Chapter 48: A Golden Opportunity!
There were also speeches from the Fire Country's ministers and the legendary Sannin.
However, Uchiha Takashi had absolutely no interest in these, finding more entertainment in watching the three Sannin, who seemed ready to fight at any moment.
In reality, most of the contestants in the stands were secretly observing the three as well.
This was far more exciting than any speech.
Fortunately, there were people from the three great ninja villages maintaining order in the corners of the contestant stands, so no one dared to start a fight here.
Contestants from each village stuck together.
Don't think for a second that the contestants would get along peacefully.
Everyone was hoping for the others' demise.
You could tell just by the ruthlessness displayed in the Forest of Death, where the candidates didn't hold back.
Only a few managed to signal for rescue successfully.
While many were killed by the hunters, quite a few were taken down by their fellow candidates.
Exams during non-peaceful times were essentially a legal slaughter stage.
Only in future peaceful times would it be a true exam, but not now.
Now you understand why the people from the three great ninja villages were present in the corners, right?
Because without them, there might not be many survivors left before the competition even started.
This is the true ninja world.
Cruel and bloody! The future scenario where candidates coexist peacefully is nothing but a fantasy.
A total of 24 candidates were participating in the third round of the competition.
Although more survived the Forest of Death, villages with weaker candidates would voluntarily withdraw them.
The three great ninja villages took up half the slots.
Konoha Village was the worst off, with only Uchiha Takashi and Kakashi remaining.
The reason might be that Konoha, as the leading village among the Five Great Ninja Villages, was deliberately targeted.
"The first match is about to begin. Would Uchiha Takashi and Maki please come to the stage!"
An examiner in the corner suddenly announced.
The 1VS1 match-up chart had already been drawn by the examiner on the main stand.
None of the three seed contestants faced each other.
Something's fishy! Uchiha Takashi thought to himself.
Because the three seed contestants are the ones the audience most wants to see. If they were to face each other in the first round, there wouldn't be much to watch later on.
But... hearing his own match-up, Uchiha Takashi felt a murderous urge.
He had no problem with behind-the-scenes manipulation, but couldn't they have spared him?
His opponent was Maki?
A Sand Village ninja skilled in binding seals and a member of Maki's team.
Don't be fooled by her being a girl; she was ruthless.
In a wide-open battlefield, it might be manageable, but in the limited space of the competition stage, it was definitely her home turf.
Damn! If you ranked opponents by difficulty, she'd definitely be in the top ten among all the candidates.
Glancing at the girl who was quickly making her way to the contestant tunnel, Uchiha Takashi headed towards the tunnel from the opposite direction.
The dark and lengthy contestant tunnel was a good place to organize one's thoughts.
This time, Uchiha Takashi couldn't afford to lose.
Not only did he need to walk off the stage in one piece, but the bets he had placed left him no room for defeat.
The best money-making opportunity!
Was this joint Chunin Exam.
With competitions, there were naturally bets.
Gambling in the ninja world was legal.
The joint Chunin Exam, held once every few years, was the perfect platform.
It was far more thrilling than football.
The bookmakers were naturally the nobles and wealthy merchants.
If ninjas were the bookmakers, the nobles and merchants wouldn't accept it.
The reason was simple.
Everyone feared that if they lost too much, the ninjas might simply resort to "debt disappears with death," which would be disastrous.
This wasn't without precedent, which is why things ended up this way.
And when Uchiha Takashi learned that his family's White Thigh had gone bankrupt and their home was mortgaged, he thought of this money-making route.
Betting on himself to win!
His abilities were severely underestimated, and if he could bet on himself to win, he could make a fortune.
Of course, he couldn't hog all the profits.
Instead, he would involve the main branch and some ordinary Uchiha clansmen to share the cake.
This way, the noble and wealthy bookmakers wouldn't dare to default.
Because if they did, they'd have to face the wrath of the Uchiha.
At the same time, Uchiha Mei could use this opportunity to win over the main branch of the family and secure the position of head.
Recently, she had suffered an eye injury, leading many to side with Shu Uchiha, so she needed to bring them back into her fold.
Therefore, Uchiha Takashi absolutely could not lose.
As these thoughts ran through her mind, a glimmer of light appeared ahead.
It was the exit of the passageway!
From there, they would enter the arena and fight under the watchful eyes of the crowd.
The Joint Chunin Exams were renowned as a stage for gaining fame.
This one-on-one competition was the reason why.
The first round was all about eliminating those who were just trying to muddle through.
The second round was for selecting the geniuses.
The third round was the stage for those geniuses to shine.
As long as one could enter the third round, it was almost guaranteed that they would pass the Chunin Exams.
Thus, the third round was no longer about passing the exam but fighting for the honor of the village and oneself.
When Uchiha Takashi stepped through the exit, a wave of sound crashed into his ears like a tidal wave.
"Go for it!"
"Victory to Konoha!"
"Victory to Sunagakure!"
...
These cheers filled him with a sense of excitement and fervor.
Emerging from the opposite contestant tunnel was a girl with a sand-protective cloth on her head and a bundle of white cloth on her back.
It was Maki! She was considered a sealing genius of the Sand Ninja.
When Uchiha Takashi's gaze landed on the examiners standing to the side, his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Is it them?"
There were three examiners for the match, unlike the single examiner seen in the anime.
From Konoha, it was Minato Namikaze.
The other two were a man and a woman.
The man was burly, wearing a red ninja hat, with a distinctive large nose and sideburns, dressed in red combat gear, with a red sleeve on his left arm and his right arm exposed.
He stood like a steady mountain.
Kitsuchi!
He was also the son of the Tsuchikage, Onoki, and considered the strongest of the new generation in Iwagakure.
The last female examiner wore a backless tight outfit, her long hair a mix of birch and green, tied up, exuding an aura like fire.
Pakura of the Scorch Release!
She was also a strong figure of the new generation in Sunagakure.
These three elite Jonin, possibly even Kage-level candidates, served as examiners.
It was both to showcase the village's strength and to give them a chance to shine, while also protecting the village's future.
Of course, even though there were three examiners, the lead was naturally the Konoha examiner.
Home advantage was a given.
"The first match will be between Konoha's Uchiha Takashi and Sunagakure's Maki!"
Minato Namikaze announced loudly from the center of the arena.
In the audience stands.
"It's all set!"
Uchiha Shizuka, who had just arrived, whispered to Uchiha Mei, who had removed her bandages to reveal her perfectly healed eyes.
Betting!
Timing was crucial.
Doing it too early might give the bookies a chance to investigate and respond.
Uchiha Shizuka was in charge of this operation, so he only returned now that the match was about to begin.
"Alright."
Uchiha Mei nodded almost imperceptibly, as if she hadn't just staked everything on the table.
Having faced such a dark abyss, nothing could worry her anymore.
In fact, it had even caused a change in her Sharingan.
The Uchiha in dire straits! It wasn't a joke, and given her not insignificant talent, it was no surprise there was a change.
Not far away among the villagers.
Hyuga Aotsuki stared intently at Uchiha Takashi on the arena below, her eyes filled with gratitude, admiration... and other emotions, silently cheering him on.
"Go, Uchiha Takashi!!"
A sudden cheer erupted from Honda in the audience, beside him the pale and frail Yamakawa Koji.
His two best friends had also come to cheer for Uchiha Takashi.
As the atmosphere reached its peak, the match officially began.
(End of Chapter)
Bonus Chapter coming soon, Drop some PS :D