On the other side of the room, Hyuga Neji deactivated his Byakugan. He had scanned the area outside the tower and found it littered with a dense network of traps, blocking all paths. It would be difficult for any later teams to get through, even if they managed to collect a real Scroll of Heaven and Scroll of Earth.
"Neji, we were lucky to run into that timid team that hadn't encountered anyone else. Otherwise, passing wouldn't have been so easy," Tenten said, she and Rock Lee still shaken by how close they'd come to being duped.
"Luck is a part of skill," Hyuga Neji stated matter-of-factly. "Our smooth passage just means the other teams were even luckier."
Even without a stroke of luck, Neji and his teammates were confident they could have swept through most of the other squads in the Forest of Death. Passing the second test was a certainty; the only question was how much effort it would take.
***
In the Forest of Death, Sasuke Uchiha, searching for water, ran into Karin's struggling Kusagakure team. He easily took their treasured "Scroll of Heaven."
Meanwhile, Uzumaki Naruto and a slightly recovered Haruno Sakura were setting up a camp and preparing to roast fish. They failed to notice Yakushi Kabuto watching them from the dense woods nearby.
*It's about time. If I don't give them a hand, Sasuke Uchiha won't make it through the second test. That would make things very difficult for me, a spy tasked with observing my prey's performance!*
Having lost all their scrolls, Konoha Genin Team 7 had little chance of passing, especially since they were still unaware of the fake scroll trap. Kabuto felt the fake scroll he had just casually picked up. Even a shrewd mind like his had to admit that the strange ideas of a dedicated troublemaker were truly hard to guard against. As a multi-faceted spy, Kabuto was a master of forging documents and credentials; Daigan's amateurish work was hardly worth mentioning.
***
For more than a day, not a single Genin pushed open the doors to the Central Tower, a testament to the fierce competition raging outside.
It wasn't until dawn on the fifth day that the dust-covered Dosu Kinuta from Otogakure walked in, leading a dispirited Kin Tsuchi and Zaku Abumi, whose arms were bound in bandages and slung across his chest.
The Sound Ninja opened their two scrolls, only to stare dumbfounded at the blank Scroll of Heaven. A Konoha Chunin, summoned by the jutsu formula, immediately announced their failure.
"Unfortunately, you were deceived by fake scrolls spread by your rivals. While it's not your fault, rules are rules."
"That's impossible!" Zaku, unable to accept reality, yelled emotionally. "If it was fake, why did the team we beat fight so desperately to protect it?"
"Like you, they couldn't tell if the scroll in their hands was real or fake. That's all there is to it!"
Dosu Kinuta glared with his one eye, his voice cold. "Is this really allowed? The proctor never said there would be fake scrolls."
"That is not the responsibility of the Konoha proctors. You can only blame your own bad luck."
Still hoping to challenge Sasuke Uchiha and prove his own worth, Dosu asked desperately, "Can we still participate in the exam? There are plenty of scrolls out there. We can get more."
"According to the rules, no. Normally, we'd have to render you unconscious until the test is over, but seeing as you made it to the Central Tower, we'll let it slide..."
Nearby, the Konoha and Sand ninja who had watched the Sound team's misfortune shook their heads in pity. A team had finally fallen victim to the fake scrolls. The Sound trio was probably not the first, and likely not the last.
Around noon, Nara Shikamaru, covered in wounds with Akimichi Choji's scarf tied around his arm as a tourniquet, entered while supporting a limping Yamanaka Ino. Akimichi Choji followed behind, a bandage wrapped around his head. It was impossible to know what trials they had endured over the past three days to be so injured.
Shikamaru let out a long sigh and produced one Scroll of Heaven and two Scrolls of Earth.
"Ino, Choji, this is the best we could do. Whether we pass now is up to luck."
Without hesitation, Shikamaru unfurled all three scrolls and tossed them to the floor. As expected, one of the "Scrolls of Earth" was blank, but the other two were genuine.
"Lucky bastards," Daigan grumbled in disappointment before losing interest.
Just when everyone, aside from Daigan, thought there would be only six qualifying teams—an even split between the Sand and the Leaf—Yakushi Kabuto, Tsurugi Misumi, and Akado Yoroi arrived, followed closely by Konoha Genin Team 7, who had made it through with Kabuto's help.
"Hey, what's going on?" Temari complained, unhappy to see the Sand Ninja at a disadvantage. "Are the proctors giving them a free pass? How is every single one of them so lucky?"
Daigan replied calmly, "Don't underestimate the Konoha Genin. Someone must have been able to tell my fake scrolls apart."
Daigan had already considered the exception that was Kabuto. If he wanted to, helping one or two Konoha teams pass would be simple. He had thought Kabuto might at least help the Sound trio out of village loyalty, but it turned out those three, with almost no allies, were never told about the fakes and were unluckily eliminated. Conversely, Nara Shikamaru's team, which Daigan had thought was most likely to fail, had been blessed by fortune.
"Eight teams in total. That's a bit much," Daigan mused, looking around. Both Konoha Genin Teams 7 and 10 were heavily injured and would be at a great disadvantage in the upcoming third test preliminaries. The Sound trio, who should have passed, were eliminated, while Daigan's team and Saya's team—six people in total—were added, resulting in one more team than expected.
Soon after, the time limit for the second test officially ended.
All the proctors, including the head proctor Mitarashi Anko, gathered in the arena. Besides the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was there to preside, the Jonin leader of every qualifying Konoha team was also present. The qualification of three Sand Ninja teams seemed to have been unexpected; only Baki was there as their representative. Neither Daigan's captain, Otokaze, nor the Jonin leader of Saya's team had come.
Another thing caught Daigan's attention: not a single Sound Ninja was present. With the Sound trio eliminated, their theoretical Jonin leader—in reality, Orochimaru in disguise to observe Sasuke—was absent. This meant Kabuto, tasked with intelligence gathering, probably wouldn't volunteer to withdraw.
*This is trouble. Another variable!*
With a total of twenty-four Genin, the matchups for the preliminary round would be completely different. It would be a good chance to see if that so-called random electronic screen was truly fair.
Mitarashi Anko stepped forward and announced loudly, "The second stage of the Chunin Exam is now over! Congratulations to all of you here for passing! Next, the Third Hokage will explain the third exam. Please listen carefully."
What followed was a speech full of grand principles that the rookies didn't quite grasp but that the veteran Genin already knew by heart. It was a stage to display the strength of each village's Genin, allowing dignitaries from various nations to witness the power and depth of the great ninja villages, thereby increasing their fame, influence, and mission requests. In essence, the third stage of the Chunin Exam was a tournament showcase.
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