"An elimination round to decide who may enter the third exam." Hayate finished, and confusion rippled through the ranks.
"What elimination?" Shikamaru asked, brows knit.
"I don't understand. Why can't we just proceed?" Sakura added, voice puzzled.
"Means two more rounds, I guess." Mamoru drawled, hiding a yawn.
Hayate nodded, coughing. "Exactly. The first two tests were too easy, too many remain."
He swept his gaze over them. "Per Chunin Exam rules, we now cut the numbers."
Sakura blurted, "That's not fair.c
Hayate explained, voice thin, "As Hokage-sama said, many dignitaries will attend the final round. Thus time is limited."
He paused, fighting another cough. "So if anyone is unwell… ahem…"
Every eye said the same: the sickest person here is you, proctor.
Hayate wiped his mouth. "Sorry… after that explanation, does anyone wish to withdraw?Speak now, the preliminaries begin at once."
Team 10 stirred.
"We just scraped through the second exam." Ino groaned.
"Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered.
"What about lunch?" Choji asked, patting his dusty stomach.
All three looked a wreck—dust-caked, exhausted, marched straight to the tower without a breather.
"I forgot, the next stage is individual combat." Hayate added, louder. "You may choose whether to continue."
Silence fell, taut breaths the only sound.
"Decide already. If you're quitting, step out." Mamoru tapped his arm, impatient.
Every gaze snapped to him. The Jonin on the platform studied him, Guy's enthusiastic wink the most obvious.
Guy nudged Kakashi, who ignored him.
Under their stare Mamoru shrugged. "Let's not waste time, okay?"
"Um…" a mild voice said.
Kabuto raised his hand, smiling apologetically. "I forfeit."
Hayate checked his list. "Yakushi Kabuto of Konoha, withdrawn."
"Yes." Kabuto turned to leave, steps unsteady.
"Kabuto-san, why?" Naruto shouted, bewildered.
Kabuto stopped, glanced sideways and answered, "Sorry, Naruto."
He adjusted his glasses with a bitter smile. "Honestly, my body's completely spent and I'm covered in wounds. In this state, even if I keep fighting in the individual matches, I doubt I'll get anywhere."
After giving Naruto an encouraging grin, he walked toward the nearby exit, his figure looking rather lonely.
From the platform, Hiruzen's eyes were deep and somber as he asked Anko for the boy's details.
"So, no one else is withdrawing?" Hayate confirmed.
After a brief silence he announced, "The preliminaries begin now. They're one-on-one matches, pure combat. Exactly twenty people, ten bouts. Winners reach the third exam. No rules, fight until one dies or surrenders.
He deliberately hardened his tone. "If you don't want to die, give up quickly. But if I judge the outcome decided... ahem, to keep the body-count down, I'll step in and stop you."
Hayate turned to signal Anko. She murmured into her headset, and with a grating scrape, a stone slab above the carved monument slid upward, revealing an electronic display behind it.
Mamoru stared at the ultra-modern screen and silently grumbled, 'This world's tech tree is a mess. They've got TV but still deliver messages by scroll.'
When the panel was fully exposed, Hayate continued, "This board will randomly show the names of the two fighters. So, let's reveal the first pair."
Everyone stared tensely as the characters flashed, finally stopping on two names.
"Yes! I'm first!" Mamoru punched the air, his shout echoing through the cavern.
Everyone blinked and a couple of Jonin shook their heads with wry smiles.
"Idiot, I'm first." Sasuke was first to notice his own name glowing on the board. He snorted, though the slight upturn of his lips betrayed his eagerness.
"Saw Uchiha and thought it was me." Mamoru rubbed his nose, embarrassed.
The Konoha Genin all snickered, Naruto laughing outright.
"Then, the two whose names appear, please step forward." Hayate motioned, his voice twitching with suppressed amusement.
Sasuke stepped out calmly. Opposite him stood a Konoha ninja named Akado Yoroi. They faced off in the center, the air crackling as Chakra clashed in silence.
Hayate stood between them, arms wide. "Match one: Akado Yoroi versus Uchiha Sasuke. Any objections?"
"None." Both answered at once, eyes locked, ready to strike.
"Then, first match begins." Hayate coughed and motioned toward the upper walls. "Everyone except the fighters, move to the balconies above."
The crowd filed up.
As soon as Mamoru reached the rail, he waved Tenten over. Under Team 8's curious gaze, she trotted to him.
"You called?" Tenten tilted her head, eyes puzzled.
"Scroll. Hand it over." Mamoru got straight to the point, palm out.
"Now?" She glanced at the duel about to start, then back, clearly asking: shouldn't we watch?
"Nothing to see, hurry up." Mamoru urged, fingers drumming an impatient tattoo on the rail.
"Fine." Tenten unsealed a thick scroll from her back, parchment snapping open with a crisp rustle.
"Here, and here..." Mamoru pointed to several seals. "Redraw it, but skip these spots, leave them blank. Got it?"
"Redraw?" Tenten frowned. "That's a pain."
"A pain?" Mamoru flicked her forehead, not hard but firm. "Who do you think this is for?"
"Ow!" Tenten rubbed the red spot, pouting.
"Get on with it. Unless you want to lose later..." His gaze slid to the fight below.
"Alright, alright."
Under the spectators' curious eyes, Tenten knelt, spread the scroll, and began brushing ink onto fresh paper, cheeks tight with concentration.
Kurenai folded her arms, baffled by the complex runes. "What is that?"
Mamoru said, crouching to trace a glyph, "A hybrid of summoning and sealing formulas. Still experimental."
Kurenai repeated, unfamiliar with the last term, studying him thoughtfully. "Summoning? Sealing? Hybrid?"
While Tenten inked frantically, the match below heated up. Yoroi's talent—Chakra absorption—had cornered Sasuke until he countered with his own creation, the Lion Combo, ending the fight in a clean, dazzling flourish that drew gasps from the balcony.
"Eyes on your work." Mamoru reminded, tapping Tenten's head.
"I know, you're so annoying." Tenten stuck out her tongue but refocused.
"Want me to draw?" Mamoru reached for her brush.
"No!" She hugged the scroll like a protective squirrel and kept working, brush flowing.
Applause followed Sasuke up to the balcony. As he passed Mamoru, their eyes met.
"Congrats on the win." Mamoru's tone was flat.
"I'll see you in the third exam." Sasuke said, exhaustion in his voice but fire in his eyes.
Mamoru chuckled at the stubbornness.
Before Sasuke got far, Mamoru called, "That was one ugly win though."
Sasuke stumbled, shot him a glare, then strode back to Team 7, back proud and irritated.
Characters on the electronic board whirled past, finally freezing under every gaze.
Aburame Shino VS Kinuta Dosu
A ripple of murmurs swept the stands.
Hinata clenched her sleeve and whispered, soft yet earnest. "Shino… do your best."
Kurenai gave him a calm, steady nod.
Mamoru rose and patted Shino's shoulder. "You'll win, so I won't waste breath on cheering."
"Mm."
Shino adjusted his shades and stepped down, coat swaying, eyes behind the lenses burning for victory as he faced Dosu across the field.
(End of Chapter)
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