The Third Kazekage… Lost?
Reto's eyes widened, his mouth half-open as if he wanted to speak but couldn't. He had thought that once the Third Kazekage used Iron Sand: Wings, he would easily defeat Kazekaze. Never in a million years did he expect such a dramatic reversal!
The disciple he had trained with his own hands—had lost! And he had lost to a seven-year-old Genin from Konohagakure!
Impossible!
Reto rubbed his eyes, unwilling to accept the truth. But Kazekaze had indeed won the first round of the official matches.
The proctor, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had loudly announced Kazekaze's victory in a voice that every spectator could hear.
Watching the Third Kazekage being carried away on a stretcher by the medical staff, Reto felt as though a massive stone had dropped into his heart, sending wave after wave of ripples—unable to calm down.
The most critical part was… The Third Kazekage had neither underestimated his opponent nor held back. He had even brought out his strongest trump card—Iron Sand: Wings—against Kazekaze. And yet, he still lost.
This could only mean one thing: there was a real gap in their raw strength!
"Hashirama's grandson..." Reto's fists clenched unconsciously, his heart filled with envy, jealousy, and frustration toward Hashirama.
"What a truly magnificent match," said Tsuchikage Ishikawa with a sigh from beside him.
Whether in tactics or raw strength, both combatants far surpassed their peers. In fact… In certain respects, they were even superior to Chūnin—or even Jōnin. Had he not seen it with his own eyes, Ishikawa would've found it hard to believe this was a Genin vs Genin match.
Moreover… Whether it was Kazekaze… Or the Third Kazekage… As extraordinarily talented Genin in their respective villages, they were undoubtedly cornerstones of the future.
With meticulous cultivation, their futures were bound to shine brightly! They would become the Kage of their villages one day!
"Especially the Hokage-sama's grandson. He will undoubtedly leave a bold and colorful mark in the history of the shinobi world." So declared Ishikawa.
As the founding hero of Iwagakure, Ishikawa had never been a petty man. Though he did envy Hashirama for producing such a grandson, he still genuinely praised Kazekaze.
His only regret was… That he hadn't brought Ōnoki along to serve as a judge for this Chūnin Exam.
"I really wish Ōnoki could've seen this battle. It would've been tremendously beneficial for his growth!"
"Hahaha!" Hashirama laughed heartily. Though he was a little disappointed that he had only bet ten thousand ryō on Kazekaze, he quickly brushed off the feeling.
No matter what, the Genin who had won the first round—was his own grandson! And there were still seven matches to go. Starting the day with such a great outcome clearly meant his luck was good.
Couldn't he just bet more in the upcoming matches?
"Tsuchikage-dono, you flatter him too much. Kazekaze is only seven years old this year—he's still got a long way to go," Hashirama said with a booming laugh.
Especially when he mentioned that Kazekaze was only seven, he laughed even harder. Reto and Ishikawa turned to glare at Hashirama, black lines running down their faces. Inwardly, it felt like a hundred elephants were stampeding across their chests!
Only?!
Only seven years old?!
But no matter how you spun it, the fact remained—Kazekaze was only seven years old. His talent could only be described with one word: monster.
Just the thought of what they were doing at age seven made these renowned Kage feel like comparing people really could kill.
The worst part was… They had been born during the Warring States Period. Back then, the shinobi world had been far more brutal than it was now.
The average life expectancy of a shinobi barely reached thirty— Because children died on the battlefield far too young! Anyone who managed to survive had to possess keen instincts, quick thinking, and exceptional combat skills. Which meant that war-era shinobi should, in theory, be stronger than those raised in peaceful times.
Yet even so, in the minds of these Kage-level powerhouses, not a single genius from the Warring States Period could be compared to Kazekaze!
"If Kazekaze were thrown into a battlefield of shinobi killing each other, then his rate of growth..." Reto and Ishikawa both felt a chill down their spines.
Just imagining it was terrifying.
"Kazekaze..." Tobirama silently repeated the name in his heart. Though he kept up appearances, maintaining a calm exterior, inside, he was ecstatic.
When he saw the Third Kazekage soar into the sky, even he thought Kazekaze would lose! He genuinely couldn't imagine how a seven-year-old could turn the tide against such an unusual jutsu. And yet— Kazekaze had used his overwhelming strength to smack him in the face—figuratively, of course.
And what a satisfying smack it was!
So satisfying! Tobirama almost wished Kazekaze would press his face to the ground and slap it repeatedly with the soles of his shoes! Of course, that was just a metaphor.
A metaphor to express Tobirama's sheer exhilaration!
He had even made up his mind: Kazekaze would be promoted to Chūnin immediately! He would personally lead a squad on missions.
"Kumogakure has been active along the border lately..." Tobirama shook his head, setting that matter aside for now.
After all, the Chūnin Exams weren't over. Seven rounds still remained.
"My grandson Kazekaze has the makings of a Hokage!" Hashirama beamed with pride, feeling even more certain of this than ever.
But what Hashirama could never have anticipated, even in his wildest dreams— Was that the matches to come would mark the beginning of his worst nightmare.
As a man with a gambling habit, Hashirama naturally wouldn't miss a single opportunity to place a bet. At the same time… In the spectator stands— Every member of the Uchiha Clan was stunned into silence. The elder clan head was so shocked that his Sharingan instantly evolved into the Three Tomoe form.
Good grief.
He really said—good grief!
Back in the Warring States era, the Senju Clan had indeed been formidable, but the Uchiha hadn't been far behind. The battles had always been back and forth.
So how did things fall apart starting with Hashirama?! The clan's genius, Uchiha Izuna, had been one-shotted by Tobirama! Their prodigy, Uchiha Madara, had been defeated by Hashirama again and again! And now a new monster had appeared—Kazekaze. With just one move, he had one-shotted their clan's genius, Uchiha Setsuna!
"Kagami..." The Uchiha elder inhaled sharply and turned to look at Uchiha Kagami, seated beside him.
"Compared to that Kazekaze... do you think you could—"
Originally, he had intended to ask Kagami whether he had the confidence to defeat Kazekaze. Even if there was an age gap, that didn't matter. But the moment he opened his mouth, even he realized how ridiculous it sounded.
"Forget it. Just shut up."
Uchiha Kagami: "???"
'I didn't even say anything, Clan Leader!'
But thinking that the clan leader had been about to compare him to that monster, Kazekaze, Kagami figured it was better to act like he'd heard nothing at all.
Meanwhile, the Uchiha elder mentally went through every name he could think of. And in the end… The once-mighty Uchiha Clan had no one who could stand against Kazekaze!
"Wait... I think the Uchiha Kinya family has a daughter around the same age as Kazekaze..."
Suddenly, the elder's eyes lit up as he remembered Hashirama's policy of encouraging inter-clan marriages.