Chapter 114

The Sound Trio was no slouch among the Genin.

Zaku could shoot slicing sound waves from his palms, Kin used senbon bells to cast genjutsu, and Dosu's gauntlet could emit powerful sonic attacks.

All three had been modified—far above normal standards.

In the original timeline, Sakura was beaten badly by them. Even Lee's help didn't change the outcome, and Team 10 got roughed up too. It was only after Sasuke's cursed seal awakened that the tables were turned.

This time, Shikamaru and Chōji weren't much different from the original. Ino had started training a bit earlier, but against the Sound Trio, she was still on the back foot. According to Shikamaru, in the end, it was Sasuke's kenjutsu that turned the tide, and Team 10's efforts were… mostly wasted.

"Sasuke, huh? Looks like he's improved a lot after the fight with Orochimaru."

Natsuki wasn't surprised. Some geniuses only grow rapidly through actual combat—Sasuke was one of them.

As for Team 10, after learning that Natsuki had fought off Orochimaru alone, they were utterly shocked. They had clearly underestimated his strength.

Still, having such a powerful comrade made them happy.

If danger ever struck… they knew who to cling to.

On the final day, Team 7 finally arrived in a mess—along with Kabuto, Yoroi, and Misumi. Once it was confirmed no other Genin were arriving, the second exam officially came to a close.

Those who passed: Team 7 (3), Team 8 (3), Team 9 (3), Team 10 (3), Team Guy (3), Sound Trio (3), Kabuto's team (3), and Gaara's team (3). A total of twenty-four participants!

Aside from the extra Team 9, the passing numbers were the same as in the original story—more than expected.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen, was all smiles seeing most of the passers were from Konoha. He came out with the usual formal speech, talking about the meaning of the Chūnin Exams, peace in the shinobi world—basically just like a military parade, all about showing off strength. What a grand speech.

Thankfully, the perpetually anemic Gekkō stepped in and interrupted Hiruzen's long-windedness, announcing the rules for the third exam's preliminary round.

Since the third round would be watched by dignitaries, the number of participants had to be reduced—hence a prelim match. In short, a random draw for one-on-one duels to eliminate half the contestants. Anyone who wanted to drop out could do so now, before they risked being defeated.

Just when everyone thought no one would back out—Kabuto raised his hand.

Naruto objected at first—after all, their team had only made it this far thanks to Kabuto. But Kabuto's true motive was to gather intel on Sasuke, not to help out of kindness.

Kabuto claimed he was already "pineapple pineapple da" (meaning worn out), and there was no point in continuing since he'd just lose anyway.

Naruto had nothing left to say.

Natsuki, however, watched Kabuto walk off with narrowed eyes. This guy was Orochimaru's right hand and a master manipulator.

A chakra thread split from Natsuki's forehead and connected to Aoba. Through Morse code chakra pulses, he transmitted a message:

"Aoba-sensei, this Kabuto has failed the Chūnin Exams multiple times, yet he doesn't look badly injured and is giving up so easily. I suspect he's here not for the exam—but to gather intelligence. He might be a spy."

Aoba paused, then responded through the chakra thread:

"I'll keep an eye on him. You focus on the exam."

Only then did Natsuki relax and turn his gaze to Gekkō.

After explaining the rules, Hayate began announcing matchups.

First Match: Inuzuka Kiba vs. Rinya!

All other participants went up to the second floor to observe. Only Kiba, Rinya, Akamaru, and Hayate (who looked like he'd cough up a lung) remained on the field.

As soon as the match was called, Kiba started trash-talking and demanded Rinya forfeit.

But Rinya had no plans to give up—he even assumed a ready-to-strike stance.

Seeing this, Kiba threw out a smoke bomb to blind the field, planning to rely on smell and Akamaru's instincts to secure victory. However, the moment they entered the smoke, a horrid stench hit their noses.

Akamaru immediately fainted on the spot, and Kiba got hit hard too.

As the smoke cleared, everyone saw Rinya holding an opened can of fermented herring—so foul it could peel paint.

Kiba and Akamaru, who couldn't even tolerate Naruto's farts, stood no chance. With the herring assault, their defeat was inevitable.

Team leader Kurenai rubbed her temples.

"Having a strong sense of smell is useful, but sometimes… it can be fatal. Rinya clearly did his research and prepared that stinky can. Kiba never stood a chance."

Shino and Hinata didn't know what to say. All they could do was silently mourn for Kiba.

Meanwhile, Megumi was beaming proudly. Rinya's win had her glowing with pride.

Second Match: Yoroi vs. Sasuke Uchiha

Now that Sasuke hadn't been cursed, his chakra was stable. With his Sharingan and Hatake-style kenjutsu, he was fast and fluid. Even though Yoroi could drain chakra, he was quickly defeated.

Third Match: Zaku Abumi vs. Aburame Shino — Shino wins.

Fourth Match: Kin Tsuchi vs. Nara Shikamaru — Shikamaru wins.

Fifth Match: Dosu Kinuta vs. Akimichi Chōji — Dosu wins.

Sixth Match: Misumi Tsurugi vs. Kankurō

Though Misumi tried to exploit his flexibility, Kankurō's puppet technique won out. Even after his identity as the bandaged mummy was revealed, he secured victory.

Seventh Match: Haruno Sakura vs. Megumi — No suspense. Megumi wins easily.

Eighth Match: Hyūga Hinata vs. Hyūga Neji

A classic—Main Family vs. Branch Family.

But Neji was different now. He didn't waste time with words. Both activated Byakugan and clashed with Hakke no Kaiten (Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation) and Hakke Rokujūyon Shō (Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms). Neji came out on top, blocking Hinata's chakra points and holding a kunai to her vital spot.

The referee promptly declared Neji the winner.

Fewer words in a fight meant a quicker end.

Hinata didn't even get the chance to hear Naruto's encouragement. Luckily, Neji was no longer the cold jerk from the original story. He'd even helped fight Orochimaru earlier. So Naruto had no reason to yell at him—and no unnecessary drama followed.

The good news? Hinata wasn't seriously hurt.

Ninth Match: Temari vs. Tenten

This, to Natsuki, was a battle of destiny.

Temari's giant fan and wind techniques originally countered Tenten's weapon-throwing style. But Tenten had grown—once she saw her ranged attacks were countered, she shifted strategies.

She used Rokushiki (Six Powers) close combat instead. Without even using her four-piece kit from the Artisan Village, she successfully took Temari down.

(End of Chapter)

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