After leaving the hospital, Katsuo went to find Old Duy.
"Brother, I got eliminated from this year's exams. My opponent was strong. I was careless—I didn't dodge!"
Pointing at the wound on his shoulder, Katsuo spouted nonsense with a perfectly straight face.
"Nani???"
Might Duy was startled by this and hurriedly asked:
"Is it serious? Who was your opponent? Someone actually managed to hurt you?"
Old Duy knew Katsuo's strength. They had sparred for three years, and Katsuo's taijutsu was exceptional. Without opening the Eight Gates, even he might not have been able to defeat him. He had never expected Katsuo to be eliminated!
"It's nothing serious, just a minor wound. He was from the Yuhi Clan. I underestimated him..."
Might Duy patted his shoulder encouragingly.
"It's fine. Heal up properly, then win it back in ten days. I believe you can do it!"
"Hiss!!!"
Katsuo bared his teeth and said with a bitter smile:
"Forget it. I'll wait for another year. My shoulder bone was slightly injured. You know how it is—injured tendons and bones take a hundred days to heal. I'd better wait for the next Chunin Exams..."
"Then why did you say it was a minor injury?"
Might Duy said speechlessly, sweating.
"That's how I see it. I only just graduated, and I'm still young. I can take the Chunin Exams any year I want. There's no need to force myself to compete while injured. Not only would it affect my results, I'm also afraid it might leave behind a hidden injury."
There was nothing wrong with Katsuo's reasoning. Might Duy was not someone overly obsessed with winning either, so he nodded in agreement.
"Alright, then focus on recovering for now. Put your training aside first!"
"Mhm, mhm!"
Katsuo hurriedly nodded. This was exactly what he had