Next up was Neji Hyuga against Dosu Kinuta. Dosu's Resonant Piercing Technique used sound waves as attacks, making him a tricky opponent; the reverberations could bypass standard defenses and disorient foes. But Neji was undaunted. "You may have some skills, but unfortunately you've run into me. I am the strongest genin in Konoha this Chunin Exam."
Despite the risks to his own hearing, Neji pressed close and unleashed a flurry of precise Gentle Fist strikes and Eight Trigrams Palm, sending Dosu crashing backward. To the onlookers, Neji hadn't even used a third of his strength—arrogant, yes, but it was clear he had power to spare.
The next match was an internal Sand Village bout: Gaara versus Kankuro. Sunagakure's strategy was obvious—Kankuro forfeited to keep his own skills and Gaara's secrets safe for the finals. Everyone knew Gaara was the true juggernaut of these exams.
Then came the final bout: Sasuke Uchiha versus Zaku Abumi. Zaku, from the Sound Village, was skilled in powerful sonar shockwaves—the Sky-Slaying Wave and Sky-Slaying Extreme Wave—which forced Sasuke, still reeling from the effects of Orochimaru's cursed mark, onto the defensive. In a desperate moment, the curse mark's ink-like patterns spread across Sasuke's body, radiating an ominous black aura. His power surged and his attacks turned vicious.
Zaku panicked. "That's Lord Orochimaru's—!" he screamed. But unlike Naruto, who fought against succumbing, Sasuke embraced the cursed seal's surge of strength, snapping both of Zaku's arms with a savage attack.
Crack—bones splintered and joints dislocated. The arena recoiled in shocked silence at the sight.
Zaku cried for mercy and surrendered, but Sasuke was gripped by the thrill of newfound power, and for a moment looked ready to keep going. Fortunately, Moonlight Gekko intervened in time, snapping Sasuke out of his trance.
Naruto and Hinata exchanged worried glances—not only frightened by the cursed seal's danger, but by how easily Sasuke seemed drawn to its darkness. Naruto knew better than anyone how obsession with strength could pull someone down the wrong path.
"Sasuke, you…" Naruto started, but Sasuke said nothing, his head bowed, shrouded in silence.
Moonlight Gekko called everyone's attention. "Here are your finalists: Naruto Uzumaki! Sasuke Uchiha! Hinata Hyuga! Neji Hyuga! Rock Lee! Shino Aburame! Sakura Haruno! Shikamaru Nara! Gaara! Temari!"
Of the ten finals competitors, eight were from Konoha, testament to the village's power, while two hailed from Sunagakure. It was clear the strongest villages continued to dominate.
Hayate Gekko continued, "The final round of the Chunin Exams will take place in a month. Until then, you'll have time to train, grow, and prepare for your moment of truth!"
Naruto's face lit up with fierce joy. "Just wait—I'll make the ninja world remember the name Naruto Uzumaki!"
***
With the preliminaries over, the Chunin Exams entered a temporary break. The grand finals would happen in one month—plenty of time for everyone to train and evolve.
Konoha's training grounds.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto called out, bouncing with excitement. "Give us some special training! We need to get stronger!"
Kakashi scratched his head lazily. "Becoming stronger can't happen overnight… but since all three of you made the finals, it's time to work hard." For once, he looked unusually serious. "I've already prepared special training regimens tailored for each of you."
Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke's faces all registered shock—and excitement. Had Kakashi finally dropped his usual lazy air for their sake?
Kakashi turned to Sasuke. "You tapped into the cursed seal's power during battle and felt the strength it offered. But that's exactly what Orochimaru wants. Chase that, and you'll become his plaything. Death would be a mercy."
Sasuke nodded grimly, understanding on a deep level just how dangerous that path was.
"But for you, Sasuke, there's real strength to be found in your own power—the Sharingan." He smiled reassuringly. "The next month will be devoted to helping you awaken your eye fully. If you can control it, Orochimaru and his mark will mean nothing to you."
Sasuke looked at Kakashi, then at his teacher's solitary Sharingan. "Is that… the same?"
Kakashi smiled.
"It's a memento from a good friend—an Uchiha who believed in me. He's not here anymore, but I keep his will alive. Trust me, I've studied the Sharingan plenty. I'm not Uchiha, but I can offer guidance."
Sasuke nodded decisively. He'd found a better path; the Sharingan was his power—his inheritance.
Next, Kakashi faced Naruto. "Naruto, your reserves and stamina are amazing, and your skills are improving. But what's vital is adapting to every challenge—countering all manner of secret and unexpected techniques."
Naruto frowned. "Kakashi-sensei, break that down for me?"
He smiled. "If you go head-to-head, you could beat anyone besides maybe Gaara. But the ninja world has all kinds of weird abilities. Like chakra-absorbing techniques, illusions, insect swarms, and even strange sound-based attacks. The key is to prepare, learn counters for each threat. Over this month, you'll study them all."
"Great!" Naruto cheered. "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei!"
Kakashi turned to Hinata. "Don't be nervous—you've done beautifully. Creating a defensive Gentle Fist technique to that level is impressive. Your only weakness is offense. For you, I'll focus on creating a counterattack style. After perfecting your defense, you'll learn to use your Byakugan to find an opponent's weakness and finish the fight with one blow."
Hinata nodded, gratitude and determination shining in her eyes.
Kakashi had surprised them, crafting a plan unique to each. Naruto smiled proudly. The system required teamwork: for true success, all of Team 7 would need to become Chunin, or the consequences would be… electrifying. Now, at last, it felt possible.
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