Chapter 138: Promoted to Chunin (BOUNS CHAPTER)
Amidst the cheering crowd, Chiko Tomoe returned to the resting area. Her younger sister, Kotake, ran up excitedly, shouting from afar, "Sis, you were amazing!"
Seeing the admiration shining in Kotake's eyes, Chiko smiled softly and, for the first time, patted her little sister's head like a true elder.
Standing nearby, Kamino Tsuko looked at Chiko and said, "Chiko, let's have a match once the exam is over."
She said it without her usual bossy tone. Her face was calm and serious.
Back when Chiko had returned to the resting area after the lottery, Tsuko had faintly sensed something different about her newly claimed "little sister."
At first, she thought she might've been imagining it. After all, they had just met.
But the confidence Chiko had displayed while patting Kotake's head reminded Tsuko of something.
As someone born into a ninja clan, Tsuko's perception far surpassed that of normal ninja.
Though even Chiko herself hadn't realized it, Tsuko had—Chiko had undergone a transformation on the path toward becoming a jōnin.
She wanted to verify her suspicion. That was why she proposed the duel.
Chiko was stunned for a moment, then nodded decisively. She might not be stronger than Tsuko, but she showed no fear.
Even if her opponent was the infamous school tyrant of the ninja academy, she stood her ground without flinching.
Not long after Chiko's match ended, it was Tsuko's turn.
She swiftly and brutally ended her fight with a style of taijutsu that someone her age shouldn't even be able to use.
Of Ishiro's three disciples, Kawakita was the unluckiest—he was one of the last to fight.
And his opponent was stronger than the ones Chiko and Kajiyama had faced.
He was up against Maruyama Jun—one of the two younger genin participating in the exam.
Despite being a year younger than Kawakita, Maruyama had awakened the Explosion Release bloodline early and was considered one of the top contenders this year.
Both were already well-known, so their match quickly drew the attention of the crowd.
This would be one of the most anticipated duels among hundreds taking place today.
Many spectators, already satisfied from seeing Chiko Tomoe's battle, were now even more thrilled—this match made the trip truly worthwhile.
As the inheritor of Explosion Release, Maruyama Jun specialized in close-quarters combat, a hybrid of ninjutsu and taijutsu.
Kawakita, being a kenjutsu user, was likewise a close-combat fighter.
As soon as the proctor announced the start, both charged at each other.
Maruyama aimed to get close and finish things with a point-blank explosion.
Kawakita, on the other hand, wanted to close just enough distance to land his cutting aura strikes.
Before they collided, Kawakita made his move—swinging a horizontal slash infused with blade aura.
Maruyama was caught off guard. He hadn't expected Kawakita to possess such an ability. His rhythm faltered.
But with the experience passed down from his clan elders, he didn't panic.
Extending both arms in front of him, he created a centered shockwave explosion.
Boom!
The blast dissipated Kawakita's incoming slash.
However, because of the distance, Kawakita wasn't harmed.
He frowned. This was his first time facing a bloodline limit technique, and the power of Explosion Release alarmed him.
Even though his blade aura was still at the beginner stage, it could easily slice through standard C-rank jutsu.
But Explosion Release not only dispersed his attack—it continued to expand afterward.
Its destructive power was likely on par with some B-rank techniques.
"Sensei was right," Kawakita thought. "Bloodline limits often push a technique up by a full rank."
"Judging from how effortlessly he used it, that was probably a C-rank jutsu, yet its power was closer to B-rank."
"And... he didn't even form hand seals."
Kawakita's brows furrowed.
If this technique had no major weakness, this fight might be in real danger.
While Maruyama's advance had stalled from the explosion, Kawakita unleashed another diagonal slash.
Maruyama noted that this attack also didn't require seals.
His expression tightened—his opponent was clearly a threat.
Previously, close-range enemies couldn't handle his sudden explosions, and ranged opponents couldn't cast fast enough to pose a danger.
But Kawakita's blade aura could be used both near and far—and without seals.
For the first time, Maruyama felt like he had no clear opening.
As they exchanged several moves, Maruyama managed to neutralize Kawakita's attacks using his explosive fists and palms.
But the repeated clashes revealed a major flaw in Explosion Release—its limited range.
Explosion Release was a fusion of lightning and earth chakra, granting explosive properties.
While that was an advantage, it also posed a problem.
Once released from the body, the chakra became unstable.
Controlling it wasn't impossible, but it was extremely difficult.
Maruyama's control wasn't refined enough yet.
Kawakita smirked. Found your weakness.
After a brief pause, Kawakita came up with a plan.
He deliberately made it seem like his blade aura technique had a delay—like his control had lapsed.
Maruyama took the bait.
Seeing the opening, he accelerated and quickly closed the gap.
At the same time, he prepared for another explosion, anticipating a counterstrike.
But the blade aura never came.
Instead, a kunai flew straight at him.
"A kunai?" Maruyama was puzzled.
Kunai were common tools, sure—but not something capable of breaking through Explosion Release.
Then, he noticed the faint red glow.
"An explosive tag?" His eyes widened.
"No way. Could he really have figured out Explosion Release's flaw so quickly?!"
While Explosion Release users could control their own explosions, they couldn't control external ones.
In fact, outside explosions disrupted their chakra.
Maruyama wasn't advanced enough to counter this flaw.
Maybe in a few years, with more training, he could refine his control and mitigate the weakness.
But not today.
He couldn't take the risk.
Quickly dispersing the chakra gathered in his hands, he changed direction, trying to avoid the blast.
BOOM!
The explosive tag detonated.
Thanks to his experience, Maruyama adjusted his position just in time.
The shockwave still hit him, but he wasn't seriously injured.
Yet before he could recover—
A blade aura sliced right past him, grazing his side.
He froze.
"…I lost."
Maruyama was stunned.
He knew Kawakita had held back—otherwise, that last strike could've ended him.
It was his first loss against a peer.
He had always taken pride in being unmatched among his age group.
Now, he struggled to accept the result.
The proctor announced Kawakita's victory.
Maruyama looked at Kawakita's calm expression with mixed feelings.
Was this guy really the bottom-ranked student in the elite class a year ago?
No way being a jōnin's student could cause this much improvement… could it?
After all, he'd also been personally trained by his clan's top jōnin instructors.
But it didn't matter how much he resisted the truth—he had lost.
The crowd erupted in surprised cheers.
Even though the fight had gone several rounds, the techniques were fast and seal-less.
To the audience, it looked like a quick, intense exchange—and then Kawakita emerged victorious.
"Wow, this Kawakita's amazing! He just took down Maruyama Jun!"
"Being chosen by a jōnin really changes your fate, huh?"
At that moment, Ishiro's reputation in the village hit a new high.
That had been his goal all along.
Even he hadn't expected it to come this quickly or dramatically.
Of course, some in the crowd understood the fight in detail—Ikura among them.
He could tell that Kawakita had analyzed his opponent's weakness mid-battle and exploited it with perfect timing.
That kind of situational awareness was exactly what a kenjutsu master—and high-level ninja—needed.
Just like Chiko, Kawakita now had Ikura's full recognition.
Back in the resting area, Kajiyama Ri approached Kawakita with a hint of envy and offered a sincere, "Congratulations."
It was for both the victory—and his impending promotion.
Sure enough, once the day's matches ended, Ikura stood before the crowd and announced the list of immediate promotions.
Among them were: Chiko Tomoe, Kawakita, Maruyama Jun, and Kamino Tsuko.
Chiko and Kawakita topped the list—ranked first and second.
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We've hit 400 Power Stones goal As promised This week, here's the bonus chapter. Thank you for your support—please keep it coming!