harleyscars Chapter 418 Grouping by Lottery
Chapter 418 Grouping by Lottery
On the other side, Menma and Hinata walked side by side on the increasingly bustling street.
He casually rested his hands behind his head. Hinata walked half a step behind him, her head slightly lowered, her hands clasped in front of her. Occasionally, she would steal a glance at Menma's profile before quickly looking away, her cheeks slightly flushed.
Today is the third round of the Chunin Joint Exams, the final day that determines whether all candidates can advance to the Chunin rank.
It seemed as if Konoha had concentrated all its energy and hustle on this one day.
Although most of the travelers, merchants, and nobles who came to watch the ceremony had already set off for the competition venue located in the north of the village, the streets were still bustling with people.
Many ordinary people who were unable to enter the venue, or tourists who simply wanted to enjoy the festive atmosphere, gathered in front of various izakayas, tea restaurants, and even open-air stalls.
Some business-minded merchants have already set up their own televisions outside their shops or used projection screens to broadcast the scene in real time.
A crowd gathered in front of the screen, snacking and drinking, excitedly discussing, speculating, and cheering for their favorite ninja team. The cacophony was almost enough to lift the roof off.
The air was filled with the aroma of various snacks, the smell of people's sweat, and a festive and joyful atmosphere.
"Oh, right, Menma-kun." Hinata seemed to suddenly remember something and whispered, "'Sister' said... if she has the chance today, she wants to come out and see just how strong her opponent is."
The "older sister" she was referring to was naturally "the eldest sister, Hinata".
That guy has an extraordinary obsession with fighting and proving himself.
Menma pursed his lips upon hearing this, his tone tinged with a helpless smile: "Forget it, with the boss's strength, fighting them would be bullying them, wouldn't it? Besides..."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the seemingly joyful and peaceful crowd around him. He lowered his voice, so that only Hinata could hear him: "Today... we might not even be able to finish the match peacefully."
With Hinata's two decades of experience, and the ferocious fighting power she gained by fusing Gentle Fist and the unique dark attribute chakra from the "Limited Tsukuyomi World" with her help, it was like a dimensional reduction attack when she was placed among this group of genin.
Even among the elite Jonin of various countries, the current "Big Sister Hinata" is extremely strong, and this is not the limit of her growth.
Those incredibly pure Byakugan, if developed further, might awaken the Tenseigan, making him a Six Paths level fighter.
More importantly, no one knows when or how Orochimaru will launch the "Konoha Crush Plan".
Is the match in progress?
Is it during the awards ceremony?
Or will they start with a big wave right from the beginning?
Once the plan is launched, the entire arena will become the most dangerous battlefield, and naturally no one will care about the competition.
Hinata understood Menma's unfinished words, gave a soft "hmm," and didn't bring up the topic again.
Their clasped fingers tightened slightly, almost unconsciously.
As the two talked, they had already traversed most of Konoha and arrived at a large, dedicated training ground located in the northern part of the village, behind the Hokage Rock, the venue for the third exam.
This is a giant circular building similar to the ancient Roman Colosseum, constructed entirely of sturdy gray-white stone, and exudes a magnificent aura.
The outer perimeter was already heavily guarded by Konoha ninjas, leaving only a few designated entrances open.
The audience was entering the venue in an orderly manner through different channels, and the noise could be faintly heard from inside the high walls, like muffled thunder.
Menma and Hinata walked toward the entrance reserved for the contestants.
It's relatively quiet here, but there are still quite a few test takers and their companions gathered here.
"Menma-nii! Hinata! Over here!" A lively voice immediately rang out.
Naruto was standing at the entrance to the competition, waving his arms vigorously and shouting excitedly.
Today he changed into a brand new orange tracksuit, his golden spiky hair stood out in the morning light, his bright blue eyes burned with fighting spirit, and his face showed an undisguised eagerness to try.
Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji, who were about to enter the passage, were also attracted by Naruto's loud voice, stopped in their tracks, and looked back.
"Yo, Menma, Hinata, good morning." Shikamaru greeted them listlessly. His face, which always carried a hint of weariness, seemed even more exhausted at this moment, with clearly visible dark circles under his eyes, as if he had spent another sleepless night thinking.
"We probably won't win a single game," Shikamaru said dejectedly without any hesitation, his gaze sweeping over the elite genin from various villages that could be vaguely seen at the other entrances.
"I just hope... I'll have good luck in the draw and not run into you guys, or those monster teams from the Star Kingdom and Cloud Village in the first round."
"Don't worry, Shikamaru." Menma walked up to them, smiled, and patted Shikamaru on the shoulder, trying to encourage this overly realistic guy: "As is customary, the group draw will try to avoid teams from the same village meeting in the early stages. Your Ino-Shika-Cho synergy is very advantageous in team matches, and you might have a chance."
Shikamaru's lips twitched, clearly not holding out much hope for Masah's comfort: "That's true... but I hope we don't lose too badly. I don't want Ino nagging me for the entire second half of the year."
"Hey! Shikamaru! What do you mean?!" Yamanaka Ino, standing nearby, immediately raised her eyebrows, put her hands on her hips, and her golden ponytail swayed angrily.
"You're already talking such discouraging things before we've even started! We've come this far with great difficulty! Choji, don't you think?"
Choji Akimichi was holding a large bag of freshly opened potato chips and stuffing them into his mouth one after another. When Ino called his name, he mumbled "hmm" twice. He tried to force a bit of fighting spirit into his chubby face, but looking at the fierce opponents around him, he eventually turned his love for potato chips into something even deeper.
"Hmm... potato chips, to replenish energy... I'll think about it after I finish eating..."
Looking at his teammates' varying performances, Shikamaru sighed again, looked up at the sky, and felt that today was truly a troublesome day.
After a brief conversation at the entrance, the group walked together into the contestant passage.
The passageway was spacious and bright, with a solemn atmosphere. Footsteps echoed within, mingling with the distant roar of the stadium, making one's heart beat faster involuntarily.
Soon, they arrived at the athletes' rest area located on the lower level of the main stadium building.
This is a fairly large circular hall, well-lit, with several rows of benches.
At this moment, a considerable number of people had already gathered in the hall.
Almost the instant they stepped into the rest area, several pairs of eyes were immediately drawn to them.
Sasuke, dressed in all black, leaned against a pillar, his bandaged arms crossed over his chest, eyes closed in rest. On either side of him were his teammates, Sai and Shigaraki Tanuki.
Hearing footsteps, Sasuke slowly opened his eyes. The crimson three-tomoe star flashed in his eyes, and his cold gaze swept over Menma before he lowered his eyes again.
However, the low-pressure aura and underlying anxiety emanating from him could not be completely concealed.
Hozuki Suigetsu of Kirigakure sat casually on a bench, his long sword, Sewing Needle, planted on the ground. When he saw Menma and Hinata, he grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth, and gave a smile that was not exactly friendly, but full of fighting spirit.
Chojuro, who was standing next to him, pushed up his glasses, looking somewhat nervous.
Hinoka Uzumaki stood quietly beside Chojuro, and she couldn't help but feel nervous when she saw Menma.
Deidara of Iwagakure was being talked to by his teammate Sora, and he looked a little impatient.
Seeing Menma's team enter, especially upon seeing Hinata's pure Byakugan, his pupils visibly brightened, and he muttered to himself, "Hmph, I hope this time I can have a good fight against the Byakugan or Sharingan..."
Sora and Kirara merely glanced calmly at Menma and the others who had just entered before turning their attention away, focusing more on the two genin squads from the Land of Stars.
Karui of Kumogakure crossed his arms, pursed his lips, and frowned slightly.
Omoi, sitting on a bench nearby, had a lollipop in his mouth and his usual worried expression on his face, while Atsi, sitting next to him, seemed very excited and kept flexing his wrists.
Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro from the Land of Stars stood together. Gaara leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes closed, resting. But when Menma and the others entered, his eyelids twitched slightly.
Temari and Kankuro surveyed the three teams from Konoha, assessing their potential opponents.
The reaction of the other team from the Land of Stars, Karin Uzumaki, Kurotsuchi, and Ranmaru, was completely different.
The moment Karin saw Menma, her fiery red pupils lit up like light bulbs that had been switched on!
A blush of infatuation instantly spread across her face, and she made an incomprehensible "woo-woo" sound. She leaned forward, looking like she was about to charge at him like a wild horse!
However, Hinata, who was next to Menma, was even faster!
Almost the instant Karin's expression changed, Hinata, who had been standing shyly behind Menma, suddenly grabbed Menma's right arm with both hands like a startled fawn!
She pressed half of her body against Menma, then raised her head, her pure white eyes instantly opening, the veins around her eyes bulging slightly, glaring at Karin with a clear warning and "claim of sovereignty" without showing any weakness!
Although her face was still flushed red, the determination in her eyes made Karin's rushing movements freeze.
Kurotsuchi sighed helplessly, while Ranmaru blinked his pale red eyes, watching the sudden scene with curiosity.
Just as the atmosphere became slightly awkward, several figures suddenly appeared in the open space in the center of the rest area.
The leader was tall and thin, with a sickly pale face, heavy dark circles under his eyes, wearing the standard green vest uniform of Konoha, carrying a samurai sword on his back, and casually dangling a blade of grass from his mouth.
It was the chief examiner of the third exam, Moonlight Gale.
Behind him were several Konoha Chunin with serious expressions.
"I am the chief examiner for the third exam, Moonlight Hayate." Moonlight Hayate seemed oblivious to the slightly tense and strange atmosphere in the rest area. He lazily glanced at the twenty-four candidates who had arrived and introduced himself.
Only after his gaze lingered briefly on Menma and Naruto, confirming that the last two teams from Konoha had arrived, did he clear his throat and speak in a slightly breathy voice:
"Well, the last two teams have arrived. Well then, let's not waste any more time."
He paused, his gaze becoming slightly more serious: "Now, let's begin the third test, the 3V3 team competition, with the draw for team groups. Team captains, please come forward."
As he spoke, two Konoha Chunin who were following behind him stepped forward.
One person was holding an opaque black lottery box, while the other held a registration book and a pen, both ready for action.
Menma nodded to Hinata, who was blushing and clinging to his arm, signaling her to let go. He then gently pulled his arm out of Hinata's arms and walked towards the center.
Shikamaru sighed and followed, his shoulders slumped.
Following that, Sasuke, Suigetsu Hozuki, Deidara, Karui, Gaara, and Karin, along with the captains of the other six squads, stepped forward one by one and gathered in front of Hayate Gekko.
Mianma stepped forward first and put his hand into the round hole at the top of the lottery box.
Inside the box were many smooth bamboo skewers.
He casually picked one out, glanced at the number on it, and handed it to the Chunin in charge of registration.
The Chunin quickly made a note in the booklet.
Shikamaru, Sasuke, Suigetsu Hozuki, Deidara, Karui, Gaara, and Karin also stepped forward in turn to draw lots.
The process was quick, and only the soft clinking of bamboo skewers and the scratching of the registrar's writing remained in the hall.
After all the bamboo tags were registered, the registrar handed the booklet back to Moonlight Gale.
Moonlight Gale took the booklet, quickly glanced at it, then looked up at all the breathless examinees and slowly announced their upcoming fateful confrontation:
"First match, Konoha Village, Menma's team—"
He paused, his gaze sweeping towards the direction of the Iwagakure squad.
"Against Iwagakure, Deidara's team."
"Oh?" Deidara raised a golden eyebrow, a hint of excitement flashing in his eyes. He looked at Menma and Hinata beside him again, a playful smile playing on his lips.
"An eye roll? I can't wait~ Hmm."
Sora and Mica exchanged a glance, their eyes showing a hint of caution.
Although they didn't encounter the Star Country team they most wanted to gather intelligence from, this Konoha team was no pushover either.
Over the past few days, they have gathered a lot of intelligence and know that Menma is the top student of this year's Konoha Ninja Academy, known as the "commoner genius ninja," and he also has a Byakugan by his side, so he is probably not easy to deal with.
"The second match," Hayate Gekko continued, "Konoha Village, Sasuke's team, versus the Land of Stars, Gaara's team."
"!!!"
Sasuke's body trembled slightly. He suddenly raised his head and stared intently at Gaara, who was still resting with his eyes closed not far away!
This time...this time it has to be!
Defeat this guy!
Gaara seemed to sense the murderous gaze and slowly opened his eyes.
Those pale blue eyes met Sasuke's eyes calmly and without wavering, and they too began to look expectant.
"The third match is between the Ino-Shika-Cho team from Konoha and the Hozuki Suigetsu team from the Land of Water."
Shikamaru slapped himself in the face, letting out a silent wail.
The current generation's genius of Kirigakure is Hozuki Suigetsu, along with two Ninja Swordsmen, the Water Transformation Technique, and a member of the Uzumaki clan...
By all accounts, they are one of the most formidable opponents!
Ino frowned, and Choji slowed down his eating of potato chips.
Hozuki Suigetsu grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth, and his gaze swept over Ino and Choji, as if assessing where it would be most convenient to strike.
"The fourth match is between Karin Uzumaki's team from the Land of Stars and Karui's team from the Hidden Cloud Village."
Karin finally shifted her attention slightly away from Menma and looked towards the Cloud Village team, especially at Karui, the red-haired, dark-skinned girl with long legs despite her flat chest and exotic features. She pursed her lips.
Karui snorted coldly and glared back without fear.
Omoi began to worry that a fight might be troublesome, given that the combination of the Uzumaki clan and the Red-Eyes clan meant they had very little information.
Atsi clenched his fists, eager to try.
The match schedule has been announced.
The atmosphere in the rest area instantly changed completely.
The previous atmosphere, a mixture of curiosity, assessment, and tension, was quickly replaced by a more direct and sharper fighting spirit.
Eight squads, twenty-four young geniuses from different ninja villages, sized each other up their upcoming opponents. The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder, as if a single spark could ignite it.
Moonlight Gale took in everyone's reactions, coughed lightly twice, and his somewhat weak voice sounded again:
"That concludes the matchup arrangement for the third exam."
"The matches will proceed in order. The two teams in the first match, Menma Team and Deidara Team, please get ready and enter the arena in ten minutes."
"Other teams, please wait in the rest area or go to the designated area in the spectator stands to watch the game."
"Dismissed."