"Sixth Match: Uchiha Nai vs. Imagawa Toru."
Just like Mikoto, Uchiha Nai was also a female member of the Uchiha Clan. She had already awakened her single tomoe Sharingan, and her strength was in no way inferior to Hyuga Yuu, who also possessed a dōjutsu.
Imagawa Toru, on the other hand, was Yuu's teammate.
Once again, it was a Konoha internal battle. This was unavoidable, given that the majority of candidates who passed the second exam were from Konoha.
As an ordinary civilian ninja, Toru stood no chance against Uchiha Nai.
The moment the proctor signaled the start of the match, Nai threw several shuriken. They moved in an eerily precise pattern, sealing off every possible escape route for Tōru.
Besides their Fire Release and Sharingan genjutsu, the Uchiha Clan also excelled in shurikenjutsu, especially its advanced form—manipulated shuriken techniques.
Despite Toru's best efforts to defend himself, he ultimately lost to her shuriken manipulation.
Uchiha Nai hadn't even needed to use any ninjutsu or her Sharingan. Such was the despairing difference between a ninja with a kekkei genkai and a civilian-born ninja.
"Sixth Match Winner: Uchiha Nai."
As soon as the result was announced, Aoshi once again stepped forward to heal the injured.
[Treatment of Imagawa Toru complete. Reward: 1 White Orb.]
[Congratulations! You've gained 20 Chakra Points.]
"Seventh Match: Sakamoto Manatsu vs. Higashino Miho."
The seventh match was another Konoha internal conflict, pitting the teammates of Uchiha Nai and Hyūga Yuu against each other.
Both were civilian ninjas with evenly matched abilities. In the end, their fierce clash left them battered and bloodied, neither able to claim victory. The match was ruled a draw, and both were eliminated.
Seeing the injured pair, the medical team that had been waiting nearby eagerly rushed forward, thinking it was finally their time to shine.
But then they saw Aoshi carry both of them back to the observation platform and heal them at the same time. They froze awkwardly on the spot.
Sure, his skills were excellent, but did he really have to leave them with nothing to do?
Naturally, Aoshi had no idea how they felt—and even if he had, he wouldn't have cared. He was simply enjoying the boost to his chakra.
[Treatment of Sakamoto Manatsu complete. Reward: 1 White Orb.]
[Congratulations! You've gained 30 Chakra Points.]
[Treatment of Higashino Miho complete. Reward: 1 White Orb.]
[Congratulations! You've gained 30 Chakra Points.]
"Eighth Match: Haruko vs. Jin."
Both combatants hailed from the Sand Village. Haruko was Masaki's teammate and had previously joined forces with Rindo in an attempt to take down Kushina. Jin, on the other hand, was Pakura's last remaining subordinate.
Yes—this time, it was a Sand shinobi facing off against one of their own.
Jin had already reached the Chunin level, while Haruko lagged slightly behind in strength. The outcome was clear from the start—Jin claimed the win, salvaging a bit of pride for Pakura's team.
However, it was evident throughout the match that Jin was holding back. He avoided any serious blows and made sure not to injure Haruko. Because of that, Aoshi missed yet another chance to earn a reward.
"Eighth Match Winner: Jin."
Once the two exited the arena, the ninth match pairing was revealed: Sasaki Ayame vs. Masaki.
Masaki was the strongest of the Sand Genin participating in the Chūnin Exams. Although Ayame was Mikoto's student, the gap in strength was simply too great.
Even with Tomoki cheering her on from the stands, the outcome didn't change. In the end, she was struck by a Wind Release jutsu and lost the fight.
"Ninth Match Winner: Masaki."
Aoshi quickly carried her back to the stands and treated her wounds.
[Treatment of Sasaki Ayame complete. Reward: 1 Blue Orb.]
[Congratulations! You've gained 50 Chakra Points.]
"Thank you, Aoshi-nii!" Ayame gratefully thanked him as her condition improved.
Meanwhile, the tenth and final match of the day had already begun. The two opponents were the last remaining Cloud shinobi, Motoi, and Uchiha Nai's last teammate, Hayato.
Though his name sounded cool, his actual strength fell short. Despite giving it his all, he was still defeated by Motoi.
True, in Aoshi's eyes, Motoi was someone who could be one-shotted—but that was only because Aoshi himself was too powerful.
"Tenth Match Winner: Motoi."
[Treatment of Hayato is complete. Reward: 1 Blue Orb.]
[Congratulations! You've gained 50 Chakra Points.]
While Aoshi was healing Hayato, the proctor arranged the matchups for the nine winners:
First Match: Minato vs. Motoi
Second Match: Killer Bee vs. Hyuga Yuu
Third Match: Uzumaki Kushina vs. Masaki
Fourth Match: Uchiha Nai vs. Jin
Aoshi received a bye in the first round, automatically advancing past the initial stage. His next match would be against the winner of the bout between Minato and Motoi. If he secured a victory there, he'd move on to the following round.
"The final stage of the Chūnin Exams will be held one month from now. At that time, Daimyo and nobles will attend to observe your performance.
During this month, you're encouraged to gather as much intel on your opponents as possible to give yourself the best chance at standing out.
Let me remind you—promotion to Chunin depends not only on winning but also on your overall performance and conduct.
If there are no further questions, you may now dismiss."
As everyone left the central tower, Toroi subtly exchanged a glance with Rasa, reminding him of their agreement.
This interaction did not go unnoticed by Hiruzen Sarutobi. Though the Five Great Shinobi Nations were technically not at war, the undercurrents of competition and power plays never ceased.
To guard against possible schemes from both Cloud and Sand, Hiruzen had taken extra precautions. That's why he had no plans to invite the Kazekage or Raikage to observe the final round.
Only a limited number of elite jōnin would be allowed into Konoha—to serve as guards for the attending nobles and Daimyo. This stipulation had been made clear when the joint Chūnin Exam was first initiated.
After leaving the Forest of Death and parting ways with Aoshi and Mikoto, Kushina dashed straight back to the Senju compound.
Due to the second exam's confinement rule, she hadn't seen Mai for four whole days.
On the very first day, Hiruzen had been informed of Mai's identity.
He didn't hesitate—in fact, he seemed eager—and approved Mai's application to join Konoha. That very night, Hiruzen personally brought Mai to the Senju compound, where she met Uzumaki Mito—the woman she'd heard about in childhood but never seen until now.
Watching Kushina run off in a flurry, Mikoto once again sighed helplessly.
Of course, she understood that Kushina was just worried about Mai's situation. Earlier, while watching the preliminaries, Mikoto had heard the full story from Kushina.
Suddenly, Mikoto felt a pair of hands move across her. Naturally, it was Aoshi.
At this point, everyone else had already left—only the two of them remained. Though Mikoto's cheeks turned bright red in embarrassment, she didn't resist.
Instead, she silently accepted Aoshi's actions… and leaned in to offer him her lips.