Chapter 42: Matchmaking

"Well then, as of this moment, the preliminaries for the third exam are... over!" announced the proctor as he raised his hand and concluded the final match between the remaining opponents. "To those of you who won your matches and qualified for the finals of this third phase of the Chunin Exam... Congratulations. Come down here, there is one thing we still have to do before that round."

The gathered Chunin positioned themselves in front of the Hokage and the proctors, while the main proctor turned to the third Hokage and said, "Hokage-sama, they are all yours."

Stepping forward with his pipe still in his mouth, the Third Hokage began explaining the finals. "Okay, I shall begin explaining the Finals. As mentioned, the final round will be in front of a public audience consisting of civilians, shinobi, nobles, and even some daimyos," explained the Third Hokage. "Each one of you represents the strength of your country. So, we want you to showcase your strength and various talents in front of potential customers. That's why the finals will take place a month from now."

"WHAT!? Why do we have to wait a month?" shouted a loud-mouthed, plain-looking, dark-skinned genin from the Kumo team that made it into the finals. 'Yeah, he won't become a Chunin,' thought Tekku, remembering his performance. The only reason he passed was the pure luck of the draw and probably Atsui carrying him through the second exam.

Unfazed by the outburst, as he had likely experienced such a situation multiple times during his long reign as Hokage, given that Chunin Exams occurred every half year and were created by the Second Hokage to prevent children from entering the battlefield before they were at least Chunin, the Third Hokage responded, "Well... it's a period of time that allows us to relay the results of the first two rounds to your respective villages, the leaders, and the Kage of each land. This will help us invite them to the finals. Additionally, this one-month period serves as preparation time for all of you."

The Third Hokage explained patiently, though some contestants remained confused despite the clear meaning. "You must understand your enemy and yourself. During this time period, you have the opportunity to analyze all the intel you gathered on your opponents and prepare yourself for them."

"But I don't know who I will be fighting," shouted the brash Kumo genin.

"Until this point, you were fighting unknown enemies. But the finals are different. Some of you ended up exposing quite a lot of your skills in front of your rivals. This time, all of you will draw lots and have this one month to prepare your strategy accordingly. Use this time to practice properly, learn some new skills, and get ready for your opponents," announced the Hokage, while the proctor arrived with a box filled with lots for each of them to draw.

The proctor walked among them, letting them pull in a row. "One per person!" Once everyone had their lot with a number, they revealed a tournament tree and noted each of them down according to their number.

The following matches were determined:

Fight 1: Hana Inuzuka vs Atsui

Fight 2: Oboro vs Modan Rei

Fight 3: Deidara vs Tekku

Fight 4: Yosuke Nochia vs Akemi Akamichi

Fight 5: Akatsuchi vs Montezuma

Fight 6: Winner of Fight 1 vs Winner of Fight 2

Fight 7: Winner of Fight 3 vs Winner of Fight 4

Fight 8: Winner of Fight 6 vs Winner of Fight 5

Fight 9: Winner of Fight 7 vs Winner of Fight 8

"Nice, we will see whose art is better, un!" said Deidara to Tekku, who was standing beside him.

"I can't wait to compare our styles," nodded Tekku, equally excited, since Deidara was actually a cool person to talk to, even though he had a bit of an explosive temper. He was a genius through and through. The only reason he truly lost to Itachi and Sasuke in canon was a paper, stone, scissor situation.

Genjutsu and Lightning Style were both his weaknesses, and he wasn't weak per se. After his loss, he worked on his Genjutsu weakness by training his eye. While he could still fight Sasuke on equal footing, even though his main fighting style was countered element-wise, he ultimately lost to Sasuke due to plot armor.

He was not any less talented than Itachi and, to be honest, more talented than Sasuke, who only managed to keep up through random plot power-ups. If Itachi and Deidara had to fight the same Bijuu, Deidara was more likely to win since his style was better suited to take one out.

Talking with another genius was quite refreshing.

"So, there will be only one among us who becomes Chunin?" asked Akatsuchi, standing beside Deidara, after observing the tournament tree.

"No, that's not the case. For the finals, you will be observed by many judges, not only me but also the Kages of each of your villages and leaders of other nations as well. Based on your performance in that tournament, these judges will determine whether you are ready to become a Chunin. Of course, the farther you go in the tournament, the more chances you have to impress them. But even if you should have lost in the first round, if you have shown enough of the skills required to become a Chunin, you still can pass," explained the Third Hokage, expecting the question since it was a logical conclusion one could come up with.

"So it's possible for all of us here to become Chunin?" asked Hana.

"Yes," nodded the Third Hokage, smoking on his pipe, before adding with an amused grin, "Although it is also possible that none of you will become Chunin."

Seeing that everyone understood the workings of the finals, the Hokage concluded, "If there are no further questions, you are dismissed for today. We will see you all in one month."

Taking this as a sign to leave for the day, after saying goodbye to Deidara, Tekku followed Hana back to Inoichi-sensei, who was still waiting for them in the stands above. "Good job, the two of you. I am really proud of you!" said their teacher as he patted them both on their heads and led them out of the building.

"So, sensei, how will we handle our training?" asked Tekku, interested in whether he had the chance to have another teacher and learn something new during this month.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. My mother wanted to train me if I made it to the finals," interjected Hana. After witnessing her development, her mother showed even more interest in training Hana. Whether Hana or Kiba would become the heir of the Inuzuka Clan wasn't decided yet. The Inuzuka had a pack mentality and would follow the alpha. But considering Hana's talent, she had a good chance of becoming the next leader.

"Okay, then I will focus on Tekku's training," nodded Inoichi, before adding with a grin, "But how about you take a rest for today and come over for dinner. I'm sure Ino and my wife, Yumi, would love to hear about your success."

- Shinobi - Shinobi - Shinobi - Shinobi -

AN: If you enjoyed the Chapter, please leave some Power Stones. It helps!

- Shinobi - Shinobi - Shinobi - Shinobi -

For 10+ more advanced Chapters visit P_a_t_r_e_o_n.com/QuillArcher

Thank you everyone for your support. It's very much appreciated!