Soon, Naruto and Sasuke were led by Kakashi to the waiting area behind the inner wall on either side of the dueling arena.
A long corridor stretched out before them, with doors spaced at regular intervals. Each door bore a number from 1 to 25, corresponding to the contestants' rankings.
Sasuke glanced at the first room. On the door was the name: Uchiha Saya.
He silently prayed in his heart.
Please don't let me be matched with Saya. If I am... I'll surrender. I don't stand a chance.
Those seven days of hellish training had made the gap between them painfully clear.
Even without using chakra, she could destroy him using only shuriken techniques and taijutsu.
Her monstrous physical strength and uncanny battle instincts made him wonder just how many life-and-death battles she'd survived. Her fighting style was absurdly overwhelming.
Kakashi stood at the hallway entrance and looked at Naruto and Sasuke.
"Stop dragging your feet, Sasuke. This is the contestants' prep area. You remember your rankings, don't you?"
"Go on, get in there!"
He gave them a rare burst of enthusiasm and a thumbs-up.
Naruto and Sasuke turned back to look at Kakashi's encouragement, raised their left and right fists respectively into the air, and shouted:
"OH!"
Kakashi didn't turn away until he saw them enter rooms No. 8 and No. 12.
Then he sighed as a voice came from the shadows beneath the staircase.
"I say, can you stop staring at me like that? Today's not the day for our rivalry."
"We agreed to take a break during the Chunin Exams. Don't forget."
A man stepped out from the shadows—neatly trimmed bowl-cut hair, thick eyebrows, eyes as fierce as a beast's. He wore a green jumpsuit and Konoha's green jonin vest. His bulging muscles outlined the fabric.
"My eternal rival Kakashi! My dearest friend!"
"I can feel the flames of passion and youth burning inside you!"
"Even though we won't battle today, our students will!"
"Let us stake our pride on the line! Let the next generation carry on our will of fire!"
Kakashi rubbed his forehead with one hand, already exhausted.
This guy… even after all these years, he still finds new ways to drain my sanity.
All I want is to quietly read "Icha Icha Paradise" from the reserve seats. Can't I catch a break for once?
"Guy, listen—"
"A signed collector's edition of Icha Icha Paradise, autographed by Jiraiya-sensei."
Guy eyes gleamed with determination.
"Guy! It's on!"
"I can already feel my blood boiling! Let our disciples clash and carry on our rivalry!"
A faint flush colored Kakashi's face, but his eyes suddenly lit up with fighting spirit.
Ten extra chapters in the collector's edition… that's the stuff dreams are made of!
AHHH! I can't contain it! The blood's rushing through me!
(...Though where exactly Kakashi's blood was boiling remained unclear.)
Just then, three figures descended the staircase.
At the front was a lively young man dressed just like Guy—round eyes, shiny black pupils, practically bursting with energy.
"Guy-sensei! Kakashi-sensei! I overheard your wager!"
"I'm excited to fight the Uchiha genius too!"
Behind him walked Neji, who instinctively touched a pair of tools in his pouch. His expression was calm, seemingly indifferent to the rivalry between the two jonin. He spoke in a cold tone.
"Guy Sensei , Kakashi Sensei—I have no interest in your childish bet."
"I just want to showcase my talent in front of that person. I want to prove the inspiration I gained from them."
"That's all."
With that, he walked straight to prep room No. 13. Tenten followed closely behind.
"Don't worry! I had my dad custom-make it!"
"He said it was one of the most intricate mechanisms he's ever seen—so it has to be powerful!"
Neji subconsciously slowed his pace to walk beside her. He said nothing, but the rare softness in his gaze and the subtle nod of his head spoke volumes.
"…Mm."
Lee quickly caught up, staring at Neji's back with a firm, determined look. A vow formed in his heart.
Neji… I don't know why you abandoned taijutsu…
But I'll prove to you that even without ninjutsu or fancy techniques—pure taijutsu alone can make someone a true ninja!
My only goal is to defeat you!
Kakashi watched Neji's retreating figure and frowned slightly.
"…Guy, is Neji—?"
Guy nodded slowly, his expression unusually somber.
"Yes. He's the boy who was taken by Root… the one abducted in place of Hinata."
"From what I've heard, the time he spent in Root left deep psychological scars. Thankfully, the Assistant rescued the children."
"Since then, the Assistant has become like a god to Neji."
"Three years ago, he completely abandoned the Hyuga clan's traditional Gentle Fist and switched to a strange, unfamiliar style."
"It's not the bow-and-arrow technique that's trending among the Hyuga clan now either. I don't even know what it is."
"But its power is terrifying. If I don't evade it entirely, I might die from a direct hit..."
Kakashi's eyes widened in shock.
...It could threaten Guy life?
No way. Sure, we've fought each other countless times with a 50/50 win rate. But if it were life or death, I know for a fact I'm not Kai's match.
And a twelve-year-old can threaten him...?
That kind of talent is terrifying...
By now, the clock had ticked to eight sharp. All the Genin had entered their respective rooms—preparing gear, doing light warm-ups, or meditating silently.
The stands were packed row after row.
Besides nearly a thousand nobles and wealthy patrons, the rest were mostly Konoha villagers and shinobi.
Altogether, the arena held over ten thousand spectators.
Suddenly, the audience stirred as a portion of the wall opposite the seating area opened to reveal a massive screen.
On the display appeared the names of all twenty-five contestants.
At the same time, a tremendous gust of wind spiraled up from the center of the arena.
As the whirlwind dispersed, the figure who appeared in the center was none other than Gekko Hayate, one of Konoha's respected Jonin.
Known by his title: The Sword of Flowing Water.
"The final round of the Chunin Exams—matchups will now be announced!"
"Random selection—begin!"
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