Sasuke's Tsundere Side / Konoha's Strength

He had expected this day to come.

After all, Root was deeply entrenched in the Anbu. He doubted anyone sitting in the Hokage's seat could tolerate its existence.

If Hiruzen planned to step down and feared Danzo would overshadow his successor, isolating the new Hokage and turning him into a puppet, then it wouldn't be strange for him to make a move against Danzo.

The tragedy of the Uchiha Clan might well be repeated within Root.

For a moment, Danzo didn't know what to choose. He could only remain silent and let the darkness swallow him whole.

Hiruzen, my old friend, do you really no longer trust me?

Chapter 44: Sasuke's Tsundere Side

Before the third exam began, there would be one more round of one-on-one preliminaries. The chief examiner thought nineteen contestants were too many, and that limiting the number to ten or fewer was more reasonable.

That meant one person would get a bye and become the lucky one to advance automatically.

The matchups for the preliminaries would be decided at random. What Keiichi hadn't expected was that he would be the one who got the bye.

The crowd erupted at once, with accusations of favoritism ringing out nonstop.

Everyone knew the chief examiner, Gekko Hayate, was Keiichi's teacher. And yet Keiichi was the one who got a bye. How could there not be something shady going on?

That might have been one thing if it were anyone else, but everyone knew how "strong" Keiichi was. Any of them could easily take him down, so why was he being given a free pass?

The third round was completely different from the previous ones. Politicians and celebrities from across the Shinobi World would come to watch, making it a prime opportunity to build a reputation.

But now one of the spots had gone to a useless guy like Keiichi, which naturally reduced everyone else's chances of advancing.

Keiichi rubbed his nose. He didn't think he'd gotten that much of an advantage. Avoiding a fight was always nice, of course, but if it came down to it, he wasn't afraid of anyone.

Have I been too low-key? Why does everyone treat me like I'm easy prey?

Gekko Hayate, however, looked worried. He certainly hadn't rigged the draw for Keiichi; the result had surprised him too.

What concerned him more was that once the final ten were chosen, Keiichi would face even more dangerous opponents. Maybe getting eliminated early would actually be a good thing for him.

You're only twelve. You can always work harder next year. There'll be plenty of chances in the future.

After a brief break, the matches began. The first to take the stage was Sasuke, known as "Unhappy," and Akado Yoroi, nicknamed "Groping Hands."

"Keiichi, do you think Sasuke can beat his opponent?" Sakura asked worriedly, drawing close to him.

By the time she spoke, the two had already started fighting. They were still testing each other, and the exchange wasn't very intense.

"Don't worry. Sasuke can definitely win, as long as he figures out the key to victory," Keiichi said confidently.

His voice wasn't loud, but they were all ninja with sharp ears and keen eyesight. Everyone immediately perked up.

During Sasuke's fight with Rock Lee, Keiichi had revealed the crucial information about both fighters with a single remark and predicted the outcome with pinpoint accuracy. That had made him famous.

When it came to information, everyone had faith in him.

"The key to victory? Can you explain?" Sakura looked at him pleadingly. Nobody could resist such a pitiful look.

"It's simple. Akado Yoroi's advantage is that he can absorb other people's chakra. Unfortunately, he hasn't mastered the technique. Those grabby hands of his have to touch his opponent, so Sasuke just needs to keep his distance. Then Yoroi won't be able to do anything!"

Just as Keiichi had said, Sasuke had already learned about his opponent's abilities from the Ninja Star Card. Using his superb skill with thrown ninja tools, he kept Akado Yoroi from getting close and made sure he couldn't lose.

Akado Yoroi grew frustrated by the hit-and-run tactics. Just as he was about to charge in regardless of the consequences, he realized that incredibly tough strands of spider silk had wrapped around him. Sasuke was already forming Hand Seals, poised to unleash a Fire Style technique.

It's over! Despair filled Akado Yoroi.

Everyone else thought the same thing. Akado Yoroi was bound to lose.

But Sasuke's next move took everyone completely by surprise. He spat out the Great Fireball he'd been building up, but deliberately aimed it to the side, letting it pass right by Akado Yoroi.

"Hmph! I don't need your advice. I'll handle this my own way!" Sasuke glanced at Keiichi, his eyes defiant.

As he spoke, he let go of the threads he'd been controlling, freeing Akado Yoroi.

"Damn it! Don't underestimate me!" Akado Yoroi roared in anger and charged toward Sasuke.

But compared with the nimble Sasuke, he could never manage to touch him. It was like trying to hit a cloud of air—his attacks never found their mark.

After toying with his opponent for a while, Sasuke smiled faintly. He suddenly appeared behind Akado Yoroi, locked both arms around him from behind, then leaped into the air!

"Front Lotus!" Rock Lee's eyes widened in disbelief as he watched.

He'd spent who knew how long training to master that move. He'd only fought Sasuke for the first time three days ago, and now Sasuke had already learned it?

Was this what a true genius looked like?

But Sasuke didn't follow through with the Front Lotus. Just as he was about to slam Akado Yoroi into the floor, he kicked him in the stomach. The powerful rebound sent Akado Yoroi flying upward, and Sasuke struck him a second time with his other foot.

"Lion Combo!"

Just like that, Sasuke unleashed a Taijutsu move of his own creation.

"Ah, the Uchiha Clan's talent really is something to envy," Keiichi said sincerely. The others heard him and nodded repeatedly.

His strength had grown so much in just a few days. That was what a genius was.

Sasuke won cleanly. As he left the stage, he gave Keiichi a challenging look, as if to say, Even without your information, I can still beat him.

Yeah, that brat still needed to be taught a lesson!

"[Two Voices] Zaku Abumi vs. [Lord of Thousand Insects] Shino Aburame!"

The titles Keiichi had given them in the Ninja Star Scroll seemed to have been officially recognized by Konoha. Their respective titles even appeared on the screen.

"Hey, hey, who do you think will win this time?" Naruto came over too. Sasuke didn't move, but his ears perked up just the same.

"What kind of experts could a newly established little village like Sound Village have? Do you think that little of Konoha, or the Aburame Clan? Lord of Thousand Insects will win this one, no question. Don't worry."

Really? Naruto looked a little confused. The three Sound ninja in the Forest of Death had seemed pretty strong. Would they really be that easy to beat?

Keiichi's remark drew a furious glare from Zaku Abumi. He looked ready to kill him.

You dare say I'm weak?!

Just wait and see how I take down that kid in sunglasses. You'd better pray you don't face me next. Otherwise, you're dead!

But the fight didn't go the way Zaku Abumi expected. It ended with him badly injured and leaving the arena at the cost of both his arms.

Shino, on the other hand, won with ease without moving a muscle.

The sight weighed heavily on many people's hearts. They realized that Konoha was still Konoha, its strength unfathomable.

They'd wanted to put Konoha in its place, but it turned out they were the ones who'd made fools of themselves.

"[Humanoid Weapon] Misumi Tsurugi vs. [Desert Scavenger King] Kankuro!"

Perhaps to prove that he wasn't some Desert Scavenger King, Kankuro put on a brilliant display in this match, using his Puppet Technique to toy with his opponent.

Misumi Tsurugi was a Konoha ninja, so this was undoubtedly a hard slap in Konoha's face.

But Keiichi didn't see it that way.

"I ranked Desert Scavenger King as an SSR-Rank Card. Of course he'd beat the SR-Rank Card Misumi Tsurugi!"

His words dampened the crowd's newly lifted spirits. Was all of this within Konoha's expectations?

Besides, Kankuro was a Sunagakure ninja. It was only natural that he could win.

"Who's the Desert Scavenger King? Get down here! I'll beat you to death!" Kankuro pointed at Keiichi, furious.

Keiichi acted as if he hadn't heard him and ignored him completely.

"[Brother Chun] Sakura Haruno vs. [Wild Boar] Ino Yamanaka!"

Keiichi was just about to offer a few comments when he suddenly sensed murderous intent from two directions.

What are you trying to do?

Do you hate your nicknames that much?

If you don't like them, just ask me to change them. As long as you pay, I can come up with anything you want!

A title like "Sasuke's Future Husband" would cost you a million. Don't you dare say it's too expensive.

"I'm going!" Sakura Haruno said eagerly, giving Keiichi a challenging look.

You ranked me as R-Rank, didn't you? Now I'll show you what I can do and prove to everyone that you got me wrong!

"Keiichi, can Sakura win this time?" Naruto asked quietly, as if he were afraid Sakura would hear the answer.

Chapter 45: Konoha's Strength

They were about evenly matched—two rookies flailing at each other. It was hard to say," Keiichi whispered back to Naruto, lowering his voice.

But that only made everyone more restless. What were the two of them whispering about? They really wanted to know!

Keiichi's predictions so far had been practically perfect. Everyone wanted to hear what he thought of this match.

Unfortunately, after whispering to Naruto, Keiichi didn't say another word, leaving them frustrated.

As former friends and current rivals, the two fought with everything they had. Unfortunately, the match itself wasn't exciting at all, and the spectators could barely keep their eyes open.

Sakura Haruno was prepared for Ino Yamanaka's Mind Transfer Technique, so it had no effect. In the end, they could only settle things with basic Taijutsu and thrown ninja tools.

The two were evenly matched and fought until they were exhausted, finally collapsing at the same time.

"Just two rookies flailing at each other," Keiichi said with a pout, summing up the fight.

Naruto let out a sigh of relief. As long as Sakura was all right. The gruesome sight of Zaku Abumi's arms being broken had really worried him.

Gekko Hayate and the other referees discussed it, then ruled that both girls were disqualified.

Keiichi knew that if they could both be disqualified, they could just as easily both advance. It was only a matter of choice.

But both of them belonged to Konoha. If the judges ruled that they could both advance, outsiders would probably think they were favoring their own ninja.

Besides, neither of them was a seeded contestant. Even if they advanced, they'd probably be eliminated soon anyway, so they might as well be eliminated now.

In a sense, it was also for their own safety.

Sure enough, nobody objected to the decision. Only Naruto kept muttering in protest on Sakura's behalf.

"[Leaf Village Armory] Tenten vs. [Iron Fan Princess] Temari!"

At last, this match got everyone's spirits up. The main attraction was that it was a battle between Konoha and Sunagakure, a true clash between powerful opponents.

Then everyone turned toward Keiichi, who was sitting there calmly, waiting to hear what he'd say.

"Tenten's really strong. If the Chunin Ninja Exams had a contest for thrown ninja tools, she'd definitely take first place."

"So Tenten's guaranteed to win?" Naruto asked, suddenly excited.

"No, I'm afraid she's going to lose. Temari is a full two years older than her and has far more combat experience."

The fight went exactly as Keiichi had predicted. Tenten threw a huge variety of ninja tools, but none of them could give Temari any trouble. Temari's response was simple and brutal: one gust of wind sent every projectile off course.

She was a perfect counter.

"Thrown ninja tools used to be a ninja's main means of attack. But as the study of ninjutsu advanced, the Five Elemental Ninjutsu became more powerful, and thrown weapons started serving more as a way to hold opponents at bay. As things continue to develop, these outdated attacks will gradually be phased out. Tenten has a real talent for them, but she just can't keep up with the times," Keiichi said with a sigh.

In fact, by the time Naruto was Hokage, Tenten's ninja tool shop was barely staying in business. Scientific Ninja Tools had taken over, and anyone who couldn't keep up with the times was doomed to be left behind.

Of course, he couldn't say all of that out loud. Even if thrown ninja tools had fallen out of use, Six Paths Tools were another matter. Pay-to-win players would always be the meta, right?

Just look at how Tenten tossed ninja tools around like trash. She had to be incredibly rich to waste them so casually. Keiichi watched with envy and resentment. She was definitely a pay-to-win player!

Keiichi's words resonated with many people. They also felt thrown weapons were gradually becoming outdated, and this fight only confirmed it.

Just as he'd predicted, Temari beat Tenten with little effort, even leaving her badly injured.

Well, she was a Sunagakure ninja. She had to hit Konoha hard, or she'd have a lot to answer for.

Gaara, however, was still displeased. In his view, Temari clearly could have killed Tenten but chose not to. That made her a weak, useless coward.

Her own sister?

What did that matter?

"[Sleeping Fox] Shikamaru Nara vs. [Long Hair] Kin!"

Shikamaru's appearance drew everyone's attention. He was the only one among the SSR-Rank Cards with a 10 in intelligence. They already knew Keiichi, whose intelligence was rated 8. Just how terrifying could someone with a 10 be?

"Come on, Shikamaru! Show them what Konoha can do!" Naruto cheered excitedly.

"Tch, what a drag. Of all people, I had to get a woman," Shikamaru grumbled, dragging his feet as he walked onto the stage.

"What's so great about him?" Sasuke came over to get a closer look at Shikamaru's abilities and asked casually.