To Repay My Debts, I'll Become Hokage!

He knew the battle was not yet over and tried to scramble to his feet, but the next moment, Hizashi Hyuga's body stiffened.

Uchiha Chonhua appeared before Hizashi Hyuga, his right hand lightly touching the man's throat.

Hizashi Hyuga could feel the warmth of that hand; he sighed inwardly and raised both hands in a gesture of surrender.

Having had his vital neck area seized by Chonhua twice in a row, the disparity in strength between the two was self-evident.

Hizashi Hyuga offered no further resistance and simply conceded.

Uchiha Chonhua smiled and pulled Hizashi Hyuga to his feet: "Well fought, Hizashi."

Hizashi Hyuga shook his head: "I expected this outcome. I concede."

The only pity was that he hadn't been able to execute the 128 Palms, but... Chonhua wouldn't have stood there like a fool waiting for him to finish the set anyway.

The gap in strength between him and Chonhua was simply too vast.

Uchiha Chonhua patted the other man on the shoulder and laughed: "Don't sell yourself short, Hizashi. You've become much stronger."

The two performed the Seal of Reconciliation, and the proctor, watching the two get along so harmoniously, spoke up to announce the result.

"Uchiha Chonhua wins!"

"Since the previous two candidates were both eliminated and failed to advance, only Uchiha Chonhua and Mikoto Uchiha remain."

The proctor signaled for Hizashi Hyuga to leave and for Mikoto Uchiha to come down to complete the final duel of this Chunin Exams.

"I forfeit!"

Mikoto Uchiha did not come down; she raised her right hand and withdrew directly.

"...Very well." The proctor understood Mikoto Uchiha's choice to forfeit. He looked at Uchiha Chonhua; the boy's strength was terrifyingly high. After watching the previous battle, even the proctor felt a sense of trepidation.

"In light of Mikoto Uchiha's forfeit, I declare Uchiha Chonhua the winner. With this, the Chunin Exams conclude."

After the announcement, the proctor smiled: "It seems your Team Tsunade has swept the top three spots in this year's Chunin Exams."

Tsunade walked over, beaming with joy. Hearing the proctor's words, she immediately puffed out her chest and laughed triumphantly: "Oh my, I didn't expect Chonhua and the others to sweep the top three either. When I first submitted their recommendations, I never imagined they would make it this far."

The proctor's mouth twitched; as if anyone would believe that.

Uchiha Chonhua, however, appeared worried. He approached Tsunade and asked in a low voice: "Teacher, since we swept the top three, did you win big on the bets you placed at the casino?"

Tsunade nodded happily, her delight plain for all to see.

Thanks to her good students, she had finally managed to win a round!

Hmph, who dared to call her a "Big Fat Sheep" now? Nonsense! Hadn't she just won back enough to cover her losses?

Chapter 51: Not Unlucky This Time

Only three people successfully advanced in this year's Chunin Exams.

After resting for a day, the three of them—Uchiha Chonhua included—arrived at the Hokage's office.

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at them with a gratified expression. After offering a few words of encouragement, he handed the three of them their Chunin appointment papers, followed by the Ninja Flak Jackets produced by Konoha.

Uchiha Chonhua touched the green vest and found the material quite good; it didn't deform when pulled and was breathable.

Even so, the appearance was mediocre, and he naturally wouldn't wear it—it would ruin his dashing look.

[Host, congratulations on becoming a Chunin. Would you like to perform a card draw now?]

With the Chunin appointment papers in hand, Uchiha Chonhua's ninja file had gained a new entry.

He was now a bona fide Chunin and could perform a Chunin-level card draw.

Uchiha Chonhua felt a surge of excitement, a mix of anticipation and anxiety.

[Let's wait until we get back. Card draws are hard to come by, so naturally, I need to perform some preparatory rituals...]

The system retorted: [Host, the card draw is random. Preparatory rituals are useless. If you're unlucky, you're unlucky.]

[...Shut up! This is about showing respect, do you understand? Life needs a sense of ritual. A card draw is a major event, after all!]

[Host, you just need to click a button. What kind of ritual do you need for that?]

Uchiha Chonhua ignored the system; he was determined to perform this ritual!

Back home, he immediately brought out an incense burner, put on a solemn expression, and lit three sticks of incense.

As the smoke curled, Uchiha Chonhua took a deep breath, pressed his palms together, bowed, and occasionally made the sign of the cross, muttering incantations under his breath.

"Sanqing, Buddha, Allah, Yahweh, help me pull a gold card on the first try!"

Uchiha Chonhua opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing through them, looking spirited and confident.

He summoned the system, his face grave.

"System, I am prepared. Perform the card draw!"

As the words fell, Uchiha Chonhua furrowed his brows, his heart filled with trepidation, hoping this time wouldn't be as unlucky as the last.

He wanted a character with a name and reputation from the original series, preferably a major player of great significance.

Someone like Uchiha Madara or Senju Hashirama; at the very least, Naruto or Sasuke. Ideally, he'd go straight to the top and pull an Otsutsuki—that would be truly awesome.

[Host, none of the people you were thinking of appeared.]

The system's mechanical voice echoed, and Uchiha Chonhua felt a jolt of shock. A chill rose from the soles of his feet and spread throughout his body, as if he had fallen into an icy abyss.

He asked with a dry throat, "So... who is it?"

The system displayed the card draw results directly to Uchiha Chonhua.

Uchiha Chonhua looked up with trepidation, then froze.

"It's her!?" Uchiha Chonhua suddenly beamed with joy; this person wasn't bad at all!

She was a named character, and one with quite a significant role in the story, at that.

Beautiful red hair, eyes like vermilion jade, and a pair of red-rimmed glasses perched on a delicate, straight nose.

Her oval face featured exquisite features and fair skin, and she was dressed in a vibrant, stylish outfit that accentuated her tall figure.

"Karin Uzumaki, huh..."

As the initial excitement faded, Uchiha Chonhua calmed down to consider the benefits the Karin Uzumaki character card could bring him.

First and foremost were the Uzumaki Clan's trademark vitality and massive chakra reserves—these were standard equipment.

The unique bloodline of the Uzumaki Clan alone would provide Uchiha Chonhua with immense advantages.

He hailed from the Uchiha Clan, descendants of the Sage of Six Paths, and possessed more chakra than the average ninja, but he couldn't compare to the "chakra-ton" levels of the Senju Clan or the Uzumaki Clan.

However, from this day forward, he was also a member of the "Chakra-ton Club"!

Secondly, there were the unique abilities of the Uzumaki Clan.

The first was the Mind's Eye of the Kagura. Once activated, it granted perception over a radius of several dozen miles—an incredibly powerful sensory ability. Furthermore, the Mind's Eye of the Kagura could conceal one's own chakra, serving as a stealth technique.

Unless the opponent possessed a "sight" type ability like the Byakugan, they would be unable to detect Uchiha Chonhua while he had the Mind's Eye of the Kagura active.

The second was the Adamantine Sealing Chains. These golden chains possessed strong sealing properties, capable of binding enemies and even suppressing Tailed Beasts.

Beyond binding and suppression, the highly materialized chakra chains were formidable weapons in their own right; their durability was enough to crush mountains and shatter rocks. A single lash from those chains would leave an enemy dead or crippled!

"What a pity..." Uchiha Chonhua suddenly sighed.

He couldn't use these two Uzumaki abilities right now, primarily because a ten-year-old Karin Uzumaki hadn't learned them yet.

The Adamantine Sealing Chains were mastered by Karin Uzumaki during the Fourth Shinobi World War, and she learned the Mind's Eye of the Kagura after arriving at Orochimaru's base.

Clearly, if the Karin Uzumaki from the Kusagakure era had known the Mind's Eye of the Kagura, she would have concealed her chakra and slipped away long ago, sparing herself such inhumane treatment.

However, just because Karin Uzumaki didn't know them didn't mean Uchiha Chonhua couldn't develop them in advance.

Uchiha Chonhua inherited the entirety of the Karin Uzumaki character card.

As his chakra evolved into "chakra-ton," the momentary sensation of stagnation gave Uchiha Chonhua the illusion that he had overeaten.

Fortunately, this feeling came and went quickly. Feeling the massive reserves of chakra within his body, a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

Following that came the other ability.

He raised his hand to look at his smooth, fair arm, imagining someone biting down to feed... Uchiha Chonhua shuddered, goosebumps rising all over his skin.

It was a bit disgusting, a bit nauseating!

Well... if it were Mikoto or Kushina doing the biting, Uchiha Chonhua might barely be able to accept it.

In short, he would avoid using this physical healing ability belonging to Karin Uzumaki unless absolutely necessary.

What else did a ten-year-old Karin Uzumaki know? The answer: nothing.

"Those animals in Kusagakure didn't teach her a single ninjutsu."

Uchiha Chonhua spat in disgust.

Now, thanks to his interference, the Land of Whirlpools had not been destroyed, and most of the clansmen had moved to live in Konoha.

Uchiha Chonhua sincerely hoped that Karin Uzumaki's mother was among them, spared from the tragic and inhumane fate of the original story.

The direct assistance provided by Karin Uzumaki herself was limited, but the boost from the Uzumaki bloodline she carried was immense.

Uchiha Chonhua had been in a good mood for the past few days, leading those who knew him to ask what good news he had received to make him smile so happily.

But this good mood did not last long...

Uchiha Chonhua looked with a heavy heart at the old woman on the bed, her breath as thin as a thread, appearing extremely frail.

Her eyes were clouded, staring blankly at the ceiling, and her voice was hoarse, the syllables she uttered broken and intermittent.

"Chon... hua."

Uchiha Chonhua quickly leaned in toward Mito Uzumaki.

"I'm here."

Mito Uzumaki did not look at Uchiha Chonhua; she no longer had the strength to even turn her head.

"You must... take good care of Kushina..."

Mito Uzumaki said, word by word: "That child... I leave her to you."

Uchiha Chonhua felt a knot of stifled emotion tighten in his chest, and he nodded solemnly. "I will, Grandma Mito."

"Grandma Mito!"

Kushina Uzumaki, eyes brimming with tears, threw herself against the bedside of Mito Uzumaki and wailed.

Listening to Kushina's sobbing, Mito Uzumaki felt a deep reluctance to let go, but human strength has its limits, and she could not defy the eternal laws of heaven.

She could no longer hold on.

Hashirama, I am coming to find you.

Mito Uzumaki gave a faint smile. "Begin... the process."

"Kushina... I am sorry..."

Chapter 52: Farewell, Grandma Mito

To Uchiha Chonhua's surprise, he was allowed to stay.

Wait, was there really no issue with an Uchiha remaining here?

Had Sarutobi Hiruzen's favorability toward him truly exploded to this extent? To allow an Uchiha to remain in the place where the Nine-Tails was being sealed...

It seemed that in Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart, he had already reached the level of a trusted confidant.

However, when he arrived at the location of the transfer ritual, he was shocked to find that this special privilege was not his alone.

He actually saw other members of the Uchiha clan here.

They wore stern expressions, each having activated their Three-Tomoe Sharingan, their gazes fixed directly on the room where the transfer ritual was taking place, their demeanor vigilant and guarded.

Seeing Uchiha Chonhua's surprise, Sarutobi Hiruzen explained, "If the ritual goes wrong and causes the Nine-Tails to break its seal, they are the candidates best suited to suppress it."

"Chonhua, I know what you are thinking. After all, the deeds of your ancestor are known to all; you are wondering why I would allow members of the Uchiha clan to be here."

Uchiha Chonhua nodded honestly; he was indeed puzzled.