Chapter 22 — Chūnin Exam Team Battle
The time had reached three o'clock in the afternoon.
The first match, the team battle, was about to begin.
After the final grouping, Rin, Kakashi, and Obito were set to face Might Guy, Ebisu, and Genma Shiranui.
As for the rules, no one formally explained them. But since the Chūnin Exam occurred only once a year, everyone already knew them by heart.
Even Obuya, who had only been in Konoha for a year, understood clearly that in the Chūnin Exam, promotion to Chūnin wasn't solely based on victory or defeat. Instead, it depended on one's performance in the match—whether they demonstrated the qualities of a true Chūnin.
In other words, even if someone was the strongest in raw skill and could defeat everyone in single combat, without teamwork in the team battle, they would struggle to earn recognition.
Conversely, a ninja with moderate skills but exceptional teamwork could still have a chance to rise to Chūnin.
This was why the team battles were held first, and the individual battles came last.
---
"The team battle is about to start… and that idiot Obito still hasn't shown up. Once the match officially begins, he'll lose his chance to participate."
Kakashi frowned, cursing Obito's chronic tardiness.
Rin, standing beside him, tried to soothe him:
"Maybe something came up for him at the last minute. He'll definitely arrive before the match begins. After all, this is the Chūnin Exam—the opportunity he's dreamed of. No matter what, he wouldn't miss it."
Although she said this, Rin recalled the morning earlier that day.
To prevent Obito from being late, she had gone to his house early—but to her surprise, he wasn't there.
This shattered her previous assumption that Obito's lateness was simply due to oversleeping.
---
"One minute left!"
Everyone, including Obuya, showed signs of anxiety.
At that moment, a figure appeared outside the arena, rushing like the wind, as if fleeing for his life.
"Come on! You're about to lose your chance!"
Kakashi shouted angrily.
Obito arrived at the arena just in the nick of time, stepping over the last line of the clock.
"That was too close!"
Obito was drenched in sweat, a candy still in his mouth.
"What are you doing? Showing up late on such an important day?"
Obuya approached and asked in a low voice.
Obito's habit of being late seemed incomprehensible to him, and he couldn't even find a reason to defend him.
"Ah!"
Obito sighed.
"I was afraid of being late, so I left at dawn."
"What? Then why are you only here now?" Obuya asked, astonished.
"Remember I told you before? I ran into an elderly woman with difficulty walking. This morning, I met her again. She wanted to buy rainbow candies for her youngest grandson. I saw how hard it was for her to walk, and I figured it wouldn't take too long if I helped her… so I carried her there myself."
Obuya's expression grew strange. "And then?"
"Ah~"
Obito sighed again.
"Who knew that the candy she wanted was just something she had seen before, and she didn't know where to buy it. I was in a bind and had to carry her around all of the Land of Fire, checking shop after shop until we finally found it…"
Obito reached into his pocket and pulled out a few candies, offering one to Obuya.
"This is what the old lady insisted I take. Not bad, actually—try it."
Seeing the "evidence," Obuya had no choice but to believe Obito's story, though he declined the candy, claiming he didn't like sweets.
Later, Obito generously gave some to Rin but hesitated when he reached Kakashi.
"Kakashi… you were probably talking behind my back about me being late again, weren't you?" Obito asked suspiciously.
"Late every time, no surprise there. Truly living up to your name, 'Obito,'" Kakashi replied with a cold, sarcastic tone.
Obito's face darkened.
"All right, all right, you two stop arguing. It's almost our turn."
Seeing them about to quarrel again, Rin immediately intervened.
---
"Next match: Team Seven versus Team Two!"
A Konoha jōnin serving as the examiner suddenly called out.
"Hahaha! Finally, it's our turn. Today, everyone will witness the rise of Uchiha Obito!"
Obito laughed heartily and leapt into the arena first.
The two teams, each with three members, faced each other across a hundred steps, preparing for battle.
Obuya looked at Rin's team's opponents.
Might Guy needed no introduction—his taijutsu was absolutely master-level. Even alone, he could challenge Kakashi to an intense match.
As for Guy's teammates, one was Ebisu, the other Genma Shiranui.
Their skills, while slightly weaker than Guy and Kakashi, were still formidable and worthy of future jōnin status.
In comparison, Rin and Obito couldn't gain any advantage over these two.
Obito's abilities were modest—he was often called the "tail-end student," with the newly awakened Sharingan as his only trump card.
Rin was a medical ninja, gifted in medical ninjutsu, but her combat skills were average in an intense fight.
---
"Obito, don't be careless!"
Obuya shouted.
He knew Obito was reckless, and one mistake could lead to disaster.
"Don't worry, Obuya! Today, I will prove myself! Anyone who laughed at me will shut their mouths forever!"
Obito turned his frustration into strength, feeling an unprecedented surge of energy coursing through him.
The battle was about to erupt.
Might Guy made the first move, launching forward with a powerful kick.
Obito reacted first, stepping in front of Kakashi, forming hand signs quickly.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball…"
Just as Obito was about to perform the jutsu, the candy in his mouth slid down his throat, causing him to cough violently.
"Boom!!"
Might Guy's arrow-step charge, a forceful Konoha-style spinning kick, struck Obito, sending him flying into the wall and leaving a dent.
"Ah!!"
The crowd was stunned.
Obito's defeat came shockingly fast, turning the 3v3 battle into a 3v2 in an instant.
Kakashi's face turned grim, but there was no time to comment as Guy's attack approached.
"That kid Obito…"
Watching this, Minato Namikaze sighed helplessly.
Obuya, too, couldn't worry about Obito's defeat. Rin, who had no great combat talent, now faced Ebisu and Genma alone.
Genma Shiranui unleashed his signature move, Thousand Needles.
The toothpicks in his mouth shot out, transforming into a storm of needles that indiscriminately blocked Rin's retreat.