Konoha Year 64, summer.
The day of the Chunin Exams' third-round finals had finally come.
At sunrise, Konoha Village was already seething with noise and excitement.
Along the broad main road, gorgeously adorned carriages and palanquins rolled in an endless stream; guided by Konoha Ninja, they headed for the circular arena built for today's grand event.
A curtain lifted; a noble in elaborate ceremonial robes, folding fan in hand, stepped down briskly, aided by attendants. His face alight with restrained excitement, he whispered to his companion:
"Have you heard? The Genin this year are extraordinary! There's the last orphan of the Uchiha Clan, the Hyuga prodigy, the Kazekage's son from Sunagakure… and most shocking of all—Tejima Shinichi!"
A plump noblewoman beside him covered her mouth with her fan, her eyes sparkling.
"How could I not! The boy who awakened the First Hokage's Wood Release! In the second exam he supposedly subdued a rampaging Tailed Beast head-on—my goodness, a Tailed Beast!"
"Tsk, only twelve… truly heroes come young." Another bearded noble shook his head in wonder. "With such power it's no wonder the Third Hokage took him as a personal disciple and spares no effort in training him. Looks like Konoha's pillar for the next few decades has already appeared."
"Exactly! I rushed here from the capital just to see this legendary boy. Today's matches will surely be spectacular!"
Amid the chatter, these illustrious nobles and celebrities from every corner of the Land of Fire, each with their own thoughts and expectations, entered the arena, followed the VIP passage, and walked toward the best seats in the house.
A tide of clamorous voices surged; the atmosphere was at fever pitch!
…Far away, atop a high building.
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, gazed silently at the endless stream of people flowing into the arena below.
He wore full ceremonial robes and a conical hat; beneath its shadow, his aged face looked especially grave.
A soft rush of wind sounded.
A figure knelt on one knee behind him—the Captain of the Anbu.
"Lord Hokage," the captain said in a low voice, "every sector has been deployed according to plan. Target 'Kazekage' and his entourage have entered the assigned area; the hidden Otogakure ninja are under tight surveillance. All combat units are in position and ready to counterattack at any moment."
Hiruzen did not turn; he simply gave a slight nod.
After a moment of silence, as if something had suddenly occurred to him, he asked,
"Shinichi… hasn't returned yet?"
"We have still received no word of Lord Shinichi's return to the village. However… the last report from our field Anbu states that Lord Shinichi has successfully located Lady Tsunade and joined up with her."
"…Is that so?"
Listening to the report, Hiruzen nodded slowly.
Then, resolute, he turned and walked toward the arena, leaving a single order behind:
"Transmit the command: everything… proceeds as planned!"
…Inside the circular arena, voices seethed.
The stands were packed; nobles, merchants, and Konoha villagers from every part of the Land of Fire fixed their eyes on the field below, eagerly awaiting the battles about to begin.
Several Genin who had passed the preliminaries stood in line, gazing up at the countless figures in the stands, each lost in thought.
Uchiha Sasuke, hands in pockets, swept his gaze across the noisy crowd and curled his lip slightly.
'Hmph, boring.'
He scoffed inwardly. What did the cheers and expectations of these mediocrities have to do with him?
Yet… as his eyes swept over the examinees, his brows knitted.
The matches were about to start—so why hadn't Naruto and Shinichi shown up?
Thinking of that dead-last Naruto was just a pain, but thinking of Tejima Shinichi stirred a complicated feeling within him.
During this period, under Kakashi's guidance, he had trained almost without rest and finally grasped the initial form of that ninjutsu called "Chidori."
Every time the electric current crackled in his palm he felt power surging; that strength intoxicated him and made him long to fight Shinichi again—no, to display his power and prove he would not lose to anyone!!
'…Being able to master Chidori so quickly also owes much to the lightning-chakra method Shinichi taught me.'
The thought surfaced and darkened his mood; the more he pondered, the heavier the invisible pressure felt.
It was as if every step of his growth had been foreseen—and even planned—by that person.
'Just how far ahead do you see, you bastard?!'
Hyuga Neji stood quietly to one side; the field and stands alike fell within his Byakugan's vision.
'Shinichi… is never late without reason. Did something happen, or…'
Just as each of them was lost in thought—
"Waaahhh—!! Outta the way! Move it—!!"
An exaggerated shriek and frantic yelling exploded from the entrance passage.
Then, under everyone's stunned gaze, Uzumaki Naruto tumbled in through the gate in a spectacularly sorry posture, slammed onto the hard stone floor, and slid all the way to Shikamaru's feet.
Scrambling up while dusting himself off, he pointed back at the gate and shouted a warning to everyone in the field:
"Ox! There's an ox! Watch out!!!"
His rattled, flustered look broke the tense atmosphere and drew another wave of laughter from the stands.
Gekko Hayate, watching the panting Naruto, rubbed his brow to suppress a cough, full of helpless exasperation.
He stepped forward, swept his gaze over the remaining examinees once more, and confirmed that the most crucial figure had still not appeared.
'Lord Shinichi… hasn't made it yet?'
Hayate wondered inwardly.
As a Special Jonin privy to part of the inside story, he knew what this Chunin Exam would truly bring… and that made him even more worried about why Tejima Shinichi was delayed!
While anxiety stirred in Hayate's heart, a breeze brushed his face; before he could fully react, it seemed the world flickered.
In the next instant, at the center of the field—before any of the examinees or the countless spectators could catch it—a figure was already standing there in utter stillness.
Gekko Hayate's pupils shrank, a wave of shock crashing over him.
'So fast!'
He hadn't even seen how or when the boy had arrived!
Tejima Shinichi raised his head, swept his gaze across the arena, and finally settled it on Hayate:
"Sorry I'm late."
Hayate forced down his turmoil and answered at once,
"No, Shinichi… you're right on time."
Then, eyes drifting toward the Hokage's box, he added in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"Everything… is ready."
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