Konoha Ten-Thousand-Person Arena
Uchiha Inahimi's outstanding performance and her Great Fireball Technique amazed the general audience watching from the stands.
The wealthy merchants and nobles quickly inquired about this young shinobi.
"That's a ninja from the Uchiha clan."
"The Uchiha specialize in Fire Release techniques. Their fan-shaped clan symbol represents their mastery over fire."
"The Uchiha are the largest clan in Konoha."
The Konoha villagers nearby couldn't help but feel a sense of superiority over the outsiders and began enthusiastically explaining these "facts."
The nobles, merchants, and some minor daimyō listened with admiration and curiosity.
Hyūga Hiashi, seated among the audience, furrowed his brow slightly at these comments.
The bodyguard beside Hiashi, seeing his reaction, quietly guessed his thoughts and stepped forward to interject:
"It's the Hyūga clan that is the largest in Konoha. Please don't get it wrong."
The guard made sure the local villagers nearby—who had been loudly discussing the Uchiha—heard him clearly.
Recognizing the Hyūga presence, the villagers fell silent and chose not to argue further.
Hiashi's brows relaxed at this subtle defense of the clan's reputation, and his expression improved visibly.
Thanks to Uchiha Naraku's leadership, the Uchiha clan had thrived, which in turn motivated the traditional Hyūga clan to evolve and inspired younger generations.
Although the previous clan head was wise and experienced, he was too conservative. The Hyūga needed a new era of innovation.
And so, Hiashi's father—the former clan leader—stepped down and passed the position to his son, Hyūga Hiashi, a classmate of Naraku.
This transition was supported by many elders and heads of family factions within the Hyūga clan.
Like the Uchiha, the Hyūga clan—one of Konoha's oldest and most prestigious—had a complex internal structure, full of elders and political divisions.
Fortunately, the Cursed Seal of the Caged Bird system helped maintain order by dividing the clan into Main House and Branch House.
The Main House carried on the clan's legacy and techniques; the Branch House served as its protectors.
Hiashi, still under twenty and a peer of Naraku, had already stabilized the clan's internal affairs within just two years of becoming clan head. He had his own thoughts on the Caged Bird Seal and the Main–Branch divide.
In particular, regarding his younger twin brother Hyūga Hizashi, Hiashi bore no sense of superiority or control despite Hizashi being part of the Branch House.
Though outwardly stoic, Hiashi carried guilt—he knew he couldn't easily undo the thousand-year-old curse tradition.
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Konoha Ten-Thousand-Person Arena
Two genin entered the field. One of them, in a white training gi and possessing distinct Byakugan eyes with pale lavender pupils, stood out prominently.
The Kusagakure (Hidden Grass) ninja was completely covered in a cloak, making it difficult to identify them clearly.
The proctor stood at the center of the field, ready to begin.
Suddenly, an Anbu appeared beside Hyūga Hiashi, silently handing him a note before vanishing in a flash using Body Flicker Technique.
Hiashi opened the note, and his expression instantly darkened.
The message read:
"Konoha has won too many matches. It is beginning to appear unfair. The Hyūga clan is not permitted to win this round."
It was a direct order from the Hokage, instructing Hiashi and the Hyūga representatives to lose the match for the sake of diplomacy.
Hiashi took a deep breath and calmly tucked the note into his sleeve.
The proctor blew the whistle. The match began.
After initial ranged exchanges, the Kusagakure genin quickly performed hand seals with both hands.
Kusagakure is known for their ability to mimic and adapt the techniques of major nations.
Although this genin was little-known, their speed in forming hand seals was surprisingly fast.
Soon, they completed the Tiger seal, signaling a Fire Release technique.
"Fire Release: Ghost Lantern Technique!"
Dozens of fist-sized fireballs manifested beneath the user's feet, glowing like lantern flames. These were guided by the Kusagakure ninja and launched at the Hyūga genin.
The Hyūga appeared stunned and stood motionless. The fireballs struck and exploded around them, causing rapid-fire bursts and smoke.
Uchiha Naraku, watching attentively with his Sharingan active, observed the foreign technique with interest.
Though numerous, the ghost lantern fireballs were weaker in destructive power than the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique.
"Did it work?"
The Kusagakure genin looked uncertain. The attack had landed far too easily.
The crowd gasped.
Thinking the audience was impressed by the jutsu, the Kusagakure ninja smiled and glanced at the proctor.
However, the proctor's neutral expression unsettled him.
Just as he opened his mouth to speak—
"You've stepped into my Eight Trigrams."
"What!?"
The Hyūga genin, now behind him, had taken a distinctive stance and struck swiftly.
"Eight Trigrams: Sixteen Palms!"
Sixteen precise Gentle Fist strikes landed, ending with a double palm attack.
The Kusagakure genin was launched face-first into the ground.
"Impossible! I was wearing reinforced armor under this cloak, with iron plates! How did you hurt me?!"
"Everything about you is visible to my Byakugan. The Gentle Fist doesn't rely on brute force. It channels chakra directly into your tenketsu. Your chakra flow is sealed. Surrender."
The Kusagakure genin tried to circulate chakra, but his tenketsu (chakra points) had been closed by precise strikes of chakra needles.
Realizing he was completely immobilized, he raised his hand in surrender.
The proctor declared:
"Winner: Hyūga Genin!"
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Though the battle lacked flashy visuals, the audience still showed interest in the winner.
For shinobi from small countries, merely participating in Konoha's Chūnin Exams carried immense prestige.
Those who passed often returned home not as chūnin, but as jōnin-level elites—since even defected Konoha chūnin typically held high-ranking positions in smaller villages.
Thus, despite the dominance of the Five Great Nations, the Chūnin Exams always attracted eager challengers from smaller villages.
Hiashi smiled slightly from the stands as he watched his clan's genin win so easily.
"So Uchiha shinobi can shine, but Hyūga shinobi can only be told to lose? How is that just?"
Hiashi chose to ignore the Hokage's directive entirely.
On the high platform, Sarutobi Hiruzen puffed his pipe as he observed the Hyūga genin's victory.
"Haha, the Hyūga clan is impressive,"
he said with a light chuckle.
"Mm. Not bad,"
replied Mitokado Homura, not picking up on the political subtext.
Danzō, glancing sideways at Hiruzen, noticed the smile on his lips and the chill in his eyes.
By the science of expression reading, this wasn't a happy smile—it was a grimace.
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