Although in the previous confrontation he had the advantage, it also allowed him to test part of the Jinchūriki's strength.
Even without the power of the Eight-Tails, Killer B was physically far superior to the two Cloud ninjas he had killed before.
Without using chakra, he wasn't very confident in being able to defeat him quickly, so it made no sense to keep fighting.
"Damned bastard!!"
After reacting, Killer B cursed mentally once again.
However, after insulting him, he didn't chase after Gen either but instead focused on starting to climb.
Although his personality was somewhat unstable, when it came to serious matters, he did not lack composure; otherwise, Kumogakure wouldn't have let him participate in this Chūnin Exam.
Similar to Gen's thoughts, Killer B also understood that after their brief encounter, without being able to use chakra, it would be difficult to defeat Gen, so he chose to complete the test first.
Perhaps because Killer B gave up attacking Gen, the other Cloud ninjas in this group also stopped attacking him.
As for the ninjas from other villages, they were also quite rational and made no move.
After a brief conflict, those in the first group focused on climbing the cliff with all their strength.
Although the confrontation with Killer B had made him lose some time, once he resumed climbing, Gen quickly caught up to them and, in no time, took first place.
"This guy has incredible endurance. The Uchiha Clan is supposed to specialize in Genjutsu, so why is he also so physically strong...?"
"The information the village gathered says this boy is only nine years old. Although endurance doesn't fully define his strength, having such incredible physical ability at this age... Is this the power of Konoha's strongest genius? We really have to be careful with him."
"He's too fast! I can't even keep up with him. Does he specialize in Taijutsu?"
Even if Killer B and the others in the first group didn't stop trying to surpass Gen, no matter how hard they pushed themselves while climbing, they couldn't catch up to him, which filled them with astonishment and unease.
At the same time, as he climbed, Gen showed no signs of exhaustion, and his fingers showed no signs of damage either.
Climbing with bare hands was already a test of endurance, even more so when using fingers to dig into the rocks and support oneself.
If it were only once or twice, maybe it wouldn't be a problem, but doing it repeatedly, finger injuries were inevitable.
Even those in the first group, upon reaching nearly five hundred meters in height, already had their fingers full of wounds and blood after repeatedly digging them into the rock.
Moreover, even if they still had stamina, the damage and pain in their fingers forced many to slow down regrettably.
Under these conditions, the number of people in the first group gradually decreased, and in the end, fewer than five remained.
Aside from Gen, who firmly maintained first place, the others who remained were all ninjas from Kumogakure.
As for the ninjas from the other three great villages, although their strength might not be inferior to that of the Cloud's, in terms of endurance, they were clearly at a disadvantage.
Gen could only be considered an exception.
In fact, the evaluation method of this first test already made it clear that Kumogakure was favoring its own ninjas.
If Gen were not here, first place would probably have gone to someone from the Cloud.
If this is connected to what Buziyi said earlier about the results of this test affecting the next one, the meaning behind it is quite evident.
"It cannot be denied that the Village of the Cloud has a large number of people in the top one hundred and fifty. If this continues, most of them will probably pass the first test."
"Evaluating endurance is not incorrect, but in the end, the essence of a ninja is still chakra..."
"We don't know what the final outcome will be, but it seems that the person currently in first place is someone from Konoha."
Not far from the test site, there was a tower-shaped building. On the top floor, the leaders of each village were gathered, either watching the climb or speaking in low voices.
The people who could lead a team this far were all elites of their villages; both their strength and intelligence were outstanding.
Just as some were discussing the endurance-focused evaluation method, in reality, everyone present could see that Kumogakure was favoring its own ninjas in this exam.
However, this method could not be considered a violation.
Endurance is a fundamental component of a ninja's power, and using it as an evaluation criterion was not cheating but simply an effective application of the rules.
Of course, the most important thing was that the other four great villages had not voiced any objections.
Judging by the current climbing situation, although in the first group only Gen Uchiha was not from Kumogakure, in the later groups, within the top one hundred ranks, there were still many ninjas from Konoha, Kirigakure, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure.
Under these circumstances, although Kumogakure had the advantage, the other four great villages would not fall too far behind, so no one, not even Orochimaru, intervened in the test.
As for the smaller villages, they were merely participants in this Chūnin Exam. The Five Great Villages naturally would not concern themselves with them.
"Truly impressive."
"I've heard that the young Uchiha currently in first place is your disciple, isn't he, Orochimaru?"
As they watched, the representative of Sunagakure approached Orochimaru and spoke with a smile.
He was a man in his early twenties, with reddish-brown hair, dark eyes, and dressed in casual dark clothing. He was one of the youngest among those present.
His name was Rasa, the one who, in the Canon, would become the Fourth Kazekage.
Orochimaru shifted his gaze away from the cliff, cast a sidelong glance at Rasa, and replied indifferently, "It seems that Sunagakure has researched Konoha well."
"That is only natural. After all, Konoha is the strongest village, and you, Orochimaru, are one of Konoha's most powerful ninjas," Rasa said with a meaningful tone.
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