Moonlight Hayate glanced back at Kakashi and the others waiting beside the qualifying stage.
Their expressions were grim.
Completely different from before, every face was now clouded with worry.
Five ordinary Genin teams had actually managed to pass the exam.
That meant the remaining teams would have to fight early—risking everything just to secure the two scrolls needed to move on.
But no matter which two teams won, it wasn't going to end well.
On top of that, a team from the Hidden Sound was still in play. That made six teams total—yet only three slots remained.
The Sand's team would almost certainly claim one of them.
That left just two spots, and the strongest contenders should have been Neji, Tenten, and Rock Lee under Guy's lead.
Still, if it came down to a chaotic melee in the final moments, no one could predict who would actually come out on top.
Kakashi, Guy, Asuma, and Kurenai all stood at the gate to the qualifying arena, worry etched across their faces.
Finally—
Creak…
The heavy door opened.
Two of the six teams had been eliminated.
A shadow stretched across the floor. Then Gaara, with his red hair, cold expression, and hollow eyes, walked slowly into the arena.
Kankurō and Temari followed close behind.
The three siblings gave the others a passing glance, then silently moved to the side.
In the crowd, Yuichi's lips curved faintly.
I wonder which team they took out…
If it was the Ino–Shika–Chō trio, knowing Gaara's nature…
He shook his head. That would be disastrous. If Gaara had killed the heirs of the three great clans, the uproar would have been enormous.
But reality was a little different.
Gaara's face was darker than usual, his expression uncharacteristically sour. He was furious—not because he had failed to defeat his enemies, but because just as he was about to kill them, a Konoha Jōnin had suddenly intervened.
Temari and Kankurō dared not step too close to him. The murderous aura pouring off Gaara was so thick it was almost tangible, his killing intent barely contained.
The ones crushed beneath Gaara's power had been Hinata, Kiba, and Shino from Kurenai's squad.
Hinata had been saved at the last moment by a Hyūga clan protector secretly tailing the group. Kiba and Shino were pulled out as well, but not before they suffered serious injuries. Both were now undergoing emergency treatment.
The second team arrived about thirty minutes later—
Neji, Tenten, and Rock Lee. Compared to Gaara's team, they looked a little more battered.
Their defeated opponents had been the Ino–Shika–Chō trio.
On raw strength, Neji's team should have swept the match, but under Shikamaru's clever command, the fight had dragged on far longer than expected. Even so, the Leaf's heirs had eventually been worn down and defeated.
Yuichi let out a silent sigh.
As expected of the "main characters." Out of all six teams, they're the only ones who ran into the Oto-nin. One-sixth odds, yet of course it was them. Lucky—or unlucky, depending how you see it.
By the time they limped into the arena, Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura were already covered in wounds.
Before even encountering the Sound team, they had run into Orochimaru himself. That explained the state they were in.
The second exam ended.
A total of nine teams had completed the task this round:
– Five civilian Genin teams
– Yuichi's team
– Gaara's team
– Neji's team
– Naruto's team
Twenty-seven participants in total.
That was six more than the twenty-one in the "original story."
The most striking detail: neither Asuma's team nor Kurenai's had even made it to the qualifiers.
Yuichi's gaze shifted to Moonlight Hayate, the sickly examiner overseeing the event. The man's face had turned unusually pale.
There was no need to explain what came next.
Though the matches were said to be "random," everyone here knew they were anything but.
Gaara versus Rock Lee unfolded just as it had in the original story—ending with Gaara's victory.
The rest followed a predictable rhythm.
In the end, fourteen fighters advanced:
Gaara, Temari, Kankurō, Neji, Tenten, Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, Yuichi, Daisuke Ten, and four other civilian Genin.
One of Yuichi's companions, Ryota, faced off against Tenten.
His kunai-throwing technique was impressive, but still no match for Tenten's overwhelming barrage of weapons.
In the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage scanned the finalized tournament bracket and exhaled heavily.
His eyes lingered on Yuichi's name. He slowly shook his head.
This outcome wasn't chance. It reeked of manipulation.
Otherwise, how could five civilian Konoha teams have all advanced into the qualifiers?
Looking at the broader pattern, there was only one explanation—Danzo.
The Ino–Shika–Chō eliminated, the Hyūga heiress Hinata eliminated, Kiba and Shino eliminated—the heirs of three great clans all removed before the qualifiers.
Danzo's hand was unmistakable.
At a time like this… are you really trying to challenge me, Danzo?
A dark glint flashed in Hiruzen's eyes.
This Chūnin Exam wasn't just a test for Genin anymore. It was Danzo's open declaration of war against the Hokage himself.
Meanwhile, Yuichi was still stationed at the Konoha gates.
He overheard the chatter of two nearby shinobi:
"The outside villages are really weak. Aside from the Sand team, none of them even made it into the main tournament."
"Well, of course. They're all from minor countries. Even the Sand can't compare to Konoha."
Yuichi silently walked away.
While strolling, he opened his system panel.
Every one of his jutsu had already reached perfection.
His reward for today was Earth Style: Mountain Technique—leveled to perfection during his patrol shifts across the village.
There was still one month to go.
One month until Orochimaru's invasion began.
And when that moment came, Yuichi would begin his own plan.
His first target—
Jiraiya.
Not far from the village, in a quiet valley—the very same place where Naruto had once been thrown during his Summoning training—Yuichi had already prepared a stage.
A stage for the duel that would change everything.