Hiruzen had a strange feeling, as if the one fighting in the arena was Tobirama in his youth.
He was startled by the sudden thought that popped into his head.
Hiruzen shook his head, pushing the dangerous idea out of his mind.
If Tobirama knew someone associated him with the Uchiha, he would probably be so angry he'd flip over his coffin lid.
Even so, Hiruzen couldn't help but think in that direction.
After all, both the method of casting Ninjutsu and the skill in close-quarters combat were too similar to his teacher.
But the question remained, who taught Satoshi?
Among the Uchiha clan, who could use Water Release to such an extent?
Hiruzen pondered for a moment, still without a clue. So he picked up the report delivered by the Anbu ninja and read it carefully.
After a long while, his expression suddenly became very interesting.
"Satoshi's father was taught by Kagami and inherited his burning will of fire."
"Many years ago, in a certain battle, he sacrificed himself to protect the village…"
Hiruzen pulled out his pipe and took a deep puff.
He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, recalling the bits and pieces of time spent with his old friend Kagami.
"Kagami… come to think of it, Satoshi received your teachings indirectly, didn't he?"
Thinking of this, Hiruzen's mood improved a bit.
If he was truly a ninja who inherited Kagami's will, he should stand with Konoha.
Hiruzen's mind raced, and ideas known only to him flashed through his head.
On the other side, the Chunin Exams were still ongoing. However, compared to the first battle, the subsequent Genin didn't seem as brilliant.
Two and a half hours later, the Chunin Exams were declared over.
After discussions among the examiners, Genma announced the list of those successfully promoted to Chunin.
This included the dazed Satoshi, Itachi who was beaten into the hospital by Satoshi, as well as various extras.
When everyone heard Itachi's name, they couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
"He got beaten up like that and still got promoted? We could do that too."
Then he was silenced by his companion next to him, "Fool, don't include me in your bragging. Even if both of us teamed up, we wouldn't be able to beat Itachi."
The speaker said "Oh," realizing his companion was right.
He looked again at the white-haired person at the very end of the line and sighed softly.
The genius Itachi was beaten to that state. Just how strong was Satoshi?
The Uchiha clan was indeed terrifying.
Finally, the examiner team made their concluding remarks, and the Chunin Exams concluded perfectly.
Satoshi slowly walked out of the examination hall with the crowd, thinking of going home to rest for a while, when he suddenly saw a familiar figure at the entrance.
A square face, a middle part—wasn't that the clan head Fugaku?
He subconsciously tightened his grip on his ninja sword, wondering if the older one had come to avenge the younger one.
No, that's not right. As a clan head, Fugaku wouldn't be that petty.
Satoshi thought about it and decided it was better to pretend not to see him.
He lowered his head, trying to blend into the crowd and leave.
Unexpectedly, his white hair was too conspicuous, and Fugaku accurately spotted his movement in the crowd.
He raised his voice slightly, "Satoshi, come here for a moment."
Satoshi's lips twitched, and he slowly shuffled over.
"Clan head Fugaku, good afternoon."
As he spoke, he secretly observed Fugaku's expression, trying to discern something.
Satoshi guessed that Fugaku was here because of the exam.
So, should he apologize?
How to say it, "I'm really sorry for beating Itachi up like that?"
Or, "Actually, Itachi fought well?"
The more he thought about it, the more it sounded like he was being sarcastic.
Not only was Satoshi's mood complex, but Fugaku was also very conflicted.
His son being beaten into the hospital naturally made him a bit unhappy. But then again, if you're weak, train more. There's no reason for a father to seek revenge because his son was beaten.
On the other hand, Satoshi's performance today was outstanding. After all, he was a member of the Uchiha, and as the clan head, he should offer encouragement.
In today's increasingly tense relationship with the village, the emergence of a genius like Satoshi was crucial for the Uchiha clan.
Of course, this also depended on which side Satoshi would stand on.
Seeing Fugaku's hesitant expression, Satoshi guessed that he wasn't here for revenge, and his tension eased considerably.
He quietly loosened his left hand, which was gripping an explosive tag, and his right hand moved away from the sword hilt.
"Clan head Fugaku?" Satoshi showed a harmless smile.
"May I ask if there's anything you need?"
Fugaku snapped out of his thoughts, unsure what to say. So he gently patted Satoshi's shoulder and said, "Congratulations on becoming a qualified Chunin."
Satoshi was taken aback. "Huh?"
Fugaku nodded. "I have other matters to attend to, I'll be leaving now."
After speaking, Fugaku turned and left.
Itachi was still in the hospital, he had to go see him.
Only Satoshi remained, bewildered.
He mumbled softly, "Clan head Fugaku is reallyawkwardd."
That afternoon, the news of the two genius youths being promoted to Chunin spread to every clan member. Of course, they also learned about Itachi's setback today.
Regarding the young man who had thrashed the clan head's eldest son in the arena, the clan did not show any signs of dissatisfaction.
The Uchiha clan had always only recognized strength.
So what if he was the clan head's son? Which clan rule stated that you couldn't beat the clan head's son?
Not to mention Itachi, even clan head Fugaku and elder Setsuna once fought each other in the courtyard for half a day due to differing views.
So, when Satoshi passed by the pancake shop, the Uchiha uncle even gave him a few pancakes to celebrate his successful passing of the exam.
Satoshi ate his pancakes, slowly walking through the bustling street.
He wasn't worried that the Uchiha clan would aggressively target him because of this incident. Fugaku's behavior today was enough to confirm that.
Moreover, the clan elders should send him some small gifts as congratulations, right?
Facts proved Satoshi was right.
Shortly after he returned home, the doorbell rang.