Third Chunin match. The winner was Fuma Josam, who had previously competed in the Konoha exchange gathering. His mastery of the Fuma clan's spider secret techniques gave him an edge, and his Hidden Mist opponent was considerably weaker than either Terumi Mei or the Hozuki clan member.
The fourth match ended in a draw.
So going into the fifth and final Chunin match, even a Sand Village victory would only bring the overall Chunin division to a draw. If the Sand Village lost, they would have won only one match in the Chunin division, effectively being dominated by the Hidden Mist Village.
In the fifth match, the Hidden Mist Village sent out Zabuza.
The Sand Village responded with a puppet corps fighter, though not the same one who had competed alongside the tree user in Konoha. This was a different fighter who had recently shown exceptional performance within the puppet corps, a rising talent from the Sand Village.
Compared to Terumi Mei's relaxed and carefree manner when she had taken the floor, Zabuza's eyes were sharp and fierce, his brows furrowed, his entire bearing radiating contempt, as though he did not consider his opponent worth acknowledging as a threat.
From the very opening of the fight, Zabuza immediately deployed his signature combination, blanketing the arena with the Hidden Mist Technique and then relying on his Silent Killing technique to strike from within it.
His attacks were not continuous but appeared at any moment, striking whenever an opening presented itself. If he missed or the opponent dodged, he vanished back into the mist.
In terms of concept, the fighting style was extraordinarily simple and uncomplicated.
Yet it created overwhelming psychological pressure on his opponent.
As time passed, the puppet user operating within the fog became increasingly distressed, with no way to determine where his opponent was or from which direction the next strike would come.
With the Hidden Mist Technique augmenting it, Zabuza's Body Flicker became something uncanny and nearly impossible to predict, functioning almost like a fog-form Body Flicker, borrowing the jutsu to perform the technique and rendering opponents effectively blind while he retained full situational awareness and could lock onto his target and launch Water Release attacks at range.
His Water Release was clearly inferior to Terumi Mei's in both power and chakra volume. His strength lay in extracting the maximum effectiveness from the Hidden Mist Village's assassination techniques and taking them to their natural conclusion.
By contrast, the Sand Village puppet user, while managing some counterattacks through puppet control, was almost entirely reactive throughout the entire exchange rather than dictating anything offensively.
After barely a few minutes, the Sand Village Chunin with genuine puppet technique talent found Zabuza's dagger pressed against his throat.
It was the fastest-ending match of the five. Zabuza won cleanly and decisively.
"Among the five, aside from your student at the start and the Fuma clan member, the remaining three seemed rather average in skill level. Is the Sand Village looking down on our Hidden Mist Village?"
The Hidden Mist Village had won the Chunin division comprehensively, and the day's events were concluded. But Yagura appeared somewhat dissatisfied.
He looked over and asked directly.
These five Sand Village Chunin could not possibly represent the village's outstanding fighters of this generation. Their strength was decent, but this exchange gathering was supposed to be a competition between the best generational representatives of both villages.
He had brought several genuine Hidden Mist geniuses to participate, but the Sand Village side had responded with something that felt rather perfunctory.
This naturally left Yagura somewhat unhappy.
"Some of our more capable juniors are currently away on missions outside the village and cannot be in two places at once," Yuji said with a smile.
"Besides, this competition is about strengthening the relationship between our two villages. Winning or losing isn't the most important thing, is it? And the representatives we sent, even if they aren't our strongest, are still quite capable."
Yagura understood the real meaning. Yuji was using his concealed geniuses to provide training experience for the fighters who needed it most. Competing against opponents of equal standing, or against someone stronger than oneself, generally yielded the greatest growth.
"Do not get too excited just yet. In the Chunin division, our competitors were indeed well behind your Hidden Mist Village's. But tomorrow's Jonin division, with Pakura present, I think your Hidden Mist Village should spend some time thinking about how you plan to win," Yuji said, leaning slightly toward Yagura and delivering this quietly.
Yagura heard this and turned to look at the woman seated among the Sand Village's senior figures not far away, the woman who had been observing the entire competition in silence.
The Scorch Release ninja. Pakura.
Possessing a Byakugan.
She had single-handedly swept four of Konoha's proudest Jonin. Against the Hidden Stone Village's generational competitors, her dominance had been equally clear.
It was fair to say that among this generation of ninja, the Sand Village's Pakura carried an air of being without equal among her peers.
The Hidden Mist Village's people were not unfamiliar with this woman's name. Yagura himself was even more familiar with her.
Because this woman had once been on their assassination list. The Hidden Mist Village's number one priority interception and elimination target. During the war she had caused considerable trouble for the Hidden Mist Village.
Although this inter-village exchange gathering was a diplomatic event meant to cultivate the newer generation and strengthen mutual relations, with the primary participants being newer fighters, in practical terms Pakura's age was not dramatically different from the Fourth Kazekage's. They could even be considered of the same generation, with the difference being that she had entered the battlefield considerably earlier.
Most critically, she had risen to prominence too early. Combined with her overwhelming strength and her reputation across the ninja world, and with her development under the Kazekage's personal guidance, her experience ran deep.
In Yagura's eyes, the more he considered it, the more she belonged to that rare category alongside Yuji himself.
Among this generation of Sand Village fighters, outside of Yuji and Sasori, such a woman had also emerged. After the Blood-Doctor Yuji and Akasuna no Sasori had dominated the ninja world in their era, Pakura appeared to be positioning herself to inherit that mantle, continuing to define the next era's top-tier combat power.
It was impossible not to wonder. When exactly had the Sand Village started accumulating this kind of fortune?
Across the stadium, Pakura seemed to sense Yagura's gaze and turned to meet it.
The two exchanged a brief look.
Yagura withdrew his gaze.
After finishing the closing remarks, he stepped forward to deliver his address. The gallery erupted in cheering.
The overall atmosphere of the day's competition had been excellent. Although the Sand Village had come out on the losing side, the crowd's energy remained enthusiastic throughout. As for the Hidden Mist Village's victory, there was nothing more to add on that front.
"I did not expect the Sand Village's atmosphere to be this welcoming. I had originally thought the village would be somewhat hostile toward our visit."
After some time, the groups gradually made their way out. Yagura led Terumi Mei, Zabuza, and the others who had finished competing out of the arena. Walking to his left and right were Ao and Hoshigaki Kisame.
Ao sighed quietly and said:
"The Sand Village lost comprehensively today. And yet at the venue, not one of those villagers showed the slightest sign of bitterness or resentment toward us."
This competition had involved the reputation of two hidden villages. It was no small matter.
"The ones who lost were the Sand Village's younger fighters, not the village's senior leadership," Yagura said calmly. "The Sand Village is now powerful and broadly recognized. Its people believe in their village's strength. Under those circumstances they carry absolute confidence."
"For something as relatively minor as a win or loss in an exchange gathering, naturally they can afford to embrace a greater degree of tolerance."
"In these people's eyes, their Kage is the strongest. And they believe he will never lose to anyone. That is enough."
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the Hidden Mist younger fighters shifted slightly.
"But times change, and no one remains at the top forever. The future belongs to you."
Yagura's tone shifted, and he directed a rare genuine smile toward Terumi Mei and Zabuza.