Hokage: You Call This Guy the Savior?!

He had anticipated the arrival of this day.

The Root had deep roots within the Anbu; he feared that anyone sitting in the position of Hokage would be unable to tolerate his existence.

If Hiruzen had intentions of abdicating and feared that he would overshadow the successor, isolating the new Hokage into a mere puppet, then it would not be strange for him to make a move against him.

He feared that the tragedy of the Uchiha Clan would be reenacted within the Root.

Danzo did not know how to choose for a moment, so he could only remain silent and let the darkness completely swallow him.

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

Before the third exam began, a round of 1v1 preliminary matches had to be held. The proctor believed that nineteen people were too many, and that keeping the number under ten was reasonable.

In this way, one person would receive a bye and become the lucky one to advance directly.

The preliminaries would be matched through random pairing, and to Keiichi's surprise, he was the one who received the bye.

For a moment, there was an uproar, and cries of "rigged" were endless.

Everyone knew that the proctor, Gekko Hayate, was Keiichi's teacher, and yet it was Keiichi who received the bye—how could there not be foul play involved?

If it were anyone else, it might be fine, but everyone knew of Keiichi's "strength." Anyone could easily take him down, so why should he be gifted a pass to advance?

One had to know that the third round of the exam was completely different from the previous ones; dignitaries and celebrities from the entire ninja world would come to watch, making it a prime opportunity to gain prestige.

As a result, Keiichi, this piece of trash, had taken one of the spots, naturally thinning out their own chances of advancing.

Keiichi rubbed his nose, not feeling that he had taken much of an advantage. If he didn't have to fight, that was better, but if he really had to, he wasn't afraid of anyone.

Am I too low-key? Does everyone take me for a pushover?

Gekko Hayate, however, appeared worried. He certainly hadn't cheated for Keiichi; he was just as surprised by this result.

He was more concerned that once the final ten were selected, the enemies Keiichi would face would become even more dangerous. Perhaps being eliminated early would actually be a good thing for him.

"You are only twelve; at worst, you can just work harder next year. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

After a brief rest, the duels began. The first to take the stage was Sasuke, known as "Mr. Grumpy," and Akado Yoroi, known as the "Dirty Hands."

"Keiichi, do you think Sasuke can beat his opponent?" Sakura leaned in, asking with a worried look on her face.

As they spoke, the two had already begun to fight. Both sides were still in the probing stage, and the exchange was not intense.

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

Although his voice was not loud, everyone present was a ninja with keen senses, and they immediately pricked up their ears.

During the battle between Sasuke and Rock Lee, Keiichi had pointed out the key information for both sides in a single sentence, judging the outcome with pinpoint accuracy, which had made him famous.

In terms of intelligence, everyone was relatively convinced by him.

"The key to victory? Can you tell us?" Sakura wore a pitiful expression; no one could withstand such a pleading gaze.

"It's actually quite simple. Akado Yoroi's advantage lies in his ability to absorb others' chakra, but unfortunately, he hasn't mastered his craft. Those 'dirty hands' of his only work if he stays attached to the opponent, so as long as he keeps his distance, he's got no tricks left!"

Just as he said, Sasuke had already learned about his opponent's characteristics through Ninja Star cards. Using his exquisite shurikenjutsu, he kept Akado Yoroi from getting close, thereby remaining in an invincible position.

Akado Yoroi was driven to distraction by the kite tactics. Just as he was about to rush forward regardless of the consequences, he discovered that his body was entangled by extremely tough spider silk, and Sasuke had already begun weaving hand signs, preparing to unleash a Fire Style technique.

It's over! Akado Yoroi felt despair.

And everyone else thought the same; Akado Yoroi was doomed to lose.

However, Sasuke's actions greatly exceeded everyone's expectations. He spat out the Great Fireball he had been brewing, but intentionally aimed it to the side, brushing past Akado Yoroi.

"Hmph! I don't need your reminders; I have my own way of settling this!" Sasuke glanced at Keiichi, his eyes filled with defiance.

Saying this, he released the silk threads he was controlling, allowing Akado Yoroi to regain his freedom.

"Damn it, stop looking down on me!" Akado Yoroi, humiliated and angry, strode toward Sasuke.

However, compared to the agile Sasuke, he could never touch the other party, as if he were hitting a mass of air, unable to exert any force.

After toying with his opponent like this, Sasuke smiled slightly, suddenly appeared behind Akado Yoroi, bound his arms tightly in front of him, and leaped with all his might!

"Front Lotus!" Rock Lee widened his eyes, looking at this scene in disbelief.

He had spent countless hours practicing this move, and it had only been three days since his first fight with Sasuke—how had he learned it already?

Is this what a true genius is?

However, Sasuke did not follow the movements of the Front Lotus. Instead, the moment he slammed into the floor, he kicked the opponent in the stomach. The massive rebound force caused Akado Yoroi's body to bounce up, and he was immediately struck by a second blow from Sasuke's other foot.

"Lion Combo!"

A taijutsu technique original to Sasuke was unleashed just like that.

"Sigh, the talent of the Uchiha clan is truly enviable," Keiichi sighed sincerely, and everyone couldn't help but nod in agreement.

Having not seen him for a few days, his strength had grown significantly; this was what a genius was.

Sasuke won the victory cleanly. As he stepped off the stage, he looked at Keiichi with a provocative gaze, as if to say that even without his intelligence, he could have taken him down all the same.

Hmm, this brat still needs to be put in his place!

"[Sound] Zaku Abumi VS [Lord of Thousand Insects] Shino Aburame!"

The titles Keiichi gave them on the Ninja Star Scroll seemed to have received official recognition from the Leaf, as the screens even displayed their respective epithets.

"Hey, hey, who do you think will win this time?" Naruto leaned in at this moment, and although Sasuke didn't move, his ears were pricked high.

"What kind of experts could a newly established village like the Sound Village possibly have? Are you looking down on the Leaf, or are you looking down on the Aburame Clan? Lord of Thousand Insects will definitely win this battle, don't worry."

Really? Naruto was a bit confused; it seemed like those three Sound Village ninjas were exceptionally strong back in the Forest of Death—were they really that easy to deal with?

As soon as Keiichi said this, he was met with a fierce glare from Zaku Abumi, who looked as if he wanted to kill him.

You actually dare to say I'm weak?!

Just watch how I finish off this kid in sunglasses. You'd better pray you don't run into me in the next round, or you're dead!

However, the battle did not unfold as he had imagined, and he ended up leaving the arena severely injured, at the cost of both his arms being broken.

Shino, meanwhile, won the victory with ease without even moving a muscle.

This scene left many feeling heavy-hearted, as they realized the Leaf was still the same Leaf—its strength was unfathomable.

I wanted to give them a warning, but it turns out the clown was me all along.

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

As if to prove he was no "Desert Scavenger King," Kankuro shone brilliantly in this match, using his puppet techniques to toy with his enemy.

Since Misumi Tsurugi was a Leaf ninja, this was undoubtedly a heavy slap to the face for the Leaf.

Keiichi, however, did not see it that way.

"The Desert Scavenger King is a contestant I've ranked at the SSR level. Isn't it only natural that he would defeat an SR-level fighter like Misumi Tsurugi?"

Once these words were out, the spirits of the crowd, which had just been lifted, sank slightly. Was all of this already within the Leaf's calculations?

Besides, Kankuro was a ninja from Sunagakure, so it was perfectly normal for him to win.

"Who's the Desert Scavenger King?! Get down here, see if I don't beat you to death!" Kankuro pointed at Keiichi's nose, furious.

Keiichi, however, acted as if he hadn't heard a thing and ignored him entirely.

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

Just as Keiichi was preparing to offer some commentary, he suddenly felt intense killing intent coming from two directions.

What do you want?

Do you really dislike your nicknames that much?

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

I could sell a title like [Sasuke's Future Husband] for a million; don't you dare complain that it's expensive.

"I'm going!" Sakura Haruno was eager to try, casting a provocative glance at Keiichi.

Didn't you rank me as an R-level? Now I'll show you my strength and let everyone know you've misjudged me this time!

"Keiichi, can Sakura win this time?" Naruto asked in a low voice, as if afraid Sakura might hear the answer.

"They're both six of one and half a dozen of the other—just two rookies pecking at each other. It's hard to say." Keiichi lowered his voice as well, whispering to Naruto.

But this left the crowd unable to sit still. What kind of secret are you two whispering about? I really want to know!

Keiichi's performance thus far had been nothing short of perfect; his predictions had never missed, and everyone wanted to hear his take on this duel.

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

As former friends and current romantic rivals, the two fought with everything they had, but the process was simply not exciting enough, leaving the audience feeling drowsy.

Sakura had prepared defenses, so Ino's Mind Transfer Jutsu couldn't take effect, and in the end, they had to settle the score with basic taijutsu and shuriken throwing.

The result was that both were evenly matched, fighting until they were exhausted and collapsing to the ground simultaneously.

"Just as I thought, rookies pecking at each other," Keiichi muttered, providing a footnote to the battle.

Naruto, however, breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Sakura was okay, that was all that mattered; the bloody scene of Zaku Abumi's arms being broken earlier had worried him sick.

In the end, Gekko Hayate consulted with the other referees and made the ruling that both were eliminated.

Keiichi knew full well that if they could be eliminated simultaneously, they could just as easily have both advanced—it was all a matter of a single thought.

However, since both were Leaf ninjas, ruling that both should advance would likely give outsiders the impression that the village was favoring its own.

Furthermore, neither of them were "seeded" players; even if they advanced, they would likely be eliminated quickly, so it was easier to just disqualify them both.

In a sense, this was also done for their own safety.

Sure enough, once the result was announced, no one had any objections, except for Naruto, who was still grumbling and complaining on Sakura's behalf.

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

With this match, everyone finally perked up. The highlight was that this was a duel between the Leaf and the Sand, which could definitely be called a clash of the titans.

Then, all eyes turned to the calm and collected Keiichi, waiting to see what he had to say.

"Tenten is very strong. If there were a competition for throwing techniques in the Chunin Exams, she would definitely take first place."

"Does that mean Tenten is guaranteed to win?" Naruto was immediately delighted.

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

Just as Keiichi predicted, the battle was almost entirely one-sided. Tenten's variety of thrown ninja tools was vast, yet not a single weapon could cause Temari any trouble. Her method of dealing with them was simple and brutal: a gust of wind would send any projectile veering off course.

This was a complete counter.

"Throwing jutsu used to be the primary means of attack for ninjas, but with the development of ninja science and the emergence of stronger Five Elements escape techniques, throwing jutsu now serves more as a way to restrain the enemy. Furthermore, with future advancements, this outdated method of attack will gradually be phased out. Tenten has great talent in this area, but it's a pity she can't keep up with the meta," Keiichi sighed.

In fact, by the time of Naruto's administration, Tenten's ninja tool shop was barely staying in business. Scientific Ninja Tools were all the rage; if you couldn't keep up with the times, you were destined to be eliminated.

Of course, there were some things he couldn't say out loud. Although throwing jutsu had been phased out, if one were to use Six Paths Ninja Tools, the result would be entirely different. Pay-to-win players are always the children of the meta, aren't they?

Look at how Tenten tossed ninja tools like she was throwing out trash—how rich must one be to squander them like that? It made Keiichi feel all sorts of envy, jealousy, and hatred. She was a confirmed pay-to-win player!

Keiichi's words resonated with many people; they also felt that throwing weapons were indeed becoming obsolete, and this battle served as further proof.

Just as he expected, Temari defeated Tenten with ease, not even breaking a sweat, and even left her severely injured.

Who could blame her? She was a Sunagakure ninja, after all; she had to strike hard against the Leaf Village, or she wouldn't be able to answer to her superiors.

Of course, Gaara remained dissatisfied. In his eyes, Temari clearly had the ability to kill Tenten but chose not to, making her nothing more than a weak and incompetent piece of trash.

A biological sister?

What is that even supposed to be?

"[Sleeping Fox] Shikamaru Nara VS [Long Hair] Kin!"

Shikamaru's entrance drew everyone's attention, as he was the only one among the SSRs whose Intelligence stat reached 10. Everyone already knew Keiichi, who had an Intelligence of 8, so just how terrifying could an Intelligence of 10 be?

"Go get 'em, Shikamaru! Show them the power of our Leaf Village!" Naruto immediately perked up, cheering him on from the sidelines.

"Tsk, what a drag. Of all people, I had to get a woman," Shikamaru frowned, dragging his feet as he walked onto the arena.

"Just where exactly is this guy so strong?" Sasuke walked over, wanting to observe Shikamaru's strength up close, and asked casually.