The first half of the second round of the Chunin Ninja Exams finally ended, with a total of seven ninja teams entering the Trial Tower.
Naruto Uzumaki and his two teammates reached the tower with the Heaven and Earth Scrolls just before the deadline, narrowly avoiding elimination, but their bedraggled appearance was enough to show how poorly they had fared in the Forest of Death.
Standing upstairs, Shihōin Naraku spotted the Cursed Seal of Heaven on Sasuke Uchiha's neck at a glance. It seemed Orochimaru had already sought him out.
Naruto Uzumaki and his teammates had barely entered the Trial Tower and had yet to rest when they were told to assemble.
"This is quite a surprise. I thought the number of people who passed the Forest of Death would only be in the single digits."
Mitaraishi Anko looked at the twenty-one candidates standing before her. A few too many had passed this round; they needed to eliminate some more.
Many ninja stood behind Anko, led by Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi. The instructors of the ninja teams that had passed the Forest of Death exam, along with all the examiners, stood quietly in place.
The genin who had passed stood together, occasionally sizing one another up as they searched for the opponents they hoped to face.
"Next, Lord Third Hokage will address you and introduce the third exam..."
Mitaraishi Anko stepped aside, and Hiruzen Sarutobi walked forward. He gave a light cough and said, "Before introducing the third exam, let me tell you the purpose of holding the Chunin Ninja Exams..."
As Hiruzen Sarutobi delivered his lengthy speech at the front, the jonin and examiners behind him began to zone out. They were already more than familiar with all of this.
Shihōin Naraku stood to one side and casually glanced