Third Exam Preliminaries

As the time reached 4 o'clock sharp, the proctor at the entrance turned to the crowd inside the Tower and shouted, "Time's up! The Second Chunin Exam is officially over. All those who passed, please wait patiently. We will inform you of the results of the Third Exam in half an hour."

After the proctor finished his report, other ninjas, some carrying medical kits, began appearing in the rooms inside the Tower. They set off one after another into the Forest of Death, presumably to count and rescue the teams that had failed the exam.

The Tower's doors closed, and now all the teams present were either covered in dust, looked dejected, or, like Shuichi group, appeared to have just woken up. They had successfully attracted the attention of the Amegakure Ninja.

"I can't believe someone cleared it so easily, they're really lucky." The Amegakure Ninja couldn't help but feel a little resentful.

Besides the three people from Amegakure, Yukari's team from Yukari Sunagakure Uchiha's team from Konoha also turned their attention to them.

This was the first team to reach the Tower, and they should not be underestimated. Yukari even knew that the Yazo's squad would be quickly defeated if they encountered them, and she was already filled with vigilance.

On the third floor of the Central Tower, after tallying the results of the Second Stage exam, Umino Ikkaku reported to Sarutobi Hiruzen, "Reporting to the Lord Hokage, the tallying is complete. A total of 8 teams, comprising 24 individuals, passed the Second Stage exam."

"According to our Konoha's previous rules, if there are more than four teams, Third Exam will be held, but this time..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen understood the implication of Umino Ikkaku's words. This year's Joint Chunin Exam included teams from other villages, and now that everyone had finally made it to the Third Exam, what if this preliminary round eliminated a large portion of their own village's members?

He answered directly and confidently, "Don't worry, the Third Exam will proceed as scheduled. I will explain this to the teachers leading the teams from each village."

"Yes!"

After giving his instructions, Sarutobi Hiruzen got up and went to the gathering place for all the Genin team leaders on the second floor. Soon after, a murmur of discussion came from inside.

"Lord Hokage, if I may be so bold, we finally had a team advance to the third round, and now we're being told to have a one-on-one tiebreaker right here. Isn't that...?" The Amegakure Ninja, whose appearance was somewhat fierce, said angrily.

He genuinely lacked confidence in his team. He was quite satisfied after one team passed the Second Stage, but now he was informed that half of them would be eliminated. This meant that Amegakure Ninja would likely miss the Third Exam.

Before Sarutobi Hiruzen could answer, Tosha retorted, "I think you're being too naive. This Chunin Ninja Exams require elites. Do you expect high-ranking officials from various countries to travel thousands of miles to watch a trash match?"

"You..." The Amegakure Ninja was furious. He was extremely angry that Tosha had so belittled their village, but the strength of the two sides was probably far apart, and the Amegakure as a whole could not compare with the Sunagakure.

"Alright." Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke up to ease the tension, but then firmly confirmed the additional test after the Second Stage: "24 people are indeed too many. I've already discussed it with the Kazekage and the Kazekage Daimyo. 10 to 15 people is a more suitable number. That's settled then."

"Although the Daimyo are not here yet, I think this additional test is something our villages should take seriously. I formally invite you all to come and watch the selection test for the Third Exam. Please follow me."

Half an hour later, while all the Genin squads were idling around, a Konoha ninja emerged from the room above and said to everyone, "Please follow me."

As he turned and walked deeper into the Tower, everyone knew that the Third Exam was about to be discussed, and they all followed behind him.

Arriving at an inconspicuous door, he took out his key, unlocked the door, and then pushed the small door open from the middle to both sides.

"This..." Many people were shocked by the scene before them, and at the same time, a bad feeling began to rise in their hearts.

This is an extremely spacious venue. Looking directly at it, there is a huge stone hand statue with the word "Wei" printed on it. Behind the handprint is a large, somewhat new, display screen.

The ground was paved with huge bricks, and there was a lot of dust on it, so it looked like the place hadn't been used for a while.

On the left and right sides are platforms several meters high, not connected to any rooms or anything; the layout looks like an audience seating area.

"What's going on? Wasn't the Third Exam supposed to start under the spotlight? What are they planning to do by bringing us to a place like a martial arts arena?" The three from Amegakure felt a little flustered at the solemn scene before them.

Upon entering, they gasped in shock. Standing directly opposite them were the instructors leading all the teams, and the person at the very front, wearing a shadow hat, was none other than the Third Hokage of Konoha.

"Tap tap tap..." The empty field was quiet, with only the sound of ninja shoes hitting the ground. The eight teams lined up in their respective columns and stood in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen.

His clear and loud voice rang in everyone's ears. "First of all, congratulations on passing the Second Stage exam."

"Everyone here truly deserves to be called the elite of their respective villages. It has been many years since Konoha has had so many teams pass the Second Stage exam."

"But I regret to inform you that now is not the time to relax. We are about to hold the preliminary rounds of the Third Exam, so please be prepared." Sarutobi Hiruzen's words struck the hearts of the three from Amegakure like a heavy hammer.

Ignoring their drastic change in expression, Sarutobi Hiruzen continued his speech, "I think everyone should understand that the purpose of holding the first Joint Chunin Exam is to enhance communication between the allied nations."

"This is an excellent opportunity for each village to showcase itself."

"..."

As Sarutobi Hiruzen's meaning became clearer, all the Genin present understood. Simply put, too many people had passed; ninjas needed elites, and to participate in the highly anticipated Third Exam, another selection process was required.

"In this world, only the strong earn respect. Therefore, for the honor of the village, I hope you will give your all in this selection competition."

After Sarutobi Hiruzen finished speaking, the Konoha Ninja beside him stepped forward and stood in front of the middle school entrance exam takers.

This person Jonin Vest and a headband tied around his Forehead Protector. He did indeed have delicate features and a somewhat calm and composed demeanor.

"Nice to meet you all. I am Kamizuki Ryūun, and I will be serving as a referee for the Third Exam. Please listen carefully to the instructions for the preliminary round..."

Before participating in the Chunin Ninja Exams, Shuichi inquired about the procedures for the Chunin Ninja Exams Konoha had followed for many years.

In previous Konoha selections, the Third Exam was usually an individual duel or a team duel, that is, a 1V1 or 3V3 battle.

One-on-one battles are more common, and the selection criteria are more stringent.

The rules for the Third Exam round also apply only to one-on-one situations; apart from the venue, everything else is exactly the same.