Chapter 313: The Fire Escape That Shocked the Students

Muzuki wasn’t sure what Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Master discussed in the end, but the outcome was roughly as he expected.

The Hidden Mist examinees continued the exam normally, and the captured Mist Ninja were released directly, as if nothing had happened.

Five days later, Muzuki looked at the clock and officially announced the end of the second exam. All teams that failed to collect the scrolls and reach the Central Tower were eliminated.

“It’s finally over, can we go outside?” Obito complained.

They had only taken a few hours to pass the exam, but they had been stuck in the Central Tower until now.

In the Central Tower, Obito even felt a bit uncomfortable practicing, only able to exercise his body in the large open space inside the Central Tower.

“Everyone, quiet down. Now, the chief examiner for the third exam, Hiruko, will explain the details of the third exam to everyone,” Muzuki said with a smile.

Muzuki also had a position in the third exam, but the explanation still had to come from the chief examiner.

A Ninja dressed in a gray-yellow high-collared coat with long white hair walked to Muzuki’s side.

“I’ll leave it to you, Hiruko-senpai,” Muzuki said with a gentle smile.

Hiruko was friends with Tsunade and Jiraiya, so Muzuki and Hiruko could be considered friends of friends, and they got along reasonably well during the Chunin Exams.

Hiruko smiled slightly at Muzuki and replied, “Yes, leave it to me.”

Watching Muzuki walk to the side, Hiruko faced the examinees and said with a smile, “First, I congratulate everyone on successfully passing the second exam.”

“But unfortunately, everyone cannot leave the Central Tower for now. Before the third exam begins, a preliminary exam will be held. Only by passing the preliminary exam can you participate in the third exam.”

“Why make it so troublesome? Why do we need an extra preliminary?” Obito asked, puzzled.

“Yeah, we just managed to pass the second exam, and we’re already exhausted,” a Ninja felt this was unreasonable.

“Because many high-ranking officials and nobles will come to watch the third exam. They are all sources of many high-quality commissions, and the exam time is a big issue, so the number of spots for the third exam is limited,” Hiruko explained calmly.

The reason for keeping all successful examinees in the Central Tower was to facilitate the preliminary exam. If it was just to explain the rules for the third round, there would be no need for this.

Hiruko’s target number was around eighteen, and in this exam, there were as many as forty-four participating teams. Even after eliminating most of them, eleven teams completed the exam, with three members per team. The total number severely exceeded Hiruko’s psychological expectations, so an additional test was necessary.

“The preliminary battle will no longer be team-based, but one-on-one. There will be one round in total. Examinees who feel unwell or lack confidence in their strength can forfeit in advance,” Hiruko continued to explain the rules of the preliminary.

To make the third exam exciting enough, the preliminary rules were consistent with the third exam, testing individual combat ability.

“Individual combat…” Rin Nohara showed a worried expression after hearing this. She wasn’t very confident in her individual combat ability.

“Rin, you’ll definitely be fine. Just go easy if you meet someone from the same village, so you don’t accidentally kill them with one punch,” Obito said with a chuckle, encouraging her.

“My strength isn’t that great,” Rin Nohara’s small face puffed out slightly, looking a little displeased.

“Obito is actually right this time, Rin. Your strength has already surpassed many examinees. As long as you don’t encounter those particularly strong Mist Ninja, getting into the third exam won’t be a problem,” Kakashi Hatake nodded and said.

Although Rin Nohara’s presence among them was very low, Kakashi Hatake, who had been a Ninja since he was five, had extensive experience. Rin Nohara’s level was already very strong among Genin, she just lacked long-range attack methods, but all Genin were like that.

“Yes, no matter who my opponent is, I will try my best. Let’s all enter the third exam together,” Rin Nohara nodded and said. Kakashi Hatake’s words made her feel a little more at ease.

After all, Kakashi Hatake was indeed much more reliable in this regard.

“It’s actually a one-on-one battle, I feel like I’m done for,” Shiranui Genma looked at the surrounding Genin and felt like he was a husky mixed in with wolves.

He knew the Genin of similar age to him on the field; every single one of them was a monster. Obito’s team were all monsters, and those Mist Ninja were also very powerful. Besides these people, even the youngest Asuma’s team was a year older than them, and most of the Genin were several years older than them.

“There’s nothing we can do if we lose, after all, our own strength isn’t enough,” Ebisu’s expression was very calm.

By this point, he pretty much knew his own level. He was only able to participate in the exam because of Might Guy. Becoming a Chunin would be a gain; if not, he’d just accumulate experience.

“Indeed, after all, it’s all thanks to Guy that we’ve come this far,” Shiranui Genma placed his hand on Might Guy’s back and said with a smile.

“Everyone has put in effort. Now, we just need to fight with all our might and have no regrets,” Might Guy said, giving them a thumbs-up.

Shiranui Genma and Ebisu both nodded.

“If we meet Kakashi Hatake and Obito, we’ll definitely give them a big surprise,” Asuma had quite a bit of confidence in himself.

He had learned a lot of Wind Release Chakra Nature Transformation from Muzuki. Now, his most proficient Ninjutsu was no longer Fire Release but Wind Release.

“Uh, I think Kakashi Hatake should be left out,” Raido Namiashi advised Asuma not to think too much; Kakashi Hatake had already passed a Chunin Exams years ago.

“I forfeit,” a Mist Ninja completely wrapped in bandages next to Mei Terumī raised his hand to forfeit.

He was the Mist Ninja severely injured by Might Guy. Although he miraculously survived, five days were not enough for him to recover from his injuries, so he directly forfeited.

Mei Terumī looked indifferent. At this point, she wouldn’t care what decision her teammates made, because it was time for individual performances.

“The green-clad Taijutsu kid, the cool-looking white-haired masked Ninja, and Kisame Hoshigaki,” Mei Terumī silently listed her competitors for the championship, planning to focus on their battles later.

Since Obito was most proficient in Fire Release and she had defeated him head-on once, Mei Terumī did not include Obito in her list.

Hiruko nodded in agreement and then asked, “Does anyone else want to forfeit? If not, the preliminary will begin.”

No one responded to Hiruko’s words. Having come this far, no one would want to give up unless they truly had no other option.

“Very good then. Now, you can pay attention to the information on the big screen. After the drawing is complete, it will display your preliminary opponents and order,” Hiruko said, pointing to the huge display screen behind him, seeing that no one else was forfeiting.

About five minutes later, the previously dark screen lit up, and groups of match lists appeared on it.

Muzuki glanced at it briefly and then stopped paying attention, because Kakashi Hatake, Obito, and the others were bound to pass.

It wasn’t that they could consistently win against everyone, but rather that the preliminary drawing wasn’t completely random. The person arranging the drawing wouldn’t let strong examinees face each other in the preliminary, thus ensuring the third exam would be exciting enough.

“First match, Uchiha Obito versus Kono Hideyoshi. Examinees, please prepare for battle,” Hiruko called out a minute after the list appeared.

“I’m first, huh? Watch me become the first success!” Obito said with confidence.

They had previously obtained a lot of data cards from a team of Konoha Ninja, including Kono Hideyoshi’s data card.

Kono Hideyoshi graduated at ten years old, participated in a Chunin Exams last year at twelve, entered the third round, but did not become a Chunin.

In Obito’s opinion, someone who hadn’t become a Chunin at thirteen couldn’t be that strong. Kakashi Hatake became a Chunin at six and had even been defeated by him.

“Go for it!” Rin Nohara smiled and cheered for Obito.

“Be careful, don’t lose to someone weaker than you,” Kakashi Hatake reminded him blandly.

With the blessings of his two teammates, Obito walked to the center of the large open space. Kono Hideyoshi exchanged a few words with his teammates and also walked over. The other examinees, guided by the examiners, went to the second floor to observe the battle, to avoid disturbing it.

“He looks very young, but since he passed the Death Forest, I shouldn’t underestimate him,” Kono Hideyoshi thought, looking at Obito, who was clearly much younger than him.

“Battle start!” Hiruko immediately shouted after seeing both ready, then retreated to the edge.

“Flame Breathing, Total Concentration Breathing!” Obito immediately entered a state of Total Concentration, his physical abilities and Fire Release abilities rapidly increasing.

“Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!”

While in Total Concentration Breathing, Obito immediately formed hand seals and condensed Chakra in his throat, spitting out a large amount of flames.

Flames, like a multitude of Fire Dragon Dance, rapidly spread towards Kono Hideyoshi, instantly transforming the ground within ten meters into a world of fire, engulfing Kono Hideyoshi.

Kono Hideyoshi was stunned, looking at the fierce flames that seemed ready to swallow him whole the next moment. This was a Genin? He had been a Genin for several years and had never seen a Genin use such a powerful, high-level Fire Release.

Even Hiruko, not far away, showed a surprised expression when he saw Obito’s Fire Release. This Fire Release, let alone a Genin, was rarely seen even among Chunin.

“Is he a genius like Orochimaru and Jiraiya?” Hiruko couldn’t help but feel a little envious.

After realizing he couldn’t cope, Kono Hideyoshi directly dropped the Kunai in his hand and saluted, saying, “I surrender.”

He couldn’t fight at all. Kono Hideyoshi felt it was better to lose early and suffer less.

“Uchiha Obito wins!” Hiruko very straightforwardly announced Obito’s victory. The two combatants were simply not on the same level.

“Uchiha Obito? I remember him being a famous dead last, how did he become so strong?” Konoha Ninja who graduated before Obito’s rise were very puzzled by this.

“Dead last? That Guy is a genuine monster!” Nara Shiosui, who had personally witnessed Obito fighting a Mist Village Jonin alone, exclaimed.

Obito’s Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet sparked a huge discussion during the exam.

Although Obito had shed his ‘dead last’ title in the practical exam during his Fourth Grade, among those in the Chunin Exams, only Might Guy and a few others were from Obito’s year. Most other Konoha Ninja were several grades older than Obito.

Those who had graduated long ago wouldn’t pay attention to Ninja Academy information, so in their perception, Obito was still the Uchiha dead last.

“No matter how strong your Fire Release is, you are no match for me,” Mei Terumī said calmly.

“How did Obito’s Fire Release become so strong? How did he train?” Asuma showed a puzzled expression.

He vaguely remembered that during their training, Obito’s Fire Release wasn’t much stronger than his. Now, after more than half a year, it was as if he had become a different person.

Asuma instantly lost his confidence in defeating Obito; that Fire Release looked too ferocious.

“While we were working hard, perhaps they were working even harder,” Raido Namiashi couldn’t help but say.

Raido Namiashi was quite unwilling to have lost to Obito and his team before. He had originally wanted to win it back in the Chunin Exams, but after seeing Obito’s Fire Release, he no longer wanted to encounter Obito.

Obito walked back to the second floor with a brilliant smile, chuckling, “How was that? I was fast enough, wasn’t I? I finished the battle in less than a minute.”

“Mm, very impressive,” Rin Nohara affirmed with a smile.

“I can only say it was acceptable. Using such a Chakra-wasting Ninjutsu right from the start isn’t a wise move,” Kakashi began to find fault.

“Kakashi, you’re just jealous. But I’m very magnanimous; if you don’t make it to the third round of the exams, I’ll definitely comfort you.” With Rin Nohara’s praise as a boost, Obito ignored Kakashi’s disparagement.

Of course, if Kakashi really lost, Obito would laugh at him for a year. A Chunin participating in the Chunin Exams and not even making it to the third round would be too laughable.

“Second match, Shiranui Genma versus Mei Terumī,” Hiruko quickly announced the names of the examinees for the second match.

“How unlucky,” Shiranui Genma sighed.

Good news: he knew the enemy’s information. Bad news: the enemy was too strong, and knowing the information only meant he would be mercilessly beaten.

“It’s alright. Anyway, the person before you surrendered instantly, so it won’t be too embarrassing if you surrender,” Ebisu said, adjusting his sunglasses.

“Go away, go away! I’m going to at least exchange a few blows with her,” Shiranui Genma punched Ebisu’s chest.

Although Shiranui Genma knew he definitely couldn’t beat Mei Terumī, he didn’t want to end up like Kono Hideyoshi, who was finished before even exchanging blows.

Shiranui Genma got his wish and exchanged a few blows with Mei Terumī, but it was only a few blows. Shiranui Genma merely spat out a senbon, followed by a close-range punch and kick, before being trapped in a Water Prison by Mei Terumī, unable to escape, and could only concede.

Although he had mentally prepared himself, being defeated so easily still made Shiranui Genma feel a bit upset. In Ninja Academy, he was at least a formidable presence in his class. The disparity was simply too great.

Shiranui Genma had already decided to proactively seek out Teacher Chen for extra training after returning. As long as he didn’t die from training, he would train to the death. He didn’t want to experience this humiliating scene a second time.

Afterward, the winners of the next two consecutive battles were Kisame and Zabuza, both achieving victory by overwhelmingly defeating their opponents.

“Fifth match, Kakashi Hatake versus Mizumoto Koji.”

“Go, go!” Rin Nohara waved her small fists, cheering for Kakashi.

“Don’t lose,” Obito said, offering Kakashi-style encouragement.

Kakashi nodded calmly and leaped directly from the second floor.

Since Mizumoto Koji was a Mist Ninja, Kakashi hadn’t encountered him during the second exam and wasn’t aware of his information. Therefore, in the first wave of engagement, Kakashi chose to make a probing attack.

After discovering that Mizumoto Koji’s strength was far inferior to his, Kakashi directly unleashed Thunder Breathing, using extreme speed to place White Fang at Mizumoto Koji’s neck, ending the battle.

“Sixth match, Rin Nohara versus Nakane Toda.”

“Believe in yourself, you’ll be fine,” Kakashi, who had finished his battle and returned to the second floor, said.

Nakane Toda was a Konoha Ninja they had information on; he was from the same class and same team as Kono Hideyoshi, who was instantly defeated by Obito earlier.

“Rin, you can definitely win!” Obito offered his blessing.

Rin Nohara smiled and nodded, walking down the stairs and into the battle arena.

Nakane Toda looked at Rin Nohara cautiously. Although Rin Nohara looked delicate and weak, both of Rin Nohara’s teammates had won by overwhelming force, which made him not dare to underestimate Rin Nohara.

“She looks so thin and weak, so her Taijutsu probably isn’t very strong,” Nakane Toda observed Rin Nohara’s body carefully, analyzing her information.

He believed Rin Nohara, like Obito, was probably skilled in Ninjutsu.

So Nakane Toda immediately formulated a battle plan: start by harassing her with Ninja tools, then engage in close-quarters combat, as Taijutsu was his strong suit.

“Battle start!”

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!!

As soon as Hiruko’s words fell, Nakane Toda immediately pulled out Shuriken and threw them towards Rin Nohara.

“Basic Breathing, Total Concentration!”

Rin Nohara immediately entered Basic Breathing state, enhancing her physical abilities.

Then, something Rin Nohara didn’t expect happened: she was still thinking about how to approach Nakane Toda, but Nakane Toda directly charged towards her.

Since Nakane Toda actively came to her, Rin Nohara didn’t hold back, directly condensing a large amount of Chakra in her arm and performing Strength of a Hundred Technique.

Bang!

With a loud bang, Nakane Toda, who had exchanged a punch with Rin Nohara, flew backward like a launched cannonball, crashing heavily onto the ground and creating spiderweb-like cracks.

At this moment, the Central Tower was completely silent. The examinees stared dumbfounded at Rin Nohara, who was still in her punching posture in the arena.

They found it too strange: a seemingly delicate and weak nine-year-old girl punched a seemingly burly Nakane Toda, with his robust muscles, flying.

“Hiss,” Asuma gasped, an expression of disbelief on his face. “When did Rin become so violent? Oh, no, how did her Taijutsu become so powerful?”

In Asuma’s impression, Rin Nohara was an ordinary student who was good at theory and average in all other aspects, but Rin Nohara’s punch just now was too exaggerated.

“I’ll go talk to her after the exam,” Yuhi also looked greatly shaken. She had truly never seen such a scene.

Raido Namiashi was already numb. He felt that Rin Nohara was not easy to deal with. If that punch had landed on him, Rin Nohara would have had to kneel to him on the spot, begging him not to die.

“Rin Nohara wins!” Hiruko announced Rin Nohara’s victory upon discovering that Nakane Toda had lost his ability to continue fighting.

Having passed the preliminary round, Rin Nohara smiled. It was much simpler than she had imagined. She had thought that even if she won, she would have to go through a tough battle.

After all, compared to the excellent Obito and Kakashi, she was truly far too inferior.

“I told you, Rin, you could definitely do it,” Obito congratulated her the moment Rin reached the second floor.

“Thank you for your trust. Now our entire team has passed!” Rin Nohara said with a bright smile, her hands clasped together.

Kakashi nodded without speaking. He knew Rin Nohara’s strength among the Genin better than she did. Rin Nohara’s lack of self-confidence was purely because the people she was with every day were too strong, leading her to have a misconception.

As the preliminary exam progressed, more and more successful examinees emerged, many of whom were acquaintances of Obito and Kakashi.

Asuma, Nara Shiosui, Inuzuka Midori—some were friends Kakashi and his team knew from school, while others had fought alongside them in the Death Forest.

Kakashi also noticed that besides their own team successfully passing, Kisame’s Hidden Mist team also all successfully entered the third exam, and Mei Terumī’s team, except for the one Ninja who forfeited, also entered the third exam.

Besides that, there were no others. Aburame Nao from Nara Shiosui’s team lost. In Asuma’s team, besides Asuma, Raido Namiashi and Yuhi both lost. Among them, Raido Namiashi was the unluckiest because he encountered Might Guy.

Might Guy’s team also only had Might Guy successfully pass; Ebisu lost to Aoba Yamashiro.

“The preliminaries are over. A total of sixteen people have advanced to the third exam, namely Uchiha Obito, Mei Terumī…” After all the battles concluded, Hiruko announced the final results.

After announcing the list of qualifiers, Hiruko immediately stated the arrangements for the third exam.

“The rules for the third exam are basically the same as the preliminaries you just completed. Battles will be one-on-one based on the lottery results. Winners advance, losers are eliminated, until the final victor emerges.

In the battles of the third exam, you need to use all your abilities without reservation. The exam will have specialized Ninja scoring you. If you perform well, even if you lose, you may still be able to become a Chunin. Conversely, if you perform poorly, even if you win until the end, you may not be able to advance to Chunin.”

The rules for the third exam were the same as the Ninja Academy’s practical exams. Each round of battle would have someone specifically scoring, looking at the Ninja’s overall qualities.

“Next, those whose names I call will come up to draw lots. The battle order for the third exam will be determined by this drawing,” Hiruko said, then took out a box.

The drawing order was based on the results of the recent battles. Obito was the first to be called up to draw.

Obito didn’t waste time. He reached in, immediately pulled one out, and showed it to Hiruko.

“Uchiha Obito, number nine,” Hiruko read.

Then, after each person drew, Hiruko would read it out until everyone had drawn. After that, the large screen, which had been dark, lit up again, this time displaying the matchups for the third exam, with number one against number two, number three against number four, and so on.

Obito wasn’t in a hurry to see his opponent. Instead, he looked at the name for number four, because Rin Nohara was number three.

“It’s that Nara Shiosui. He doesn’t seem very easy to deal with,” Obito was a little worried for Rin Nohara.

He had seen Nara Shiosui’s performance in the Death Forest. This was a cunning and sly Guy, just like Kakashi.

“Mm, he seems like a very calm and astute person,” Rin Nohara nodded. The fact that he almost helped Obito take down a Jonin even when basic movement was impossible left a deep impression on her.

“But I will fight with all my strength. After all, the examiner also said that even if you lose, you might still become a Chunin.”

Many battles have already been written in the Death Forest, so this will be condensed, and the 6k-character chapter will be finished in one go.