Time ticked off the clock. Days slipped through the cracks.
In the blink of an eye, five days passed.
After the two fastest passes in the history of the Chūnin Exams—Team 7 blazing through in 45 minutes, followed by the Suna siblings clocking in at an hour and a half—the rest of the teams trickled in at a normal human pace.
When the dust settled and the forest quieted, seven teams had emerged victorious from the chaos of the Forest of Death.
The Final Line-Up:
Team 7 – Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Karin (Konoha)
Suna Trio – Gaara, Temari, Kankuro (Sunagakure)
Team Guy – Neji, Tenten, Rock Lee (Konoha)
Team Kabuto – Kabuto, Yoroi, Misumi (Konoha)
Team 8 – Hinata, Kiba, Shino (Konoha)
Team 10 – Ino, Shikamaru, Choji (Konoha)
Team Oto – Dosu, Zaku, Kin (Otogakure)
The Tower Hall – Day Five, Final Hour
The tension was thick in the air—young warriors with blood-stained scrolls, eyes filled with purpose, some with bruises, others spotless but hardened.
Then entered Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The Third Hokage walked into the hall, clad in robes that seemed to weigh more with memory than with fabric. His eyes—wise, weathered, proud—scanned the room.
He counted the faces.
"Five of the seven teams… from Konoha. Hm.""The famed Suna siblings are here... and a team from Otogakure too."Not bad at all.
He stepped forward, staff in hand, commanding silence without needing to raise his voice.
"Congratulations to all of you."
"You have survived what many do not.""You've shown the wit, strength, and will to walk the shinobi path."
His eyes twinkled with a flicker of pride.
"And let it be known—history was made here.""Two teams shattered the previous record. One finished the trial in forty-five minutes.""The second… in just ninety."
Gasps rippled across the hall. The guards nodded. Even the genin stiffened. All eyes turned—some in awe, others with envy.
"But speed alone doesn't make a great shinobi," Hiruzen continued."It's the choices you make under pressure. The lives you protect. The secrets you keep."
He gave a knowing look. Especially to Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara.
"The real test… begins now."
Naruto scanned the tower hall, his gaze drifting past the other genin teams, searching for one particular face.
Anko.
She wasn't there.
He had waited ever since they'd completed the second exam—waited through every minute of rest and regroup—but no sign of her.
"She must've gone after Orochimaru…""After all, he was her sensei. Loyalty like that... that's rare. What a good student she must've been."He smiled faintly, though concern pricked the back of his mind like senbon in the mist.
All around the tower, familiar faces began to gather.
Kakashi, Guy, Kurenai—each standing silently in different corners, eyes sharp, but their expressions proud as they watched over their teams.Several chūnin guards remained stationed by the walls, alert and ready.
Then came the man who would announce the beginning of the next phase.
A cough echoed first—sharp, persistent.
Then, stepping forward from behind the curtains, a thin man appeared, his skin pale like moonlight, and dark circles hollowed his tired eyes. His body trembled faintly, and every other word was interrupted by a rasping cough.
He stood nonetheless, unwavering.
"I'm Hayate… Gekkō," he introduced, with another dry cough."I'll be overseeing the Preliminary Matches.""Due to the number of passing teams, we'll need to reduce the participants before the final stage."
He reached into a scroll pouch and drew out a wooden box filled with slips.
"Each of you will draw a chit to determine your opponent. No exceptions."
His voice was hoarse, but beneath the sickness was resolve. The room went still, the tension starting to creep up again like a chill breeze.
This was no longer about passing.
This was about proving you belonged.
As the tension built in the hall, Kabuto calmly raised his hand.
Hayate squinted toward him through tired eyes.
"Yes?" he asked, coughing lightly.
Kabuto gave a polite bow. "Sir, I'd like to withdraw. I'm at my limit, and I doubt I can continue to fight in this condition."
He spoke humbly, but Naruto narrowed his eyes.
Something feels off…He passed the Forest of Death without a scratch. And now he's tired?
Hayate turned to Hiruzen, who gave a small nod.
"Very well. You're permitted to withdraw," Hayate said with a wheeze.
Kabuto gave a respectful nod, then turned and walked out of the tower.
His teammates—Yoroi and Misumi—remained behind, showing no reaction as he left.
Hayate faced the rest.
"Anyone else wish to withdraw? Any objections before we begin?"
The silence was sharp.
No one moved. No one blinked. Eyes locked forward, fists clenched.
These were shinobi. And shinobi don't back down.
Hayate gave a satisfied nod.
"Very well. With 21 genin remaining, we need to thin the numbers before the finals."
He gestured, and a large board was wheeled in, blank and ready.
Hayate took a marker, coughing as he drew out the structure.
Lines were etched swiftly—brackets forming. Names would be filled in soon.
The genin leaned forward, eager, whispering among themselves.
"Ten matches," Hayate said."Nine will be standard one-on-one. The tenth match will be a three-way battle. As you can see—"
He tapped the final bracket.
"—this one will be a bit of a wild card. A matter of luck. But everyone fights just once in the preliminaries."
The genin murmured among themselves again—some nervous, some excited, others just sharpening their focus like blades.
"Any complaints?" Hayate asked, glancing across the crowd.
There were whispers, exchanges of side-eyes and competitive glares—but no real protest.
"Good," Hayate said. "Then it's time to draw your numbers."
One by one, each genin stepped forward, drew their lots, and held their breath.
Hayate marked their names onto the bracket board.
The final matchups lit up like sparks flying in a forge.
Preliminary Matchups:
Karin Uzumaki vs Temari
Neji Hyuga vs Tenten
Gaara vs Rock Lee
Kiba Inuzuka vs Ino Yamanaka
Sasuke Uchiha vs Zaku Abumi
Shikamaru Nara vs Kankuro
Sakura Haruno vs Misumi Tsurugi
Shino Aburame vs Hinata Hyuga
Dosu Kinuta vs Yoroi Akado
Naruto Uzumaki vs Kin Tsuchi vs Choji Akimichi (Triple Threat Match)
The moment the final name slotted into place, a hush fell over the room. Eyes darted across the board. Some frowned. Others smirked.
But one voice cut through the quiet like a blade through mist.
"Heh. Match ten? Yeah… that's perfect."
Naruto grinned, fists on his hips, pure confidence radiating off him like chakra.
"One versus two? Nah. This is a three-way. This is how legends are made. I'm gonna etch my name into that wall of fame, believe it."
Choji blinked nervously.Kin just narrowed her eyes.
Meanwhile, Karin cracked her knuckles, staring down Temari with a fierce smirk.Lee looked almost thrilled to face Gaara.Hinata and Shino exchanged hesitant glances.
And Sasuke? He didn't say a word. But that Sharingan shimmer in his eyes said everything.