Chapter 51: Chunin Exams? No, It's a Battle Royale!
With just a few carefully chosen words, Hiruzen Sarutobi had effectively neutered the power of his Hokage advisors.
The Third Hokage was in excellent spirits, puffing contentedly on his pipe as he glanced at his two dejected colleagues. Inside, his heart swelled with satisfaction.
The advisory system established by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, had once been useful to him. But lately, it had become nothing more than an obstacle to his authority.
Now it was finally eliminated completely. No one could hinder his decisions anymore.
However, while Sarutobi was riding high, the two Hokage advisors sitting beside him were clearly miserable.
Not long ago, they could still interfere with the Hokage's decisions, occasionally playing both sides and helping Danzō manipulate Hiruzen's thinking. Life had been comfortable.
But now, after barely sitting down for this meeting, they'd discovered their power had been stripped away entirely.
The worst part? Almost every major clan in Konoha had sided with Hiruzen Sarutobi without them even realizing it. They were truly cornered.
Sarutobi was practically glowing with satisfaction, the wrinkles on his face deepening as he smiled around his pipe. "Since this Chunin Exam involves three ninja villages, the content can't follow the old format. We need to implement corresponding reforms while simultaneously demonstrating Konoha's strength to our guests."
"In other words, we need innovative content that also maintains a certain level of difficulty?" Nara Shikaku, ever perceptive, immediately grasped the Hokage's intention.
"Exactly right." Sarutobi Hiruzen was quite pleased with such an intuitive subordinate.
Having someone who could anticipate his thoughts and speak for him without prompting—what could be better than that?
Uchiha Kazuki's lips twitched involuntarily. This entire scene felt uncomfortably familiar, leaving him momentarily speechless.
"Hmm? Kazuki, judging by your expression, you seem to have an idea?" Noticing the unusual look on his face, Sarutobi Hiruzen assumed he'd thought of something and chuckled while stroking his beard. "It's alright, speak freely. Share your thoughts even if you're uncertain—there's no penalty for being wrong."
"Uh..."
Having been called out directly by the Hokage, Uchiha Kazuki instantly became the center of everyone's attention.
Pretending to consider carefully for a moment, he adjusted his glasses and revealed a gentle smile. "Hokage-sama, I do have an idea, though I'm not certain how appropriate it might be."
"Don't worry, just speak. We'll hear you out." Sarutobi Hiruzen gestured for him to continue.
"Following your guidance, Hokage-sama, we should use this joint Chunin Exam to showcase Konoha's strength and resources while simultaneously reforming the outdated examination system." Uchiha Kazuki paused deliberately before adding, "I believe we should focus on utilizing genjutsu as the foundation for these Chunin Exams."
"Genjutsu?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned slightly at this suggestion, seeming less than satisfied with the answer.
"Tch. Uchiha Kazuki, this is your proposed solution?"
Koharu Utatane, already seething with frustration, seemed to have found an outlet for her anger. She glared at him sharply. "The requirements for becoming a Chunin must consider many factors. Beyond ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, candidates also need leadership and organizational capabilities. How can you possibly determine qualifications based solely on genjutsu?"
"Hmph. Hiruzen, it seems the person you chose is far too inexperienced."
Having finally found an opening for revenge, Homura Mitokado wasn't about to hold back. His eyes filled with mockery as he looked at Hiruzen. "I know your genjutsu skills are impressive, Uchiha Kazuki, but you're underestimating the ninja from other villages. Have you considered what happens when the genjutsu is broken? Konoha would be humiliated!"
The two advisors spoke one after another, their words dripping with ridicule and contempt.
Sarutobi Hiruzen felt somewhat embarrassed, though he couldn't show it openly. He raised his hand to interrupt them. "Well, Kazuki's idea shows initiative, though it is perhaps a bit... simplistic."
"No, Hokage-sama, please wait!"
Suddenly, Nara Shikaku spoke up. He had a nagging feeling there was more to this proposal than met the eye. "Let Kazuki finish explaining. Perhaps he has something more substantial to add?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Shikaku, then turned his gaze to Uchiha Kazuki. Seeing the latter smiling quietly with complete composure, a thought occurred to him. "Very well. Kazuki, please continue."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Uchiha Kazuki nodded slightly, then continued with a confident smile. "I've already considered the concerns raised by the honored advisors. The genjutsu I'm proposing requires the cooperation of the Yamanaka clan to construct a super-large-scale 'genjutsu dreamscape' capable of accommodating multiple participants simultaneously!"
A super-large-scale, multi-person genjutsu dreamscape?!
This was genuinely novel. Even Orochimaru, who'd been barely paying attention, was suddenly interested.
"Go on!" Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes lit up with excitement.
"I propose constructing a massive genjutsu dreamscape that can accommodate all examinees at once."
Uchiha Kazuki subtly influenced everyone present with his words, weaving psychological suggestions into his explanation. "As you know, my genjutsu technique—'Wish Fulfillment'—can construct near-realistic dreamscapes that are extremely difficult for those trapped within to detect or dispel."
"If we connect this technique through the Yamanaka clan's abilities, we can create a shared 'realistic dreamscape' for multiple participants."
"The greatest advantage of a realistic dreamscape is that we don't need to worry about the mortality rate. This allows us to test a ninja's qualifications for Chunin rank using various extreme methods and scenarios that would normally be too dangerous."
As Uchiha Kazuki explained his concept, Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes grew increasingly bright with enthusiasm and admiration.
"That's an excellent idea!" Nara Shikaku nodded in agreement. "If it's all within a genjutsu, we don't need to worry about casualties, which gives us significantly more flexibility in designing challenges."
"But... won't that make the Chunin Exams extremely difficult?" After hesitating for some time, Namikaze Minato finally couldn't help but voice his concern cautiously.
Obito had been clamoring to participate in the Chunin Exams, but unfortunately, he was running headfirst into these reforms. Judging from the casual mention of "mortality rate," Minato could tell the difficulty level would be brutal.
"As long as it's properly controlled, it'll be fine," Nara Shikaku countered smoothly. "Besides, higher difficulty is actually beneficial. Chunin selection shouldn't be easy."
Namikaze Minato sighed helplessly. He'd already done his best to advocate for reasonable difficulty. Now it was up to Obito and Rin to prove themselves through their own efforts.
"Honored advisors, do you have any further objections?" Uchiha Kazuki asked with a deliberately gentle smile.
The two advisors had been thoroughly outmaneuvered and could only sit there huffing silently, unable to find any grounds for criticism.
"Inoichi, what's your assessment of this proposal?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, turning to the Yamanaka clan representative.
Yamanaka Inoichi and Shikaku exchanged a quick glance. Shikaku gave him a subtle knowing look, and Inoichi immediately understood the unspoken message. He nodded confidently. "No problem, Hokage-sama. If we combine our techniques with Kazuki's genjutsu, covering all participating Chunin candidates shouldn't be an issue. This method is highly feasible from a technical standpoint."
"Excellent!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen enthusiastically slammed his hand on the conference table, his gaze sweeping across everyone present. "Then it's settled! This is how we'll conduct the Chunin Exam!"
"Since you proposed using genjutsu, Kazuki, you must already have some ideas about the actual content and scenarios, correct?" Nara Shikaku smiled knowingly and looked at the Uchiha. "Perfect timing—while the Hokage and everyone else is here, why don't you share your thoughts? We can all provide feedback and refinement."
"Well, I do have some preliminary concepts." Uchiha Kazuki's eyes flickered subtly behind his glasses as he adjusted them. With a smile that somehow seemed both gentle and unsettling, he said, "My concept is to create a 'Battle Royale' format focused on horror, survival, and escape elements!"
"Battle Royale?"
"Escape? Horror?"
"Survival?"
Everyone looked confused, clearly unfamiliar with these terms.
Uchiha Kazuki's smile widened slightly. "To put it simply... they run, we hunt."
This guy's a demon!
Just hearing that description was terrifying!
Namikaze Minato couldn't help but cover his face with his hand, already mourning internally for his beloved student.
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