Chapter 313: The Fire Release Jutsu that Shocked the Examinees

Chapter 313: The Fire Release Jutsu that Shocked the Examinees

Mu Yue didn't know what Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Elder had discussed, but the outcome was more or less as he had expected.

The Kirigakure examinees continued the exam as usual, and those who had been captured were released as if nothing had happened.

Five days later, Mu Yue looked at the clock and officially announced the end of the second exam. Any teams that failed to collect the scrolls and arrive at the central tower were eliminated.

"Finally, we can go outside," Obito commented.

They had only spent a few hours on the exam and had been cooped up in the central tower ever since.

Even training had been uncomfortable for Obito, limited to physical exercises in the spacious interior of the tower.

"Everyone, quiet down. The head examiner for the third exam, Hiruko, will now explain the details," Mu Yue said with a smile.

While Mu Yue held a position in the third exam, the explanations were left to the head examiner.

A ninja with white long hair and a grayish-yellow high-collared jacket walked up to stand beside Mu Yue.

"It's all yours, Hiruko-san," Mu Yue said with a gentle smile.

Hiruko, a friend of Tsunade and Jiraiya, was considered a friend of a friend to Mu Yue, and they had gotten along well during the Chunin Exams.

Hiruko responded with a slight smile, "Leave it to me."

As Mu Yue stepped aside, Hiruko addressed the examinees with a smile, "First of all, congratulations on passing the second exam."

"However, I regret to inform you that you cannot leave the central tower yet. Before the third exam begins, there will be a preliminary selection exam, and only those who pass will be eligible for the third exam."

"Why make things so complicated? Why add another selection round?" Obito asked, puzzled.

"Yeah, we barely made it through the second exam, and we're already exhausted," one of the ninjas found this arrangement unfair.

"The third exam will be attended by many high-ranking nobles and officials who can offer a large number of quality missions. Time is a significant factor, so the number of participants in the third exam must be limited," Hiruko calmly explained.

The reason all successful examinees were kept in the central tower was to facilitate the preliminary selection. It wouldn't have been necessary just to explain the rules of the third exam.

Hiruko had planned for around eighteen participants, but with forty-four teams taking the exam, even after eliminating more than half, there were still eleven teams that completed the exam. With three members per team, the total number far exceeded Hiruko's expectations, hence the need for the additional round.

"The preliminary battles will not be team battles but one-on-one fights. There will be only one round, and if there are examinees who are unwell or lack confidence in their strength, they may choose to forfeit," Hiruko continued explaining the rules of the preliminary selection.

To ensure the third exam was exciting enough, the preliminary rules mirrored those of the third exam, testing the examinees' individual combat abilities.

"Individual battles..." Rin Nohara frowned, feeling a bit worried as she wasn't very confident in her solo combat skills.

"Rin, don't worry. You'll do great. Just hold back a little if you're fighting someone from the same village; we don't want any accidental deaths," Obito teased encouragingly.

"I'm not that strong," Rin pouted slightly, looking a little unhappy.

"Obito's right this time. Rin, your strength has surpassed many of the examinees. As long as you don't meet those exceptionally strong Kirigakure ninjas, you'll be fine," Kakashi nodded.

Despite Rin's low profile among them, Kakashi, who had been a ninja since he was five, had rich experience. Rin's level of skill was already quite high for a genin; she just lacked long-range attack methods, which was common among genin.

"Mmm, no matter who my opponent is, I'll do my best. Let's all get through to the third exam together," Rin nodded, feeling a little more reassured by Kakashi's words.

After all, Kakashi was much more reliable in this aspect.

"It's a one-on-one fight? I think I'm done for," Hotaru Genma looked around at the other genin and felt like a husky that had wandered into a pack of wolves.

He recognized the ninjas around his age, and they were all monsters. Team Obito was full of monsters, and the Kirigakure ninjas were also exceptionally strong. Aside from them, even the youngest team, Team Asuma, was a year older than them, and most of the other genin were several years older.

"There's nothing we can do if we lose. It's our own strength that's lacking," Ebizo accepted the situation calmly.

By now, he had a good idea of his abilities. He had only made it to the exam because of Might Guy, and becoming a Chunin would be a bonus; if not, he would gain experience.

"Indeed, we've made it this far thanks to Guy-sensei," Hotaru Genma placed his hand on Might Guy's back and smiled.

"Just give it your all and fight without regrets. That's all that matters," Might Guy gave them a thumbs-up.

Hotaru Genma and Ebizo nodded.

"If I get to fight Kakashi or Obito, I'll definitely surprise them," Asuma said confidently.

He had learned a lot about wind-attribute chakra nature changes from Mu Yue, and his most proficient ninjutsu was no longer fire release but wind release.

"Well, I think we can forget about Kakashi," Raido advised Asuma not to get his hopes up; after all, Kakashi had passed the Chunin Exam years ago.

"I forfeit," a Kirigakure ninja wrapped in bandages from head to toe, standing next to Mirai, raised his hand to forfeit.

He was the one who had been severely injured by Might Guy. Although he had survived by a stroke of luck, five days was not enough for him to recover, so he chose to drop out.

Mirai remained expressionless. At this point, she wouldn't interfere with her teammates' decisions. From here on out, it was every ninja for themselves.

"The green-clad taijutsu boy, the white-haired masked ninja who likes to pose, and Kisame Hoshigaki," Mirai silently recited the names of her main competitors, preparing to watch their battles closely.

Since Obito specialized in fire release and she had defeated him once before, she didn't consider him a significant threat.

Hiruko nodded in agreement and then asked, "Are there any other forfeits? If not, the preliminaries will begin."

No one responded to Hiruko's question; they had come this far, and unless they truly had no choice, no one wanted to give up.

"Very well, then. You can now turn your attention to the large screen behind me for the match-ups and order of the preliminaries," Hiruko said, pointing to the giant screen behind him, seeing that no one else was forfeiting.

After about five minutes, the originally black screen lit up, displaying the match-ups one by one.

"First match, Uchiha Obito versus Kawano Hideyoshi. Examinees, prepare for battle!" Biuu called out after the names had been displayed for a minute.

"I'm up first, watch me become the first winner." Obito said confidently.

Previously, they had obtained a lot of data cards from a team of Konoha ninjas, including one for Kawano Hideyoshi.

Kawano Hideyoshi graduated at the age of ten and participated in the Chunin Exams last year when he was twelve, making it to the third exam but failing to become a Chunin.

In Obito's opinion, if someone hadn't become a Chunin by the age of thirteen, they probably weren't very strong. Even Kakashi, who became a Chunin at six years old, had been defeated by him.

"Good luck!" Rin Nohara smiled and cheered for Obito.

"Be careful, don't lose to someone weaker than you." Kakashi reminded him calmly.

With the blessings of his teammates, Obito walked to the center of the large space. Kawano Hideyoshi exchanged a few words with his teammates before joining him, and the other examinees were guided by the examiners to the second floor to watch the match, so as not to disturb the fight.

"He looks very young, but since he made it through the Forest of Death, I can't underestimate him." Kawano Hideyoshi thought as he looked at Obito, who was obviously much younger than him.

"Begin!" Biuu shouted and quickly retreated to the edge as he saw the two examinees ready themselves.

"Breath of Flames, Total Concentration Breathing!" Obito immediately entered a state of total concentration, his physical abilities and Fire Release enhanced.

"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"

As he entered the total concentration breathing state, Obito quickly formed hand seals, gathering chakra in his throat and spitting out a massive burst of flames.

Like a swarm of fire dragons dancing wildly, the flames rapidly engulfed Kawano Hideyoshi, turning the ground within a radius of more than ten meters into a fiery inferno that trapped his opponent.

Seeing the fierce flames that seemed about to devour him whole, Kawano Hideyoshi was stunned. "Is this guy a Genin? I've been a Genin for several years, and I've never seen a Genin use such an advanced Fire Style technique!"

Even Biuu, who was observing from a distance, was surprised by Obito's Fire Style. Such a technique was rarely seen, not just among Genin but even among Chunin.

"Is he a genius like Orochimaru and Jiraiya?" Biuu couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.

Realizing that he had no way to counter the attack, Kawano Hideyoshi dropped the kunai in his hand, saluted in the Konoha style, and said, "I surrender."

He didn't stand a chance, and he figured it was better to cut his losses.

"Uchiha Obito wins!" Biuu promptly announced the victory. There was simply no contest between the two.

"Uchiha Obito? Isn't he that famous dead last? How did he become so strong?" A Konoha ninja who had graduated before Obito's rise was puzzled.

"Dead last? That guy is a bona fide monster." Nara Yukata, who had witnessed Obito's battle against the Kirigakure Jonin, exclaimed.

Obito's Fire Dragon Flame Bullet sparked intense discussions among the examinees.

Although Obito had shed the label of "dead last" in his fourth year during the practical exam, most of the Konoha ninjas taking the Chunin Exams with him were from older grades.

Those who had graduated earlier wouldn't keep up with the Ninja Academy's news, so in their minds, Obito was still the Uchiha clan's failure.

"No matter how strong your Fire Style is, you're still no match for me." Mei Terumi remained unperturbed.

"How did Obito get so good at Fire Style? How has he been training?" Asuma asked, perplexed.

He vaguely remembered that during the training, Obito's Fire Style wasn't much better than his. But now, after just half a year, Obito seemed like a different person.

Asuma instantly lost confidence in his ability to defeat Obito. The Fire Style technique looked too formidable.

"While we were working hard, they were probably working even harder." Aburame Shino added.

Previously, when Shino lost to Obito's team, he was quite dissatisfied. He had wanted to win it back during the Chunin Exams, but after witnessing Obito's Fire Style, he no longer wanted to face him.

Obito returned to the second floor with a brilliant smile on his face. "How was that? I finished the fight in less than a minute."

"Yes, you were amazing." Rin praised him with a smile.

"It was passable. Using such a chakra-intensive technique at the start isn't a wise move." Kakashi started nitpicking.

"Kakashi, you're just jealous. But I'm generous, so if you don't make it to the third round, I'll definitely comfort you." With Rin's praise boosting his confidence, Obito ignored Kakashi's criticism.

Of course, if Kakashi really lost and failed to advance to the third round of the Chunin Exams, Obito would have a good laugh about it for a year. It would be too hilarious for a Jonin to participate in the Chunin Exams and not make it past the second round.

"Second match, Shiranui Genma versus Mei Terumi." Biuu quickly announced the names of the next pair of examinees.

"What bad luck." Shiranui Genma sighed.

The good news was that he knew his opponent's information, but the bad news was that his opponent was too strong, and knowing her information wouldn't change the outcome.

"It's okay. The guy before you instantly surrendered, so if you lose quickly, it won't be that embarrassing." Ebizo pushed up his glasses and said.

"Get lost! I'll at least exchange a few moves with her." Shiranui Genma hammered Ebizo's chest.

Although Shiranui Genma knew he couldn't beat Mei Terumi, he didn't want to end the match without even trying, like Kawano Hideyoshi.

As he wished, Shiranui Genma managed to exchange a few moves with Mei Terumi. However, after spitting out a single kunai and getting in a punch and a kick, he was trapped in Mei's water prison and had no choice but to admit defeat.

Although he had mentally prepared himself, Shiranui Genma still felt a bit down after being defeated so easily. Back in the Ninja Academy, he had been a top student in his class, and this stark contrast in their strengths was hard to accept.

Shiranui Genma had already made up his mind to ask Chen Sensei for extra training after returning. He would train relentlessly, pushing himself to the limit, as he never wanted to experience such humiliation again.

The winners of the next two consecutive matches were Kisame and Momochi Zabuza, both of whom achieved absolute victory over their opponents.

"Fifth match, Hatake Kakashi versus Mizumoto Koji."

"Good luck!" Rin waved her small fist to cheer for Kakashi.

"Don't lose." Obito offered his encouragement in his unique way.

Kakashi nodded calmly and leaped down from the second floor.

Since Mizumoto Koji was a Kirigakure ninja, Kakashi hadn't encountered him during the second exam and didn't know his information. Therefore, Kakashi chose to start with a probing attack.

"Believe in yourself. You can do it," Kakashi said with a smile as he returned to the second floor after his victory.

Nakane Kotoda was a Konoha ninja about whom they had some intelligence. He was from the same graduating class and team as Kawano Hideyoshi, who had been defeated by Obito earlier.

"Rin, you can do it," Obito said encouragingly.

Rin nodded with a smile and walked downstairs to the combat area.

Nakane Kotoda eyed her cautiously. Although Rin appeared delicate and fragile, her two teammates had achieved overwhelming victories, which made him wary of underestimating her.

"She looks so frail; she's probably not strong in taijutsu." Nakane Kotoda carefully observed Rin's body, analyzing her strengths and weaknesses.

He believed that Rin, like Obito, specialized in ninjutsu.

Therefore, Nakane Kotoda immediately formulated a battle plan: he would start with ranged ninja tools to harass her and then engage in close-quarters combat, as taijutsu was his forte.

"Begin the battle!"

Shuuuu! !

As soon as Biiru's words fell, Nakane Kotoda threw a shuriken at Rin.

"Basic Breathing, Total Concentration!"

Rin immediately entered a state of basic breathing, enhancing her physical abilities.

Then, something unexpected happened. Just as Rin was thinking about how to approach Nakane Kotoda, he charged straight at her.

Since Nakane Kotoda was coming right at her, Rin didn't hold back. She gathered a large amount of chakra in her arms and unleashed a powerful punch.

Boom!

A loud bang echoed as Nakane Kotoda was sent flying like a fired shell, crashing into the ground with a spider web of cracks appearing beneath him.

At that moment, the entire tower fell silent, and the examinees stared in shock at Rin, who was still holding her fighting pose in the center of the arena.

They found it bizarre. A fragile-looking nine-year-old girl had just punched a robust and muscular boy, sending him flying.

"Wow!" Asuma gasped, his face incredulous. "When did Rin become so violent, or should I say, so good at taijutsu?"

In Asuma's impression, Rin was a theoretical type of student who performed adequately in various aspects but was generally average. However, Rin's punch had just defied that impression.

"I'll have to talk to her after the exam," Kurenai Yuhi said, equally stunned by the scene before her.

Biuu had become numb to such displays of strength. He felt that Rin was already difficult to deal with, and if that punch had landed on him, he would have immediately knelt before her, begging for mercy.

"Rin Nohara wins!" Biuu announced her victory, seeing that Nakane Kotoda had lost the ability to continue fighting.

Having passed the preliminary round, a smile appeared on Rin's face. It had been much easier than she had imagined, and she had expected to have to work hard for her victory.

After all, compared to the exceptional Obito and Kakashi, she felt that she lagged far behind.

"I knew you could do it, Rin," Obito said as soon as she returned to the second floor.

"Thank you for your trust in me. Now, our whole team has advanced," Rin said with a bright smile, pressing her palms together.

Kakashi nodded without saying a word. He knew Rin's true strength better than she did, and her lack of confidence was only because she spent most of her time with teammates who were too strong, which had skewed her perception.

As the preliminary examinations continued, successful candidates emerged one after another, many of whom were acquaintances of Obito and Kakashi.

Asuma, Shika Nara, and Inuzuka Kiba were friends they knew from school, and some were comrades they had fought alongside in the Forest of Death.

Kakashi also noticed that, apart from their entire team advancing, Kisame Hoshigaki's Kirigakure team had also made it to the third round, as had Tsunade Mito's team, except for the ninja who had forfeited.

Apart from them, Shika Nara's team lost Aburame Shino, Asuma's team only had Asuma succeed, and Biuu and Kurenai Yuhi both lost, with Biuu suffering the worst fate as he encountered Might Guy.

Only Might Guy succeeded in his team, with Ebisu losing to Yamashiro Aoba.

"The preliminaries are over, and a total of sixteen people have advanced to the third exam. They are Uchiha Obito, Mito Tsunade..." As all the battles concluded, Biuu announced the final results.

After announcing the list of qualifiers, Biuu immediately explained the arrangements for the third exam.

"The rules of the third exam are basically the same as the preliminaries you just completed. According to the draw, you will engage in one-on-one battles, with the winner advancing and the loser being eliminated until the final victor emerges.

In the third exam, you must utilize all your abilities to the fullest in combat. There will be special ninjas scoring your performance, and if you perform exceptionally well, even if you lose, you may still have a chance to become a Chunin. Conversely, if you perform poorly, even if you win, you may not qualify for the Chunin rank."

The rules of the third exam were similar to the practical exam at the Ninja Academy, where each round of combat would be scored by examiners who assessed the ninjas' overall abilities.

"Next, I will call out your names, and you will come up to draw lots. The order of the third exam battles will be determined by this draw." Biuu then took out a box and continued.

The order of the draw was based on the results of the previous battles, with Obito being the first to be called up.

Without hesitation, Obito reached into the box, pulled out a lot, and showed it to Biuu.

"Uchiha Obito, number nine," Biuu read out.

After each person drew their lot, Biuu would announce their number. Once everyone had drawn, the originally dark screen lit up again, displaying the matchups for the third exam, with number one against number two, number three against number four, and so on.

Obito didn't rush to check his opponent and instead looked at number four, as Rin was number three.

"It's that Shika Nara, huh? She might be tricky to deal with," Obito said with some concern for Rin.

He had witnessed Shika Nara's performance in the Forest of Death, and he knew that Shika was as cunning and treacherous as Kakashi.

"Mhm, he seems like a calm and shrewd person," Rin nodded in agreement. She remembered how Shika had almost helped Obito defeat an elite jonin despite being unable to move freely. It had left a deep impression on her.

"But I will fight with all my might. After all, the examiner mentioned that even if we lose, we might still have a chance to become Chunin," Rin added.

 The story then skips ahead, summarizing the events of the Death Forest, as it has already been described in detail in previous chapters.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end