บท 82: Chapter 82
"Ibiki, you did a good job. You actually got rid of more than half of the useless guys."
Anko patted Ibiki's shoulder with a smile.
"I'll leave this to you. I have other things to do, so I'm leaving first!"
Ibiki's face was expressionless as he departed without saying much, feeling embarrassed if he exchanged too many words with Anko.
"I know, I know, just leave it to me!" Anko waved her hands nonchalantly, then showed an excited look. This middle-ranked examiner always gave off the vibe of being unreliable.
"The location of the second exam is the 'Forest of Death'! Don't think you can relax after surviving the first exam, because in the next exam, I will eliminate at least half of you!"
Her threat didn't faze Kazuki. Looking at the imposing Mitarashi Anko on the podium, Kazuki yawned out of boredom. His casual behavior naturally caught Anko's attention.
She raised her hand and threw a kunai, aiming directly at Kazuki's head. Faced with such a challenge, Anko didn't mind teaching him a lesson early!
But to her surprise, the kunai thrown by a seasoned Jounin was effortlessly caught between Kazuki's fingers.
"I almost scratched my handsome cheek. That was dangerous!" Kazuki said calmly, his expression relaxed, as if it were no big deal.
Anko couldn't believe it and took Kazuki's behavior as a provocation. Though Kazuki was undeniably good-looking and a Genin of Konoha, being shown up in front of the other candidates wasn't something she could let slide.
"It seems this student is very confident in his own strength. Let's hope you can keep this attitude tomorrow!" Anko sneered, her aura pressing down on Kazuki with the experience of a veteran.
Typically, handsome Genin were seen as "pretty faces"—all show, no substance. But this time, her intimidation had no effect on Kazuki, who simply yawned in response.
"You're welcome to try your best tomorrow, Mitabashi Anko," Kazuki replied, dismissively.
"My name is Mitarashi!" she snapped.
"Ah, right. Is there anything else? If not, I'm leaving." Kazuki turned to leave.
Anko's attempt to intimidate Kazuki failed miserably. Though he was only a Genin, his strength was on par with a Jounin. The label of a Genin with Jounin-level power reminded Anko of one person—Kazuki Gekko!
"Are you Gekko Kazuki?"
"Have you heard of me?" Kazuki asked, his face calm.
"Just bits and pieces," Anko admitted, still skeptical of how formidable this young man was.
"Well, that's right. I am Kazuki of the Gekko Clan."
"I heard you're as strong as a Jounin, but now you're participating in a small Chuunin exam. Isn't that overkill?" Anko said jokingly.
The other candidates, who were still around, buzzed in disbelief.
"What? He's as strong as a Jounin?"
"How old is this guy?"
"Are you serious? A Jounin taking the Chuunin Exam? No one stands a chance against him!"
"I protest, this isn't fair!"
The noise was deafening. Kazuki's expression turned cold.
"Quiet!" His voice silenced the room, and everyone immediately stopped talking. The atmosphere grew tense.
An unamused ninja from Amegakure stepped forward, yelling, "A Jounin in the Chuunin exam? That's shameless of Konoha!"
Before he could finish, he suddenly disappeared, crashing through the window and vanishing into the distance.
"Noisy," Kazuki muttered, his action so swift that only a handful of Jonin-level ninja saw what happened. The rest were left guessing.
The two Amegakure ninjas, friends of the one just thrown out, wanted to protest but held back, fearing they'd be next.
They looked towards Anko for guidance, hoping Konoha would address the situation fairly. Ever since the Fourth Hokage's death, Konoha had been cautious under the Third Hokage's leadership. They were sure Konoha would give a proper explanation… right?
Anko didn't expect Kazuki to stir up so much trouble. Although he was only a Genin, he had already defeated a Genin from Otogakure before the exam even started. If she'd known, she might have suggested to the Third Hokage that Kazuki be promoted directly instead of participating.
"What a troublemaker," Anko thought, her expression darkening. "Three more have been eliminated. Forty left… Whatever, see you tomorrow! Remember, it's the 'Forest of Death.' Being late means disqualification!"
The Amegakure ninjas glared at Kazuki but quickly ran off to find their comrade, who might not survive his injuries.
Konoha's favoritism towards Kazuki was clear, and no one dared to provoke someone as strong as a Jonin who was participating in the Chuunin exam just for fun. Competing against him tomorrow felt like a death sentence.
Meanwhile, the Sunagakure ninjas and Kabuto Yakushi quietly reported their findings back to their leaders.
In an inn, Baki wasn't surprised by what Temari reported from the first Chunin Exam. He'd already received information about Kazuki from Orochimaru.
Kazuki had mastered the chakra nature transformations of fire and lightning before graduating, and he excelled in both Konoha-style swordsmanship and Uchiha-style swordsmanship. He was this year's top graduate, surpassing even the Uchiha prodigy.
With no bloodline limits, Kazuki had earned his reputation purely through his exceptional skills in ninjutsu and swordsmanship. His talent reminded Baki of legends like Hatake Sakumo and the Fourth Hokage, both of whom became feared throughout the ninja world without any unique bloodline abilities.
Could Kazuki be the next to join their ranks?
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