The Opening

The Konoha arena was already packed, the air filled with the roar of the crowd.

The towering stands were crammed with spectators who had come from all over.

They were dressed in finery and wore all kinds of expressions, but without exception, they were influential figures from the Five Great Nations: high-ranking officials, nobles, and wealthy tycoons.

Now, their undisguised scrutiny swept over the forty young ninjas gathered in the center of the arena, all of whom had passed the second round.

These young people represented the future hopes of the various ninja villages.

Orochimaru's gaze swept around the arena before finally settling on the specially constructed tower at its highest point.

Five figures sat at the center of the tower, their presence imposing and their authority unmistakable.

There, seated before the audience, were the five most powerful people in the Ninja World: the leaders of the Five Great Ninja Villages, all Kage-level powerhouses.

Given the era, most of those currently in office were the third generation of their respective villages.

The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi of Konoha wore a familiar expression, composed as the host.

The Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki of Iwagakure was short, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's.

The Third Kazekage of Sunagakure was a mysterious man whose face was hidden in the shadow of his hat. He was known as the strongest Kazekage.

Then there was the Third Raikage of Kumogakure, famed for his formidable physique, and the Third Mizukage of Kirigakure, who... well, didn't seem to have much of a role.

What a rare gathering...

Orochimaru mused to himself. So many Kage-level figures had assembled in one place. Without the Joint Chunin Exams, even a Ninja World War might not bring together a lineup like this.

The din from the stands surged like boiling water, never letting up.

Even from a distance, Orochimaru could clearly pick out certain words repeated by the crowd.

"Uchiha!"

"Senju!"

Many people were staring fervently at the two Uchiha Clan members among the Konoha Ninja, both wearing the clan's gunbai crest, and... Tsunade.

"Tch, those guys have stolen all the attention!"

"I was pretty amazing too, you know!"

Jiraiya stood beside Orochimaru, grumbling under his breath, clearly disgruntled.

He was obviously quite pleased with his performance in the preliminaries, but now he'd realized that nobody was paying attention to him. That left him feeling rather dejected.

Orochimaru didn't think much of it.

After all, it had only been a little over twenty years since Konoha was founded.

The lingering influence of the First, Hashirama Senju, and Madara Uchiha still resounded throughout the Ninja World.

Their names and their clans represented the pinnacle of an era.

Even today, twenty years later, they were still the biggest names in the world.

Decades from now, at Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke's Chunin Exams, countless people would still come hoping to see "the last surviving Uchiha."

Konoha had probably used the "Senju versus Uchiha" angle, intentionally or otherwise, to promote the event. That was likely what had drawn so many powerful and wealthy people here.

Tsunade had clearly noticed those strange looks too. Her brows knit slightly, and a trace of displeasure crossed her bright blue eyes.

She didn't like being treated like some rare animal people could point at and gossip about.

The atmosphere among the Kage atop the tower was rather delicate as well.

"Heh heh, Sarutobi, the younger generation in your Konoha is truly impressive!"

The Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki stroked his red nose and offered his praise.

It was hard to tell whether he meant it or was probing them.

"Hmph, enough! Stop dawdling and get on with it!"

The Third Raikage cut in with a deep, rumbling voice. His towering frame seemed brimming with explosive power.

He looked eager to see some real action as soon as possible.

The Third Kazekage gave a slight nod. The corner of his mouth seemed to curl beneath his hat.

Sunagakure had quite a few candidates who had passed this time—far more than the miserable number from the neighboring Kirigakure.

The Third Mizukage noticed the Third Kazekage's seemingly casual glance, and his expression immediately darkened.

For these Chunin Exams, he had sent almost every promising young ninja his village could spare. He had even spoken with several bloodline families and persuaded them to send a few ninjas who had awakened their bloodline abilities.

And what had it come to?

Only two of them had passed!

The fewest of any of the Five Great Ninja Villages!

Didn't that make Kirigakure look like the weakest?

They'd been royally screwed!

Damn the Third Hokage!

At the thought, the Third Mizukage glared viciously at Hiruzen Sarutobi.

According to the intelligence he'd received, most of Kirigakure's ninjas had been defeated by Konoha's.

He was even beginning to suspect that old Hiruzen Sarutobi had deliberately targeted Kirigakure behind the scenes!

Feeling the various gazes upon him, Hiruzen Sarutobi cleared his throat and rose to his feet, perfectly composed.

He stepped forward, his booming voice carrying throughout the arena:

"Everyone, thank you for traveling such a long way to witness these Joint Chunin Exams!"

"Now, I hereby announce that the third round of the Chunin Exams is officially underway!"

As he finished speaking, the names of the candidates began racing across the enormous electronic screen on one side of the arena.

A moment later, two names stopped on the screen.

First match: Tessen of Sunagakure versus Shin of Sunagakure!

Huh?

A Civil War between Sunagakure ninjas?

The audience's eyes lit up when they saw the first match.

At the result, the two Sunagakure ninjas below exchanged a glance from across the arena. They nodded in unison, as if they'd reached an understanding.

Tessen took the stage first, black iron sand forming wings that carried him straight into the arena.

The crowd gasped at the sight.

His opponent, a red-haired boy named "Shin," remained calm. He pulled a scroll from his clothes and summoned ten puppets.

Normally, he couldn't control ten puppets at once, but these weren't normal circumstances...

The gong rang, signaling the start of the match!

"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Formation!"

Tessen slammed both hands against the ground. In an instant, a great mass of black iron sand surged up from beneath his feet, moving as if it were alive.

On the other side, the red-haired boy Sasori refused to be outdone. His hands flew as Chakra Threads connected him to the puppets. Each one was bristling with mechanisms that gleamed with a dangerous light, and they moved nimbly as they launched into a fierce back-and-forth with the iron sand!

Iron sand howled across the arena, puppets darted through the air, and attacks of every kind collided in a dazzling shower of sparks!

"Whoa! Amazing!"

"Is this what ninja battles are like?!"

"Unbelievable!"

The two went back and forth, each move flashier than the last. They unleashed one large-scale technique after another, leaving the wealthy spectators in the stands gaping and gasping in amazement.

"Holy crap!"

"Isn't that cheating?"

Jiraiya's expression changed, and he instinctively looked at Orochimaru beside him.

Those Sunagakure guys were playing dirty. The two were clearly working together, and the one controlling the iron sand was even helping control the puppets...

"There's nothing to be done about it..."

Orochimaru shook his head, looking a little helpless.

Teacher Sarutobi had already explained the content and purpose of the third round to them beforehand.

Simply put, this was no longer just a matter of fighting to the death. It was more like a "show of strength" for outsiders—a prime opportunity to demonstrate the strength of each village's younger generation.

Experts looked for the finer points, while casual observers just wanted a spectacle.

Most of the "big shots" present today were casual observers.

They wouldn't understand the psychological games or tactical maneuvers involved in ninja combat.

The clearest way to show them just how powerful ninjas were, of course, was to unleash large-scale techniques that looked flashy and spectacular.

So this exam was more of a performance.

In fact, many of the matchups had been arranged in advance.

For instance, Tsunade would be facing an Uchiha Clan member soon, in a "fated duel" between the two great clans, the Senju and the Uchiha.

"Then how are we supposed to fight later?"

Jiraiya scratched his head as he asked.

Those two kids from Sunagakure had gone all out right from the start!

He'd be facing Orochimaru later. How could he steal the spotlight back?

Every move Tessen made unleashed large-scale Magnet Release techniques that changed the terrain, while the boy named Shin controlled a dazzling array of puppets that looked impressively powerful.

This was totally unfair!

They'd warmed up the crowd so much. How was anyone supposed to follow that?

The pressure was on!

Orochimaru watched the fierce battle unfolding in the arena, then glanced at Jiraiya, whose face was full of worry. The corner of his mouth curled into a faint smile.

They did have an ability suited to this situation...

That was exactly why he'd specifically asked the Third Hokage to arrange for him and Jiraiya to face each other...