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Chapter 331: The Chunin Exams Conclusion
Chapter 331: The Chunin Exams Conclusion
"Damn it, he still won even with that move." Just as Madara was about to pop the champagne for Might Guy, Kakashi pulled off an even stronger slash at the last moment.
And Kakashi only fell a moment after Guy; it was clear that he had reached his limit as well.
As Hiruzen announced the outcome of the battle, Obito felt a sour taste in his mouth. Seeing Rin Nohara's worried yet smiling expression as she looked down at Kakashi, Obito's mood only worsened.
In his imagination, it should have been him standing there.
"I must master the Fire Style: Flame Control Chakra Mode as soon as possible. Let's see if he can withstand my fire style then!" Obito was now highly motivated to train, so much so that he wanted to pull an all-nighter to improve his strength and then defeat Kakashi in front of Rin.
"They are both incredibly strong," Asuma remarked. The two had pushed each other to their limits in the final moments, displaying power far beyond what was expected of a Chunin Exam.
Those who had undergone special training with Guy in the past were even more shocked. Many of them were Guy's classmates, and they had witnessed his journey from the bottom of the class to the top student and now the second place in the Chunin Exams.
During the special training, they could still see the gap between themselves and Guy, but now that gap had widened to the point where they didn't know how many years it would take to catch up to Guy's current level.
"Guy, your youth burned brightly today! I'm proud of you!" Might Dai gave Guy a thumbs-up, tears of emotion in his eyes.
Although Guy had lost in the final round of the Chunin Exams, Might Dai didn't think his son's efforts had been in vain.
On the contrary, Guy had made a name for himself during these exams. Many Konoha ninjas now knew of Might Guy, the taijutsu specialist who could defeat numerous geniuses with his physical techniques alone.
Even in defeat, Guy had only lost by a hair's breadth, and both fighters had reached their limits after that final exchange.
As his father, Might Dai naturally hoped that his son would come out on top, but he didn't see second place as a disgrace. Second place meant surpassing countless other ninjas, and as long as Guy continued to work hard and surpass the first, that was all that mattered.
In fact, Guy's rapid growth had already far exceeded Might Dai's expectations. At the age of nine, he had earned the opportunity to take the Chunin Exam and had now placed second.
"Guy, if you continue like this, you will definitely achieve your goal!" Might Dai decided that he would cook a grand feast tonight to celebrate.
The spectators in the stands continued to discuss the thrilling battle, as both finalists had put on an unexpected and dazzling display of skill.
"Having Kakashi follow in your footsteps was indeed the right decision, Minato." Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled at Minato Namikaze, who stood behind him.
Today, Kakashi had truly shone, perhaps even more so than when he was at the Ninja Academy.
At the Academy, he had merely suppressed the other Konoha students, but the Chunin Exams included talented ninjas from other powerful ninja villages. This first-place finish was truly impressive.
Kakashi's performance had exceeded Hiruzen's expectations. He had only intended to help Kakashi move past his shadows, but not only had Kakashi done that, he had also transformed himself, emerging from his cocoon as a brilliant butterfly.
Through these exams, Hiruzen could envision the next Konoha White Fang.
"I didn't do much, Hiruzen. Kakashi's outstanding performance is mostly thanks to Mu Yue. When I became his mentor, Mu Yue had already helped him heal from his inner shadows for the most part. She's the one who taught him the core cultivation techniques," Minato explained, shaking his head.
Minato wouldn't take credit for something he hadn't done. Kakashi's current state wasn't largely due to him.
At first, Minato had been worried about how to guide Kakashi, but when he took him on, he realized that Mu Yue had already done most of the work. Aside from being a bit quiet, Kakashi was normal in every other way.
In terms of ninja training, Kakashi specialized in breathing techniques, lightning release, and earth release. Breathing techniques were something Minato had no knowledge of, and while he had a slight grasp of lightning release, it wasn't his forte, and he knew nothing about earth release.
With newcomers like Obito and Rin, Minato could impart knowledge about being a ninja and share his experience on various missions and how to handle different situations. But with Kakashi, who had already been a ninja for several years, there wasn't much Minato could teach him.
Of course, it wouldn't be entirely accurate to say that he had had no influence at all. Minato just felt that Mu Yue had played the primary role in Kakashi's development.
"I see. Well, don't sell yourself short, Minato. I can tell they like you as well. If Mu Yue had truly made that much of a difference, Obito would have come to me with complaints by now, given his personality."
This was also one of the reasons Jiraiya had previously refused Danzo's request.
With powerful shinobi like Minato still in the village, there was no way they would deploy a special talent like Mu Yue on missions.
"What do you think about your students facing each other in the finals? Did you predict Kakashi would win?" Jiraiya curiously asked Mu Yue.
Obito's exceptional performance had earned Jiraiya's recognition of Mu Yue's teaching abilities, placing him on par with himself.
"If I had to say, I'm just happy for them. As for who wins, I didn't really think about it. After all, they are all my disciples," Mu Yue replied after some thought.
He hadn't really guessed who would come out on top because Kakashi, Might Guy, and the others had similar strengths, and anyone could have won depending on their performance. Mu Yue didn't want to play favorites among his disciples.
In the previous match between Might Guy and Kakashi, as soon as Guy unleashed the Wood Leaf Dragon God technique, Mu Yue immediately activated his Byakugan. As he had suspected, Guy was forcibly pushing his gates.
In fact, if Guy had used the standard Four Gates in conjunction with the Wood Leaf Dragon God technique, Kakashi wouldn't have been able to win in his current state. The ability to pass through the World of Transparency depended on the user's strength, and the stronger one was, the better the effect.
However, Guy's body had sustained significant damage from forcibly pushing his gates, which is why he fell first. It wasn't a matter of willpower anymore; his body simply couldn't take it. The fact that he could still speak was a testament to his exceptional endurance.
"Since they're both your disciples, it doesn't really matter who wins. It's all over now, so let's go buy some groceries," Tsunade said, expressing her anticipation for the evening meal.
"Lady Tsunade, do you think it's appropriate for me to go grocery shopping now, given the condition of my disciples?" Mu Yue hinted gently to Tsunade.
Without her healing abilities, Mu Yue felt that Guy would be bedridden for at least a month.
Kakashi wasn't faring much better. While Guy had injured himself by forcibly pushing his gates, Kakashi had also sustained severe injuries from the Wood Leaf Dragon God technique and further strained his body in his injured state.
"They do seem to be badly hurt. Tsunade, why don't you help them first?" Jiraiya suggested.
At that moment, both Kakashi and Guy looked miserable, clearly bearing the brunt of their intense battle.
"I'll help treat them first, but you have to make something extra tasty for dinner," Tsunade said.
"Hey, why don't I bring a bottle of fine wine to enjoy with the meal?" Jiraiya suggested with a laugh.
"You just want to mooch off my food!" Tsunade folded her arms and raised an eyebrow, seeing right through Jiraiya's true intentions.
"Haha, sharing good things brings happiness," Jiraiya said, unabashedly continuing his scheme.
Tsunade insisted on a fine wine to accompany the meal, warning Jiraiya that if he dared bring ordinary wine, he would get a taste of her fist. This was a well-deserved feast after her hard work.
Jiraiya readily agreed, and the group made their way to the Konoha Hospital.
Kakashi Hatake bid farewell to Mu Yue after staying for a while, eager to begin his own training after witnessing the intense battle.
Forget about being the top within the team, Kakashi Hatake feared that he could only confidently defeat Rin Nohara at this point. As for Obito or Kisame, he wasn't sure he could win against either of them.
Kakashi's progress left Hatake bewildered yet deeply impressed, and he knew he had to step up his training to keep up.
"Teacher Mu Yue, I'll be taking my leave as well," Obito said, preparing to make a discreet exit after seeing Hatake off.
Why linger and risk facing Kakashi's taunts when he was at his lowest? Obito had no desire to be on the receiving end of Kakashi's scathing remarks.
Facing Kakashi, who had just claimed the top spot, Obito felt he had no retort. Victory gave one the upper hand, and defeat left one vulnerable to ridicule.
Obito had only one thought in mind: to train diligently and surpass Kakashi during his recovery, thereby regaining the upper hand and resuming his taunts.
Obito even had his retorts ready. He would blame his loss during the Chunin Exams on the breakfast he'd missed that day, claiming it had affected his performance, and that Kakashi had only won by sheer luck.
Mu Yue nodded in agreement. There were others tending to the injured at the hospital, and with Might Guy and Kakashi sharing a room, Kakashi wouldn't be lonely.
With some free time on his hands, Mu Yue checked his system panel.
['Disciple Uchiha Obito has diligently trained under your guidance and made notable progress. Reward obtained – Fire Dragon Flame Bomb (Proficient Level)']
Both Obito Uchiha and Might Guy had earned enhancement rewards.
The rewards were indeed impressive, but they weren't of much use to Mu Yue in his current state. The Proficient Level Fire Dragon Flame Bomb was undoubtedly powerful, but he already had ample offensive fire-style jutsu. Likewise, the Proficient Level Great Fireball Jutsu was also formidable.
The Lotus Blast was slightly more useful, as it was a suitable taijutsu for Might Guy in his current state, and Mu Yue could teach it to him.
Mu Yue didn't see any rewards related to the Chunin Exams, and he guessed that the system would probably calculate the rewards after the results were announced.
Mu Yue was a little excited about this, as all three of his disciples had performed exceptionally well, and the worst among them, Obito, had still made it to the top four.
...
After the conclusion of the third stage of the exams, the Elder summoned the Kirigakure candidates who had participated in it.
Terumi Mei felt a bit anxious, thinking that the Elder would most likely criticize them for their performance. After all, none of them had made it to the finals, and only one, Zabuza Momochi, had reached the top four. As for herself, the one who aimed to be the first, she had been defeated in the quarterfinals.
Facing the Elder, a high-ranking and influential elder of Kirigakure, even the usually arrogant Haku lowered his head and behaved like a well-behaved child as he walked into the designated room.
Zabuza, on the other hand, maintained a nonchalant expression, sticking to his rebellious attitude.
Kisame Hoshigaki remained expressionless, as he was already the best performer among the Kirigakure genin. Even if there were punishments, his would be the lightest.
However, contrary to Terumi's expectations, the Elder didn't criticize them at all. Instead, he smiled and said, "You have all worked hard, and the village will remember your contributions."
"Although we fell short in the final results compared to Konoha, it must be acknowledged that they had the home-field advantage, which gave them an edge."
The Elder's actions took the Kirigakure ninjas by surprise. Instead of reprimanding them for their failure to secure the top spot, he consoled them, acknowledging that Konoha had the advantage of fighting on their home turf.
This unexpected gesture of encouragement filled some of the Kirigakure ninjas with a sense of awe, as the Elder was a highly respected figure in the village, second only to the Mizukage.
In fact, even if the Elder had scolded them, the ninjas wouldn't have complained, as they were well aware that their performance had fallen short, especially in the latter stages of the exams where they were outclassed by the Konoha ninjas.
"However, we must not forget our failures," the Elder continued. "We should deeply reflect on our shortcomings and use them as motivation to train harder and improve our strength."
With his keen insight, the Elder could tell that the issue wasn't a lack of ability on the part of the Kirigakure ninjas but rather the extraordinary strength of their Konoha counterparts.
Thus, he had no intention of chastising them but instead wanted to take this opportunity to mentor some of the village's talented individuals and, in the process, increase his favorability with them.
The Kirigakure ninjas nodded in agreement, feeling a newfound respect for the Elder's magnanimity.
After offering some words of encouragement and generic life advice, the Elder's image in the eyes of many of the Kirigakure ninjas softened, and they saw him as a benevolent and towering figure.
After all, it was rare to find such a friendly and approachable high-ranking official in the blood-soaked world of Kirigakure, where failure in missions often resulted in severe punishment or even death.
Terumi Mei breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that the Elder's leniency would likely not affect her path towards becoming the next Mizukage.
However, the Elder's subsequent words made her anxious again.
"Kisame, Terumi, and Zabuza, please stay. The rest of you may leave." With that, the Elder signaled for the others to depart.
Soon, only the Elder and the three talented Kirigakure ninjas remained in the room.
"All of you are geniuses of Kirigakure," the Elder said with a smile.
Obito had demonstrated his strength, and although Terumi had been overwhelmed for a portion of her fight against him, she had still showcased her formidable abilities. As for Kisame, he had nearly defeated Might Guy in the semifinals, proving his exceptional talent.
As for Zabuza, while his performance paled in comparison to Terumi and Kisame, he was still the youngest and most promising among the remaining ninjas.
Haku's performance was similar to Zabuza's, but he was older.
"Kisame, your abilities are remarkable. I think you should consider training with the Anbu. As for you two, Terumi and Zabuza, if you ever encounter any difficulties in understanding water-style jutsu, feel free to come to me for guidance," the Elder said in conclusion.
Terumi's face lit up with joy, and she eagerly nodded her head. Having the opportunity to receive mentorship from the Elder would significantly increase her chances of becoming the next Mizukage.
...
Apologies for the late update today. I was watching the soccer match, and although I had anticipated a challenging game, I didn't expect a 3-0 defeat. It left me feeling a bit down, and I struggled to write. I'll try to make up for it with a longer update tomorrow.
(End of Chapter)
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