Chapter 710 : The Finals Commence! (Patreon)

A sigh escaped Fujin's lips as he realized, ‘From this moment onwards, my memories will no longer be reliable.’

When he entered this world, Fujin prized his knowledge of the future very highly. Once he gained sufficient strength to thrive in this deadly world, he could use this knowledge to make immense gains. That was why he was always careful about his actions.

Fujin had long gained the strength to thrive in this world. Even though there were still existences who were stronger than him, Fujin was confident in his abilities. However, even though he calculated as much as he humanly could, there was one aspect that he couldn't control. As he continued gaining strength, his existence itself created ripples that would force any sane person to change his actions.

It was just like how Orochimaru decided against killing Rasa, even though he was ultimately forced to do the same. Fujin's existence would force others to make changes in their plans as they would have to consider his interference.

Fujin thought, ‘Even though I messed quite a bit with the other hidden villages, I did my best not to mess much with Akatsuki. Even though I tried to kill Hidan once, it ultimately ended in a failure without much impact on the Akatsuki.

After this battle, things should calm down until the Akatsuki decide to take center stage. According to my calculations, they will target other Jinchurikis in the same way as in the original story. However, if Konoha takes minimal losses in this war, other villages won't let their Jinchurikis get taken away so easily. Konoha's strength will be too immense and they will feel threatened. Under such circumstances, they can't afford to lose their Jinchurikis.

So, Akatsuki will face quite a challenge while trying to capture the Jinchurikis. It could cause losses which may result in a serious impact on the future. If Onoki or Ay intercept them while they try to kidnap Roshi or Yugito respectively, it could cause severe repercussions.

In addition, Akatsuki's plans for Konoha will change as well. If I continue gaining strength at a similar speed, there is no way Nagato would dare to attack Konoha alone, even more so if Hiruzen stays alive. Considering all these factors, Akatsuki will be forced to make some major changes, whether it be recruiting more ninjas or something else.

Of course, even with all the changes, my knowledge of the future isn't useless. It is still precious, considering I know which events will happen in the future and the hidden abilities of so many rank S ninjas. It is just that I can't act blindly based on just those events and abilities as I could when Orochimaru attacked Naruto's team in the Forest of Death. Still…’

Fujin let out a sigh. He didn't like losing something so valuable without being able to do anything about it. Suddenly, he heard a chuckle, “I didn't think I'd ever see you be so worried.”

Fujin didn't even need to turn around to recognize who it was. He said, “You seem upbeat as always, Guy.”

Guy stood next to him and said, “Of course. What's the use of being worried about something that'll eventually happen? We'll just have to deal with whatever we have to face.”

Guy, obviously, couldn't know what was going through Fujin's head. Instead, he thought that Fujin was worried about the upcoming battle. As his senior, he decided to raise Fujin's morale a bit. Coincidentally, his words were also applicable to what Fujin was concerned about.

Fujin chuckled and replied, “That is true. There's no point in worrying about what we can't control.”
Guy gave his trademark grin and replied, “That's the spirit.”
He became serious and said, “That said, this could be your first war. So, it isn't too strange for you to be a bit nervous. We were quite the same during the Third Great War. By comparison, you're holding much better.”

Fortunately, Guy was unaware of the stunts Fujin pulled in the Land of Wind and the Land of Lightning. Otherwise, he would have felt silly for saying those words.

Fujin smiled and replied, “Thanks, Guy. Don't worry, I'll be fine. Apologies that I couldn't visit Lee in the hospital. Unfortunately, the past month has been quite hectic. How's he?”

Guy grinned and answered, “Don't worry, Lee is very tenacious. Thanks to you, his injuries weren't very serious. He has already recovered completely and has continued his training. Even though he is advised against opening the Inner Gates for the time being, he'll come back even stronger.”

Without his arm and leg being crushed by Gaara's sand, the only thing Lee had to deal with was the painful backlash of opening five Inner Gates. It put an extreme amount of strain on his young body. However, it wasn't something that couldn't be dealt with by the medical ninjas of Konoha. Though he had to be kept under observation for over three weeks, he made a full recovery.

Fujin chuckled and added, “As expected of your favorite student.”

Fujin and Guy continued waiting in the stadium as others slowly trickled in. One of the earliest people to arrive was Baki. As soon as he arrived, his eyes landed on the two of them. He thought, ‘As expected, he is here. I hope Kazekage-sama and Orochimaru have made sufficient preparations. Otherwise, this will be a painful war.’

In a few hours, the stadium was fully packed. All the Genins had arrived and were standing at the center of the arena… Well, almost everyone.

Guy's eyes twitched as he exclaimed, “I don't believe it. Kakashi is late today as well?”
Renjiro, who had arrived in the stadium along with Hoka, chuckled and said, “He doesn't fail to maintain his reputation.”

Renjiro was assigned the task of ensuring Guy's safety after he used the Eight Inner Gates to take care of enemy rank S ninjas. He was asked to take Hoka's help, though Hoka wasn't told anything about the plan. Hence, he and Hoka were standing close to Guy.

Hoka asked curiously, “Wouldn't Sasuke be disqualified if he's late?”

Renjiro replied, “Under normal circumstances, yes. However, I have a feeling that it wouldn't be the case. Sasuke's battle with Gaara is the most anticipated fight of the day. People won't be happy if that match doesn't happen.”

Lee asked, “His battle with Gaara? Isn't Sakura-chan fighting Gaara first? Don't count her out so soon. I heard she trained extremely hard the entire month.”

His words immediately made all four Jounins gaze at him, making him feel uncomfortable. Hoka even activated his Byakugan, causing Lee to ask nervously, “What is it?”

Hoka replied, “Just checking whether opening five Inner Gates left some hidden injuries behind.”

‘...’
Poor Lee was left speechless. Needless to say, he had made that statement due to his affection for Sakura instead of thinking rationally. Fujin and Renjiro ignored him and turned their gaze back to the arena while Guy was left without any words to defend his star disciple.

Fortunately for Lee, a loud cheer was heard throughout the stadium, taking attention away from him. The two Kages had entered the stadium. Fujin's eyes glowed as he observed the ‘Kazekage’ like a hawk. A smile appeared on his face as he thought, ‘Not bad. I don't sense a hint of Orochimaru from him. No wonder Hiruzen couldn't tell either.

Now, the main questions are… Is he Orochimaru or Rasa? And, if he is Orochimaru, is Rasa dead or alive?”

While Fujin and several others observed the two Kage, Hayate informed the Genins about the changes in their matchups. With Dosu dead, Shikamaru got a free win and his first match was directly against Temari. The other matches were the same as initially decided. Hayate informed them about the rules of the Chunin exam.

Finally, a loud announcement was made, “Ladies and Gentlemen… Welcome, and a heartfelt thanks for gathering here in Konohagakure for the Chunin Selection Examination. We will now begin the matches of the final round between the nine candidates who advanced in the preliminaries. Please sit back and enjoy!”

Another loud cheer began in the crowd. In the arena, Hayate instructed, “Haruno Sakura and Gaara, you two stay here. Rest of you, proceed to the waiting room outside the arena.”