Konoha’s White Fang Shines

Chapter 76: A Bold Idea

The team continued watching the matches carefully. There were quite a few familiar faces, including Hyūga Chūri, who was two years older than Genma but was also participating in the Chūnin Exams.

Genma hadn't noticed him at first, but Chūri had glared at him several times, so he quickly caught on.

Why was Chūri still a genin?

Genma guessed that he probably didn't graduate early.

From what he observed, Chūri's Gentle Fist technique was quite refined, but his speed and power were still a bit inferior to Genma's.

He wasn't sure if Chūri had mastered the Rotation technique (Hakkeshō Kaiten) yet. That move was notoriously difficult to learn, and even if he had mastered it, he would likely keep it hidden for now.

After Chūri's match, it was time for Kakashi's team vs. Guy's team.

Genma immediately noticed that Obito's cheeks were puffed up, and he knew right away—it was because of the good luck candy from the old lady.

Unfortunately, Obito didn't know that this candy had nothing to do with luck.

At the starting signal, Obito rushed to perform a Fireball Jutsu—but because of the candy stuck in his mouth, he choked and failed to release the jutsu.

To make things worse, Guy took advantage of the delay and landed a brutal kick to Obito's face.

People used to say that anyone who got kicked in the head by Guy was destined for a tragic fate. Genma couldn't help but wonder if his interference in the timeline could help change Obito's destiny.

With Obito instantly taken out, Guy's team went all-in—

One person held off Kakashi.

The other two double-teamed Rin.

It looked dishonorable, but it was the smartest strategy to quickly gain an advantage and then outnumber Kakashi.

However—

Kakashi wasn't so easy to pin down.

The single person trying to hold him off couldn't keep up, and within moments, Kakashi used Head Hunter Jutsu (Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu) to drag Guy into the ground—leaving only his head exposed.

This startled the remaining two.

They knew their taijutsu couldn't match Kakashi's.

They knew their ninjutsu was inferior to his.

After all, Kakashi had been a prodigy since early childhood. Most Chūnin-level ninja couldn't even match his combat experience.

The problem was their team strategy—

Had two of them focused on Kakashi, it might have worked.

But it seemed like Guy had insisted on fighting Kakashi one-on-one, believing that their taijutsu was evenly matched.

This was a mistake.

Even if Guy could fight Kakashi one-on-one, he shouldn't have—not in a team battle.

Ultimately, Kakashi faced off against the remaining two alone.

His speed and adaptability made it almost impossible for them to land a clean hit, but he couldn't overpower them easily either.

Instead of spamming ninjutsu, Kakashi focused on dodging and conserving energy.

With both teammates eliminated, he had to fight smart—he needed to win while preserving his stamina.

Eventually, after baiting them into wasting two C-rank jutsu, the two decided to launch a decisive attack.

They lunged forward.

"SHHK!"

Their kunai stabbed into Kakashi's body—

But—

Poof!

A log appeared.

Substitution Jutsu!

Before they could react, a hand emerged from the ground and pulled one of them under—the same Head Hunter Jutsu that took down Guy earlier.

With one teammate neutralized, the last remaining fighter started panicking.

But then—his captured teammate called out to him.

He wasn't shouting in pain or desperation—he was giving a tactical retreat signal.

Surprisingly, the last standing fighter surrendered.

Many in the crowd were shocked—wasn't that too easy?

Genma, however, understood immediately—this was the smartest decision.

Why?

Because unlike single-elimination tournaments, this Chūnin Exam was structured differently.

The winners were separated from the losers, and they would only fight against other winners.

The same applied to the losing teams—they would only face other losing teams.

The second round would have six matches again:

Six teams that won their first match would fight each other.

Six teams that lost their first match would also fight each other.

This meant three teams would advance immediately, while three teams would be eliminated immediately.

The remaining six teams (1 win, 1 loss each) would fight for the last three spots.

The strategy was clear:

If you knew you were outmatched, there was no point in wasting stamina on a losing battle.

Better to surrender and focus on winning the next match.

It was a brilliant decision by the future Elite Sensei, Ebisu.

The six winning teams were paired against each other—and unfortunately, Genma's team drew Kakashi's team.

Great.

Kakashi was like a nightmare for their generation. No matter what, he always seemed to be in their way.

However—Kakashi had just fought a grueling 1v3 match.

He had to be exhausted.

Before the match began, Raitō eagerly proposed a strategy:

"Genma, I'll take Kakashi, you take Rin, and Kurenai takes Obito! What do you think?"

Genma blinked.

"…Based on what?"

Kurenai also tilted her head, resting her chin on her hand.

Seeing them both questioning him, Raitō scratched his head awkwardly.

"Uh… you know that horse racing strategy? If we all fight someone a little weaker than us, we'll secure a win!"

Kurenai's smile sharpened.

"So… that means you're the weakest in our team, I'm the strongest, and Genma is somewhere in the middle?"

"Cough—!"

Raitō choked, suddenly realizing the trap he had unknowingly stepped into.

Saying "yes" or "no" would both be bad.

Genma found it amusing, but he seriously considered the strategy.

It was a solid plan—

He could eliminate Rin quickly.

**Raitō, even if he lost to Kakashi, could still weaken him.

Kurenai vs. Obito was a wildcard, but Obito hadn't awakened his Sharingan yet.

It was a conservative approach.

But…

"I have a different idea," Genma suddenly said.

"What if… we all focus on Kakashi first?"

Both Kurenai and Raitō stared at him like he was insane.

Triple-teaming Kakashi from the start?

Sure, in theory, overwhelming him quickly could work—but if they failed, they'd be picked off one by one.

Kurenai was the first to recover.

"Alright, explain."

Genma grinned.

"The key is that Kakashi is their leader. If we can take him out first, the fight becomes much easier."

Raitō frowned.

"But what if Rin and Obito interfere?"

"Simple," Genma said. "We take our time."

"We don't rush it. We keep pressuring him. And when we get an opening—we strike together."

He paused—his heart pounding with excitement.

"So," he said, smiling mischievously, "let's start with some Rock-Paper-Scissors."

---