Chapter 65: Sasuke Uchiha's Opponent
July 7th, Konoha Year 60, 3:00 PM sharp.
The early morning examinees who had entered the central tower and were placed to wait in the dorms until the end of the exam had already long received the proctor's call to proceed to the hall on the ground floor.
Team 8 was theirs.
Twenty-four examinees and their supervising Jonin were there at this time.
As Mitarashi Anko had spoken, the second exam had cut the number of examinees passing the first exam by at least half.
From twenty-four teams, seventy-two examinees, only eight teams, twenty-four individuals, had passed the second exam.
Konoha's ninjas made up the overwhelming majority among them.
To be specific, excluding Gaara's three siblings and Dosu trio from the Sound Village, the remaining examinees were all Konoha ninjas.
They were: Team 6, Team 7, Team 8, Team 10, Might Guy's Team 3, and Kabuto Yakushi and his two teammates.
"Your performance was good upon arrival at the first day's central tower."
The three of Izayoi were complimented by Kurenai Yuhi no sooner than she arrived.
Her refined delicateness was all displayed.
In fact, as a sensory team, Team 8 was already behind for not arriving at the central tower earliest.
So, Team 8 did not feel proud, and Izayoi and Hinata just smiled.
Izayoi seemed to feel something at this moment and couldn't help but look over at Team 7, in time to see the eyes of Kakashi Hatake.
Izayoi smiled and nodded at Kakashi Hatake, knowing why the other team was looking at him.
Apparently, Kakashi Hatake, coming to know more about Orochimaru, had already learned from Team 7 who had created that fire tornado.
Then, after having spoken with their supervising Jonin for some time, the examinees of the second exam, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the proctor group of the second exam, appeared on the second floor.
And then all supervising Jonin shifted to the stands on the second floor in order to hear the Third Hokage's address.
After Hiruzen Sarutobi had clarified that the Chunin Exam was a small-scale simulation of the war between allied countries, and that numerous dignitaries and spectators would be present at the main matches of the third exam, requiring another selection of excellent Genin from those who had passed the second exam so the matches would be exciting, Hayate Gekko appeared as the head proctor.
"Cough cough. I am the third stage chief proctor of the Chunin Selection Exams, Hayate Gekko."
Hayate Gekko coughed and then, looking at the twenty-four examinees standing before him, read the clipboard list and spoke slowly, "This is just the initial stage. The rules are extremely easy: the loser gets eliminated and the winner moves on to the main matches."
"The names of all twenty-four of you will be displayed on the wall screen, and then they will all be rearranged and paired at random."
"Before the test begins, do any of you want to withdraw? If not, I shall put up the list."
".I withdraw."
The moment Hayate Gekko's voice fell, Kabuto Yakushi raised his hand to withdraw.
This scene, apart from inviting the wrath of Hiruzen Sarutobi and several proctors in attendance, was otherwise ignored by the examinees.
After all, unlike in the original, the newbies didn't identify Kabuto Yakushi.
"Cough cough. what's your name?"
"Kabuto Yakushi."
"Okay, you can leave."
Hayate Gekko crossed out Kabuto Yakushi's name with a pen and asked again, "Now twenty-three examinees are left, there will be a bye, does anybody else want to withdraw?"
Glancing around and noting that nobody responded, Hayate Gekko took out a walkie-talkie and announced, "Then I officially open the preliminary rounds of the third stage of the Chunin Selection Exams!"
The screen was filled with static at once.
Then the examinees' names came up one by one, as if a human being typed behind it using a keyboard.
After displaying all the twenty-three names, the picture shifted and two large letters "VS" replaced the list, in the center of the screen.
The names went on flashing one after another, on either side of "VS".
After a couple of seconds, the picture became static.
Dosu Kinuta VS Choji Akimichi.
"The testees whose names are listed will stay, the rest to the stands on the second floor and watch." Hayate Gekko stated.
"Choji, do your best."
"Don't lose to a ninja from a small village. If you win, have Asuma-sensei take you out for barbecue."
".Yeah!"
Upon hearing the word "barbecue," Choji Akimichi's eyes snapped open and he nodded gravely.
Closing in on Kurenai Yuhi's flank, Izayoi rested against the railing, yet rather than watching Choji Akimichi and Dosu Kinuta who had already started to battle below, he sized up the Sound Village Jonin beside Zaku Abumi and Kin Tsuchi.
Individuals couldn't pierce this Sound ninja's façade, but Izayoi detected with a single glance that the other party was Orochimaru.
Izayoi had not been able to anticipate that even if he hadn't planted the curse mark, Orochimaru would manage to sneak into the central tower to watch the preliminaries.
If that was so, then why was the first match not Sasuke Uchiha VS Yoroi Akado?
Or was he only here to witness the performance, or did he have other designs?
Appearing to realize that Izayoi was sizing him up, Orochimaru's eyes were glared over, and he presented Izayoi with a sinister grin.
Izayoi grinned and bowed politely, pretending not to recognize Orochimaru.
The battle below at this point had already been resolved.
Even though Dosu Kinuta did not reveal his intelligence like in the original novel, Choji Akimichi still employed the Human Bullet Tank right from the start.
Choji Akimichi, having retracted his head into his body and covered his ears, unconsciously avoided being instantly killed.
Nevertheless, his combat experience was far inferior to Dosu Kinuta, who had fought himself out of a confined area.
Just like in the original work, Dosu Kinuta continued evading the Human Bullet Tank's blow, later selling an opening intentionally for Choji Akimichi's body to become stuck in the wall.
And with the moisture available in the human body, he released a Sonic Fist to instantly kill Choji Akimichi.
"Choji Akimichi can no longer battle, the winner of the first round is Dosu Kinuta." Hayate Gekko announced immediately.
Shikamaru Nara and Ino Yamanaka helpless covered their heads as they saw this.
Asuma Sarutobi, taking a cigarette break, smiled and said, "It's lucky that he wasn't injured. Choji is still powerful, he just so happened to have encountered a kind that canceled him out."
After his words, Asuma Sarutobi simply vanished and descended to retrieve Choji Akimichi back to the stands, without even referring him to the infirmary.
The screen rolled names once more and rapidly froze.
Sasuke Uchiha VS Zaku Abumi.
"I'm waiting for your performance, Zaku." Orochimaru smiled at Zaku Abumi and encouraged him.
"Yes!"
Zaku Abumi was so excited that he almost stood at attention, and hastily vowed, "Lord Orochimaru, I definitely won't let you down."
With Team 7, Sakura Haruno warned Sasuke Uchiha, "Sasuke-kun, those guys from that ninja village seem to be experts in sound wave ninjutsu, be careful."
Naruto Uzumaki also folded his hands behind his head and jeered loudly, "Arrogant Sasuke, don't get beaten before I get to you."
Sasuke Uchiha, about to go down, stopped in his tracks, turned and smiled at Naruto Uzumaki, "Naruto, I really want to fight you too."
This time, Sasuke Uchiha did not mention Naruto Uzumaki as dead last.
The face of Naruto Uzumaki was set in a stone, his eyes, which had slitted up, slowly opened, and he stared blankly at Sasuke Uchiha.
And then an inexplicable feeling welled up in his heart, and he shuddered with exhilaration and broke out into goosebumps.
(End of this chapter)
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