Today was the 44th day in this world, and it was also the day for the third stage of the Chunin Exams.
After a month of arduous training, Takeru and the others had made significant improvements. Even Takeru's own strength had progressed considerably.
[Reincarnator No. 3: Nara Takeru
Race: Human
Innate Abilities: Photographic Memory, Telekinesis, Absolute Defense, Perseverance, Glutonny, Giant Killing, Nen, Hyper Regeneration
Strength: 392 (245) (Average person 20)
Constitution: 396 (8)
Defense: 863 (378)
Speed: 388 (4)
Spirit: 620 (38)
Magic Power: 350 (1240) (Average person 0)
Training Method: None
Skills: ...
Evaluation and Points: Remaining S-Rank Evaluation x1! A-Rank Evaluation x1! B-rank Evaluation x1! C-rank Evaluation x1! Points: 108,600]
Apart from notable increases in basic attributes, there was also progress in skills like Nen and Telekinesis, and the use of Observation Haki and Armament Haki had become more proficient.
Finally, although the Rokushiki hadn't reached an advanced level yet, Takeru had already mastered some of their derivative skills...
During this time, Takeru also discovered that among the basic attributes, Defense was the hardest to improve. This might be because his Defense attribute was already too high.
Perhaps taking frequent beatings could speed up improvement, but in Takeru's case, others couldn't even break his defense, making it naturally very difficult.
Fortunately, while constantly training Armament Haki and Rokushiki, his Defense seemed to be exercised as well, increasing slightly.
"Alright, today is the official third stage of Chunin Exams. Is everyone ready?" Just before setting off, Takeru showed a smile as he spoke to the group.
"Of course!" Hearing Takeru's words, Ritsu and Ui answered confidently.
After Takeru's training, their strength had improved tremendously. Especially through sparring with Takeru, their practical combat skills had also significantly strengthened.
"Alright then, let's go!" Hearing their words, Takeru and the group headed directly to the arena...
Upon entering, the place was already packed with many people, appearing exceptionally lively.
The huge arena was already buzzing with excitement, with many important figures present. Of course, these important figures were nothing in Takeru's eyes.
When Takeru's group arrived, three people were still missing. Seeing this, Takeru and the others didn't pay too much attention.
Since they weren't very familiar with the others, Takeru just gave a slight nod to a few people before closing his eyes to rest on the spot.
After waiting a while, until the very last minute, Naruto rushed into the arena in a disheveled manner.
Sakura above, seeing Naruto, finally showed a smile and softly called out, "Naruto."
"Hmph, you were almost late, you know!" Ino, next to Shikamaru, looked at Naruto with disdain.
"Haha, well... Hey, where's Sasuke?" Naruto, who was about to say something, noticed Sasuke hadn't arrived yet and was surprised. After all, that guy Sasuke would absolutely not be late in a situation like this.
"And Dosu, who I'm supposed to fight, isn't here either!" Hearing his words, Ino spoke up directly. Since Dosu was her opponent, she naturally paid some attention to him.
"Alright, you all, stop wandering around. Stand straight and face the audience properly!" Due to Hayate's death, Shiranui Genma had to take over as the proctor.
Hearing his words, Naruto finally noticed the roaring, bustling scene above. The deafening cheers gave him a unique feeling he was experiencing for the first time in his life.
"You are the stars of this match!" Genma continued.
"Has Sasuke still not been found?" The Third Hokage above asked his guard, Namiashi Raido.
"Several Anbu Teams have been sent to search, but there's been no news. He might have already fallen into Orochimaru's hands. If that's the case, then he probably can't be found." Hearing Hiruzen's question, Raido quickly replied.
"I understand." Hearing his words, Hiruzen felt his strength waning.
The reason for his concern about Sasuke, apart from him being the last surviving Uchiha, was most importantly his promise to Itachi.
Thinking of Itachi's fearsomeness, Hiruzen wasn't sure if Itachi would bring great disaster to Konoha.
However, one thing Hiruzen was relatively reassured about was that Itachi held significant affection for Konoha, even choosing the village over his clan...
"Oh, what a rare guest!" Soon, noticing the Kazekage's arrival, Hiruzen quickly cast aside his complicated thoughts and greeted him.
"The journey must have been tiring, right?" Looking at the seated Kazekage, Hiruzen said with a smile.
"Not at all, it was fine. It's good the venue is in Konoha. Though you are still young, if you had to make a special trip, it would likely be tiring for you, Hokage-dono. I think you should decide on a successor soon." Looking at Hiruzen, Orochimaru, disguised as the Kazekage, spoke flatly.
"Hahaha, don't treat me as an old man. I plan to work for another five years!" Whether due to attachment to power or because no one in Konoha at the moment could shoulder the burden alone, Hiruzen stated directly.
"Honored guests, I express my sincere gratitude for coming to Konoha to observe the Chunin Exams. Next, the 11 examinees who passed the preliminary matches will proceed with the official selection matches. Please enjoy the viewing!" The Hokage announced loudly to the daimyo and common people below.
"'11'? It seems one is still missing." Hearing his words, Orochimaru scanned the crowd below and found no sign of Sasuke.
Instead, he caught Takeru's gaze directed this way, which made him pause briefly before returning to normal.
"Before the matches, let me say a few things." Hearing the Hokage's words, Genma spoke to Takeru and the others.
"Due to certain reasons, there have been some changes to the first round's matchups. Please confirm your opponents again!"
As Genma spoke, he produced a chart. Originally, No. 11 Dosu was to fight No. 12 Ino. But now, No. 10 Ritsu would first face No. 12 Ino, and the winner would then fight No. 9 Shikamaru...
Noticing this, Ritsu was stunned. Ino also saw her opponent had changed to Ritsu.
She first sighed in relief, but then remembered Ritsu had easily defeated Sakura, meaning her strength was probably much greater than her own.
Still, at least Ritsu was also a girl, which was better than facing the gloomy Dosu.
Takeru looked calmly at the match list. Clearly, Dosu had already been eliminated offline, and the perpetrator was likely Gaara, just like in the original work.
But exactly when it happened, Takeru wasn't sure. After all, Takeru didn't keep a vast-range Observation Haki monitor on the village 24/7...
"Um, excuse me!" At that moment, Naruto called out.
"What is it?" Looking at Naruto, Genma frowned and asked.
"Well, Sasuke still isn't here. What should we do?" Naruto scratched his head, worried.
"If he doesn't appear by his match time, it will be considered a forfeit by default." Hearing Naruto, Genma said calmly.
"That's weird. With his personality, he'd come even if he had to drag himself here." Naruto looked worriedly towards the arena entrance.
"Listen up, all of you. Although the venue is different, the rules are the same as the preliminaries: there are no rules. The match continues until one party dies or concedes. However, if I judge the outcome is decided, I will stop the match. No resistance is allowed!" Looking at Takeru and the others, Genma said seriously.
"Then the first match is between Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuga Neji. These two remain. The rest return to the waiting room." Genma looked at the group and announced seriously.
As Genma's words fell, Takeru and the others calmly walked towards the nearby stairs, soon arriving at the waiting room. The so-called waiting room was actually a mid-to-high level viewing platform within the arena, offering a clear view of the two combatants below.
"Hey, Hinata, there's a seat here!" Kiba, who arrived just in time, smiled at Hinata, who was wearing a blue top and black pants.
However, Hinata's expression wasn't good. It seemed the damage Neji inflicted a month ago hadn't completely healed yet.
"Neji! Naruto! Do your best!" Beside them, Lee, who had already recovered, was excitedly cheering for the two.
"Eh? Your injuries are already healed?" Looking at Lee next to Tenten, Kiba was stunned and asked in surprise.
"Of course!" Hearing Kiba's words, Lee flashed a bright, toothy smile and gave a thumbs up.