The four contestants clashed in a prolonged deadlock atop the dueling arena. One by one, Sasuke, Gaara, and Naruto were eliminated.
In the end, only Kisame and Uchiha Saya remained.
"Miss Saya," Kisame said with a toothy grin, his stance relaxed yet brimming with tension. "Looks like it's just the two of us. What do you say we settle this with one last move?"
Saya nodded calmly. She had the same idea—there was no point in dragging this out any longer.
Kisame gathered the last of his chakra and formed hand seals. A towering wave erupted beneath his feet, cresting over the arena. From its depths surged hundreds of chakra-formed sharks, each nearly a meter long, thrashing forward like a relentless tide. Alongside them, swirling water dragons twisted through the air—powerful, aggressive, and unstoppable.
"Thousand-Eating Dragon!"
Watching from the Kage box, Hashirama Senju narrowed his eyes and murmured, "The scale of this Water Style… it's no less than Tobirama's. This guy's chakra reserves are terrifying."
Mito sat beside him and crossed her arms. "But the control is lacking. The sheer volume doesn't make up for his rough technique. Compared to Tobirama, his Water Style is still far too unrefined."
As Kisame's sharks surged toward the opposite end of the arena, Uchiha Saya calmly formed hand seals of her own, ending on the "Noon" seal. Her hands crossed in front of her chest, index fingers touching at the tips, placed right before her lips.
It was the finishing blow—an Uchiha's most iconic Fire Style technique.
"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
A sea of raging flames erupted from Saya's mouth, roaring across half the arena. The fire met Kisame's wave head-on in a blistering collision.
The summoned sharks snapped viciously at the flames, trying to absorb the chakra within. But they couldn't keep up. The chakra within the fire overwhelmed them before they could finish devouring it.
Some of the sharks incinerated on contact, turning to charred husks before crashing lifelessly to the ground. Others evaporated into white smoke, dispelled upon defeat.
Bit by bit, Kisame's jutsu was consumed, reduced to nothing but scalding steam that billowed upward into thick clouds above the arena.
Kisame exhaled heavily, raised a hand in surrender, and leapt off the dueling platform.
Hayate Gekkō strode forward once again, holding a golden kunai-shaped trophy that shimmered beneath the sun's rays.
"Let us congratulate the final winner—Uchiha Saya!"
The arena exploded with thunderous cheers and applause.
"Oh my god! I actually bet on the right one! I'm rich! I'm f*cking rich!"
"You're worthy of the Uchiha name! Our clan is the strongest in the world!"
"Dammit! Give us our money back, Gaara! We believed in you and you let us down!"
…
Some rejoiced, some despaired. Those who bet small or hadn't bet at all were simply overwhelmed by the sheer spectacle of the match. To them, it had been nothing short of a visual feast.
For the civilians in the crowd, it was more than entertainment—it shifted their entire perception of what it meant to be a ninja.
Some now dreamed of power and glory. Others realized the truth: being a shinobi meant facing dangers like Kisame or Saya. To many, an ordinary life in the village now seemed far more appealing.
The competing shinobi returned to the arena stage and bowed to the audience, thanking them for watching.
Hayate lifted the microphone once again.
"Now, everyone, please welcome to the stage the five leaders of the major hidden villages—Konoha, Kumogakure, Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure. The Five Kage!"
Just as many audience members began standing to leave, they froze in place.
"The Five Kage…? Are they really appearing here?"
"Wait, are they gonna fight each other in an exhibition match?"
"No way. There's no way our ticket money covers a Kage-level battle…"
"Maybe they're going to make some kind of announcement?"
CRASH!!!
A deafening shatter rang out. The glass wall of the viewing box exploded.
Tsunade, Rasa, the Raikage A, Mei Terumi, and Ōnoki leapt out together, landing at the center of the arena with impeccable timing.
The five of them looked at one another awkwardly, the same thought crossing all their minds:
[Why the hell did you all choose this kind of flashy entrance too?!]
Tsunade cleared her throat and muttered, "Each of you owes me one million ryo for the replacement cost. That glass wasn't cheap."
Everyone went silent.
One million per panel? What kind of glass even costs that much?
Of course, the truth was obvious—Tsunade had lost all her savings gambling again. She'd cooked up this little scheme on the spot to earn some quick ryo.
Hayate brought a microphone to the center of the arena.
Tsunade took it with confidence and addressed the stadium.
"First of all, thank you to everyone who came to Konoha to witness the Chunin Exams."
"Throughout this competition, we've seen bonds form across villages. We've seen young ninja fighting with skill and heart, showing us the future of our world."
"But all of that raises a new question: if our people can build friendships with each other so easily… why can't our villages do the same?"
The audience fell into murmurs and silence.
Sure, individuals could be friends. But between nations? Between ninja villages with long histories of bloodshed?
Peace sounded good in theory, but was it even possible?
Then Tsunade's voice rose sharply.
"Everyone, don't think it's impossible! My grandfather, Hashirama Senju—the First Hokage—dreamed of peace his entire life!"
"He created the system of one village per country. He laid the foundation for an age of cooperation. In the past sixty years, there have only been three major ninja wars."
"That may sound like a lot… but compared to the chaos before him, it was a miracle."
"Peace isn't a fantasy. We've already seen glimpses of it. And now, it's our generation's turn to finish what he started!"
Tsunade pointed toward the crowd.
"We can't pass this hatred to our children. We must build a peaceful future with our own hands!"
"During these Chunin Exams, the Five Kage have been in constant discussion. None of us want another war."
"Everyone wants to live quietly and safely. Everyone wants their families to grow up without fear."
"So today, I propose a new era of cooperation among our villages."
"Konoha stands at the heart of the Land of Fire, rich in land and resources. As Hokage, I will take the first step toward that dream of peace."
"The dream doesn't belong to one village—it belongs to all of us!"
Mei Terumi stepped forward and took the microphone.
"The Hokage speaks the truth. In Kirigakure, we've already seen the benefits of trade and partnership with Konoha."
"Not long ago, our people lacked even the most basic supplies—no livestock, poor tools, barely any fresh produce."
"But now? Now we have vegetables. Our homes are warmer. Our people wear better clothes. We live with dignity."
She turned to the audience.
"To my fellow citizens of Kirigakure and the Land of Water—tell me, is your life better now than it was before?"
A wave of voices shouted back.
"Yes!!"
"I'm finally living well! I got married, I have twins now—one boy, one girl—and my parents are thriving!"
"I never thought I'd leave the Mist Village, but now I've seen the world!"
"My husband's illness was healed by a doctor from Konoha. Thank you, Konoha!"
"Thank you, Konoha!!"
One person's voice became ten. Ten became a hundred. Soon, the entire Kirigakure contingent was chanting in unison:
"Thank you, Konoha!!"
"Thank you, Konoha!!!"
"THANK YOU, KONOHA!!!!"
…
…
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