Chapter 73 Preliminary Selection Ends, Jiraiya Debuts

"Big Brother Neji, why?"

Hinata's small face was serious as she looked up at Neji with pure, clear eyes, filled with disbelief.

Others might not understand the Hyuga clan as well, but for Hinata, the daughter of the clan's patriarch, it couldn't be clearer. The Hyuga clan had changed from what it once was. This change didn't negatively affect Hinata; in fact, it relieved Hiashi from placing strict demands on her and her sister.

With this shift, the pressure on Hinata had eased, and she could finally be herself, happily and freely.

"There's nothing, Hinata… You're my cousin, and I won't do anything against you," Neji replied, pretending to be generous. He felt it was worth it, even if it meant losing a chance to become a Chūnin. After all, behind Hinata stood Naruto, who held sway over the branch family's fate.

"Cough, cough...

In that case, let's proceed with the fourth match," Moonlight Gale announced, trying to hide his discomfort, while the big screen continued to roll.

The fourth match: Aburame Shino vs. Gaara.

"Uh…"

Seeing Gaara as his opponent, Shino, remembering the earlier battles, wisely raised his hand to concede. Against such an opponent, it made sense to avoid unnecessary trouble.

"You're forfeiting? Cough, cough... I understand…" Moonlight Gale replied, struggling to hold back a cough, while the proctor reluctantly accepted Shino's decision.

"So... let's continue…"

"Wait…"

Moonlight Gale was about to proceed when Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen interrupted him.

"Lord Hokage, what is it?" Moonlight Gale looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen with confusion, respectfully awaiting his instructions.

"The current number of contestants is down to five," Sarutobi Hiruzen explained calmly. "So let's end the qualifiers here."

Lowering his Hokage hat, Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke in a deep voice. With the unexpected turn of events, the whole affair felt almost trivial, yet his role as Hokage meant he had to handle it seriously.

Moonlight Gale felt somewhat bewildered by Sarutobi Hiruzen's decision. Was this the end? Couldn't he at least complete the formalities as an examiner?

(Moonlight Gale: So this is my big moment? Really?)

"Cough, cough... Everyone, with the special approval of Lord Hokage, the qualifiers are now officially over."

He cleared his throat before announcing, "The following will advance to the final exams: Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sako, Haruno Sakura, Hyūga Hinata, Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Chōji, Rock Lee, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro. Congratulations, you've made it to the third round. The final exams will begin in one month."

Moonlight Gale coughed and resumed, "Now, let's draw your match-ups…"

Anko stepped forward with a box, prepared for everyone to pick their match numbers.

Naruto looked at his number and mused, This feels like fate. I wonder who I'll face.

Soon, the battle matchups were displayed:

First Match: Uzumaki Naruto vs. Hyūga Hinata

Second Match: Uchiha Sako vs. Temari

Third Match: Rock Lee vs. Gaara

Fourth Match: Haruno Sakura vs. Yamanaka Ino

Fifth Match: Akimichi Chōji vs. Kankuro

The others were fine, but Naruto and Hinata found themselves together in an instant!

[Is this going to beat your wife online?]

"My opponent is... Naruto-kun!!!"

The two exchanged knowing glances, and Hinata instantly blushed, lowering her head as they each had their own thoughts.

"Anyway, that's it! See you in a month..."

Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen concluded with a final word and then left promptly.

Tip: Change the multiplayer fate trajectory in the Chūnin exam and receive 5,000 Honkai points.

"Ah... I really didn't expect that all of you would pass. Well, that can't be helped!

Naruto, Sako, little Sakura... congratulations!"

Kakashi approached the three with a casual expression, narrowing his eyes and pretending to smile.

"Hateful... Kakashi, I didn't expect to lose so badly this time! All of your disciples have advanced to the next level. However, I won't admit defeat. Kakashi, do you want to bet on whose disciple will become a Chūnin?"

When Might Guy heard Kakashi's casual remarks, he stepped forward with tears streaming down his face and shouted loudly.

"T—Naruto, Sako, little Sakura, come back!"

Kakashi ruthlessly rejected Might Guy's bet, waving as Naruto and the others followed him away.

"Well, with this promotion, it's time to go home and celebrate with dinner. By the way, I'll arrange some special training for one person."

"As expected of my lifelong rival! Kakashi, I won't give up…" Might Guy said, looking at Kakashi and the others as they walked away with tears in his eyes.

Neji and Tenten exchanged helpless glances. Only Rock Lee looked at Sako's back with intense determination.

"N-Neji, big brother... can you please help me train?"

After watching Naruto leave, Hinata approached Neji timidly.

If her opponent was Naruto, Hinata still wanted to prove herself.

"Sure…" Neji sighed, glancing at the timid Hinata. He feared she didn't understand how terrifying Naruto was. But it didn't matter; Naruto wouldn't hurt Hinata anyway.

At Kakashi's House

"Congratulations... Naruto, Sako, little Sakura. I hope you all pass the Chūnin exam this time and become exceptional ninjas!"

Nohara Rin brought out a plate of fruit and handed it to the three of them to celebrate.

"Thank you, Mrs. Nohara…" The three responded politely, as they often had dinner at her place these days.

"Cough, cough... Well, let me discuss your training plans for the next month," Kakashi interrupted awkwardly from the side. After all, he and Nohara Rin weren't married yet.

"First of all, little Sakura! I have asked Lin to take a month off to guide you in your training. In addition to her medical ninjutsu, she's skilled in other areas too.

Now, Sako, during the next month, I will help you with the derivative changes of Chidori, as well as my knife techniques.

As for you, Naruto? You can train on your own; your strength doesn't need additional guidance."

Kakashi outlined his arrangements, knowing Naruto didn't require much instruction. Even Chidori's derivative moves were originally copied from Naruto.

"I have no objections; just make sure to provide special training," Naruto replied cheerfully, not worried about it at all.

With Jiraiya expected to return to Konoha soon, the dinner ended on a pleasant note as none of the three had any objections.

The Next Day

After washing up, Naruto lay in bed, counting his rewards.

In the second exam, he gained a total of 19,000 points from Orochimaru, Sako, Xianglin, Gaara, and Shukaku.

After accounting for 200 points for the penetrating ring and 1,000 points for the ability-copying gloves, he was left with 17,800 points.

Adding that to the remaining 27,250 points from before, he now had a total of 45,050 points.

This was almost enough for half of the phone booth.

Well, the future looks promising...

Naruto fell asleep with a contented smile on his face.

The Next Day

Outside a certain hot spring, a burly white-haired figure leaned against the wall, looking at something.

From time to time, he let out a rather lewd grin.

This sight made the corner of Naruto's mouth twitch. With the help of the sightseeing illusion machine, Naruto quickly located Jiraiya.

Well, I won't bother looking for specifics. There are bound to be discrepancies in the images, and it's inevitable to see things that shouldn't be seen.

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