"Exactly twenty participants, for ten rounds of matches... The winners will advance to the third exam," Gekko Hayate stated, his eyes dark and unsettling as he gazed down at the assembled genin. "There are no restrictions in this round. The fight continues until one side is dead, or incapacitated. However, if I deem the outcome to be clear, I will intervene to minimize the number of corpses."
A curtain on the wall drew back, revealing a large screen.
"The names of the contestants for each match will be displayed on this screen. Now... let's announce the participants for the first round..."
Sakura and the other rookies looked up at the screen. Names, some familiar and some not, flickered across its surface.
Finally, the changes slowed, and the screen locked onto two names: Uchiha Sasuke VS Yoroi Akadou.
"Hmph, looks like I'm up first," Sasuke said to Sakura, glancing at Yoroi.
"Alright... will the two individuals whose names appeared on the screen please come forward..." Hayate addressed the two. "The first round match will be between Uchiha Sasuke and Yoroi Akadou. Any objections?"
"None," Sasuke replied.
"None," Yoroi echoed. Since Sasuke hadn't been cursed, Yoroi's mission was simply to defeat him. Facing Sasuke in the first round was exactly what he wanted.
"Very well... the first round begins now... Everyone except the contestants, please proceed upstairs..." Hayate gestured towards a nearby staircase.
"Sasuke, be careful to keep your distance. Don't let him touch you," Sakura cautioned as she passed him.
"Got it," Sasuke acknowledged. He didn't dismiss Sakura's advice; after all, in terms of raw power, Sakura was considerably stronger than him, and she had spent three years training abroad, gaining a wealth of experience. Sasuke wasn't one to reject helpful suggestions.
The remaining eighteen genin made their way up to the spectator stands in a somewhat chaotic manner. As Sakura walked towards the stands, she passed the Sound Village team, and she suddenly felt a familiar chakra from their jonin leader.
Sakura subtly slowed her pace, carefully assessing the sensation.
"Hehehe... You have quite a few friends here," the Sound jonin said without turning his head, his voice raspy and cryptic.
"Huh? Are there other people from the Sound Village here?" Zaku, ever impatient, was the first to ask.
"Perhaps there are, perhaps there aren't," the Sound jonin replied enigmatically.
The Sound Three fell silent. Orochimaru's methods were beyond their comprehension.
Sakura felt a chill run down her spine. Her expression turned wooden as she quickly walked to Kakashi's side, finally feeling a sense of relief. That person was Orochimaru, and he had detected her probing him.
Orochimaru's words were meant for Sakura, a threat. Sakura was unsure whether or not she should expose Orochimaru in this situation. If Orochimaru was planning to launch the Konoha Crush, it wouldn't make sense to do it here, so far from the village.
Was it to place the curse mark on Sasuke? But that didn't seem right either. The Third Hokage was present; Orochimaru wouldn't have a chance.
After thinking it through, she couldn't figure out Orochimaru's purpose for being here. Was he simply here to watch the matches?
Kakashi noticed Sakura's pale complexion as she hurried over. "Sakura, are you alright?"
"Ah, Kakashi-sensei, I'm fine," Sakura replied.
"Really? You don't look so good," Kakashi said, unconvinced.
"Um, really, I'm fine," Sakura decided against reporting it for now. There were many jonin present, including the Third Hokage. Even if Orochimaru did try something, it could be stopped immediately. Orochimaru was strong, but even without the Hokage, the assembled jonin would be more than a match for him.
Kakashi, seeing that Sakura didn't want to elaborate, dropped the subject.
Down below, Sasuke and Yoroi's battle was about to begin. Sasuke had activated his three-tomoe Sharingan. Without the curse mark, and with Sakura's warning to avoid close combat with Yoroi, Yoroi's defeat was only a matter of time.
True to form, Sasuke quickly overpowered Yoroi. Yoroi's ability required physical contact to absorb chakra, and once Sasuke used his ninja tools and ninjutsu to maintain distance, it was all over.
"This match is over... The winner of the first round, and advancing to the next stage, is Uchiha Sasuke," Hayate announced after checking on Yoroi's condition.
"All right!! Sasuke!" Naruto shouted excitedly at Sasuke, thrilled that he'd won the first round so decisively.
"Hmph," Sasuke smirked at Naruto, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. He then used a Body Flicker Technique to appear on the stands, standing with Team 7.
"Nice work, Sasuke!" Kakashi turned his head and said with a smile.
Sakura watched as Ino, seeing Sasuke arrive on the stands, immediately clung to him. Sakura felt a wave of exasperation. She was pretty sure Sasuke's final Body Flicker was just to show off. Although he had won the fight handily, he had expended a significant amount of chakra, and he still used the Body Flicker for something so pointless.
The reactions of the other teams varied. Sasuke's swift victory put pressure on them, and they all looked at the big screen with serious expressions, waiting to see who would be fighting in the second round.
"Shino Aburame VS Zaku Abumi"
Seeing the names displayed on the screen, Dosu said to Zaku, "Go all out and win this. There will be more opportunities to face Sasuke in the finals."
"Shut up, I know that without you telling me," Zaku snapped at Dosu, before using a Body Flicker to appear in the center of the arena.
"Shino... he'll be okay, right...?" Hinata asked Kiba worriedly.
"Heh, he's strong. He's the one person I don't want to face!" Kiba replied to Hinata confidently.
"Alright------Begin!" Hayate announced, seeing that both contestants were in position.
Shino and Zaku stood facing each other.
"Come on, Shino-guy. I'll finish you off in an instant," Zaku declared.
"If you fight me, you'll never be able to stand again. You should just give up," Shino said calmly, his words designed to infuriate his opponent. His serious tone immediately ignited Zaku's anger.
"Don't get cocky, brat!" Zaku, enraged, charged towards Shino.
Up in the stands:
"Sakura-chan, who do you think will win?" Naruto asked, unfamiliar with both Shino's and Zaku's abilities.
"Whichever side you cheer for will win. Your mouth is blessed," Sakura replied, teasing Naruto with a smile.
"......Sakura-chan, don't mess with me," Naruto responded, slightly exasperated by Sakura's answer.
"You don't believe me? Try it and see," Sakura continued to tease, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Naruto would never cheer for the Sound ninja, only Shino. Sure enough. Naruto hesitantly calls out. "Shino do your best!!"
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