Since Kazekaze and the Third Kazekage drew numbers one and two, the first round of the main competition would begin with them.
"Listen carefully." As the proctor of the main event, Hiruzen Sarutobi explained the rules to Kazekaze and the others.
"Although the terrain is different, the rules remain the same as in the preliminaries. The match will only stop when one party dies or surrenders. However, if the outcome is already decided, I will intervene to stop the fight and prevent unnecessary casualties. Understood?"
Kazekaze and the others all acknowledged that they understood the rules of the main competition.
"Good." Hiruzen nodded, looking forward to Kazekaze's performance, then announced to the audience:
"The first match will be Kazekaze versus the Third Kazekage."
All other participants were to observe the battle from the resting area.
In the Kage Seating Area, The First Kazekage, Reto, emphasized to the other Kage seated beside him: "This match is worth looking forward to."
In reality, the Kazekage and Tsuchikage weren't attending merely out of respect for Hashirama. This Chunin Exam was a great opportunity to showcase Sunagakure and Iwagakure strength.
As a profession, ninja relied on missions commissioned by clients. The more missions they received, the greater their earnings. And economic power was often the foundation of military strength.
This was even more crucial for Sunagakure, where eighty percent of the land was desert and resources were scarce. Commissioned missions were essential for economic growth. Simply put, Reto hoped that through the Third Kazekage's strength, people would recognize Sunagakure's power and choose them for more missions!
"He is the most talented ninja of our village's younger generation and a wielder of a Kekkei Genkai!" Reto spoke with immense pride.
"No, calling him a mere genius doesn't do his terrifying talent justice—he's more like a monster! At just ten years old, he had already completed S-rank missions. I wanted to promote him to Chunin, but he refused, saying he needed more training. That kind of humility is a rare quality." Reto wasn't exaggerating—he genuinely believed this, and he was grooming him to be the future Kazekage.
And indeed, the fact that he would one day become the strongest Kazekage in history proved Reto's keen judgment.
"Without a doubt, I believe he is the strongest Genin in this Chunin Exam!" Reto's words were resolute.
He spoke with absolute confidence!
"The strongest Genin, huh? It seems Kazekage-sama has great faith in your village's ninja."
Beside him, the First Tsuchikage, Ishikawa, smirked. "What a shame that such an exceptional Genin won't be facing off against our Iwagakure ninja. Otherwise, I'd love to see if a raging wind could shake solid rock!" Ishikawa wasn't one to back down.
To have the strongest Genin be from Sunagakure? He'd rather die than admit that. His Will of Stone had always been unyielding and unshakable!
"Hahaha! It seems both Kazekage-sama and Tsuchikage-sama have raised exceptional ninja." Worried that Reto and Ishikawa might start an argument, Hashirama quickly interjected.
He laughed, slapping his thigh, eyes fixed excitedly on the Third Kazekage.
"The strongest Genin from Sunagakure, huh? Kazekaze sure is lucky!"
Reto: "???"
'Did I mishear?'
'Did the Hokage just say Kazekaze was lucky?'
'Shouldn't he have said unlucky?'
'The Third Kazekage is the strongest Genin in this Chunin Exam!'
'Your Konoha Genin is doomed!'
Of course, Reto only thought this and didn't say it aloud.
"Kazekaze... is that the kid down there?" Beside him, Ishikawa frowned in thought. "He looks familiar, like I've seen him somewhere before."
But given Kazekaze's age, there was no way they had crossed paths before.
"Now that you mention it, I feel like I've seen him somewhere too... especially that face..." Reto narrowed his eyes, focusing on Kazekaze's face.
There was something about it that seemed particularly... punchable.
"It's probably because he looks a lot like me," Hashirama explained.
"What?" Reto and Ishikawa spoke in unison, suddenly realizing—
Kazekaze did indeed bear a resemblance to Hashirama.
"Wait... Kazekaze is...?"
Suddenly, as the First Kazekage, Reto had a realization.
"To be honest, Kazekaze is my grandson! He may only be seven years old, but he's stronger than most kids his age. I believe that facing such an opponent in the main event won't disappoint Kazekage. And for Kazekaze, challenging Sunagakure's strongest Genin will be a great experience!"
For both Hashirama and Tobirama— Kazekaze was a Konoha ninja with terrifying talent. They were certain that in less than ten years, Kazekaze would inevitably become the Hokage of Konoha! With that belief, Hashirama naturally hoped Kazekaze would encounter strong opponents to sharpen himself along the way!
Meanwhile, Reto and Ishikawa were left frozen in shock. They had never imagined that the grandson of the First Hokage was also participating in this Chunin Exam! As the exam's judges, Reto and Ishikawa had received the list of participants.
However, since Kazekaze's records didn't list Senju as his surname and his profile seemed unremarkable, they had completely overlooked him. They had to admit—Kazekaze's identity as Hashirama's grandson cast a powerful aura over him.
But what intrigued the Kage most was… Did Kazekaze inherit Hashirama's power?
Even though the ninja world was at peace under Hashirama's rule, Konoha's fertile land was a constant source of envy. Moreover, each of the First Kage were formidable figures who had crushed numerous clans to establish their villages. None of them wanted Konoha to produce a second Senju Hashirama. With Hashirama's revelation, Reto and Ishikawa began reevaluating Kazekaze.
"First match, begin!" Hiruzen's voice echoed through the arena.
The audience erupted with excitement. However… Kazekaze and the Third Kazekage didn't immediately make a move.
"Before we begin, allow me to ask you a question." The Third Kazekage smirked at Kazekaze.
"What question?"
The Third Kazekage rubbed his forehead. At eleven years old, he was no longer a child. Facing a seven-year-old like Kazekaze, he felt a tinge of hesitation.
"Would you like to forfeit?" He spread his hands. "I looked at your records and assumed you were just a late bloomer. But I didn't expect you to actually be seven years old. Having a goal is a good thing, but I think you could wait a few more years before taking the Chunin Exam." The Third Kazekage offered his advice in good faith.
He wasn't being arrogant—he was genuinely concerned that once Kazekaze witnessed his overwhelming strength, he might develop a psychological scar from the defeat.