Chapter 273: The Chunin Exams

Marisa was eight years old this year. Less than three years after entering the Ninja Academy, she had made a reputation for herself as the "Iron Fist Sister".

No one judged her by normal standards, of course. Her father was the Sixth Hokage. As that man's daughter, Marisa was destined to be a one-in-a-million genius from birth.

Also.

No matter who it was, just seeing Marisa's height of over 1.8 meters, her muscular physique, and those huge fists, they would instinctively forget she was only eight years old.

As such, calling her "Sister" didn't seem so shameful after all.

Back to this Chunin Exam.

As the most ceremonial one in a decade, Konoha had invited the five major hidden villages as well as many minor villages to participate, with over a thousand applicants in total. It was hailed as "an unprecedented grand event".

Many speculated.

Konoha was making it so ostentatious in order to create a stage for Dan's daughter Marisa, so she could make a name for herself in the shinobi world at such a young age.

However.

No one was willing to play second fiddle and be the inconspicuous leaves to highlight this eight year old girl as the red flower.

Especially proud shinobi.

The Chunin Exam required participants to be genin, but there was no age limit. No matter how old you were, even if you had one foot in the grave, as long as you were a genin you could participate.

This gave the other hidden villages room to maneuver.

In every hidden village, there were usually some people who, due to various reasons, were stuck at genin rank and unable to advance. But they were actually hidden talents.

These so-called "eternal genin" had all been mobilized this time. They came to Konoha ambitious and eager to participate in the exam.

After all.

The essence of the Chunin Exam had always been an important occasion for each major village to demonstrate its power. No one wanted to lose.

As the permanent neutral village of the shinobi world and host of this exam, Konoha promised to provide a fair competition platform and would not favor any side.

This allowed the participants of each major village to fight freely with all they had.

To duke it out vigorously.

Due to these factors, the five major hidden villages all attached great importance to this Chunin Exam. They each sent their strongest genin lineups, determined to be number one.

The tourists from various countries, including daimyo, officials and nobles, also came to Konoha in droves. Under the guise of observing the matches, they engaged in all kinds of diplomatic activities.

Currently, Konoha's permanent population had reached three million.

With the Chunin Exam's arrival, another few hundred thousand tourists had poured into Konoha from all over the shinobi world in just half a month, greatly stimulating Konoha's tourism industry and economic growth.

This Chunin Exam was destined to be an unprecedented grand one, and would even paint a rich and colorful stroke in the history of the shinobi world.

The only downside was the weather was uncooperative.

There were only three days left before the start of the Chunin Exam finals, but heavy clouds had blanketed the skies above Konoha overnight this morning, obscuring the sun.

Boom boom boom.

Accompanied by muffled rumbles of spring thunder, drizzling rain fell from the sky, linking into lines and weaving into nets that covered every corner inside and outside Konoha.

Fortunately.

This spring rain wasn't heavy, umbrellas weren't needed. The raindrops falling on the pedestrians' faces and bodies made one feel awake and moist, rather enjoyable.

The village of Konoha under the rain curtain was like it had been draped with a translucent piece of fine gauze. The skyscrapers, streets, trees and flowers were all shrouded in a blurry aesthetic.

In this spring rain, the teams from each major hidden village also arrived in Konoha one after another.

The mighty procession of Iwagakure shinobi marched down Konoha's main street, over two hundred strong.

Sitting in the palanquin at the front of the procession was the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, who had come to lead the team in person, displaying his emphasis on this exam.

Flanking Onoki on both sides as his guards were a black-haired girl in a red cheongsam showing off long legs, and a two meter tall fat man with an enormous dumpling-like nose and honest face.

Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi.

Both were Onoki's disciples, around eighteen to nineteen years old and Iwagakure jonin. Kurotsuchi was even Onoki's granddaughter.

They had both studied abroad in Konoha before. Three years ago after advancing to jonin by passing the exam, they resolutely returned to Iwagakure to develop their hometown.

However.

Neither Onoki, Kurotsuchi nor Akatsuchi were Iwa's main stars this time.

Swish.

Onoki drew apart the curtains of his palanquin, looked left and right, then immediately frowned in surprise:

"Where's that Deidara guy? Nowhere to be seen again?"

Kurotsuchi snorted coldly when she heard this. Crossing her arms, she said:

"I said long ago that Deidara is completely unreliable. Don't expect him to win glory for Iwagakure. It'd be nice if he doesn't make huge trouble somewhere!"

Akatsuchi was somewhat worried as he asked Onoki:

"Lord Tsuchikage, should I go look for him? Deidara said just now his stomach hurt and he was going to the restroom. It's over there."

After speaking, he pointed to a small alley nearby with a restroom sign.

Before Onoki could respond, Kurotsuchi rolled her eyes in exasperation and berated the honest Akatsuchi:

"You dummy senpai, you got tricked by him again. Don't you understand? His stomach hurting is bullshit. He slipped away to who knows where long ago."

Just as she finished speaking.

"Yo, junior sister's talking trash about me behind my back again. But I caught you red-handed!"

A somewhat frivolous voice came from behind Kurotsuchi.

It belonged to a young shinobi with long golden hair tied in a high ponytail. His long bangs covered one eye, revealing only his blue right eye.

Deidara. Like Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi, he was also Onoki's disciple.

And he was the most talented one, once the sole genius of Iwagakure.

Unfortunately, geniuses often had some issues, or personality flaws. Sometimes there was only a thin line between them and lunatics.

Deidara was such an eccentric genius.

He didn't see himself as a shinobi, but an artist. He had an obsessive dedication to his art that exceeded common people.

This so-called art was actually quite simple, just one word:

Explosions.

Deidara had loved making clay bombs since he was little, enjoying watching their instantaneous explosion releasing gorgeous fiery blooms. He became deeply obsessed with such ephemeral beauty.

A fragile yet passionate beauty.

As someone born with a mania for explosions, when he was only nine he was forced to leave the village to live alone because his constant detonations threw Iwagakure into chaos and made everyone jittery.

In his teens, to prove his art to the world and put food in his belly, Deidara took on many terrorist attack missions, staging one spectacular pyrotechnic performance after another.

His original life trajectory was probably joining some terrorist organization, becoming a criminal wanted by every major hidden village. He would either die under a bounty hunter's blade, or get blown to smithereens by his own bombs.

Until the Fourth Shinobi World War erupted and the shinobi world's forces reshuffled, changing everything.

Including Deidara's fate.

Once when he had taken on a mission from Sunagakure and attacked an Iwa platoon alone, he accidentally slipped up and got captured on the spot.

Deidara was then escorted back to Iwagakure and thrown in jail by Onoki's personal order, to reflect on his actions.

That reflection lasted several years.

Although he was put on prison rations and didn't have to worry about starving, as an artist being unable to showcase his "talents" still frustrated Deidara to no end.

Now, his chance had finally arrived.

This time, Onoki made restoring Deidara's freedom conditional on him representing Iwagakure in the Chunin Exam and taking the championship.

Deidara had been a genin when he left the village at nine. Although older now, he completely met the competition criteria after Onoki's pardon.

At this moment.

Chewing on a lollipop with his hands pillowed behind his head, Deidara had a nonchalant attitude that irritated Kurotsuchi more and more as she looked at him.

"Deidara, the competition is about to start yet you haven't prepared at all. Just giggling away every day. Don't forget, the prerequisite for regaining your freedom is taking first place in the Chunin Exam!"

Kurotsuchi had one hand on her hip and the other pointing at Deidara as she spoke coldly.

"So annoying."

Deidara was completely impatient. He said dismissively:

"Junior sister, you really underestimate me too much. A trivial Chunin Exam? I can take the championship with one hand. Just watch wide-eyed as I put on a show. I'll make everyone in the shinobi world see my art and leave their jaws hanging open!"

These years in jail, Deidara hadn't wasted his skills.

On the contrary, using prison as his environment, he thoroughly calmed his former restless heart and perfected his art. Or in other words, he had become enlightened.

The present him already possessed elite jonin level strength. Participating in the Chunin Exam would be child's play to him.

Onoki saw Deidara's arrogance and complacency.

"Deidara!"

He shouted sternly, warning this beloved yet vexing disciple, "This is Konoha. Watch yourself! From now on, don't leave my field of vision. Don't use any chakra either. If you cause trouble, even I as the Third Tsuchikage can't protect you."

If Deidara the terrorist dared to detonate explosions in Konoha, those Uchiha wouldn't coddle him.

When that happened, Onoki could only bring back Deidara's ashes to Iwagakure.

"So annoying, old man."

Deidara covered his ears, not wanting to hear Onoki's nagging.

Sigh.

Onoki sighed. He immediately ordered Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi to keep a close eye on Deidara and not leave his side for a second.

Then he also dispatched Iwa shinobi to probe intel on the participants from other villages.

Although confident in Deidara, one could never tell if the other villages had hidden cards.

Know yourself and know your enemy, then you will win every battle.

On the day Iwagakure checked into their hotel, Kumogakure's people also arrived.

The Fourth Raikage also led the team in person. Their great numbers and momentum made it seem like they had come to attack Konoha.

This demonstrated Kumo's determination to win this Chunin Exam.

Amidst the crowd of dark-skinned, muscular men, the most conspicuous was a young shirtless man with disheveled gray hair.

Around his neck hung a bizarrely shaped necklace. But the most eye-catching was the weapon on his back.

It was a giant crimson three-sectioned scythe over two meters tall, looking very...

Flamboyant.

Usually, the more low-key the better for a shinobi. The powerful ones were often inconspicuous existences in the crowd who could suddenly take a life.

But this man was like a showy male peacock, attracting everyone's gaze wherever he went.

His name was Hidan.

Hidan was originally from Yugakure. After the Fourth Shinobi World War where Yugakure was annexed by Kumogakure, he naturally joined Kumo as well.

This suited Hidan just fine.

Because he was a battle maniac by nature who thirsted for slaughter, especially loving watching enemies' blood gush from their bodies.

But Yugakure was a village filled with pacifism, trying to send goodwill to the outside world by voluntarily reducing its shinobi numbers. Its goal was to eliminate the vigilance of the major villages and preserve itself.

This strategy proved extremely foolish.

Faced with the self-disabling Yugakure, Kumo showed no mercy, annexing it without hesitation and seizing its rich natural resources.

However.

Although Hidan got his wish to join the militant Kumogakure, he was still unpopular.

That was because his personality was cruel, bloodthirsty and arrogant. He had no manners or respect for others.

Moreover, Hidan had joined a mysterious cult of Jashin. He often conducted cruel rituals torturing enemies, making people see him as a perverted lunatic.

As expected, Hidan was ostracized in Kumo and stuck at genin, unable to advance.

Until this Chunin Exam, his chance came.

Although unpopular, Hidan's abilities as Kumo's eternal genin were undisputed. Especially his bizarre fighting style even let many Kumo jonin suffer losses.

Therefore, the Fourth Raikage specifically approved Hidan's participation, and promised:

As long as Hidan took the championship representing Kumo, he would be promoted to jonin. And Hidan would be allowed to spread his cult of Jashin in Kumo afterwards.

Hidan didn't care about becoming jonin at all. But -

Spreading Lord Jashin's teachings to the world was a great undertaking he had to complete as a zealous believer.

So he agreed without hesitation and traveled far to Konoha.

"Seems there is ample prey. I must stir up trouble this time too and let blood splash everywhere."

Hidan licked his lips, eager to prepare a ritual and make an offering to Lord Jashin.

As for the sacrifice...

He had heard Konoha's Sixth Hokage had a genius daughter named Marisa, the odds-on favorite to win this Chunin Exam.

She'd do.

...

In addition to the four major villages of Suna, Kiri, Iwa and Kumo,

participants of this Chunin Exam also included some from other minor villages, as well as genin from all over the shinobi world who signed up independently.

For some of Konoha's enemies, blending into the participants as a cover to infiltrate and spy on Konoha was a good method indeed.

For instance, in Takigakure's team,

there appeared a red-haired youth with a large yellow gourd on his back, expressionlessly surveying the scenery of Konoha.

It was Gaara.