Chapter 286: Idol Ninja
The bad news was that Tsunade had placed a bet at the casino. The good news was that she hadn’t bet on Marisa but on Deidara.
However, upon hearing that Tsunade had bet on Deidara to win, Marisa was instantly displeased and asked angrily:
“Godmother, don’t you have any confidence in me?”
This child really didn’t know what to say.
Tsunade helplessly patted her forehead and explained to her goddaughter in a heartfelt manner:
“No, I did this on purpose. If Deidara wins, I’ll be happy because I won money. But if my bad luck affects him and you win, I’ll be equally happy. So, no matter what the outcome is, I win. Understand?”
This was a win-win situation; Tsunade couldn’t lose either way.
“Oh.”
Marisa nodded, somewhat understanding.
“What a pity.”
Dan shook his head and sighed, “Marisa avoided a disaster, but that guy Deidara is doomed.”
Tsunade raised an eyebrow and glared at Dan, displeased:
“Are you so sure I’ll lose money? Just wait and see.”
“Alright, let’s wait and see.”
Dan gave a wry smile, thinking to himself: The premise is that this Chunin Exam can actually finish the finals.
This “fishing operation” had been going on for long enough; it was time for the big fish to show up and for the net to be pulled in.
The Chunin Exam venue tomorrow would likely be very lively.
The night passed without incident.
The next day dawned bright and sunny.
At nine in the morning, countless viewers across the ninja world tuned in to Konoha TV, eagerly awaiting the grand event.
The four finalists came from Konoha, Hidden Cloud, Hidden Stone, and Hidden Waterfall, so the real-time viewership in these villages was very high. After all, who wouldn’t want to see their own ninja win?
Even those from the Hidden Sand and Hidden Mist, who were already out of the competition, maintained high viewership since such a grand event was a first.
Moreover, many viewers had placed bets and wanted to see the results firsthand.
Compared to the online viewers, the live venue was bustling.
Konoha’s ten-thousand-seat stadium was packed, the stands filled with a sea of people, their cheers resounding like waves.
Soon, a professional host from Konoha TV took the stage, engaging the crowd and leading them in doing the wave.
Next came the cheerleaders.
Amidst whistles and cheers from the audience, a group of seventeen or eighteen-year-old female Konoha ninjas dressed in revealing ninja outfits, performed two sizzling dances, further heating up the atmosphere.
Following that, the panel of judges took the stage, standing in a line to bow to the audience and promising on camera:
They would judge fairly and justly, with no favouritism.
Every step of the process had been rehearsed dozens of times and carried out in an orderly manner, showcasing Konoha’s professionalism as the host.
Notably.
Among today’s panel of judges was a special guest who elicited screams from the audience upon his appearance.
He was a fifteen-year-old black-haired boy, wearing a high-collared blue robe of the Uchiha clan, with a cool expression, warming up on the sidelines.
Uchiha Sasuke.
Having just recently won the Konoha Jonin Exam and being hailed as Konoha’s number one genius, he was invited by the event organisers to serve as a judge for the finals.
This was undoubtedly a major highlight, successfully stirring up excitement and further raising the audience’s enthusiasm and expectations.
Naturally, the final ticket prices had been driven to new heights.
Many of Sasuke’s fans, desperate for tickets, were willing to pay five to ten times the original price just to see their idol in person.
“Sasuke! Sasuke!”
In the stands, a group of girls held up posters and glow sticks for Sasuke, screaming fanatically, leaving the other spectators dumbfounded.
This was the result of the development of Konoha’s entertainment industry.
In recent years, Konoha TV, in its pursuit of new profit points, has made several attempts.
One of these was the idol economy.
Using the influence of Konoha TV, they poured resources into creating an “idol ninja,” promoting him as a representative of Konoha to the entire ninja world.
Uchiha Sasuke, as the son of the head of Konoha’s premier clan and the nephew of the Sixth Hokage, had an exceptionally illustrious background, was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and was the most outstanding second-generation ninja in the ninja world.
Starting from such a high point, Sasuke did not disappoint.
At fifteen, he was handsome and possessed formidable strength, winning the Jonin Exam with a near-perfect performance.
Naturally, he became the perfect candidate for Konoha TV’s “idol ninja” project.
However, Sasuke’s status was special, and turning him into an idol required the Uchiha clan’s approval.
After all, Sasuke’s personal image also affected the clan’s image and reputation.
Some time ago.
With nervous anticipation, Konoha TV’s senior executives went to the Hokage’s office to seek the Sixth Hokage’s opinion on the “idol ninja” project.
Surprisingly.
The Sixth Hokage showed great interest after reviewing the proposal and immediately approved it.
Moreover, he instructed Konoha TV to spare no effort in marketing and promoting Sasuke, ensuring he became a superstar.
As for Sasuke himself, he was highly resistant to such things.
Sigh.
Hearing the screams and cheers from the stands, Sasuke frowned and sighed inwardly.
When the Konoha TV staff approached him with the proposal, he rejected it outright without hesitation, showing no goodwill.
To Sasuke, a ninja, especially an Uchiha ninja, was someone who lived and fought in blood and fire, a serious and grim profession.
Someone like him couldn’t possibly entertain people like a movie or singing star.
It was utterly absurd.
However, when Sasuke heard that the person who approved this plan was none other than his uncle, he was stunned.
Coming to his senses, Sasuke immediately rushed to find his brother, Uchiha Itachi, for help.
Itachi was shocked upon hearing the situation, and he let out a helpless laugh:
“Sasuke, don’t you understand the Hokage’s personality yet? He made you an idol ninja just for fun. I advise you to accept it and do your best. Remember, don’t let Uncle down, or the consequences might be serious.”
As one of the people who had the most contact with Danzo, Itachi had been carefully observing and testing his uncle’s personality over the years.
In this world, besides Samui, Itachi was probably the one who knew Danzo best.
So.
When Itachi heard about this, he immediately judged that Uncle Danzo wanted to push Sasuke into becoming an idol ninja to see his nephew’s reactions.
Sigh.
Over the years, Uncle Danzo still loved to tease others.
Sasuke was desperate.
He didn’t have the courage to face his uncle and ask him to withdraw the decision.
In the end, Sasuke had no choice but to accept it and let Konoha TV dress him up as a flamboyant puppet.
Unexpectedly, the result was surprisingly good.
Under Konoha TV’s vigorous marketing, it took less than a month for Uchiha Sasuke’s name to become famous throughout the ninja world, making him a hot star.
It proved that the appearance of an idol ninja fit the current historical trend.
In the past, there was only one way for a ninja to become famous: by achieving real results on the battlefield during the Great Ninja Wars and thus gaining fame throughout the ninja world.
But since the end of the Fourth Great Ninja War, the situation in the ninja world had tended towards peace. Although there were still small frictions among the major ninja villages, there hadn’t been a major conflict in eight years.
Sasuke’s appearance gave people in this peaceful era someone to talk about during their leisure time.
His background, family relationships, talents, and strength, even his personal romantic issues, were all elements worth gossiping about.
So Sasuke became an overnight sensation, growing more and more popular.
Today, many of Sasuke’s fans came to the scene to support their idol, and a large portion of them were young girls inexperienced in the world.
Listening to their cheers and screams from the sidelines, anyone unaware might think this was Sasuke’s personal show.
“Sasuke is so handsome! Go Sasuke!”
Even Ino Yamanaka joined the ranks of fangirls, screaming loudly from the stands.
“Can you be quieter?”
Shikamaru Nara, beside her, covered his ears, unable to help but complain, “By the way, Ino, didn’t you used to dislike the Uchiha clan, including Sasuke? Why the sudden 180-degree change? Is it because you lose your mind when you see a handsome guy?”
“Of course not.”
Ino snorted and glared at Shikamaru, “Sasuke is not only more handsome than you, but his talent and strength also far surpass yours. You’re just jealous.”
“Hey, I heard something.”
Shikamaru suddenly lowered his voice, signaling Ino and Choji to come closer, then whispered, “Recently, Sasuke was attacked in the Uchiha forest and was seriously injured. I heard the enemy was a boy of the same age. Have you heard anything from the elders?”
“Uh, no.”
Choji shook his head and then continued eating his chips, not interested in such gossip.
Ino, however, widened her eyes and stared at Shikamaru fiercely:
“You’re spreading rumors! Sasuke is the number one genius in the ninja world. It’s impossible for someone of the same age to defeat him! Can you name the person who defeated Sasuke?”
“If I knew, I wouldn’t be asking you.”
Shikamaru sighed, feeling it was impossible to communicate with Ino, then looked at Sasuke in the arena and said worriedly, “I have a bad feeling that something is going to happen today.”
Recently.
First, Sasuke was attacked, and then the First and Second Hokage invaded Konoha. Although Shikamaru believed in the abilities of the Konoha Police Department and Anbu, if he were an enemy of Uchiha and Konoha…
Today, such a high-profile event was an excellent opportunity to launch a terrorist attack and strike at Konoha.
“Shut up, you. You never have anything good to say.”
Ino thought Shikamaru was overly worried, rolled her eyes at him, and continued screaming.
Not far behind the three in the stands, a figure hid in the corner, eyes narrowed like a snake, greedily staring at Sasuke in the arena.
It was Orochimaru in disguise.
“Your body will soon be mine, Sasuke,” Orochimaru murmured.
After sneaking into Konoha, he had been secretly following and observing Sasuke for several days, increasingly finding him to be the perfect vessel for his Living Corpse Reincarnation.
Sasuke was in his prime, with great potential, but unlike Itachi, he hadn’t yet awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan. Otherwise, Orochimaru wouldn’t have had a chance to take over his body.
This was perfect timing.
But on the other hand, didn’t Uchiha Madara say he wanted to destroy Konoha? Why is there no sign of him?
Orochimaru scanned the stadium several times, unable to spot Madara, Black Zetsu, or Kisame.
This made him uneasy.
Could Madara change his mind and no longer want to destroy Konoha?
No, Madara wasn’t that kind of person. Since he made such a bold statement, he would definitely show up and cause a big scene.
Thinking of this.
Orochimaru glanced at a nearby green corridor, raising his guard, ready to retreat if the situation went wrong.
Besides Orochimaru, another person was also observing the stadium’s movements.
By the sidelines, in the waiting area before players took the stage.
Luo, or Gaara of the Sand Village, was sitting on a bench, resting with his eyes closed.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes, a glint flashing in them.
Gaara’s gaze slowly swept around the stadium, sharing the vision of this sacrificial body with another person through the technique of Telepathy.
Naruto Uzumaki.
Outside Konoha Village, on a hillside, Naruto’s Rinnegan eyes flickered with images of the stadium.
“It’s really lively. Ten thousand spectators are on site, and many powerful ninjas from the five great villages have gathered.
Hey, isn’t that Uchiha Sasuke? His injuries healed so quickly, and he’s acting as a referee for the exams?
Looks like I went too easy on him back then, haha.”
Naruto muttered to himself, chuckling as he looked at Sasuke.
Inside the stadium.
Damned women, can you stop shouting? You might not feel embarrassed, but I do.
Sasuke clenched his fists, feeling awkward and like he was sitting on pins and needles at the girls’ cheers from the stands.
Damn.
He really didn’t want to be an idol ninja. It was too ridiculous, like being a monkey for people to see.
In fact.
When Sasuke was invited to be a referee on the finals day, he immediately refused, giving a reasonable explanation.
Because he was Marisa’s cousin, given their relationship, many would question the event’s fairness as long as Sasuke was present.
Normally, to avoid suspicion, Sasuke shouldn’t be a referee.
But the organizers had already planned for this, stating they would have Sasuke avoid Marisa’s matches and only referee the first semifinal.
In the end, Sasuke was reluctantly drafted.
Sigh.
He couldn’t take it anymore and gave the fangirls a cold stare.
Unexpectedly, this had the opposite effect.
“Wow, Sasuke is so cool and handsome. Look, he just looked at me.”
“Nonsense, Sasuke was clearly looking at me!”
The fans were almost fainting from Sasuke’s cold stare, competing with each other and screaming even louder.
Fortunately, this didn’t last too long.
As the big shots appeared, taking their seats in the stands, the audience’s attention shifted, and Sasuke…
Finally, he was free.
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