Three days later, the second stage of the Chunin Exams officially ended. The teams that advanced were no different from those in Naruto's memories of his past life.
Everyone was waiting for the final round, which would determine who advanced to chunin. Many were already itching for a fight.
Naruto paid it no mind at all. To him, the Chunin Exams no longer posed any challenge.
If he wanted to, he could obtain the title of jonin at any time. It simply did not hold much practical significance. Besides, jonin missions were demanding and would leave him with very little free time, so he had kept putting it off.
As the third stage of the Chunin Exams drew near, Konoha also began to grow lively. For this grand gathering of ninja, the villagers displayed unimaginable enthusiasm.
Elsewhere, in a secret base, a different kind of meeting was underway.
Illusory afterimages stood atop the ten fingers of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, with every member of Akatsuki positioned separately.
Pain spoke first. "Deidara, Kisame, the two of you infiltrated Konoha and ran into two experts from the Uchiha Clan. What did you think? Can you assess Konoha's overall strength?"
"Heh heh, I heard the two of you got beaten pretty badly. Wonder if that's true." A voice rang out. Judging by the outline of the afterimage, it was Hidan.
Deidara's face immediately darkened as he snapped furiously, "Shut up, you cult freak. If it had been you, you'd have been beaten until not even your bones remained. Keep talking, and I'll show you the power of my art."
Hidan did not care in the slightest, letting out a strange laugh. "I'm looking forward to it. Don't worry, I won't dodge a single step. Under Lord Jashin's divine light, all