Fame Spreads 2 (Newcomer, Please Add to Bookshelf)

At the elevated platform, the Raikage's aide introduced the two ninjas in the arena to the various daimyo at the Raikage's signal.

"Hatake Kakashi of Konoha is the youngest contestant in this year's competition. He is the son of the White Fang of the Leaf and specializes in swordsmanship. Guren of Stone Village is the granddaughter of the Second Tsuchikage. Though she has not mastered Dust Release, her Earth Release is exceptionally proficient."

"Hmm, huh huh? Hatake Sakumo's son? Then he is certainly worth watching." The Land of Fire's daimyo's eyes lit up.

"I hope Your Excellency can still smile later. After all, I have great confidence in Guren as well." The Land of Earth's daimyo refused to be outdone.

"The match begins!" At the command, the Hidden Cloud Village's chief examiner swiftly retreated, leaving the field to the contestants.

"Earth Release: Rock Fist Technique!"

Without any hesitation, she covered her right hand with a hard stone gauntlet.

Guren rapidly closed in on Kakashi, attempting to use the difference in their ages and physical capabilities to suppress him.

Having accepted Kitsuchi's favor, Kakashi had no intention of going all out from the start. He tried to give his opponent every chance to display her strength.

After all, for genius ninjas like them, this competition was more of a stage to showcase their talents.

Winning the championship would certainly earn one a promotion to Chunin, because it proved one stood at the peak of the Genin from every nation and deserved the title.

Even if one lost, displaying enough talent, ability, or potential would still be enough to earn a Chunin promotion in most ninja villages.

Kakashi did not draw his short sword, merely using a kunai to block her attacks.

After a brief exchange of taijutsu, Guren, who had initially been indignant that Kakashi would not draw his blade and seemed to be looking down on her, helplessly realized that in taijutsu, she was far inferior to this freak.

How could someone so young be so strong at taijutsu? It was not just speed—she could not even match his strength.

No longer dwelling on it, Guren found an opening and pulled back, planting her feet.

She shed the stone gauntlet, her fingers flying through hand seals.

"Earth Release: Earth Spear."

Swoosh!

A sharp earthen spear shot up at tremendous speed from where Kakashi had just been standing.

"I'm not done yet! Earth Release: Multiple Earth Spears!"

Seeing Kakashi easily evade the attack, Guren did not stop forming seals and continued rapidly circulating her chakra.

She tried her best not to let the momentum of her pursuit break.

Otherwise, if her opponent got close, she would be in danger.

Earthen spears and stone pillars of varying sizes erupted from the ground at every angle, attacking Kakashi.

With superb footwork and keen reflexes, Kakashi dodged again and again.

By now, the situation had basically become clear.

Seeing his opponent's offensive gradually slow, Kakashi continued closing the distance while evading.

Dodging the final Earth Spear, Kakashi landed steadily.

"Hmph, don't underestimate me!" Guren said.

Just as Kakashi was about to step forward, he noticed that the ground beneath his feet felt wrong.

"You noticed? Too late! Earth Release: Antlion Pit!"

She swiftly cast the B-rank ninjutsu Antlion Pit, turning the ground beneath Kakashi's feet into trapping mud and sand. Two earthen arms even emerged from the soil, tightly grabbing Kakashi's feet and dragging him downward.

The sudden shift in the situation drew cries of alarm from the spectators around the arena.

In the preparation area, Kitsuchi helplessly slapped his forehead. ...Still too young...

The attentive Raikage on the elevated platform let out his first sound of surprise during the match.

"Huh! That kid is incredibly fast."

With one glance, he saw through the fact that Kakashi had used the Substitution Technique the instant he landed. What surprised him even more was that Kakashi had sensed that the soil beneath his feet was abnormal at the exact moment of landing and immediately used the Substitution Technique.

It showed just how fast Kakashi's reflexes were.

The Third Raikage, who had cultivated Lightning Release techniques year-round, naturally understood how rare—and how powerful—such nearly inhuman reflexes were as potential.

He could not help feeling a little envious of Konoha.

Then, thinking of how his own village had yet to find anyone of this caliber among its younger generation at Kakashi's age, he felt somewhat troubled.

It was not that Guren was not strong. Her strength was outstanding even among Genin and Chunins. Unfortunately, her opponent was Kakashi.

Thinking she had caught Kakashi in a mistake, Guren unleashed her final killing move without even taking the time to regulate her breathing after casting Antlion Pit.

"Earth Release: Multiple Rock-Binding Rods!"

The Earth Spears that had attacked Kakashi earlier without landing a single hit, seemingly useless efforts, all came alive.

Under Guren's control, they transformed into dense, sharp stone lances and stabbed toward the trapped Kakashi.

The densely packed stone lances pierced through Kakashi in an instant. Believing she had won, the corner of Guren's lips had just begun to curl into a smile.

Then "Kakashi" went poof, turning into a puff of blue smoke.

Only then did Guren realize she had been fooled. The smile on her lips turned into stunned helplessness...

After consecutively using high-level ninjutsu, the chakra in her body was already on the verge of depletion. Having also lost sight of her opponent, she thought of his taijutsu, which far surpassed her own.

There was no need to think about where her opponent was now.

At the same time that a sharp kunai pressed against her lower back, Guren raised her right hand high.

"I... surrender."

"The winner of this match is Hatake Kakashi of Konoha!"

The stands erupted in their loudest applause and cheers yet.

The two returned to the preparation area one after another. Guren's teammates naturally went to comfort her.

On Kakashi's side, the excited Inuzuka Kawa and the now-cheered-up Haruya offered their heartfelt congratulations.

"You bastard, why do I feel like you've gotten stronger again?"

Inuzuka Kawa spoke to Kakashi with a hint of admiration.

"Really... Have you ever seen me at my strongest?" Kakashi said in imitation of the Dance King, earning a speechless look from Inuzuka Kawa.

Among the following matches, the only somewhat noteworthy one was Kitsuchi's battle against a Mist ninja.

Kitsuchi's Earth Release, which crushed the other Stone Village contestants the moment he made a move, forced the Mist ninja to surrender.

On the elevated platform, some of the dignitaries mocked the Land of Earth's methods. After all, having heard the detailed information about the Land of Lightning's ninjas, the daimyo all knew.

For the sake of its reputation, the Land of Earth had sent someone who should have long since become a Jonin to participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams and crush the competition. Aside from shameless, no one could think of another word to describe it.

Mocked by everyone, the Land of Earth's daimyo could only sigh helplessly inwardly and plan to return home and give that old shameless Ōnoki a proper scolding for making him lose face.

The first round ended in less than two hours.

There was no intermission as the second round of eliminations began immediately.

Thus, beyond the obvious elimination format, the competition also tested how contestants allocated their chakra and arranged their tactics.

The second round would advance five contestants from the remaining ten into the final free-for-all.

The first pair of opponents drawn...

Both Kitsuchi and Kakashi's mouths twitched when they saw it...