As he carefully observed those around him, his mind began to recall the information stored in his memory.
'Except for Kisame and the representatives of Kumogakure, the rest of these people appear on the list of individuals requiring special attention.'
From the beginning, Kumogakure had kept the list of exam participants secret, something that was not unusual since they were the hosts. Neither Konoha nor the other villages had access to the names before everything began.
In the case of Kisame Hoshigaki, Kirigakure had always provided ambiguous information. It was unclear whether he was concealing his true power or if the village was deliberately hiding his potential. In Konoha's records, Kisame's strength was categorized as that of a standard Chūnin, making him seem like an "ordinary" candidate from his village.
The other three, however, were a different case. Their names were highlighted in various reports, with detailed information marking them as potential threats.
For example, the young woman from Kirigakure, with a fragile appearance and delicate features, was named Rin and belonged to the Yuki Clan.
There was also the woman from Sunagakure, who wore a scarf covering her head and part of her forehead. Her name was Maiko Kurokawa, and the information indicated that she was a puppet master.
Lastly, the spiky-haired man from Iwagakure was named Hunter. Documents confirmed that he was a reserve member of the Explosion Corps, his village's specialized unit.
Regarding these three, all the information provided by Konoha suggested that they were suspected of having the level of a Jōnin.
The badge count did not take long. Once it was completed, the staff members took care of adding up the numbers and placing the results in Neil's hands.
"Congratulations to the nine who successfully passed this exam," Neil's energetic voice resonated. "Now, I will announce the third and final test."
The third test will take place in three days. Important observers, wealthy and influential individuals from around the world, and even high-ranking figures are expected to attend. The purpose is to demonstrate each of your true abilities in one-on-one duels until the ultimate winner is determined.
Furthermore, although the exam will be in three days, today we will decide the list of matchups. The order of the battles will be determined based on the number of badges each participant has gathered. The fewer badges they have, the sooner they will have to fight."
After hearing the details, Neil fixed his gaze on the nine participants in front of him, including Gen.
No one opposed this arrangement.
Minutes later, the staff brought forward a couple of wooden boxes, each carefully sealed, and gave instructions for the drawing. Following the badge count order, the process began.
Although Gen had collected nearly 20 badges, he was not the one with the most. Killer B had been even more relentless, gathering more than thirty. For that reason, he was the first to reach into the box. Without wasting time, he pulled out a small sphere and held it up for everyone to see.
A sphere marked with the number 3. That meant he would fight in the third match of the third test.
Next, it was Gen's turn. Without showing any emotion on his face, he extended his hand toward the next box, stirred it slightly, and then picked up a ball. As he turned it in his palm, he saw what it read…
The number 1.
Seeing the number on the ball, Gen maintained an impassive expression as he handed it back to the staff.
But for him, what mattered was not when he would fight, but who his opponent would be.
"The number 2…"
The third to draw was Maiko from Sunagakure. Upon seeing that the numbered ball she pulled was a 2, she felt somewhat relieved.
Numbers 1 and 3 had already been assigned, both corresponding to those who had obtained more badges than she had. Although she knew that the number of badges did not always fully reflect someone's real strength, she at least considered it a potential indicator of danger.
Though Maiko was willing to fight anyone, she also understood that facing the strongest competitors right away could pose too great a risk for her first match.
Finally, it was Hunter's turn, the competitor from Iwagakure.
He reached into the box and stirred the contents for a few seconds before grabbing a sphere. When he pulled it out, he blinked in disbelief.
"0…"
The staff member in charge of the drawing reacted immediately, placing a hand on his notepad.
"Since there are nine participants, there is a free pass. That pass is represented by the number 0," he explained, casting a meaningful glance at Hunter. "And it looks like you got it."
"I can't believe it! A free pass!"
Hunter displayed a look of surprise and let out a light chuckle, satisfied with the stroke of luck that had landed in his hands.
Gen and the others couldn't help but glance at him sideways.
"He really was fortunate."
"Iwagakure is lucky, though we'll see if that helps him in the second round."
"Luck? If any of them had faced him, they would have certainly lost immediately."
At the back, the candidates who had failed were also watching the numbered ball draw. Upon learning that Hunter had received a free pass, the other villagers spoke with immediate disdain, while the people from Iwagakure glared at them fiercely and refuted them at once.
"SILENCE!!!"
Neil frowned, cast a sharp gaze at the examinees who were arguing, and sternly reprimanded them.
Under that piercing look, the ninjas who had been speaking with scorn and mockery immediately shut their mouths.
After that brief moment of tension, Neil regained his composure and nodded to the staff, signaling them to continue the draw.
The incident with Hunter's free pass quickly faded among the curious murmurs of the candidates, and the number selection proceeded without further interruptions.
Rin, from Kirigakure, obtained the number 2.
Touwo obtained the number 4.
The man and woman from Kumogakure received numbers 3 and 4, respectively.
In the end, the number 1 was obtained by Kisame.
After everyone finished drawing their numbers, the battle list for the first round was formed.
Group 1: Gen Uchiha VS Kisame Hoshigaki.
Group 2: Maiko Kurokawa VS Rin.
Group 3: Killer B VS Woman from Kumogakure.
Group 4: Touwo Akamichi VS Man from Kumogakure.
"It seems my luck is still very good..." Gen murmured, noticing that he would be facing Kisame directly.
Then, he looked at him with cold, undisguised eyes.
Coincidentally, Kisame, who was standing a few steps away, couldn't help but frown as he met Gen's gaze.
At that moment, his expression darkened, and his frown deepened.
'I didn't expect to be placed in the same group as this person. According to the information provided by the village, this guy is Konoha's most outstanding genius and even holds the record for having killed a Jōnin...
In this test, I killed a member of his clan, and seeing that he is filled with murderous intent toward me, now we've been placed in the same group. He will surely want revenge.'
Feeling the cold stare fixed on him, he already knew that in three days, he would be facing a tough battle, and he couldn't help but feel a mix of jealousy and seriousness in his heart.
After the match list was arranged, the Cloud personnel escorted all the candidates out of the second test site and took them back to the village.
________
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