Uchiha Sasuke really didn't show up!
Temari, her face calm as still water, glanced discreetly at Daimaru, a faint sense of foreboding rising in her heart.
Surrounded by four "ferocious" Sand Ninja in the waiting room, watching the match below through the railing, one had to wonder if Aburame Shino was nervous.
The waves of killing intent released by Gaara were unbearable even for Temari and Kankuro, who were somewhat used to it, yet Daimaru seemed completely oblivious. If asked why, with Uchiha Sasuke ahead, Gaara probably didn't care about a mere Daimaru. As long as he wasn't provoked, the mentally unstable Gaara couldn't be bothered with anyone else.
Regardless, the first round of the Chunin Exam's third test pitted the nominally strongest against the weakest Genin. In the eyes of many, the outcome should be clear-cut. This internal competition among Konoha ninja had nothing to do with the Sand Ninja and wouldn't affect the execution of the "plan," so Temari and Kankuro watched with ease.
"Daimaru, who do you think will win?"
"Want to make a bet?"
"It's too obvious, right? Betting on that blonde kid is a sure loss!"
"Then I'll bet on that shorty. If I win, you give me your Crow. If you win, I'll give you this!" Daimaru patted the puppet doll on his shoulder.
"Is there something wrong with your eyes? The blonde one clearly looks weak!" Kankuro said with surprise. "Also, I don't want that ghostly thing!"
"Ghostly thing?" Temari, who had been staying out of it, immediately glared at Kankuro. "Do you have some dissatisfaction with my appearance, big sister that I am?"
"No such thing, I wasn't talking about you!" Kankuro mumbled, nudging Daimaru's arm with his elbow. "You did that on purpose, didn't you? And saying you have high hopes for that shorty, are you mocking me?"
"Not at all. I wouldn't lie about something like this. Hyuga Neji is powerful, and I admit I'd only have a sliver of a chance at winning, but that Uzumaki Naruto... I can't beat him..."
The current Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails was a problem for Gaara; when gods fought, small fry should step aside.
"No way, you're joking?"
Uzumaki Naruto, even before using the Nine-Tails' chakra cloak state, wasn't actually that bad. Although he wasn't bright, his combat talent was decent. Unfortunately, facing Hyuga Neji, he could only passively take a beating.
Daimaru yawned quietly. "Does the great 'Red Sand Dust' look like someone who jokes casually? Rather than focusing on this, think about yourself."
"Me?"
"Uchiha Sasuke hasn't arrived yet. When the first round ends, the second round will either declare Gaara the winner by default or be postponed! It'll be your turn soon, brother-in-law. Good luck..."
The affectionate "brother-in-law" earned only a cold snort from Temari, who didn't even give him a pleasant look.
"That seems to be true!" Kankuro looked at the unobtrusive Aburame Shino with a thoughtful expression. "That guy looks unusual. He's even cockier than me. Don't lose too miserably!"
"Wait and see, I know what I'm doing!"
Kankuro narrowed his eyes and glanced in the direction of the Fourth Kazekage, seemingly offering no opinion on the current situation. However, Gaara's emotions were becoming increasingly uncontrollable.
Just as the match was proceeding tediously, a terrifying and ominous chakra suddenly erupted from within the desperate Uzumaki Naruto.
"That's the stuff. My dear teammate Yome lost so miserably. Konoha ninja are really excessive—having such strength but keeping it secret..."
The Nine-Tails' chakra was truly extraordinary. Within seconds, the battered and bruised Uzumaki Naruto saw his external wounds heal, and his damaged meridians began to recover. The so-called pressure point blocking to restrict chakra flow was a joke before a Tailed Beast.
"That chakra..." Temari turned her head. "Do you know something?"
Daimaru smiled and shook his head, pointing subtly in Gaara's direction.
Temari looked down at Uzumaki Naruto thoughtfully. That boy has a monster inside him too?
Aburame Shino, surrounded by the Sand Ninja, wasn't as calm as he appeared. The Parasitic Destruction Insects are acting strange. As expected, they are afraid of that Sand Ninja carrying the gourd!
His goal of scouting in advance could not be achieved. He could hear some of the chatting Sand Ninja's words vaguely, but nothing of value. The Konoha insect user watched the performance of Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuga Neji while worrying whether Uchiha Sasuke would arrive in time.
Down in the arena, the collision between Hyuga Neji's Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven and Uzumaki Naruto, clad in a pale red Tailed Beast cloak, drew wave after wave of cheers from the audience.
"See, I told you laymen don't understand anything. As long as the fight is exciting, they're satisfied. Whoever is famous, whoever is handsome, whoever has flashy ninjutsu—that's who they support!"
If there were family genius duels or village grudges involved, it was even better. Those lowlifes who couldn't stand the quiet and opened betting pools to make money loved using such topics to scam people.
"For a Genin level, it really is impressive..." Kankuro's expression was a bit ugly. "If that guy using bug ninjutsu is also this powerful... No, even if he's only half as powerful, it won't be easy for me to win under everyone's gaze. A puppeteer skilled in assassination shouldn't be fighting openly on a ring..."
"Why complain now?" Daimaru waved his hand, temporarily blocking sound and covering his mouth to prevent anyone from reading his lips. "Forfeit. Leave it to me and Temari..."
"I know, that's the best choice, but..." Kankuro looked at his eldest sister nearby, who was pretending not to hear, and suddenly realized. "You two... already planned this? When did you..."
"That's a secret..." Daimaru smiled and shook his head.
The battle between the Hyuga clan genius and the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails was already nearing its end. Revolving Heaven consumed a lot of chakra and stamina; for an imperfect Jinchuriki, the Tailed Beast chakra also put significant strain on the body. Fighting desperately, neither could last much longer.
After another violent collision, the teetering Hyuga Neji was struck on the jaw by Uzumaki Naruto, who burst out from underground in a sneak attack. Neji could not stand up again.
Soon, Shiranui Genma declared Uzumaki Naruto the winner, and medical ninja carried the defeated Hyuga Neji away on a stretcher.
Thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the audience seats—praise and appreciation for the victor. The blonde boy, waving cheerfully, was reluctant to leave, and Shiranui Genma did not chase him off. In a ninja's life, opportunities to truly stand out and make a name for oneself were rare. The Chunin Exam was a good chance, and the winner was entitled to enjoy this hard-earned glory.
The first round was over. Generally speaking, it had been intense but lacked finesse. Those who didn't know the inside story couldn't understand the difficulty of self-deriving the Revolving Heaven, a Hyuga Main House secret technique, nor did they understand the terror of the Nine-Tails' power. Only the mess on the ground left these semi-ignorant spectators feeling satisfied that their trip wasn't in vain.
After patiently waiting for Uzumaki Naruto to leave contentedly, Shiranui Genma roughly inspected the condition of the arena. Although it was a bit messy, it wouldn't affect the next match. Slightly complex terrain could actually make the contest more unpredictable and exciting.
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