The Ten-Obito Heavenly Kings Group

"Senior Shisui, Senior Itachi." Qingyu hurriedly greeted them.

"Don't be nervous," Shisui patted his shoulder, "just treat it like a normal training session, only with a few more spectators."

Qingyu looked toward the stands, a sea of black heads, various banners, small flags, and some people even brought binoculars.

This is called "a few more"? There are more people here than at the concerts I saw in my past life!

Though, it should be a bit less than the Era Heavenly Kings Group.

Obito let down many people, but there is one he truly did right by: the Naruto mobile game! The combat design team!

Do you know what "Kawai!" means?

"The Clan Head is on the podium," Itachi suddenly spoke, his voice calm and ripple-free.

"Lord Third Hokage, the advisors, and all the jonin team leaders are there, so perform well."

Qingyu followed his gaze; the podium was located at the highest point in the north.

Sitting at the top was the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, flanked by the two advisors, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura.

Next to them were the heads of various clans, including Fugaku Uchiha and Hyuga Hiashi.

Jonin team leaders like Kakashi Hatake, Might Guy, and Kurenai Yuhi sat in the row slightly below.

Everyone's gaze was fixed on the waiting area.

Qingyu swallowed hard.

"How do you feel?" Shisui asked.

"Like... a monkey being watched in a zoo," Qingyu said honestly.

Shisui laughed: "Not a bad analogy, but monkeys can't use ninjutsu. Just relax and treat it as a performance report for the Clan Head and Lord Hokage."

Qingyu gave a bitter smile, his heart beating even faster.

A performance report? That adds even more pressure!

[Ding!]

[System Prompt: Host's heart rate detected as excessive, adrenaline secretion exceeding limits, activating "Calm Mode (Trial Version)"]

[Effect: Heart rate forced to stabilize, hand tremors alleviated, nervousness converted into slight excitement (Side effect: may feel a bit floaty)]

Qingyu: "System, you have this function? Wait, what does 'trial version' mean? And what do you mean by 'feeling a bit floaty'?"

But there was no time to ask further; the drawing ceremony had begun.

An Anbu ninja walked to the center of the arena, his voice spreading across the entire venue through an Amplification Technique:

"The final round of the Chunin Exams, the drawing ceremony officially begins! Will the twenty-four examinees please step forward in numerical order to draw!"

Qingyu looked down at the number tag on his chest: Konoha No. 7.

"That's quite early..." he muttered.

The first to step forward was Kankuro of Sunagakure.

He drew a numbered ball and handed it to the referee. The referee announced loudly: "Sunagakure's Kankuro, versus, Konoha's Kiba Inuzuka!"

A stir rippled through the audience.

The second was Temari, who drew an unknown genin from Konoha.

The third was Gaara, and the entire venue instantly went quiet.

Gaara drew a ball with an expressionless face.

The referee took a look and raised his voice: "Sunagakure's Gaara, versus, Konoha's Sasuke Uchiha!"

Whoa!

An even greater commotion!

"An Uchiha against the Sunagakure Jinchuriki!"

"Now this will be worth watching!"

"Isn't that Sasuke Uchiha the son of the Clan Head?"

"I heard he's a genius..."

In the waiting area, Sasuke's expression finally changed slightly; his eyes sharpened, locking onto Gaara.

Gaara also opened his eyes and glanced at Sasuke, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint, almost cruel smile.

Qingyu's heart sank: "It's over, Sasuke is going up against Gaara... this wasn't the matchup in the original story, was it?"

"A Jinchuriki versus an Uchiha genius, then," Izuna commented, "an interesting duel."

"The risk is high," Tobirama said.

"The thing inside that red-haired boy... it's unstable. If it goes berserk, it will affect the entire arena."

Qingyu began to worry about his own safety.

The drawing of lots continued.

Shikamaru drew a ninja from Amegakure, his expression calm, likely thinking, "Troublesome, but manageable."

When Neji Hyuga stepped forward, the entire venue fell silent for a moment.

The reputation of this genius from the Hyuga clan was resounding throughout Konoha.

Neji drew a ball and handed it to the referee.

The referee took a glance, paused, and then his voice rang out clearly:

"Konoha, Neji Hyuga, versus, Konoha, Qingyu Uchiha!"

Qingyu: "...Huh?"

He suspected he had misheard.

But the stands had already erupted:

"Hyuga versus Uchiha! Byakugan versus Sharingan!"

"Wait, who is that Qingyu Uchiha? Never heard of him."

"Seems like he just popped up this year..."

"Neji Hyuga is a recognized genius; isn't this just a free win?"

In the waiting area, everyone's gaze was fixed on Qingyu.

There was sympathy, curiosity, and schadenfreude.

Neji also looked at Qingyu, his pure white eyes devoid of emotion, merely nodding slightly as a greeting.

Qingyu stiffly nodded back.

In his mind, two voices spoke simultaneously:

"The Hyuga..." Izuna's tone was complex, "I didn't expect to see a duel between the Byakugan and the Sharingan sixty years later."

"Intelligence analysis." Tobirama immediately entered work mode, "Neji Hyuga, a genius of the Hyuga branch family, excels in Gentle Fist and Byakugan clairvoyance."

"Strengths: Invincible in close combat, can see through chakra meridians and acupoints. Weaknesses: Lacks long-range attack methods; defense relies on Rotation but consumes significant chakra."

"Suggested tactics: Maintain distance, use shuriken and ninjutsu to wear him down, force him to use Rotation, and wait for his chakra to deplete before finding an opening."

Qingyu: "...Teacher, your analysis is very fast, but my legs are currently turning to jelly."

"Useless." Izuna scolded, "Where is the honor of the Uchiha? So what if the opponent is a Hyuga genius? Back in my day, my brother fought three Hyuga elders alone and didn't flinch!"

"That's your brother." Qingyu wanted to cry, "I'm just a genin!"

"Not anymore." Tobirama corrected, "After special training, your combat level has reached the upper tier of chunin. Combined with our guidance and your Water and Fire ninjutsu, you may not be without a chance."

"Besides," Izuna suddenly laughed, his laughter filled with fighting spirit, "Isn't this perfect? Defeating a Hyuga genius with Uchiha techniques in front of everyone—could there be a better opportunity to make a name for yourself?"

Qingyu was stunned.

It seemed... to make some sense?

If he could win, or even just put up a beautiful fight, he could establish a firm foothold within the Uchiha clan and gain more resources and support.

And if he lost... well, losing to Neji Hyuga wasn't shameful; after all, the other party was a recognized genius.

Wait, why was he using "if I lose" to comfort himself?

Neji: Hmph! Curse your fate for not having the Byakugan!

"Qingyu-kun." Shisui's voice pulled him back to reality, "It's your turn."

Only then did Qingyu realize that everyone before him had finished drawing, and it was his turn as number seven.

He took a deep breath and walked toward the drawing table.

Every step felt like ten thousand pairs of eyes were staring at him.

Reaching the table, he fished a numbered ball from the box; it was cold and smooth.

He handed it to the referee.

The referee took a look and announced: "Konoha, Qingyu Uchiha, versus, Konoha, Neji Hyuga! Match order: Third match!"

The third match, huh.

Qingyu walked back to the waiting area, feeling as if he were walking on cotton.

"Third match," he calculated, "that means... I have to fight in the first round this afternoon?"

"Correct." Itachi had walked up beside him at some point.