Before the official matches began, there were still speeches from the ministers of the Land of Fire and the three legendary Sannin.
But Tangping couldn't have been less interested. He'd rather watch the three "roosters" glaring at each other than listen to all that nonsense.
In truth, most of the contestants sitting on the players' stands were secretly watching the three as well—far more entertaining than any speech.
Fortunately, members of the three Great Ninja Villages were stationed at the corners of the stands to maintain order. Otherwise, it wouldn't take long before a fight broke out right here.
The contestants from each village had gathered into their own little groups.
Don't think they all got along peacefully—each one was itching for the others to die.
If you'd seen how ruthless they'd been in the Forest of Death, you'd understand immediately.
Only a handful had managed to send out distress signals and be rescued.
While many were taken out by the designated hunters, just as many were eliminated by their fellow examinees.
In wartime, these "exams" were nothing more than a legalized slaughterhouse.
Only during an actual era of peace could it be called a real exam—this was not that time.
Now you understand why those ninja from the three Great Villages were stationed at the corners, don't you?
Because if they weren't there, by the time the matches started, there might not be many contestants left alive.
This was the real shinobi world—cruel and bloody.
That so-called peaceful camaraderie between candidates in the future? Pure fantasy.
There were twenty-four participants left in the third round.
More had survived the Forest of Death, of course, but the weaker villages had voluntarily withdrawn their own.
Half the remaining spots belonged to the three Great Ninja Villages.
And the worst off of all—Konoha.
Only Tangping and Kakashi were left.
Maybe it was because Konoha was the leading village among the Five Great Villages that everyone else had silently agreed to target them.
"The first match is about to begin! Contestants Uchiha Tangping and Maki's teammate Jun, please take the stage!"
The examiner's voice rang out from the corner.
The one-on-one match brackets had just been drawn by the proctors on the main viewing platform.
Conveniently, none of the three "seed" contestants were matched against each other.
Yeah, that's suspicious, Tangping thought.
After all, those three were the ones the audience most wanted to see. If they clashed in the first round, what would there be left to watch later?
Still… hearing his own name drawn, Tangping felt a murderous urge.
Rigging the matchups was fine—but did they have to screw him over like this?
His opponent: Jun.
A kunoichi from Sunagakure, skilled in restraint and sealing techniques—a member of Maki's team.
She might look delicate, but her methods were anything but.
If it were a wide-open battlefield, it wouldn't be so bad. But in this limited arena? She'd have the home-field advantage.
Damn it.
If one were to rank troublesome opponents, she'd easily make the top ten of all contestants.
Tangping shot a glance at the girl walking briskly toward the contestants' tunnel on the opposite side, then turned into his own.
The tunnel was long and dim—a good place to gather his thoughts.
He could not afford to lose this time.
Forget about whether he'd even walk off the field in one piece—the bets alone meant defeat wasn't an option.
This Chūnin Exam was the best chance he'd ever get to make money.
Where there were matches, there were bets.
And gambling was perfectly legal in the shinobi world.
The Joint Chūnin Exams, held once every few years, were the grandest stage for it all.
Way more thrilling than soccer, to be honest.
The bookies, naturally, were nobles and wealthy merchants.
No one trusted shinobi to run the betting houses—too easy for a ninja to settle debts the bloody way.
There were precedents, after all. So in the end, the nobles and merchants took charge.
When Tangping learned that his family's "white thigh" sponsor had gone bankrupt—and even their residence had been mortgaged—he'd immediately thought of this money-making route.
Bet on himself to win.
Everyone had underestimated his strength. If he put all his money on himself, he could make an absolute killing.
Of course, he wouldn't do it alone.
He'd roped in the Uchiha Main Branch and even a few ordinary clansmen to share the profit.
That way, the noble and merchant bookies couldn't dare default on payment—otherwise they'd have to face the wrath of the Uchiha.
At the same time, Uchiha Mei could use this chance to win over the Main Branch and secure her position as clan head.
Ever since her eyes were injured, many had defected to Uchiha Hide. She needed to pull them back.
So, Tangping really couldn't lose.
As those thoughts ran through his mind, a sliver of light appeared ahead—the tunnel's exit.
Beyond it lay the arena, where countless eyes were waiting.
The reason the Joint Chūnin Exams were known as the stage for fame—this was it: the one-on-one battles.
The first round was to weed out the pretenders.
The second—to filter out the geniuses.
And the third—to let those geniuses shine.
Anyone who made it to the third round was practically guaranteed promotion to Chūnin.
At that stage, the fights were no longer just for promotion—but for their village's honor, and their own.
When Tangping stepped out into the light, a wave of sound crashed over him like a tide.
"Let's go!"
"Konoha, victory!"
"Sunagakure, victory!"
The roars sent adrenaline surging through his veins.
From the opposite tunnel emerged a young girl with a sand-colored headwrap and a white cloth bundle strapped to her back—Jun.
A sealing prodigy of the Sand.
When Tangping's eyes swept over to the examiners standing at the edge of the arena, his gaze sharpened.
Them?
There were three proctors for this match—not just one like in the anime.
From Konoha—Namikaze Minato.
The other two were a man and a woman.
The man was tall and broad-shouldered, wearing a red ninja hat and combat armor, a large nose and thick sideburns marking his rugged face. His right arm was bare while the left was sleeved—a presence as steady as a mountain.
Kurotsuchi's father—Ōnoki's son, the stalwart "Yellow Earth."
And the female examiner wore a backless combat suit, her long hair tied up—half ash-white, half green—her aura blazing like fire itself.
Pakura of the Scorch Release.
Three elite Jōnin at the very least, possibly quasi-Kage-level, serving as proctors.
It was both a show of strength and a chance for the villages to showcase their future leaders—and, if necessary, to protect them.
Still, while there were three examiners, the Konoha proctor clearly held authority.
Home field advantage, after all.
"The first match—Uchiha Tangping of Konoha versus Jun of Sunagakure!"
Minato's clear voice rang across the stadium.
In the stands—
"Everything's done!"
Uchiha Shizuka had just returned, whispering to Uchiha Mei, who now sat with her bandages removed, revealing two perfect, restored eyes.
The bets were all placed—timed precisely to avoid the bookies having any chance to investigate or hedge.
Shizuka had been in charge of the operation, returning only now that it was complete.
"Mm."
Mei gave a nearly imperceptible nod, as calm as if she hadn't just wagered her family's last fortune.
After staring into the abyss of despair, there was nothing left that could frighten her.
And perhaps… that brush with darkness had changed her Sharingan as well.
The Uchiha who awaken through despair—it was no joke. And with her talent, such evolution was inevitable.
Not far away among the crowd, Hyūga Aotsuki fixed her pale eyes on Tangping below, filled with gratitude, admiration… and something deeper. She clenched her fists, silently cheering him on.
"You can do it, Tangping!"
Suddenly, a loud voice rose from the stands—Honda Taka, joined by the pale, frail Yamanaka Koji beside him.
His two best friends had come to cheer him on as well.
And as the atmosphere reached its boiling point—
The match officially began.
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