A month passed in the blink of an eye.
In the original timeline, the one-month gap after the preliminaries was meant to inform the daimyōs of various nations and the heads of ninja organizations to come and, well, not just to spectate, but to bring money.
But in this timeline, the break was purely to give Konoha's ninjas some time to level up. After all, they weren't blind, Gaara was ridiculously strong.
Even Guy, Minato and Hiruzen were amazed when Lee opened the Fifth Gate. Yet despite being such a dark horse, he still lost to Gaara. Thankfully, Masashi was present at the time. He used sand within sand to save Lee, preventing Konoha from losing a valuable talent.
Besides… Of the five Konoha genin who advanced, four were Masashi's students, and three had incredibly powerful fathers.
If there wasn't some kind of special treatment, wouldn't that make all their hard work feel pointless?
Men work hard for what? Fast cars, beautiful women, and, more importantly, to make sure their daughters live like princesses and their sons go even further in life. So, getting this one-month break approved wasn't without its own little twists and turns.
Unlike the original timeline, where only the Hokage made the decision, here, all four Kage were present, and the decision had to be voted on.
Minato proposed the one-month gap, officially citing the need to "allow contestants to analyze their opponents." But not every Kage agreed.
Yagura supported it, after all, he was also worried that Suigetsu might get crushed by Gaara whose strength was clearly beyond the Chunin Exam level.
Rasa, on the other hand, opposed it. It was obvious that Suna stood to lose the most. If they went straight to the final round, Gaara had the highest chance of winning. But with a month-long gap? That was no longer guaranteed.
Ōnoki was initially against it as well. To be honest, with most Iwa ninjas already eliminated, he had no real interest in the finals. He didn't care about a one-month break, he just wanted the whole thing over with.
But when he saw Rasa objecting, he suddenly changed his mind. Out of nowhere, he decided that maybe the final round was worth watching after all. And just like that, he gave the younger generation a masterclass on what it really meant to be a Kage: "As a Kage, I do whatever the hell I want."
This is why he was called Ōnoki of Both Scales. Also known as The Ultimate Opportunist and The Master of Tactical Flip-Flopping.
He had one simple goal: Sure, not seeing any Iwa ninjas in the finals was a shame. But watching Suna ninjas suffer? Now that would be truly regrettable!
Thus, the vote ended 3-1 in favor, and the one-month break was approved. And so, on the first day of the break, Masashi took five Konoha genin out for special training.
Why five?
Well, if he was already training four, adding one more wouldn't make a difference.
About a week later, feeling that it was unfair for him to be the only one skipping work, he made a quick trip back to Konoha and dragged Shikuro along as well.
His reasoning? "Your clan kid is this talented, and you're just sitting around? Come on, man."
The Aburame clan found this logic hard to argue with, so Shikuro, who had been chilling at home playing with his insects, was also blessed with some "well wishes" as he left.
Now, the month had finally come to an end, and the contestants who had been secretly training outside began returning to Konoha.
During this time, the administrative department of Konoha had thoroughly prepared the exam venue, everything was in place. All that was missing were the candidates.
Ninja villages typically held large-scale events in open-air stadiums. Tournaments featuring ninja battles were common. After all, villages had to host events from time to time to boost morale and foster unity among their ninja. The villagers also enjoyed such spectacles.
Especially in this timeline, where Konoha's finances were thriving, and the Fourth Hokage emphasized infrastructure development. The newly built stadium was massive, allowing for an even larger audience.
Now, eight genin would battle it out here. Unlike the preliminaries, in this round, proctors were not allowed to interfere.
Even if a contestant was on the verge of death, unless the victor chose to spare them or accepted their surrender, the proctor could not step in. Under the watchful eyes of so many people, Konoha couldn't afford to break the rules.
Masashi pulling off a blatant rescue during the preliminaries? That wouldn't fly here. Otherwise, Konoha's reputation among the daimyōs would take a hit, something the village could not afford.
In other words, direct interference was out of the question. But the people of Konoha had absolute faith in his ability to pull off some sneaky tricks.
And it wasn't just Minato and Hiruzen who thought so. The entire jonin corps believed it. Especially the Konoha ninjas who had been present during the preliminaries, they completely agreed.
Back then, Masashi had discreetly seeped his own sand into the ground. When the battlefield was covered in Gaara's golden sand, he silently neutralized Gaara's most lethal strike against Lee.
If Rasa hadn't pointed it out, no one would have even noticed.
At the time, only Rasa and Minato realized what happened, Rasa because he was extremely familiar with Magnet Release, and Minato because he sensed Masashi's chakra. So, everyone believed one thing: Masashi was the ultimate master of pulling off secret tricks!
They were sure he would find a way to subtly interfere and prevent Konoha's top genin from suffering injuries that could jeopardize their future ninja careers.
Five genin, four of whom were his students. There was no way he wouldn't give it his all.
---
A week after the one-month training period ended, the third round of the exam officially commenced.
The spectators, eagerly anticipating this event, had already arrived at the stadium early in the morning. Among them, the majority were Konoha villagers and ordinary visitors, tourists, merchants, and common folk from outside Konoha. The rest included ninjas from Konoha and other ninja organizations, as well as nobles from various countries who made up the more prestigious part of the audience.
The Kage, leaders, envoys, and honored guests invited to this joint chunin Exam were seated in the exclusive VIP section at the top, overlooking the entire stadium.
Masashi arrived at the venue early in the morning. But all he could do was stand and wait. After all, being the head proctor was both exhausting and boring.
That said, as the proctor, he was also the center of attention.
He was a legendary figure, many had heard of him, but few had ever seen him in person. In fact, as soon as he arrived, a daimyō from one of the nations even took the time to personally come over, accompanied by attendants, just to greet him.
Thankfully, once the other Kage arrived, he finally got some peace.
As the sun rose, the morning mist dissipated, and the clouds in the bright blue sky stretched and shifted in endless formations.
It was perfect weather. A great day for a fight.
Finally, the candidates entered the arena one by one. Seeing Masashi as the head proctor, some of them were visibly surprised.
Gaara remained expressionless. Temari, however, looked slightly concerned. The Konoha genin, on the other hand, seemed to gain a noticeable boost in confidence.
Suigetsu, who usually carried an irreverent smirk, toned it down.
He remembered what Zabuza had warned him: Masashi may seem normal on the surface, but deep down, he's a lunatic who loves to mess with people. Don't provoke him.
Meanwhile, in the audience, a few people were also watching Masashi closely.
Obito and Orochimaru were among them. Both were disguised as Konoha ninjas. If Orochimaru had used skill and expertise to infiltrate the village, Obito had simply cheated, he used Kamui to warp directly in. So, in reality, Orochimaru was technically the best infiltrator in terms of skill… but then there was Obito, who didn't need any skill.
As they watched Masashi lead the candidates in greeting the audience, Obito silently hyped himself up. This time, he would break the curse. No more "wherever Masashi is, disaster follows for Obito."
Just watch, I won't be unlucky this time!
Orochimaru, sitting beside him, seemed to sense something and turned to glance at him.
"Are you nervous?" he asked.
"Nervous? My ass!" Obito shot back.
"Hmm. No need to get so excited, the match hasn't even started yet."
After that brief exchange, Orochimaru lost interest and stopped paying attention. He simply marked Obito in his mind as another case of "a stubborn fool who refuses to admit the truth."
---
The four Kage and Kumo's special envoy, Yakuzuki Fumiki, watched the arena while discussing among themselves.
Rasa, the Kazekage, spoke up first. "Minato I understand your desire to protect your genin, but appointing Masashi as the head proctor seems a bit unfair, doesn't it?"
Pulling off tricks right in front of multiple Kage… he couldn't help but feel that people were getting bolder and bolder these days.
Ōnoki scoffed. "Let's not pretend this is something new. Didn't you also make similar arrangements when Suna hosted the Chunin Exams?"
Rasa ignored him. This old bastard had been an absolute menace during the voting process.
Fumiki stayed silent and simply observed Masashi. Though he represented Kumo, he wasn't important enough to casually join a conversation between the Kage.
This mission was something he had volunteered for, an opportunity to build his credentials. After all, within Kumo, there was an ongoing rivalry between him, Takayama Hizō, and Darui. Since they were deadlocked in competition, the only way to gain an edge was through external accomplishments.
So that's the White Ghost… Hmph, he doesn't look that impressive.
He was a pure taijutsu specialist, following the same path as the Fourth Raikage. As one of Kumo's rising stars, he was the one who had mastered the Lightning Release Chakra Mode the best among the younger generation.
He had even learned the Four-Finger Nukite, and many believed he had the highest potential to eventually master the legendary One-Finger Nukite.
Minato smiled. "As the host village, we would never break the rules."
For today's event, he was responsible for hosting the Kage, while the Third Hokage was mingling with the daimyōs.
"It's about time. Let's begin the match."
He stood up from his seat, walked to the railing, and looked down at the contestants and the audience. Then, he began to speak.
"Thank you all for gathering here to witness the Chunin Exams, hosted by Konoha. Now, the eight candidates who passed the preliminaries will compete in the final stage."
Using chakra to amplify his voice, his words spread clearly throughout the stadium.
"I hope you all enjoy the matches! I hereby announce, the tournament begins!"
A Hokage was truly a Hokage, just as Minato finished speaking, the stadium was immediately filled with an intense and fiery atmosphere. The candidates' backgrounds had already been widely publicized a month before the official exam began. Of course, on the surface, Konoha had only issued a simple announcement, filled with harmony and camaraderie, emphasizing friendship first and competition second.
The real promotional push came from various betting groups.
Take Gaara, for example. He was given countless nicknames: "The Demon of the Sand," "The Lone King of the Desert," "The Genius Ninja of Suna Unseen in a Century," and so on.
There was even a somewhat playful nickname, "You Are the Wind, I Am the Sand." No one could track down who started it, but for some reason, it was particularly popular among women.
Many female fans found this cool and expressionless young ninja extremely adorable.
Once the market feedback was in, various rumors began to spread, "The Tragic Childhood of a Genius Ninja," "A Ninja Too Gifted Yet Forced Into Solitude," "The Child of Sand Who Cannot Cry," and other similar narratives.
Gaara became, without a doubt, the most beloved candidate among female fans in this Chunin Exam. And it wasn't just him, everyone had their own narrative.
For example, Suigetsu was portrayed as a young boy from a fallen clan, fighting to restore his family's honor. This resonated deeply with many minor aristocrats, who became his primary bettors.
Naruto had a similar setup, except his story lacked a tragic family downfall. Instead, his persona was that of a boy who silently endured hardships, never complained, and always wore a foolish grin. While his popularity didn't reach Gaara's level, he still had a devoted fan base.
Then there was Sasuke, whose backstory was even more dramatic. His narrative was: "A genius ninja who aspired to be a calligrapher but was ruthlessly suppressed by authoritarian parents, forced into the path of a ninja. If he fails the exam, he will never be allowed to touch a brush again."
To the average person, this might sound absurdly unremarkable. But within a particular demographic, it exploded in popularity.
A group of high-ranking aristocrats resonated deeply with Sasuke! Among them was even a daimyō from one of the great nations.
Was the story even true? These aristocrats didn't care.
"You wouldn't understand our struggles! You, with your small-time family background, could never comprehend the pain of noble heirs like us!" One daimyō even revealed that, in his youth, he had dreamed of becoming a sculptor, only to have his family dismiss it as frivolous and crush his ambitions.
"Sasuke is the son of the Uchiha clan leader, he's basically a prince! The most prestigious bloodline in the ninja world! Of course, he shares our struggles. He's one of us!"
No more words needed, Sasuke was now their brother from the same circle. Support was mandatory.
With these well-crafted personas and engaging narratives, the financial flow of this year's Chunin Exam was practically set in stone.
Of course, not everyone was happy about it. There were always dissenters.
Some individuals hired ninjas to investigate the origins of these rumors. At first, these ninjas confidently assured their clients that they would get to the bottom of it. But as soon as they uncovered even a hint of truth, they immediately backed off and went silent. And just like that, the dissenting voices disappeared, leaving only a widespread bandwagon effect.
In summary: wealthy sponsors felt a deep emotional connection, betting merchants were laughing all the way to the bank, and the Konoha administrative department breathed a sigh of relief.
It was all set, these character backstories worked wonders. Not only did they meet expectations, but they far exceeded them. The revenue share from the event was more than enough to cover the costs of hosting the joint Chunin Exams.
There was no doubt, profit was guaranteed. The only question was how much.
---
At that moment, Masashi was casually basking in the sun while presenting the match order to the candidates.
"Alright, take a good look, this is your match schedule." he unfurled the match list in front of the eight candidates. "Over the past month, you've gathered intel and conducted analyses. Now, whether all of that pays off depends entirely on you."
Gaara didn't bother looking at the names. He had already reviewed every opponent beforehand, with an entire intelligence network from Suna at his service.
If not for the fact that Konoha's young ninjas were being trained by a few overwhelmingly strong mentors, he might have even considered ambushing them while they were off guard. And technically, that wouldn't be against the rules.
The third exam had already begun the moment the preliminaries ended. Any ninja who let their guard down and got killed because of it? They deserved it.
As for Baki and his warnings, Gaara had his own judgment.
Don't stand out too much?
What nonsense. The easiest way to not stand out was to lose. But the Kazekage's order was to win the championship. That was a direct contradiction. Between Baki and the Kazekage, the latter's command obviously took priority.
"Now, for the first match: Hōzuki Suigetsu versus Uchiha Haku," Masashi announced. "The rest of you, head to the waiting area and wait for your names to be called."
Suigetsu had unquestionable strength. But Haku's strength had also surpassed that of his counterpart in the original timeline.
It wasn't that Masashi played favorites, but among all the disciples he had personally trained, none were as diligent and thorough in their learning as Haku.
Most of the Ice Release techniques that he had developed were already passed down to Haku.
In terms of technique, Haku's mastery of Ice Release was essentially a younger version of Masashi himself.
Moreover, Haku had an exceptional talent for chakra control, at least, Masashi himself had not yet been able to perform one-handed seals at Haku's age.
"Everyone except the competitors may now leave," he urged the others.
Once only Suigetsu and Haku remained in the arena, he announced the match to the audience once more, then gestured for them to begin.
These two genin, both born in Kiri and both from clans that had been destroyed, now had different identities, yet each could still sense something familiar in the other.
"I've heard of you. You're a descendant of the Yuki clan," Suigetsu said as he looked at Haku. "Our clans both bear the same burden of guilt."
"The Yuki clan may bloom anew in Konoha. If not, let it fade away," Haku replied, his tone not heavy.
Unlike Suigetsu, he felt little attachment to his mother's clan.
"I see. Then… it's up to us to decide which clan is superior."
Both launched their jutsu simultaneously. A thick white mist spread across the battlefield, and complaints immediately rose from the audience.
As the proctor, Masashi couldn't do much about it, this was simply how Kiri ninjas started their fights.
However, he had also taught Haku the Hidden Mist Jutsu and Silent Killing techniques. This match would essentially be a showcase of Kiri's style.
Activating his Sharingan, he saw only a chaotic blur of chakra in the mist. Even chakra sensing wasn't very effective in this situation. Neither of the two combatants had enough chakra to truly disrupt his Sharingan, but it was still an annoyance. It was a bit troublesome, but not enough to prevent him from performing his duties as a proctor.
He activated his curse mark, allowing Matatabi's chakra to flow through him, his Rinnegan opened.
With the Rinnegan's superior chakra perception, the Hidden Mist Jutsu's interference was completely nullified.
Watching as Haku and Suigetsu clashed in the mist, he shifted his attention to the VIP viewing platform, where several Kage were seated.
Orochimaru couldn't possibly act the same way as he did in the original timeline.
For one, Konoha was not as weak as it had been. It still had several powerful ninjas capable of countering Orochimaru, some even stronger than him.
For another, four of the Five Kage were present, there was no way he could dominate this battlefield.
Instead of wondering whether Konoha Crush was still part of the plan in this timeline, Masashi was more curious about whether Orochimaru had already used Living Corpse Reincarnation.
Regardless, if something were to happen, it would either involve the Kage on the platform or an incident in the audience to serve as a catalyst.
Since the founding of Konoha, Masashi was likely the only person capable of simultaneously mobilizing both the ANBU and the Police Force. By leveraging this advantage, he had ensured that the stadium was under the joint surveillance of these two military factions.
However, he wasn't going to rely solely on knowledge of the original Konoha Crush plan.
If the situation required it, he wouldn't hesitate to send Matatabi onto the battlefield himself.