The next day, the sun rose as usual. The scorching summer heat made the air feel particularly restless, yet the stands around the arena were still packed with enthusiastic spectators.
The high temperature did nothing to curb their excitement—it only fueled their fanaticism.
Eight o'clock. Nine o'clock...
The crowd had waited a long time for the proctor, Hayate Gekkō, to announce the match schedule for the day.
Finally, a gust of wind swept across the stage—and Hayate appeared in the center of the arena.
In that moment, whether they were civilians, merchants, nobles, or even the daimyō, everyone instinctively held their breath.
What kind of matchups had been arranged today? Their blood boiled with anticipation.
They didn't care about anything else right now.
All they wanted… was to bet big.
The lucky ones who'd won before were hungry for more. And those who'd lost wanted revenge.
No one knew if they'd be climbing to glory—or plunging into ruin.
As Hayate Gekkō took the stage, the participants for the day's match walked out from either side of the arena passage.
"Today marks the final day of the Chūnin Exams!"
"Let me once again introduce the six outstanding ninja who have risen above thousands of competitors!"
"First, we have Uzumaki Naruto—the master of unpredictability!"
"Uchiha Sasuke, the prodigy of the Uchiha Clan!"
"The wielder of Samehada—Hoshigaki Kisame!"
"Hyuga Hinata, the eldest daughter of the Hyuga Clan!"
"And the mysterious Uchiha ninja—Uchiha Saya!"
"Lastly, representing Sunagakure—Gaara of the Sand!"
Thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the audience.
"The young lady is here! Make way! Miss Hinata will win!!!" shouted Hyuga Karin, Hinata's maid, holding up a banner. The Hyuga clansmen behind her roared in support.
"Gaara! You carry the pride of Sunagakure—you cannot lose!!!" Temari and Kankuro led the cheers from the Sand Village supporters.
Each of the six ninja had their own cheering section, each side shouting the name of their champion.
Hayate scanned the audience, his excitement rising.
"To deliver an unprecedented and exhilarating match, our referee team and support staff, with permission from the Hokage and assistant advisors, have decided to change the format!"
"Instead of one-on-one duels, today's battle will be a six-person free-for-all!"
"Form alliances, betray each other, clash head-on—only one victor will rise from the chaos!"
"And that winner will be crowned the ultimate champion of this Chūnin Exam… and promoted directly to Jōnin!"
"The match begins in thirty minutes! Place your bets, grab your snacks and drinks—"
"Because every second you miss could be the most thrilling moment!"
"Participants, return to your preparation rooms and get ready!"
As the six contenders exited, the audience broke into murmuring debate. A six-way melee was on a completely different level from traditional one-on-one fights.
Chakra reserves, combat instincts, strategic use of enemies—every factor mattered now.
There was no way to logically predict the outcome.
But it was exactly this unpredictability that made it all the more exciting.
There was no clear path to victory. It was like drawing straws—primitive and pure.
One step to glory. One step to defeat.
Bets flooded in. The scoreboard behind the scenes surged with numbers.
At last, the half-hour wait was over.
Naruto, Sasuke, Kisame, Gaara, Hinata, and Uchiha Saya stepped onto the stage once more.
They formed a wide circle, all facing each other. At Hayate's signal, they made the seal of confrontation.
Then Hayate leapt out of the arena—
The flare gun fired skyward.
"The battle begins!!!"
All six combatants immediately retreated to the edges of the arena, each maintaining a dozen-meter gap from the others.
Everyone was an enemy now.
Kisame grinned, shark teeth gleaming, eyes glittering with battle lust.
"If no one else wants to make the first move, then allow me to start this little brawl!"
His fingers danced through a sequence of hand seals.
"Water Style: Exploding Water Shockwave!"
Kisame puffed up his cheeks, tilted his head downward—and in the next instant, it was as if a dam had burst open in his throat.
A massive torrent of chakra-infused water surged out, flooding the arena with terrifying speed.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata exchanged glances and quickly regrouped.
Hinata stepped in front of them and drew her Shadow Chaser Bow to full draw. A surge of chakra gathered tightly along the bowstring, the arrowhead glowing faintly with pure chakra.
"Sasuke, Naruto—use your strongest Wind and Fire techniques."
"My Gentle Fist arrows can amplify your ninjutsu. I'll shoot them in together!"
Naruto and Sasuke nodded, fully understanding her plan.
Both began weaving signs at the same time.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu!"
A compressed wind bullet launched from Naruto's mouth, sweeping past Hinata's right side. The powerful wind ruffled her hair, whipping it back. The pressure was so sharp it stung her skin.
On the other side, a searing orange flame burst from Sasuke's mouth in the shape of a dragon, slithering upward.
The six-meter-wide wind blast and the soaring dragon-shaped flame converged in the air. The dragon twisted midair and lunged downward, jaws wide open to swallow the wind bullet whole.
At the same time, chakra on Hinata's arrow condensed into a radiant form.
The arrow glowed a pale blue, its surface laced with countless rotating chakra threads. Unlike her previous chakra arrows, this one was full-sized and solid.
Condensing this single arrow had drained a quarter of her total chakra.
"Byakugan Archery Technique—Heaven's Salvation!"
She released the arrow.
It streaked through the air and struck the converging wind and fire jutsu.
At that instant, the arrow detonated into a spiraling vortex of chakra.
Flames and wind interwove into a spiraling inferno over ten meters long, tearing forward and evaporating the incoming flood with roaring intensity.
Massive amounts of water were vaporized into thick clouds of mist.
On Gaara's end, the ground beneath him pulsed with vibrating ripples.
Stones crumbled into sand and rose like a protective wave. Although the oncoming tide drenched and softened the quicksand, it still served as a solid base.
More sand accumulated and, guided by Gaara's chakra, formed into a thick, reinforced V-shaped barrier in front of him.
The surge of water clashed and spilled outward, forced away from the core of the arena.
The true battle had just begun.
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