Only after learning Nohara Rin's opponent did Obito turn his attention to his own. He was number nine, so by the order, his opponent would be number ten.
"Huh, it's actually Asuma." Only then did Obito realize that his first-round opponent was a friend he knew. Candidate number ten was Sarutobi Asuma.
Just as Obito began looking for Asuma, Asuma looked over at him as well. Their eyes met, and Asuma walked over to Obito with a serious expression.
"Obito, when the time comes, make sure you go all out. You may be strong, but I won't lose—not when I'm carrying my teammates' hopes!"
The three of them had once vowed to become Chunin together, yet Asuma was the only one who had made it into the third round. At this moment, he was no longer fighting alone; he was moving forward with his teammates' expectations on his shoulders.
"Haha, of course I'll use my full strength—and of course I'll win!" Obito declared confidently.
His opponent might be a friend, but Obito would never hold back in battle. Not only would that disrespect Asuma, but it might also affect Asuma's promotion.
According to Hiruko, the more spectacular the fight, the more clearly it demonstrated one's strength—and the more likely one was to become a Chunin.
Kakashi looked directly toward the bottom of the large screen. He had drawn number sixteen, and there were only sixteen candidates in the third exam. His battle would be the final match of the first round, against candidate number fifteen.
"Hyuga Goichi." Kakashi silently repeated the name, recalling Hyuga Goichi's performance in the preliminaries.
There had been no flashy maneuvers. He had simply activated his Byakugan and used a barrage of Gentle Fist strikes to defeat his opponent.
After thinking for a moment, Kakashi took