Chunin Exams Arena Battle, Curse Mark Rampage

Chunin Exams Arena Battle, Curse Mark Rampage

Several days later, Central Tower.

The enormous arena was surrounded by examinees, while the jōnin leading teams from each village stood in the second-floor stands, silently watching below.

Chenshu Senju leaned against the railing, his gaze sweeping over the electronic screen.

Quite a few people had passed the second exam. According to the rules, there would be another round of preliminaries before the official matches.

Naruto rolled his wrists, his face full of excitement. "Finally, one-on-one fights! This time, I'm definitely going to show everyone what I can do!"

Sasuke glanced at him. "Just don't get matched against Chenshu Senju."

Naruto immediately froze.

He turned to look at Chenshu Senju, recalling that massive wooden hand that had burst from the ground at the training field. The fighting spirit that had just risen in him instantly diminished by half.

"It'll be fine even if I do."

Naruto forced himself to say, "Worst-case scenario... I'll lose with some dignity."

Sakura Haruno's mouth twitched.

This guy was getting more and more realistic about his own place in the world.

"Quiet."

Hayate Gekko walked to the center of the arena and coughed lightly. "The Chunin Exams preliminaries will now begin. The matches will be one-on-one elimination rounds, and the winners will advance to the official tournament."

As soon as he finished speaking, the electronic screen on the wall began to scroll rapidly.

Everyone's attention focused on it.

[Yoroi Akado versus Shino Aburame.]

The first match began quickly.

Yoroi Akado tried to get close and absorb chakra, but Shino Aburame's Kikaichū surrounded him from every direction.

In less than a few minutes, Yoroi Akado was lying on the ground.

Naruto's scalp tingled as he watched, and he quietly moved several steps away from Shino Aburame.

"What are you hiding from?" Sakura Haruno asked.

"I suddenly feel like anyone who plays with bugs is really dangerous."

Shino Aburame adjusted his sunglasses.

Though he said nothing, he remembered that.

The electronic screen continued to scroll.

In the next several matches, some won easily, while others fought until they were covered in injuries.

It was not until Gaara entered the arena that the surrounding chatter gradually died away.

His opponent was a Rain Ninja.

The Rain Ninja gripped a kunai, cold sweat already beading on his forehead.

"Begin!"

The instant Hayate Gekko announced it, the Rain Ninja swiftly retreated and flung out more than a dozen shuriken.

Gaara stood where he was without even raising a hand.

Sand poured automatically from his gourd, stopping every shuriken in midair.

The Rain Ninja's expression changed, and he immediately formed hand seals.

But before he could complete his jutsu, sand had already wrapped around his legs and rapidly spread upward over his body.

"I surrender! I surrender!"

The Rain Ninja cried out in terror.

Gaara did not stop.

The sand completely engulfed him, leaving only a twisted face exposed.

The temperature in the stands seemed to drop.

"Sand Burial."

Gaara slowly clenched his hand.

"Stop!"

Baki flashed onto the arena and grabbed Gaara's wrist.

The sphere of sand paused for a moment before crashing to the ground.

The Rain Ninja rolled out of the sand. Multiple bones in his body were fractured, and he had completely passed out.

Hayate Gekko checked his condition and immediately had medical ninja carry him away.

"Winner, Gaara."

Gaara stood in place, his cold gaze passing over the crowd before finally settling on Chenshu Senju.

"I hope you don't lose before you meet me."

Chenshu Senju remained calm. "You should worry about yourself first."

Sand began to stir at the mouth of the gourd again.

Baki's face darkened as he pressed a hand onto Gaara's shoulder. "The match is over. Go back."

Gaara was silent for a few seconds before finally turning and walking off the arena.

Naruto sidled up to Chenshu Senju and asked in a low voice, "Do you two have some kind of grudge?"

"No."

"Then why does he keep staring at you?"

Chenshu Senju thought for a moment. "Maybe he's never been beaten up."

Naruto regarded him with solemn admiration.

That answer made a lot of sense.

In the second-floor stands, Kakashi sighed helplessly.

Gaara alone was dangerous enough. With Chenshu Senju added to the mix, whether this Chunin Exams arena would survive was still anyone's guess.

Soon, the electronic screen began scrolling again.

Names flashed past one after another before finally stopping.

[Chenshu Senju versus Kidomaru of Otogakure.]

The entire area around the arena fell silent.

On the Sound Ninja side, several examinees changed expression at the same time.

Kidomaru stood in the shadows, a layer of cold sweat forming on his forehead.

They had long known that Chenshu Senju had crushed the Sound Ninja squad with Wood Release in the Forest of Death.

What was more, Orochimaru had personally given an order.

They had to test Chenshu Senju's true strength.

How was this a test?

This was clearly sending him to his death.

"Next match, both sides enter the arena."

Hayate Gekko urged them.

Chenshu Senju leaped down from the stands and landed steadily in the center of the arena.

Kidomaru, however, did not move for a long time.

Tayuya glanced at him. "Scared?"

"How could I be?"

Kidomaru snorted coldly, but his legs did not budge.

Jirobo frowned. "Then get down there."

"I'm observing the terrain."

Tayuya looked at the flat arena. "What have you observed?"

Kidomaru fell silent for a moment.

"It's pretty suitable for burying people."

"..."

In the end, under the others' stares, Kidomaru could only jump into the arena.

He looked up at Chenshu Senju and forced out a cold smile. "Don't think you can win just because you know Wood Release. I'll show you the true power of the Sound Ninja."

Chenshu Senju nodded. "Are you done?"

"What do you mean?"

"If you're done, let's start. I'm in a hurry."

The veins at Kidomaru's temples throbbed.

In the stands, Tayuya covered her face, unable to bear watching any longer.

Before the fight had even started, he had already lost all his momentum.

Hayate Gekko stepped back several paces and raised his right hand. "Begin!"

Kidomaru swiftly formed hand seals and spat out a large amount of spider silk.

Just as Chenshu Senju was about to raise his hand, a cold, sinister chakra suddenly erupted from Kidomaru's body.

Black markings rapidly spread from Kidomaru's neck, covering half his face in the blink of an eye.

His body began to swell, his skin gradually darkened, and four more arms burst out from beneath his ribs.

Rampaging chakra swept across the arena, cracking the ground again and again.

Hayate Gekko's expression changed drastically.

In the second-floor stands, Kakashi abruptly looked up.

"A curse mark?"

Kidomaru spread all six arms at once, the last trace of fear in his eyes replaced by madness.

"Chenshu Senju, die!"

Watching the opponent's surging chakra, Chenshu Senju's gaze finally grew a little more serious.

At the same time, a system notification rang out in his mind.

[Abnormal curse mark energy detected.]

[Defeat the curse mark berserker to gain ten draw attempts.]

The corners of Chenshu Senju's lips lifted slightly.

Though Orochimaru was not here, he had still sent him a gift.