Mitsuro, the chief supervisor for the third stage, stood at attention behind Sarutobi Hiruzen, flanked by Gekko Hayate and Anko Mitarashi, the supervisors for the second phase of the Chunin Exam. The instructors for the teams that had made it to this stage were also present, including Shibuki, the Jonin sensei from Takigakure. He was trying very hard to avoid eye contact with Mitsuro, clearly anxious about giving anything away.
Sasuke was constantly glancing at Daiki, who didn't look well. Ever since he found out Daiki was also an Uchiha, Sasuke had been deeply unsettled and wanted to speak with him as soon as possible.
Hiruzen, in his famous Hokage attire, stood at the front of the hall and began his speech to the candidates who had reached the third stage:
"I will explain the true purpose of the Chunin Exam , why we jointly hold this exam with friends from other nations. Diplomatic reasons, such as maintaining friendship and improving the abilities of our shinobi, are little more than excuses. In reality, the Chunin Exam is a small-scale war between the unified nations..."
Mitsuro smiled to himself: Finally, you're speaking with some honesty, old man... These kids need to come out of their ignorance and realize the ninja world isn't a game.
Hiruzen continued: "In the past, the Great Powers fought each other simply for power, but now, to avoid wasting military strength, they've decided to organize a tournament to showcase their abilities in a controlled manner. This is the main purpose of the Chunin Exam. So, fight for the honor of your nation and prove you are worthy of becoming a Chunin!"
After the Third Hokage finished his address, Mitsuro sighed, stepped forward with slow, deliberate steps, and bowed before the Hokage.
"Uchiha Mitsuro requests permission to perform his duty."
The Hokage looked at him calmly. "I leave it to you, then." He took a step back.
Mitsuro straightened up and motioned for Gekko Hayate to step forward. He addressed the Genin: "It's a pleasure to see you. I am Uchiha Mitsuro, the examiner for the third stage of the Chunin Exam." He then gestured to Gekko Hayate and continued, "And this is your supervisor for the preliminary round: Gekko Hayate."
Gekko Hayate gave a coughing nod. "Cough, cough... A pleasure to see you all."
Mitsuro simply nodded in return without saying anything.
Mitsuro checked the clipboard in his hand and said softly, "This is merely the preliminary round. The rules are simple: the losers are eliminated, and the winners proceed to the main tournament."
He handed the clipboard to Gekko Hayate and pointed to a large screen. "Soon, the display on the wall will show the names of the twenty-four of you. After that, your opponents will be determined by a lottery. Before we begin the exam, is anyone willing to withdraw? If not, I will upload the list."
"...I withdraw."
The moment Mitsuro's voice trailed off, a young man with long, ash-grey hair and round, scholarly glasses raised his hand to pull out.
Mitsuro looked at Kabuto. So this is Orochimaru's right-hand man. Though he knew the answer, he asked, "What is your name?"
The grey-haired youth replied, "Yakushi Kabuto."
Mitsuro signaled to Gekko Hayate to check the papers. Gekko Hayate started reviewing the documents. "Alright, you may leave."
Mitsuro and Gekko Hayate could hear the Hokage and others behind them discussing Kabuto's strange behavior, but they paid it no mind. Instead, Mitsuro asked, "Does anyone else wish to withdraw?"
There was no further reaction or request for withdrawal.
Mitsuro observed Sasuke and Sakura closely, but they seemed uninterested in quitting. Only Sasuke kept glancing at Daiki.
Hmm? Shouldn't Sakura be having second thoughts right now?
In the anime, Sakura was trying to convince Sasuke to withdraw at this point, but it seemed that wasn't happening here.
Oh well, it doesn't matter! He wasn't going to quit anyway.
Simultaneously, the discussion behind him about Sasuke's withdrawal was heating up, led by Anko—a discussion that Kakashi was supposed to intervene in to shut down.
Mitsuro ignored everyone and turned to Gekko Hayate. "It doesn't look like anyone else is backing out. Let's start."
Gekko Hayate nodded in agreement. "I will now explain the rules. This will be a one-on-one battle, just like a real fight. There are twenty-three of you, meaning we will have eleven matches. The one person who doesn't get a match will advance directly to the next round. Fight however you wish, even with the intent to kill. We, the referees, will act as observers to prevent any fatalities, so it doesn't matter how far you go. However, to keep the flow of the tournament smooth, we've decided each match will have a time limit of only twenty minutes. Now, look at the monitor so your opponent can be determined."
Uchiha Sasuke versus Akado Yoroi.
On Team Seven's balcony, Uzumaki Naruto cheered Sasuke on: "Sasuke, don't lose before you fight me, got it?"
Uchiha Sasuke paused, turned his head, and smiled at Uzumaki Naruto: "Naruto, you take care of yourself and don't lose until you face me."
Uzumaki Naruto was taken aback for a moment. His eyes widened, and then he smiled and said, "You bet!"
They all went up to the terrace, leaving Sasuke and Akado Yoroi alone in the fighting arena.
"Are you ready?" Gekko Hayate stepped back a few paces and announced the start of the preliminary round.
"Oh, I'm ready, Akado Yoroi," he said, clasping his hands together.
Sasuke also crouched down and indicated his readiness.
Mitsuro sneered to himself: Really ready?! With that cursed seal?! I better enjoy the show!
"Begin!"
Akado quickly reached into his pouch and threw a few shuriken at Sasuke. Sasuke easily knocked the shuriken aside.
Clang... Thunk... Clang
Akado Yoroi lunged at Sasuke with great speed, but Sasuke seemed even faster and easily dodged his chakra-infused claws. Sasuke followed up with a kick to Akado's flank, momentarily bringing him down.
Akado attacked Sasuke again, but in an instant, the black pupils in Sasuke's eyes transformed into the two-tomoe Sharingan, and then his body vanished in the air, taking Akado by surprise.
"Too fast!"
Sasuke appeared beneath his feet and launched Akado Yoroi into the air with an uppercut. At the same moment, Sasuke stomped the ground, leaped into the air, and appeared above him.
Shadow Dance
He began executing a precise Taijutsu form and slammed his opponent to the ground with full force.
"Aghhhhh!"
He then landed softly on the ground himself.
Gekko Hayate easily announced, "The winner is Uchiha Sasuke."
No one was more shocked by the result than Mitsuro. He couldn't understand what was going on.
What happened? Why didn't Sasuke have any conflict with Orochimaru's curse mark?
He immediately turned to look at Kakashi and the others; none of them seemed particularly worried!
What's going on?
He slowly glanced at Orochimaru, who was disguised as the Jonin sensei of the Sound team. He wasn't even looking at the match.
What is happening? Something has changed! These reactions aren't right!
Mitsuro was thoroughly confused. I am sure Orochimaru is supposed to attack the Chunin Exam! So why didn't anything happen to Sasuke?
At that moment, the next match was announced: Zwei from Takigakure versus Zaku Abumi from the Hidden Sound.