Chapter 174 – Crap, I Really Grew Horns!
The attack on Konoha during the joint Chunin Exams quickly spread across the entire ninja world.
Before the shock had time to settle, more news followed in its wake.
"Though Konoha was attacked by hostile forces and forced to suspend the Chunin Exams, the threat has been eliminated. The exams will resume in one month."
That simple announcement offered no further details.
To the common folk of the ninja world, it was baffling and mysterious. But the upper echelons of the great villages knew the truth all too well.
---
"What?! The Kazekage is dead? And Gaara's been captured by Konoha?!"
In Sunagakure, Chiyo jumped to her feet the moment she heard the report from Ebizō.
"Damn it! Has he lost his mind? Why would he make such a reckless choice?!"
"According to intel," Ebizō sighed, "Konoha was under heavy attack. The Kazekage may have thought they wouldn't hold out."
He paused grimly. "And with the Raikage choosing to side against Konoha, they likely decided to join forces. But in the end, both were killed by Kitagawa Gen."
"That boy… the new White Fang of Konoha?"
"Yes. Reports say he's mastered Dust Release. Not only did he suppress Shukaku, but he also killed both the Kazekage and the Raikage."
"That brat…"
Chiyo couldn't forget Kitagawa Gen. She still remembered how, in the blink of an eye, he had his blade at her throat back then. And now… in such a short time, he had grown this powerful?
"He's no brat anymore," Ebizō said with a heavy heart. "If nothing changes, he'll either become the Fifth or at the latest, the Sixth Hokage."
Chiyo slumped back into her seat, her aged expression even more hollow.
"…We have to prepare. Konoha may be silent for now, but they'll definitely act."
"You mean... war?"
"It's possible. The daimyo cuts funding every year, morale is low, we're short on capable ninja… and Gaara's in their hands. If we don't act soon…"
"I understand," Chiyo said softly. "We've lost. In this world of survival of the fittest, one wrong step leads to a bottomless pit."
---
"What?! Big bro is dead?!"
As Sunagakure reeled, the same shock reached Kumogakure.
Killer Bee shot to his feet the moment he heard the news and stormed toward the exit, only to be blocked by Dodai.
"Killer Bee! Calm down! What are you trying to do?!"
"What do you think?! I'm going to avenge him!"
"Are you crazy?! That's not revenge — that's suicide!"
Dodai stood firm, eyes heavy with sorrow. He knew better than most the bond between Bee and the Fourth Raikage. Bee might act aloof and eccentric, but beneath that was a deep sense of duty — and a heart devoted to his brother.
"Bee, if you rush out now, you'll accomplish nothing."
Dodai held him tight and pleaded, "Konoha will be more vigilant after the attack. Kitagawa Gen single-handedly killed two Kage. That alone will give them incredible confidence. They won't go easy on us — we have to keep calm!"
"…Kitagawa Gen."
"Yes. The new White Fang. The Silver Flash. Don't be surprised if people start calling him the 'Shadow Slayer.'"
Dodai took a deep breath, meeting Bee's furious gaze.
"We must stay composed. If you act rashly and he targets you, then there'll be no chance for revenge."
---
Both major villages were reeling from the devastating losses.
But in Konoha? Peace and calm had returned.
The village had increased security following the attack, but life had largely returned to normal.
---
"Ugh! This sucks!"
In a Konoha training field, Naruto slumped under a tree, frustrated.
"If I hadn't suddenly felt sick back then, I could've beaten those guys myself and gotten everyone's recognition! I could've become Hokage!"
"You idiot," Sasuke panted beside him, rolling his eyes. "We weren't even allowed to fight. Even if you felt fine, it wouldn't have mattered."
Sakura, Ino, Kiba, and Choji all nodded in agreement.
Kiba smirked and pointed toward Kitagawa Gen, who was quietly training nearby.
"Look at Gen-senpai. He took down two Kage on his own. He's as strong as Lord Hokage himself! And he's not Hokage yet. So what makes you think you're ready?"
"Damn it…"
Naruto clenched his fists in frustration.
Gen added fuel to the fire with a light jab:
"And besides, you might not even pass the Chunin Exams. Thinking about Hokage already?"
"…"
Naruto's face turned black. "Bastard! I will pass!"
"Don't worry. As long as I'm around, you won't."
"…"
Naruto turned green. Isn't this bullying?!
---
"Gen-senpai," Ino asked, ignoring Naruto, "will the exam still happen in a month?"
"It will," Gen replied with a reassuring smile. "There were some unexpected events, but nothing serious. And now you've got a whole month to prepare."
"Yeah, but that also means the others have time to prep too…" Shikamaru yawned, rubbing his pineapple hair like this was all too troublesome.
Gen gave him a flat look.
"But you also have fewer opponents now."
"…"
"They went down with their Kage, didn't they?"
"…"
"So with a chance this good, what are you complaining about?"
"…"
Everyone went silent. He wasn't wrong…
But… did he have to say it like that?
---
"All right," Gen said, checking the sun overhead. "I've been mentoring you all morning — time for me to get back to training."
"You're just trying to avoid Deidara, aren't you?" Naruto muttered.
Sasuke, however, was curious. "You still need to train, senpai?"
"Of course. Even the Pervy Sage is off training at Mount Myoboku," Gen said, knocking Naruto on the head. "He's got one foot in the grave and still works harder than us. I can't slack off."
"Did Lord Hokage give you something to train with?" Naruto asked, eyes sparkling. The others perked up too.
"Sort of," Gen nodded. "But I'll have to study it carefully."
This time, Hiruzen Sarutobi had passed him something very special.
Something that left Gen both awed and amused:
"Wood Release."
It was all the Wood Release data Konoha had managed to preserve — along with notes from the legendary Senju Hashirama himself!
Perhaps it was because he had truly used Dust Release—that alone was enough to ignite everyone's expectations of him.
"And now… they expect me to fight myself. How ironic."
Kitagawa Gen couldn't help but feel a bit awkward. Still, everything was going according to plan.
With the power of Ōtsutsuki Genshiki having reached such heights, it was only natural that someone needed to counterbalance it.
And since he had just given a spectacular performance, it was only logical that everyone's hopes now rested on him.
"Well, whatever. It's all the same in the end. I should just focus on absorbing the One-Tail and the fragments of the Gedo Statue first."
Right now, what he desired most were his rewards. He was eager to see what these two major spoils would bring him.
"Alright, time to get to work. I'm heading out."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Kitagawa Gen's figure vanished in an instant—leaving behind a group of onlookers filled with envy.
"Amazing… so that's the Flying Thunder God?"
Kiba bit his lip, while Shikamaru gave a thoughtful nod.
"Yeah. That's definitely the Hiraishin no Jutsu."
"Tch. I won't lose to him! This time, I'll really give it my all!"
Although Naruto was envious, his eyes were filled with firm resolve. Sasuke, too, clenched his fists with a serious expression.
"I've got to work harder too… Kakashi-sensei told me that if I can earn Gen-senpai's approval, I might be able to learn Purple Lightning from him…"
Right now, Sasuke's mind was void of any other thoughts. After witnessing Kitagawa Gen's power firsthand, he had only one goal:
Earn Gen's approval. Learn his techniques. And finally… defeat Uchiha Itachi.
"I've really got to push myself…"
As Sasuke silently steeled his resolve, Kitagawa Gen had already left the Hidden Leaf. His figure reappeared in a forest somewhere within the Land of Fire.
"This spot should do."
Finding a random place to sit, he took a deep breath and summoned his system interface. At the same time, he pulled out the fragments of the Gedo Statue.
Looking at the massive chunks of remnants, he couldn't help but entertain a whimsical thought:
"I heard Uchiha Madara's fan was made from the root of this thing…"
"Maybe I should make one for myself… just to mess with him?"
Though amused, Kitagawa Gen quickly pushed the thought aside. His priority was to use these pieces to strengthen himself.
If there were leftovers afterward, then he could consider it. If not—so be it.
"All right, let's begin."
He focused his mind and muttered softly. In an instant, the One-Tail's massive chakra surged into his body.
At the same time, he activated the power of the God Tree's Core. His hand pressed onto the Gedo Statue fragments.
Buzz——
With a thunderous hum of chakra, the fragments disintegrated into particles of light, resonating with his own chakra almost instantly.
"What is this…"
Kitagawa Gen suddenly felt the God Tree's Core within him begin to swell. Stimulated by the fragments, it was expanding, deepening its "capacity" and drawing in Dragon Vein energy at an even faster rate.
Boom——
Suddenly, he felt a loud bang inside his body—his chakra surging wildly. His bloodline boiled once again.
The One-Tail's chakra flowed into the God Tree's Core, then rushed up toward his eyes, carried by its power.
"This feeling…"
He muttered to himself. His eyes began to sting slightly, and the intense bloodline reaction left him paralyzed in place.
His chakra had grown even more intense—wild and untamed. His unique chakra signature flared to the heavens.
But more importantly, he could vaguely feel… something was growing atop his head.
In that instant, a realization hit him.
"Oh no… I'm actually growing horns."