Chapter 57: The Preliminaries' First Match
"The third exam begins now!"
The Third Hokage looked out at the passionate young faces before him and gave a satisfied nod. Regardless of their individual strength, their determined spirit was something he could genuinely appreciate.
With the exception of Aizen, the other twenty-one candidates were brimming with fervor, their hearts pounding with a mix of nerves and excitement. They had waited for this moment—the true test of skill. Aizen expertly mirrored their excited expressions, though inwardly, he felt nothing but disdain for this spectacle of ants clashing. Yet, a flicker of genuine anticipation stirred within him. The start of the third exam signaled that the stage was finally set for Kyōka Suigetsu's grand debut.
In the crowd, Gaara's gaze was fixed on Aizen's back, his brow furrowed in consternation. No matter how he reasoned it, he couldn't understand. Hadn't Aizen been utterly annihilated by his Sand Waterfall Funeral? How was he standing here, alive and unharmed?
When Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro had first spotted Aizen among the qualifiers, they were so shocked they had doubted their own eyes. To make it worse, Aizen had caught Gaara's stare and offered him a polite, knowing smile, which only deepened the Sand genin's confusion and irritation.
No matter, Gaara thought, his fist clenching and then slowly relaxing. I've seen through his tricks. Even if we fight again, he will definitely die by my hand. His confidence, born of monstrous power, was absolute. He believed he could crush every genin here and emerge as the strongest in these exams.
"Now, Lord Third Hokage, please explain the details of the third exam," Mitarashi Anko announced, her voice booming through the hall without a care for ladylike decorum.
"The true purpose of this exam," the Third Hokage began, his voice taking on a grave tone, "is a microcosm of the wars between our allied nations!"
A stunned murmur rippled through the genin.
"To avoid unnecessary losses of life and property on a real battlefield," he continued, his gaze sweeping over them, "this arena has been designated as the substitute."
"What?!" The exclamation was collective. The candidates were dumbfounded. They had never imagined the Chunin Exams held such a grim, geopolitical significance.
"Why... why is that?" Uzumaki Naruto blurted out, unable to contain his confusion. "Isn't this just a selection exam?"
"Yes, it is a selection exam," the Third affirmed, his sharp eyes turning to Naruto. "But it is also a battlefield where you shinobi carry the honor of your nations on your shoulders." He explained patiently, "During the official, public third exam, feudal lords, celebrities, and powerful jōnin from every country will be invited to the Land of Fire as spectators. At that time, it becomes a competition between nations, a way to settle disputes and relieve political pressure."
"But what does that have to do with us?" Naruto persisted, his brow furrowed. "Why do we have to fight to the death just for a show?"
"Because a country's strength is reflected in the strength of its ninja village," the Third Hokage stated, his words measured and heavy. "And the strength of a ninja is only proven when they are pushed to their absolute limits, fighting with their lives on the line."
His explanation left Naruto, and many others, silent, the weight of their responsibility settling upon them.
At that moment, a figure coughed lightly and appeared in the center of the arena in a flicker of movement. He knelt respectfully before the Hokage. "Please forgive my interruption, Lord Third. Allow me to take over the proceedings from here."
It was the proctor for the third exam's preliminary matches, Konoha's jōnin, Moonlight Hayate. He looked pale and sickly, as if a strong breeze might knock him over.
"Very well," the Third Hokage nodded. "You may announce the rules for the preliminaries." He then turned and calmly walked back to his seat in the stands.
"Because twenty-two people remain—too many for the main event—we must reduce the number through these preliminary matches," Hayate explained, his hoarse voice carrying across the silent room. His eyes scanned the genin. "Only the true elites will advance to the main competition and display their strength before the dignitaries of all nations."
He paused, letting the gravity of his words sink in. "There are twenty-two of you, which divides neatly into eleven one-on-one matches. The victor of each match will advance and earn the right to participate in the main tournament."
"A match will only end when one party concedes defeat... or dies." His statement was met with a wave of tense silence. "The match-ups will be displayed on that screen." He pointed to a large blackboard at the front of the hall. "The preliminaries... begin now!"
"What? Already?" several genin muttered, caught off guard. They hadn't even had a moment to mentally prepare.
But the proctor paid their discomfort no mind.
With a mechanical whir, the cover on the blackboard retracted, revealing the names for the first match.
Yakushi Kabuto vs. Aizen Sōsuke!