Konoha's great arena buzzed with restless energy as the third stage of the Joint Chunin Exams was about to begin. The vast circular stadium had been refurbished for the occasion—freshly painted railings, reinforced ground tiles, and banners fluttering from the highest points of the stands.
Though two Kage—the Kazekage and Raikage—had not yet arrived, the crowd was far from disappointed. The presence of Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, alone commanded respect. Seated on the high platform in his ceremonial robes and hat, he watched silently, pipe resting between his fingers. His seasoned gaze took in every participant with calm authority.
Below him stood Troy, Maki, and other representatives who lacked the rank to sit beside a Kage. They remained on the lower level, maintaining proper decorum.
When the examiner finally stepped forward, carrying a clipboard and wearing an authoritative expression, the noise in the stadium fell to a hush.
"The third stage of the Joint Chunin Exams will now officially begin!"
His voice projected clearly across the arena.
"For the first match: Minato Namikaze vs. Motoi! All other examinees, please return to the spectator stands."
Seisui, Kushina, Mikoto, Killer B, Kiko, and the rest withdrew, leaving only two figures in the battlefield circle.
Minato and Motoi faced each other—two promising young ninja from different villages, each with something to prove.
From the back of the crowd, Tomoki Mukai and Ayami Sasaki cupped their hands around their mouths and shouted enthusiastically:
"Go, Minato! You're the best, Minato!"
Minato blinked and smiled softly, slightly embarrassed but warmed by their support.
Motoi tightened his grip on his kunai. His expression was sharp, determined. For him, this fight was important. The Cloud delegation had taken several losses during the earlier stages, and morale was low. He wanted to bring honor back to his village.
The examiner raised his hand.
"Begin!"
Motoi burst forward instantly.
His sandals scraped against the stone floor as he accelerated with the intent to strike first and dominate the tempo. It was the most straightforward strategy—don't give Minato time to think, react, or counter.
But the moment their kunai clashed, Motoi realized his mistake.
CLANG!
Minato parried the strike effortlessly, as if swatting aside a child's swing. His movement was clean and economical—no wasted motion. He might have looked gentle, polite, even fragile for a ninja, but the steadiness of his stance revealed an entirely different truth.
Motoi's eyes widened.
His reflexes… they're on another level!
While still holding Motoi's kunai in a bind, Minato raised his free hand. Chakra spiraled rapidly in his palm, condensing, compressing, forming a sphere pulsing with raw rotational force.
The air itself distorted.
The first appearance of Rasengan stunned everyone.
"What?! What technique is that!?"
"So fast!"
"No hand seals… is that even possible?"
Gasps erupted across the stadium. Even hardened shinobi recognized the significance instantly—a ninjutsu that required no seals was a treasure beyond measure.
On the high platform, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes narrowed keenly.
"A self-created technique," he murmured. "And judging by its chakra density and rotational structure… it should be A-rank."
His years as the "Professor of Ninjutsu" allowed him to grasp the principle behind it at a glance. But what surprised him the most was that he had no idea who had taught it to Minato.
Motoi, sensing mortal danger from the concentrated sphere, pulled back with a desperate leap. But Minato was already in motion—light and quick, as if propelled by the wind itself.
He closed the distance instantly.
The Rasengan smashed into Motoi's torso with a deafening BANG!
Motoi's defensive ninjutsu activated at the last second, but it wasn't nearly enough. The force overwhelmed him, sending him skidding violently across the ground. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he collapsed, unconscious and utterly defeated.
The examiner raised his hand.
"Minato Namikaze wins!"
He had not attacked until he attacked—and when he did, he ended the fight in a single blow.
The stadium erupted in cheers. Minato returned to the spectator stands, cheeks flushed, while medical staff hurried to carry Motoi away.
---
Emergency Treatment Room
Seisui's main body was already waiting inside.
The Seisui in the stands was only a Shadow Clone; the real one never left the treatment area.
There was no reason to ignore free rewards.
Even the smallest mosquito leg was still meat.
Unless, of course, the patient was an enemy he intended to kill.
A system notification chimed in his mind.
[Completed treatment of Motoi. Reward: One Blue Orb.]
[Congratulations! 80 Chakra Points obtained.]
Seisui checked his chakra reserves. His total had surpassed 98,000— just a short distance from hitting 100,000. When he did, his chakra rank would rise to B-rank, and he would receive his second treasure chest.
Not far now.
The door slid open sharply.
"Why are you here!?"
A voice tinged with hostility rang out.
Kiko, Motoi's teammate, stormed inside, anxiety etched on her face. But when she saw Seisui standing beside the medical table, her expression quickly shifted to wariness.
Seisui looked at her calmly.
"Aren't I a medical ninja? Isn't treating injured participants normal?"
Kiko opened her mouth but couldn't refute him.
Yes, he was a medical ninja.
But he was also a contestant. Who willingly spent their chakra treating others before their own match?
It was suspicious—yet she had no grounds to complain.
---
Second Match: Killer B vs. Hyuga Yu
By the time Kiko composed herself, the second match had already begun in the arena.
Killer B stood confidently in the sunlight, swords strapped to his back, sunglasses gleaming.
Opposite him stood Hyuga Yu, a branch member of the Hyuga clan.
The spectators murmured excitedly.
"That's the Hyuga clan, right? They're one of Konoha's strongest two clans."
"The other must be the Uchiha. I can't wait for their match!"
Hyuga Yu raised both hands into the distinctive Gentle Fist stance. His expression was cold, disciplined, and sharp.
"You specialize in taijutsu," he stated flatly. "But it's your misfortune to face me."
Hyuga Yu had trained rigorously despite being from the branch family. His Gentle Fist technique had already reached a level surpassing many of his peers.
In the shinobi world, taijutsu was broadly divided into two major schools:
Strong Fist, used by most ninja, focusing on external force—
and Gentle Fist, used exclusively by the Hyuga clan, targeting internal chakra pathways.
Byakugan users could strike tenketsu points directly, disrupting chakra flow.
Without chakra, a ninja was like a tiger with its fangs pulled.
In theory, the Hyuga clan countered close-range fighters like Killer B perfectly.
But Killer B simply stared at him with mild boredom.
A month ago, he might have been cautious.
But after a month of intense training, he felt confident—no, dominating.
"Aren't you going to start already?" Killer B asked the examiner casually.
His complete disregard infuriated Hyuga Yu.
Even the examiner blinked in surprise before announcing, "Begin!"
Hyuga Yu immediately launched into his technique.
Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms!
While the full Sixty-Four Palms was restricted to the main family, thirty-two palms were more than enough against most opponents.
He moved like flowing water, prepared to strike with precision—
—but Killer B didn't give him the chance.
He lunged in with explosive speed.
"Lariat!"
Hyuga Yu didn't even process what happened.
One moment he was attacking—
the next, something slammed into him like a rampaging beast.
The impact tore the air apart.
Hyuga Yu's body bent unnaturally as he was flung backward. Blood sprayed across the ground.
He tried to stand.
He couldn't.
One hit.
Just like Minato.
Killer B narrowed his eyes.
If Minato had defeated Motoi in one blow, then he—representing the Cloud—would defeat Hyuga Yu in one blow as well.
Without waiting for the examiner's declaration, he turned and walked away.
The examiner hurriedly lifted his hand.
"Killer B wins!"
The spectators erupted into noisy chatter.
"That kid in sunglasses is that strong? He beat a Hyuga member in one strike!"
"Incredible! Maybe this Cloud ninja is the strongest participant!"
Most of the civilians had no real understanding of ninja battles. They judged strength solely by name and spectacle.
In the stands, Minato's expression grew serious.
Killer B's strength wasn't just impressive—it was overwhelming.
---
Return to the Treatment Room
When Hyuga Yu was brought in, Seisui didn't even look surprised.
He knew Killer B well.
Even Minato wouldn't reliably defeat him.
[Completed treatment of Hyuga Yu. Reward: One Blue Orb.]
[Congratulations! 100 Chakra Points obtained.]
Seisui smiled faintly. He was getting closer and closer to breaking the 100,000 mark.
---
Third Match Begins
"Third match: Kushina Uzumaki vs. Maki!"
Kushina stood up immediately.
Her long red hair fluttered as she turned to Seisui and Mikoto.
"Wish me luck!"
She grinned, jumped from the spectator stand, and landed gracefully in the arena.
Maki was already waiting, eyes narrowed, focused.
The crowd quieted in anticipation.
The match was about to begin.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)