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After Thors was carried away by medical personnel, the Third Hokage reappeared. His old, cloudy eyes deeply gazed at Deidara and Takeshita Junko, then he began to explain.
"Alright, the preliminaries of the third exam have concluded. First, congratulations to all the Genin who passed the preliminaries. The official third stage of the Chunin Exam will be one month from now. This month is for you to prepare. At that time, a large audience will come to Konoha to observe the Chunin Exam, so that will be your true stage. However, before dismissing you, there's one more thing you need to do, and that's the battle pairings." The Third Hokage said with a smile.
"Anko." The Third Hokage called softly. Mitarashi Anko immediately stepped forward, holding an exquisite wooden box in her hand. "You will draw numbers here. Number 1 fights Number 2, Number 3 fights Number 4, and so on. Understand?" Anko said with a mischievous smile to the few Genin who had passed.
Everyone nodded, then one by one they stepped forward to start drawing numbers: Uchiha Sasuke, Kankuro, Temari, Gaara, Hyuga Neji, Deidara, Uzumaki Naruto, Nara Shikamaru, and Takeshita Junko. There were a total of nine people. However, since there was one extra person, one of the first eight people would fight an extra match, meaning the winners of Number 7 and Number 8 would face Number 9, and only the winner would advance.
It was somewhat unfair to the winner between Number 7 and Number 8, but there was no absolute fairness in this world; it still depended on a certain amount of luck. Everyone stepped forward in turn and began to draw numbers from the wooden box in Anko's hand.
The final results were: Number 1 Uzumaki Naruto against Number 2 Hyuga Neji, Number 3 Uchiha Sasuke against Number 4 Gaara, Number 5 Temari against Number 6 Nara Shikamaru, Number 7 Kankuro against Number 8 Deidara, and finally Number 9, Takeshita Junko.
"Oh, so you're saying I'll be fighting Junko?" Deidara immediately smiled and said to Takeshita Junko after looking at the match list. "Hmph!!! Even if my opponent is you, Deidara, I won't admit defeat." Takeshita Junko snorted.
"Don't say that, Junko. You should be honored to experience my art, hmm?" Deidara laughed heartily, as if he had already won the match. Takeshita Junko rolled her eyes in dissatisfaction, not saying anything.
"This guy!!! Am I not even here?!!!" Kankuro looked at Deidara with a grim expression. He had heard every word Deidara said without missing a beat. He knew that only the winner between him and Deidara could fight Takeshita Junko, but Deidara's words had clearly ignored him.
"I'll make you pay for that!!!" Kankuro thought fiercely to himself, but then he also let out a sigh of relief. "Luckily, I didn't draw Gaara, otherwise I would have forfeited immediately."
"My opponent is that pineapple head? Hmph, just a clever little trickster, no difficulty at all." Temari sneered in her heart. "Heh heh, careful what you wish for. Uzumaki Naruto, huh? Just a loudmouth, let me make you truly see reality." Hyuga Neji looked at Uzumaki Naruto with disdain.
"I will definitely avenge Hinata." Uzumaki Naruto glared fiercely at Hyuga Neji, his fists unconsciously clenching. Just like that, with everyone lost in their own thoughts, the preliminaries drew to a close. Everyone dispersed and began preparing for the third exam a month later, which would be watched by tens of thousands.
Odajima took Deidara and Takeshita Junko, and the three quickly returned to the hotel where they were staying in Konoha. However, Sasori had already returned at this time, sitting cross-legged on the tatami mat, seemingly lost in thought.
"Lord Sasori." Odajima and Takeshita Junko respectfully bowed to Sasori. He instantly snapped out of his daze and nodded. "Sasori, why did you forfeit? Now I don't have an opponent, huh?" Deidara said, dissatisfied.
"Heh heh, are you still taking this match seriously? It's just a Chunin-level battle. Don't be so excited, the real show is yet to come." Sasori said with a faint smile.
"Hmph, I know that without you telling me. This is the first time I've done something like this in the Five Great Shinobi Villages, and it's truly exciting. At that time, I will make Konoha sublimate through my art, hmm?" Deidara said confidently.
"Hmph, this ticket is enough to keep you excited for a long time." Sasori said with a smile. This was a place with beautiful scenery and a quiet environment. The blue sky was pure and cloudless, and in the distance, lush trees crisscrossed, with bird calls occasionally echoing. Fish in the lake below happily swam in the water.
On the wooden corridor above the lake, Yakushi Kabuto was seen kneeling on one knee, respectfully kneeling before a person. This person leaned quite casually against a red pillar. His upper body was clad in a gray flak jacket, and he wore a Sound Village forehead protector. Below the protector were a pair of startling yellow snake-like pupils, with purple eyeshadow lining their edges. A hint of a sinister smile played on the corner of his lips. There was no trace of blood in his pale face. The entire person looked like a venomous snake that had been hiding in the shadows for years, appearing incredibly unsettling, and a sinister aura naturally emanated from him.
"Heh heh, well done, Kabuto. I certainly didn't misjudge you." A hoarse voice filled with magnetism came from this person's mouth. "This is all I should do, Lord Orochimaru." Yakushi Kabuto adjusted his glasses, speaking respectfully, while occasionally cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
This person was none other than Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin, and also Konoha's S-rank missing-nin. "Kabuto, don't think I don't know what you're thinking. You want to stop my actions? Go ahead and act; I won't stop you. Even killing Sasuke is fine." Orochimaru looked at Kabuto with sinister, glittering eyes, opening his mouth with a wicked smile.
Yakushi Kabuto's whole body stiffened at Orochimaru's words. His pupils slightly constricted, and large beads of cold sweat ceaselessly poured from his forehead. "How could that be? I just don't quite understand. Although Sasuke-kun's strength is good and his aptitude is also excellent, he hasn't reached the level Lord Orochimaru expects, has he?" Yakushi Kabuto struggled to calm the shock in his heart, speaking without changing his expression.
"Heh heh, Kabuto, you don't understand how deep the darkness in that child's heart is. Hatred is his strongest motivation. Although his current strength is indeed very weak, I see potential beyond that of a mere Uchiha in his tender Sharingan eyes." Orochimaru squinted his eyes, his gaze filled with appreciation and avarice, and he spoke in a raspy voice.
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