Sudden Change

In the center of Konoha, the Ring Arena, which can accommodate tens of thousands of people at the same time, was packed to capacity and filled with the noise of the crowd.

This is the Third Exam of the Chunin Selection Exam.

The candidates will compete in a highly anticipated showdown.

Apart from Kimimaro from the Uzumaki Clan and Meteor from Star Hidden Village, all the other candidates from outside Konoha were eliminated in the Second Exam and the Preliminary Selection.

There were a total of 41 candidates participating in the Preliminary Selection. Of them, 20 were eliminated, 20 won and advanced, and one advanced after receiving a bye. However, one candidate was seriously injured after winning and, after resting for half a month, still had not fully recovered. Considering that the candidates who came to the Third Exam were very strong, he chose to withdraw before the exam.

Therefore, the actual number of participants in the Third Exam was 20.

The Third Exam was still conducted in First Shinobi World War format, with the loser eliminated and the winner advancing, until the final winner was determined.

Of course, being eliminated right away doesn't mean you've failed the promotion exam. Chunin usually serve as squad leaders in their teams and need to lead their teams on missions. So, in addition to strength, leadership skills, communication skills, and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances will all be considered as criteria for promotion.

Otherwise, if Konoha Chunin Selection Exam twice a year, and only the top few were promoted each time, the number of Chunin would definitely not be enough.

Because people from other countries came to watch the competition, Konoha added a Preliminary Selection round to shorten the duration of the Third Exam.

Normally, at least several dozen people would pass the Second Exam and advance to the third, and most of them would be promoted to Chunin after the third exam.

Otherwise, the standards for Chunin Konoha would be ridiculously high.

"Come on!"

"Well done!"

"Let those guys from other villages keep an eye on things!"

"Perform a good performance!"

As the 20 genin candidates who passed the Preliminary Selection Genin entered the Ring Arena, the Konoha citizens in the stands cheered excitedly.

As villagers of the strongest ninja village in the Shinobi World, they possess the pride of being Konoha people.

Of the remaining 20 Genin, 18 were from Genin Konoha.

Although this exam was primarily for Konoha, people from other factions were just there to join in the fun.

But from another perspective, doesn't this just show that other forces lack confidence and are afraid of being no match for Konoha's ninjas, which is why they dare not send too many Genin teams to participate?

And there are two candidates left who will enter the Third Exam, one of whom is Kaguya Kimimaro of the Uzumaki Clan.

The Uzumaki Clan and Konoha are friendly allies, which means they are also one of our own and have passed the test.

The only exception is Meteor from Star Hidden Village. However, since the Bear Country is allied with the Uzumaki Clan and has a relatively harmonious relationship with Konoha, he can be considered half an ally.

For the lowest-ranking people in Konoha, this is what they think deep in their hearts.

However, the higher-ups in Konoha were not as confident as the general public. Many Jōnin had gone to watch the Preliminary Selection and knew that although Konoha had an overwhelming advantage in the number of people who passed the exam, the only one who could rival Kimimaro and Meteor in terms of strength was probably Uchiha Itachi.

The other people are clearly not on the same level as these three.

It would be quite embarrassing for Konoha to lose face if Uzumaki Clan or a ninja from Star Hidden Village won first place in the Chunin Selection Exam.

It's important to know that almost all the Genin made it to the Third Exam through the Preliminary Selection came from the Ninja Clan, such as the Hyūga, Uchiha, Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, Inuzuka, and Aburame clans, or were from ninja families, with one of their parents being Jōnin, giving them a natural advantage.

The problem is obvious in this generation: among the 18 Konoha Ninja, not a single one is Genin from a purely commoner background.

Of course, this is not entirely unusual. After all, the probability of a genius like Minato Namikaze emerging from the common people is extremely low. Especially after the Third Hokage returned to power, he made compromises with many Ninja Clan for the sake of the Uchiha Clan. The pie was divided among the upper and middle classes, leaving very little for the lower classes.

Fortunately, we are in a time of peace. Even though commoner ninjas cannot stand out during their time at the Ninja Academy due to scarce resources, they will eventually grow up after a few years of training.

Ultimately, Konoha is a military alliance of the Ninja Clan, and the Ninja Clan and their members are the main source of Konoha's fighting power.

A short while later, the Third Hokage gave a brief speech before the start of the competition, mainly to encourage the participants.

As a representative of the Uzumaki Clan, Shiraha was the most honored guest, so he sat in a separate seat not far from the Third Hokage to watch the competition. Bai, who did not advance to the Third Exam, stood behind him.

After the draw was over, the examiners for the Third Exam walked to the center of the Ring Arena.

Unexpectedly, the chief examiner for the Third Exam was Kakashi. It is clear that Konoha attaches great importance to this Chunin Selection Exam, so they appointed Kakashi as the chief examiner.

With Kakashi's speed and explosiveness, even the strongest of these Genin were only close to ordinary Jōnin. He could handle any unexpected situation and end the match at any time.

"The first test: Meteor vs. Aburame Muta!"

Kakashi looked at the name on the slip of paper in his hand and read it aloud.

"Please welcome the two contestants to the arena!"

The first exam was surprisingly exciting. Meteor's performance in the Preliminary Selection far surpassed that of ordinary Chunin, making him one of the three strongest in this exam.

The main event starts right away.

Aburame Muta comes from the Aburame Clan, a major clan in Konoha. If it weren't for their smaller numbers, they would likely be even stronger.

The ninjas of the Aburame Clan are shrouded in mystery to others because they wear long sleeves and trousers all year round, even in summer, and wear various dark glasses.

Although they are not difficult to get along with, most of the tribe members are rather aloof and quiet.

Even among the Konoha ninjas, the information they knew was limited. They only knew that the Aburame Clan had made a pact with the insect race, contributing their Chakra to the insects in exchange for the insects fighting for them.

All the secret arts of the Aburame Clan are related to insects, and they are best at raising and cultivating insects. Based on this, they use various special insects to fight, including both offensive and defensive ones.

However, the Aburame Clan has always been shrouded in mystery, which is largely due to their fighting style.

Using insects effectively is not a simple matter. Insects are versatile, which means they are complex and tedious. To make good use of each insect's characteristics and to use them according to the battlefield situation, even not everyone in the Aburame Clan can do it.

As Aburame Clan, the significance of their secret arts lies in strictly guarding the secret of the insects' abilities.

Currently, the Aburame Clan is most famous in the Shinobi World for their ' Kikaichū '.

Kikaichū can be used in various aspects such as attack, defense, medical treatment, and reconnaissance. Moreover, because the insects are small and difficult to detect, they are very suitable for covert operations and surprise attacks.

After briefly explaining the rules, Kakashi said, "Let's begin."

After saying that, he flashed and quickly arrived at the edge of the Ring Arena, making room for the two contestants.

Aburame Muta was dressed in typical Aburame tribe attire, wearing a gray long-sleeved shirt and trousers, dark green glasses, and shoulder-length hair.

"Please take care of me," Aburame Muta said very politely.

"Yes, please guide me." Meteor responded to the polite person, but the next second, his eyes changed and he quickly retreated.

After Aburame Muta greeted them, a large number of tiny insects emerged from his collar, so densely packed that it sent chills down one's spine.

However, he didn't seem to have any intention of launching a sneak attack, so the insect slowly flew out of his body. The buzzing sound created by the insect's rapid flapping of its wings was quite noticeable and made people feel uncomfortable.

Although Meteor had heard of the Aburame Clan, this was her first time fighting them. So, as she retreated, she swiftly formed Hand Seals and unleashed the ' Mysterious Peacock Method!'

The pale purple Chakra, almost tangible, enveloped the Meteor's body.

'Secret Technique: Kikaichū - Insect Jade!'

Seeing that the Meteor was ready, Aburame Muta then launched his secret technique to attack.

More and more insects kept emerging from his body, quickly covering him completely, as if he were wrapped in a giant black cocoon, which looked extremely eerie.

Having witnessed Meteor's abilities in the Preliminary Selection, Aburame Muta knew she couldn't afford to fight for long, so she didn't probe him from the start but instead used her full strength.

Boom!

Buzzing~

The enormous black cocoon shattered with a deafening roar, and countless tiny insects, like ribbons, all swirled towards the Meteor.

The scene was chilling.

' The Mysterious Peacock Method: Beast Transformation: Sparrow Feather!'

Meteor controlled the purple Chakra on his body, transforming it into a ferocious beast that attacked the swarm of insects. However, unlike when he dealt with Akimichi Yuto, this time he did not engage in close combat.

The Chakra beast separated from his body and charged into the swarm of insects. The seemingly dense swarm of insects was instantly scattered by the Chakra beast, and the swarm appeared to collapse at the first blow, completely incapable of fighting.

However, Meteor's expression changed suddenly, and the Chakra on his body rapidly transformed, making him look like a giant butterfly, flapping his Chakra wings and quickly flying into the sky above the Ring Arena.

The purple Chakra beast had already been routed by the swarm of insects, Kikaichū had directly devoured the Chakra. This was why Meteor was able to use the Mysterious Peacock Method's flight ability.

"It flew?!"

"This is not fair!"

"This is outside the designated area, so it should be considered a loss."

Upon seeing the Meteor fly away from the ground, the people of Konoha cried out in surprise. After all, flying away from the ground was a childhood dream for many, but it was ultimately just a fantasy. There were very few ninjas in the entire Shinobi World who could fly. It was said that the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, possessed the ability to fly, but very few people had actually seen it.

It's astonishing that a ninja from the small village of Star Hidden Village would possess such an exaggerated ability as flight.

Kakashi ignored the shouts from the spectators, as he was not considered to have left the arena as long as he remained in the air above Ring Arena.

"This secret technique actually grants the ability to fly!?" The shock among the ninjas far surpassed that of ordinary people, because the ability to fly was of strategic significance to a ninja village.

No matter how fast you run on your legs, it's never as fast as flying.

Certain impenetrable defenses and difficult-to-transmit intelligence require the help of flying Summoning Beast. However, these Summoning Beast are extremely rare. Even birds used for communication and reconnaissance require a great deal of manpower and resources to cultivate.

However, none of these are as rare as the ability of a ninja to fly.

Especially considering that the Genin from Star Hidden Village in front of them is only about fourteen or fifteen years old.

If he isn't an exception, then it means that Star Hidden Village possesses a secret technique that allows ninjas to fly. Even if the threshold for mastering this technique is extremely high, Konoha had over 10,000 active ninjas after the Third Shinobi World War. Even if it's one in a hundred or one in a thousand, they could still have double-digit numbers of flying ninjas.

The most crucial element is the Meteor's speed, which is something ordinary Ninjutsu simply cannot hit. This is the key point, and this secret technique can be fully utilized in combat, not just for reconnaissance and communication.

In reality, even those with power were just envious.

The Hidden Star Hidden Village is really well hidden!

The thought that the Bear Country and the Demon Country were allies, and that they had established diplomatic relations with the Uzumaki Clan, cooled the fervor in many people's eyes considerably.

However, when the benefits become too great, there will inevitably be people who cannot resist the temptation.

After all, if you can't do it openly, you can do it covertly.

Meteor relied on its high-speed flight to constantly evade the insect swarm's attacks, while simultaneously unleashing Fire Release Ninjutsu to strike the insects.

Chakra radiated by the "star" has a quality far exceeding that of ordinary Chakra, so even though the Meteor only used a C-rank Fire Style, its power was extremely strong.

Unfortunately, these Kikaichū were trained and quickly dispersed under the control of Aburame Muta. Although a considerable number of the Kikaichū were shot down by Fire Style, most of them remained and began to encircle and annihilate the Meteor in the sky above the Ring Arena.

The situation reached a stalemate for a time.

However, just a few minutes later, the swarm of insects suddenly began to fall like raindrops, quickly covering the ground.

Thump!

Aburame Muta collapsed to the ground.

Kakashi rushed forward to check on them, and the Medical Ninja arrived immediately.

"The victor is Meteor!"

Kakashi, seeing that Aburame Muta had simply fallen unconscious Chakra depletion, announced the result of the match.

"These insects." In the stands, Shiraha looked at the insects scattered on the ground, his eyes shifting slightly. Meteor cultivated the Mysterious Peacock Method, and his Chakra was affected by "Star." Although Shiraha removed the harmful particles, this Chakra was still harmful to ordinary people. He didn't expect that these insects could persist for so long after consuming Meteor's Chakra. Shiraha suddenly became interested in the secret technique of the Aburame Clan.

"I never expected that such a genius would emerge from Star Hidden Village!" The Third Hokage exclaimed as he looked at Shiraha.

Seeing this, Shiraha smiled but said nothing.

The match continued, but unlike the first match which was resolved in a few minutes, the second match was a battle of wits and courage between the two sides, lasting for two hours before it finally ended.

"The third match: Kaguya Kimimaro versus Uchiha Itachi!"

As Kakashi's voice faded, the entire Ring Arena erupted in deafening cheers.

Did the two strongest candidates in this exam actually meet in the third round?

Whether it was intentional or not, it was enough to stir up everyone's emotions.

"Itachi! Go for it!"

"Itachi!"

"Itachi, let the others see just how strong the Uchiha Clan's genius really is!"

Many members of the Uchiha Clan were cheering for Itachi.

Itachi is the pride of the entire Uchiha Clan, and they are proud of him.

Shiraha also snapped out of his drowsy state of watching the second battle.

Just as Itachi and Kimimaro reached the center of the Ring Arena to prepare for battle, Shiraha suddenly changed his expression.

At this moment, he took out a scroll from his pocket, opened it, and laid it flat on his lap.

Bang!

A cloud of smoke dissipated, revealing White Serpent that had shrunk in size.

"Lord Shiraha, Lord Kushina asked me to inform you that a mysterious ninja named Uzumaki Nagato, who possesses the Rinnegan, attacked the Uzumaki Clan and has now been captured alive by Lord Kushina and Kurama."

The voice of the White Serpent echoed in Shiraha's heart.

"What?!" Shiraha was shocked, his pupils contracted sharply. Nagato attacked the Uzumaki Clan?

"Shiraha, what happened?" The Third Hokage's gaze had been fixed on the White Serpent, but after noticing the change in Shiraha's expression, he couldn't help but ask.

"It's nothing, just a small matter."

Shiraha said calmly.

At the same time, another small, yellowish-brown snake crawled from behind the audience seats to Shiraha's feet.

"This is."

Shiraha frowned slightly and used a "Message" on Kimimaro in the arena.