"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet" shouted Hiruzen Sarutobi, firing a blazing dragon from his mouth.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Technique" replied Yotake.

The two techniques met in the air, causing a lot of steam. Inside that blanket of steam, the two prodigies clashed with kunai. Suddenly, a flurry of kunai pierced Hiruzen, causing him to fall on the ground, in pain. "You're good, Konoha boy, but my Kunai Flood Technique is invincible!" His eyes however widened as he saw Hiruzen's body turning into a log. "Substitution!" Yotake was punched right in the face by the Sarutobi.

"You shouldn't be arrogant, Kiri boy! Earth Release: Earth Prison!" The ground underneath Yotake grew tentacles that trapped the young Hozuki prodigy. "Earth Release: Javelin" A large spear grew from the earth near Hiruzen. The Konoha genin picked it up and walked towards his opponent. "If you don't yield, I will stab you with this." Yotake smirked: "It seems you never faced a Hozuki clan member in battle." The Kiri-nin's body turned into water and regained its form outside the confines of Hiruzen's Earth technique. So that's his Hydrification Technique, thought Sarutobi. Then I should use this. "Lightning Release: Thunder Conductor!" A yellow bolt of lightning pierced Yotake with blinding speed. The Hozuki fell on the ground, holding his chest. From the stands, Gengetsu exploded with anger! "What the fuck! I thought the Konoha brat can't use Lightning!" Tobirama Senju replied with his usual coldness: "Settle down, Mizukage-sama. This technique is something I taught him during our practice sessions before the exams. It's specially designed to battle Water users such as your pupil." Gengetsu stared at the battlefield. Looks like that Lightning technique left you out of juice, Hiruzen Sarutobi! It was true. It was a very chakra-costing technique. Hiruzen dropped to his knees, coughing blood. He is injured too, but because of this Lightning, I can't materialize properly. Shit! I lost this one! Yotake was right: the proctor decided! "The winner of the match and advancing to the final: Hiruzen Sarutobi of Konohagakure!"

The people applauded loudly. It was an amazing fight, even though the favorite from Kirigakure lost. Right there, the new generation showed promise and power beyond its years.

"Looks like my boy won this one, Mizukage-sama!" Tobirama smirked. Gengetsu was angry beyond measure but the Konohagakure boy won fair and square. "Hmm… Your boy is good. Let's see who he will face in the final! Of course, Yotake would have beaten him if not for that Stone brat who attacked him like a coward!"

The second semifinal was incredible too. Onoki of Iwagakure vs. Toroi of Kumogakure. Two users of advanced nature transformations: Dust Release and Magnet Release. Two very strong and experienced genin. Even though Onoki experienced quite a trauma during his scrap with the Mizukage, he was now ready to battle against a powerful opponent. Muu reached for Onoki before he walked in the battle zone. "Be careful, Onoki. If you touch even one of his kunai and shuriken, you are dead!"

"I know, Muu-sama!"

"Good. Let's see what you've learned, Onoki!"

The two genin entered the arena. Toroi was a short and plump boy, with purple hair and a serious expression on his face. He carried two scrolls in his hands and one in his mouth. He was impressive during the earlier stages of the exam but was ruthless as well, killing the entire Shimogakure team. Toroi took the scroll out of his mouth and spoke towards Onoki. "Finally I get the chance to measure my abilities against someone strong. I heard you tried to kill the Mizukage's protégé! Your guts are impressive!" Onoki knew that was a mind game, he must remain focused. "Let's see if Toroi of the Magnet Release means something!" Onoki replied quickly.

Toroi attacked first, with his shuriken summoned from the scrolls in his hands. Their speed was astonishing. Onoki flew in the air, trying to dodge them. However, he left himself opened from below: "Earth Release: Stone Bullets". Magnet Release was a combination of Wind and Earth, so Toroi had access to those elements as well. Thousands of little earth shrapnel-shaped pellets protruded Onoki's abdomen. He fell down.

"Wind Release: Vortex of Dread". A huge tornado exited Toroi's mouth and completed its rotations above the arena. Suddenly, a cry was heard and another Onoki fell to the ground. The first Onoki, hit by the earth bullets turned into stone.

"How did you… know?"

"It's logical. You got hit to easily by my Earth Release technique so I thought that it was an Earth Clone. You can fly so I used my Wind technique to find your real body above!" Toroi replied coldly. Everyone in the arena was impressed by the young Kumo-nin's deduction. Toroi made the Tiger hand seal and summoned a huge scroll. From that scroll, he unsealed a humongous axe, thrice his size. Muu was shocked: That's the Blood Seeker, the magnetic axe that Kumogakure stole from Sunagakure during the First Shinobi world war. It's attracted by the iron in the blood. If that Kumo boy manages to smear the axe with Onoki's blood, the axe will search for him wherever he would hide. He must stay away from him! Muu's line of thought was correct. The Blood Seeker was a powerful artifact, used only by the greatest Magnet Release users of Sunagakure.

"You are hurt, Onoki. Yield and I swear I won't kill you!"

"Never! Even though you kill me, I will die as someone who never gave up, no matter what!" The arena was impressed with Onoki's guts. Even Gengetsu, who tried to kill the boy few days earlier smiled. Is to be expected of a Iwa shinobi, he thought.

"Fine! I appreciate your decisiveness! But that won't be enough!" The axe suddenly started to flew in the air, towards Onoki. Muu wondered: How? He didn't smear Onoki's blood on the blade of the axe. Hmm… Looks like the ground was bloodied from that Wind attack who hit Onoki. It must have touched the Blood Seeker.

The Blood Seeker's speed was great but the axe was sturdy and Onoki managed to dodge it. The blade stuck into a pillar of the arena but, as long as it can be attracted by Onoki's blood, the Iwa genin wasn't safe. A flurry of shuriken tried to hit him but he went to the air. He dodged them all. Toroi used his magnetic force to dislodge the axe from the pillar. He managed to do so and the Blood Seeker tried again to hit Onoki. The Iwa genin waived a few signs and a white colored light cone formed into his hands: "Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique: Pillar!" A pillar of dust hit the axe with all its force, generating a huge light sphere above the arena. It looked impressive, and dangerous. The axe was completely obliterated but Onoki's chakra plummeted too. Muu looked worried: Looks like one Dust Release technique is your limit, at the current levels of your chakra. Toroi hid himself beneath an Earth dome, thinking his next step. Onoki landed, trying to preserve what remained of his chakra.

Looks like I must use my secret technique. Toroi waived ten hand signs in quick succession and his eyes gained black rings around them. His jonin squad leader was trembling and shouted: "Toroi, no! Don't use that!" Toroi didn't listen and he lifted himself from the ground. He can fly too? No… He uses his magnetic chakra to float. In the stands, the Kumo jonin ran towards the Mizukage. "Mizukage-sama, please, stop the match! Toroi plans to use the Magnet Release: Earth Shattering Hammer!" Gengetsu and the others instantly froze. This was one of the most feared Magnet techniques ever. And a genin to be able to do it? Toroi planned to use the very gravity of the earth to increase the attraction force to such a level it would crush Onoki and possibly most of the Arena. First the Blood Seeker and now Earth Shattering Hammer. This kid is something else.

Onoki felt the air getting heavier and heavier as Toroi focused his chakra. The Iwagakure genin knew that the next technique will be something incredibly destructive, as he saw the Mizukage and other jonin, including his teacher, Muu, rushing to the battlefield. If the jonin interfere in this match, I will be disqualified, as they would try to protect me from Toroi's attack. I must defeat him now, while the air is still light enough!

"Dust Release: Dagger of the Ancient World!" Onoki focused all his chakra into one Dust Release beam that flew with great speed towards Toroi. The Kumo-nin had to break his focus to dodge the dust beam and fell to the ground, hurting himself in the process. Onoki fell to the ground as well, as he had used all of his remaining chakra for the last Dust Release technique. The arena exploded in applauses. The battle was not genin-level. It was almost high jonin level. Both Toroi and Onoki lied unconscious on the ground.

A few hours later, an emergency council was called by Gengetsu and Kanashimi with all the jonin team leaders and the Daimiyo invited from all over the world for the Exams.

"Both the Iwa child and the Kumo one are injured, but they will live. What will happen now with the tournament?" The Rice Daimiyo was concerned, as this situation would interfere with his betting racket.

"According to the medical-nin, they can't continue. They would need at least a few weeks of rest." A Kiri-nin answered the Daimiyo's question, making him frown.

"Also, we need to decide what will happen with the promotions. Hiruzen Sarutobi of the Leaf qualified for the final, but Onoki and Toroi's match was a double KO. They both lost." Kanashimi looked to the Mizukage: "Gengetsu-sama, what should we do?"

"Even though the brats knocked each other out, the battle was awesome! They will become fine shinobi, maybe the Kage of their villages. I say we promote all three of them to Chunin." The other persons in the room agreed. Muu coughed: "Gengetsu… Onoki and Toroi lost the match, as the result was a double knock-out. Your brat, Yotake, lost his match too, but his performance was notable. If not for that Lightning technique of Hiruzen Sarutobi… I say we promote him to Chunin too. He deserves that. And I propose that to show you that we must pass over that incident!"

Kanashimi and Gengetsu were impressed. "Well… If the Daimiyo and the Jonin leaders agree, we will do that!" A chorus of "Yes" was heard.

That evening, Kanashimi and Gengetsu walked towards the Mizukage's office.

"It was a great tournament, Gengetsu-sama! These kids are so talented. When we were their age, we could only dream of using S-rank kinjutsu. And now, these kids use them at what, 10? 11?"

Gengetsu chuckled. "Kanashimi, do you feel old?"

"No, but I know one thing. We are good, very good. But the next generation is even better. Like it's supposed to be. Someday, they will have to take over…"

"I don't plan to die so easily, Kanashimi. You will see!"

"One can only hope, Gengetsu-sama!"