After the first stage's screening, nearly a third of the sixty-odd teams had been eliminated. Only forty-two remained, including Kazuhiko Uchiha's one-man team.
As Kazuhiko Uchiha had expected, all the teams he had read about in the intelligence scroll had passed without trouble, becoming potential opponents in the stages ahead.
"Quiet, please. First, congratulations on passing the first exam and qualifying for the second stage."
The Chunin instructor overseeing the exam clapped his hands, signaling for the candidates in the classroom to settle down. After congratulating them, he pointed toward the auditorium to the right of the tiered classroom and said, "All teams that passed, please proceed immediately to the Cloud Ninja School's training ground to collect your number tags for the next stage."
Following the other candidates who had passed the first stage, Kazuhiko Uchiha left the exam room in an orderly fashion under the Cloud Ninja instructor's direction. Another group of staff then led them to the training ground at the Cloud Ninja School.
A temporary platform had been erected at the northern end of the training ground. The candidates were gathered below it to await the arrival of the second exam's proctor.
Before long, candidates from the other exam rooms arrived as well, and the grounds, which had never been particularly spacious, quickly became crowded.
"Bastard! Do you have a death wish?"
"Sorry, sorry! It was all my fault."
A Grass Ninja candidate had accidentally stepped on a hot-tempered Stone Ninja's foot and bowed repeatedly in apology as the latter cursed at him.
"Move. Don't block the way."
"What did you say? Looking for a fight?"
A Sand Ninja shoved aside a Takigakure Ninja candidate blocking the way, immediately enraging him. Only their teammates' intervention kept the two from fighting on the spot.
Just as the scene grew increasingly chaotic, a curvaceous blonde beauty abruptly appeared on the temporary platform with several staff members.
Looking over the noisy candidates below, the blonde woman showed a hint of impatience. She took a deep breath and barked, "All of you, quiet! Or you'll be disqualified!"
Her words had an immediate effect. The candidates fell silent at once and turned their attention to the platform.
"I'm Samui, the chief proctor for the second exam. I'll now explain the details of the second stage. If you have any questions, raise your hand."
Samui was very satisfied with the effect she had produced. After briefly introducing herself, she continued, "The second exam will take place in the Lota Mountains at one o'clock this afternoon. Because the exam has a high mortality rate, everyone participating must sign a death waiver."
Samui took out a stack of papers and had the staff distribute them to the candidates.
The death waiver was a document every ninja village hosting the Chunin Ninja Exams issued before the second stage to avoid complications arising from casualties. Its contents were largely the same everywhere: descriptions of dangers candidates might encounter during the exam, disclaimers absolving the organizers of responsibility in the event of a death, and so on.
Kazuhiko Uchiha skimmed through it, then signed his name with a flourish.
Once all the candidates had signed their death waivers, Samui took out a palm-sized golden token and explained, "See this token? This is your proof of passing the second stage."
"A total of twelve of these qualification tokens are hidden within the barrier enclosing the Lota Mountains. Whatever methods you use, you'll pass the second stage as long as you hand one over to the staff waiting at the Cloudrock Platform in the northern Lota Mountains within the exam's time limit."
At this point, Samui paused briefly. Her gaze swept over the candidates as she warned them solemnly, "You'll cross all kinds of difficult terrain, including forests, rivers, mountains, and ravines. You'll face attacks from the vicious birds and beasts living in the Lota Mountains, and even from other participating teams."
"Proctor, doesn't that mean only twelve teams can take part in the third exam?" A rookie Genin from a small ninja village raised his hand and asked in surprise.
"That's right. But it isn't that twelve teams will pass-it's that at most twelve teams will pass. Finding and obtaining a qualification token is far from easy. In one previous Chunin Ninja Exams, only three teams ended up passing the second stage."
Watching the candidates grow restless, Samui continued to undermine their confidence without mercy.
Once the candidates had settled down again, Samui added, "One final point: the second stage will last four and a half days. You are forbidden from leaving the barrier enclosing the Lota Mountains during the exam. Anyone who violates this rule will be eliminated immediately."
"That's everything I have to explain. Do you have any questions?" Having finished introducing the exam's rules, Samui gave the candidates time to ask questions.
A thuggish-looking, purple-haired Rain Ninja raised his hand. He cast a disdainful glance at the other teams on the training ground and asked loudly, "Proctor, if all the other candidates die and our team is the only one left, can we pass this exam even if we haven't found a token?"
The moment the Rain Ninja finished speaking, every candidate, including Kazuhiko Uchiha, turned to look at him. Yet he seemed entirely oblivious to the anger he had provoked and waited arrogantly for Samui's answer.
"Of course, if you can actually pull it off." Samui looked at the Rain Ninja, unsure whether to call him ignorant or brain-dead, and gave him a dismissive reply.
Satisfied after successfully earning everyone's hatred, the purple-haired Rain Ninja lowered his hand. Samui asked once more whether there were any questions. After confirming that no one else had anything to ask, she left the training ground with the other staff members.
After Samui and the others left, the candidates on the training ground began to disperse as well.
Kazuhiko Uchiha cast a pitying glance at the Rain Ninja team courting death, who were now being confronted by the Cloud Ninja triplets' team. Then he returned to the inn without looking back to make preparations for the afternoon's exam.
After lunch, all the candidates arrived at the southern entrance to the barrier around the Lota Mountains.
Mist wreathed the overlapping peaks of the Lota Mountains, and savage roars rose one after another. Countless unknown dangers seemed to lurk within, sending chills down the spines of many of the weaker candidates.
Of course, to exceptionally strong candidates such as Kazuhiko Uchiha, the Lota Mountains felt little different from an ordinary mountain range.
"All right. Follow your team numbers. Six teams per round will enter the Lota Mountains through different entrances."
At precisely one o'clock that afternoon, Samui announced the start of the second stage. Teams were admitted in order, one wave every half hour.
Three hours later, all the candidates had entered the Lota Mountains. Samui and several other proctors formed hand seals together, sealing the barrier completely.
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