Chapter 354: Preliminary Matches

On the day the second round of the Chunin Exams concluded, Shishou left early to meet up with Kiba and Sakura. They were preparing to head back to the center tower in the Forest of Death for the Chunin Exam preliminaries.

Arriving at their usual meeting spot, Shishou found Kurenai, Sakura, and Kiba already waiting. Kiba's sister, Hana Inuzuka, was also there, giving Kiba some last-minute advice.

Hana was dressed in a form-fitting casual outfit, without the Inuzuka clan's signature facial markings, making her look very attractive.

"Big sis, Shishou is here. I'm heading out now," Kiba said, looking somewhat exasperated by Hana's persistent instructions. Spotting Shishou, he grabbed him quickly and started running, eager to escape his sister's nagging.

Shishou, caught off guard, was dragged along without a chance to say anything. He had actually wanted to greet Hana properly.

Seeing her brother rush off with Shishou, Hana frowned slightly. "Be careful!" she called after him.

"Let's go," Kurenai said to Sakura, leading her and the others to follow Kiba and Shishou. Before long, they reached the center tower of the Forest of Death.

Already gathered outside were numerous other examinees, all waiting to go inside. Among these candidates, there were two main groups.

The first group consisted of those who, like Shishou and Gaara, had arrived early and had a few days to rest. This group included not only Shishou's team and Gaara's team but also Naruto, Sasuke, Hinata, and the trio from Kirigakure led by Ringo Ameyuri.

The second group was made up of those who arrived on the last day, looking much worse for wear. These candidates were dirty, injured, and clearly exhausted from their ordeal in the forest.

Even Ino's team, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, and Tenten's team had only just managed to qualify in time, arriving shortly before the deadline.

Once the time for the second test ended, the Konoha proctors instructed all successful candidates to gather in the central hall.

As everyone assembled in the hall, Shishou noted the familiar sight of the proctor, Hayate Gekko, coughing as he stepped forward to address them. Despite the differences in this version of events, the number of candidates left was remarkably similar to the original series.

This made sense, considering that although Shino's team and Ringo Ameyuri's team had been added to the mix, Kabuto and the Sound trio had not participated. This resulted in a total of twenty-one candidates, maintaining balance.

"Shishou, you're in for it now!" Ringo Ameyuri's voice cut through the crowd. Waving a wooden whip, she glared at him with a mischievous grin. "I'll make you pay for earlier!"

Shishou, unfazed, looked at her whip adorned with intricate carvings. He thought to himself that he might just take that whip from her later.

"Did you get on her bad side?" Kurenai asked, noticing Ameyuri's behavior and looking curiously at Shishou.

"Shishou took the Earth Scroll from her," Sakura explained before Shishou could respond.

"I see," Kurenai said, nodding.

Sakura then remembered something and turned to Kurenai with a question. "Sensei, isn't she one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist? Isn't that against the rules?"

Hearing this, both Shishou and Kiba also looked at Kurenai for an explanation.

Kurenai kept her expression neutral. "Ringo Ameyuri is indeed one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and her strength is at the level of an elite Jonin. However, she is officially still a Genin."

"Originally, she wasn't going to participate, but she got bored waiting in Konoha for Tsunade to return and decided to join the exam, replacing one of her team members. She did inform Konoha of this change."

"Given these circumstances, Konoha had no choice but to allow her participation, with the condition that she doesn't seriously injure anyone. So if you face her, it's best to forfeit immediately," Kurenai advised.

With that, she left the trio and joined Kakashi, Guy, and Asuma on the balcony to observe the matches.

Understanding now why Ameyuri was allowed to compete, Shishou felt a mixture of frustration and amusement. Everything about her participation was technically within the rules, even if it seemed a bit unfair.

Lost in thought, Shishou was suddenly brought back to the present by a familiar voice calling his name.

"Shishou, over here!" Ino waved enthusiastically as she ran over, practically leaping into his arms and wrapping her arms around his neck. "You look way too clean! It's so annoying!"

Covered in dirt herself, Ino started rubbing her grimy hands on Shishou's face, either to mess with him or perhaps just to get closer.

Seeing Ino's antics, the other candidates couldn't help but stare.

"Enough, Ino. Remember where we are," Shishou said, coughing slightly to get her attention.

"Hmph!" Ino pouted but released him, staying close by his side.

"That girl is hopeless," Shikamaru sighed, standing nearby with Choji.

Kurenai noticed the scene and glanced at Sakura, who was watching Shishou and Ino with a tight-lipped expression. Hinata and Tenten, standing at a distance, also looked towards Shishou with furrowed brows, clearly wanting to be near him but lacking the courage to be as bold as Ino.

Once everyone had assembled, proctor Hayate Gekko spoke up. "Due to the large number of candidates who passed this stage, we will now hold a preliminary round."

Despite the number of candidates having been reduced from over seventy to twenty-one, Konoha aimed to ensure that only the best would advance. This upcoming match would be a way to further filter out those who weren't quite ready.

"The finals will be observed by the Fourth Kazekage, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, and other dignitaries. It's crucial that only the most capable reach that stage," Hayate continued.

"Given these stakes, we will now conduct a preliminary round to ensure that only the most qualified candidates advance," Hayate said. "All matches will be determined randomly. When your names appear on the screen, those selected will stay here to fight. The rest of you will move to the viewing area on the second floor."

With that, the screen on the wall began to rapidly shuffle through names, stopping after a few seconds.

The first match was set: Sasuke Uchiha versus Ringo Ameyuri.

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POWER STONE!!!!

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This fanfiction is complete on my P@treon. If you want to read it, you can find it at p@treon.com/Betek.

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