Chapter 188: Defying Leadership Ensures No Good End (Patreon)

Chapter List: Naruto: Sakura Blizzard

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"..." The Third Hokage reached out, intending to stop Sakura and others, but before he could speak, the group had already vanished, leaving only Kakashi pretending to read his Icha Icha Paradise earnestly.

"Uh, Third Hokage, I'll be taking my leave now. I need to give Sakura and the others some last-minute advice for the upcoming exam..." Kakashi apologized quickly to the Third Hokage before scampering away.

"Forget it, consider it compensation to the Uchiha clan!" The Third Hokage sighed, ultimately choosing not to say anything more. After all, now that only Sasuke remained of the Uchiha clan, even close ties with Karin wouldn't cause any issues. As for Danzo's reaction, he'd handle it himself.

In the spacious examination arena, a large group of Genin from various ninja villages stood together. The Third Hokage was on the stage, speaking earnestly to the group of Genin.

"Grandpa Third Hokage is getting more long-winded with age!" Sakura, somewhat helplessly, fiddled with her ears. The Third Hokage had been speaking for over twenty minutes now and showed no signs of fatigue. She wondered, doesn't he feel his lips drying up with all this talking at his age?

"I really want to sleep!" Naruto stood in place, his head drooping, his eyelids fighting to stay open. The Third Hokage's voice seemed like a lullaby, gradually muddling his brain, inducing sleepiness even while he was standing.

"Everyone, put these in your ears!"

Sakura pulled out a bunch of earplugs, secretly distributing them among the crowd. Once the earplugs were in, a sense of serenity seemed to wash over the group.

"The Chunin Exam is actually a microcosm of the wars between various nations. Your performance in the Chunin Exam represents not just your own abilities but also the image of your ninja village and your country..."

After spending half an hour enlightening them about Konoha's glorious history, the Third Hokage began to expound on the true significance of the Chunin Exam. Witnessing the ear-blocking antics of the young ones, the Third Hokage, who could see clearly, felt an indescribable frustration.

"...To become a Chunin, it's not just about scoring well. What's crucial is your behavior during the exams. If your performance is outstanding, even if you don't win in the third round, you can still become a Chunin..."

"Third Hokage, allow me to take over the next part, cough, cough..."

Perhaps unable to bear the Third Hokage's rambling, Gekko Hayate, with dark circles under his eyes and a pallor as if he'd indulged too much, his speech punctuated by incessant coughing, stepped forward, kneeling on one knee to interrupt the Third Hokage.

"Alright, I won't say much more, Hayate. You'll handle the preliminary rounds!"

The Third Hokage seemed a bit unhappy. He hadn't had enough of speaking; seizing this rare opportunity, he had hoped to talk for a few more hours. But Gekko Hayate, lacking tact, had interrupted him. This kid really didn't know how to behave.

As a form of retaliation, the Third Hokage was already planning to send Yūgao Uzuki on a mission, letting Hayate, who coughed all day, truly experience the taste of longing.

"Finally, it's over. Senior Hayate is such a good person..." Naruto, relieved, removed his earplugs and sent a grateful look towards Gekko Hayate.

"He's not just a good person; he's a genuine hero..."

Sakura had a relatively deep impression of Gekko Hayate, a character with few appearances. Firstly, because this pale-faced individual surprisingly had a beautiful girlfriend, which was utterly unbelievable. Secondly, his courage to interrupt the Third Hokage was admirable.

It's well-known that confronting leadership usually doesn't end well, such as the senior brother who tragically retaliated for not assisting the deputy leader in time and died in the BGM, or Gekko Hayate, who dared to interrupt the leader and was soon killed. These stories tell us that unless necessary, never casually challenge the authority of leadership, as it's very easy to lose your life.

Of course, Sakura had maliciously speculated more than once that Gekko Hayate's early demise was probably related to his name. As everyone knows, in the Hokage plot, after Naruto's return from training, the full name became "Hokage Ninja: Hurricane Chronicles," and this pale-faced supporting character was called Gekko Hayate, blatantly vying for the protagonist's position. Consequently, under the will of the vast universe, Gekko Hayate, who had a beautiful girlfriend at a young age, had no choice but to meet his end.

"Cough, cough, cough, I am your Examiner for the third-round preliminaries, Gekko Hayate, cough. Next, we'll proceed with one-on-one battles. The victors will participate in the third round of exams in a month, cough. If... cough... anyone is unfit, or for other reasons wishes to withdraw... cough, you can speak up now..."

As Gekko Hayate spoke, he coughed, making everyone wonder if he might accidentally cough up his lungs.

"Shouldn't you be the one concerned about your health?" Hinata mumbled under her breath. However, given the acute hearing of ninjas, everyone, including Gekko Hayate, heard clearly, causing him to start coughing even more violently.

Seeing Gekko Hayate's worsening cough, the Third Hokage contemplated. It seemed Yūgao Uzuki had to be sent on a long-term mission after all.

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Next Chapter >>Chapter 189: Kankuro's Sorrow [Part 1]