"Then it's about time we began."
Sarutobi up and announced to the audience and competitors below:
"The fourteen finalists were selected through the preliminary rounds of the official competition."
We look forward to seeing all the players' amazing performances!
We also invite all guests to enjoy the match!
"Then, the Joint Chunin Exams shall officially begin!"
Thunderous applause erupted from the audience, creating an incredibly lively atmosphere.
In the official match, Gekko Hayate still served as the referee.
He stood in front of the fourteen contestants, holding a match list and explaining the rules of the battle.
The rules are not much different from those of the qualifiers.
After briefly explaining, Gekko Hayate immediately announced the match roster for the first game.
[ Temari from Sunagakure VS Uchiha Haruma from Kirigakure.]
Haruma yawned and leaned against the wall with an indifferent expression.
Temari hung her head, her gaze wandering.
Although it wasn't until recently that the opponents were announced.
But the pressure of standing on the same stage as this monster is far more terrifying than imagined!
He glanced at the referee and Gaara beside him, then at his father on the high platform, the Kazekage beside Sarutobi.
A hint of despair and hesitation flickered in Temari's eyes.
The Genin, who were not the contestants, all headed up the stairs to the designated players' lounge.
There's a large screen in the lounge where you can watch the game directly.
Before leaving, Kankuro patted Temari on the shoulder and muttered a few words to himself.
The site has been cleared.
The two people, separated by only three meters, had very different expressions.
Temari, sweating profusely and looking tense, and Haruma, hands in her pockets and looking listless.
Hayate, standing in the middle, counted down while intently awaiting rescue.
The deaths that occurred during the preliminary rounds left even the referee, Hayate, with a considerable shadow over the event.
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"The match begins!"
I surrender!
The immense psychological pressure, coupled with Kankuro's persuasion.
Temari, with her survival instincts kicking in, surrendered before the referee could even shut up!
Before starting, he was still worried about Gaara and his father's gaze.
But as soon as the referee started the countdown, Temari's heart began pounding.
Especially when his gaze fell on Haruma, the suffocating pressure was at its peak!
"Thump!"
Seeing Haruma put her hands back in her pockets, Temari, and she collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath.
I only spent a few extra seconds with this person on stage...
This creates the illusion that you've been spared from hell.
Gekko Hayate only hesitated for a moment before decisively declaring Haruma the winner.
Gekko, who had anticipated this outcome, quickly accepted the fact.
Not only him, but the competitors in the lounge were not surprised either.
Kankuro, who had been tense, breathed a sigh of relief when he saw this scene through the screen.
Even the hot-tempered Gaara wasn't surprised by his sister's defection.
But the spectators who were waiting on the sidelines to watch the excitement were completely baffled.
"Why did you give up so easily? Are the ninjas from Sunagakure really that bad?"
I thought it would be a spectacular showdown, but it ended rather abruptly and unsatisfactorily.
"Tickets snatched by scalpers aren't cheap! This is my sister's first time!"
There was a buzz of discussion in the stands, and Sarutobi, sitting at the highest point, turned his head to look at Mei Terumi:
"Your village's Haruma Ninja is truly a young hero."
"Having witnessed some of Haruma's strength in the qualifiers, to be honest, even I was quite surprised."
Her reddish-brown, crisscrossing curls obscured half of Mei Terumi's eye.
Mei Terumi covered her mouth and forced a smile, saying, " Lord Hokage, you flatter me."
"That child, Haruma, displayed unparalleled talent from the moment he arrived in our village."
"I must thank Konoha for this."
Sarutobi: "..."
All I can say is that this woman knows how to be sarcastic and unsettling.
Sarutobi only wanted to get some basic information about Haruma, but he didn't expect this woman to be so disgusting right from the start.
Sarutobi's expression stiffened, then he looked at Fugaku politely and said, "Clan Chief Fugaku, judging from that little fellow's age, he doesn't seem to be much older than Sasuke."
"How come I've never heard of such a genius before?"
Unable to obtain any information from Mei Terumi, Sarutobi shamelessly asked Fugaku for more.
Besides wanting to know information about that boy...
Sarutobi himself was also somewhat puzzled, as the intelligence clearly indicated that Haruma had lived in Konoha since childhood, in the former Uchiha Clan stronghold.
However, neither the Anbu nor the original Root discovered anything special about this child.
"Cough cough..."
With his hands behind his back, Fugaku said calmly, " Ninjutsu talent is just one of that child's insignificant strengths."
"His greatest strengths are his youthful intelligence, quick wit, and ability to conceal his true abilities."
As Fugaku spoke, a hint of mockery crept into his gaze as he looked at Sarutobi. "Especially that kid, who saw what happened to Shisui and Itachi."
"He concealed himself even more deeply, behaving more normally in Konoha and within his clan."
"After all, you could run into the Anbu if you just stepped outside, so why would you dare to show off your talents?"
Since he no longer mingled with Konoha, Fugaku had no intention of giving Sarutobi a friendly look.
His tone became much more assertive and natural.
"Hehe..."
Sarutobi dryly, momentarily at a loss for words.
After all, what Fugaku said... was actually true.
Before the Uchiha Clan leaves, Haruma will display this terrifying talent...
They either get Danzo into Root by Danzo or join his own Anbu; there's no third way.
Especially the victim whose eyes were Danzo... Shisui was standing right next to him.
Sarutobi could only laugh awkwardly and change the subject, not wanting to make things worse for himself.
Battle over
Haruma walked back to the players' lounge with a listless expression.
"Boss, over here, over here!"
Wearing a festive red ninja outfit.
Karin stood in the center of the lounge, waving to welcome them.
A spacious stone bed, with a newly laid, soft, warm mattress.
The space occupied by all the Genin in the lounge, even combined, was smaller than this stone bed.
But none of the Genin dared to utter a sound.
Gaara, with his volatile temper, is the same.
Naruto, sitting in the corner, felt a sense of familiarity looking at Karin's attire and the soft cushions on the stone bed.
Rin Karin nodded in satisfaction, and Haruma lay down on top of her.
Having a personal assistant has definitely made things much more convenient.
Karin, who was supposed to be sitting in the audience, was also assigned to Zabuza's team.
After all, it won't be long before Orochimaru's plan unfolds, and the outside world won't be so safe.
On the big screen, Temari, who had just stood up after adjusting her breathing, slowly walked back to the rest room.
After the venue was cleared, the referee, Gekko Hayate, loudly announced the lineup for the second match.
[ Naruto Uzumaki of Konoha VS Kirigakure Sasuke Uchiha!]