Chapter 020 Final

The next part is the preliminary elimination round for the final round. Menma fights against some senior Genin and defeats them quickly.

Menma didn't meet Gai or Kakashi as an opponent in the competition. Obito was eliminated along with Ebisu. Rin surrendered as she came along with Kakashi and Obito. She is more like a traditional medicinal ninja than a fighting ninja.

Asuma and Kurenai advanced to the next stage. Genma is also one of the promoted participants. Ibiki and Anko are also promoted to the next stage.

But due to war, the final match is in a week. They don't have much time to practice.

-A week later-

The day of the Chunin exam has finally arrived. The first match is between Genma and Kurenai. Somehow Kurenai defeated Genma after a tough fight. Kurenai showed a great aptitude for Genjutsu. Asuma had the worst luck as he faced Kakashi in the next match and got eliminated after a tough battle. The third match was between Anko and Gai. And of course, Gai showed an abnormal strength which resulted in his win. Anko surrendered to Gai after exchanging some blows. All the genin and many chunin and jonin came to watch it. Rin and Obito are sitting together with Minato and Kushina and cheering for Kakashi.

In the fourth match, Ibiki and Menma walk onto the field together. The audience sees the young Menma walking toward the referee from one side.

Ibiki wanted to test the waters. As soon as the Referee explained the rules and told them to start, Ibiki immediately sent many kunai and shurikens flying towards Menma. Menma didn't look a bit concerned about it.

Instead, he dodged the kunai and shurikens from the gaps. Suddenly Menma's walking style turned into that of a tiger. His footsteps were silent as they walked. Ibiki dodged the claw strike of Menma who was silent but the ground was covered with a large amount of dust and a very large amount of debris flew.

Ibiki didn't rest and a figure of Menma came out of the dust and attacked from sides. Ibiki is confused as he never thought that Menma suddenly attacked him and almost threw him into the dust.

Ibiki maintains distance so as not to get blinded by dust or thrown into it. Ibiki is ready to dodge another attack, but a kunai is pinned against his neck.

The Menma in front of him disappeared in a puff of smoke, but from behind the Ibiki, the person who appeared was Menma, pinning his neck with a kunai.

Ibiki said, " I give up."

The referee said, "Menma wins."

The audience gave him an applause.

The next match was between Kakashi and Gai. And the audience was in awe.

A loud voice heard from Dai at that time, " Gai show the power of your youth."

And Gai nodded his head. He made his father a proud person today. Gai removed his weights and he became even faster.

Kakashi thought at that time, " I am in a big problem now. Gai hid his trump card."

He knows the power of Gai. But he didn't want to lose either. Both exchanged blow after blow. Kakashi avoided most of his punches time after time. As time passed he noticed that Gai was a little tired but nowhere near losing to him.

Kakashi applied Genjutsu on him but Gai broke it with sheer will. But Gai is nowhere near his future level right now.

Kakashi And Gai fought without backing out. Even Obito felt that he was not a rival to Kakashi and Gai. Gai is the one who eliminated him in the elimination round.

But soon both of them are getting tired and eliminate each other at the shocking turn of an event.

The referee said, "This match is a draw. Both participants are eliminated. "

But the audience still gave an applause. Gai took a chunin as a genin with him. He secured his promotion this time. Third Hokage looked happy about it.

The next match is between Kurenai and Menma. Kurenai tried Genjutsu on him but for some reason, Menma broke it easily and pinned her down. So she has to give up. Menma is declared the winner of the competition as both Kakashi and Gai got eliminated beforehand.

Kushina said to Minato, " I didn't expect him to win so easily. I thought Kakashi was going to fight him in the final."

She heard about this kid. There are many rumors about him being a genius spread among civilians and ninjas. Menma has an absolute menace in Battlefield is another rumor. For some reason, he didn't get a nickname till now.

Minato looked at his wife and said, " He is very smart. He took special classes with Gai once. So only Gai knows him best among the people. He told Kakashi and me that Menma would exploit even a small loophole to his advantage. Gai also said that Menma worked very hard to improve in special classes and eliminated every weakness he encountered week after week. And he trains daily like Gai. Even in Borders he never slacked off. If he met Kakashi in the final, I do not doubt that he would have outsmarted Kakashi too. Even Gai and Kakashi are not confident enough to win against him nowadays. He has his own Taijutsu techniques to counter Gai. He can even counter Kakashi in swords, Ninjutsu, and Genjutsu. If any of them went to the final against him, they would have lost. This is the best outcome for them to get a draw against each other."

Minato can see immense potential in Menma. He improved faster than anyone he had seen as a kid.

Kushina said to Minato, " I didn't even see him do anything except some weird stuff. I cannot see his potential as a spectator. I am quite doubtful about the potential you speak about." Kushina has never seen his full potential but only heard rumors. Even Obito is doubtful about his potential but doesn't interrupt Minato and kushina. Rin is just curious about his potential.

Minato smiled as he didn't blame her. Menma didn't show his power in the chunin exam. He said, " If you watch his matches, you cannot see it. But I heard from eyewitnesses that he is very dangerous to the enemy in Battlefield. The opponent doesn't know what kind of trick he will pull on others. He didn't even show what was in his reports for the Chunin exam. He is hiding every trick he has used on the battlefield. And from outside it looks like he won by sheer luck. Even Kurenai genjutsu is broken before it has fully taken effect. You can say that he will put every opponent in a terrible position. He has developed himself as an all-rounder."

Kushina nodded her head in agreement with Minato's evaluation.

Soon Gai arrived with Kakashi in tow, meeting Kushina and Minato as he did so. He stopped just short of their seats. Might Gai's father Dai is also near to their seat.

Asuma and Kurenai came together. Anko followed after them with Ibiki and Genma. Menma arrived shortly afterward.

They met Jonins and other Chunins, and they congratulated them. Menma didn't stay for long.