Hada...
Kazuha! As they looked at the name on the screen, what had originally been nothing more than a casual glance in that direction after Shino Aburame's unexpected battle and the announcement of the next match now froze upon the display.
Everyone's eyes fixed on the giant screen!
Then, barely a second later, the same thought rose in everyone's mind.
Afterward, all their gazes turned toward the same spot.
The boy with mottled, graying hair.
Hada Ichiba...
To be honest, everyone felt as though they had suddenly woken up, suddenly realizing that there was still such a formidable opponent in these Chunin Exams.
It was as if they had all selectively forgotten about this boy before.
There was no doubt that Hada Ichiba was absolutely one of the strongest participants in these Chunin Exams.
As for whether he was the strongest, no one could say for certain without seeing him truly fight.
During the second test, although everyone had tacitly acknowledged his strength and avoided him, that had merely been because the rules of the second test meant they did not need to face Hada Ichiba head-on. Under rules like those, there was no need to confront a candidate for the strongest. Anyone who still charged at him would be a complete idiot. Everyone would have questioned whether that person's brain was broken—or how they had managed to survive this long.
In the ninja world, where deception and schemes ran rampant.
That was a calculated effort to seek advantage and avoid harm. It did not mean that they would truly fear Hada Ichiba when facing him directly, or surrender without fighting.
These Genin participating in the Chunin Exams, whatever their reasons for being here, were the elite among Genin. No, their strength and potential could not be summed up so