Orochimaru glanced at Sarutobi Hiruzen from the corner of his eye.
Beneath the shadow of the hat, a faint sneer tugged at his lips.
Sarutobi raised his hand, signaling to the Kazekage to watch closely as the first match of the Chūnin Exams began.
Genma Shiranui stepped calmly into the center of the arena.
The crowd surrounding Konoha buzzed with anticipation—the official Chūnin Exams were finally about to begin.
What filled Konoha's people with pride was not just the presence of the Kazekage from their ally, Sunagakure. More importantly, out of all the villages that participated, only Konoha and Sunagakure had shinobi who reached the official stage.
This fact alone was proof enough that Konoha, the great Hidden Village of Fire, stood head and shoulders above the rest.
Cheers erupted like crashing waves, echoing through the mountains.
Genma raised one arm high into the air. Instantly, the chatter fell silent.
"Now, the official matches of the Chūnin Exams will begin!"
"The first match… Hyūga Neji!"
At the sound of his name, the Hyūga branch family erupted into loud cheers. Their excitement was palpable.
But Hiashi's face darkened. His gaze drifted to Hinata, who seemed absent, her thoughts far away from the arena. He quietly closed his eyes and said nothing.
The branch family's voices swelled even louder, brimming with pride. Unlike Hinata, who hadn't even passed the preliminaries, Neji—the branch family's acknowledged genius—stood tall in the finals.
When the cheers finally settled, Genma announced the second name.
"His opponent… Nagano Yuichi!"
Boom!
The arena went silent for a heartbeat.
Genma blinked, surprised. What's going on? Not even a bit of encouragement for him?
But the very next second—
"Yuichi!"
"Nagano Yuichi!"
"The boy who taught my child taijutsu!"
"Mine too!"
A roar surged through the crowd, louder than before. Unlike Neji's cheers, which came only from the Hyūga branch family, Yuichi's name rang out from nearly the entire audience.
The cries blended together, rolling like thunder.
"Yuichi!"
"Yuichi!"
"Yuichi!"
The chants shook the stadium.
Even Orochimaru found it strange. A mere Genin had gathered such prestige among Konoha's people. Most of those cheering weren't shinobi, but ordinary civilians. Yet their support was overwhelming.
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, but Hiruzen's expression grew grim.
Already so popular?
All Yuichi had done was help other young Genin improve their taijutsu. Yet the audience's reaction told Hiruzen the truth.
This boy could not be allowed to grow unchecked.
"…What a good child," Hiruzen muttered, eyes closing slowly.
Meanwhile, Yuichi leapt lightly into the arena. The crowd erupted again, voices crashing together.
Hinata, stunned, whispered to herself: Nagano Yuichi… so that's your name. Amazing… to have so many people cheering for you…
Up in the stands, Temari murmured, "He's popular, but popularity alone won't win a fight."
Kankurō smirked. "Yeah. The higher they rise, the uglier the fall."
Many Konoha shinobi were equally surprised.
"He doesn't look special, just a sunny kid. Why is he so popular?"
"Isn't he the one Kazuya recommended? Looks decent enough."
"Sure, but how strong is he really?"
"We'll find out. His opponent is Hyūga Neji, after all—genius of the Hyūga clan."
"The Gentle Fist isn't easy to deal with. Let's see how long this Nagano Yuichi lasts."
Yuichi smiled brightly, waving to the crowd. The sunlight caught his expression, radiating warmth as he thanked the audience with his eyes.
Even Genma found himself softening. What a good kid…
"Alright, Yuichi. Focus. The exam begins now," Genma reminded.
Yuichi nodded. "Okay, I'm ready."
Across from him, Neji never looked away, his pale eyes fixed on Yuichi. Genma didn't bother asking Neji if he was prepared—Hyūga prodigies rarely needed prompting.
Genma's hand rose into the air.
"So then—" His arm dropped sharply. "Begin!"
In an instant, he leapt back, leaving the field to the two Genin.
Yuichi bowed slightly with a smile. "Please."
Neji raised his arms, assuming the Gentle Fist stance. His voice was calm but firm.
"I won't lose to you this time, Yuichi."
Yuichi almost laughed. Starting the match by buffing yourself? You'll regret that.
Bang!
Neji's chakra flared, surging outward in a wave that kicked up a cloud of dust around him.
And then—he vanished.
A blur of afterimages streaked across the arena.
The speed stunned even the Jōnin.
"What incredible speed."
"A true genius of the Hyūga clan. Such a pity he was born into the branch family…"