Rising to Fame 6 (New Book, Please Add to Bookshelf)

[A few clarifications: 1. White Fang's name, Hatake Sakumo, and Hatake Saku... are translation variations of the same name; 2. This book primarily follows the timeline from the Book of Formation, with a few minor adjustments. Why not follow the Book of the Approach? Because in it, the Third Hokage is called the strongest Hokage in history... Clearly, Kishimoto drastically revised the plot later on. The First Hokage could practically glare Sarutobi to death with a single look. That's all. I hope you esteemed readers will be understanding.]

Kitsuchi, who had been steadily suppressing Asui without rushing, noticed that the sounds of fighting from Kakashi's side had stopped.

He assumed Kakashi had already defeated Ross.

"Just a kid after all. He got impatient."

A fisherman's smile appeared on Kitsuchi's honest-looking face.

But before he could savor his delight, several Lightning Release kunai suddenly shot out from the mist.

Seeing an attack method so characteristic of his longtime enemies from the Hidden Cloud Village, Kitsuchi's expression became even more animated.

He found it hard to believe Kakashi had lost to Ross—and in such a short time.

"Could that Mist Village fellow have teamed up with Ross? Otherwise, there was no way they could defeat Kakashi that quickly."

The moment he considered this possibility, Kitsuchi felt somewhat relieved.

As long as Ross had not concealed strength so thoroughly that even he had failed to notice it, the situation was not beyond saving.

The Mist ninja might have helped the Hidden Cloud ninja just now, but from here on, he would at least remain neutral. He would only show himself after Kitsuchi and the Hidden Cloud ninja had determined a winner—or beaten each other into mutual ruin.

Although he knew Kiyoshi Hozuki of the Mist Village was inclined to play the oriole, circumstances forced him to continue with the current script.

"The final victor will definitely be me."

Kitsuchi dodged the ambushing kunai while continuing to suppress Asui.

"Only, the previous tactic needs a slight adjustment. I need to defeat these two Hidden Cloud ninja quickly, or at least take one of them out first. Otherwise, if that Mist Village bastard ambushes me, I can't afford to lose everything."

He abruptly drew out more chakra, no longer holding back.

The pressure of a Jonin instantly bore down on Asui and the newly appeared Ross.

"So this guy surpassed Chunin level long ago. Stone Village really has no shame."

Taking advantage of the gap created by Ross's support, Asui finally had time to pull out a hemostatic agent and crudely smear it over his lower abdomen.

Kitsuchi's Earth Spear Technique had just cut a sizable gash there. Blood was still spurting out of it.

Fortunately, Kakashi had chosen Ross. His overall strength was inferior to Ross's, but he could take far more punishment.

Asui was a very traditional muscle-type ninja of the Hidden Cloud Village.

His powerful body already had considerable physical resistance. Combined with the day-after-day training that tempered his body with Lightning Release chakra, it had given him extraordinary defense.

He was like a max-level Tomu—tanky and capable of dishing out damage. Though his attacks had yet to inflict much real harm on Kitsuchi.

They had only added several tears to the hem of Kitsuchi's traditional dark-red Stone Village outfit.

Now that Ross had arrived, the two comrades, who had fought side by side for years, could bring out combat power greater than the sum of one plus one. Asui was confident they could go toe-to-toe with Kitsuchi.

Seemingly reading the meaning behind Asui's expression, Kitsuchi chuckled softly.

"Your companion's arrival seems to have given you an unnecessary misunderstanding. You should be grateful this is merely the Chunin Ninja Exams, rather than a battlefield."

As soon as he finished speaking,

Kitsuchi unleashed a tremendously powerful ninjutsu.

"Earth Release: Earth Shore Return!"

The commotion was far greater than when Kakashi had used Earth-Flow Wall. Earth Shore Return, cast by Kitsuchi alone, was nearly the equal of two people using it together.

In an instant, several towering walls rose around the area where the three of them stood.

The physical tremors caused by the drastic alteration of the terrain even affected many spectators in the stands, triggering another uproar throughout the venue.

Kakashi, trapped inside the Lightning Prison, paid no attention to the flickering lightning around him. He merely smiled faintly.

"I didn't really care whether I took first place, but since so many coincidences have lined up, let's see if I can coast to victory."

The first coincidence Kakashi referred to was that Kiyoshi Hozuki of the Mist Village had been forced to use the large-scale Mist Concealment Technique right at the start.

Because the technique consumed so much chakra and Kiyoshi Hozuki was already injured, he had immediately dropped out of contention for victory.

That was also why Kitsuchi was not worried that Kiyoshi Hozuki would snatch victory after he defeated the two Hidden Cloud ninja. He had enough confidence that even if he was injured and in poor condition, he could still deal with Kiyoshi Hozuki.

For Kakashi, the better part of this coincidence was that it physically divided the battlefield, preventing Kitsuchi from learning his true condition right away.

In other words, he could slack off until the right opportunity arose before making a move.

Of course, if even the two Hidden Cloud ninja working together could not meaningfully wear Kitsuchi down, Kakashi would simply give up competing for first place.

What was reputation compared to the safety of his life afterward?

As Kakashi rested quietly inside the lightning prison, he used a clone to watch the battle on Kitsuchi's side while remaining alert to his surroundings, guarding against Kiyoshi Hozuki's ambush.

After observing for a while, Kiyoshi Hozuki, hidden in the darkness, happily discovered that he, who had originally been at the greatest disadvantage, now had a glimmer of hope.

After hesitating for a moment, Kiyoshi Hozuki decisively chose to help the Hidden Cloud ninja wear down Kitsuchi first. Once Kitsuchi was defeated, he would ambush Asui.

Then he would deal with Kakashi, as well as Ross, who would surely be in poor condition by then.

Quite satisfied with the plan he had devised, Kiyoshi Hozuki edged a little closer toward Kitsuchi.

Having nearly been eliminated by Kitsuchi at the very beginning, he had instinctively kept a bit too far away from him.

But after approaching Kitsuchi's side, he was astonished to find that the two Hidden Cloud ninja were being firmly suppressed by Kitsuchi alone.

Ross, in particular, had suffered worse injuries than Asui after using Shadow Clone and greatly depleting his chakra.

Kitsuchi's attack had even torn open a bloody gash in Ross's left abdomen, and blood was continuously pouring out.

Without daring to hesitate, Kiyoshi Hozuki raised both hands and formed a shooting stance.

"Finger Pistol Technique!"

The support coming from the mist irritated Kitsuchi, but he had no choice but to halt his attack and evade.

The two Hidden Cloud ninja, however, were overjoyed at the arrival of reinforcements.

"Ross, listen to me! You have to take first place! This isn't just your honor alone. It's the honor of the entire village! I believe in you! You can do it!"

As soon as he spoke, Lightning Release chakra erupted around Asui's body at a level beyond his own limits.

"Asui!"

"Ha!" The overloaded chakra ruptured Asui's meridians, and streaks of blood continuously seeped out beneath his skin. But Asui, who had already thrown all caution aside, did not notice at all.

"Here I go!"

Asui charged at Kitsuchi with lightning-like speed, abandoning defense entirely. His all-out, life-for-injury fighting style left even Kitsuchi somewhat restrained.

Even if he could heavily injure his opponent, Asui would immediately pin him down.

Once his movements were restricted, Ross and Kiyoshi Hozuki would inevitably attack him.

And Asui, knowing his own value, pressed forward step by step.

Even when he saw Kiyoshi Hozuki's Finger Pistol Technique coming in from the side, he ignored it and continued attacking. His uppercut struck Kitsuchi, while he himself was also hit by the Finger Pistol Technique.

Under Asui's desperate assault, Kitsuchi's condition greatly deteriorated. His right arm was injured the most severely, to the point that it was already affecting his hand-sign speed.

Meanwhile, Ross seized the time his companion had bought with his life to quickly treat his external wounds and maintain a better condition.

At the final moment of Asui's outburst, Kitsuchi caught a fleeting opening. He blasted Asui down with an Earth Dragon Bullet, and Asui could no longer rise again.

Seeing this, the chief examiner, who had been watching from the edge of the mist, entered the field with a Body Flicker Technique and carried Asui away.

"Hidden Cloud Village's Asui has lost his ability to fight and is eliminated!"

The home crowd erupted in an uproar. The first person eliminated in this match was actually one of their own ninja, and they found it difficult to accept.