The Chunin Ninja Exams finally ended in utter silence. Most of the central tower had collapsed, and the fearsome dragon prowled silently through the forest. The unfortunate examinees, bound into human-shaped cocoons, hung upside down at crooked angles from its back, unable to let out so much as a scream.
Outside the examination grounds, the examiners monitoring the test and the envoys from the four villages had also fallen silent. After a long while, an examiner drenched in cold sweat murmured in despair:
"Can we even continue with the rest of the exam?"
Only twelve examinees had passed the first test, and every single one was from Konoha. What was even the point of testing them anymore? They might as well declare them all Chunin!
Even more desperate than the examiners were the four villages' envoys. All four were second-in-command in their villages. Before witnessing the Wood Dragon's power, they had still harbored hopes of winning through the next generation, but now even that tiny glimmer of hope had been extinguished.
With Uchiha Shingetsu around, Konoha would remain invincible even if Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha suddenly dropped dead on the same day. She was still so young, too. In the world of shinobi, youth was an asset. As long as she lived, Konoha would remain a colossus looming over the entire shinobi world for at least fifty years!
Konoha was just too lucky...
Shamon of Sunagakure stood awkwardly in place, his eyes vacant, unable to utter a word for ages. Only after a long while did he manage to wipe the look of utter devastation from his face.
All this time, he had secretly overseen Sunagakure's military expansion, coveting the small countries surrounding the Land of Wind and the vast fertile lands of the Land of Fire. Now, however,