Konoha.
Location: Third Round of the Joint Chūnin Exams.
Since neither the Kazekage nor the Raikage had arrived, only Hiruzen Sarutobi stood on the high platform, presiding over the event alone. As for Toroi, Rasa, and the others, they were seated a tier below.
Seeing that the time was right, the proctor stepped forward and officially announced the start of the exams.
"First match: Namikaze Minato vs. Motoi. All other contestants, please return to the spectator stands."
The rest of the participants, including Aoshi's clone, exited the stage, leaving only Minato and Motoi facing off.
"Go, Minato! You've got this!" Cheering loudly were Tomoki and Ayame, showing their support from the stands.
"Begin!"
With the examiner's signal, Motoi made the first move. Gripping a kunai tightly, he charged at Minato with impressive speed.
Strike first, gain the upper hand. Unfortunately for him, the gap in skill between the two was too great.
Clang!
Minato calmly blocked Motoi's strike with a single hand, holding his own kunai. At the same time, he gathered chakra into his other palm—unleashing a Rasengan.
"What?!"
The Rasengan made its dramatic debut before the entire arena, stunning not only Motoi but a large portion of the audience as well. A jutsu executed without a single hand sign—those who truly understood its significance felt what it meant.
"A self-created jutsu—and it looks like it's at least A-rank." Even Hiruzen Sarutobi, watching from above, was taken aback.
With his keen eyes as the "Professor of Ninjutsu," he instantly grasped the principle behind the Rasengan—but had no idea who had developed it.
Sensing the overwhelming danger from the Rasengan, Motoi attempted to retreat. But Minato wasn't about to let him escape. In a flash, he pursued and struck with the Rasengan.
Boom!
Despite raising his guard in time, Motoi was still overwhelmed by the power of the technique. He was knocked out cold, coughing up blood, and collapsed on the spot.
"Winner: Namikaze Minato!"
He hadn't made a move until now, but with a single strike, the match was over. The crowd erupted in cheers and applause at Minato's overwhelming display of strength.
Minato returned to the viewing area, while the medical team hurried onto the field to carry the injured Motoi to the emergency ward.
The real Aoshi was already waiting there—what remained on the platform had only been a shadow clone.
After all, even the smallest opportunity was still worth something. He had no intention of letting any chance to heal—and earn rewards—slip by, unless the target was meant to be killed.
[You've healed Motoi. Reward: 1 Blue Orb.]
[Congratulations! You've gained 80 chakra points.]
He glanced at his chakra total—over 98,000 now. The 100,000 mark and the next chakra rank were within reach. Soon, he would hit B-rank chakra and receive his second treasure chest.
"What are you doing here?!" A concerned Hiko entered the room, visibly anxious over Motoi's condition—only to tense up when she saw Aoshi.
Aoshi recognized her instantly—one of Killer Bee and Motoi's companions. "I'm a medical ninja. Isn't it obvious I'd be here?"
Hiko was momentarily speechless. Yes, he was a medical ninja… but also a contestant in the Chūnin Exams. Was it really wise to be using up chakra healing others before his own match?
Meanwhile, the second match had already begun: Killer Bee vs. Hyuga Yuu.
"Is that the Hyuga Clan? I heard they're one of Konoha's two most powerful clans. They must be pretty strong."
"The other one's the Uchiha Clan, right? I can't wait to see one of them fight next."
As the audience murmured, both Killer Bee and Hyuga Yuu stepped into the arena.
"You're good at taijutsu? Bad luck meeting me." Hyuga Yuu's voice was cold as he eyed Killer Bee across the field.
Though only a branch family member, his strength was not to be underestimated—his Gentle Fist had already reached an advanced level.
In the shinobi world, taijutsu generally fell into two main categories: Standard Taijutsu, practiced by most ninjas, and the Gentle Fist Style, a technique exclusive to the Hyūga Clan and their Byakugan.
Gentle Fist focused on precision. It injected chakra directly into an opponent's chakra network, targeting their tenketsu points to disrupt or completely seal the flow of chakra.
Since a ninja's power largely stemmed from chakra, losing access to it was like declawing a tiger—they were left weakened and vulnerable.
That's why, against pure taijutsu specialists, the Hyuga were particularly dangerous.
But Killer Bee was completely unfazed. Even a month ago, he hadn't considered Yuu a threat. And now, after a month of intense training, even less so.
"Aren't we starting yet?" Killer Bee glanced at the proctor, clearly dismissive of his opponent.
The disrespect visibly angered Hyuga Yuu. The proctor hesitated, then declared, "Begin!"
Yuu immediately took his stance—Gentle Fist Form—and launched into his Eight Trigrams Style. He only knew the Thirty-Two Palms, as the full Sixty-Four Palms was exclusive to the main family.
Not every branch member could be a genius like Neji, who had mastered it on his own. Still, thirty-two strikes were more than enough against most enemies.
As for Killer Bee, he didn't bother with a stance at all. Without delay, he rocketed toward Yuu like a fired arrow and unleashed Lariat.
"So fast—!" That was the only thought in Yuu's mind before he was struck. It felt like being rammed by a savage beast. The sheer force sent him flying, blood trailing through the air.
"Damn it… How did I lose… in one hit…" He struggled to rise—but his body gave out.
Killer Bee had expected this. Minato had defeated Motoi with a single strike. He had to do the same with Yuu to restore Cloud's pride.
Without waiting for the proctor's verdict, Bee turned and left without sparing Yuu a glance.
The examiner hurried to announce, "Winner: Killer Bee!"
The outcome triggered an explosion of chatter among the crowd.
"That kid with the sunglasses is that strong? He beat a Hyuga in one hit!"
"I didn't expect that! If even the Hyuga can't stand against him, that Cloud ninja might be the strongest here!"
The average spectator didn't understand the intricacies of shinobi battles—they judged based on reputation.
On the Viewing balcony, Minato stared seriously at Killer Bee. Bee's strength was enough to make even him cautious.
---
Emergency Room.
When Hyūga Yuu was wheeled in, Aoshi wasn't surprised at all. He knew Bee's strength best. Even Minato wouldn't be guaranteed a win against him.
[You've healed Hyuga Yuu. Reward: 1 Blue Orb.]
[Congratulations! You've gained 100 chakra points.]
"Third match: Uzumaki Kushina vs. Masaki!"
Hearing her name, Kushina gave a quick nod to Aoshi and Mikoto, then leapt confidently into the arena. Her opponent, Masaki, was already waiting.