He was getting old, and there wasn't much time left for him to see the village as it was. To be continued.
Chapter 184 – Return
The Third slowly lowered himself into his seat, though his eyes wandered around the surroundings.
Looking at the villagers, he couldn't help but smile again. Konoha was the most peaceful village in the Ninja World. Likewise, the Land of Fire was the most tranquil country.
While others engaged in an arms race, the people of the Land of Fire remained completely unaware of the chaos and conflicts going on in the world.
Children born and raised in the Land of Fire even believed the world to be incredibly peaceful, with all wars being nothing more than heroic tales confined to the pages of books.
This was how the world was—some always wished to destroy and kill, while others longed to protect and maintain peace.
The Third couldn't help but reach into his pocket where his pipe lay.
Yet as his fingers brushed against the cool metal, he withdrew his hand.
"Not really the time or place to light up during the Chunin Exams."
He chuckled sheepishly and lowered his hand, looking just like an ordinary old man.
In truth, if the Fourth were still alive, he should've been living a quiet, relaxed life by now.
For example, spending his days gathering materials with Jiraiya, lying lazily in the sun taking naps, watching clouds drift by, then slowly puffing on his pipe.
He'd long passed the age for striving and struggling. He'd once stood at the very top of his strength, so a peaceful life suited him now.
But right now, he couldn't afford that luxury.
Suddenly, a figure approached from his right, flanked by two guards.
Hiruzen Sarutobi turned his gaze to the right, although the man's face was obscured by a mask, much like Kakashi's.
But his green cloak clearly revealed his identity—the Fourth Kazekage of the Land of Wind.
The Third looked at the Kazekage and said, "The journey must've been tiring for you."
"Not at all. It's better held here in Konoha. If the exams were held in our Land of Wind, even if you were still young, you might find the conditions quite harsh. It would be better to decide on the Fifth Hokage sooner rather than later."
The visiting Kage appeared perfectly normal at first glance. Although the phrase "even if you were still young" was clearly nothing more than a polite formality, it was still a courteous remark.
And his final comment urging Hiruzen Sarutobi to settle on a successor for the Hokage could be seen as concern for Konoha.
Sarutobi smiled, then pushed himself up using the armrests of his chair.
"Haha, don't treat me like an old man. I think I can still serve for another five years!"
Even though he understood his own situation, in front of Konoha's greatest current ally, the Third refused to show any signs of weariness.
A leader shouldn't look aged and tired.
"Now then," he said, "it's time we began the matches."
The Third rose from his central seat in the spectator stands. At that moment, every gaze in the arena focused on him.
Even though he had grown old, he remained the most trusted man among them all.
"Thank you all for coming to the Chūnin Selection Exam hosted by our Hidden Leaf Village."
"Now, the candidates who passed the preliminaries will proceed to the main matches to determine who will become a Chūnin."
"So please, enjoy the show."
The Third Hokage's powerful voice echoed across the entire arena.
As his voice gradually faded, it was soon replaced by cheers and gasps from the audience.
"Finally! The Chunin Exams are here!"
"Awesome! I haven't seen a match this exciting in ages. Come on, Neji, go all out this time!"
"You mean it's been ages since you last placed such a big bet on a fight?"
"...Well..."
No matter what, the spectators in the stands were filled with passion.
After all, nothing gets the blood pumping like seeing powerful ninja skills and epic battles.
Even though this was an exam for Genin to become Chunin, didn't everyone in these official matches clearly have at least Chunin-level abilities?
Even some Jonin sat in the audience with high expectations, eager to enjoy this Chūnin Exam to the fullest.
Of course, many had already placed heavy bets before the exam even began.
After all, with only two Chūnin Exams held each year, this was also prime gambling season.
After saying those words, the Third Hokage returned to his seat, watching the children standing in the arena with anticipation in his eyes.
There, Genma Shiranui was explaining the final rules and regulations to the seven examinees present.
Many people had already noticed that three competitors were missing from the current lineup—the so-called genius of the Uchiha clan, Sasuke Uchiha.
Then there was the red-haired boy, Shiki Uzumaki. But most people barely knew this kid anyway.
Compared to the famous name of the Uchiha clan, an unknown child like him naturally attracted little attention. Only those familiar with the Ninja Academy would know that Konoha actually had such a participant.
A person no genius could easily defeat—at least for now, no prodigy had succeeded against Shiki Uzumaki.
And then his teammate, the boy rumored to be incredibly skilled with a sword—Ito Makoto.
Out of the ten participants originally expected for the Chūnin Exam, three were absent.
Many seated in the audience were confused, and some who had placed money on Sasuke were already growing anxious.
If he didn't show up, all their bets would be ruined.
Still, since Sasuke's opponent was Gaara, most people bet on Gaara instead.
All things considered, the only match that wasn't seen as an underdog fight was between Ito Makoto and Shino.
According to the gathered intelligence, both were evenly matched—about equal in strength.
"You've already been informed of your match during the preliminaries, so you should already be well aware," Genma Shiranui reminded them, the senbon stick in his mouth giving him a somewhat rugged and carefree appearance.
Lee immediately jumped up and gave a thumbs-up, "Of course I remember! My opponent is none other than Shiki Uzumaki, my youthful comrade racing down the same path of youth!"
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