When Kazehaya Hayate and his team finally arrived at the central tower, the place was silent. Not a soul in sight.Just like in the original story, Kiba's group had been the first to arrive—but this time, it wasn't because of any trap he'd set. It was because of Hayate's relentless drive.
Days passed. Slowly, more and more teams trickled in.Among them was Gaara of the Sand—pale as a ghost, the enormous gourd still strapped to his back—flanked by his siblings, Kankurō and Temari. Their quiet presence seemed to draw the air taut around them.
"Hey, Hayate!"
Naruto's familiar voice echoed across the tower the moment he spotted him. He charged forward, all grins and energy, stopping in front of Hayate with his trademark smile.
"Man, I heard you saved our butts last time! Didn't know you were that strong!"
Hayate chuckled awkwardly, scratching his head. "It was nothing, really."
"Na–Naruto…"
The instant Hinata saw Naruto running over, her face turned bright red. Without even realizing it, she reached out and grabbed Hayate's hand—then quickly ducked behind him, half-hiding her face against his back.
Naruto, oblivious as ever, continued chatting excitedly with Hayate for a while before returning to his own team.
Hayate watched him go, then turned toward Hinata, who was still trying to make herself small behind him. A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"That guy, Naruto… he's a good person," he said quietly.
"Huh?" Hinata blinked, looking up at him in confusion.
Hayate met her eyes—clear, gentle, and full of light—and smiled. "But I'm going to do even better than him."
Hinata's heart skipped a beat. Her cheeks burned red as she whispered, "I… I believe in you."
"All participants, gather on the first floor!"
A sharp, commanding voice echoed through the tower's halls.
By the time everyone assembled, not only was the second exam proctor, Mitarashi Anko, standing at the front, but several Jōnin had also appeared. Their respective team leaders stood beside them—and even the Third Hokage himself was present, standing tall at the center of the room, his calm gaze sweeping over the gathered candidates.
"First of all," Anko began, her voice echoing off the stone walls, "congratulations to everyone who passed the second exam!"
She paused, smirking slightly. "There were seventy-eight of you who took part in the second round… and only eighteen remain. I said at the start that more than half might pass—but honestly, I was hoping to keep the number in the single digits."
She laughed under her breath, a hint of wicked amusement glinting in her eyes.
Originally, 156 candidates had sat for the written exam. Half were eliminated then. And now, that number had dropped again—seventy-eight to eighteen.
"I'm starving…" Choji muttered, rubbing his stomach pitifully.
Shikamaru sighed. "Didn't think there'd still be this many people left. What a drag…"
His eyes flicked toward Hayate, who stood calmly off to the side, the long sword strapped across his back.
That guy could probably wipe out any of us if he wanted. If I end up against him, I'm just gonna forfeit.
Meanwhile, Ino clasped her fingers together nervously, glancing between Sasuke and Hayate.
Hayate's passed… and so has Sasuke… If the two of them end up fighting, who do I even cheer for?
Shikamaru, hands in pockets, shot Sasuke a sidelong glance. After everything, he's probably strong enough to put up a real fight now…
Across the room, Hyuga Neji folded his arms, standing beside his Jōnin instructor, Might Guy. His pale eyes swept over the crowd before stopping on Sasuke.
"Seems the group you brought along is pretty capable," he said, his tone laced with challenge. Then, with a smirk, he turned toward Kakashi. "Should I call that luck? Well, it doesn't matter. As long as my team's here, it won't be easy for anyone else to win. In the end, only strength decides everything. Youth is… harsh that way, isn't it, Kakashi?"
Kakashi, who'd clearly tuned out halfway through, looked over lazily. "Hmm? What was that?"
"WHAT?!" Guy froze mid-pose, eyes bulging in disbelief. "You weren't even listening to me again?!"
Flames of indignation burst metaphorically from his eyes. "You really are my eternal rival, Kakashi!"
Kakashi just blinked. "…Right."
Hayate couldn't help but smirk quietly to himself. Looks like all the key players are here.
His gaze drifted over the room—Naruto, Sasuke, Hinata, Neji, Kankurō, Temari, Gaara. Everyone who mattered was present.But something still caught his attention. Among the proctors standing near the Hokage was a figure with narrow, snake-like eyes.
That man… Hayate's expression darkened. Those eyes… Orochimaru?
"Hayate, Hinata, Kiba," Anko said, smiling faintly. "You three really impressed me. Passing the second exam without a single serious injury? That's not something you see often."
Her gaze lingered briefly on the long blade across Hayate's back, her curiosity piqued. Huh… since when did he have that sword?
Among the observing Jōnin, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, quietly surveyed the young faces before him. So many strong newcomers… no wonder the other villages are pushing their rookies forward this year.
Anko straightened up. "Next, Lord Hokage will explain the rules for the third exam. Listen carefully, everyone!"
She turned and bowed slightly. "Hokage-sama, if you please."
The old man nodded and stepped forward, resting one hand on the brim of his hat.
"The third exam will now begin," he said in a calm, resonant voice. "But before we proceed, there's something important I must explain—the true purpose of this exam."
His gaze swept over the assembled genin, his tone solemn.
"Why do allied nations host these selection exams together? The answer is simple: to strengthen the bonds between villages… and to measure the strength of each nation's shinobi."
A hush fell over the room.
"This test," Hiruzen continued, "is not merely a contest. It is a symbolic war—a small-scale representation of conflict between allied nations. It allows each to display their power, skill, and will to endure."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.
"This exam exists so that each country can showcase the pride of their village. That is why you must fight with everything you have. The ancestors who created this tradition did so believing it was a dream worth dying for."
A hand shot up from the crowd. "Then why call it an exam of friendship?" Tenten asked, brows furrowed.
Hiruzen smiled faintly beneath his hat. "Because, as I said, I hope you don't misunderstand its meaning. The balance of strength between nations—the cooperation and competition that maintain peace—that is what we call friendship in the shinobi world."
The room fell silent again.
"This is a battle for pride," Hiruzen concluded. "A life-or-death struggle that represents the will and prestige of your entire village."
"I like it!" Naruto grinned, folding his arms. "That's what being a ninja's all about!"
Hayate looked down at his own hands for a moment, then turned to glance at Hinata standing quietly beside him.
This is the ninja world… a dream built on conflict and pride.But that's their dream—not mine.
Before the Hokage could continue, a sudden cough broke the silence.
From the far end of the hall, a pale man staggered forward—his body thin, a sword strapped to his back. He dropped to one knee before the Hokage, pressing a hand to his chest.
"Forgive me for interrupting, Lord Hokage," he said weakly. "Moonlight Gekkō… reporting for referee duty."
Everyone turned to look.
Moonlight Gekkō… Hayate thought, his eyes narrowing. So it's starting—the preliminaries.