Chapter 71: The Magnanimity of a Genius
Chapter 71: The Magnanimity of a Genius
Among the early arrivals were the three Sand Genin. As always, Gaara remained expressionless, but Kankuro and Temari appeared visibly uneasy—undoubtedly guilty about their hidden agenda. Maki, on the other hand, dared to show up openly. Was it sheer audacity? Or did he truly believe he hadn't been exposed?
Most of the other examinees arrived accompanied by their teachers or teammates. However, Sakura Haruno arrived alone, which was somewhat unexpected. But considering that Kakashi and Sasuke were absent, and Naruto seemed to be running late, it made sense. Sakura merely greeted Mizuki before scanning the crowd for Sasuke. Naruto, as expected, was the last to show up, arriving just before the matches began.
"Everyone's here? Enter the arena. This is your stage—do your best," the proctor, Genma Shiranui, called out as he briefed the examinees on the rules.
"Wait, Sasuke hasn't arrived yet!" Naruto shouted anxiously.
Genma replied, "We can't wait any longer. This isn't the first two rounds of the exam. Important dignitaries are watching—you can't expect the Daimyo to sit around waiting."
"But… what if Sasuke doesn't make it in time?" Sakura asked worriedly.
"If he doesn't arrive before his match starts, he'll be disqualified, and his opponent will win by default."
"What?! No way!" Both Naruto and Sakura anxiously glanced toward the entrance, hoping to catch a glimpse of their missing teammate.
"Enough stalling—move inside," Genma said, signaling the start of the tournament.
---
As the crowd and the examinees filled the arena, the VIPs were escorted to their seats in the reserved viewing area. Finally, the Third Hokage and the Fourth Kazekage arrived fashionably late, taking their positions across from each other.
Still only one bodyguard? Mizuki frowned as he observed the Hokage's lack of additional protection.
Was this confidence in his own strength? A demonstration of resolve? Or perhaps a means to atone for past mistakes, deliberately luring Orochimaru into a confrontation?
Mizuki shifted his focus to the disguised Orochimaru posing as the Kazekage. The distance made it difficult to observe any telling details, but both Kage sat with minimal guards—after all, they were the ultimate symbols of military power.
Shifting his gaze back to the stands, Mizuki scanned the audience, trying to pick out familiar figures.
Kabuto Yakushi… where is he?
Despite searching, Mizuki couldn't spot the elusive spy. He had no choice but to let it go for now.
Meanwhile, the first match—Naruto Uzumaki versus Neji Hyuga—was about to begin.
---
In terms of raw talent, Neji Hyuga was one of the rare, true geniuses among the twelve examinees. The only one who might surpass him in sheer ability was Shikamaru Nara.
Yes—Shikamaru, not Naruto, the "Child of Prophecy," nor Sasuke, the reincarnation of Indra.
Shikamaru possessed an intellect that surpassed all his peers, yet his lazy disposition held him back. Had he been even slightly more motivated about ninjutsu, his potential would have been limitless. His famed Shadow Imitation Technique was actually a modification of his clan's traditional Shadow Possession Jutsu—a testament to his ability to innovate.
Mizuki found Shikamaru to be a regrettable case. Despite his intelligence, he relied too much on strategy and the path of least resistance. His lack of focus on physical conditioning would one day come back to haunt him.
Neji, on the other hand, was an entirely different breed of genius. The Gentle Fist technique seemed tailor-made for him. With the Byakugan enhancing his already remarkable chakra control, he wielded the clan's signature style to perfection.
Unfortunately, he had yet to break free from the constraints of the Hyuga clan. His potential was immense, but at this stage, his mindset was not yet that of a true strongman. Nevertheless, within three years, his talent would propel him to become the first among the Konoha 12 to attain jōnin rank.
Had he faced anyone other than Naruto, Neji would have been a prime candidate to pass the Chūnin Exams. However, fate had pitted him against a Jinchūriki.
The match played out much as expected. Despite his overwhelming advantage, Neji was ultimately undone by Naruto's Nine-Tails chakra. The unorthodox power enabled Naruto to break through the chakra-sealing effects of Neji's Gentle Fist, overturning the battle in his favor.
Unable to end the fight swiftly, Neji's best technique lost its edge, and once the battle dragged into a test of endurance, his chances of victory plummeted.
As the fight concluded, Naruto stood victorious, his performance earning cheers from the crowd.
For Naruto, this was likely the first time he had ever been truly recognized by the people of Konoha. Overjoyed, he was eager to brag about his victory to Sasuke—only to realize that his rival had yet to arrive.
As the audience roared, Mizuki withdrew his attention from the fight and glanced around.
The crowd seems bigger than before…
Wait, that masked ANBU in the corner—Kabuto?
At the far edge of the stands, Mizuki finally spotted the spy.
Even under direct scrutiny, Kabuto had slipped in unnoticed—an impressive feat, even for someone actively searching for him.
However, now was not the time to act. Kakashi still hadn't arrived, and without their full force in place, making a move could prove premature.
For now, Mizuki shifted his focus back to the next match.
---
Sakura Haruno stepped onto the field.
Up until now, she had kept a low profile. Perhaps it was finally time for her to shock the audience.
Mizuki, however, had a dilemma. With a mission to oversee, he couldn't openly cheer for her.
Good luck, Sakura.
Surprisingly, someone else took up the role of enthusiastic supporter.
Ino Yamanaka was on her feet, yelling words of encouragement with no regard for decorum. Meanwhile, from across the stands, an excited Rock Lee hobbled forward on crutches, waving animatedly and blowing exaggerated kisses.
Mizuki sighed.
The quality of Konoha's cheerleading squad is abysmal…
Turning to his side, Mizuki addressed Might Guy.
"Guy-sensei, is it really alright for Rock Lee to be moving around so much? His injuries aren't fully healed."
"This is the essence of youth!" Guy responded enthusiastically, flashing a thumbs-up accompanied by a blindingly white smile.
Mizuki instantly averted his gaze.
Alright… back to watching the fight.
---
Read up to 20 chapter ahead of time on patreon.com/Legendryweeb
{please give this novel 5 Star review and power stone}
*Thank you*