Because the second round of the exam had ended with a decisive victory for the Konoha side, the third round was postponed by half a month to allow for final peace negotiations between the two nations.
During this period, representatives from both sides would finalize the peace treaty, which was scheduled to be signed after the conclusion of the third round and the Chūnin promotion ceremony.
This granted Gekkō Hoshiyomi and the other candidates an unexpected half-month break. Meanwhile, Konoha dispatched large numbers of shinobi into the Land of Rivers to continue the crackdown on the Kaga Cult.
However, they were ultimately unable to find any method to lift the "Terrifying Death Limit" curse. Tsunade and the others worried that Hoshiyomi would fall into despair, so they tried different ways to encourage him daily.
It wasn't until Hoshiyomi had a public sparring match with Sakumo Hatake—one that lasted dozens of exchanges without either side claiming victory—that everyone finally accepted that Hoshiyomi had no psychological issues whatsoever.
Compared to him, it actually looked like Sakumo was the one who needed therapy.
He'd already been beaten down by Hoshiyomi once. Now Hoshiyomi couldn't even use chakra, yet they still fought to a draw. Talk about demoralizing.
In the end, Hoshiyomi practically took on the role of a father figure to counsel him:
"You're an assassin type, I'm more of a sustained-combat type. We have different development paths."
"You didn't even use Void Severance in our match. If you had, I wouldn't have stood a chance."
"Plus, you weren't even channeling Lightning Release chakra into your blade. If you had, the paralysis effect alone would've made it impossible for me to win."
After enough of this kind of "chicken soup for the soul," Sakumo finally recovered.
At the same time, he resolved that once he became a Chūnin, he would join the ANBU and seek out the most dangerous missions to hone himself.
Part of it was because he wanted to overcome hardships on his own, just like Hoshiyomi. But another part of him felt that if he stayed near Hoshiyomi any longer, he might never escape his psychological shadow.
Once Tsunade and the others were sure that Hoshiyomi's mental state was stable, his life returned to normal. Over the next two weeks, aside from his daily sword training, most of his time was devoted to training Lobo, his ninja wolf.
Lobo had exceptional ninjutsu potential. Within half a month, he had already learned basic chakra control and even managed to master a few simple jutsu. Due to species differences, the techniques had some minor variations.
For instance, Gale Palm, a Wind Release technique, turned into something more like Kamaitachi-style wind blades when used by Lobo—manifesting as razor-sharp chakra claw slashes.
Hoshiyomi also invested in Lobo's physical training. He spent quite a bit of money on specialized gear, including a custom-made weighted vest that was even more expensive than the one he'd previously gifted to Might Duy.
And that wasn't even counting all the tools he bought for training Lobo's claws and bite strength.
But the investment paid off. After two weeks, Lobo's musculature had visibly thickened. Even though he still looked like a silly husky, he was now fully capable of contributing in battle.
Meanwhile, peace treaty talks between Kumogakure and Konoha had reached a satisfactory conclusion. Everything was ready for the treaty to be signed following the final round of the exam.
———
Today might have been the most grand and festive day in the history of Yugakure (the Hidden Hot Water Village). Banners flew, drums thundered, fireworks exploded—the entire village was packed with people.
It was the day of the third round of the Chūnin Exams, and also the day the peace treaty between Konoha and Kumogakure would be signed. In honor of the occasion, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Third Raikage A appeared together in Yugakure.
The leaders of all three villages would watch the final matches together.
The opening ceremony began with the long-anticipated drawing of lots. Every participant had their eyes locked on a single individual—the Genin from Yugakure.
Everyone shared a silent understanding: whoever drew that guy as their opponent basically had a free win. The only question was—who'd be the lucky one to pull the softest target?
Jiraiya couldn't help but chuckle as he nudged Tsunade beside him:
"Hey, remember what Hoshiyomi said? That if you claimed he wouldn't face the Yugakure ninja, he could win with his eyes closed? Maybe you should work your magic now."
Tsunade gave him a death glare. If they weren't sitting in front of both the Hokage and the Raikage, she might have socked him.
"Seriously? You think just because I say he won't face the Yugakure ninja, he will? That would be way too much of a coincidence."
And just as Tsunade finished speaking, the announcer's voice echoed across the arena:
"Alright, the first match has been drawn! Konoha's Contestant #14, Gekkō Hoshiyomi, will face Yugakure's Contestant #8, Tanaka Kozaburo!"
...Gah?
Tsunade's face twisted with disbelief. Jiraiya and Shinku couldn't hold back anymore—they burst out laughing before quickly covering their mouths, their shoulders shaking violently.
So this was the legendary "Words Become Reality" technique. Truly worthy of Tsunade.
Hoshiyomi himself was stunned that his offhand comment had actually come true. Yup, reverse-betting with Tsunade was always a safe strategy—next stop, beachside villa.
He and Lobo strolled casually onto the stage, where the Yugakure Genin, Kozaburo, nervously shuffled over and muttered:
"Hey bro, mind letting me land a hit or two? A lot of folks in the crowd watched me grow up... can you let me save a little face?"
Hoshiyomi couldn't help but laugh. He winked and said, "I'll let you narrowly lose. Sound good?"
"Deal, bro. After the match, dinner's on me."
As the two whispered, even the referee came over and gave Hoshiyomi a subtle wink—as if to ask him to go easy on the kid.
Hoshiyomi sighed and nodded. And so, on the referee's signal, their performance began.
The two rushed at each other and engaged in what looked like a heated taijutsu battle. Their kunai clashed, sparks flying everywhere—it was quite the show.
The clueless crowd cheered wildly. Even the village chief of Yugakure beamed with pride as he pointed at Hoshiyomi and said to the Hokage:
"That Gekkō Hoshiyomi kid is definitely going to be someone great in the future!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi: I don't even know how to respond to that.
The two kept up their pretend battle—ding ding, clang clang—until Kozaburo suddenly stepped back, tossed a kunai, and quickly performed a few hand seals. Hoshiyomi, in turn, looked "shocked," narrowly parrying the kunai and "clumsily" rolling aside to dodge the jutsu.
He then rushed forward, and with a slight advantage in stamina, "barely" defeated Kozaburo.
Contestant #8 collapsed in this obviously staged match, and Contestant #14, Gekkō Hoshiyomi, advanced with a narrow victory, officially earning his Chūnin promotion. Truly a moment of joy and celebration.