People from various ninja villages were now re-evaluating Kirigakure. Although the results of the Chunin Ninja Exams only represent a small portion of a village's potential and strength, the sheer strength Mist Ninja displayed in this year 'Chunin Ninja Exams far exceeded their expectations. It was one thing for the three major Kirigakure to be strong, but they had also produced geniuses in other areas, which made the other major ninja villages take notice!
Another point worth noting is that the three Kirigakure Mist Ninja who made it into the top four are actually a team!
Don't forget that over a decade ago, Konohagakure also produced a team of geniuses. Back then, many thought they didn't deserve much attention, but what happened later? They all became pillars of Konohagakure. Yes, we're talking about the three direct disciples of the Third Hokage: Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade, known as the Konoha Sannin. Of course, now, most people would scoff at the idea that Kei, Kisame, Mei Terumi could rival Jiraiya and Orochimaru in the future. If geniuses appeared as frequently as cabbages, would they still be geniuses?!
The Konoha Sannin are now widely recognized as possessing power that is closest to, or even comparable to, the Five Kage. To say that the three of them could grow to the level of Jiraiya in a few years, or at most ten years, is not simply a matter of belief, but rather that other ninja villages would absolutely not allow such a thing to happen!
Therefore, from this moment on, the three of them, including Kei, are definitely on the highest alert blacklist of the major ninja villages. In future missions, or even in the event of a possible war, the ninja villages of each country will definitely issue a kill order against Kei and the other two if the opportunity arises!
The more talented a ninja is from another country's ninja village, the more they need to be dealt with in advance!
That's the right thing to do, but that's a story for another time. Right now, we should focus on the final three matches of the Chunin Ninja Exams!
Let's see if the Mist Ninja will make a stunning debut and win the championship, overpowering all the other ninja villages, or if the son of White Fang will live up to his father's reputation, showcasing his super genius potential and skill, breaking through the encirclement of the three Mist Ninja, and defending the honor of the host Konohagakure!
"Go for it, Kakashi -kun!"
"It's all up to you, Kakashi! You have to win!"
"Son of White Fang, it's time to show your true colors!"
"You are Konoha's greatest hope, Kakashi!"
"Charge! We have to win, Kakashi!"
"I've staked everything on you, Kakashi -kun!"
Whether it was for their own betting funds or for the so-called glory of the village, at this crucial moment in the final stage of the main tournament, all the Konoha citizens on the field were united in their support and cheered for Kakashi with their fullest support!
As the atmosphere was heated to the extreme and became incredibly noisy.
"Semi-finals, first match: Minazuki Kei vs. Kakashi Hatake!"
The electronic screen then displayed the list of matches for the first game of the semi-finals, the match that the people of Konoha valued and cared about the most!
The same words that were shouted simultaneously by the person below, just like those from Minato.
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
In the upper player seating area.
Kakashi and Kei exchanged glances from a distance.
The figures flashed out almost simultaneously.
Qi made his grand entrance as always.
The scattered ice and snow crystals.
Layers of white mist rose up.
Kakashi didn't pay much attention at first.
Just trying to look cool!
What's there to worry about!?
"Start!"
However, as Minato suddenly waved his right hand and declared war, the seemingly faint white mist did not disperse as before; instead, it seemed to thicken further.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed, and his heartstrings tightened.
' Hidden Mist Technique!?'
The name of the technique immediately came to mind.
But there seemed to be something different about it, with Qi's figure faintly visible in the distance.
'Whoosh!'
It only took a second.
Kakashi immediately drew the short sword from behind his back.
"Whoosh!"
"Boom!"
A huge block of ice crystal came straight at you.
"Clang!"
With a sudden swing of his right hand...
From the angle of a straight tree cut down from the front.
"Buzz!"
A blade so sharp it can cut through iron like mud.
The huge block of ice crystal was cut straight through, the cut was smooth and even, and the ice crystals scattered in all directions.
"Hehe, as expected of White Fang's son, Kakashi- kun, I've been looking forward to our duel for a long time. You'd better make sure I have a good time in this battle!"
Qi's light laughter seemed to come from all directions, just like the situation Toroi had encountered before. But the difference was that Qi had only used countless small icebergs to hide in Toroi's blind spots, but this time, he used the White Mist of Ice to block Kakashi's vision.
This position is already impossible to detect.
This made Kakashi's expression grow even colder and more serious.
However, what Kakashi himself didn't notice was that this layer of frost and mist, which seemed to be neither too thick nor too thin, was merely obscuring his vision. If viewed from above, the scene inside wouldn't be immediately clear, but at least it wouldn't prevent him from seeing the general view.
In other words, the tens of thousands of spectators in the stands could basically see the clash between Kakashi and Kei below.
Including Kakashi's sword cleaving through the giant ice just now!
This somewhat eerie scene was deliberately created by Qi; if no one saw him showing off, then it wouldn't be entirely meaningless!?
To ensure the technique could cover and affect the opponent without obstructing the audience's view, Kei had prepared for a long time and experimented several times before this Chunin Ninja Exams!
Ordinary viewers would naturally not be able to see the mystery behind it.
But the experienced ninjas were different.
Even Hiruzen Sarutobi was sitting on the high platform, showed a look of surprise at this moment.
' Ice Release has been integrated into the Hidden Mist Technique, and the control over it is so skillful. This kid's talent far exceeds our expectations. No wonder Danzo's Root couldn't subdue him!'
Because of what happened before, Hiruzen Sarutobi was already very hesitant about the reboot, but now Rei's performance has once again refreshed the Third Hokage's understanding of this snow boy!
This power, and the degree of mastery over Ice Release.
'Perhaps this young man will become a pillar of Kirigakure in the future!'
This thought involuntarily popped into Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind.
The Minato below is the one that stands in the closest position.
At this moment, he also had a solemn expression. Even though his vision was blocked, Minato could still accurately detect the location of Kakashi and Kei's auras.