Only half an hour remained before the exam officially ended.
The Third Hokage of Konoha, along with the jōnin instructors from the various villages, gradually arrived at the venue.
"The Third Hokage!!"
Izuno stared up at the elderly man wearing the Hokage robes, her eyes practically sparkling.
Raemon beside her wasn't much better.
For the first time—truly for the first time—Naruto gained a more complete understanding of the old man who so often barged into his home unannounced.
He'd always thought of the Third as just another kindly old man, no different from the rest.
Yet in the eyes of other ninja their age, the Third Hokage was nothing short of an idol.
As if sensing their gaze, the Third Hokage looked toward them and gave a gentle nod and smile.
"…Yeah. My resolve to become Hokage just got stronger," Izuno said solemnly.
Just then, under the examiners' guidance, two teams slowly walked forward and lined up.
Naruto glanced sideways at Team Seven, all of whom were visibly injured, and frowned in confusion.
He knew Team Seven's strength well. Even with Sakura holding them back somewhat, Sasuke and Sai were both more than capable. No matter how bad their luck was, it shouldn't have ended like this.
Sakura, in particular, was wrapped in bandages from head to toe. Judging from the exposed skin, the wounds looked less like cuts and more like corrosion.
Sai was in a similar state—bandaged, bearing the same kind of injuries.
"Sakura… are you okay?" Ino asked quietly.
Team Ten had entered at the same time as Team Seven.
Sakura shook her head slightly. "I'm fine."
Ino's expression was full of worry, but she didn't press further.
Naruto withdrew his gaze and looked toward the platform, where the Third Hokage stepped forward.
"Children, first of all, congratulations on making it this far," the Third Hokage said slowly, removing the pipe from his mouth.
"However, since the third exam will be conducted in front of dignitaries from multiple nations, we must first eliminate some participants."
"…Figures," Shikamaru muttered, glancing toward Team Seven.
Although Team Seven had barely passed the second exam with outside help, there was nothing anyone could do for them in the upcoming preliminaries.
"Ugh!"
Sasuke let out a low grunt, clutching the back of his neck in pain.
"Sasuke! Are you okay?" Sakura asked anxiously from behind him.
From the very back of the lineup, Naruto could see clearly—a strange three-tomoe curse mark had appeared on the back of Sasuke's neck.
Looks like a lot happened out there…
"Since the third exam is an individual competition, anyone who feels unable to continue may raise their hand. This will not affect your team's results."
The jōnin proctor—Genma Shiranui, senbon clenched between his teeth—announced as he took over hosting duties from the Third Hokage.
"You have one minute to decide."
"I withdraw." A white-haired ninja raised his hand.
Naruto recognized him—this was the man who had paid close attention to Sasuke during the written exam.
'Kabuto Yakushi…'
"I withdraw as well. Also, my teammate is injured—"
"Sakura, don't make me hate you!!"
Sasuke snapped sharply before she could finish.
"But your injuries—!"
Seeing the pain written all over Sasuke's face, Sakura raised her hand again.
"Enough. Come with me, Sakura."
Kakashi appeared beside her in a blur of Body Flicker Technique.
"Kakashi-sensei, please—talk some sense into Sasuke!"
Sakura pleaded, as if grasping at her last lifeline.
"Sorry." Kakashi ignored her words entirely and gave Genma an apologetic nod.
"I'll take her."
As Kakashi forcibly led Sakura away, Naruto noticed something unexpected—
From Sasuke's pained expression, there was… relief.
"Anyone else withdrawing?" Genma asked again.
"..."
"Very well. The matchups will now be randomly selected by the system. All non-participants, please proceed to the second floor to observe."
Glancing at the names displayed on the screen, Naruto and his teammates headed for the stairs.
---
[Match One]
Uchiha Sasuke vs. Akado Yoroi
On the arena floor, Sasuke stood facing a strangely dressed Sound ninja.
"Looks like you're not in great shape," Yoroi sneered cruelly.
Genma glanced at both fighters and swung his arm.
"Begin!"
---
"Well done," Gekkō Hayate said with a smile toward Naruto's group.
"Easy," Izuno replied confidently.
"Honestly, when I recommended you for the Chūnin Exams, I only meant for you to gain some experience," Hayate chuckled.
"I never expected you'd make it this far."
"Come on, Sensei. Even if you don't believe in us, you have to believe in Naruto," Raemon said with a grin, draping an arm over Naruto's shoulder.
Hayate nodded in agreement.
Down below, the battle had reached a stalemate.
Despite Sasuke's poor condition, Yoroi didn't rush recklessly. Instead, he fought cautiously, steadily expanding his advantage.
Just as everyone assumed Sasuke would lose due to his injuries—
A shocking reversal occurred.
Without using a single ninjutsu, Sasuke suddenly exploded into motion, unleashing a heavy, relentless barrage of kicks that slammed Yoroi to the ground.
"…He's strong," Raemon muttered, mouth slightly open.
"As expected of our class's top student," Izuno nodded.
They had stood right next to Team Seven earlier—they knew exactly how bad Sasuke's condition was.
Frankly speaking, even if Sasuke had collapsed the very next second, it would've been understandable.
Yet despite those injuries, he still won.
From that alone, Sasuke truly lived up to the Uchiha name.
"By the way, Naruto," Izuno asked curiously,
"why weren't you the top student back then?"
She knew his grades well by now.
Combat ability—absurdly high.
Theory—so good even she felt inferior.
"My attendance was terrible," Naruto replied calmly.
"I heard there was a student from your year who constantly skipped class," Hayate added casually, "even skipped the final exams."
Izuno's expression immediately cleared.
"Ah. I get it."
Naruto really did have a big heart.
Come to think of it, a final exam probably wasn't even on his list of priorities.
Based on what she knew of him now, he was probably out fishing that day.
...
...
The preliminary matches continued one after another.
The three of them gradually gained a clearer understanding of the fighting styles of ninja from other villages.
—
[Match Four]
Izuno Akigiku vs. Yamanaka Ino
Cat Cloak Jutsu vs. Mind Transfer Jutsu!
Though Izuno had grown tremendously over the past six months, she still fell slightly short compared to the Yamanaka clan's main heir—and lost regretfully.
—
[Match Five]
Temari vs. Tenten
The Sand kunoichi Temari won decisively with her outstanding Wind Release techniques.
—
[Match Six]
Nara Shikamaru vs. Kin
A complete intellectual domination.
Shikamaru wins.
—
[Match Seven]
Uzumaki Naruto vs. Hyūga Hinata
On the field, Naruto looked at Hinata—the girl who had sat beside him during the written exam—and gave a slight nod.
"N-Naruto-kun… i-it's been a long time," Hinata said, her cheeks flushing for no clear reason.
"Yeah. It has," Naruto replied.
"Begin!" The moment Genma spoke, he leapt back.
"Please allow me to witness the Hyūga clan's Gentle Fist," Naruto said as he slowly drew Kusabimaru.
"Y-Yes," Hinata nodded, calmly assuming her stance.
Once she entered her fighting posture, the girl's usual timidity vanished—replaced by a quiet but unmistakable presence.
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Add to library and drop reviews btw. Thanks.