The Nine-Tails inside Naruto confirmed his thoughts and couldn't help but feel intrigued.
After all, it was the one responsible for the chaos in Konoha all those years ago. But now, if it could sit back and simply enjoy the drama unfold like a spectator—well, that didn't sound too bad at all!
After a half-day's rest, the ninjas who had passed the second exam began to gather once again. Despite the brief pause, the mood was heavy with anticipation.
Due to Naruto's outstanding performance during the Forest of Death portion, this phase saw a staggering elimination rate—almost four-fifths of the participants had been knocked out. Only six teams remained, totaling eighteen ninjas.
Anko Mitarashi hadn't expected this kind of result. Her original goal had been to eliminate about half the candidates, not nearly all of them!
"Why was the elimination rate so high this time?" she wondered aloud.
Even more shocking was that four of the six teams that remained were from Konoha. The remaining two teams belonged to Sunagakure (Sand Village) and the newly recognized Otogakure (Sound Village).
That meant none of the other major villages—Cloud, Stone, Mist—had a single participant make it through.
Anko immediately understood the gravity of the situation. This exam had originally been designed to build bridges between the ninja villages, fostering a sense of unity through competition. But now, it was turning into a potential diplomatic problem.
Just then, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, arrived at the gathering point, his presence silencing the whispers.
"Before the third phase of the Chūnin Exams begins, I'd like to address you all," he announced.
He looked across the remaining candidates and began his speech.
"This exam is not just to select the finest Genin from each village. It is also an opportunity to showcase your abilities to daimyōs and esteemed leaders from across the nations."
"In other words, your strength reflects the strength of your village. Your success rate on future missions, your contributions to your village—these things begin here."
"So I hope you all take this seriously. I've already arranged for important officials from different lands and villages to witness the final exam."
While the Third Hokage spoke with righteousness and poise, his message wasn't only for the candidates in front of him. It was also aimed at the now-eliminated villages watching from the shadows—implying that Konoha played fair and the results spoke for themselves.
"If you doubt it," his eyes seemed to say, "watch the final exam for yourself."
As the speech drew to a close, Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe and began to walk away, only to stop and turn back.
"Wait, let me add a few more words…"
He took another puff.
"Some of you may not have understood, so I'll explain it more carefully…"
A few steps forward. Another pause.
"Actually, one last thing—"
On the side, Gekkō Hayate, the frail-looking examiner, couldn't take it anymore.
"Ahem!"
"Hokage-sama, please allow me, the referee, to explain the rules!"
The poor man's voice was weak, hoarse, and strained. One could tell just by looking that he wasn't in peak health. It was almost as if he'd collapse if the Hokage kept talking.
Hiruzen took a long drag on his pipe and finally relented.
"Very well. I'll stop for today. Half the speech is probably enough…"
---
Orochimaru, watching from afar: "Choosing Hiruzen-sensei as Hokage is quite fitting."
Second Hokage Tobirama: "What do you mean by that, Orochimaru?"
Orochimaru: "Oh, nothing. Just thinking out loud."
Jiraiya: "Haha! Honestly, I also can't stand the Third's long-winded speeches."
Sarutobi Hiruzen: "…"
---
Back on the field, Gekkō Hayate stepped up to the podium.
"Hello everyone… ahem… my name is Moonlight… cough…"
"Moonlight Cough?" Naruto mumbled, confused.
Even Sasuke frowned. Was this guy really a Jōnin? He looked like a stiff breeze could knock him over.
"How is someone like this chosen as the referee?" he wondered aloud. "Is Konoha that desperate?"
It got worse when Gekkō Hayate mentioned that anyone feeling unwell was free to withdraw before the matches.
That drew a silent wave of internal protests.
"Excuse me?! Aren't you the one who should quit, Hayate?!"
With his ghostly complexion and trembling hands, everyone was secretly worried he might die mid-announcement.
At that moment, Naruto's mind had drifted elsewhere. More specifically… to someone else.
"Isn't Sister Uzuki Yugao supposed to be Moonlight Gale's girlfriend?" he mused.
"Oh, what a shame… If something were to happen to Moonlight Gale, wouldn't that mean Sister Yugao is single again? Don't you think so, big fox?"
---
Moonlight Gale: "???"
Kushina (from the afterlife): "Naruto! You're joking, right?!"
Uzuki Yugao, in her own timeline, was stunned.
"He has feelings for me? But… he's just a child!"
Still, she couldn't help but think about it. Ever since she began dating Hayate, his health had deteriorated. Their wedding had already been postponed multiple times due to his poor condition.
---
Gekkō Hayate, unaware of all this, pushed on.
"Since no one has withdrawn… cough... the preliminaries for the third exam will begin now."
"This will be a series of one-on-one battles, determined by random electronic draw."
That meant no rest. No recovery time. Just immediate combat. A harsh test for any ninja.
Candidates who had just survived the brutal Forest of Death were clearly at a disadvantage. Their chakra reserves were depleted, and their bodies still sore.
By contrast, ninjas like Naruto and Gaara, who completed their missions early, had been resting for half a day and were in better shape.
Still, no one complained.
They were ninjas. The path of a shinobi was never fair.
One thing caught Naruto off guard. He had heard that in the original timeline, Yakushi Kabuto voluntarily withdrew before the third exam.
But this time, Kabuto remained. No sign of retreat.
---
"The rules are simple," Hayate explained. "A match ends if one person surrenders, faints, dies, or becomes incapable of fighting."
"Now, your match order will be determined by the electronic screen."
The monitor on the wall flickered and began to cycle through names, spinning like a roulette.
Finally, it stopped:
Uzumaki Naruto vs. Inuzuka Kiba!
---
"Alright, Akamaru, we're up!" Kiba shouted excitedly. "I've had enough of that loudmouth Naruto. Let's show him what we're made of!"
"Woof woof!"
---
Aburame Shino: "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"
Yamanaka Ino: "Is Kiba a bit too confident?"
Haruno Sakura: "Let's just say… Kiba's bite is worse than his bark."
Inuzuka Kiba: "Huh?!"
---
As Naruto and Kiba stepped into the arena, Gekkō Hayate officially began the match.
Naruto exhaled, relieved. "Thank goodness I didn't draw Gaara," he whispered. "That would've made things really complicated."
"By the way, Naruto," the Nine-Tails spoke inside him, "after your father—the Fourth Hokage—died, the things he left behind were taken by the Third Hokage. Don't you want them back someday?"
Naruto's eyes narrowed.
"The Fourth Hokage's belongings?"
He thought back. He had received nothing from his father. No inheritance. No money, no house, no special scrolls.
"As the Hokage's son… shouldn't I at least have something?"
The Nine-Tails continued, "I remember the chakra signature of someone who handled his belongings. You've met them before. A purple-haired Jōnin. She taught you some ninjutsu when you were younger."
"Wait… Sister Uzuki Yugao?!"
Naruto recalled her face instantly. Elegant. Long purple hair. A graceful and mysterious figure.
"Well then," he grinned, "I guess I'll have to interrogate her personally!"
While Naruto was off in his own world, a loud noise snapped him back to reality.
A violent spinning sound came at him from the front—like a tornado had formed in the middle of the arena.
Fang Over Fang!
Kiba's signature attack.
But Naruto didn't even flinch.
He calmly raised his fist, infused it with chakra, and—
"Boom!!!"
A single, direct punch shattered the spinning blur.
Inuzuka Kiba collapsed.
"Inuzuka Kiba is unconscious. The winner is Uzumaki Naruto!" Hayate declared.
Naruto blinked in confusion.
"…Did I just win?"
He hadn't even gotten serious yet.
---
Kiba: "Wait—my Fang Over Fang got defeated just like that?!"
Tenten: "Honestly, Naruto's fart attack from before was more humiliating than this."
Ino: "Kiba, didn't you say your technique could rival the Eight Gates?"
Kiba's older sister, Inuzuka Hana: "Looks like we've been too soft on you. From now on, I'll personally oversee your training!"
---
Naruto walked off the field, scratching his head.
"Well, that was anticlimactic."
But in his heart, he was thinking about only one thing:
Uzuki Yugao—and the secrets of the Fourth Hokage.