In the very center of the Forest of Death, a central high tower stood majestically.
When the members of Team 8 finally arrived, they immediately sensed a subtle atmosphere.
Looking around, they found that the only team to successfully arrive besides Team 8 was the Ino–Shika–Chō squad.
Nara Shikamaru leaned against the wall, appearing lazy, but in reality, his gaze was secretly sizing them up.
His observation was extremely keen, not letting a single detail slip by.
Just then, Kiba suddenly lowered his voice and spoke to Shino.
"Hey, Shino, did you see what just happened? Hinata... she really turned that monster into..."
Shino replied expressionlessly, hands in his pockets.
"The facts are right before our eyes, aren't they?"
"But this is just too ridiculous! I mean, could our Kurenai-sensei even defeat that monster?"
Kiba wasn't ready to give up and continued asking, but he was met only with Shino's silence—if you're asking me, who am I supposed to ask?
Just as the atmosphere in the hall fell into an eerie silence, more figures began to arrive one after another.
Before long, Tenten, Rock Lee, and Neji walked in.
Following them, Uchiha Sasuke, Sakura Haruno, and Uzumaki Naruto also entered, looking somewhat disheveled, as if they had just gone through another battle.
The Cursed Seal on Sasuke's neck was hidden by his collar, but his pale complexion showed he was in poor condition.
Temari and Kankuro also walked in, with Gaara following not far behind; his expression was dark as he stared at Hinata.
[Quite tough, aren't you? To be fine after all that.]
Hinata glanced over and then withdrew her gaze.
As soon as Sakura entered, she looked for Hinata's figure; seeing her standing there safe and sound, a flash of gratitude crossed her eyes.
Not long after, Anko Mitarashi and several examiners appeared on the steps at the front of the hall.
Anko's gaze immediately swept toward Hinata in the corner, her eyes filled with complex emotions, but she quickly looked away and announced loudly.
"Congratulations to everyone for passing the second stage of the exam in the Forest of Death! The teams that collected both the Heaven and Earth Scrolls and arrived here within the time limit have earned the right to participate in the third exam's preliminaries!"
After announcing the rules, Anko added meaningfully.
"I hope you all adjust your condition. The upcoming battles will directly determine whether you can enter the final tournament and demonstrate the strength of Konoha's Genin before the Daimyo and VIPs of various nations!"
After the examiners left, the atmosphere in the hall grew even more tense.
The start of the preliminaries meant more fighting and elimination.
Many people's gazes began to linger on potential opponents.
Hinata turned a deaf ear to everything around her.
Her mind sank into the System interface. A string of messages had already refreshed.
Current points balance: 12,650 points.
Looking at the points that had become abundant once again, Hinata felt satisfied.
These points were enough to exchange for new Cultivation Techniques, resources, or to make more preparations for her subsequent plans.
While the candidates were resting and waiting in the hall, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, Anko Mitarashi returned, accompanied by several serious-looking Konoha administrative Ninjas.
She walked straight to where the Sand Ninja trio was located—Temari and Kankuro were nervously guarding Gaara's side.
Seeing Gaara in such a state, Anko frowned and whispered a few words to the administrative Ninja beside her; the Ninja nodded and quickly reported upward through some communication method.
Inside the Hokage Office.
The Crystal Ball clearly displayed the scene in the tower's hall, focusing specifically on the extremely weak Gaara.
"Hiruzen, this is an opportunity!"
Danzo's voice came from the shadows, carrying a hint of coldness.
"The Ichibi Jinchuriki is in terrible condition. We can use this as a pretext to disqualify the Sand Ninjas, or even..."
"No."
Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi cut him off decisively. He took a deep puff of his pipe, his eyes deep amidst the swirling smoke.
"Precisely because he is a Jinchuriki, we cannot easily disqualify him. This would directly provoke the Kazekage. Maintaining a superficial peace is more beneficial to us."
He paused and then continued.
"Furthermore, letting the Ichibi Jinchuriki continue to compete allows us to better observe Hyuga Hinata... to see if she can truly suppress a Tailed Beast completely, and what she will do next. This is crucial for us to evaluate her threat and potential."
Danzo remained silent for a moment and gave a cold snort.
The Third Hokage stood up and arrived at the scene.
The Third Hokage walked to the center of the hall and announced loudly, his voice echoing throughout the space.
"Next, we will conduct one-on-one elimination matches. Only the winners will proceed."
"The Sand Ninja team successfully collected the scrolls and reached the tower; therefore, the Sand Ninja team's qualification is valid, and they will participate normally in the upcoming third stage preliminaries!"
As soon as these words were spoken, a suppressed clamor immediately broke out in the hall!
Everyone had seen Gaara's half-dead appearance. Could someone in that state still participate in the preliminaries? This decision was simply too reckless! Moreover, many had already vaguely guessed the connection between Gaara and that terrifying monster from before. Letting him continue to compete—wasn't that just planting an extremely unstable bomb?
Temari and Kankuro first breathed a sigh of relief, but then their hearts leaped into their throats again.
They knew better than anyone how much Life Qi Gaara had lost right now. Letting him fight—the outcome was unpredictable, and he might very well go berserk again.
Nara Shikamaru rubbed his temples irritably, sighing inwardly.
"So it's like this after all... This really is a huge pain."
His keen intuition had already allowed him to sniff out the scent of political maneuvering hidden behind this match.
In the corner, when Hinata heard this decision, she didn't even lift an eyelid, as if the decision had nothing to do with her.
An Ichibi Jinchuriki in poor condition and with a shaken heart—whether used for continued 'observation' to gain points or as some kind of 'prop' to achieve other goals in the upcoming preliminaries—was clearly more useful than a Jinchuriki who was disqualified and kept under strict surveillance.
I wonder if the current Gaara can still defeat Lee.
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