I'm quitting!
"Me too!"
"I'm quitting too!"
As soon as Hagoromo finished speaking, some of the lucky small ninja village squads raised their hands.
They weren't even here, so there was nothing to worry about.
Moreover, they were surrounded by candidates from the Five Great Nations. Having survived the trials of the Forest of Death, they were now only grateful to be alive.
During these five days of testing, aside from some minor battles, two major fluctuations terrified them.
The most crucial moment came on the fourth night.
That night, all the teams that failed to pass through and those that did clearly felt the fluctuations emanating from a certain place in the Forest of Death.
That level of attack was almost terrifying.
As for Hagoromo, it was no surprise that the first to withdraw was from the small ninja village.
Meanwhile, the other ninjas from the major powers standing below looked at their own Kage and abandoned any thoughts of retreating.
Some were genuinely seriously injured, even though some treatment was provided.
However, it's nowhere near his peak condition.
Hagoromo, on the other hand, did not have this concern. This time, Konoha had the largest number of teams, and the main objective of the second exam had already been achieved.
Therefore, he directly called out the names of some Konoha Genin who appeared to be injured.
"You, and you, both of you, get out."
As Hagoromo continued calling out names, the Genin exchanged glances before heading towards the exit.
As for whether she would harbor resentment because of this, Hagoromo could only say that she was overthinking it.
The Shinobi World has always been about admiring the strong, especially since some of these people were Ninja Academy students he had previously mentored.
As Hagoromo called out names, the Raikage, sitting in the back, naturally darkened his expression.
Konoha has already done this, so it would be unreasonable for them to keep the wounded there.
The Fourth Raikage A, immediately said, "Those who are injured and cannot continue can withdraw."
Upon hearing this, the Kumogakure Genin were all taken aback, then looked at each other.
"Didn't you hear me?!"
Seeing that no one moved, the Fourth Raikage A, stood up again and shouted.
Upon hearing this, some of the Genin from Kumogakure raised their hands to indicate their withdrawal.
Seeing that those who voluntarily withdrew were all seriously injured, the Raikage's expression softened.
At the very least, they are no longer sufficient to constitute combat power.
It's not shameful.
Seeing Raikage's actions, the other Kage could only helplessly speak up.
Hagoromo Yi stood quietly to the side, watching. "Cruel?"
Actually, it's not really true. After all, as the Shadow, he voluntarily took on the responsibility of the village's safety, so how could the people below be dissatisfied?
Sometimes, it's just that we have no choice in the matter.
With some of the Genin leaving, the hall in front of us looked much emptier.
"Sasuke, you'd better do your best."
Naruto looked at Sasuke beside him and spoke.
"Hmm, but are you sure you're alright?" Sasuke glanced at Naruto's still-wounded bandages.
Don't worry, you've recovered completely.
"That's fine."
Sasuke simply nodded in response and said nothing more.
He knew Naruto's regenerative abilities; since his injuries had been treated, his recovery would be quick.
"Oh, Neji, it's a one-on-one battle."
Rock Lee glanced at the Genin standing around him, his eyes gleaming.
Almost all of his rivals are still standing here, and he wants to challenge any of them.
"Ah, but let's keep our eyes off it."
Neji remained calm, watching Rock Lee nearly jump up, and couldn't help but sigh helplessly.
They haven't decided who their opponent is, they're just watching others.
Mu San looked at Neji and Rock Lee, scratching the ribbon tied around his forehead. "Good luck, everyone. If I lose, I'll carry my share with me."
He was aware of his own abilities.
They're not that strong; those who remain are the strongest Genin their respective villages.
He didn't know how far he could go.
"Youth shouldn't leave regrets! Keep it up, Mu San!" Rock Lee Li gave Mu San a thumbs up.
"Well, I didn't expect we'd have to start with a one-on-one battle."
Shikamaru rubbed his hair, a little helpless. He hated trouble the most, but he still had to continue.
"Shikamaru, Ino, watch out!"
Choji munched on potato chips as he spoke.
"Yeah, you too."
Shikamaru chuckled. Their new generation of Ino-Shika-Cho team was never just about teamwork.
Gaara...
Temari looked at Gaara standing in front of her and couldn't help but speak softly.
Since arriving at the Highland Tower, Gaara has stayed alone in his room and hasn't spoken to them.
Hearing Temari's voice, Gaara glanced at her, his face calm. "Don't worry."
These words stunned Temari and Kankuro, who then smiled knowingly.
Their younger brother seems to have really stopped being so irritable.
Rasa, who had been watching Gaara closely, narrowed his eyes upon seeing this scene.
"Gaara... what happened?"
"Tch... you've said a lot, when are we starting?"
Karui said dismissively, adding that she had never really liked Hagoromo.
Omoi, standing beside Karui, immediately covered Karui's mouth, tears welling up in his eyes. "That rascal!"
The person in question is standing there; don't go too far.
Hagoromo merely glanced at Karui; it would be beneath her dignity to make a move over something so trivial.
"Alright, the match will begin in five minutes."
"Your opponent will be displayed on the large screen behind me. Please proceed to the second floor and wait."
After saying that, Hagoromo immediately signaled to the people backstage to begin.
This time, there really was no underhanded dealing.
Completely disregarding any base number, selection is done randomly.
As many Genin went up to the second floor, the screen above began to flash continuously.
After five minutes, the screen finally stopped displaying the message.
Hagoromo couldn't help but twitch his lips as he looked at the names on the list; he was certain there was absolutely no behind-the-scenes manipulation.
But...
"Choji Akimichi versus Karui! Both sides, please prepare!"
Helpless, Hagoromo could only turn her head to look ahead and shout loudly.
"Click..."
Choji had just opened a bag of potato chips, suddenly froze, looking at the chips in his hand.
If I go down now, the potato chips will probably be soggy by the time I come back.
"Go."
Shikamaru reached out and grabbed the potato chips, then started chewing them in large bites.
Seeing this, Choji no longer hesitated; as long as nothing was wasted.
"Go for it, Choji!"
Ino, Choji, made a megaphone shape with her hand, cheering Choji on.
"Tch, this guy looks really bloated..." Karui couldn't help but scoff.
"However, since he's from Konoha, let's just beat him until he wets his pants!"
With that, he leaped to the left of Hagoromo.
"Get ready, everyone. Begin!"