"The final round of the Chunin Exams will now begin. Please come forward to draw your numbers. Number one will face number thirty, number two will face number twenty-nine, and so on..."
After the examiner finished explaining the rules, everyone lined up and passed by the number box one after another, drawing a paper slip from inside.
Hyuga Gen opened the slip in his hand. The number on it was sixteen.
"Boss, my number is fifteen. What numbers did you guys get? Don't tell me we're facing each other in the first match," Tōyama hurriedly asked.
"My number is nine," Uchiha Izumi said, revealing the number on her slip.
Meanwhile, Hyuga Gen looked at Tōyama with a strange expression. He felt that Tōyama must not have washed his hands before leaving the house that morning.
Seeing Hyuga Gen's expression, Tōyama immediately had a bad feeling. He stammered timidly, "Boss, you didn't draw sixteen, right?" He looked at Hyuga Gen hopefully after saying that.
He desperately wanted to hear Hyuga Gen say that his number was not sixteen.
Hyuga Gen slowly shook his head and unfolded the slip in his hand. The number sixteen was clearly displayed on it.
Tōyama's eyes widened in horror. Then his face went ashen, and at last, like a defeated rooster, he drooped his head.
Hyuga Gen looked at Tōyama with a touch of sympathy, walked over, gently patted his shoulder, and sighed softly. Seeing this, Uchiha Izumi seemed to find it amusing. She copied Hyuga Gen, patting Tōyama's shoulder and sighing as well.
"You two, you two—" Tōyama was already speechless.
"Alright, everyone has drawn their numbers. The matches will take place in three arenas simultaneously. Those holding numbers one, two, and three, as well as thirty, twenty-nine, and twenty-eight, please prepare yourselves. The matches