[Author Note: Please read and support my other story. Naruto: Itachi Uchiha. Happy reading!]
----Hiruzen P.O.V.----
The final match had started between the three genins. Two of them were from Konoha and one was from the Hidden Mist Village.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, sat in the special viewing area with a calm expression on his face. He watched the battlefield closely as the young fighters began their battle.
Sadly the Mizukage did not show up for Hiruzen to boast in front of him. Hiruzen had hoped to show the leader of the Hidden Mist how strong the Konoha genin were.
It would have been a good chance to highlight the progress of his village. Two of the three Kiri geniuses had already been defeated.
Zabuza Momochi, the demon of the hidden mist was defeated by Might Guy. Their prodigy Mangetsu Hozuki was defeated by Shunsui. These results made Hiruzen quite proud to see the outcomes of the Chunin Exams so far.
He would have been even more proud if Asuma managed to win his match but he had to admit that Mukai was very skilled for his age.
Asuma had fought hard, but Mukai proved to be a tough opponent with his mastery over byakugan and gentle fist style. Hiruzen promised himself to dedicate some time to his own son's training a little.
He knew Asuma needed more guidance to reach his full potential. 'No, I am too busy for this...but I should ask Asuma if he wants the monkey summoning contract. If he accepts maybe Enma can help him in his training.' Hiruzen thought about this idea carefully.
The monkey king Enma was a powerful summon who could teach his sone valuable lessons. Hiruzen believed this might be a good way to support his son without taking too much time from his Hokage duties.
"This boy is quite unique. I quite like his dressing sense too." Lord Daimyo of the Land of Fire said who was sitting with him.
The Daimyo occupied the seat that was supposed to be for the Mizukage. But since the Mizukage did not show up, Hiruzen invited him to take the seat. This was a good chance to show him how much Konoha shinobi had progressed and to get more funding of course.
"He sure is, Lord Daimyo." Hiruzen replied politely with respect in his voice.
"What was his name again?" The Daimyo asked while leaning forward to watch the match more closely.
"Shunsui Kyoraku." Hiruzen said.
"Ah yes, he is quite good with swords and does he really have the ice release from the Yuki clan?" The Daimyo sounded curious about Shunsui's abilities after seeing some of the earlier fights.
Hiruzen had seen Shunsui use his ability in person for the first time and he had to admit that the boy's ability was truly strange but powerful if used right.
The only indication of him using his ability was the area around him covered with his chakra. But even then no one could tell what game was being played and when it changed.
The game that intrigued him most was Kageoni or Shadow Demon. The boy could control shadows better than even some experienced Nara jonin using that ability along with the ability to teleport through shadows.
The enemies could also use his games but the boy could switch games easily and the enemy also needed to understand the rules of the games. This made Shunsui very difficult to predict in battle.
"No he does not have ice release Daimyo sama." Hiruzen answered the question directly. They then watched as Shunsui decided to take on both his enemies at the same time. Hiruzen observed every move with careful attention.
'He is clever too. He first chose to fight with the other Konoha genin to show his spirit as a Konoha shinobi then changed to get more funds from the village. And he made it sound like he was just looking for a challenge.' Hiruzen thought.
'Shikaku was right, the boy has a good head on his shoulders. Someone who would become a good strategist and with his abilities, a dangerous one too.' Hiruzen thought.
They watched Mukai being cut from some invisible attack. The young Hyuga branch member suddenly had a bleeding wound on his arm. "How is he able to do it Hiruzen?" Daimyo asked intrigued.
"It's his kekkei genkai, Lord Daimyo." Hiruzen simply said. Even he did not understand what was going on completely.
But by using chakra to increase his hearing he heard what the genins were saying on the field. They could hear some music and there were some glowing circles in the arena that they could see.
As the match continued, he knew Shunsui's victory was inevitable. The way the boy controlled the battlefield with his games made it very hard for the other two to trouble him.
Hiruzen felt proud of the young Konoha ninja but he also kept an eye on Mukai's performance.
And then his eyes widened. He saw Mukai Kohinata use one of the secret arts of the Hyuga clan. It was the Gentle Fist Twin Lions. The chakra formed into powerful lion heads around Mukai's palms.
This was a high level technique that not many in the Hyuga main branch could perform well. Hiruzen was impressed by the skill shown by the boy who was not even from the main family.
And then he saw something even more absurd as Mukai added Fire Nature chakra into the secret art. The lion heads changed color and became covered in flames.
The fire mixed perfectly with the gentle fist energy, creating a new and stronger version of the technique.
Hiruzen almost stood from his seat but he controlled himself. 'He added Fire Nature to it!' Hiruzen thought with great surprise.
It was something that Hyugas of the past have tried but failed. They told people that chakra nature was for weaklings and their focus was on taijutsu but the truth was they could not add chakra nature into their gentle fist.
Hiruzen knew the real reason behind their claims. The clan had not been able to combine the two powers successfully until now.
'I will have to protect the boy from Hyuga. He would become someone strong in the future. Another strong pillar for Konoha.' Hiruzen thought seriously about this.
He knew the Hyuga clan might try to claim Mukai or restrict him because of this new ability. The boy had great potential and could help strengthen the village in many ways.
Hiruzen made a mental note to keep a close watch on the situation. He would make sure Mukai had the freedom to grow without unnecessary pressure from his clan.
The Daimyo beside him also reacted with amazement at the fiery lion fists. "Incredible. That boy has talent beyond his years." The leader commented while clapping lightly.
Hiruzen nodded in agreement. "Yes, both Shunsui and Mukai are showing us the bright future of Konoha. Their growth during these exams has been remarkable." He spoke with pride in his voice.
-------Author Notes--------
Check out my new fanfic Naruto: Itachi Uchiha
Thankyou Aidan for supporting me!
Would appreciate power stones if you can spare any!
Y'all can read the next 20 chapters of the fanfic on my pat*reon.
pat*reon.com/snipergoku
Thankyou for supporting me!