On the day of the finals, the stadium was packed with people. The canopies of the daimyō from various lands, the banners of the ninja leaders, and the colorful flags waved by the spectators blended into a boisterous sea.
Yet beneath all the excitement, a few of Konoha's most important figures felt as though a heavy stone weighed on their hearts.
Tsunade had disappeared the night before. Shizune anxiously found Qianyu and told him that Lady Tsunade had left a note saying only, "I'm going to clear my head in Tanzaku Town." Then she vanished without a trace. Qianyu knew exactly what was going on.
Qianyu didn't go looking for her. Everyone had their own path to walk and their own hurdles to overcome. He simply had Abin keep an eye on anything happening in the direction of Tanzaku Town.
At that moment, he stood in the shadows of the competitors' waiting area, looking up at the VIP box. Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi wore his formal Hokage Cloak and chatted amiably with the Fourth Kazekage beside him. Their guards stood behind them, and the exchange appeared to be nothing more than ordinary diplomatic pleasantries.
But Qianyu knew that beneath the hat and bandages lay the cold gaze of golden, slit-pupiled eyes.
The matches began according to schedule. Genma Shiranui, serving as head referee, announced the competitors for the first match.
"First match: Konohagakure's Cangshu Qianyu versus Konohagakure's Sakura Haruno!"
A wave of cheers and whistles rose from the stands, especially from Konoha's spectators. After all, word had already spread that Qianyu was "Lady Tsunade's disciple," and many people wanted to see his skills for themselves.
Sakura emerged from the competitors' entrance across the field. Her expression was a little tense, but her gaze was resolute. She walked to the center of the arena and took a deep breath as she watched Qianyu approach at an unhurried pace.
The two faced each other. Genma glanced between them and raised his hand. "All right, first match—"
"I forfeit."
A clear female voice cut Genma off. Sakura raised her hand toward the judges' stand and repeated, loud and clear, "Referee, I forfeit."
The whole stadium fell silent for an instant, then erupted into an even louder uproar, mostly disappointed and confused murmurs.
"What's going on? She's forfeiting before they've even fought?"
"This is the Chunin Ninja Exams finals! Have some backbone!"
The stands buzzed with chatter. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi in the VIP box furrowed his brow slightly as he looked down at the arena.
Genma was also taken aback. "Sakura Haruno, are you sure you want to withdraw? Forfeiting means you're eliminated."
"I'm sure." Sakura nodded, then turned to Qianyu with an apologetic smile. "I know how strong you are, Qianyu. Even if I gave it everything I had, I couldn't pose any threat to you right now. There's no point in this fight. My goal is to become an excellent medical ninja and protect my comrades, not waste my strength in a battle I'm bound to lose."
Qianyu looked at Sakura and nodded. He understood what she meant. "That's a wise choice, Sakura. You'll become an outstanding medical ninja."
Sakura smiled, then turned and walked back toward the competitors' entrance, her back straight.
Genma stood stunned for a few seconds before announcing, "Since Sakura Haruno has forfeited, the winner is Cangshu Qianyu, who advances directly to the next round!"
The spectators booed and chattered even louder, many of them disappointed. Qianyu calmly returned to the waiting area, paying no attention to the commotion around him.
Next came Naruto's match against Neji.
This fight was even more intense than in the original story. Under Jiraiya's guidance, Naruto had far more chakra and a much better sense of combat than his peers. And after his conversation with Qianyu that night and a month of Guy's hellish training, Neji had undergone a transformation in both mindset and ability. He was no longer a beast trapped by fate, but a fighter who threw his fists of his own accord, trying to break free of his cage.
The two fought to a standstill. The clash between Gentle Fist and Taijutsu drew gasps from the spectators. In the end, Naruto's greater reserves of chakra let him narrowly break through Neji's Rotation defense and knock him to the ground.
"Winner: Naruto Uzumaki!"
Naruto was exhausted and gasping for breath, but his face was alight with excitement as he waved toward the stands. Neji had lost, but when Tenten and Rock Lee helped him up, he showed little sign of disappointment.
"Neji, are you all right?" Tenten asked worriedly.
Neji shook his head and looked toward Qianyu, who was watching him with concern. The corner of his mouth lifted into the faintest, yet genuine, smile.
"I'm fine," he murmured, sounding as though he were speaking to himself. "If even a dead-last like Naruto can change his fate and become this strong... why can't I?"
His gaze sharpened. His defeat hadn't broken him. "The Caged Bird... I'll break it one day."
Only after hearing Neji say that did Qianyu finally let out the breath he'd been holding. Good. His fighting spirit hadn't faded; it had been kindled instead. This was the Neji he knew.
Two relatively uneventful matches followed. Temari and Shikamaru finished flirting, and Temari won.
At last, it was Gaara's turn.
Time ticked by, and although Sasuke Uchiha was supposed to fight next, he still hadn't appeared.
The spectators began to grow impatient. In the VIP box, Orochimaru, disguised as the Kazekage, lightly tapped his fingers against the armrest.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression darkened as well. He murmured a few instructions to the ANBU behind him.
Just before the referee was about to announce Sasuke's forfeit—
"Whoosh!"
Two figures shot across the sky above the arena at incredible speed and landed in the center of the field!
Kakashi still looked as lazy as ever, scratching his silver hair. "Sorry, sorry. I got lost." Sasuke, meanwhile, wore a new dark blue, high-collared outfit. His eyes were as sharp as blades, and he radiated a cold, dangerous aura. The Cursed Seal on his neck was cleverly hidden by the high collar, but its sinister chakra still seeped out faintly.
His arrival set off an uproar throughout the stadium. The young female spectators were especially loud, shrieking one after another.
"Finally!" Genma Shiranui said with a sigh of relief. "Then, Sasuke Uchiha versus—"
"Let's just start," Sasuke interrupted, fixing his gaze on Gaara.
The fight erupted in an instant!
Sasuke's speed was astonishing, and his Taijutsu was ruthless. His Sharingan was already active, its two Tomoe spinning slowly as he anticipated his opponent's every move.
Gaara's sand defenses were airtight, and Sasuke couldn't find a way through.
Then sand shot up from beneath Sasuke's feet. Caught off guard, he was grazed on the arm by a tendril. A cold, evil chakra invaded him at once, making his movements falter. More sand surged toward him!
In the stands, Orochimaru, disguised as the Kazekage, curled his lips into an almost imperceptible smile.
At that critical moment, the Cursed Seal on Sasuke's neck suddenly began to burn. Black markings spread uncontrollably across his skin, and a violent chakra, brimming with negative emotions, burst out of him!
"Arrrgh—!"
Sasuke let out a pained roar. The Tomoe in his Sharingan spun wildly as purple-black chakra enveloped him, boosting his speed and strength yet again. He tore the incoming sand apart with his bare hands!
But the Cursed Seal's power was also eroding his reason. His attacks grew erratic, driven by an urge to destroy.
"Sasuke! Calm down!" Kakashi couldn't help shouting.
Qianyu watched from the stands, his expression grave. Orochimaru was forcing Sasuke to rely more deeply on the Cursed Seal and unleash its power.
The situation began to spiral out of control. The shockwaves from Sasuke and Gaara's fight reached the edge of the stands, sending shards of stone flying.
"That's enough!" Genma Shiranui tried to intervene, but the rampaging chakra forced him back.
In the VIP box, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up, preparing to order the match stopped.
Just then—
"Rumble!!!"
Huge clouds of smoke suddenly erupted all around the stadium, near the stands for the Hidden Sand and Sound Ninja spectators. In the next instant, countless white feathers poured out of the smoke like a blizzard, quickly spreading across the sky above the entire arena!
Genjutsu: Temple of Nirvana Technique!
The eyes of ordinary spectators, the daimyō from various lands, and even some weaker ninja glazed over the moment the feathers touched them. Their heads drooped as they sank into a deep sleep.
Snoring rose from all around. The stadium, which had been roaring with noise just moments earlier, fell silent in the blink of an eye. Only a handful of powerful ninja who had held their breath in time or broken the genjutsu remained awake.
In the VIP box, Hiruzen Sarutobi and his guards immediately shielded themselves with chakra. But when they saw the vast crowd below slumped into sleep, their expressions changed dramatically.
"Lord Kazekage, what is the meaning of this?!" Hiruzen Sarutobi turned sharply toward the "Fourth Kazekage" beside him, his voice stern.
Maki, Yura, and the others disguised as the Kazekage's guards, along with the Sound Ninja squad leader, no longer bothered to hide their intentions. Their faces were cold with killing intent.
The Fourth Kazekage slowly raised a hand and removed his Kazekage hat. Then he tore away the bandages on his face and body.
A pale face, long black hair, golden slit pupils, eerie purple eye shadow, and the unmistakable long tongue that licked his lips.
"Hisashiburi da na, sensei."
Orochimaru's voice echoed across the suddenly silent stadium.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils contracted sharply. His body swayed almost imperceptibly, and all the color drained from his face.
"O... Orochimaru..."
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