The final showdown of the Chunin Ninja Exams came to an end in an almost absurd calm.
Uchiha Ryūha stood in the center of the arena, with his seventh opponent to forfeit lying at his feet—a Genin from Kusagakure renowned for his skill with genjutsu.
The moment Ryūha looked at him, the genjutsu prodigy had gone deathly pale and raised his hand in surrender, without even having the courage to cast an illusion.
The referee mechanically declared Ryūha the winner. Applause trickled through the stands—not because the crowd lacked enthusiasm, but because they were numb to it all.
Ever since the third preliminary match, every one of Ryūha's fights had been so swift and decisive it left the crowd breathless.
Puppeteer? Defeated in three seconds.
Taijutsu expert? Dropped with one move.
Ninjutsu prodigy? Beaten without hand seals.
Genjutsu master? Lost the moment their eyes met.
By the final few matches, some opponents had even forfeited outright.
It wasn't that they didn't want to fight. They simply couldn't.
The overwhelming gap in strength, the unfathomable pressure—
Everyone who stood across from Uchiha Ryūha felt a sense of helplessness deep in their soul.
It was as if they weren't facing a fellow Genin, but a towering mountain they could only look up at.
"The champion of this Chunin Ninja Exams—"
Akimichi Choza's voice rang across the arena through the Amplification Jutsu, brimming with barely contained excitement:
"Uchiha Ryūha of Team Seven, Konohagakure!"
The crowd erupted in thunderous applause.
But Uchiha Ryūha showed little emotion. He simply accepted the scroll symbolizing his victory, bowed slightly, then walked off the platform.
In the stands, Namikaze Minato applauded with a smile, his eyes filled with genuine admiration.
Kushina excitedly waved her arms, her red hair dancing like flames.
They had only taken part in the Chunin Ninja Exams to go through the motions.
By then, Minato had already been secretly promoted to Special Jonin.
The situation wouldn't have been so tense, the Konoha High Command wouldn't have made such a choice.
Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep drag on his pipe and slowly exhaled.
Uchiha Fugaku's face remained expressionless, but a complicated glimmer passed through his Sharingan.
In the Kumogakure delegation's viewing area, Yotsuki Hayato's expression was so dark it seemed water might drip from it.
He stared at Ryūha's retreating figure, clenching his fist beneath the table until his nails dug deep into his palm.
"A master of ninjutsu without hand seals... a prodigy on par with the First..."
He quietly repeated the words that had been circulating among the Konoha High Command and the team leaders from the various villages over the past few days. A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
That night, an encrypted urgent report was sent from Konoha to Kumogakure.
Handwritten by Yotsuki Hayato, it detailed every ability Uchiha Ryūha had displayed during the Chunin Ninja Exams.
He can use ninjutsu of multiple elements without hand seals, possibly possesses a perception ability beyond normal limits, has terrifying mental power and Chakra control precision...
Three days later, in the Raikage's Office in Kumogakure.
Third Raikage A studied the intelligence scroll in his hands. His rugged face showed no emotion.
But the temperature in the office seemed to drop ten degrees.
"Ninjutsu of multiple elements... without hand seals..." he muttered. His voice rumbled in his chest like distant thunder.
"Chakra control precision beyond that of a Jonin... possibly possesses an unknown Kekkei Genkai..."
He set down the scroll and looked out the window at the endless Thundercloud Mountains surrounding Kumogakure.
"Konoha... has produced another monster."
"And this one's an Uchiha."
He slowly rose to his feet. At two meters tall, he made the office seem cramped.
His bulging upper body was covered only by a white cloak. His bare chest and arms were marked with scars left by countless battles.
Every scar spoke of the illustrious military achievements of the man known as the "Strongest Spear" and the "Strongest Shield."
"Namikaze Minato was already enough trouble last year. And now there's another one..."
He walked over to the wall, where a map of the Shinobi World hung.
His gaze settled on Konoha in the Land of Fire, and a look of resolve flashed in his eyes.
"Send word. I'm going to Konoha in person."
The secretary standing behind him paled. "Lord Raikage! That's too dangerous! If you infiltrate Konoha yourself and they discover you—"
"Discover me?" Third Raikage turned around and grinned, baring his pearly white teeth. "Then I'll fight my way out."
He rolled his neck, his joints cracking like popping beans.
"Besides, I want to see for myself whether that Uchiha brat is really as remarkable as the reports say."
"And..."
His gaze grew dark and intense.
"The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Kushina... is in Konoha too."
The secretary sucked in a sharp breath. "You mean—"
"The prodigy and the Jinchuriki." Third Raikage's voice was calm, but carried unquestionable authority. "I want them both."
The Jonin he'd sent last year had failed to abduct the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. This time, he would go himself.
Five days later, at night.
Konoha was still basking in the afterglow of the festivities. The Chunin Ninja Exams had ended in success, and the new generation of prodigies had emerged.
Uchiha Ryūha's sudden rise to prominence in particular filled the whole village with pride and excitement.
Villagers still returning home late strolled through the streets, while laughter and chatter drifted from the izakayas.
No one noticed the figure that was like a bolt of lightning.
At an unbelievable speed, he crossed the layers of Konoha's barriers and slipped silently into the village.
Third Raikage A.
He suppressed his Lightning Release Chakra Mode to the utmost, covering his body with only a thin film of lightning, so faint it was almost impossible to notice. He reduced his presence to a minimum.
But the immense vitality and Chakra radiating from him, like that of an ancient ferocious beast,
still shone like a torch in the night to any sensory ninja.
And yet, not one of the sensory ninja on duty in Konoha that night sounded the alarm.
In the world they "sensed," the village's barriers were intact, and no abnormal Chakra had intruded.
Kyōka Suigetsu.
The instant Third Raikage stepped within range of Konoha's barrier,
Uchiha Ryūha's Reiatsu perception detected the sudden appearance of a Chakra source, blazing and violent like the sun.
Not Kage Level.
This was a terrifying existence beyond Kage Level, one that had reached the level of a "human-shaped Tailed Beast"!
It was Third Raikage!
He had fought the rampaging Eight-Tails Gyūki to a standstill.
In the future, during the Third Shinobi World War, he would single-handedly face ten thousand Iwagakure Ninja for three days and three nights, eventually dying of exhaustion.
Uchiha Ryūha jolted awake, leaped out the window, and silently released Kyōka Suigetsu, covering all of Konoha with a perception barrier.
Against an enemy this powerful, it would be a disaster if the sensory ninja detected him.
This was the perfect chance to try out the character card he'd just drawn.
In the "perception" of every sensory ninja, the night was peaceful and uneventful.
In reality, Third Raikage had already entered the village as if no one stood in his way, heading straight for one place—
Uzumaki Kushina's home.
His target was clear: abduct the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and, while he was at it, "take away" that Uchiha prodigy.
If possible, he would rather make a scene in Konoha and test the mettle of this "strongest ninja village."
But he had underestimated Namikaze Minato.
Or rather, he had underestimated how much the future "Yellow Flash" cared about his wife.
Minato had long since secretly placed Flying Thunder God Formulas around Kushina's home.
The instant Third Raikage burst through the window and struck Kushina unconscious with a palm, the formula activated—
A flash of golden light.
Namikaze Minato appeared out of thin air, his Kunai thrusting straight for Third Raikage's back!
"Oh?" Third Raikage didn't even turn around. He simply reached out and caught it.
Clang!
The Kunai struck his palm with a metallic ring, without even breaking the skin.
Minato's pupils contracted. Without hesitation, he used Flying Thunder God Second Step and appeared at Third Raikage's side.
The Rasengan had already formed in his hand, and he drove it toward the other man's ribs!
"Child's play."
Third Raikage didn't even bother to dodge.
Boom!
The newly developed Rasengan slammed into his side. Its violent Chakra spun wildly, tearing—
Then fizzled out.
It hadn't even scraped Third Raikage's skin.
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