Chapter 72: The Difference Between Hayate Gekko and Anko - The White Eyed Princess of Konoha

### Chapter 72: The Difference Between Hayate Gekko and Anko The Third Hokage delivered an extensive speech, revealing the harsh truth about the joint Chunin Exams to the examinees. A reflection of conflicts between allied nations. Hinata had been in the ninja world for twelve years now, and being born into the Hyuga clan, she had some understanding of the harsh realities of this world. A ninja village represents the military power of a nation, where the Hokage wields the military might while the Daimyo oversees political and civilian matters. Officially, the Daimyo's status is higher than that of the Hokage. Logically speaking, since ninja villages are military forces of the nation, the nation should allocate a substantial budget for them each year, and ninjas shouldn't need to earn money through missions. In reality, missions are the only source of income for ninjas during peacetime. The regular military budget for a ninja village isn't very high; additionally, they have to maintain the village's functioning. While many ninjas earn money by being hired for missions, a large number still undertake tasks assigned by their own village. Thus, when mission volumes decrease, the ninjas instigate wars. Winning wars not only proves the strength of their village, but also the turmoil caused by such conflicts leads to the rise of bandits across the lands. Once wars cease, the nobility and wealthy are compelled to hire ninjas for protection. The reason for the low military budget is the ninja villages' desire to maintain a degree of independence. Though Konoha and the Land of Fire are one, they maintain a relative autonomy. Even the Daimyo of the Land of Fire cannot meddle in Konoha's internal affairs. For instance, the election of the Hokage is internally decided within Konoha, with the Daimyo providing a nominal endorsement. So, Hinata concluded that the ninjas' relentless battles were essentially about money... No wonder Kakashi is so frugal. "Pardon my intrusion!" "Lord Hokage, please leave the matter to me, the referee for the preliminaries, Hayate Gekko!" Seemingly uninterested in hearing more from the Third Hokage, Hayate Gekko leapt forward, interrupting him. "..." The Third Hokage paused, then calmly replied, "Very well." Hinata stepped back slightly, wanting to keep her distance from Hayate Gekko. No wonder in the original series, when Hayate Gekko was killed, no one came to his rescue—after all, he had crossed the Third Hokage here. Look at Anko; much like Hayate Gekko, she's merely a side character within the current storyline. Yet, she survived into the second series, "Boruto." But you? You couldn't even make it through the Chunin Exams! Indeed, interrupting a leader's speech never ends well; flattering them is the only way. Looking frail and sickly, Hayate Gekko weakly said, "Hello everyone, I'm Hayate Gekko. Before the third round... *cough cough*... of the exam, you all need to go through this preliminary round to determine your eligibility." As he spoke, Hayate Gekko curiously glanced at Hinata, wondering why she hadn't interrupted him. Many were dissatisfied with the rules, prompting Hayate Gekko to explain, "The first two exams were too easy. As the Hokage mentioned, many distinguished guests will attend the third round, and we are short on time, so the process can’t be prolonged." "If you feel unwell or wish to withdraw after hearing my explanation, please raise your hand promptly!" "If no one does, we'll begin the preliminaries." Unlike the original, this preliminary round required fighting two matches to leave eight participants for the third round. "I'm withdrawing..." "I'm out too!" Hinata glanced around. With the large number of people, many lacking firm resolve or recognizing their lack of strength opted to exit. Kabuto Yakushi also noted this, thinking, "With so many withdrawing, I won’t stand out much." Raising his hand, Kabuto declared, "I'm withdrawing!" Naruto shouted unwillingly, "Kabuto-senpai, why are you doing this? Why!" Kabuto: Damn it. Kabuto smiled awkwardly yet politely, saying blandly, "Sorry, Naruto... I’m too injured to continue with you." On the high platform, the Third Hokage and Anko whispered about Kabuto's information... Finally, only 32 contestants remained, and Hayate Gekko announced the exam's rules as the screen displayed the first match-up. "Sasuke Uchiha vs. Tsuba Armor!" Hayate Gekko declared, "Sasuke Uchiha and Tsuba Armor, please step forward. The rest, move up to the observation area." Hinata and Naruto followed Kakashi to the stands and Might Guy joined with his team. Glancing at Kakashi, Might Guy boasted, "Kakashi, you’ve got lucky with your group! However... it won’t be smooth sailing from here on; my disciples are in the fray." "Since the next stage depends on strength, youth is both thrilling and harsh..." Kakashi looked at Might Guy with bewilderment, "Huh, are you speaking to me?" Might Guy’s eyes teared up. Hinata curiously asked Might Guy, "Sensei Guy, are you Kakashi-sensei's lifelong rival?" "Oh?" Might Guy struck a pose, beaming, "Did Kakashi’s students even know me?" Hinata gave a thumbs-up, nodding, then shifted the conversation, "Of course! But, Sensei Guy, I believe Kakashi-sensei has a quality you can’t match!" Hinata compared Kakashi and Might Guy. She couldn’t endure seeing Guy belittle Kakashi. Taking out a notebook, Might Guy asked earnestly, "Is there a secret technique of Kakashi’s I’m unaware of?" Kakashi also looked at Hinata with a bit of curiosity; was she really giving a compliment? Hinata seriously responded, "Kakashi-sensei has the Sharingan, so his choice of students is better than yours!" Kakashi: So in a roundabout way, it’s still a compliment to me! Might Guy glanced at the left eye under Kakashi's mask and nodded in agreement—the Sharingan is indeed formidable! True to his single-minded nature, the latter part was what counted! On the stands, Hinata leaned on the railing, watching the match below. The battle unfolded predictably. Without the interference of the Curse Mark of Heaven, Sasuke freely used his Sharingan. Although Tsuba Armor’s ninjutsu was tricky, his taijutsu was no match for Sasuke. In no time, Tsuba Armor was down. Hinata glanced around, noticing the upper-level Sound Ninja instructor spying on her. Locking eyes, the instructor nodded slightly in acknowledgment. Hinata smirked mischievously, licking her lips. Little snake, I’ve spotted you. Orochimaru: “...” She might not be able to fight Orochimaru head-on yet, but publicly taunting him was quite satisfying. Make him furious, yet there's nothing he can do to me.