Konoha: This Uchiha is extremely sneaky

Chapter 515 High-Stakes Gamble

"The final match of the Chunin Exams will be held in the following order."

Genma, with a senbon dangling from his mouth and looking completely drained, began to reiterate the battle rules once all the players had arrived.

"The first match is between Konoha's Hyuga Neji and Cloud Ninja's Omoi."

"The second match is between Gaara of the Sand Village and Naruto of the Leaf Village."

"The third match..."

"Fifth match: Konoha Uchiha Sasuke vs. Kirigakure Hozuki Suigetsu."

"Match 6: Onoki Kurotsuchi of Iwagakure vs. Temari of Sunagakure."

I don't know what's wrong with Genma lately. He has severe dark circles under his eyes, and even when hosting such a large-scale event, he seems a bit listless.

"I heard that Lord Kazekage's child is a favorite to win the championship this time. I haven't congratulated Kazekage yet on having such a worthy successor~"

In the center of the stands, a row of five seats was arranged in a line, where Toshiro, Rasa, and the representatives of the various Kage sat.

"You're too kind, Hokage. I've heard that Sasuke Uchiha, a nobleman, is also a rare genius."

I don't know what Rasa was thinking, but he suddenly said he wanted to come and observe the Chunin Exams, which made Toshiro think that this guy was going to cause some trouble.

"Our Cloud Ninja's... fighters... are also very excellent... oh yes!"

Beside Toshiro, Killer Bee, dressed in traditional Cloud Ninja attire, interjected, praising their Cloud Ninja fighters.

It seems he has great confidence in the genin of his village.

"It's really strange that your older brother actually agreed to let you come out this time to represent him in the Chunin Exams."

As he spoke, Toshiro looked toward the stands where the Cloud Ninja were.

"You're not very good at teaching apprentices, but... you have a good eye for choosing them."

My gaze swept across a spectator stand, where a blonde girl with a heavy burden on her shoulders and a cool expression gave me a look that seemed to understand me better than I do.

It must be admitted that even though he is still young, he is exceptionally talented!

And then there's Raikage, probably worried that his younger brother might have questionable taste or orientation. Everyone else's team consists of two men and one woman, but here it's two women and one man.

They really went to great lengths.

"Hahaha! He's as sincere as ever!"

Through Killer Bee's dark skin, one could almost see the blush on his face, and Toshiro couldn't help but burst into laughter.

In fact, the fact that I was able to represent the Raikage in this Chunin Exams is thanks to the peace that has prevailed in the ninja world over the years.

Otherwise, given the Raikage's protectiveness, there's no way he would have allowed this guy to leave the Cloud Ninja's territory.

"Speaking of which, there's one more thing I need to tell everyone!"

After joking around for a bit, Toshiro got down to business.

Representatives from the other four villages were present this time, so I took the opportunity to give them a heads-up about some things beforehand, as a way of giving them a heads-up.

"According to the information I've received, there's an organization in the ninja world called 'Akatsuki' that has been secretly collecting information on the Tailed Beasts for years. Everyone must be on guard!"

"A few years ago, two rogue ninja from Sunagakure and Iwagakure were rescued by this organization. Their strength should not be underestimated."

Sasori and Deidara, after being handed over to the Sand and Iwa ninja, mysteriously disappeared not long afterward.

It goes without saying who rescued them.

"Was it that organization that rescued Scorpion?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Sha couldn't help but frown.

He had just locked up Scorpion, and not long after, he disappeared. He thought it was Elder Chiyo's doing.

Now that we hear that Deidara from the Iwagakure side has also been rescued, we can confirm the whole story.

"Yes, that's a very dangerous organization."

"Ah! Let's not talk about these depressing things, everyone, let's watch the game!"

Just mention it briefly; there's no need to go into too much detail. Otherwise, these people might start to suspect that the Akatsuki organization is just a smokescreen created by Uchiha Toshiro.

"Bi's disciple is quite impressive; he can actually hold his own against the genius of the Hyuga clan."

On the field, Neji, who was unarmed, was at a disadvantage against an enemy wielding a ninja sword.

Especially since the opponent's ninja sword would occasionally flash with blue lightning, which made him even more uncomfortable.

However, Neji lived up to his reputation as a genius of the Hyuga clan, and after paying a price, he successfully defeated his opponent.

"Is that the child with the 'Yellow Flash'?"

With Naruto and Gaara taking the stage, the opponent became slightly more serious. The impression the Yellow Flash left on him was so profound that he simply couldn't ignore their presence.

"what!"

Nodding, Toshiro did not deny it.

The Cloud Ninja have a long-standing relationship with Kushina and the Fourth Hokage, so it's not surprising that they pay special attention to their children.

"Unfortunately, this child did not inherit his father's talent..."

Looking down at the large group of charging figures, Toshiro felt a little regretful.

Based on Naruto's hair color and the fact that he didn't exhibit the vortex physique, he should have inherited Minato's space-time ninjutsu talent.

Kushina did try to teach Naruto about sealing techniques in order to prepare him to inherit Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique.

Unfortunately, no matter how much she threw a tantrum, Naruto just couldn't learn from her.

"I don't believe you!"

Although no one said anything when Toshiro revealed his shortcomings, none of the people present believed him.

How could a ninja easily believe what others say?

"That child must be Shukaku's 'medium'! I didn't expect the Kazekage to let him participate in this competition~"

Thanks to Toshiro's involvement, Gaara's sleep quality has been barely acceptable in recent years, and he hasn't become as neurotic as he was in the original story.

There was only a faint bluish-gray at the corner of his eye, far less exaggerated than the panda eyes in the original work. Moreover, as he has grown older, he has now begun to slowly adapt to Shukaku's presence.

Even without the bracelet given to her by Toshiro, she can fall asleep normally.

"The Hokage's eyes are sharp!"

Although he was praising her, Luo Sha's brows were deeply furrowed.

He started to become suspicious.

Gaara's identity is a top secret in the Sand Village. Apart from a few high-ranking members, no one knows it at all. Even Pakura probably doesn't know.

Could it have been leaked by higher-ups in the village?

Was it unintentional or intentional?

"It seems we'll need to investigate this thoroughly when we get back."

……

"Naruto, my happiness depends on your performance!"

In the stands, Jiraiya watched Naruto's fierce battle, his palms sweating with tension.

If I had known it would turn out this way, I shouldn't have slacked off when training Naruto.

He never imagined that his lifelong happiness would be entrusted to Naruto.

If the other party loses, he will not only lose all his wealth, but also his future happiness.

"Kushina, your sensory abilities are outstanding. Do you think Naruto has a good chance of winning?"

After glancing cautiously at Tsunade's composed expression, Jiraiya began to question Kushina, who was standing beside him.

"...It's hard to say!"

Kushina twitched her lips, glanced at Jiraiya, and muttered with some dissatisfaction.

"Honestly, you two are over a hundred years old combined, yet you're still so childish. How can you decide something like this with a bet?"

Even if you're going to make a bet, don't use Naruto as a wager!

Kushina was internally ranting and raving.

Seeing that Jiraiya was distracted and secretly glanced at Naruto's opponent, Kushina couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

She wasn't telling the truth; Naruto's opponent seemed to be a Jinchuriki, and one wrong move could lead to disaster. And that's not all; Naruto had to fight his way to the finals and win for Jiraiya to reap the rewards of this gamble.

In her opinion, the chances were slim.

"Alright, Jiraiya, can you be quiet for a second?"

Unlike Jiraiya, who was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, Tsunade appeared much calmer.

Despite being a gambling addict, she couldn't resist the urge to gamble and made the bet with Jiraiya.

There's no way around it; the bargaining chips Jiraiya offered were just too tempting.

"Naruto, your chance has come!"

Seeing Gaara completely covered in sand in the arena, Jiraiya's eyes lit up, and he looked up at the Hokage Rock in the distance.

He began to pray in his heart, hoping that Minato would bless his son so that he could successfully unleash the Fourth Hokage's ninjutsu.

With the power of the Rasengan, severely injuring that Sand Ninja brat would be no problem at all.

"It's a success!"

Seeing the Sand Ninja brat who had fallen into a coma, Jiraiya began to cheer with joy.

All my hard work this past month has finally paid off. Naruto... you are the one who decides my fate, the chosen one!

"Don't be too happy yet!"

Seeing Jiraiya's smug expression, Tsunade couldn't help but pour cold water on his enthusiasm.

"This is only the first victory. You can be happy when this kid makes it to the finals!"

"Leaving aside everything else, that Uchiha brat alone is enough to give Naruto a headache."

"Uh~"

The laughter stopped abruptly.

Seeing Jiraiya's expression, like a duck with its neck caught in its throat, Tsunade couldn't help but smirk.

At the same time, she was also somewhat confused, unsure whether the decision she had made was right or wrong.

As time slowly passed.

The sun was beginning to set, and after being bombarded with a large amount of ninjutsu, the once relatively flat ground had become pitted and uneven.

"here we go!"

Looking at the two teenagers facing off in the middle of the field.

Jiraiya was so excited that his heart was about to jump out of his throat.

Although Naruto paid a heavy price, he successfully advanced to the finals. His current opponent is Sasuke Uchiha, who has activated his Bloodline.

"Naruto, do your best!!"

To encourage Naruto, Jiraiya channeled his chakra and let out a loud shout that echoed throughout the entire arena.

"oh!"

Naruto, who was completely unaware of the situation, was encouraged by Jiraiya and became full of fighting spirit.

"Sasuke, today... I will definitely defeat you!"

For so many years, ever since the ninja academy, he and the boy opposite him have disliked each other. Today, they can finally settle things once and for all.

(End of this chapter)