"You're really very strong. I didn't expect you... that you'd be able to overcome my Kekkei Genkai," Sakama looked at Satoru, breathing heavily.
"You're not bad either. Just a bit short on chakra," Satoru said with a smile.
"Y-you... brat, you still have chakra?!" Sakama asked in surprise.
"Of course!" Satoru replied.
"Too bad, I don't have any left..."
With that, Sakama collapsed to the ground and lost consciousness.
The medical team quickly arrived to help him and carried him away on a stretcher.
"I declare! Satoru from Konoha wins!" the Third Hokage finally announced the fight's result.
Satoru had won.
Though it was very difficult, he had won.
Satoru hadn't expected so many hidden talents at this Chunin Exam.
That so-called Lava Release Cannon from the Kekkei Genkai possessor was already approaching Kage level in power.
An ordinary ninja simply couldn't withstand it.
"If his opponent hadn't been me, he probably would've won very easily..." Satoru thought.
"Though, not necessarily... In the shinobi world, there are too many capable and unusual people. The team that arrived first is very mysterious in strength."
"They're likely even stronger than this Kekkei Genkai possessor!"
Satoru made a bold assumption.
Satoru paid little attention to the subsequent fights because his team had already advanced.
Essentially, only the first-place team, Satoru's team, and two others remained.
The break was very short.
After the preliminaries, there was still the semifinals.
However, by chance, Satoru's team didn't encounter overly strong opponents, and they passed the semifinals very quickly.
"The semifinal results are announced. Advancing: Satoru from Konoha, Senju Yoshime, Minato Namikaze, Matsubara No, Uchiha Jinpu, Taigaku, Akimichi Kichimaru, Inuzuka Gaku! Congratulations to these ninjas! Next is the first semifinal match. Four of you will advance. After a short break, there will be the second semifinal match, and ultimately two finalists will be determined.
"In the end, the ninja who remains on the arena will become the brightest supernova among us!" the head examiner announced.
The Third Hokage was very moved.
After all, only eight remained from so many participants.
And they were all from Konoha.
Deep down, the Third Hokage was very pleased.
Satoru went to the break room and chatted with his teammates, resting.
At that moment, the break room door suddenly opened.
The entrant was none other than Uchiha Jinpu.
"Do you have business with us, Uchiha?" Satoru asked very directly.
There wasn't a trace of fear in his voice; he spoke very naturally.
Uchiha Jinpu looked at Satoru and said:
"I'm warning you: if you face Taigaku from our team, definitely forfeit the match.
"Why?" Minato was somewhat puzzled.
"You want us to surrender voluntarily? That's no fun!" Yoshime shook her head too.
"I'm saying this only once. Since I've warned you, I won't say anything more,"
With that, Uchiha Jinpu left the break room.
And Minato and Yoshime looked at each other for a long time, seemingly not understanding his intentions.
"Why did he come to warn us?" Yoshime asked.
"I don't know. Maybe just out of kindness?" Satoru suggested.
"I don't know about that. However, this Jinpu is also very strong. An ordinary jonin probably isn't his match," Minato said very cautiously.
"Hm,"
Satoru didn't say much.
He just needed to defeat his opponent; he didn't want to think about the rest yet.
"And where's Teacher White Fang? Why wasn't he seen during the tournament?" Yoshime suddenly asked.
"I don't know, maybe he went to the front lines?" Satoru guessed at random.
"We must win! So Teacher White Fang can be proud of us!"
Minato, Yoshime, and Satoru encouraged each other.
The break time ended, and the three went to the stands together.
The Third Hokage continued conducting the exam.
"Next, the first semifinal match! Stop!"
The Third halted the spinning names on the screen, and two big names appeared.
"First match! Akimichi Kichimaru versus Uchiha Jinpu!"
Satoru, Minato, and Yoshime focused all their attention.
They needed to observe these two's fight because they'd face them sooner or later.
"Akimichi Kichimaru..." Satoru suddenly remembered that this guy was Minato Namikaze's teammate in the original history.
Later, during the Third Shinobi World War, to stop Mist ninjas, he took three-color pills and died from side effects.
As for Uchiha Jinpu, Satoru wondered if he was connected to Shisui or Obito.
After all, names with elemental hints were easy to find.
Once the fight began, Akimichi's fighting style clearly differed from the previous Akimichi's.
This Akimichi didn't blindly use Meat Tank to destroy enemies.
His fighting style was very efficient.
Satoru assumed it was for the subsequent fights.
"Partial Enlargement!"
Akimichi Kichimaru controlled the fight's pace very well, gradually increasing his power step by step, pressuring the opponent from the start.
Uchiha Jinpu was a standard Uchiha genius.
He threw shuriken excellently.
Using shuriken, steel wires, explosive seals, and other ninja tools, Jinpu also quickly drained Akimichi's stamina.
The two engaged in a war of attrition.
Uchiha Jinpu gradually felt this wouldn't do.
Meanwhile, Akimichi didn't dare drag it out longer either.
If he exhausted himself and ran out of chakra, he couldn't continue in later fights.
"Meat Tank!"
Akimichi finally used his signature technique.
Seeing Akimichi Kichimaru play his final trump card, Uchiha Jinpu naturally formed seals quickly.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Scorching flames erupted from Uchiha Jinpu's mouth.
Kichimaru was about to be engulfed.
Kichimaru deftly leaped his entire body upward.
"I didn't expect this guy to be such an agile fatty!"
Satoru had been neutral at first but now started rooting for Akimichi.
After all, an Akimichi with destructive power and agility was too cute.
"Hm? Fire Release: Mythical Phoenix Technique!"
Uchiha Jinpu wasn't flustered at all.
Seeing Kichimaru dodge his attack, he immediately used another fire technique.
And since Akimichi Kichimaru had jumped into the air, he couldn't change direction anymore.
Everyone held their breath for Kichimaru.
After all, dodging in midair was impossible for a human.
"Partial Enlargement!"
Akimichi Kichimaru had no intention of dodging.
He immediately extended his arm, making it enormous, then smashed forcefully at Uchiha Jinpu.
The Mythical Phoenix's power wasn't very great to begin with.
Before the enlarged fist technique, it could only singe the hairs on one finger.
"Good job! So strong!"
Satoru also shed his disdain.
Because everyone really had something to learn.