In the exam venue, the nine contestants who advanced to the third round of the Chuunin Exams lined up, standing like soldiers under the scorching sun, awaiting their turn. The audience was seated high up in the stands, watching from above, while directly opposite them sat the Third Hokage and the Third Raikage.
It's said that every Raikage, upon assuming the role, takes the name "A," and the Third Raikage was no exception.
The Third Raikage wore minimal clothing on his upper body, his muscles bulging like fists, shining under the sunlight, radiating an abundance of life force. It was as if he was constantly showcasing his powerful physique to others.
Tsunade couldn't help but wonder if poking his muscles would feel like poking a rock.
"What's going on?" Jiraiya, who had grown impatient, complained. "Where did the old man get all these pointless words from?"
Indeed, this was the speech before the official start of the competition, a rambling collection of nonsense that Jiraiya didn't understand.
It was unbearably hot, and standing out in the open, exposed to the sun, felt like torture.
Tsunade agreed with Jiraiya. A speech was fine, but why did it need to be drawn out so unnecessarily? The speaker spoke slowly, taking pauses after every sentence as if waiting for others to digest the words. It wasn't even a collection of profound sayings.
However, Tsunade didn't like how Jiraiya referred to the Hokage as "old man." Sarutobi Hiruzen was only in his thirties now, and Tsunade thought, if that was considered old, she must be twice as old.
"This is also a test. You guys better not get agitated, or it'll affect your performance in the upcoming matches," said Orochimaru suddenly, breaking the tension. His voice made Yukari, standing beside him, glance at him curiously.
Tsunade also looked at Orochimaru, surprised. She couldn't understand how Orochimaru didn't feel the heat. She could clearly see that he wasn't sweating, while she was drenched in sweat. As for Orochimaru, he seemed completely unaffected by the heat, almost emitting a cool aura.
Unable to resist, Tsunade subconsciously stepped a bit closer to Orochimaru, distancing herself from Jiraiya, who was radiating an uncomfortable amount of heat. Yukari, standing on the other side of Orochimaru, also inched closer to him, casting Tsunade a mysterious smile.
"..."
Orochimaru suddenly felt a strange sensation, as if he was surrounded on both sides, yet he sensed a dangerous aura. Jiraiya, noticing this, clenched his fists and his eyes turned sharp with frustration. He wanted nothing more than to take Orochimaru's place.
It seemed like the goal he had been striving for all these years was being unintentionally achieved by Orochimaru.
But Tsunade wasn't concerned with Jiraiya's frustration. She only thought how uncomfortable it was to wear her kimono in this heat. In such hot weather, she wished she could wear something cooler instead. Someone like Karen, for example, had the right idea. She wore a short-sleeved, low-cut top, almost exposing her chest, and a skirt so short it revealed her underwear, her long legs barely concealed by fishnet stockings. Just looking at her made Tsunade feel cooler.
But then Tsunade wondered—how did Karen not get sunburned?
This was something many women probably cared about, but Tsunade had already gotten quite tanned after training under the sun for weeks.
Still, she thought, now that she had mastered the move Sakumo taught her, the hardship didn't seem so bad. She could already imagine the stunned looks of everyone when she pulled off that move.
According to Sakumo, that was a move that only Tsunade could truly master, a finishing technique!
Just as Tsunade was lost in her thoughts of using her cool move to defeat her enemies, the speeches finally ended, and the third round of the Chuunin Exams was officially declared open. The examiners stepped forward, and to Tsunade's surprise, one of them was none other than the very familiar, Tsunade's long-time acquaintance, Totsuki Koharu!
Suddenly, memories of the time Tsunade and Jiraiya had secretly watched her in the public bath came rushing back, and she felt her face flush with heat. The others didn't know, but Tsunade was well aware that, despite Koharu's clothing, she was far from unimpressive.
Looking at Koharu now, serious and stern in her role as an examiner, Tsunade couldn't help but blush even more, remembering the things Koharu had done in the public bath. Was it for the thrill?
Well, it was definitely exciting, especially with the risk of being caught by anyone walking in. Actually, Tsunade and Jiraiya had already discovered it, so if a camera had been around to capture the moment and someone tried to use it for blackmail... but of course, that was never going to happen. Two lowly ninjas threatening someone of Koharu's rank was pure suicide.
It was strange, though. Tsunade realized Koharu was nearing her thirties, still unmarried, with reasons unknown. Koharu was usually upright, so occasionally needing to address some... personal matters was understandable.
Tsunade glanced at Jiraiya, who was visibly distracted, likely reminiscing about that bath incident.
Looking at Jiraiya in his perverted state, Tsunade sneered: "You didn't even see the best part!"
All in all, when Koharu entered, there was a strange feeling, as if everyone could see right through her. When Koharu's eyes met Tsunade's, the discomfort intensified, making her feel exposed. But now wasn't the time to think about such things, so Koharu immediately began explaining the rules of the match.
In fact, she wasn't explaining to the nine participants, but to the unsuspecting audience, clarifying the nature of the competition and adding some context to the Third Hokage's earlier speech.
After the explanation, the match was finally announced to begin, just as Tsunade was drenched in sweat.
First Round, First Match
Tsunade vs. Darō.
(End of Chapter)