The rest of the preliminary matches went by in a blur of blood, sweat, and completely one-sided beatdowns. After my display against Kabuto and Ryota, the atmosphere in the arena had shifted. The remaining competitors were no longer just fighting to advance; they were fighting with the heavy, looming realization of exactly who they might have to face in the finals.
Match 10 ended up being a brutal reminder of the power of the Aburame Clan, right after the proctors shifted the arena into a dense, artificial forest environment.
It played out almost exactly like I remembered. With the participants being Shino going up against Zaku and a random Ame Genin, the outcome was practically predetermined. When the match began, Shino didn't even have to move from his starting position to eliminate the Ame ninja, swarming him with a dense cloud of Kikaichu until the guy passed out from chakra exhaustion.
Zaku, on the other hand, raised his hands and arrogantly blasted the chakra-sucking insects away with his supersonic sound waves. They engaged in a couple of close-combat exchanges where it seemed that Zaku had the upper hand, even utilizing his sonic waves in short intervals. But Zaku failed to realize why Shino was deliberately engaging in those blows. When Zaku stepped back to fire a massive sonic wave, the terrifying answer was revealed: Shino's bugs had secretly crawled up his arms during the melee and completely clogged the hollow air tubes in his palms.
With nowhere for the pressurized sound and chakra to go, Zaku's right arm violently blew itself apart from the inside out.
The echoing boom and Zaku's agonizing screams filled the arena. Up on the balcony, I leaned against the railing, watching Shino adjust his dark glasses as the medics rushed in. Across the way, Dosu—who had returned, fully bandaged up and his arm in a sling—gripped the railing in silent frustration, while Sakura covered her mouth in sheer horror.
That was way more graphic than the canon made it look, I mused, taking note of the splattered blood painting the surrounding tree trunks.
For Match 11, the forest sank away, replaced by a flat, barren expanse of cracked stone. It featured Ajisai, the kunoichi from Ame, against two completely outmatched fodder Genin from Iwa and Kusa.
Ajisai completely dominated the match using advanced spatial sealing techniques. With effortless precision, she unsealed massive, ton-heavy stone blocks and barrages of giant weaponry from tiny scrolls, raining destruction down on the arena floor. She crushed both of her opponents without even breaking a sweat, securing her spot in the finals.
"I wonder who transports her shuriken," Tenten muttered from the stands, her eyes wide with admiration at the Ame kunoichi's arsenal.
Then came Match 12—the final bout of the preliminaries. The proctors shifted the terrain one last time, raising a standard dirt arena dotted with large boulders.
It was Choji against the last two remaining fodder ninja. But looking down at the arena, the Akimichi heir didn't look ready to fight. He looked like he was about to throw up.
Choji was sweating bullets. He kept looking up at the balconies—glancing nervously at Gaara's bloodthirsty sneer, Neji's cold glare, and my completely relaxed posture. I could tell that he was completely terrified of advancing. The sheer pressure of having to enter a tournament bracket with actual monsters was breaking his spirit before the match even started.
"He's psyching himself out," Shikamaru sighed from a few feet away, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Come on, Choji, snap out of it!" Ino yelled, but her voice barely seemed to reach him.
Looks like he needs a bit of a push, I thought, slightly leaning over the railing, locking my eyes onto the trembling Akimichi. Hmm, my [Presence] lifted the fear from Hinata in her fight with Neji, so maybe it could do the same here?
I carefully regulated my aura, aiming it specifically at him.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: Conqueror's Presence (Minimum Output / Targeted)]
I watched as a stream of raw, authoritative energy wash over him like a massive surge of pure alpha-adrenaline.
Down in the ring, Choji gasped. His spine suddenly straightened, and the trembling in his legs instantly stopped. Above his head, a small, translucent blue icon appeared in my vision.
[Status Effect Applied: King's Blessing (Fear Nullified, +20% STR)]
+20%?! So it can be used as an AoE buff for allies, I smirked, highly satisfied with the discovery. That's pretty OP, I'm not gonna lie. But why didn't Hinata gain any strength buffs?
[NOTICE: TARGET'S ALIGNMENT AND INNATE COMBAT CLASS DETERMINE BUFF MANIFESTATION. TARGET 'HINATA HYUGA' (CLASS: GENTLE FIST SPECIALIST) RECEIVED +20% EVASION AND MENTAL RESOLVE. TARGET 'CHOJI AKIMICHI' (CLASS: HEAVY BRAWLER) RECEIVED +20% STRENGTH.]
That makes sense, I mused. But that also means that the [CHA] stat is pretty busted. A person could probably rule the world with it alone.
Whatever fear Choji had completely evaporated, replaced by a sudden, intense surge of confidence. "Alright!" he bellowed. "You're both going down!"
He aggressively clapped his hands together, his chakra flaring wildly. "Expansion Jutsu: Human Boulder!"
Choji tucked his head and limbs in, rapidly expanding into a massive, unstoppable wrecking ball. Fueled by the 20% strength buff, the sheer speed and kinetic force he generated as he tore across the dirt terrain was absurd. He hit the two opposing Genin like a runaway freight train, utterly flattening them against the arena walls in a literal matter of seconds.
Up on the balcony, Team 10 was completely flabbergasted.
"Since when could he move that fast?!" Shikamaru said, his jaw practically unhinged.
"He... he actually won!" Ino shrieked, gripping the railing with wide eyes.
Even Asuma nearly dropped his cigarette, letting out a low whistle of disbelief. "Well, I'll be damned. The kid finally found his motivation."
"Winner of Match 12... Choji Akimichi," Hayate announced, coughing into his hand.
Choji unrolled himself, looking at his hands in absolute shock, completely unaware that he had just been artificially juiced by my System.
"Alright, that concludes the preliminary rounds," Hayate said, his voice echoing through the arena. "Will the remaining twelve finalists please gather on the arena floor."
I made my way down the stairs, joining the other eleven remaining Genin in the center of the arena. We formed a loose line, standing before the Third Hokage, the proctors, and the Jonin instructors, while the eliminated Genin watched on from the viewing balconies.
Hiruzen stepped forward, pulling his pipe from his mouth. His gaze swept over all of us, a mix of pride and stern calculation in his aged eyes.
"Congratulations to all of you for surviving this phase of the exams," he announced, his voice carrying the heavy authority of a leader. "As mentioned earlier, you will conduct your final round battles at a different venue. Each of you represents the battle strengths of your respective lands, so we want you to exhibit and fully showcase your various talents."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle over us.
"Therefore, we will be implementing a one-month break period before the final tournament begins. This time is necessary to allow us to safely relay the results of these preliminaries to the Daimyos, royalty, and shinobi leaders of the surrounding lands, officially summoning them to witness the finals. For you, this month is a crucial opportunity to rest, analyze intelligence on your upcoming opponents, and train to increase your chances of victory."
As Hiruzen mentioned informing the Daimyos, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. Anko was leaning against the wall behind the Hokage, and when her eyes met mine, she flashed a wide, knowing smirk.
Right, the exam rankings, I recalled, remembering my conversation with her in the Forest of Death. If the Daimyos are getting the official reports, I definitely need to ask her exactly how many spots I jumped up the bounty boards after this.
"Now, to determine the matchups for the final tournament," Hiruzen continued, gesturing to Anko.
The Special Jonin stepped forward, holding a wooden box with a small hole at the top. "Alright, listen up, brats! You're each going to pull a number from this box. It'll determine your placement in the bracket. Let's go, line up!"
We stepped forward one by one, reaching into the box. I pulled my slip of paper out, flipping it over.
Number 12, I noted.
Once we all had our numbers, Ibiki stepped up to a large chalkboard that had been wheeled out, quickly charting out the tournament structure. Because there were twelve of us, the bracket math was slightly unorthodox.
"Alright, the first four numbers drawn will receive a first-round bye," Ibiki announced, his deep voice leaving no room for argument. "Ajisai, Choji, Gaara, and Neji advance directly to the Round of Eight."
He quickly chalked out the rest of the board.
[BLOCK A: Match 1: Shikamaru Nara (9) vs. Temari (8)] (Winner faces Ajisai (1))
[BLOCK B: Match 2: Naruto Uzumaki (12) vs. Chigiri (5)] (Winner faces Neji Hyuga (4))
[BLOCK C: Match 3: Sasuke Uchiha (6) vs. Gantetsu (11)] (Winner faces Gaara (3))
[BLOCK D: Match 4: Shino Aburame (7) vs. Kankuro (10)] (Winner faces Choji Akimichi (2))
Murmurs immediately broke out among the watching Genin in the balconies.
"Sasuke against Gaara?" Ino whispered, her face paling as she looked at the Suna psychopath. "That's..."
"Sasuke..." Sakura muttered, gripping the railing so hard her knuckles turned white.
Down with us on the arena floor, Sasuke stood perfectly still, his dark eyes locked onto Gaara in a cold, piercing stare. His fists were clenched tightly, a mix of pride and a desperate hunger to test his limits practically radiating off him. Across the lineup, Gaara simply stared back, a psychotic, bloodthirsty smirk twitching onto his face as the sand shifted around his sandals.
"Hey, Shino! You better not lose to that makeup-wearing puppet freak from the Sand!" Kiba barked, leaning over the edge with Akamaru yapping in agreement from his jacket.
Shino didn't reply, merely adjusting his dark glasses in silent acknowledgment.
Across the way, Tenten let out a small sigh. "Well, at least Neji gets a free pass to the second round. Though..." Her eyes flicked over to the chalkboard, tracing the bracket lines. "If Naruto wins his match against that Mist ninja, they're going to end up fighting each other next… I wonder who'll win."
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," Shikamaru immediately groaned, his shoulders slumping as he stared at the board. "How come some of them get to skip a whole round while we have to fight an extra match? That's completely unfair. I survived the prelims just to get punished with more work?"
"The ninja world isn't always fair, Nara. It's the luck of the draw," Anko retorted, flashing him a highly sadistic smirk. "But hey, if you don't like it, you can always forfeit right now."
Shikamaru opened his mouth, genuinely looking like he was heavily considering taking her up on that offer, but Asuma's intense, warning glare from behind Hiruzen instantly shut him up.
"Do not look at it as a punishment, Shikamaru," Hiruzen added wisely, blowing a puff of smoke. "If those of you who have to face an extra opponent prevail and advance, it will bode exceptionally well for your own individual reputations. The Daimyos favor shinobi who can endure prolonged adversity."
My eyes remained glued to the board. So, my first match is against Chigiri, I smiled, glancing over at the Kiri Genin who had efficiently eliminated Sakura and Ino earlier. Might be interesting to go up against a skilled ninja from the Hidden Mist. Who knows, I might be able to pry some info about what's happening there too.
My eyes then traced the bracket line from our match over to the Round of Eight.
And waiting for me in the second round... is Neji, as expected. I looked over my shoulder. The Hyuga prodigy was already glaring daggers at me, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. I just flashed him a cocky grin, which only seemed to make him angrier.
Before I could look away, I felt another heavy gaze burning into the side of my head. I shifted my attention and met Sasuke's dark eyes. The Uchiha wasn't glaring with blatant anger like Neji, but his Sharingan briefly flared to life, spinning with intense calculation. It was a silent challenge. After witnessing my insane display of strength against Kabuto and that fodder ninja, his pride demanded that he surpass it. It was clear that he wanted to meet me in the finals.
I just gave him a lazy nod, not intimidated in the slightest. "Bring it on."
"The matchups are set," Hiruzen announced. "You are all dismissed. Use this month wisely."
As the Genin began to disperse toward the exits, the world around me slightly darkened, and a massive, golden prompt exploded into my field of vision.
[HIDDEN QUEST COMPLETE: SURVIVE THE PRELIMINARIES]
[REWARD ISSUED]:
[A-Rank Castle Key: Castle of the Red Knight]
My eyes widened slightly.
My first Castle Key, I thought, my heart hammering with sheer hype as I felt the heavy, archaic key materialize inside my [Inventory]. And if this 'Castle of the Red Knight' boss is who I think it is, then I gotta complete it as soon as possible to complete my duo set of him and Beru.
I smirked, turning to leave the arena. My time for this month is going to be incredibly productive, it seems.
I headed towards the main exit of the tower, leaving the murmur of the remaining Genin behind me. As I turned a corner into one of the dimly lit corridors, a familiar, trench-coat-wearing Jonin stepped out of the shadows, blocking my path.
Anko smirked, tossing a dango stick into a nearby trash bin.
What the—how the hell did she get down here so fast?
"You put on quite the show out there, brat," she drawled, crossing her arms. "Treating those Genin like a warm–up act is going to make a lot of noise."
"I've learned from the best, I guess," I replied casually with a shrug.
"Naturally," she replied, planting both hands on her hips and tilting her chin up proudly. "I am pretty great, aren't I?"
The ego on this woman, I thought, shaking my head.
"Speaking of noise…" I began, "how are my rankings looking after getting past The Forest of Death and this little exhibition?"
Anko's smirk widened into something borderline feral. "Oh, you're skyrocketing, kid. The '200-Man Slayer' rumors were already circulating, but after the work you've done in Spring, getting past the Forest with minimal injuries, and what you've demonstrated in this phase? The Daimyos and the Bingo Book publishers will officially upgrade your threat level."
"Hell yeah! Now that's what I'm talking—wait. What'd you just say?"
She stepped closer, lowering her voice. "After what you've shown and what you may continue to show, you're not just going to be a Genin anymore on paper. You'll be categorized much differently. Don't be surprised if you see your face in the Bingo Books with a solid B-Rank, maybe even A-Rank bounty on your head by the time the finals start."
Bingo Book?! What?! I thought in disbelief. I thought these were just tournament rankings to prove to the village I deserved better mission pay! I didn't know the implications were this massive!
I facepalmed internally. Ah, fuck my life! The Akatsuki are definitely gonna come to try to get my ass now!
"Uh, good to know," I said smoothly, forcing myself to regain my outward composure. "Thanks for the heads-up, sensei."
"Don't die before the finals, brat!" she called out with a laugh as I walked away. "I'm going to ante up on bets with the other Jonin when you fight!"
Getting rich off my likeness? What are you, the NCAA? I grumbled internally.
I continued down the hall, finally reaching the heavy doors that led out of the central tower. But before I could push them open, a familiar lazy voice called out to me.
"Yo."
I glanced over my shoulder. Kakashi was leaning against a stone pillar, his lone visible eye fixed on me. He looked a lot more serious than his usual laid-back demeanor.
"Kakashi-sensei," I acknowledged, turning fully toward him. "What's up? Not doing the whole 'Team 7 celebration' thing?"
"Not today," he sighed, scratching the back of his silver hair. He straightened up, his tone shifting into something more professional. "Listen, Naruto. About this upcoming month of training... I'm going to be taking Sasuke under my wing personally."
I raised an eyebrow, though I already knew exactly why.
"His Sharingan is developing rapidly, but his physical conditioning needs serious work if he's going to survive fighting someone like Gaara," Kakashi explained, deliberately leaving out the Curse Mark, though we both knew it was the real reason. "Because of that, I won't be able to oversee your training for the finals."
Oh no, whatever will I do? I mocked internally.
"However," Kakashi continued, pulling a small slip of paper from his vest, "I've arranged for an elite, specialized tutor to help you to the best of their—"
"Yea, I'm gonna stop you right there," I interrupted, holding a hand up.
Kakashi blinked, genuinely surprised.
"I've already got a highly specific solo training regimen planned out," I said flatly. "Doing anything else would only slow me down, right now."
Kakashi stared at me for a long moment, likely trying to gauge my seriousness. "Solo training, huh?" he muttered, offering a small, eye-crinkling smile. "Alright. Just don't overdo it. You've gotten incredibly strong, Naruto, but the finals are a different beast entirely."
"Don't you worry about me," I said, pushing the heavy doors open and stepping out into the fresh air. "Just make sure your little ward doesn't get himself killed. See you in a month."
I didn't waste any time, heading straight toward the Hokage's office. The sun was already starting to set over Konoha by the time I knocked on the door and let myself in.
Hiruzen was seated behind his desk, a towering stack of paperwork on his left and his smoking pipe in hand.
Ah, the grind never stops for him either, I see, I mused. But it makes sense. As fucked up as it is, if he ever stopped working, we all may as well be as good as dead.
"Ah, Naruto," Hiruzen greeted, a tired but genuine smile crossing his wrinkled face. "I had a feeling you would drop by. The preliminary reports are already in the process of being sent out. Your performance was one to pay close attention to."
That also makes sense, I thought. If the village's Jinchuriki is strong, the Daimyos definitely need to know.
"I try to keep things entertaining, Old Man," I replied, stepping up to his desk. "But I'm actually here to give you a heads-up. I'm going to be off the grid for the entire month doing intensive solo training. Because of that, I need to explicitly cancel my weekly diagnostic check-ups with Dr. Honaka."
Hiruzen frowned slightly, taking a slow drag from his pipe. "Are you certain? Dr. Honaka's evaluations have been very beneficial to understanding your developing capabilities."
"I'm certain," I replied. "I have a very specific set of goals to accomplish before the finals."
Hiruzen looked like he wanted to argue, but before he could speak, a sudden spike in my spatial awareness triggered.
[PASSIVE SKILL: High Sense activated]
My eyes flicked toward the shadowed corner of the office. There was a faint disruption of chakra in that part of the room, completely masked to normal sensory techniques, but glaringly obvious to my System's stat-based perception.
I raised my hand and pointed a thumb directly at the empty corner. "By the way," I asked casually. "Who's the geezer?"
The silence that followed was deafening. Hiruzen's pipe nearly slipped from his lips.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the chakra in the corner wavered. The optical camouflage dissolved entirely, revealing a towering man with wild, spiky white hair, red markings under his eyes, and a massive scroll strapped to his back.
He was staring at me with his jaw practically unhinged, completely stunned that a Genin had seen right through his flawless stealth technique.
Slowly, a massive grin spread across his face.
"Well, well, well! Color me impressed!" the man boomed, throwing his arms out into an exaggerated, dramatic kabuki pose. "To see through the concealment of the great Toad Sage! You've got quite the eye, kid! I am the legendary—"
"The Sannin, Jiraiya" I deadpanned, completely cutting off his introduction.
The man tripped over his own feet, his dramatic pose shattering as he caught himself on Hiruzen's filing cabinet.
"There's supposed to be a 'Legendary' at the beginning of that," he grumbled, straightening himself up.
Damn this ninja's huge, I thought, observing his full height. He's definitely somewhere between 6'3" to 6'6" with those wooden platform sandals.
Jiraiya recovered, clearing his throat and puffing his chest out. "Listen, kid. You seem like a person with a lot of raw talent. And talent like that needs to be ironed out. So, being the generous person I am, how about I offer you the opportunity of a lifetime and personally train you for the finals? What do you say?"
Hiruzen casually leaned back in his chair, taking a slow drag from his pipe. A faint, knowing smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as I thought about the offer for a moment.
In the canon, this is where Naruto would have jumped for joy, I thought, analyzing the legendary ninja. Jiraiya has massive chakra, decades of elite experience, a deep bag of different techniques for various situations, and knowledge of something as incredible as Senjutsu. Learning under his holistic, philosophical principles of love and peace would probably benefit nearly anyone.
Then, a dark smirk internally stretched across my face.
However... I'm not just anyone, and there is nothing peaceful about what I've been doing. I don't have time for slow-burning philosophies of togetherness. I have a month to evolve further, or I'm going to suffer the wrath of ninjas who can topple nations by themselves.
"Thanks for the offer, but I'm gonna have to pass," I said flatly.
The office went dead silent again.
"Pass?!" Jiraiya questioned, his voice cracking slightly in pure shock. "Kid, do you know who I am? There are Kage who would kill for a single day of my instruction!"
"That's cool," I said calmly, shoving my hands in my pockets. "But I like the pace at which I'm growing. And frankly, I don't really know you like that. So, I'm gonna stick to my regimen for now."
"But—wait—" Jiraiya looked genuinely distressed, stepping forward, ready to argue.
But I was already moving toward the door.
"I'll see you at the finals, Old Man," I said over my shoulder, pulling the door open and stepping out into the hall.
Before the door completely clicked shut behind me, my enhanced hearing picked up the conversation left in my wake.
"Is he... is he always like this?" Jiraiya's voice echoed, sounding utterly shattered.
I heard Hiruzen let out a long, deeply exhausted sigh. "Worse, actually. You've gotten him on a good day."
I walked down the bustling evening streets of Konoha, ignoring the glowing lanterns and the loud chatter of the food stalls. Now that the distractions were out of the way, it was time to establish the roadmap.
"System, open the interface," I commanded mentally.
The glowing blue screen flickered to life in front of my eyes.
"Organize my primary objectives for the month."
The screen reformatted instantly, displaying a heavy, incredibly stacked to-do list:
[MONTHLY AGENDA]:
1. Complete the two A-Rank Gates to gather the final ingredients for Anko's [Soul Purge Elixir] and complete the [Cursed Seal] quest.
2. Travel to Uzushio. Use the [Torn Map of the Eddy] at sunset to reveal the submerged catacomb entrance and initiate the Adamantine Sealing Chains quest.
3. Upon reaching 500 CON, find the correct Shinigami Mask from the ruined Uzumaki Mask Storage Temple to extract the Yin half of Kurama from Minato Namikaze and acquire the Seal Key.
4. Clear the A-Rank Castle Key: [Castle of the Red Knight].
I stared at the glowing blue text, letting out a heavy, amused sigh.
While the other Genin in the village were going to spend their month doing standard sparring sessions and chakra control exercises, I was about to embark on a crusade through ancient ruins, raise a dead Hokage's soul, acquire ingredients for a curse, and challenge an A-Rank boss.
Thirty days, I smirked, my blood beginning to pump with sheer adrenaline. Let's get to work.