"Honestly, I thought we'd get to enjoy some exciting ninja battles, but he actually forfeited."
It wasn't just the spectators who complained. Up in the special seating area, the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire also murmured a complaint. He opened his folding fan, an unhappy expression appearing on his face.
There had always been a tradition of inviting the Feudal Lord to the Chunin Exams. The exam itself was meant to display a village's strength. In other words, if they performed well, they could openly ask the Feudal Lord for funding.
To ninja, Feudal Lords were basically synonymous with money bags.
A ninja attendant stepped forward and said quietly, "Feudal Lord, the ninja who forfeited is Namikaze Naruto, the current Hokage's son. That Hyuga Hinata is his fiancée. While this may not have been ideal, it's understandable."
This ninja appeared to be around thirty and was actually a Jonin. He was one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja serving the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire.
Asuma Sarutobi had once held this position as well, though he had since returned to Konoha as a Jonin. Still, ninja responsible for protecting the Feudal Lord remained.
"Oh, the Fourth Hokage's son? Then forget it." The Feudal Lord spoke casually, glancing toward Minato Namikaze, who was seated elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Hinata returned together to the contestants' waiting area.
Kankuro immediately mocked them. "You surrendered just because you had to face a little girl? You really are a coward. Or were you afraid you'd run into me in the next match, so you forfeited early to avoid embarrassing yourself?"
"Kankuro, say less," Temari said.
Naruto looked at Kankuro and suddenly wondered why he hadn't realized in his previous life just how annoying this guy was.
"Sasuke, who's his next opponent?" Naruto