52. The Bet Among the Three Legendary Ninjas of the Leaf

Kisame Hoshigaki.

A prodigy of Water Release, possessing an extraordinary chakra reserve and a unique, unrestricted taijutsu style, he is the Hidden Mist Village’s top prospect. All of this is intelligence that’s publicly available. Naturally, the most striking piece of information is the rumor that Kisame once defeated Konoha’s genius, Hatake Kakashi.

As for Kisame’s hidden abilities, those were not listed—after all, Orochimaru hadn’t gone out of his way to investigate them.

“Hey, how can you favor a ninja from another village? Aren’t you undermining our own?” Jiraiya teased his old friend.

“But according to the reports, Kisame Hoshigaki is in a league of his own among the genin in this tournament. I’m simply being objective in my choice.” Orochimaru spread his hands with a shrug, then added, “Besides, this kid’s photo exudes a dangerous air. It suits my tastes perfectly.”

“I’m actually getting excited—I can’t wait for the matches to start,” Tsunade said, rubbing her hands together, her expression alight with anticipation.

At that moment, a commotion arose in the spectator stands. It was Minato Namikaze, the chief examiner, leading eight competing genin into the arena. They formed a neat line at the center of the field.

Minato gazed up at the highest point of the stands and bowed respectfully. There, a plaque hung bearing the words “World’s Number One.” Beneath it sat the Third Hokage and Third Mizukage, both draped in robes and wearing their kage hats.

Hiruzen Sarutobi exchanged a few pleasantries with the Mizukage, then rose to his feet and formally announced the beginning of the tournament.

Instantly, the arena exploded with thunderous cheers.

The first match of the quarterfinals featured Kisame himself. His appearance drew the focused attention of many in the crowd.

Kisame’s opponent was a dark-skinned shinobi from the Cloud Village, also the top seed from his village. Though shorter than Kisame, he was just as powerfully built.

“Are you both clear on the rules?” Minato stood between them. After they both nodded, he stepped back and signaled for the battle to begin.

“Kisame Hoshigaki…” The Cloud shinobi clenched his fists, about to issue a threat, but Kisame was already upon him, launching a ferocious, mad-dog assault.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Muscle crashed against muscle in a passionate clash, the two engaging in pure hand-to-hand combat.

In the exchange, Kisame’s superior physique and ruthless techniques rapidly overpowered his opponent, forcing him into a desperate retreat.

Battered by Kisame’s relentless onslaught, the Cloud shinobi, both shocked and enraged, seized a fleeting chance to leap away. He quickly formed hand seals and unleashed his signature Lightning Release ninjutsu.

Setting aside bloodline limits, Lightning Release is undoubtedly the most offensive among the standard elemental techniques. It not only counters Earth Release but, thanks to water’s conductive properties, has an advantage against Water Release as well.

Confident, the Cloud ninja believed he had Kisame cornered. Even if Kisame tried to defend or counterattack with Water Release, it would be futile.

Yet, unexpectedly, Kisame neither dodged nor defended. He took the full brunt of the Lightning Release attack head-on.

His body, after absorbing the power of four ninja blades and enduring intensive physical training, was no longer that of an ordinary man. Attacks of this caliber were nothing more than a mild itch to him.

“Impossible!” the Cloud shinobi gasped, eyes wide as Kisame bore through the Lightning Release, closed the distance, and landed a fist squarely on his face.

Bang.

The Cloud shinobi was sent flying, spinning dozens of times through the air before crashing into the arena wall and then slamming heavily to the ground.

The outcome was settled.

After dispatching his first opponent with ease, Kisame walked off the field.

“Those muscle-bound Cloud Village thugs are all show and no substance—knocked out with a single punch. Pathetic.” Asuma grumbled from the stands, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge Kisame’s strength.

In the private box:

“Just as I expected—far too easy. Kisame Hoshigaki didn’t even use ninjutsu and still defeated Cloud’s strongest genin contestant.” Orochimaru smiled, clearly pleased with Kisame’s performance.

“Hey, isn’t this a bit unfair? That guy is almost as tall as Jiraiya and must weigh close to two hundred pounds. Is he really eligible to compete as a genin?” Tsunade leaned forward, eyeing Kisame on the field with growing concern for Shizune.

“But he’s only thirteen. That’s not so old,” Orochimaru replied.

“Hmph, a thirteen-year-old genin’s potential isn’t anything special. Back in our day, even an idiot like Jiraiya made jonin by fifteen.” Tsunade leaned back again, arms crossed in disdain.

Jiraiya, caught in the crossfire while lying down, looked glum and forced a smile at Tsunade. “So, in your eyes, I’ve always been an idiot?”

The matches continued, each remaining genin taking their turn.

Soon enough, Obito, Jiraiya’s favored choice, and Shizune, Tsunade’s, both defeated their respective opponents with ease.

The final four were thus set: Konoha’s Obito Uchiha and Shizune, and Mist’s Kisame Hoshigaki and another Mist genin. Two major villages, evenly matched, faced off.

As for the Cloud and other minor villages’ genin, they were all eliminated, unable to advance further in this Chunin Exam.

After a brief midday break, the semifinals began.

This time, Obito entered first. In a tense and thrilling battle, he managed to defeat the Mist genin from the Bloody Mist, securing the first spot in the finals.

Wiping the blood and sweat from his face, Obito immediately pointed at Kisame in the stands, boldly challenging him with a gesture.

Kisame seemed to be under considerable pressure. If he lost, Mist’s journey would end here and the final would be a Konoha-only affair.

Under Minato’s supervision, Kisame and Shizune entered the arena, facing each other from several meters apart.

The second semifinal was about to begin.

In the private box:

“Shizune, you can do it! You must beat him!” Tsunade stood up, tense and waving her fist in encouragement at her disciple, even though Shizune could not hear her.

Of course, more importantly, she did not want to lose the bet and have to treat everyone to dinner.

Yet, to Tsunade’s astonishment—

“I forfeit.”

Before the match could begin, Shizune took a deep breath and raised her hand, conceding.

She knew she didn’t stand a chance against Kisame. She had no desire to face such a monster again, uncertain what new torments she might endure.

For Shizune, making it to the final four was already enough to qualify for promotion to chunin. She had achieved her goal in entering this exam.

However, her decision threw the arena into an uproar.

“What happened to Shizune? Did she get injured in her previous fight and can’t continue? So Kisame advances to the finals just like that?” Asuma was so frustrated he couldn’t even smoke; his resentment only grew.

“What is going on?” Tsunade was dumbfounded, her fist frozen mid-air before she slumped back onto the sofa. The combined force of gravity and her own weight caused a turbulent movement across her chest.

Jiraiya’s eyes went wide, nosebleed trickling down at the sight.

“Tsunade, it seems you’re just as unlucky as ever—always losing your bets,” Orochimaru laughed, teasing his friend.

Tsunade said nothing, retreating into silence.

“Orochimaru, you don’t really think you’ve won, do you? There’s still Obito to deal with,” Jiraiya interjected, his confidence in Obito undiminished.

“Let’s wait and see,” Orochimaru replied, turning his eyes back to the arena.

The finals had finally arrived.

“Kisame Hoshigaki! Last time you used underhanded, sneaky tricks to get the better of me. This time, I, Obito Uchiha, will show you my true power!” Obito declared the moment he stepped onto the field.

Kisame merely glanced at him and replied calmly, “I actually pity you.”

“What did you say?” Obito was taken aback.

“I said, you could have remained in your blissful fantasy, but now you’re about to witness the vast difference in our real strength. So, I pity you.”

A faint, mocking smile played on Kisame’s lips.

His words completely enraged Obito.

With a swift motion, kunai in hand, Obito charged at Kisame.

Kisame’s response:

Exploding Water Shockwave.

With rapid hand seals and a single exhale, a tsunami-like surge burst from Kisame’s mouth, instantly sweeping Obito away and flooding the entire arena.

Over the past half-year, with his intense training, Kisame’s chakra had been increasing rapidly—it now exceeded the average jonin’s by threefold.

This time, his full-powered Exploding Water Shockwave instantly overwhelmed Obito.

Obito had prepared many strategies to counter Kisame, but before such overwhelming power, all tactics were rendered meaningless.

Swept up by the torrent, his body nearly torn apart, Obito couldn’t even attempt a counterattack—he was lucky not to drown.

“Boom!”

Standing atop the water, Kisame performed a summoning jutsu, calling forth a shark seven or eight meters long. Riding it, he charged at Obito, the beast’s maw opening wide, ready to devour him.

The rules of the match prohibited intentionally killing an opponent once they’d lost the ability to fight.

So Kisame intended to have the shark “accidentally” swallow Obito—after all, sharks aren’t known for their intellect, and ignoring their master’s commands is entirely plausible.

Yes, Kisame wanted to finish Obito.

He knew that even if he killed Obito, Madara Uchiha would find another Obito, another “Bearer of Water” or “Bearer of Fire,” continuing to plague Mist and the ninja world.

But this was a personal grudge. He planned to end Obito before he could be corrupted, drawing the line under a life destined for evil and tragedy, thus doing the world a favor.

Unfortunately, Minato Namikaze wouldn’t allow it.

Just as the shark was about to swallow Obito, a yellow flash flickered across the arena. In an instant, Minato seized Obito by the collar and teleported him away.

The shark’s jaws snapped shut on empty air.

This was precisely why Hiruzen Sarutobi had handpicked Minato as the third match’s chief examiner. Minato’s Flying Thunder God Technique could handle any emergency in the tournament. If he wanted to save someone, even a split second was enough.

Kisame shook his head and released the summoning jutsu.

Thanks to the arena’s powerful drainage system, the water he had conjured quickly seeped away, vanishing down the drains.

Only a few shallow puddles remained on the ground.

Though Kisame hadn’t managed to kill Obito as he wished, the final match of the Chunin Exams had ended the moment Minato intervened.

Kisame was the victor.

After a brief hush, the arena erupted with noise once more—cheers soaring up to the heavens.