[NTU] [ARC-24] Chapter : 323

“The final round of the Chunin Exams—here’s the match lineup,” Genma announced, a senbon lazily dangling from the corner of his mouth. He looked utterly exhausted, as though someone had drained the life from him. Still, as all the genin gathered, he cleared his throat and continued, reiterating the battle order.

“First match: Konoha’s Hyuga Neji vs Kumo's Omoi.”
“Second match: Suna's Gaara vs Konoha’s Uzumaki Naruto.”
“Third match…”
“…Fifth match: Konoha’s Uchiha Sasuke vs Kiri's Kizuki.”
“Sixth match: Iwa's Kurotsuchi vs Suna's Temari.”

No one could quite figure out what was up with Genma lately. The dark circles under his eyes looked like permanent shadows, and even hosting an event of this scale didn’t seem to lift his spirits.

Up in the VIP section, five seats were lined up in a row. Among the figures seated there were Hokage Toshiro, Kazekage Rasa, and the village representatives.

“I’ve heard Lord Kazekage’s son is favored to win this year. Congratulations may be in order.”
Toshiro gave a polite nod.

“You flatter us, Lord Hokage,” Rasa replied, his tone neutral. “But I’ve heard that Uchiha Sasuke is quite the prodigy as well.”

Toshiro eyed Rasa carefully. He still wasn’t sure what the Kazekage’s true motives were. Rasa had suddenly insisted on attending the Chunin Exams in person. The timing made Toshiro uneasy.

“Our Kumo genin… they’re not bad either—yo!”
Killer Bee chimed in, seated beside Toshiro, clad in his distinctive Cloud Village garb. His pride in their genin was obvious.

“I’m surprised your brother let you come represent the Cloud this time, B,” Toshiro remarked, glancing toward the section where the Kumo shinobi sat.

“Your teaching methods may be… unconventional, but you’ve certainly got an eye for talent.”

Toshiro’s gaze briefly landed on a strikingly serious blonde girl with cold eyes. She met Killer B’s glance with confusion, but her potential was undeniable—even at her age, she was already a standout.

He suspected the Raikage had worried about B’s taste—or, perhaps more specifically, his sense of balance. While most teams followed a two-male, one-female setup, B’s squad flipped the ratio: two females and one male. A deliberate choice, no doubt.

“Haha! B’s still the same as ever—genuine to the core!”
Toshiro chuckled, imagining a blush beneath Killer B’s dark complexion.

Truth be told, B’s presence at the exams was only possible thanks to the current peace in the ninja world. In any other era, the Raikage wouldn’t have dreamed of letting his brother leave the Cloud’s territory.

“On a more serious note,” Toshiro said, his voice dropping as he shifted gears. With the representatives of all five great nations gathered, it was the perfect time to issue a subtle warning.

“There’s something you all should be aware of—something I can’t keep quiet about any longer.”

He paused briefly, his eyes scanning the group.

“There’s a group operating in the shadows. They call themselves Akatsuki. Lately, they’ve been quietly gathering intelligence on the tailed beasts. I suggest everyone remain alert.”

“A few years ago, rogue shinobi—one from the Sand, one from the Rock—were broken out by this organization. Their strength is considerable.”

He didn’t need to name names. Everyone knew who he meant. Sasori and Deidara had vanished not long after being handed over to their respective villages.

Rasa’s brow furrowed. “So they were the ones who took Sasori…”
He had originally blamed Elder Chiyo for his disappearance. But if Deidara had also been taken, the pieces fell into place.

“Yes. Akatsuki is highly dangerous.”

But Toshiro quickly waved off the topic, not wanting to raise too much suspicion. The last thing he needed was for the others to suspect he’d fabricated the entire story.

“Anyway, let’s not spoil the mood. We’re here for the matches, after all.”

“B's student is holding his own nicely against the Hyuga prodigy,” one murmured.

On the battlefield below, Neji fought barehanded, clearly disadvantaged against a sword-wielding opponent. Omoi’s blade crackled with streaks of blue lightning, forcing Neji to stay constantly on the move.

But Neji was no ordinary genin. He gritted through the pain and counterattacked with surgical precision, eventually gaining the upper hand and securing victory.

Then the next match began.

As Naruto stepped onto the field to face Gaara, even the casual observers began to take notice.

“That’s the son of the Yellow Flash, isn’t it?” one elder asked, his tone suddenly serious.

C, usually stoic, narrowed his eyes. The memory of the Yellow Flash was etched deeply into the minds of every Cloud shinobi.

“Indeed,” Toshiro confirmed with a nod.

The Cloud still remembered their history with Kushina and the Fourth Hokage. It made sense that they’d keep an eye on his son.

“Pity he didn’t inherit his father’s talent…” Toshiro added, watching Naruto charge with reckless abandon.

Though powerful in his own way, Naruto's raw style lacked the sharp precision his father was known for.

Based on Naruto’s hair color and his hidden Uzumaki vitality, many had assumed he would inherit Minato’s extraordinary talent for space-time ninjutsu.

Kushina certainly hoped so. She had once tried to pass down the intricate art of sealing to Naruto, hoping he could one day master Minato’s legendary Flying Thunder God technique.

But no matter how hard she pushed—or yelled—Naruto just couldn’t grasp it.

“I don’t believe it!”

Although no one voiced their doubts aloud when Toshiro shared his suspicions, skepticism hung thick in the air.
After all, no shinobi in their right mind would accept another’s words at face value without proof.

“That boy… he’s Shukaku’s jinchūriki, isn’t he?”
Toshiro's calm remark drew sharp attention.
“I never expected the Kazekage to allow him to compete…”

Thanks to Toshiro’s earlier intervention, Gaara’s condition had improved over the years. He wasn't the unstable, wide-eyed insomniac of legend. The dark rings beneath his eyes were now a faint gray—nothing like the dramatic “panda eyes” of the past. And as he matured, Gaara learned to coexist with the tailed beast inside him.

He no longer even needed the suppressing bracelet Toshiro had once given him. He could sleep on his own now.

“The Hokage has keen eyes,” Rasa replied, though a shadow flickered across his face.
The words, though complimentary, left him uneasy.

Gaara’s identity as a jinchūriki was classified—known only to a handful within the Sand Village. Even someone like Pakura shouldn’t know the truth. So how did Toshiro?

Had there been a leak?
Was it accidental... or deliberate?
Rasa made a mental note to investigate thoroughly once he returned home.

“Naruto, my happiness rests in your hands!”
From the stands, Jiraiya watched anxiously as Naruto battled below. His palms were slick with sweat.

If he had known things would get this intense, he wouldn’t have cut corners in Naruto’s training.

He never imagined his entire future—not just his wallet, but his happiness—would hinge on Naruto’s performance.

“Kushina, you’ve always had good instincts. Be honest—does Naruto have a shot?”
Jiraiya glanced at Tsunade, who looked as serene as ever, then turned to Kushina for reassurance.

“...Hard to say,” Kushina murmured, her lips twitching in restrained annoyance.
“Honestly, you two are over a hundred years old and still acting like kids. Gambling over something like this? Seriously?”

And worse—you’re gambling on Naruto.
She held back from saying it aloud, but her frustration was written all over her face.

As she watched Jiraiya nervously sneak glances at Naruto’s opponent, her heart sank. He still didn’t realize the truth—Gaara wasn’t just any genin; he was a jinchūriki. One mistake, and Naruto could lose everything. And even if he somehow won this fight, he’d have to keep winning all the way to the finals for Jiraiya to win his ridiculous bet.

The odds weren’t promising.

“Enough, Jiraiya—can you sit still for five minutes?”
Unlike Jiraiya, who was practically vibrating with anxiety, Tsunade remained composed.

As a gambler herself, she hadn’t been able to resist when Jiraiya proposed the bet. The stakes he offered were too tempting.

“Naruto! Now’s your chance!”

Jiraiya’s eyes lit up as Gaara was momentarily wrapped in sand and vulnerable. His gaze flicked to the distant Hokage Monument as he silently prayed:

Minato… if you’re watching, help your son now.
He clenched his fists. If Naruto could land a Rasengan now, it might be enough to end it.

“Yes! He did it!”

Gaara collapsed unconscious, and Jiraiya leapt to his feet in celebration. All the time he had poured into Naruto’s training—suddenly, it all felt worth it.

Naruto… you really are the child of destiny.

“Don’t celebrate just yet,” Tsunade said, bursting his bubble.

“That was only the first step. Let’s see if he can make it to the finals before you throw a party.”

“And let’s not forget,” she added with a smirk, “that Uchiha kid is waiting for him. That’ll be a real test.”

“Uhh…”

Jiraiya’s laughter froze in his throat.

Tsunade smiled, seeing him deflate like a popped balloon. But even she wasn’t completely sure if she'd made the right call placing her own bet.

As the sun dipped low in the sky, casting long shadows across the battlefield, the once-flat arena was now riddled with craters—proof of the brutal clashes that had taken place.

“Here we go.”

Two figures stood alone at the center, tension thick in the air. Jiraiya’s heart pounded like a drum.

Naruto had paid a steep price to make it this far—but he had. And now, standing across from him, was Uchiha Sasuke… his rival, awakened by the power of his bloodline.

“Let’s go, Naruto!”
Jiraiya couldn't hold back any longer. He channeled chakra into his voice and shouted, the sound echoing through the arena.

“OHHH!!”

Naruto, a bit dazed but fueled by the roar, raised his fist in response.

“Sasuke! Today, I’m finally gonna beat you!”

Their rivalry had been simmering since their academy days. Today, at last, it would boil over into a final showdown.