Inside the central tower, by the fourth day, seven teams had gathered. By the end of the fifth day, no other teams arrived.
On the morning of the sixth day, all the teams that had passed were assembled in the training area. Sakura looked around; all the rookies from this year were present, along with Kabuto's team (the spy), and a team from the Hidden Sound Village.
The Third Hokage stood at the front, accompanied by a group of ninjas. Kakashi, Guy, Kurenai, Asuma – all the Jonin instructors of the rookie teams – were present. In addition to the Jonin, the proctors from the first and second exams were also there.
Sasuke suddenly felt someone staring at him. He glanced sideways and saw it was the ninjas from the Hidden Sound.
"We didn't find any trace of Uchiha Sasuke in the Forest of Death. It seems they arrived here early," the team leader, Dosu Kinuta, said, looking sideways at Sasuke.
"Hmph, they just got lucky," Zaku scoffed dismissively.
"The more I look at that pink-haired brat, the more I hate her. I really want to kill her," Kin Tsuchi said, her focus different from her teammates'. She was envious of Sakura's cute appearance and beautiful hair.
The three Sound ninjas all came from small, war-torn countries. After much hardship, they were chosen by Orochimaru and taken in as his subordinates. Also being a girl, Kin, who had endured many hardships, felt a particular animosity towards Sakura, who had grown up in the sheltered environment of Konoha. She was jealous of everything about her.
"Kin, don't cause trouble. We have a mission. Don't create unnecessary complications," Dosu said. It was no coincidence that he was their team leader. Compared to Zaku and Kin, Dosu was considerably more level-headed.
"Tch..." Kin glared at Sakura again, dissatisfied.
Sakura also felt a cold gaze directed at her. She turned her head, following the direction of the stare, but couldn't pinpoint its source. She didn't think she had offended anyone.
Naruto looked around, excitement bubbling up inside him as he saw all the rookies from their year had passed the exam.
Akaramaru, huddled in Kiba's arms, trembled slightly upon seeing the Sand Village team, clearly sensing their danger. Ino, seeing Sasuke, reverted to her usual fangirl mode, and would have rushed over to him if the Third Hokage hadn't been present. Shikamaru held his head in his hands, his expression screaming "What a drag."
Choji looked distressed, probably because he had no snacks. Lee, standing in formation with his team, was brimming with enthusiasm, his gaze fixed on Sasuke.
Hinata, her face flushed with happiness, watched Naruto from afar, unaware that he hadn't noticed. Sakura, standing behind her team, almost smiled at Hinata's shy demeanor. That thick-headed Naruto has no idea that a beautiful girl is constantly watching him in the future.
However, Naruto's reaction took Sakura by surprise. He suddenly turned his head and looked at Hinata, a puzzled expression on his face. "Um, Hinata, why are you always staring at me?"
".....N-no..... I'm not," Hinata stammered, her face turning completely red as she quickly lowered her head.
"Is that so.... Haha, I guess I was mistaken," Naruto said, accepting Hinata's denial without further thought. He turned back and stood at attention.
Naruto's words struck a chord with Sakura, sounding strangely familiar. After a moment of intense thought... ...a flash of insight! She remembered where she had heard that before. It was before the first exam, in room 301, when Naruto had asked Hinata why she was always looking at him.
Sakura was surprised. When did Naruto's perception become so sharp? Although Naruto was from the Uzumaki clan, he didn't know any of their signature techniques. His sensory abilities were supposed to have significantly improved only after he gained Sage Mode and control over the Nine-Tails' chakra. As far as Sakura remembered, Naruto's current perception should not only be unremarkable but actually slightly below average.
Could it be because of the Nine-Tails' chakra...? If so, then the only time he had significant exposure to that chakra was during his childhood rampage.
If that was the case, it would be a significant boost to Naruto's combat abilities. Sakura's gaze remained fixed on Naruto, wanting to see how he would react.
Naruto, having received a denial from Hinata, felt a bit foolish. Ever since they were in the Ninja Academy, Naruto had often felt Hinata looking at him. Hinata was relatively inconspicuous among the girls in their class and was also quite shy.
Although he felt Hinata's gaze, every time Naruto turned to look at her, she would have already averted her eyes. Naruto often thought he was imagining things, eventually concluding that Hinata was a strange girl.
Just now, Naruto had felt Hinata looking at him again, but she denied it when he asked. Naruto started to doubt his own senses. But now, he felt Sakura staring at him too. He was conflicted. The feeling definitely came from Sakura's direction, but should he ask? That was the question.
In the end, Naruto decided to pretend he didn't notice. Sakura could be quite scary sometimes, and it was best not to provoke her unnecessarily.
Sakura watched Naruto for a while, but he showed no reaction. She felt a pang of disappointment. Was I wrong? It seems I'll have to test him sometime.
"Now, I would like the Third Hokage to explain the details of the third exam... You all better listen carefully!!" Anko shouted, addressing the seven teams that were whispering amongst themselves.
The seven teams immediately fell silent.
Seeing that all the rookies led by the three Jonin had passed the second test, the Third Hokage felt a surge of gratification. No wonder they strongly recommended these rookies. He smiled slightly and said, "Before I explain the upcoming third exam, there's something I must clarify first..."
"That is, the reason for holding this exam!......."
Listening to the Third Hokage's blunt explanation of the exam's purpose, Sakura noticed the shocked expressions on the faces of the Konoha rookies. She couldn't help but admire the Third Hokage.
The ninjas Konoha had nurtured in recent years had never experienced war. Such ninjas were unqualified to be sent to the battlefield. The Third Hokage used the Chunin Exams as an opportunity to bluntly expose the reality to the Konoha rookies: This is a microcosm of war between allied nations!
He was giving a harsh lesson to those rookies who thought the Chunin Exams were about "deepening friendly relations."
Sakura, standing below, was lost in thought, still wondering about Naruto's perception. Suddenly, she heard someone next to her raise their hand and say, "I.... I forfeit."
Snapping out of her reverie, Sakura looked at the person who had raised their hand. It was Kabuto. Of course, he's Orochimaru's spy; he has no need to compete for a rank in the exam.
Seeing Naruto about to say something, Sakura stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking her head slightly to signal him to stay quiet.
"Uh----- You're Konoha's Yakushi Kabuto, right? You may leave....." Hayate Gekko said with a cough. "Um----- Does anyone else want to withdraw? By the way, this battle is on an individual basis and won't affect your team, so please consider carefully whether you wish to continue."
On the viewing platform, the Third Hokage watched Kabuto and Anko exchanging words. He had clearly recognized Kabuto as a familiar face, someone who had participated in the exams seven times. The Third Hokage wouldn't easily forget someone like that.
"Now, is there anyone else who wishes to withdraw?" Hayate asked again.
Silence. No one else raised their hand.
"Then, the preliminary rounds will begin."
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