pertwk Chapter 371: The Finals Begin
Chapter 371: The Finals Begin
The next day, just after breakfast.
The main roads leading to the Konoha Dome were already packed with people.
Shops along the street opened early, and the aroma of various foods filled the air.
Ninjas wearing various colored headbands, nobles in gorgeous clothes, and commoners with their families gathered in a long line, surging towards the huge circular building.
Outside the venue, long queues formed in front of several temporary stalls.
"Give me a pair of Might Guy's Youthful Double Dragon Nunchucks! The real combat version, money's no object!"
"Boss, do you still have those black windproof goggles that Obito Uchiha wore? Give me two pairs!"
Yesterday, Nishikawa Tetsu ordered all the ninja tool shops in Konoha to work overnight to produce the products. At this moment, the merchandise bearing the Konoha Science Research Institute's certification mark is being snapped up at a visible speed.
Inside the giant dome, the stands, which can accommodate tens of thousands of people, are already packed.
The big screen played a loop of the sponsor's GG (Goblin) video, interspersed with highlights from yesterday's semi-finals.
Every time Obito's black figure walked towards the beam of light, or Might Guy swung his nunchucks and sent Killer Bee flying, it caused a stir among the audience.
In the stands.
Several genin from Kumogakure sat in chairs, glancing to the side every now and then.
With a bandage wrapped around his head, Kirabi held a pen in his hand and was scribbling in a small notebook, muttering to himself as if searching for a new rhyming word.
Maki from Sunagakure crossed his arms and stared at the repaired floor in the center of the arena. Obito's abilities from the previous night had kept him awake all night.
Shirasagi sat next to him, holding a large glass of chilled juice, the straw flattened from her bite.
The atmosphere in the VIP section was somewhat somber.
The Fourth Raikage, A, knew he had been a bit too shameless yesterday, but luckily he was thick-skinned and decided to pretend it never happened. After all, people would just talk about him behind his back, it wouldn't hurt him.
However, to his surprise, as soon as the two advisors from Konoha entered the room, they sat down on the sofa on either side and then began to make undisguised sarcastic remarks.
Koharu, turning the bedside table, picked up the teacup in front of her, gently scraped the lid, and said slowly and deliberately:
"Hey Yan, do you think anyone will suddenly jump out and accuse our Konoha players of cheating in today's match?"
Mitokado pushed up his glasses, feigning surprise.
"Hey, Advisor Koharu, how could that be? Both finalists today are from Konoha. With the doors closed, it's family against family; surely no one else would dare to gossip, right?"
Mitokado Homura deliberately emphasized the words "finals" and "Konoha," his gaze seemingly drifting towards the Raikage.
Xiaochun put down her teacup, making a crisp clinking sound.
"That's hard to say. Yesterday, in the second semi-final, there were two of our Konoha kids standing on the stage, and just like yesterday, some people were so anxious that they slammed their fists on the table and smashed their chairs. They were practically ready to jump off the stage themselves to verify their identities."
Xiaochun tilted her head slightly, her tone full of sarcasm: "Young people these days, they have such short tempers, and they seem to have such bad memories. Don't they remember how confident they were when they sent their own Jinchuriki into battle?"
The two of them talked back and forth, like two dull knives slowly sawing at the Fourth Raikage's nerves.
Ai's already dark face was now even darker, turning a deep red, with a purplish tinge.
The veins on his forehead bulged, and every breath he took seemed to be suppressing a volcano about to erupt.
His hands, gripping his knees, trembled. If it weren't for the fact that the Daimyo of the Land of Fire was sitting not far away, he would have flipped the table right now.
Sitting diagonally opposite, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, quietly held his teacup, his gaze seemingly fixed on the audience below, but out of the corner of his eye, he took in the Raikage's fascinating expression.
Seeing the Raikage suffer a setback, Yagura's youthful face remained expressionless, but a barely perceptible smile flashed in his purple eyes.
A few days ago, the Raikage and Tsuchikage put on a show in the private room, trying to sow discord between Kirigakure and Konoha. He still remembers that.
Seeing the advisors of Konoha making sarcastic remarks about the Fourth Raikage without any restraint, Yagura was happy to watch the show from the sidelines, and even silently gave the two advisors a thumbs up for their sharp tongues.
Chiyo ignored the sounds around her, simply closing her eyes, seemingly lost in thought.
"Alright, Xiaochun, Yan, that's about enough."
After the two advisors finished speaking, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, finally spoke with a smile.
He slowly took a puff of his pipe and exhaled a cloud of white smoke.
"Brother Raikage, you're just being overly concerned. Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, let's not bring it up again. Today is the final match between two outstanding juniors of Konoha, so let's all focus on the game and appreciate the talent of these young people."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's words seemed to be trying to smooth things over, but in reality, he casually characterized the Raikage's unreasonable behavior as a misunderstanding caused by concern, while also reiterating that the finals were an internal battle within Konoha.
As Ai listened to the Third Hokage's high-sounding words, his chest heaved violently a few times, and finally he could only squeeze out a muffled snort from his nose.
On the high platform, Nishikawa Tetsu adjusted his height-appropriate suit jacket.
He picked up the microphone, and his voice, amplified by the soundproofing system, clearly covered the entire venue.
Good morning, everyone!
The noise from the audience subsided slightly.
"After several days of fierce competition, the first Chunin Exams of the Five Great Ninja Villages has finally reached its most exciting moment."
Nishikawa Tetsu stretched out his arm and pointed to the big screen.
"Before the final match begins, please allow me to take a moment to thank Konoha Heian Co., Ltd., Konoha Electric Power & Home Appliance Service Co., Ltd..."
After skillfully reciting a long list of sponsors, Nishikawa Tetsu changed the subject.
"Today, the two players standing here are both from our Konoha Village."
"To witness this moment, we have specially invited an elder to give a speech. He has accompanied Konoha for decades and witnessed the growth of generation after generation of young people."
Nishikawa Tetsu turned around, facing the VIP section, and bowed slightly.
"Let's give a warm round of applause to the Third Hokage to deliver the opening address for the Chunin Exams finals!"
A huge cheer erupted like a tsunami.
In the VIP section, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, held a pipe in his hand and waved with a smile.
He remained seated, shaking his head repeatedly as if to shirk responsibility.
Nishikawa Tetsu held the microphone, his voice echoing throughout the venue.
"Lord Hokage, this is the voice of the entire audience. Please come up and say a few words to encourage these young ninjas."
The audience responded in a rhythmic chorus of shouts.
"Hokage-sama!"
"Hokage-sama!"
Under everyone's gaze, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed helplessly.
He tapped his pipe, placed it on the table, stood up, straightened his white divine robe, adjusted his Hokage hat, and walked out of the private room with steady steps.
The Fourth Raikage, A, watched Hiruzen Sarutobi's retreating figure and let out a cold snort.
Pretentious!
Yagura picked up his teacup, gently blew on the steam rising from the rim, and paid no attention to this formality.
If this exam were held in Kirigakure, and all the finalists were Kirigakure ninjas, then he would definitely be even more pretentious than the Third Hokage!
The Third Hokage walked to the center of the platform, and Nishikawa Tetsu handed him the microphone.
Hiruzen Sarutobi took the microphone and glanced at the surrounding circular stands. The originally noisy venue quickly quieted down.
What? You're asking why people from other places give the Third Hokage so much face?
Get this straight, this is Konoha's home turf. Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. Trying to cause trouble in Konoha is suicidal.