Most of the other contestants and their jonin instructors looked more serious after watching Naruto's match.
They could tell from the fight that Rock Lee wasn't weak at all.
That kind of speed would be a nightmare even for many jonin.
But even someone like him couldn't land a single hit on Naruto!
Not even once!
This guy, Uzumaki Naruto, was unbelievably fast—he really was the new "Golden Flash" of the Konoha!
"Gaara, do you think you can take that guy on?" Baki, a Jonin from the Sunagakure, looked at Gaara, who was trembling a little.
But the only response he got was Gaara's twisted, excited gaze.
Even Baki couldn't help but break into a cold sweat when he saw that look.
Even though he didn't think he could beat Naruto himself, Gaara was different… after all, that thing inside him made him something else entirely.
After Naruto's match, the only people left in the competition were Hyuga Neji , Inuzuka Kiba ,Gaara, and Yakushi Kabuto.
Soon, names started flashing on the screen, showing the last two matches.
Hyuga Neji vs. Kiba Inuzuka!
Gaara vs. Yakushi Kabuto!
"It's finally our turn, Akamaru!"
"Woof!"
Naruto glanced at the strangely hyped-up Kiba and Akamaru, a puzzled look flashing across his face.
Did this guy really think he had a shot against Neji?
Two minutes later, Kiba and Akamaru were both flat on the ground in a miserable heap.
They didn't even get to pull off their signature move, Fang Over Fang, before Neji's Gentle Fist took them out.
"Match Eight is over. Hyuga Neji wins!"
"…"
Watching Kiba and Akamaru walk back with their tails between their legs, Naruto didn't know what to say.
The more cocky they were going in, the more embarrassing it was to lose so fast.
With the eighth match done, only the last preliminary match was left.
And when the deadly-looking Gaara met the friendly-smiling Kabuto Yakushi…
"I give up!"
Gecko Hayate had barely announced the start of the match when Kabuto raised his hand and quit.
His reason was simple—he didn't think he could beat Gaara.
Some people thought Kabuto's behavior was shameful, but at least his excuse made the forfeit seem kind of reasonable.
Still, since Kabuto had already dropped out of several Chunin Exams before, it caught Hiruzen Sarutobi's attention.
"I've seen that guy several times now. He dropped out last time too. What's he really up to?" Hiruzen said with a thoughtful look.
"Hey… Anko." Morino Ibiki nudged the still-dazed Anko.
"Oh—right!"
Mitarashi Anko quickly flipped open the roster and found Kabuto's page. "Kabuto Yakushi. According to the records, he's failed the Chunin Exams six times in a row."
"What about his background?" Hiruzen asked, his eyes serious.
"He was pretty average as a student. Took the graduation exam three times before barely passing. Since then, he's completed two C-rank missions and fourteen D-rank missions. Nothing really stands out… except…"
Anko hesitated.
"Except what?" Hiruzen pressed.
"Except for before he entered the Academy. Do you remember? That boy we brought back from the Battle of Kikyo Pass." Anko said in a low voice.
"Oh, I see… It was him?" Hiruzen looked like something had just clicked. "I remember he was adopted by one of our medical Jonin. What was her name again? What happened to her?"
"Nono Yakushi. She died."
The heavy answer made Hiruzen fall silent for a long time. It wasn't until Gecko Hayate walked up that the silence was broken.
"Hokage-sama, nine people passed the preliminaries. According to the rules for the third round, one person would normally get a bye. What do you think?"
"A bye, huh…"
Hiruzen bit down on his pipe and thought for a bit. "No byes in the third round. Pick someone from the ones who lost in the preliminaries to move on."
"Pick from the ones who lost?"
Gecko Hayate looked at the list of eliminated candidates and frowned. "Yoroi Akado, Zaku, Misumi Tsurugi, Haruno Sakura, Tenten, Kin, Dosu, Kiba Inuzuka, and Kabuto Yakushi—nine people in total. If we just pick one at random, the others might complain."
"Ask if any of them want to drop out. If some still want to continue, then let them fight one more time," Hiruzen said.
"Understood…"
With that difficult task on his shoulders, Gecko Hayate gathered the nine eliminated candidates and asked if any of them wanted to give up.
In the end, Sakura, Kabuto, and Tenten chose to drop out.
That left six people.
Choosing one from six was still tough, but letting them fight again would make things much clearer.
Yoroi Akado vs. Zaku — Zaku wins!
Ken Misumi vs. Kin — Kin wins!
Rock Lee vs. Inuzuka Kiba — Rock Lee wins!
Then Rock Lee went on to beat both Kin and Zaku, fighting his way through round after round and making it to the third exam as the tenth person to pass!
This round of prelims lasted longer than expected. Naruto didn't think there would be a "prelim within the prelim" either!
He remembered that in the original exam, only nine people passed too, but they didn't add more. Instead, one group would fight first, and then the winner would fight someone else…
To be honest, that kind of rule isn't fair. One person has to fight twice in a row, which really drains their chakra and energy.
If Tōsu hadn't gone and picked a fight with Gaara like an idiot, Shikamaru might never have made it to Chunin.
No one really knows why the prelims were different this time... Could it be because Rock Lee didn't get badly hurt?
"Congrats on passing the prelims," said Hiruzen Sarutobi. "But the final part of the third exam won't start for another month!"
"A whole month? Why so long?"
"It's to give time to invite the visiting lords and well-known guests, and also to give you time to prepare," Sarutobi said seriously. "You didn't know your opponents' abilities during the prelims. But in the finals, you will. So in this one month, you can train and get stronger — and even work on strategies to deal with specific opponents! This will help you improve your chances of winning."
Hearing this, a bunch of the candidates looked at Naruto and Gaara.
One of them hadn't even made a move yet, and the other one barely had to lift a finger — how were you supposed to prepare for either of them?
"Alright, now let's draw lots."
Right after Sarutobi finished speaking, Anko Mitarashi walked up with a box in her arms.
"Come on, one person, one paper — no grabbing extras!"
From left to right, each person drew one slip. Soon, it was Naruto's turn.
"Hey there, little Naruto, congrats on making it through~" Anko gave him a playful wink.
Naruto rolled his eyes at her, muttered a quick "Thanks," and grabbed a paper from the box without changing his expression. He opened it — 7!
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