Kyōsuke recognized at once.
It was none other than Blackened Hagoromo, twisted in agony, his body nearly unrecognizable from the wounds that covered him.
And right behind him—hovering effortlessly in midair—stood the very person responsible for this devastation.
A man who had emerged victorious in their previous encounter.
"I warned you, didn't I?"
With an easy, chilling smile, Isshiki Ōtsutsuki gazed down at him.
"Your time is running out, Uchiha Kyōsuke."
..
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[IMAGE]
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[Chapter End's]
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