Victory (Please Bookmark the New Book)

"Now it's your turn. Then come the little bugs lurking in the shadows."

Having dealt with Asui's Kitsuchi, Kitsuchi walked step by step toward Ross, trying to put even greater pressure on him.

With no other choice, Ross instantly dispelled the Shadow Clone maintaining the Lightning Binding Technique.

The remaining chakra returned to his body, restoring his condition somewhat.

"Hmm? A Shadow Clone..." Unaware of when his opponent had left behind a Shadow Clone or why he had dispelled it now, Kitsuchi pondered.

"Tap, tap."

A series of footsteps came from within the mist as a figure slowly entered their view.

"Kakashi?" Kitsuchi was somewhat surprised!

"Yo, looks like our alliance will have to end for now, Kitsuchi."

"So, you want to be the oriole waiting behind? But you're underestimating me too much!"

Without answering Kitsuchi, Kakashi formed hand seals with both hands.

After waiting for so long, the audience had already begun to lose interest.

Then, an abrupt birdcall suddenly rang out from within the mist. The audience thought they had imagined it.

But soon, cries resembling birdsong rang out one after another, steadily growing in number, as if a thousand birds were singing together.

This was the first time Kakashi's self-created ninjutsu, Chidori, had appeared before the public.

Watching Lightning Release chakra take shape in Kakashi's hand and effortlessly undergo shape transformation, Ross was even more shocked than Kitsuchi!

"You! You were pretending just now! With your mastery of Lightning Release, the Lightning Binding Technique couldn't possibly trap you!!"

"I never said that lightning cage could trap me... that was only your wishful thinking."

Ignoring Ross, Kakashi's main opponent was Kitsuchi. With Kitsuchi in poor condition, this was the best opportunity.

There were many traces of Earth Release around Kitsuchi's current position. They were remnants of his earlier attacks on the two Hidden Cloud Village ninjas.

As Kakashi charged forward with a swift thrust, he silently thanked Kiyoshi Hozuki. This dense fog had clearly dulled Kitsuchi's judgment and reaction speed.

By the time he noticed Kakashi rushing at him, he failed to realize the danger of doing so and actually released an Earth Release ninjutsu on the spot to block him.

"Earth Release: Multi-Layer Earth-Flow Wall!"

Five thick Earth Walls erupted from the ground, blocking Kakashi's path and firmly shielding Kitsuchi behind them.

Lightning Release chakra of equal quality was clearly highly effective against Earth Release chakra, not to mention Kakashi's Lightning Release infused with Senjutsu energy.

Kitsuchi's Earth Release was like paper before the purple Chidori in Kakashi's hand, providing no defensive effect whatsoever.

In an instant, a figure passed through the Earth Walls, flashing past the stunned Kitsuchi where he stood.

From the very beginning, Kakashi's target had not been Kitsuchi alone. Ross, recovering in the distance, was also one of his targets.

Seeing the previously unstoppable Kitsuchi defeated in one blow by Kakashi, who seemed like a god descending from heaven, Ross was completely stunned.

By the time Kakashi attacked him, Ross did not even have time to enter Lightning Release Chakra Mode before his vision suddenly went dark.

A figure had already stepped in front of him, blocking the purple lightning spear in Kakashi's hand for him.

It was Chidori Sharp Spear, created through shape transformation.

The Hidden Cloud Village chief examiner had quietly slipped into the mist the moment Kakashi released Chidori. That was why he had been able to intercept this fatal attack at the critical moment.

"Stone Village, Kitsuchi has lost his ability to fight. Eliminated!"

"Hidden Cloud Village, Ross, eliminated!"

Upon hearing the chief examiner's announcement, the entire audience erupted in even greater astonishment.

Kakashi turned and walked toward Kitsuchi, who had fallen to the ground.

"Need a hand?"

Kakashi's attack had not killed Kitsuchi. Chidori had merely pierced through his right ribs while he was completely unguarded.

That blow had robbed him of his fighting ability, but it was not fatal.

Knowing Kakashi had shown mercy, Kitsuchi struggled to cough up blood and rose to his feet with difficulty.

"So I was the ignorant one. Hatake Kakashi, you won!"

Knowing his opponent had held back, Kitsuchi readily conceded defeat.

Only those who dared to accept failure could continue climbing to greater heights.

"For certain special reasons, let's save our all-out battle for the future." Knowing Kitsuchi's loss had been somewhat unfair, Kakashi said one more thing because he knew the man was not bad.

"Fine. When that time comes, I'll spare your life. Hahaha." The broad-minded Kitsuchi replied before leaving the arena.

Only Kakashi and Kiyoshi Hozuki remained in the field.

Finding the caster within such dense fog was extremely difficult. Kakashi knew Wind Release, but he did not want to waste Senjutsu energy.

So Kakashi simply sat cross-legged and began recovering in the mist.

After waiting for a while, Kiyoshi Hozuki emerged again and discovered that Kakashi was not worried about being attacked at all, resting there in complete ease.

Veins bulged on Kiyoshi Hozuki's forehead.

"You really don't take me seriously at all."

"Then how long do you plan to keep hiding?"

After so much time, the dense fog around them had begun to show signs of gradually thinning.

"As you can see, this fog is already starting to dissipate. I don't want to fight a meaningless battle. Just surrender."

"Impossible. Mist Village ninja may be defeated, but they never surrender!"

Seeing that persuasion had failed, Kakashi changed his approach.

"Then come. Show your strength before viewers all over the world."

"..."

Kiyoshi Hozuki hesitated. Just as Kakashi had said, the Mist Concealment Technique continuously consumed a great deal of chakra, and maintaining it for so long was already becoming difficult for him.

He could not bring himself to surrender, because he would certainly face severe punishment upon returning to the village. It would be better to fight this Konoha ninja head-on in a glorious battle. Even if he lost, it would be fine. At least he would be the last one eliminated.

Having figured it out, Kiyoshi Hozuki no longer hesitated and decisively dispelled the Mist Concealment Technique.

Without his chakra sustaining it, the fog in the arena quickly dispersed.

The audience, bored for so long, was finally able to see the arena, which looked as though it had suffered a natural disaster.

Jagged stone pillars and shattered Earth Walls covered the ground, along with damage caused by Lightning Release techniques.

This did not look like destruction Genin could possibly cause.

At this moment, only two ninjas remained in the arena, one from Konoha and one from Mist Village.

Kiyoshi Hozuki retrieved his longsword and attacked Kakashi. Kakashi, who had already drawn his short blade, showed no fear and met him head-on.

After a dazzling exchange of blades, Kiyoshi Hozuki painfully realized that he was no match for Kakashi.

A slash came straight at him and was about to strike Kiyoshi Hozuki. With no time to block it, he activated his clan's secret Water Transformation Technique.

It was an instinctive reaction that had helped him escape several certain-death crises. But at the instant he transformed into water, he saw a layer of purple lightning that made his scalp tingle cover Kakashi's short blade.

"Aah!!!"

A scream burst from his mouth.

In his water-transformed state, Kakashi's Senjutsu energy invaded him, directly throwing his chakra out of control and forcing him back into his normal state.

And Kakashi's short blade was embedded in his chest.

"Mist Village, Kiyoshi Hozuki, eliminated!"

"Champion: Konoha, Hatake Kakashi!"

After cleanly and decisively defeating Kiyoshi Hozuki, Kakashi unexpectedly claimed victory in this Chunin Ninja Exams!

"Roar, roar! Well done, boy of the Hatake Clan!" The Land of Fire daimyo on the elevated platform was overjoyed.

In the audience, Inuzuka Kawa was already shouting excitedly. Aburame Haru beside him also raised both fists in excitement, while Shimura Ran alone watched Kakashi in the arena with an ugly expression as he basked in the glory and the attention of the crowd.

What followed was a dull awards ceremony, where the Raikage presented Kakashi with his prize.

A set of combat armor specially made by Hidden Cloud Village. It greatly enhanced defense and allowed its wearer to focus more on offense.

A white-haired boy from Konoha held a lightning-wreathed short blade, wielded a ninjutsu that could command the chorus of a thousand Chidori, and claimed victory. This was where Kakashi first rose to fame and became known throughout the Shinobi World. From then on, he would no longer be introduced merely as the son of the White Fang of the Leaf.