The Third Exam (Part One)

"Still, we can't deny that this exam is meant to select ninja capable of becoming Chunin. But on the other hand, it's also a place where ninja who carry their countries' reputations on their shoulders fight with their lives on the line."

"The country's reputation?"

"Many of the feudal lords and famous figures from countries that hire us will come to watch the Third Exam. The lords and ninja leaders will watch your battles. If there's a great difference in strength, the powerful countries will receive more commissions. On the other hand, weaker countries will receive fewer."

"At the same time, this is a way to tell neighboring countries, 'This is the fighting strength we possess.' In other words, it puts pressure on them through diplomacy."

"Then why do we have to fight desperately to the death?" Kiba asked the Third Hokage.

"A country's strength is the strength of its hidden village, and a hidden village's strength is the strength of its ninja. What's more, a ninja's true strength only comes out when they're fighting for their lives. This exam is a stage where we let others see—or show them—the strength of our country's ninja. It's meaningful precisely because you're risking your lives in battle," the Third Hokage said.

"In the past, there weren't exams like this to become Chunin. You had to fight your way through the battlefield," Yin Xiang said. Everyone turned to look at him.

"To become Chunin, you had to survive on the battlefield and have strength on par with a Chunin. Compared to that, the Chunin Exams today are like a small-scale war between countries. They're much safer than going to the battlefield. This isn't a time of peace. If you want to survive, you have to fight desperately," Yin Xiang said to everyone.

"Exactly." The Third Hokage nodded.

"Then why call it something friendly?" Tenten asked.

"Didn't I just say not to misunderstand? Don't think that maintaining balance through killing is what they mean by 'friendly.' This is a battle where you risk your life for your dreams and your country's reputation," the Third Hokage told Tenten.

"Heh, got it." Naruto grinned, crossing his arms.

"Whatever. More importantly, hurry up and tell us what this life-or-death exam involves," Gaara said, crossing his arms too. Come to think of it, did all Jinchūriki like crossing their arms?

"Then I'll explain the Third Exam to everyone." The Third Hokage nodded. "Actually..."

Whoosh.

A figure landed in front of the Third Hokage.

"Sorry, Lord Hokage. I'll explain instead, as the proctor for the Third Exam. I'm Gekko Hayate." Gekko Hayate knelt before the Third Hokage.

"I'll leave it to you." The Third Hokage nodded.

"Hello, everyone." Hayate turned his back to the Genin, then faced them again. "Before the Third Exam begins... cough... cough... there's something everyone needs to do." Gekko Hayate coughed repeatedly, and he looked terribly sick.

Doesn't he have pneumonia or something? Yin Xiang silently thought.

"Cough, cough... It's a preliminary round to determine who can take part in the Third Exam."

"Preliminary round?"

"What's that about?" Shikamaru called to Hayate. Why was there suddenly a preliminary round?

"Sensei, I don't quite understand what a preliminary round means. Why can't the candidates still here go straight on to the Third Exam?" Sakura asked too.

"Ah, perhaps the first and second exams were too easy this time, so there are too many candidates left. We need to hold preliminaries according to the Chunin Exam rules and reduce the number of people taking part in the Third Exam," Hayate said, looking at everyone.

"How can this be..."

"As Lord Hokage just said, many guests will come to watch the Third Exam, so we can't let the matches drag on. There'll be a time limit too. So, anyone who's feeling unwell, cough... cough..."

"Um... is he all right?" Ino silently wondered.

"Isn't the teacher the one who's unwell...?" Even Hinata was thinking that.

"Sorry. After hearing the explanation, does anyone want to withdraw? Please speak up now, because the preliminaries are about to begin."

"About to begin?" Kiba cried out.

"We've only just made it through the second exam..." Ino felt a little despairing too.

"What a drag..." Shikamaru said behind Ino. "Wait, what about lunch?" Choji was, as expected, still thinking about food.

"Oh, I forgot to mention: the matches will be one-on-one. You can decide for yourself whether to raise your hand and withdraw."

Who would withdraw? Sasuke thought unhappily. Just then, a burst of pain shot through his neck, and his body trembled slightly. Yin Xiang glanced at Sasuke too.

Damn, the pain's coming more and more frequently. His Cursed Seal had started hurting again. Since Yin Xiang had sealed his Cursed Seal, he didn't feel any pain.

After that, Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke had a conversation. It seemed Sakura was trying to persuade Sasuke to withdraw from the exam. The Cursed Seal reminded her of what Sasuke had been like before, and she was nearly in tears. But in the end, Sasuke of course refused to give up.

The Third Hokage's group had also noticed Sasuke's condition and wanted to persuade him to withdraw, but Kakashi said Sasuke wouldn't agree. Anko then got into an argument with Kakashi, though she was the only one shouting.

"With that Cursed Seal, an ordinary person would've been dead by now. And he's only a child..." Anko had a Cursed Seal herself, so she understood the pain.

"Come to think of it, Yin Xiang seems to have been marked with the same Cursed Seal, but nothing's happened to him." Kakashi looked over at Yin Xiang. When Yin Xiang noticed Kakashi looking at him, he smiled.

Before they could reach any conclusion, someone on the other side raised a hand. Kabuto raised his hand. "Um... I withdraw," he said.

"Um..." Hayate flipped through the roster in his hands. "You're Konoha's Kabuto Yakushi, right? You may withdraw." Hayate said after checking the roster.

"Yes." Kabuto answered, then turned and walked away.

"Big Brother Kabuto! You're withdrawing? Why?" Kabuto had helped Naruto during the exam, so Naruto liked him a lot. Seeing Kabuto withdraw, he called out to him.

Kabuto turned to look at Naruto. "Sorry, Naruto, but my body is already covered in injuries. There's still another life-or-death battle ahead, and I..." Kabuto didn't finish, but Naruto understood.