Third Round! A Civil War Begins? (3/4)

"Awesome!" Tianming's mouth fell open as he stared at the small hill he had cleaved apart with a single slash!

Tianming had never imagined that Lightning Release ninjutsu combined with a lightning-element Nichirin Sword could produce such earth-shattering power.

Even some jonin probably wouldn't be able to take that slash head-on!

Tianming immediately decided that this would become his trump card! After all, all he had going for him right now was his deep chakra reserves and some taijutsu, while the Tremor-Tremor Fruit consumed far too much energy.

One use would drain his chakra dry; two uses would get him killed outright!

The fruit ability was his last resort! He would never use it unless it was absolutely critical. At this point, Naruto Uzumaki was learning summoning techniques, while Sasuke Uchiha was learning Chidori and gradually awakening the power of his Cursed Seal and Sharingan.

If he fell behind them, things would get difficult.

"Thank goodness." Gripping his Nichirin Sword, Tianming began practicing each move and stance on the flat ground atop the mountain!

He had no teacher, but he did not need one! With the sign-in rewards given by the system and his own hard work, reaching the pinnacle of the ninja world was only a matter of time.

When other people transmigrated, they either screwed over the main cast to death and stole every resource they could, or became the main cast's lackeys and followed the chosen one in conquering the world.

But Tianming was different. He wanted to control his own fate! What he wanted was to compete fairly with Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha and claim first place!

The rain continued to fall, but Tianming kept practicing slash after slash.

No one knew how much time passed before the rain weakened, the dark clouds gradually dispersed, and sunlight once again spilled across the ground.

Clack!

Tianming sheathed his Nichirin Sword, glanced at the sky, then turned and headed back to the village.

Tianming could decide his own training schedule, but the other two were not so fortunate.

Naruto Uzumaki had made a bet with Gamabunta: if he could stay atop Gamabunta's head for a full twenty-four hours, Gamabunta would acknowledge him.

Yet by the twentieth hour, Naruto Uzumaki had already passed out cold on Gamabunta's head.

As for Sasuke Uchiha at the Great Rift Valley, his suffering was beyond words!

Kakashi Hatake had Sasuke Uchiha release and rein in his hatred, forcing him to gather immense voltage again and again before leaping off the cliff time after time!

Only by throwing everything aside and unleashing the strongest strike without hesitation could one grasp the true essence of Lightning Release: Chidori!

A month passed in the blink of an eye, and soon it was the day of the third round.

The third round was once again held in the restored area within the Central Tower!

The only difference was that the once deserted area from a month ago was now packed with people!

The Third Hokage and several Konoha higher-ups attended the third round alongside their allied Kazekage and Sand Village officials.

In addition, every spectator stand was filled with ninjas and civilian relatives.

The scale of it was obvious to all!

The genin who had passed the second round were dumbfounded the moment they appeared before such a sea of people.

Tianming's expression remained as calm as still water. As expected of the Third Hokage, the man most skilled at preserving stability—there was practically a blade at his throat, yet he still had to create an image of peace and prosperity.

"So many people!" Naruto Uzumaki was being watched by so many people for the first time, and he could not help getting excited.

Sasuke Uchiha had always been synonymous with coolness. After a month of grueling training, he had changed into a black short-sleeved shirt, and his entire presence had grown much more imposing.

"The third round of the Chunin Exams will select ten people to become chunin. Next, it is time to test the results of your month of training! Are you ready?"

Because Hayate Gekko had died a tragic death, Kakashi Hatake had replaced him as the examiner for the third round.

"Ready!" everyone answered in unison.

Kakashi Hatake took out several bamboo lots from his pocket and held them up before the group. "Each lot has your name and a number written on it. Lots of the same color determine your opponent, while the number determines the order of appearance!"

After speaking, Kakashi Hatake tossed the bamboo lots into the air. Everyone immediately jumped up and grabbed one.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Red!" Naruto Uzumaki waved his bamboo lot. "Who else got red?"

Sasuke Uchiha silently raised his hand.

So it really was an internal match within Team 7!

Tianming had naturally never expected this result. Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha's first proper clash had originally been at the Valley of the End, on the eve of Sasuke's departure and defection from Konoha.

Who would have thought it would happen ahead of time?

"Green." Shikamaru Nara said flatly.

As soon as he spoke, Temari beside him revealed that she had green as well.

Damn it! Shikamaru Nara rubbed his forehead. "Kakashi-sensei, can't you change the matchups? I'm not in the habit of hitting women."

"Are you afraid of losing to a woman?" Temari said suddenly. "Don't underestimate me. I can send you flying with one swing of my fan."

"You can forfeit," Kakashi Hatake said.

"Ugh." Shikamaru Nara could only resign himself to it. He might be laid-back and hate trouble, but outright surrender was impossible.

"White," Neji Hyuga said calmly.

Rock Lee slowly raised his hand!

Heh! An internal match within Team 3!

"Rock Lee." Neji Hyuga turned to him. "Let's have a proper match..."

After the second round ended, Neji Hyuga had finally learned the truth about the past from Hyuga Hiashi. He had let go of his obsession and forgiven himself.

The current Neji Hyuga was a new man!

"Just what I wanted!" Rock Lee flashed his gleaming white teeth. He was looking forward to this fight as well!

"Awesome!" Tianming's mouth fell open as he stared at the small hill he had cleaved apart with a single slash!

Tianming had never imagined that Lightning Release ninjutsu combined with a lightning-element Nichirin Sword could produce such earth-shattering power.

Even some jonin probably wouldn't be able to take that slash head-on!

Tianming immediately decided that this would become his trump card! After all, all he had going for him right now was his deep chakra reserves and some taijutsu, while the Tremor-Tremor Fruit consumed far too much energy.

One use would drain his chakra dry; two uses would get him killed outright!

The fruit ability was his last resort! He would never use it unless it was absolutely critical. At this point, Naruto Uzumaki was learning summoning techniques, while Sasuke Uchiha was learning Chidori and gradually awakening the power of his Cursed Seal and Sharingan.

If he fell behind them, things would get difficult.

"Thank goodness." Gripping his Nichirin Sword, Tianming began practicing each move and stance on the flat ground atop the mountain!

He had no teacher, but he did not need one! With the sign-in rewards given by the system and his own hard work, reaching the pinnacle of the ninja world was only a matter of time.

When other people transmigrated, they either screwed over the main cast to death and stole every resource they could, or became the main cast's lackeys and followed the chosen one in conquering the world.

But Tianming was different. He wanted to control his own fate! What he wanted was to compete fairly with Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha and claim first place!

The rain continued to fall, but Tianming kept practicing slash after slash.

No one knew how much time passed before the rain weakened, the dark clouds gradually dispersed, and sunlight once again spilled across the ground.

Clack!

Tianming sheathed his Nichirin Sword, glanced at the sky, then turned and headed back to the village.

Tianming could decide his own training schedule, but the other two were not so fortunate.

Naruto Uzumaki had made a bet with Gamabunta: if he could stay atop Gamabunta's head for a full twenty-four hours, Gamabunta would acknowledge him.

Yet by the twentieth hour, Naruto Uzumaki had already passed out cold on Gamabunta's head.

As for Sasuke Uchiha at the Great Rift Valley, his suffering was beyond words!

Kakashi Hatake had Sasuke Uchiha release and rein in his hatred, forcing him to gather immense voltage again and again before leaping off the cliff time after time!

Only by throwing everything aside and unleashing the strongest strike without hesitation could one grasp the true essence of Lightning Release: Chidori!

A month passed in the blink of an eye, and soon it was the day of the third round.

The third round was once again held in the restored area within the Central Tower!

The only difference was that the once deserted area from a month ago was now packed with people!

The Third Hokage and several Konoha higher-ups attended the third round alongside their allied Kazekage and Sand Village officials.

In addition, every spectator stand was filled with ninjas and civilian relatives.

The scale of it was obvious to all!

The genin who had passed the second round were dumbfounded the moment they appeared before such a sea of people.

Tianming's expression remained as calm as still water. As expected of the Third Hokage, the man most skilled at preserving stability—there was practically a blade at his throat, yet he still had to create an image of peace and prosperity.

"So many people!" Naruto Uzumaki was being watched by so many people for the first time, and he could not help getting excited.

Sasuke Uchiha had always been synonymous with coolness. After a month of grueling training, he had changed into a black short-sleeved shirt, and his entire presence had grown much more imposing.

"The third round of the Chunin Exams will select ten people to become chunin. Next, it is time to test the results of your month of training! Are you ready?"

Because Hayate Gekko had died a tragic death, Kakashi Hatake had replaced him as the examiner for the third round.

"Ready!" everyone answered in unison.

Kakashi Hatake took out several bamboo lots from his pocket and held them up before the group. "Each lot has your name and a number written on it. Lots of the same color determine your opponent, while the number determines the order of appearance!"

After speaking, Kakashi Hatake tossed the bamboo lots into the air. Everyone immediately jumped up and grabbed one.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Red!" Naruto Uzumaki waved his bamboo lot. "Who else got red?"

Sasuke Uchiha silently raised his hand.

So it really was an internal match within Team 7!

Tianming had naturally never expected this result. Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha's first proper clash had originally been at the Valley of the End, on the eve of Sasuke's departure and defection from Konoha.

Who would have thought it would happen ahead of time?

"Green." Shikamaru Nara said flatly.

As soon as he spoke, Temari beside him revealed that she had green as well.

Damn it! Shikamaru Nara rubbed his forehead. "Kakashi-sensei, can't you change the matchups? I'm not in the habit of hitting women."

"Are you afraid of losing to a woman?" Temari said suddenly. "Don't underestimate me. I can send you flying with one swing of my fan."

"You can forfeit," Kakashi Hatake said.

"Ugh." Shikamaru Nara could only resign himself to it. He might be laid-back and hate trouble, but outright surrender was impossible.

"White," Neji Hyuga said calmly.

Rock Lee slowly raised his hand!

Heh! An internal match within Team 3!

"Rock Lee." Neji Hyuga turned to him. "Let's have a proper match..."

After the second round ended, Neji Hyuga had finally learned the truth about the past from Hyuga Hiashi. He had let go of his obsession and forgiven himself.

The current Neji Hyuga was a new man!

"Just what I wanted!" Rock Lee flashed his gleaming white teeth. He was looking forward to this fight as well!

"Awesome!" Tianming's mouth fell open as he stared at the small hill he had cleaved apart with a single slash!

Tianming had never imagined that Lightning Release ninjutsu combined with a lightning-element Nichirin Sword could produce such earth-shattering power.

Even some jonin probably wouldn't be able to take that slash head-on!

Tianming immediately decided that this would become his trump card! After all, all he had going for him right now was his deep chakra reserves and some taijutsu, while the Tremor-Tremor Fruit consumed far too much energy.

One use would drain his chakra dry; two uses would get him killed outright!

The fruit ability was his last resort! He would never use it unless it was absolutely critical. At this point, Naruto Uzumaki was learning summoning techniques, while Sasuke Uchiha was learning Chidori and gradually awakening the power of his Cursed Seal and Sharingan.

If he fell behind them, things would get difficult.

"Thank goodness." Gripping his Nichirin Sword, Tianming began practicing each move and stance on the flat ground atop the mountain!

He had no teacher, but he did not need one! With the sign-in rewards given by the system and his own hard work, reaching the pinnacle of the ninja world was only a matter of time.

When other people transmigrated, they either screwed over the main cast to death and stole every resource they could, or became the main cast's lackeys and followed the chosen one in conquering the world.

But Tianming was different. He wanted to control his own fate! What he wanted was to compete fairly with Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha and claim first place!

The rain continued to fall, but Tianming kept practicing slash after slash.

No one knew how much time passed before the rain weakened, the dark clouds gradually dispersed, and sunlight once again spilled across the ground.

Clack!

Tianming sheathed his Nichirin Sword, glanced at the sky, then turned and headed back to the village.

Tianming could decide his own training schedule, but the other two were not so fortunate.

Naruto Uzumaki had made a bet with Gamabunta: if he could stay atop Gamabunta's head for a full twenty-four hours, Gamabunta would acknowledge him.

Yet by the twentieth hour, Naruto Uzumaki had already passed out cold on Gamabunta's head.

As for Sasuke Uchiha at the Great Rift Valley, his suffering was beyond words!

Kakashi Hatake had Sasuke Uchiha release and rein in his hatred, forcing him to gather immense voltage again and again before leaping off the cliff time after time!

Only by throwing everything aside and unleashing the strongest strike without hesitation could one grasp the true essence of Lightning Release: Chidori!

A month passed in the blink of an eye, and soon it was the day of the third round.

The third round was once again held in the restored area within the Central Tower!

The only difference was that the once deserted area from a month ago was now packed with people!

The Third Hokage and several Konoha higher-ups attended the third round alongside their allied Kazekage and Sand Village officials.

In addition, every spectator stand was filled with ninjas and civilian relatives.

The scale of it was obvious to all!

The genin who had passed the second round were dumbfounded the moment they appeared before such a sea of people.

Tianming's expression remained as calm as still water. As expected of the Third Hokage, the man most skilled at preserving stability—there was practically a blade at his throat, yet he still had to create an image of peace and prosperity.

"So many people!" Naruto Uzumaki was being watched by so many people for the first time, and he could not help getting excited.

Sasuke Uchiha had always been synonymous with coolness. After a month of grueling training, he had changed into a black short-sleeved shirt, and his entire presence had grown much more imposing.

"The third round of the Chunin Exams will select ten people to become chunin. Next, it is time to test the results of your month of training! Are you ready?"

Because Hayate Gekko had died a tragic death, Kakashi Hatake had replaced him as the examiner for the third round.

"Ready!" everyone answered in unison.

Kakashi Hatake took out several bamboo lots from his pocket and held them up before the group. "Each lot has your name and a number written on it. Lots of the same color determine your opponent, while the number determines the order of appearance!"

After speaking, Kakashi Hatake tossed the bamboo lots into the air. Everyone immediately jumped up and grabbed one.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Red!" Naruto Uzumaki waved his bamboo lot. "Who else got red?"

Sasuke Uchiha silently raised his hand.

So it really was an internal match within Team 7!

Tianming had never expected this outcome. Sasuke and Naruto's first real clash had been at the Valley of the End, on the eve of Sasuke's defection from Konoha.

Who would have thought it would happen ahead of time?

"Green," Shikamaru Nara said flatly.

As soon as he spoke, Temari beside him revealed that she had green as well.

Damn! Shikamaru rubbed his forehead. "Kakashi-sensei, can't you switch the matchups? I'm not in the habit of hitting women."

"Are you afraid of losing to a woman?" Temari suddenly said. "Don't underestimate me. I can send you flying with one swing of my fan."

"You can forfeit," Kakashi Hatake said.

"Ugh." Shikamaru could only accept his fate. He might be laid-back and hate trouble, but surrendering outright was impossible.

"White," Neji Hyuga said calmly.

Rock Lee slowly raised his hand!

Heh! An internal match for Team 3!

"Rock Lee." Neji turned to him. "Let's have a proper match..."

After the second round ended, Neji had finally learned about the past from Hyuga Hiashi. He had let go of his obsession and forgiven himself.

The current Neji Hyuga was a completely new person!

"Just what I wanted!" Rock Lee flashed his gleaming white teeth. He had been looking forward to this fight too!

"Holy shit!" Tianming stared wide-eyed at the small hill he had cleaved apart with a single slash!

He had never imagined that Lightning Release ninjutsu, combined with a lightning-based Nichirin Sword, could produce such earth-shattering power.

Even some jonin probably wouldn't be able to take that slash!

Tianming immediately decided that this would become his killing move! Right now, all he had going for him was a deep chakra reserve and some taijutsu, while the Tremor-Tremor Fruit consumed far too much.

One use drained all his chakra. Two uses would send him straight to his death!

The Fruit's power was his trump card! He absolutely would not use it unless it was a critical moment. At this point in time, Naruto Uzumaki was learning summoning techniques, while Sasuke Uchiha was learning Chidori and gradually awakening the power of the Cursed Seal and the Sharingan.

If he failed to keep up, things would get difficult.

"Thank goodness." Tianming gripped his Nichirin Sword and began practicing move after move on the flat ground atop the mountain!

He had no teacher, nor did he need one! With the system's sign-in rewards and his own hard work, reaching the pinnacle of the ninja world was only a matter of time.

When other people transmigrated, they either sabotaged the protagonists to death and snatched every kind of resource, or became lackeys of the main cast and followed the young heir as he conquered the world.

But Tianming was different. He wanted to control his own fate! What he wanted was to compete fairly with Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, and become number one!

The rain continued to fall, but Tianming kept practicing slash after slash.

Who knew how much time passed before the rain began to weaken? The dark clouds gradually dispersed, and sunlight once again spilled across the ground.

Click!

Tianming sheathed his Nichirin Sword. Seeing the time, he turned and headed back to the village.

Tianming could decide his own training schedule, but the other two were not so fortunate.

Naruto Uzumaki had made a bet with Gamabunta: as long as he stayed atop Gamabunta's head for twenty-four hours, Gamabunta would acknowledge him.

Yet by the twentieth hour, Naruto had already passed out on Gamabunta's head.

Sasuke Uchiha, meanwhile, had it even worse in the great ravine!

Kakashi Hatake had Sasuke release and rein in his hatred. Again and again, he gathered massive voltage, then jumped from the cliff again and again!

Only by staking everything on a single, fearless strike and unleashing his strongest attack was one able to grasp the essence of Lightning Release: Chidori!

A month passed in the blink of an eye, and soon it was the day of the third round.

The third round was still held in the repaired section of the Central Tower!

The only difference was that the area, which had been deserted a month ago, was now packed with voices and people!

The third round of the Chunin Exams was watched by the Third Hokage and several Konoha higher-ups, accompanying the allied Kazekage and Sunagakure's senior officials.

Beyond that, the spectator stands were filled with ninjas and civilian family members.

The scale of it spoke for itself!

The genin who had passed the second round were dumbfounded the moment they appeared before such a sea of people.

Tianming's expression remained calm. As expected of the Third Hokage, the foremost master of maintaining stability—there was already a blade at his neck, yet he still wanted to create an illusion of peace and prosperity.

"There are so many people!" It was Naruto Uzumaki's first time attracting so much attention, and he could not help feeling excited.

Sasuke Uchiha had always been synonymous with coolness. After training bitterly for a month, he had changed into a black short-sleeved shirt, and his entire aura had become far more imposing.

"The third round of the Chunin Exams will select ten people to become chunin. Next, it will be time to test the results of your month of training! Are you ready?"

Since Hayate Gekko had died tragically, Kakashi Hatake had replaced him as the examiner for the third round.

"We're ready!" everyone answered in unison.

Kakashi pulled out several bamboo slips from his pocket and held them toward the group. "Each slip has your name and a number written on it. Slips of the same color determine your opponent, while the numbers determine the order of appearance!"

After saying that, Kakashi tossed the bamboo slips into the air. Everyone immediately leaped up and grabbed one.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Red!" Naruto waved the bamboo slip in his hand. "Which one of you has red?"

Sasuke Uchiha silently raised his hand.

So it really was an internal Team 7 match!

Tianming had never expected this outcome. Sasuke and Naruto's first real clash had been at the Valley of the End, on the eve of Sasuke's defection from Konoha.

Who would have thought it would happen ahead of time?

"Green," Shikamaru Nara said flatly.

As soon as he spoke, Temari beside him revealed that she had green as well.

Damn! Shikamaru rubbed his forehead. "Kakashi-sensei, can't you switch the matchups? I'm not in the habit of hitting women."

"Are you afraid of losing to a woman?" Temari suddenly said. "Don't underestimate me. I can send you flying with one swing of my fan."

"You can forfeit," Kakashi Hatake said.

"Ugh." Shikamaru could only accept his fate. He might be laid-back and hate trouble, but surrendering outright was impossible.

"White," Neji Hyuga said calmly.

Rock Lee slowly raised his hand!

Heh! An internal match for Team 3!

"Rock Lee." Neji turned to him. "Let's have a proper match..."

After the second round ended, Neji had finally learned about the past from Hyuga Hiashi. He had let go of his obsession and forgiven himself.

The current Neji Hyuga was a completely new person!

"Just what I wanted!" Rock Lee flashed his gleaming white teeth. He had been looking forward to this fight too!