"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The sound continued, relentless and rhythmic, like a blacksmith hammering steel. Ten full minutes passed before the intensive percussion finally stopped.
Outside the poisonous smoke, every candidate stood frozen in place, their eyes locked on the purple cloud that still obscured everything inside. They couldn't see what was happening, but the clear, unmistakable sound of fists striking flesh painted a vivid picture in their minds. Each impact made them imagine Kankuro's increasingly dire situation with disturbing clarity.
Someone swallowed hard. Another candidate shifted his weight from foot to foot, unable to stand still.
The real question burning in everyone's mind wasn't about Kankuro anymore. It was: whose turn comes next?
Even if the next victim wasn't you personally, what about the one after that? Or the one after that? Eventually, inevitably, your turn would come. There was no escaping it.
Therefore, every time that meaty "bang" echoed from within the smoke, every candidate felt their stomach clench. Not for Kankuro, who was currently being beaten, but for themselves, who would soon share his fate.
Now they could only pray. Please, someone, anyone, fall from the sky and stop Naruto's "friendship process." A miracle. Divine intervention. Anything.
As if answering their desperate prayers, a sudden gust of wind swept through the training ground. It caught the poisonous smoke and pushed it away in a rolling purple mass, depositing it in an empty area far from the candidates. The air cleared, revealing the scene inside.
Naruto stood in the center of the dispersed smoke, his face bright with genuine joy and satisfaction. He looked like someone who'd just completed a productive day's work.
Kankuro lay on the ground near Naruto's feet.
His limbs twitched slightly, muscles spasming with residual shock. His entire face was covered in fist marks, overlapping bruises that painted his skin in shades of purple, blue, and sickly yellow. His nose had swollen to twice its normal size. Both eyes were nearly shut, reduced to thin slits. His gaze was unfocused, slack, staring at nothing with the hollow expression of someone whose soul had temporarily left their body.
He looked like a maiden who'd just been thoroughly violated and had lost all hope for a bright future.
Seeing Kankuro's condition, which was somehow even more miserable than what they'd imagined, the other candidates felt their hearts collectively skip a beat. Several people took an involuntary step backward.
Among Naruto's friends, Sasuke, Sakura, and the others maintained carefully neutral expressions. They were veterans. They'd experienced "the process" firsthand and knew exactly what it felt like to become Naruto's friend. No surprises here.
Tenten, however, felt ice spreading through her chest as she stared at Kankuro's battered face. A single thought crystallized in her mind with perfect clarity: I don't want to be Naruto's friend anymore.
She turned her head toward Hyūga Neji, who stood beside her. The moment Neji caught her gaze, he looked away uncomfortably, guilt flickering across his normally composed features. He knew what he'd done. He'd encouraged her to pursue this friendship.
Seeing that Neji wouldn't meet her eyes, Tenten shifted her attention to Rock Lee on her other side. Unlike Neji, Lee looked at her boldly, his eyes absolutely overflowing with encouragement. He clenched his fist and thrust it toward her enthusiastically.
"Do your best, Tenten! You can do it!"
What am I supposed to do with that encouragement, you cheerleading monster?! Tenten's eye twitched with barely suppressed anger. She suddenly understood the concept of choosing friends carelessly.
How should she reject Naruto's friendship offer when her turn came? This was so troublesome. Tenten turned her head back toward Kankuro, her expression matching his look of despair.
Meanwhile, Naruto paid no attention to the various stares directed his way. He never cared what others thought of him. He had his own philosophy about life and friendship, his own code to follow.
Walk your own path and let others talk. That's what mattered.
Some people might dislike him. So what? There would always be cracks in life that let the sunlight shine through. And if someone really didn't like him, Naruto could always compete with them a few more times. Eventually, they'd come around.
Hahaha, what a genius I am, Naruto thought with satisfaction.
He looked down at Kankuro lying on the ground. He could see Kankuro's sincerity clearly now. Through their "discussion," Kankuro had proven himself worthy. He could be Naruto's friend.
And if your friend had fallen to the ground injured, of course you had to help him up! That's what friends did for each other.
Naruto stepped forward and reached down with genuine enthusiasm, grasping Kankuro under the arms and hauling him to his feet. Kankuro's eyes were so swollen from being punched that he could barely open them. Through the narrow slits, he squinted at Naruto's bright, enthusiastic face hovering close to his own.
"Naruto," Kankuro asked cautiously, his voice hoarse. "Are we friends now?"
He needed confirmation. It was essential. If Naruto felt his sincerity was still lacking, if another "friendly discussion" was required, Kankuro needed to know immediately so he could mentally prepare.
"Of course," Naruto said seriously, nodding with complete conviction. "Kankuro, you're my friend now. Uzumaki Naruto's friend. I've seen your sincerity clearly."
Relief flooded through Kankuro so intensely it made him dizzy.
"Come on, let me help you rest." Naruto supported Kankuro's weight and began guiding him toward where Sasuke and the others stood.
"Thank you," Kankuro said carefully. Even though they were friends now, politeness was still important. He'd heard stories about people who took everything their friends did for granted, who were never polite with friends but extremely courteous to strangers. That was wrong.
If a friend minded such behavior, it could damage the relationship at best. At worst, with someone like Naruto, it might result in another beating to reinforce proper etiquette.
Therefore, Kankuro took this new friendship very, very seriously.
"Don't be too polite. We're friends." Naruto smiled warmly as he helped Kankuro sit down on a convenient boulder. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle filled with green ointment. "Here, Kankuro. This is medicine for reducing swelling. Apply it yourself."
"Thank you, Naruto-kun." Kankuro accepted the bottle with genuine gratitude, as if the wounds on his face hadn't been caused by Naruto's fists in the first place.
Naruto glanced around at his gathered friends. "Sasuke, Hinata, help me take care of Kankuro. I'm going to make more friends now."
His gaze swept across the group, briefly touching on several faces before settling on Sasuke and Hinata.
When Naruto's eyes passed over Tenten, she immediately ducked her head, trying to make herself as small and unnoticeable as possible. Her heart hammered against her ribs.
But she was being too nervous. Naruto had already finished speaking and was turning back toward the other village candidates without giving her a second glance.
"Kankuro is now my friend, Uzumaki Naruto's friend," Naruto announced to the gathered crowd. His voice carried clearly across the training ground. "Next, who wants to make friends with me?"
The moment those words fell, every candidate felt their blood run cold.
Now that they'd witnessed Naruto's method of making friends firsthand, now that Kankuro's tragic fate was displayed before them like a warning, not a single person wanted to volunteer. The training ground fell into heavy, oppressive silence.
"Please, someone stop this," one candidate whispered under his breath, barely audible. "If anyone comes to stop it, I'll call them Dad immediately."
As if the heavens had heard their collective prayer, a voice suddenly cut through the tension.
"Naruto."
Naruto turned his head. Kakashi and Mitarashi Anko were walking side by side toward him, their pace leisurely and unhurried.
"Kakashi-sensei, why are you here?" Naruto asked. Then he noticed Anko and added politely, "Sister Anko."
"Naruto, are you making friends?" Kakashi glanced at Kankuro's swollen face where he sat beside Sasuke, asking a question he clearly already knew the answer to.
"Yeah, Kakashi-sensei, this is a great opportunity." Naruto gestured at the assembled candidates enthusiastically. "Everyone's gathered in one place. I thought, why not use this chance to make friends with all of them at once? It saves time compared to hunting them down one by one later."
Kakashi's visible eye curved with what might have been a smile behind his mask. "Well, Naruto, how about this? Let them take the exam first. After the exam ends, you'll still have a chance. When they're leaving Konoha, you could sit by the village entrance. They'll have to pass by you, and then you can make friends with whoever you want."
Naruto considered this suggestion thoughtfully. Kakashi's arrival probably had Hiruzen Sarutobi's influence behind it. The old man was likely getting impatient waiting at the exam venue.
After a moment of consideration, Naruto nodded. "Alright, that works. I'll listen to Kakashi-sensei."
The moment Naruto agreed, relief washed through the gathered crowd like a wave. Not only did Mitarashi Anko visibly relax, but every single candidate felt the tension drain from their bodies. As for the one who'd promised to call his rescuer "Dad," he conveniently forgot about that commitment in his relief.
"All candidates, proceed to the examination venue immediately!" Anko's voice rang out with authority.
The candidates didn't need to be told twice. They scattered like startled birds, running at top speed toward the exam venue. Some of them looked like they wished they had two extra legs to run even faster.
Of course they were running. They were escaping!
"Naruto, do you want to attend the third exam?" Kakashi asked.
Naruto thought of Hinata, Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino, who would all be taking the third exam. He should go cheer them on. "Okay."
With that decided, the group made their way to the third exam venue.
When they entered the examination hall, the candidates who'd been fleeing in terror finally felt their racing hearts slow down. With the Third Hokage present, with all their jonin instructors watching, surely Naruto wouldn't try to beat them up in front of everyone, right?
The various village instructors had gathered at their designated positions. When they spotted their students entering, smiles broke out on their faces.
Maki, the jonin leader for Sunagakure's team, searched eagerly through the crowd of arriving genin. He spotted Gaara and Temari immediately. Standing next to them was someone with a severely swollen face, bruises covering every visible inch of skin. Maki didn't recognize him at all.
Wait. Where was Kankuro?
Anxiety tightened Maki's chest. Had something happened in the Forest of Death? Had Kankuro not survived?
Thinking this, Maki quickly strode toward Gaara and Temari, urgency making his movements sharp. "Gaara, Temari, where's Kankuro? What happened to him?"
Temari's expression shifted dramatically the moment she heard Maki-sensei's question. Her face went through several complicated emotions in rapid succession.
Gaara, as always, maintained his expressionless mask. A meteor could strike the earth and Gaara would probably keep that same cool, aloof, untouchable expression.
Temari's reaction made Maki's anxiety spike into panic. Did that mean Kankuro really had died in the Forest of Death? He was misreading her expression completely.
"Kankuro, you're dead?" Maki's voice cracked with emotion, his heart breaking.
At that moment, the person with the swollen face standing beside Gaara slowly raised one hand. He looked at Maki with an expression of deep resentment and wounded dignity.
"Maki-sensei," he said, his voice muffled by swollen lips, "can you really not recognize me?"
Maki jumped slightly at the sudden voice. He suppressed the grief twisting his features and studied this person more carefully. The resentful face, the bruised and swollen features...
"Who are you?" Maki asked uncertainly.
"Maki-sensei, I'm Kankuro." The words came out flat, completely devoid of energy.
"You're Kankuro?" Maki couldn't believe it. But then he noticed the puppet standing behind this person, the distinctive clothing, and most importantly, the fact that he was standing right next to Gaara.
Gaara's withdrawn personality meant he generally didn't allow anyone near him. Only Temari and Kankuro could stand at his side without consequences.
Maki's eyes widened as recognition finally clicked. "This guy with the swollen face really is Kankuro!"
"What happened to you?" Maki demanded. "How did you end up like this?"
"This, well..." Kankuro's expression became tangled, clearly struggling with how to explain. The story was difficult to tell, embarrassing even.
"All candidates who passed, line up side by side in three rows!" Mitarashi Anko's commanding voice saved Kankuro from his awkwardness. He seized the opportunity gratefully.
"Maki-sensei, I need to line up now." Without waiting for a response, Kankuro hurried toward the forming rows.
Maki returned to his position among the jonin instructors, still puzzled.
When Naruto entered the hall, Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze briefly touched on him. The Hokage's face remained completely neutral, betraying no emotion whatsoever. After that single glance, his attention returned to the assembled candidates.
The eighteen successful candidates arranged themselves in three rows of six. These eighteen were all that remained from the original seventy-eight who'd entered the Forest of Death.
Naruto and Sasuke followed behind Kakashi, taking positions off to the side. Naruto's eyes immediately found his friends among the candidates.
Asuma Sarutobi and Kurenai Yuhi stood with the other jonin instructors. They glanced at Naruto and Sasuke standing beside Kakashi, then looked at their own students who were still lined up with the other genin, and couldn't help feeling envious. Kakashi's team had already been promoted. Lucky bastard.
"Akamaru's acting very strange," Kurenai suddenly said, her red eyes focusing on Kiba Inuzuka's chest.
Kiba stood in the second row, and from the opening of his jacket, Akamaru's white head peeked out. The little dog was trembling violently, his whole body shaking like a leaf.
Kurenai didn't know that Akamaru had spotted the Nine-Tails, who was currently being held in Naruto's arms. The moment Akamaru saw that orange fox, memories of being beaten by the Nine-Tails flooded back with traumatic clarity. Of course he was trembling.
In the lineup, Choji's stomach growled loudly. He couldn't help muttering, "I'm so hungry."
Shikamaru, standing in front of him, immediately replied without turning around. "You always have so many complaints. But seriously, this is troublesome. So many people competing." He paused, then added with obvious envy, "I really wish I was like Naruto and Sasuke. They got promoted directly to chunin without having to deal with this."
"That's right!" Ino piped up from the first row, her voice full of pride. "That's my Sasuke-kun for you. He's always been amazing."
Near the jonin section, Rock Lee bounced slightly on his feet, unable to contain his energy. He leaned toward Might Guy with sparkling eyes. "Hey, Guy-sensei, when can Naruto and you have another burning session of youth?"
The moment those words registered, Guy's entire body went rigid. He quickly waved both hands in denial, his expression almost panicked. "Lee, I'm very busy as a sensei. Next time. Definitely next time."
Lee's face fell slightly, but then brightened again as he looked toward Naruto. "As expected of Naruto! He shine wherever he go. I really want to have a youthful duel with Naruto right now." Then his expression shifted to concern as he glanced back at his sensei. "Hey, what's happened to sensei recently? Sensei was just like Naruto. He'd shine wherever he went."
Lee's eyes filled with worry. He felt like Guy-sensei's youth had somehow disappeared.
That was impossible, though. Guy-sensei had passed the flame of youth to him, and they'd been protecting it together. Lee decided right then that after the Chunin Exam finished, he would save Guy-sensei and help him recover his lost brilliance of youth.
Hearing Lee's words, Tenten's face went dark. A feeling of deep sadness settled over her like a heavy blanket.
On the raised platform, Hiruzen Sarutobi wore his full Hokage regalia. He took the pipe from his mouth, studying the candidates below thoughtfully. "So many made it through. Most of them are this year's rookies. No wonder Asuma, Kurenai, and Kakashi were so insistent on recommending them."
"Next, Hokage-sama will explain the rules for the third round of the exam. Please listen carefully." Mitarashi Anko paused, then turned and bowed respectfully toward Hiruzen. "I'll leave it to you, Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen acknowledged her with a slight nod, then cleared his throat. "Ahem. First of all, congratulations on passing the second exam. Before I introduce the rules of the third exam, there's something I must make clear to all of you. That is the true purpose of this examination."
"The true purpose?" Several candidates exchanged confused glances, murmuring to each other.
Hiruzen continued, his weathered voice carrying authority. "Why do we conduct this exam together with our allied nations?" He adjusted his Hokage hat slightly. "It's for the sake of friendly coexistence between allies and to raise the overall level of our ninja forces. This is the real purpose. If you misunderstand this point, it will cause problems. You see, this exam can be said to be..."