[Check Out My P4treon For +30 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! And get chapters before publishing them here for free on my p4treon][https://p4treon.com/ThePlotHoleRefuge]
===
Shinji's mouth twitched. It was a smile, very light and faint, with an indescribable meaning.
"Examinee?"
The middle-aged man's voice pulled him back: "What do you say?"
Shinji looked at him.
There was silence for three seconds.
"I'm going to the tower."
The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment, then nodded and wrote something on the form.
"Someone will take you there. Go from the outskirts; it's safer."
"No need."
Shinji turned and walked out: "I'll go by myself."
...
When Shinji walked into the Central Tower, sunlight was leaking down from the skylight overhead.
It was very bright. Blindingly bright.
He squinted for a moment, then adjusted to the light.
Many people were already standing in the hall. Examinees from Konoha, Sunagakure, and some other Villages.
Some were leaning against the wall to rest, some were sitting on the ground bandaging wounds, and some were gathered together discussing something in low voices.
The air was filled with the smell of blood, sweat, and that unique exhaustion of having survived a disaster.
No one noticed him.
An ordinary black-haired boy, wearing a tattered vest and covered in blood, walked in from the door. There were too many such people here.
Shinji stood by the door, his gaze sweeping across the hall.
He didn't see her.
He withdrew his gaze, leaned against a pillar, and closed his eyes.
How to resist Mei Terumī?
Shinji didn't know.
But he knew that this game wasn't over yet.
"Shinji!"
A voice exploded from the crowd. Naruto's golden head squeezed out from the crowd, and he jogged over.
Behind him were Sakura and Sasuke. Sasuke's face was very pale, and his neck was wrapped in bandages, covering the Cursed Seal left by Orochimaru.
"You survived too!"
Naruto approached him, his expression complex. Surprise, happiness, and a hint of indescribable awe:
"That girl chasing you was very strong... I thought you'd be eliminated..."
Shinji opened his eyes and looked at him.
"You guys advanced too?"
"Yeah!"
Naruto nodded vigorously: "Although some things happened, we all got the scrolls!"
Sakura added from the side: "Sasuke got a little injured, but it's not a big problem."
Sasuke didn't speak. He just leaned against the wall with his hands in his pockets, his gaze falling on Shinji.
There was something in those eyes. Alertness, curiosity, and something else.
Shinji didn't look at him.
He was just wondering where Mei Terumī was.
"All examinees."
A voice came from the center of the hall. It was the proctor's voice, deep and powerful, drowning out all the discussions.
"Gather in the center!"
The crowd began to move. Shinji followed the crowd forward.
The center was a circular open space, surrounded by high stands. The stands were already full of people.
High-level officials from Konoha, envoys from Sunagakure, and some spectators dressed in various styles.
Shinji's gaze swept over those stands.
The Third Hokage sat in the center, puffing on a pipe with a gentle smile on his face.
Beside him sat the "Kazekage." The one Orochimaru was impersonating, also with a smile on his face.
And next to him.
Shinji's gaze stopped.
Mei Terumī was sitting there.
She wore the formal robes of the Mizukage, her auburn hair cascading over her shoulders, her emerald eyes like two deep pools.
Sunlight fell from the skylight above, shining on her and coating her in a faint golden glow.
She just sat there, her posture elegant and her expression calm. Like a statue.
But those eyes were looking at him.
Shinji's footsteps faltered for a moment.
It was very brief. So brief that the people around him didn't notice.
But the owner of those eyes saw it.
The corners of Mei Terumī's mouth curled slightly. It was very light, very faint, almost impossible to tell she was smiling. But it was indeed a smile.
Shinji withdrew his gaze and continued walking forward.
His heart skipped a beat. But he showed nothing on his face.
Only those eyes, in his peripheral vision, kept following him.
The proctor stood in the center of the open space, holding a list in his hand.
"First of all, congratulations to everyone for successfully passing the second exam."
His voice was loud, echoing throughout the hall: "During these five days in the Forest of Death, you have proven your strength and luck."
Some breathed a sigh of relief, while others smiled.
"However."
The proctor paused.
"The third exam will not start immediately."
A murmur rose from the crowd.
"According to the rules, before the formal exam, a preliminary round must be held."
The proctor's gaze swept across the examinees: "Because too many people have advanced."
The murmurs turned into low complaints.
"The Preliminaries will be one-on-one, with random drawing. The winner advances, and the loser is eliminated."
The proctor took a box from his pocket.
"We will now begin the drawing."
Shinji stood there, looking at the box.
He could feel that gaze still on him. From the stands, from that position, it followed him.
He didn't look up.
He just listened to the proctor call out names one by one.
"First match, Akimichi Choji vs. So-and-so."
"Second match, Gaara vs. So-and-so."
The names were read one by one.
Then.
"Next match."
The proctor reached into the box, pulled out a slip of paper, and unfolded it.
"Inuzuka Kiba vs. Shinji."
A slight commotion broke out in the crowd.
Kiba was stunned for a moment. Then he looked up, his gaze passing through the crowd and falling on the black-haired boy leaning against the pillar.
Shinji also looked up.
Their gazes met in mid-air.
Kiba's mouth twitched. It wasn't a smile, but an indescribable expression. Nervous, afraid, but unable to show it.
He remembered a few days ago.
On the day of registration, those words he had said in front of everyone.
"Don't you have any idea about your own situation?"
"Hinata is the eldest daughter of the Hyuga Main Family; you're not qualified."
And what he said at the door of Shinji's dorm that day.
"Look how useless this guy is. He can't even perform the Three Basic Jutsu properly."
"Training depends on talent, not on the charity of others."
He had enjoyed saying those words at the time.
But now.
Looking at Shinji's eyes, which were as calm as still water, he suddenly felt a chill down his back.
"Kiba!"
Akamaru barked in his arms, as if to cheer him up.
Kiba took a deep breath and walked forward.
He was the heir of the Inuzuka family. He couldn't back down.
Shinji also walked out from the crowd.
The two stood in the center of the open space.
The surrounding crowd stepped back, leaving space for them. The discussions gradually quieted down. Everyone's gaze fell on them.
Hinata stood at the edge of the crowd, her hands twisted together, her face slightly pale.
"Kiba..." she whispered her teammate's name, then looked at Shinji, her white eyes filled with worry.
Kurenai stood beside her and patted her shoulder.
"Just watch," Kurenai's voice was very soft. "He'll be fine."
Hinata didn't know who she was talking about.
===
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 75 on my patreon, go check it out
exclusive 18+ character images, and early chapters, please visit my Patreon. Thanks for your support!
p4treon.com/ThePlotHoleRefuge
if you want more updates == supports with power stones
Every 20 Power Stones == Bonus Chapter
every three 5-star reviews == Bonus Chapter