Unexpected Promotion
"What the hell—Bai Ye's that ice-user who made a stunning appearance in the second round?!"
Asuma's jaw dropped. The bamboo stick he'd been chewing on slipped from his lips and hit the ground.
Although most spectators had left early, the shocking news spread like wildfire from those who remained, quickly circulating throughout the venue and beyond.
"I thought it was just a rumor… I didn't think it was actually true," Asuma muttered, still in disbelief.
As the Third Hokage's son, Asuma had access to more confidential information than most. He knew that in the shinobi world, the ability to wield Ice Release was incredibly rare—native only to the Yuki clan of Kirigakure, not some rogue bloodline. The artificial ice techniques used by the Snow Country didn't count.
So, when he first heard someone in the village was displaying true Ice Release, he had scoffed at the idea—and had even been one of the most vocal skeptics.
Now, discovering that the user was none other than Bai Ye—a peer with whom he'd shared a decent rapport—left him rattled.
"I told you it was true, but none of you believed me!" Obito chimed in smugly, arms crossed over his chest and chin tilted up, eyes gleaming with vindication.
He hadn't left the arena early like the others. Due to some special circumstances, he'd witnessed the fight firsthand and played no small part in spreading the news.
"I remember Duy picking up Bai Ye years ago… don't tell me he adopted someone with a kekkei genkai?" Jiraiya mused, frowning.
Summoned back by Orochimaru to observe the exams, Jiraiya had taken the time to look into Bai Ye's background. He was no stranger to secrets in the village, and Bai Ye was steadily becoming a point of interest.
Not only were the younger Genin shaken by what they'd seen, but even the Sannin—Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade—were discussing the development intensely.
Orochimaru, in particular, had started to suppress a growing obsession. Bai Ye continued to surprise him, and his scientific curiosity—and darker ambitions—were stirring.
Down in the arena, Kazuhiko, who had remained composed throughout the fight, now showed the first sign of distress. His usually stoic face twitched as he realized the situation was turning grim.
Though his Kazuhiko hadn't perished—merely frozen—he knew they were struggling to break free. Until they did, he was essentially defenseless.
But Bai Ye wasn't in good shape either. Despite the seemingly effortless elegance of his Ice Dragon's Tail technique, the chakra cost had been several times higher than Kazuhiko's.
After launching that attack, Bai Ye had no chakra to spare to maintain Hyorinmaru's initial release. He was left in a state of semi-exhaustion.
It was exhilarating to unleash such a powerful move… but pretending to be unfazed had taken its toll. He could feel his body beginning to buckle under the pressure.
Both fighters now stood locked in place on opposite ends of a massive ice cone, unwilling to take the next step.
"Ahem. A temporary decision has been made," came the voice of a proctor.
"Bai Ye and Kazuhiko will both advance to the next round. This adjustment brings the number of remaining competitors to twenty-two."
After some deliberation, Orochimaru and the other examiners had agreed that both fighters had clearly demonstrated Chunin-level strength. Rather than arbitrarily eliminating one, they amended the bracket.
Instead of giving a participant a bye, the exam would now proceed with eleven matchups in the next round.
Both Bai Ye and Kazuhiko breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Even if one of them could've pushed forward and won, doing so might have cost them dearly in the following match.
The third round of the Chunin Exams had been intentionally designed with no rest period between battles, forcing participants to strategize not only for victory but also for energy conservation.
That's why Kakashi had led with an overwhelming ninjutsu earlier—to gauge his opponent's strength quickly—and then shifted to a slower, more methodical grind.
Similarly, Bai Ye hadn't released Hyorinmaru at the start. He'd hoped to test other methods first, despite his outward indifference toward the exam. But his actions on the battlefield told a different story—his body had been calculating every move.
"Tch. Looks like you got lucky after all," Yuyan said, flipping into a sarcastic tone that barely masked her amusement. Her Byakugan was deactivated, but her attitude remained sharp.
"Who's lucky?" Bai Ye shot back tiredly.
Luck was relative. During the randomized pairings, Yuyan and Yue had both drawn weaker opponents. Bai Ye had been handed an Aburame—a high-level threat when allowed to spread their parasites early.
The Aburame were like Gaara in his early years—near unbeatable when given time to flood the field. Of course, later on, someone like Might Guy could dismantle such defenses with sheer speed and force.
Still, against most Genin, a strategy of overwhelming with volume worked just fine.
"Either way, congratulations on advancing as a team," Zhiyi said earnestly.
He looked at Bai Ye and his teammates with faint envy. His own match had ended in a narrow defeat—he'd misread a critical feint near the end.
Still, his team's loss didn't mean they were far behind. Sometimes it came down to matchups—whether the opponent was simply too strong or happened to be a bad fit tactically.
Even if they'd squeezed into the next round, they'd probably have been taken out by someone stronger.
Zhiyi and his group remained optimistic—but not everyone shared their mood.
Obito and his teammates were visibly frustrated. Being surpassed by younger peers wasn't fun—especially not when all three members of a junior team moved forward together.
"Forget it. Did you see what Tsunade-sama did just now?" Bai Ye turned toward the field, awe creeping into his tired voice.
To resume the competition, Tsunade had stepped to the base of the ice cone, called out loudly, and then driven her fist into the ice with terrifying force.
Cracks spiderwebbed from the point of impact, racing upward in a dense lattice.
Yet no shards flew. The entire ice cone fractured internally—then exploded outward in a perfect, controlled burst.
A wave of frigid air washed over everyone again. As it settled, participants found tiny water droplets clinging to their clothes and skin.
Tsunade's strike had pulverized the structure into fine ice dust. The warmth of human contact had already begun melting it on impact, leaving only a biting chill.
And yet, the Kazuhiko swarm within had been unharmed. Once freed, they swiftly retreated into the gourd strapped to Kazuhiko's back.