The venue for the Chūnin Exams was a massive, open-air circular arena, its stone stands rising layer upon layer around the central battlefield.
"Silence!"
The command rang out like thunder, instantly crushing the noise of the crowd.
Standing on the elevated platform at the center of the arena was the chief examiner, a seasoned Konoha jōnin. His posture was straight, his presence imposing, and his sharp gaze swept across every genin gathered below.
"I am the chief examiner for this Chūnin Exam," he announced calmly. "Umino Ikkaku."
Hiroki did not pay much attention to the examiner himself.
However, the name lingered in his mind.
Umino Ikkaku—Iruka Umino's father. A jōnin who would later die during the Nine-Tails' rampage on the night of the attack.
Hiroki soon shifted his focus away from the platform and toward the other teams present.
The scale of this joint Chūnin Exam was far smaller than he had expected. Including Konoha, there were only seven or eight teams in total. Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Konoha had each sent just a single team.
"Given the limited number of participants," Umino Ikkaku continued, "and following consultation between the three Kage-level representatives, we have decided to proceed directly to the second stage."
He paused briefly, letting the words sink in.
"One-on-one individual combat."
The arena immediately erupted into murmurs.
Direct combat? Already?
"So fast?"
"Please remember," Ikkaku added, his voice firm, "this is a joint examination between allied villages. Friendship comes first; ranking comes second. Do not take the lives of ninja from other villages. Show restraint where possible—"
Before he could finish, a burst of mocking laughter rose from the crowd below.
An exam where ninja fought each other head-on—and they were expected to hold back?
"Sure," Pakura said aloud with open ridicule, her lips curling into a sneer. "Konoha's good little kids. We'll definitely spare your lives when we meet."
Sasori said nothing. He merely glanced in Hiroki's direction, his expression unreadable.
Hiroki ignored both of them.
"Next," Umino Ikkaku continued, unfazed, "we will draw lots to determine the order of advancement. We will attempt to avoid matching examinees who performed exceptionally well in the written exam."
"This stage is an elimination round. Each examinee is granted two opportunities."
"After losing a match, an examinee may challenge any victor. If they win, they will replace that person and advance. However, an examinee who has already been challenged once may not be challenged again. Likewise, an examinee who has already initiated a challenge cannot do so again."
He looked over the arena once more.
"The rules have now been announced."
Then he paused, his gaze lingering on the tense, youthful faces below.
"You have ten minutes to observe your opponents and prepare yourselves. When those ten minutes end, the first match will begin."
With that, Umino Ikkaku fell silent, standing motionless on the platform like a statue.
Hiroki did not bother studying the expressions of the other examinees, nor did he listen to the hushed, nervous discussions among his teammates.
The moment he stepped into the arena, his consciousness had already sunk into the System.
[Scanning available networks—]
[Ding dong~]
[Ding dong~]
[Ding dong~]
In an instant, a dense cascade of signals refreshed within his awareness, like a waterfall of data.
[Root — Gengsan — Aburame Ichirō]
[Aburame Ryoma]
[Uchiha Shin]
Hiroki's eyes narrowed slightly as he scanned the list.
There were far more than he had expected.
Just within and around the arena, the number of sensory ninja and concealed sentries exceeded fifty. Many of them even carried the "Root" designation.
Danzo had clearly brought out part of his hidden reserves for this exam.
High above, on the central viewing stand, the Third Hokage sat calmly between the Third Kazekage and the Tsuchikage. The three appeared to be engaged in polite conversation.
Hiroki paid them no attention.
His focus shifted immediately to the Sunagakure team.
Rasa was not on the field. As the leading jōnin, he sat beside the Kazekage in the stands. Below stood Pakura, Sasori, and another young ninja Hiroki did not recognize—Tetsusa.
As if sensing his gaze, Pakura turned her head and met his eyes directly.
A sharp, provocative glint flashed across her expression. Her lips moved silently.
Just wait.
Hiroki calmly looked away, as though he had seen nothing. Such provocation meant nothing to him.
His attention then turned toward the Iwagakure team.
Rōshi was also absent from the field, positioned somewhere near the jōnin observation area. Not knowing his exact location was a potential threat.
The three Iwagakure genin present were complete strangers to Hiroki.
"Time is up!" Umino Ikkaku announced loudly. "Let the first match begin!"
On the massive screen behind him, names began to scroll rapidly before stopping at two entries.
"First match! Sunagakure's Pakura versus Grass Village's Nakajima Shōta!"
The arena instantly erupted.
Pakura stepped onto the battlefield with a lazy yawn, her expression utterly bored. Across from her, Nakajima swallowed nervously, cold sweat already soaking his palms.
"Begin!"
The moment the command was given, Nakajima drew his kunai and rushed forward.
Pakura did not move.
She merely raised one hand.
"Scorch Release: Super Steam Kill."
In the next instant, three fist-sized fireballs glowing with pale white heat formed in front of her. They shot forward like living creatures.
Nakajima's pupils shrank. He turned to flee.
Too late.
"I surrender!" he screamed, raising his hand.
But before the words fully left his mouth—
Sizzle.
The fireballs formed a triangular formation around him, sealing off every escape route. The heat surged inward.
Like oil splashed onto ice, the moisture in his body evaporated in silence.
In the span of a single breath, Nakajima Shōta collapsed—his body reduced to a shriveled corpse.
Pakura yawned again, entirely unsurprised.
"The winner—Pakura," Umino Ikkaku announced.
The entire match had lasted less than ten seconds.
That wasn't just strong.
That was overwhelming.
High above, the Third Hokage subtly glanced at the expressions of Ōnoki and the Third Kazekage.
"Gentlemen," Hiruzen said mildly, "that does not appear to be the strength of an ordinary genin."
"Oh?" the Third Kazekage replied coolly. "And what strength should a genin possess, then?"
"That level of power is excessive," Ōnoki snapped, slamming his hand onto the table. "She could rival a jōnin! Kazekage, this is going too far!"
"That sounds like your problem," the Third Kazekage replied with a mocking smile. "Our team even includes a child under ten. Perhaps you should ask why yours does not."
"She is simply the result of long training," he added dismissively. "Even in Sunagakure, she is an exception."
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow but said nothing, instead shifting his attention to Ōnoki.
To be fair, the genin Ōnoki had brought were all nearly twenty years old—hardly typical. Iwagakure's team had the highest average age by far.
"Hmph," Ōnoki snorted. "Iwagakure would never send ignorant children into something like this."
Hiruzen withdrew his gaze.
If neither of them intended to play fair, then surely it was acceptable for Konoha's genin to be a little stronger as well.
The announcement for the next match echoed through the arena.
"Next match—Konoha's Minato Namikaze versus Sunagakure's Sasori."