The second match began immediately.
Konoha Village: Aburame Shino
vs
Kirigakure: Chojuro
Chojuro removed the weapon from his back—it was one of the Seven Ninja Swords of the Mist, Hiramekarei.
Kirigakure had officially entrusted him with one of the Seven Swords, a clear sign that they acknowledged his qualifications.
On the opposite side, Aburame Shino maintained his usual mysterious style: dark sunglasses, a hooded coat, his face hidden behind a high collar. His presence felt so faint that if one wasn't paying attention, it was easy to lose track of him entirely.
"Come on!"
"I'm attacking!"
Chojuro dragged Hiramekarei forward and charged at Shino. The blade began to glow with a faint blue light.
Shino showed no hesitation. Countless insects poured out from his sleeves and collar, forming a black cloud above his head that constantly shifted and reshaped itself.
"Parasitic insects—scatter!"
From the black cloud, dense clusters of insects shot out like bullets.
"Hiramekarei—Release!"
In an instant, Hiramekarei transformed into a massive shield, blocking Shino's attack.
"Hiramekarei—Senbon Barrage!"
Chojuro spun his body, swinging the blade. Thousands of pale blue chakra needles rained down like a storm, fierce and relentless.
"Secret Technique: Insect Wall!"
The insects spun rapidly, forming a solid black wall in front of Shino. The chakra needles struck it with crisp metallic sounds but failed to penetrate even an inch.
The battle instantly entered a high-intensity clash, completely hooking the audience.
"These kids really are something—each generation is stronger than the last."
Jiraiya crouched in a corner of the arena, watching intently, unable to help but admire them.
"When I was Shino's age, I wasn't anywhere near this level."
After experiencing the ninja world, their strength truly skyrocketed.
"This world really does grow stronger with every generation."
Whoosh.
A figure landed beside Jiraiya—it was Tsunade.
"Aren't you supposed to be guarding the village?" Jiraiya asked.
"That brat Naruto already arranged everything. Whether I'm there or not doesn't make much difference."
Tsunade spoke with clear irritation.
She had thought Naruto called her back because Konoha desperately needed her as a pillar of support.
But after walking around the village, she realized the truth—
Her presence was almost unnecessary.
With or without her, everything was already perfectly arranged by Naruto.
So she came to the arena to watch instead.
"Even so," Jiraiya sighed, "with this many spectators packed in here, if anyone gets hurt, we'll still need you to treat them."
Tsunade's presence eased his mind significantly.
Orochimaru alone wasn't the real problem.
The real danger was the four other Kage on the platform, plus their Jonin guards. If they all moved at once, even Jiraiya wouldn't be able to handle it alone.
With Tsunade here, things felt far safer.
"Do you really think the other villages will make a move?" Tsunade asked solemnly.
Danzo and Orochimaru alone could already plunge Konoha into chaos. If other villages joined in, the pressure would be unbearable.
This wasn't a battlefield—it was the heart of Konoha.
The shinobi couldn't fight freely here. Too much was at stake.
Even though Naruto constantly claimed everything was under control, both Jiraiya and Tsunade still felt uneasy.
"It's hard to say," Jiraiya replied. "There are many people hidden outside the village. Once they act, the impact will be huge."
"I've seen the old man's arrangements. He's really getting old. There are too many loopholes. He never considered the possibility of multiple factions attacking at once."
"Fortunately, Naruto secretly added another layer of defenses to patch those holes."
Over the past month, Jiraiya hadn't been wasting time at hot springs.
He personally inspected Konoha's defensive points and the surrounding areas.
What he saw was alarming.
The situation was far worse than it looked.
The Third Hokage seemed immersed in a fantasy of standing at the peak of his life, believing that even if Danzo and Orochimaru joined forces, they couldn't challenge a united Konoha.
His plans looked flawless on the surface—but in reality, they were full of gaps.
It was Naruto and Jiraiya who secretly contacted the clan heads, bypassed the Third Hokage, and replaced Konoha's defensive layout.
Only then did Jiraiya finally feel at ease.
More importantly, Jiraiya saw Naruto's overwhelming prestige within the village—and the declining authority of the Third Hokage among the major clans.
On the surface, the Third Hokage was still Hokage. orders were obeyed.
But how much effort people truly put into executing them was another matter entirely.
When Naruto stepped forward and explained the dangers surrounding the Chunin Exam, the major clans immediately supported him—completely sidelining the Third Hokage.
"He's really aiming for Hokage," Tsunade said quietly. "If it weren't for him, the Fifth Hokage position would be a disaster."
Jiraiya nodded.
Ambitious. Confident. Powerful.
Naruto's resolve was obvious—this position was his.
He was going all out, not just to protect Konoha, but to pile up undeniable merit and make his claim unshakable.
If he failed, the chaos afterward would be even worse.
"If Naruto really gets Konoha through this crisis," Jiraiya said slowly,
"then making him Hokage for this achievement alone would be justified. At that point, who would dare oppose him?"
Tsunade nodded.
"Konoha has been stagnant for decades. A younger Hokage might bring new vitality and hope."
The two exchanged a look and silently made up their minds—
Even if they had to risk their reputations, they would support Naruto as the Fifth Hokage.
"Secret Technique: Insect Cocoon!"
The black swarm engulfed Chojuro completely, binding his body in layers of insects.
He struggled desperately, but his strength faded rapidly.
Clang.
Hiramekarei fell to the ground.
All of Chojuro's chakra had been drained. He had no strength left.
At Shino's command, the insects withdrew.
Chojuro collapsed heavily onto the ground, helpless and exhausted.
The opponent's insects were terrifying—
even the fiercest attacks couldn't break through them. Each insect's defense was like stone.
He couldn't attack.
He couldn't defend.
The insects came from every direction, invisible and unstoppable.
He was simply outmatched.
"If not for Naruto's month-long training," Shino thought calmly,
"my insects wouldn't have evolved this far. Without that, I couldn't have defeated a Kirigakure Genin like this."
Shino recalled his insects and returned to his usual mysterious posture, his expression unreadable.
"Winner—Konoha Village, Aburame Shino!"
Shiranui Genma announced loudly, clearly pleased.
"Hahaha! Konoha wins again!"
"You did great, kid! Next time you come to my shop, fifty percent off!"
"Two wins in a row! The Land of Fire really is the strongest!"
"Come on, boys—three in a row!"
"Is the Akimichi kid up next? Hey, Akimichi boy! If you win this one, I'll give you a full month of free barbecue!"
The Konoha crowd erupted once more, celebrating like it was a festival.
Some people shouted promises at the contestants, trying to fire them up even more.
Akimichi Choji's ears perked up.
His eyes lit up instantly.
He snorted and stepped into the arena, his aura surging.
One month of free barbecue.
No one was stopping him.
God blocks—kill God.
Buddha blocks—kill Buddha.
-------------------------
For advanced chapters, visit patreon.com/Varnok