Hokage: You Call This Guy the Savior?!

"Hey, hey, there's no need to be so impatient, right? The tournament starts tomorrow, doesn't it?" At this moment, Might Guy finally arrived fashionably late.

Keiichi couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief; with this Jonin present, unless Gaara entered his rampaging state, he wouldn't be able to stir up any real trouble.

So, while it seemed dangerous, they were safe as long as they held out until Might Guy arrived.

Sure enough, upon seeing the Leaf Village Jonin appear, Gaara turned and left without a word. He wasn't stupid; he knew which people he couldn't handle.

"Remember, those who oppose me must die." Before Gaara climbed out the window, his gaze swept over Shikamaru and Keiichi, sending a chill down their spines.

The meaning behind his words was clear: if they met in the arena, he would kill them.

"Should I just forfeit?" Shikamaru scratched his hair in distress; he really didn't want to face that monster.

"Don't worry, someone will teach him a lesson," Keiichi comforted Shikamaru, fearing that he might use illness as an excuse to avoid the fight tomorrow.

If that happened, wouldn't this year's Chunin Exams become a joke, with not a single person passing?

Besides, he wasn't wrong; someone like Gaara, suffering from loneliness, needed to be reined in by a talk-therapy specialist like Naruto.

After all, they would end up becoming friends after chatting for a while.

Might Guy was naturally incredibly grateful to the two for stepping in; if they hadn't blocked him in time, he might have only been left to see his student's corpse, and killing Gaara afterward would have been useless.

Keiichi smiled without a word, though he was frantically complaining internally: What use is your gratitude to me? Can't you offer something practical?

Like the Eight Inner Gates, for instance?

It was a pity that his wish remained unfulfilled until the very end.

But at least this master and student owed him a favor. Debt is hard to repay, so he would just take it slow.

Since Kakashi could learn the Eight Inner Gates from Might Guy, it was clear he didn't hold this ninjutsu in such high regard.

Now that his injuries were mostly healed, he was just waiting for the Chunin Exams to begin; he had to secure that Chunin qualification no matter what.

He had a certain degree of confidence in this regard. In his previous life, the only one who passed the exam was Shikamaru, because his intellect was sufficient to serve as a team leader.

And the intelligence-gathering ability he had displayed was far beyond the level of an average ninja, which he assumed would serve as a similar bonus.

Otherwise, did you think these Ninja Star cards were just for making money and earning Magic Modification Points?

This was called a talent showcase!

This was called killing three birds with one stone!

In the Chunin Exams, strength isn't actually the most critical factor; what matters is the talent you demonstrate in other areas during the process.

Otherwise, why couldn't Sasuke and Gaara be chosen as Chunin?

You have to realize that even Naruto was still a Genin before he became Hokage. This wasn't intentional; he even participated in the Chunin Exams after the Fourth Great Ninja War ended, yet he still failed every time.

Can you say that was due to a lack of strength?

Perhaps some would ask, why are so few Chunin produced in a single exam? Is that really enough?

In fact, the vast majority of Chunin and even Jonin are not promoted through these exams, but through special approval from the leaders of each village.

This situation often occurred during wartime, where many Genin who performed well were promoted to Chunin for their war merits, and those among the Chunin with specialized skills were promoted to Special Jonin.

Doing this naturally had a purpose: to stimulate the ninjas' desire for war, even making them look forward to its arrival, so that they would exert 100% of their combat power when fighting.

High-sounding words about "the village" are just things you listen to and move on from; human nature dictates that most people are driven by profit, and noble-minded individuals are, after all, in the minority.

The Chunin Exams provide a path for promotion during peacetime, but it is exceptionally narrow.

Of course, those who can stand out and get promoted are absolutely the elite of the elite. Their future path to promotion will be smooth sailing, and becoming an elite Jonin is almost a certainty.

Take Shikamaru, for example. He was rapidly promoted to Jonin within a few years, and from the Kakashi era onward, he became a strategist-like figure, deeply valued by successive leadership teams, and was directly chosen as the acting Hokage after Naruto went missing.

That is the weight of debuting through the Chunin Exams.

Therefore, no matter how dangerous the process was, Keiichi had to participate in the Chunin Exams, because this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Not everyone can jump directly from Genin to Hokage like Naruto; the average person really can't walk the sky-high path of those with connections.

Early the next morning, Keiichi completed his discharge procedures.

When he arrived on the main street, it was already packed with people. Everyone in the village had come out to watch the excitement; after all, such a grand occasion was rarely seen in years.

Sedan chairs arrived at the Chunin Exam venue one after another. It was obvious that the people inside were big shots, so every family put on a grand display, fearing they would lose face.

The arrival of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire pushed the atmosphere to a climax, and everyone wanted to catch a glimpse of his true face.

It was a pity that the Daimyo kept half his face covered with a fan, and through the translucent silk curtain, nothing could be seen clearly.

As one of the ten participants, Keiichi stepped into the venue and was lined up on the side of the arena, waiting for everyone to arrive so they could begin.

In truth, he was a little nervous. He had never participated in such a grand event before, and he had never seen such a sea of people in the stands. In his previous life, he hadn't participated in the Chunin Exams at all, belonging to the type promoted for war merits.

After all, with the aptitude of a civilian ninja, he shouldn't have appeared on such an occasion at all.

Otherwise, why did so many people think that Keiichi's ability to break into the finals was entirely due to luck?

Keiichi's gaze scanned the big shots in the stands, searching for the location of the Kazekage.

He remembered clearly that it was Orochimaru who assassinated the Kazekage on his way to the Leaf Village, then disguised himself as the Kazekage and sat openly beside Hiruzen.

Then, when the time came to initiate the plan, he would seize Hiruzen directly and use a barrier to create the perfect 1v1 combat environment.

Now that Root is involved, has your plan changed, Orochimaru?

He hoped the changes wouldn't be too drastic, as that would help him preserve himself.

Yet, he also hoped for significant changes, as that would greatly increase the degree of his "magical" modifications.

However, even seeing the Kazekage with his own eyes, he couldn't determine if it was truly Orochimaru in disguise; his own cultivation was simply too shallow after all.

Interestingly, he noticed many Anbu scattered throughout the stands, with the VIP section receiving special protection, numbering over a hundred. It seemed Hiruzen also knew Orochimaru might emerge to cause trouble at this time.

But he likely hadn't considered that a large number of Anbu were secretly loyal to Root. Among those present, how many were actually loyal to him?

Forget it, better to just take things one step at a time.

"Big Brother Keiichi, is your body feeling alright now?" Naruto walked into the venue with dark circles under his eyes, his eyes lighting up the moment he saw Keiichi.

Participating in such an important event for the first time, he had been too nervous to sleep all night.

"Don't worry, I could take on five opponents like Dosu!" Keiichi gave a thumbs-up.

"As expected of my big brother!"

Dosu, standing nearby, felt the veins on his forehead bulge. I'm still standing right here, aren't you afraid of me hearing you?

The local ninjas have no manners at all!

"Huh, Big Brother Keiichi, why did your hair color change?" Naruto asked curiously.

"I just dyed it red recently. Don't you think it looks much cooler?"

"Uh... I guess so." Naruto didn't think it looked cool at all; what was so good about red hair?

Keiichi sighed inwardly. In truth, this was a "side effect" of his Uzumaki Bloodline purity reaching 15%; his hair color had changed overnight.

This bloodline was truly overbearing.

"How was the special training with Jiraiya?" Keiichi asked in a low voice after Naruto stood beside him.

"Can I be honest?" Naruto whispered back.

"Don't talk nonsense!"

"I feel like it's not as good as what you taught me!" Naruto stuck out his tongue, looking quite unimpressed.

The Pervy Sage acted like the Summoning Jutsu was amazing, but the Chief Toad he summoned refused to listen to him. How was he supposed to have any fun with that?

It wasn't even as good as the ninjutsu I created myself!

"That goes without saying!" Keiichi smiled slightly. It was quite a sense of achievement to outshine Jiraiya.

After all, this was the Shadow Clone Training Method; even he himself was envious of it!

"Has Sasuke arrived yet?" As expected, Naruto immediately began focusing on his best friend.

"His ultimate technique hasn't been perfected yet. How could he dare to show up without finishing it?"

"Does that mean I'm stronger than him? I perfected my ultimate technique ages ago!" Naruto mimicked Keiichi's tone, feeling very proud.

"That's not necessarily true. You know, the protagonist always makes his entrance last."

"I see! Then I'll head out first. Let me know when Sasuke arrives; I must make my entrance even later than him!" With that, Naruto turned to leave.

Keiichi shook his head with a wry smile and quickly pulled him back.

The nickname really fit him; who else would have such a bizarre train of thought?

"Keiichi, I accept that bet." At this moment, Neji walked over. He didn't even glance at Naruto, speaking instead to Keiichi with a serious expression.

Initially, Neji hadn't cared at all about a small fry like Keiichi, assuming he had only reached the third round through pure luck.

But when he was actually matched against Naruto, he finally became interested in Keiichi, because he couldn't figure out how the man had managed it.

The key was that not only had Keiichi predicted he would face Naruto, but he had also proposed a bet that he could never possibly lose.

I, lose to Naruto?

What a joke!

In his eyes, there were no opponents other than Sasuke and Gaara, and Naruto was the one he looked down upon the most.

How did he win his last match?

It was laughable just to say it—he won by bribing his opponent!

Did he have any dignity as a ninja left?

How could I possibly lose to a pig-like opponent like that?

Yet, Keiichi's prediction had hung over his heart like a shadow, leaving him conflicted for a long time. Perhaps today was finally the day the mystery would be revealed.

He looked around at the sea of people. More importantly, dignitaries and celebrities from various nations were seated in the stands, and even heavyweights like the Kazekage and the Hokage were present.

Very good. Even that man has come. I hope you can still sit still in a little while.

This was a perfect occasion, a grand stage he had been looking forward to for a long time.

Compared to the plan he had been plotting for years, things like Naruto or some wager were completely insignificant.

Because if his plan failed, the only end awaiting him would be death.

But if he could succeed, it would be the turning point for the fate of the Branch House!

He, Neji Hyuga, would be the bell-ringer today, even if it meant sacrificing his own life for the cause!

Just as Neji's heart surged with emotion, Naruto felt extremely annoyed with him, simply because he had been ignored.

I am clearly your opponent, so why are you running off to lock horns with Brother Keiichi?

Do you look down on me that much?

"I'll definitely beat you, Neji!" Naruto jumped in front of Neji and gave a thumbs-down gesture, his provocation reaching its peak.

However, Neji merely smiled, completely unmoved, and walked straight toward the other side of the group.

"What kind of guy is he? So arrogant—he's even more annoying than Sasuke!" Naruto grumbled indignantly.

"Actions speak louder than words. Make everyone who doubts you eat their own words," Keiichi said, patting him on the shoulder to offer comfort.

"Don't worry, Brother. I'll definitely make you win that bet. I always keep my word!"

At this point, with the exception of Sasuke, all the contestants had arrived, so Hiruzen, in his capacity as Hokage, stood up to begin his speech.

"Thank you all for gracing us with your presence. The third round of the Chunin Exams, hosted by the Leaf Village, is about to begin. Please, enjoy the performance of the younger generation!"

Hiruzen's speech pushed the atmosphere of the venue to a climax, with everyone eagerly anticipating the upcoming ninja duels.

These feudal lords and nobles were usually accustomed to extreme decadence and luxury; their threshold for excitement had long been raised, and only battles between ninjas could truly stimulate them.

One had to realize that these were not the staged performances seen on television, but battles where lives were at stake, destined to end in bloodshed.

Although it was claimed on the surface that the referee would intervene if one side was in danger of dying, a split-second delay could result in a serious accident.

It was not uncommon for participants to die on the arena floor in past Chunin Exams. Every major ninja village staked its reputation on these matches, and the ninjas staked their lives. Everyone went all out, and the authenticity was beyond doubt—that was exactly why their blood was boiling with such fervor.