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Chapter – 1133 The Conclusion of Quarterfinals
🕑 Added 2025-02-23 08:50:15 +0000 UTC“I give up…”
The moment Itsuki uttered these words, several figures appeared in the arena one after another—Kakashi and ‘Itachi’ from the sidelines, Shisui and Tsunade-hime from the stands while Pakura and ‘Kuroto’ descended from the VIP Box.
Pakura hurried to Itsuki’s side, quickly supporting him as she glanced toward the monstrous chakra beast in the distance. “Itsuki-kun, are you alright? Can you stand?” she asked with concern.
“O-Okaa-sama?” Itsuki stammered, momentarily taken aback by her sudden presence. He was so surprised that he instinctively called her ‘Okaa-sama’ instead of ‘Kazekage-sama,’ as he usually did.
Pakura, however, paid no mind to his slip and urged him, “Come on, we need to get out of here. If that thing releases the Tailed Beast Bomb, we will all die.”
Before she could move, Kakashi stepped forward, extending his hand toward the beast. “Rest assured, Kazekage-dono,” he said calmly. “The Tailed Beast Bomb won’t hit anyone… not if I send it elsewhere.”
Pakura turned to him, startled. “You can do that, Hand?”
Itsuki also widened his eyes in surprise, “What?”
Without taking his eyes off the Chakra beast, Kakashi replied, “Minato-sensei did it thirteen years ago, on the night of the Nine-Tails’ attack. If the need arises… I believe I can do it, too.” His voice carried unwavering confidence.
Pakura, still unconvinced, frowned. “Even so… I don’t want to take that risk.”
Kakashi gave a small nod. “That’s fair. Then please, leave the arena.”
Pakura gave a brief nod and swiftly left the arena with Itsuki.
Kakashi, however, remained, his gaze fixed on the beast as a flicker of uncertainty crossed his face, and he murmured to himself, “Has Naruto lost control?”
Even as that thought lingered in his mind, he noticed ‘Itachi’ and ‘Kuroto’ cautiously approaching the beast who growled at them and threatened to release the tailed beast bomb on them. At the same time, Shisui and Tsunade also stepped forward. Unlike ‘Itachi’ and ‘Kuroto,’ however, Shisui and Tsunade seemed less tense. Their expressions were solemn, but there was no trace of fear, just a little bit of tension.
Shisui’s confidence was understandable—he possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan and could potentially contain the Nine-Tails if it went berserk using Susano’o. But Tsunade? Her presence in the arena was unexpected.
Despite the lingering doubts, now was not the time for speculation. Everyone’s attention remained locked on the beast, waiting to see what would happen next.
At this moment, ‘Kuroto’ cautiously addressed the beast. “Naruto-kun… the fight is over. Itsuki of Sunagakure has admitted defeat.”
Naruto’s voice emerged from within the beast, sounding relaxed. “I know, Kuroto-sensei…” Then, with a confident grin, he added, “Aren’t I awesome? With this, I’ve made it to the next round! Just two more wins, and the competition is mine!”
His upbeat words seemed to ease the tension slightly. Noticing this, ‘Kuroto’ signaled for ‘Itachi,’ Shisui, and Tsunade-hime to take a few steps back before continuing, “Can you disperse the Nine-Tails’ chakra? And the Tailed Beast Bomb? If that thing goes off, we’re going to have a big problem.”
As soon as ‘Kuroto’ made his request, the beast fell silent.
The sudden stillness made Shisui activate his Mangekyō Sharingan, while Itachi’s Sharingan spun to life. Kakashi and Tsunade-hime subtly moved their hands closer, prepared to weave signs at a moment’s notice.
Their concern was clear—had the Nine-Tails seized control of Naruto’s consciousness? Was an attack imminent? They were on the verge of striking first, prepared to subdue the beast before it could do anything.
But ‘Kuroto’ held them back.
Time passed, each second dragging on as the beast remained motionless, seemingly caught in deliberation.
Would it unleash the Tailed Beast Bomb and attack everyone? Or would it heed ‘Kuroto’s’ words and stand down?
…
Inside Naruto’s plane of consciousness
"Hey… Fox, what are you doing? Disperse that thing… if it hits anyone, it'll cause massive destruction and kill people… and then everyone will start hating me again!" Naruto shouted from outside the cage, pleading with the Nine-Tails to stop.
But the fox ignored him, lost in its own thoughts. It would be so easy to kill them all right now…
The idea had crossed its mind more than once in that moment, and it would be a lie to say it wasn’t tempted. However, a recent conversation with someone echoed in its mind, calming its urge.
Why did I even give my word to him…? The fox let out a sigh before slumping down and closing its eyes.
Seeing the fox lie down, Naruto smirked and crouched in front of the cage. “Sooner or later, I’m gonna get you to talk to me…”
But the fox remained silent, keeping its eyes closed as if dozing off.
Naruto chuckled. “Well, I’ll see you later… and I’m gonna need your help for the next two rounds, so don’t think you’re done with me yet. I’ll be back to bug you again. For now… bye.”
With that, Naruto left his soul plane.
As soon as he was gone, the fox cracked one eye open, muttering to itself, “You better keep your end of the deal, boy…” before drifting off once more.
…
Back in the arena, the Tailed Beast Bomb that had been looming as a threat suddenly began to shrink, then vanished entirely as if it had never existed. Moments later, the fiery orange chakra of the Nine-Tails also started receding into Naruto’s body. The seven tails behind him disappeared one by one—seven, six, five, four… then three, two, and finally one—until only Naruto remained, standing before everyone.
With his hands folded behind his head and a goofy grin plastered across his face, he let out a chuckle. “Hehe… Why are you all so serious?”
His carefree demeanor made it seem as if nothing had been wrong in the first place, as if there had never been anything to worry about.
Of course, the state of his clothes—severely tattered and singed—and the burns on his face, caused by the Nine-Tails’ chakra, told a different story. But for now, the fact that the beast had fully retreated was enough for everyone to breathe a sigh of relief.
Shisui was the first to speak. “Naruto-kun, you really gave us a scare. For a moment, we thought you’d lost control and that the Nine-Tails was about to go on a rampage.”
Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “Ahaha… I see. So, I spooked everyone for no reason. Don’t worry, Shisui-sensei; I had things under control, believe it.”
“Tch… how disappointing…” Tsunade muttered under her breath.
Her remark caught everyone off guard. A flicker of confusion spread among the group—even Kakashi, who knew her well, couldn’t figure out what she meant.
“Huh? Disappointing? What do you mean, Tsunade-sama?”
They couldn't help but wonder—had Tsunade-hime actually wanted the Nine-Tails to go on a rampage?
‘No… that can’t be right… right?’
Tsunade-hime simply shook her head. “Nothing… I was just talking to myself,” she muttered before turning away and walking off without offering any further explanation.
For a brief moment, silence hung over the arena. Then, ‘Kuroto’ spoke up, breaking the tension. “Well, since nothing dangerous happened, let’s put this behind us.” He then turned to ‘Itachi’ and instructed, “Announce the result of the match,” before making his way out of the arena.
“Yes, Hokage-sama…” ‘Itachi’ nodded in acknowledgment. As he watched the others begin to leave, he stepped toward Naruto and officially declared the outcome of the fight.
“Since Itsuki of Sunagakure has admitted defeat, Uzumaki Naruto of Konohagakure is the winner and has qualified for the semi-finals.”
For a moment, there was silence. Then, somewhere in the crowd, a single person started clapping. Soon, more joined in, and before long, the entire colosseum erupted in applause.
Among all the Genin participating in the Joint Chūnin Promotion Exams, at least one from Konoha had secured a spot in the semi-finals.
As the colosseum erupted in applause, Naruto shifted his gaze toward the Amegakure waiting room, where he spotted Raijin leaning against the railing, watching him intently. Meeting Raijin’s eyes, Naruto smirked and said, “You’re next.” Then, without waiting for a response, he turned and left the arena.
Raijin, however, chuckled and murmured, “Not quite… I won’t be next.”
Meanwhile, as the cheers gradually died down, ‘Itachi’ stepped forward and announced, “With Uzumaki Naruto securing the fourth spot, the semi-finalists are now decided. The upcoming battles will be fought between Deidara of Iwagakure, Darui of Kumogakure, Raijin of Amegakure, and Uzumaki Naruto of Konohagakure.”
The crowd roared in excitement, eagerly anticipating the intense clashes ahead. However, their enthusiasm faltered as ‘Itachi’ continued, “Before we begin the semi-finals, there will be a two-hour break to allow the participants to rest and recuperate. During this time, the arena will be restored, and the colosseum will be reinforced to withstand the upcoming battles.”
In truth, most of the participants didn’t need much rest—only Raijin required recovery time. Darui and Deidara were still fresh, having barely exerted themselves in their matches since Tengu and Samsara had forfeited. Naruto, too, wasn’t particularly fatigued, thanks to the Nine-Tails’ chakra enhancing his stamina. However, the break was necessary to prepare the arena properly.
After all, the next three battles would be between fighters who had already reached Kage-level strength. Yes, even Naruto was included in that category, given his ability to harness the Nine-Tails’ chakra and maintain control of up to seven tails without difficulty.
With the impending use of techniques like Dust Release, Tailed Beast Bombs, and Heavenly Lightning, ‘Itachi’ knew they had to take every precaution to ensure the safety of the spectators.
Although the crowd was somewhat disappointed about the two-hour wait before the semi-finals, there was little they could do. One by one, they began leaving the Colosseum, making their way to the various eateries around the village.
It was only then that many realized just how hungry they were—most of them hadn’t eaten much all day.
Any lingering dissatisfaction quickly vanished as they eagerly indulged in food, drinks, and the many treats being sold along the bustling streets of Konoha.
With that, the Quarterfinals of the Joint Chūnin Promotion Exam concluded smoothly, without any major issues.
