Late that night, after washing up, Logan lay in bed, thinking about the heartfelt conversation he had with the older man he had known for so long. They had talked about so many ordinary things and small matters regarding the team. His relationship with Aida was different from his relationships with Itachi, Kakashi, Sasuke, or Naruto. Logan held deep respect for such humble and sincere people.
'Two days later, this peace would be shattered.' Staring at the ceiling, Logan felt a sense of unease. The primary motivation for his continuous changes and progress had always been his back-and-forth travel between two worlds. However, there was a disconnect between his goals and reality. Reality surged forward relentlessly, with every slight change in the weather, every minor cause and effect under significant events, and every related or unrelated person and conversation reaching his eyes and ears, eventually touching his heart.
Just like the current Konoha, a place with emotions and familiar faces, it was about to undergo a baptism. After the initial pain, it would emerge stronger and rejuvenated. Logan understood this process. According to his previous logic, he should be bound to his 'goal', being a transcendent being, detached from external matters. But were they really unrelated?
He began to question the meaning of the so-called truth he had yet to see.
…
Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and the day of the finals of the Chunin Exams arrived.
On this day, Konoha Village was bustling with activity. Those with free time, those who had planned ahead, and even those who temporarily set aside their tasks were heading to the arena to watch the battles.
Logan set off early, feeling a sense of excitement. When he arrived, the two entrance gates were already crowded. Because he was a Jonin with duties to 'supervise order', he used his status to enter the venue without queuing.
Receiving glares full of resentment from villagers and ordinary Ninjas, Logan happily made his way to his designated section in Area E. Most of the seats were already occupied by Jonin, while the audience slowly filled in from both sides, like black streams spreading throughout the arena.
"Morning, Kakashi."
The Jonin helping to oversee the audience seating was more of a goodwill gesture, and only the older, more rigid Ninjas would diligently follow Hiruzen's instructions faithfully. Of course, new-era Ninjas like Logan were cooperative and supportive.
For instance, Logan took the opportunity to run up front and greet Kakashi when there were few people around.
"Oh, morning." Kakashi yawned and replied.
Leaning against the railing, Logan watched the people entering the venue slowly filling up the seats. "Since Sasuke is training with you, is there any issues?"
In the original work, Sasuke had been late because he was learning Chidori, but in this timeline, Sasuke had already mastered Chidori in advance, so naturally, there is no 'cool late entrance at a crucial moment with a dramatic landing and a deep smile showing off his newly learned big move' moment.
"Well, it's going alright. He's progressing well, stronger than before." Kakashi replied lazily, his tone seemingly indifferent. But Logan knew that when it came to the finals, Kakashi would never be irresponsible with students he acknowledged.
"That's good." Logan nodded and asked casually, "What about Naruto? He's up against the Hyuga Clan's genius in the first round. How's his preparation?"
"I don't know." Kakashi replied bluntly, " "I initially handed him to Ebisu, but then he went to train with Jiraiya of the Legendary Sannin."
"Wow, the Legendary Sannin." Logan exclaimed, showing off his acting skills to show the admiration of future generations of Konoha's Ninjas for the former legend. "He might bring us surprises."
Kakashi pulled out 'Icha Icha Paradise' from his Ninja pouch and said, " Maybe. After all, Naruto is the number one unpredictable Ninja."
'Come on, show a bit of expectation and encouragement for your students before the match, will you? Not being this calm wouldn't kill you, right?'
Thirty minutes later, the seats around the arena were mostly filled. Logan returned to the back row, finding an empty seat. Sakura and Ino arrived together, and seeing their two teachers there, they sat in Area E as well. Asuma, Kurenai, and Guy were also nearby, so the other Konoha Twelve were mostly seated around them too.
Looking around, Logan noticed that Aida seemed to be on the opposite side, far away from his position, so he dismissed the idea of greeting him.
Settling in, Logan quietly adjusted his state of mind. As the number of spectators increased, some ANBU had discreetly spread out to the higher levels of the stadium. While the large gathering of people was indeed exciting and stimulating, the few knowledgeable higher-ups of Konoha felt a subtle unease in the air, and even vaguely prepared to face something.
The last signal before the start was the arrival of the Kazekage. On the VIP viewing area, there were many famous figures from the Land of Fire (though actually, they were just background characters and not truly famous).
The Kazekage, clad in a series of white robes and wearing a cloak emblazoned with the character for 'Wind', arrived with his Elite Jonin, Baki, to meet the Third Hokage. Hiruzen warmly welcomed them with a broad smile, while his assistant, Takeshi, exchanged a meaningful glance with Baki.
After the formalities, a Ninja who seemed to be the chief referee took the stage to speak. His speech was standard fare, akin to a PE teacher's address at the start of a school sports day, emphasizing fairness, the spirit of the Ninja, the spirit of Konoha, and the Will of Fire. It was boring but necessary.
Logan listened idly, his attention mainly focused on the Kazekage in the VIP section. That was Orochimaru in disguise, after all, 'It was impressive that Hiruzen, despite being so close, didn't realize it was his former student. Orochimaru certainly had guts, not fearing exposure and an immediate joint assault by Konoha and Sunagakure.'
'Oh…' Logan glanced below, 'There was Gaara as well, who would soon transform into a Biju. Well, at least he still looked as usual for now.'
…
Meanwhile, in the competition area below the audience seats, the eight contestants who had advanced from the previous two rounds stood according to their matchups.
Being watched by so many spectators made quite a few of them nervous. Naruto, for example, was visibly anxious.
However, before arriving, Naruto had encountered Hinata, and after some heartfelt encouragement from her, his confidence had significantly improved.
"Referee, why is there one person missing?" Shikamaru asked in confusion, noting that there should have been nine contestants who passed the preliminaries.
"One person has forfeited. I was just about to mention that. Here's the new matchup order." Shiranui Genma, who served as the referee for the finals, said. He raised the board in his hand for everyone to see. There wasn't much change except that the name of the Otogakure's Ninja, Dosu, had been crossed out, leaving Shikamaru with only one match instead of two.
Dosu, brainwashed and trained by Orochimaru, had gone to challenge Gaara to prove himself and had already perished.
"Dead last, you better not be nervous." Sasuke sneered as he waited quietly for the game to begin.
"I'm not nervous." Naruto immediately retorted angrily, "I'm so strong, why would I be nervous? You have no idea how much stronger I've gotten this past month. Haha, but you, you're up against…"
At this point, Naruto suddenly paused as he thought of something. He put away his anger and with a rare serious look on his face, he solemnly said, "You're facing that sand-controlling freak. Be careful."
"..."
"Don't worry." Sasuke was taken aback but then smiled. He looked at Gaara, who stood with his arms crossed and expressionless face, and said word by word, "I'll be serious."
At this time, the referee's introductory speech was winding down. Then, Genma clapped his hands, "Alright, alright, the first match contestants stay here. Everyone else, head to the waiting room."
"Relax, kids, and face the audience."
Finally, at the end, Hiruzen solemnly announced in a leader's tone, "The finals of the Chunin Exams officially begin!"