Standing beside Chinya, Uzumaki Sōnagi immediately accused the examiners of foul play.
Only three extra matches had taken place so far. The first was between Uzumaki Sōnagi and Kidomaru, where Kidomaru forfeited; the third match was between Kimimaro Kaguya and Jugo Tenbin, where the latter forfeited.
Uzumaki Sōnagi slammed his hand against the railing and shouted, "You Leaf ninjas are too shameless! You're just trying to force our village's shinobi to fight each other, aren't you? If you can't handle the game, don't play it at all! What's the point of rigging the matches!"
All eyes turned toward Uzumaki Sōnagi.
Hayate Gekko, the chief examiner overseeing the additional matches, gave a brief cough and said, "Everything is random. There's no foul play involved. Anyone with concerns is welcome to check the electronic screen."
Uzumaki Sōnagi really wanted to go examine the screen himself, but Chinya grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up before turning to Hayate Gekko and saying, "Don't worry about him. Continue with the exam."
Hayate nodded and proceeded with the supplementary exam.
Uzumaki Sōnagi grumbled, "Why did you stop me? Isn't this clearly rigged?"
Chinya replied with a helpless tone, "So what if it is? This competition is hosted by the Leaf Village. It's only natural they'd interfere. Get your head straight and don't act recklessly!"
Still pouting, Uzumaki Sōnagi muttered, "I'm just angry. We were set to advance all six of us, but now we've already lost two without even lifting a finger."
Chinya reminded him, "The Leaf organized these Joint Chunin Exams to show off their strength, not ours. That's why they'd do something like this—it should've been predictable from the start.
Don't think having rules guarantees fairness. Remember, those rules were written by the Leaf—they can twist them any way they like. Even if you do find something fishy about that screen, they'll have a million excuses ready to blow you off.
So don't waste energy on this kind of thing. Either break the rules yourself if you can, or just swallow your pride and bear it!
We still have four Genin remaining from our village—still way too many. More will be eliminated soon. Without a doubt, either Sakon or Tayuya—or both—will be cut. The second round will be dominated by Leaf shinobi anyway."
Chinya didn't bother keeping his voice low, and many people overheard.
Some of the proctors present felt uneasy upon hearing this—they couldn't refute Chinya's words because they indeed had interfered.
Watching through surveillance equipment in the tower room, Hiruzen Sarutobi also overheard Chinya's remarks.
Hiruzen's expression became awkward—the Oto Village's team leader had exposed the truth so openly, showing absolutely no respect for the Leaf.
One of the proctors behind him asked, "Hokage-sama, shall we reset the electronic screen to its normal state?"
After a brief pause, Hiruzen answered, "No need. Let things continue as they are."
Uzumaki Sōnagi glared angrily at the Leaf proctors, seething inside.
As Chinya predicted, during the sixth match, Tayuya faced off against Gaara from Sunagakure.
Under Orochimaru's orders, Tayuya forfeited.
Because of Tayuya's genjutsu, there's a high chance Gaara could lose control over Shukaku.
In the eighth match, Sakon's opponent was Neji Hyuga.
Sakon knew Neji was Chinya's disciple and originally wanted to test himself against him. However, without activating the cursed seal, he couldn't even get close to Neji. Not wanting to rely on the cursed seal's power, Sakon chose to forfeit midway through the battle.
Uzumaki Sōnagi was practically seething as he watched the scene unfold.
Originally, six of them had advanced to the second round, but the supplementary matches reduced that number down to just him and Kimimaro Kaguya.
The following battles weren't particularly exciting—Sōnagi described them as nothing more than weaklings clashing aimlessly.
The supplementary exam concluded swiftly.
Originally there were 26 participants. Fourteen were eliminated in battle, and two others due to draws—totaling 16 eliminations, leaving only 10 contestants remaining.
Uzumaki Sōnagi, Kimimaro Kaguya, Naruto Uzumaki, Neji Hyuga, Sasuke Uchiha, Shino Aburame, Lee, Shikamaru Nara, Gaara, and Temari.
This number perfectly matched Sarutobi Hiruzen's expectations. Ten contestants meant five teams for the second round examination.
All those who advanced now stood in the center of the arena, where Sarutobi reappeared.
Sarutobi announced, "Congratulations to all of you for passing the supplementary exam. What comes next is the second round—the final formal competition. This time, your battles will be shown to the audience. As representatives from various nations, I hope each of you gives it your all without any regrets. So, the official matches will start one month from today."
Sasuke Uchiha frowned, "We actually have to wait a whole month?"
Hiruzen nodded, "Yes, that gives everyone sufficient time to prepare. During this period, we will inform the Daimyos and ninja leaders across different nations that the preliminary rounds have concluded, while also preparing for their arrival as spectators—and giving you competitors ample time to prepare yourselves.
During this time, you may gather intelligence on your opponents and analyze enemy data, thus increasing your chances of victory.
Up until now, you've fought against random opponents. But this won't be the case in the official competition—you'll be able to fully demonstrate your abilities before your designated rivals.
To ensure fairness and transparency, everyone should use this month to sharpen their skills.
Before dismissing today, we must draw lots. Anko."
Anko Mitarashi held up a box, allowing each contestant to draw one slip.
After all contestants had picked their slips, Hiruzen continued, "Now then, I shall announce the matchup arrangements for the official competition. Ibiki, show them the combinations."
Ibiki Morino displayed the prearranged pairings on his board for Sōnagi and the others to see.
When Uzumaki Sōnagi saw his opponent, a smile immediately appeared on his face—it was Neji Hyuga!
Kimimaro Kaguya's opponent was Lee.
Naruto Uzumaki's opponent was Shino Aburame.
Sasuke Uchiha's opponent was Gaara.
Shikamaru Nara faced off against Temari.
The second round will once again consist of one-on-one duels.
Hiruzen Sarutobi reminded them, "The examiners for this test, including myself, Kazekage, the Daimyos from various countries who have commissioned us, and the leaders of allied villages who've pledged support to us, will all be watching. Your performances during the matches will be evaluated, and those judged to have sufficient qualifications as a Chunin can still become one even if they lose in the first round.
Therefore, each and every one of you has the potential to become a Chunin — though it's also entirely possible that not a single one of you qualifies. Give it your all out there — prove your strength and make every moment count!
That concludes today's briefing. We'll meet again in a month — dismissed."
Uzumaki Sōnagi and Kimimaro Kaguya stepped out of the Tower, joined Chinya and the others waiting outside, and together they left the Forest of Death.
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