At the opening ceremony, people's eyes were all looking at the tall building behind the rostrum.
Although there is a tall building behind the rostrum, it looks strange no matter how you look at it.
But when people thought that was where the daimyo was, they calmed down again.
It's only natural that a big name is in a high building. There's nothing strange about it.
That’s right, unlike the Chunin Exams in other ninja villages, in the Chunin Exam in the Hidden Mist Village, the Mizukage really fulfilled his promise and invited the Daimyo of the Water Country.
This is truly the first time - of course that doesn't mean there haven't been daimyo and nobles coming here in the past.
In fact, they would come to inspect the final stage of each Chunin Exam. But unlike the small nobles and wealthy people who sincerely support their country's ninjas, the representatives of these top forces came here not because they "value ninjas", but just as inspection tools.
The future investment ratio will be determined by looking at which production place (ninja village) produces tools that are better and more powerful.
Even though the ninjas from several countries have been fighting and killing each other for decades, it seems that they are fighting to the death for their own countries.
In fact, whether nobles or daimyo, they often hired people from other ninja villages to do work.
The relationship between the country and the ninja village supported by the country is not completely one of mutual gain and mutual loss.
Even when they feel dissatisfied or it is not cost-effective, they will threaten to actually reduce economic support for their own ninja village.
The feeling is probably, "Since it's not cost-effective to develop and produce it myself, I'll just go to other countries and buy ready-made ones."
The ninjas of Honmura who sacrificed their lives for the country did not have no complaints. But after all, the power of life and death was in the hands of others, and they could do nothing about it.
One can only perform hard during the Chunin Exams in order to gain more favor and resources.
This favor was not limited to the daimyo and nobles of the country, but also included those from other countries.
In fact, it is a kind of helplessness.
——Since we can’t fight back, then we will turn around and become the one who grabs other resources.
As long as we are stronger and more fierce, we can get a share of the pie from other ninja villages.
The strong get stronger, while the weak deserve to be drowned.
Therefore, the Hidden Mist Village invited the daimyo early this time instead of waiting until the evaluation stage to evaluate the strength of the ninja villages. This really showed its sincerity.
The other participating ninja villages were surprised, but also slightly envious.
After all, I didn’t have this treatment when I was active in the ninja village.
This made the ninjas feel frustrated and also created a subtle sense of competition.
So what if the Daimyo of the Water Country comes?
They fought just the same. Not only did they fight, but they also wanted to pin the ninjas from the Hidden Mist Village to the ground and let the daimyos see their own strength.
What if it’s my turn next time?
Ninja.
Even if you don't make money, you have to fight for your reputation.
Just like that, before the project even started, the tension between the ninja villages became intense again.
Especially the ninjas from the Hidden Mist Village - they received a lot of hostile looks without knowing it.
The ninjas of the Hidden Mist Village feel wronged.
No, we wanted to thank you for helping us escape from the Juanhai, but you ignored us.
Why are you looking at me like this now?
It’s fine that we had a blood feud in the past, but now we haven’t done anything, why are you still looking at us like this?
This is too much.
After all, he is a ninja, so he can't be a good person.
Then the ninjas of the Hidden Mist Village also began to glare.
Who is afraid of who?
The result was that before the competition even started, people were already aroused by the intense passion between the ninjas.
They all started cheering and shouting for the ninja villages and individuals they supported.
This made many young ninjas who were experiencing this atmosphere for the first time unconsciously excited and their blood boil.
In the past, they were only engaged in boring training and covert operations, and had never seen such a scene before.
"Oh my god Itachi, I thought I wouldn't be amazed again after feeling it once." Tianma grabbed Uchiha Itachi's shoulders excitedly, "I didn't expect that when I stood on the field, I couldn't help but tremble with excitement - I can't wait to show my strength to my supporters!"
“…But they are not just your supporters.”
Xinzi shook his head helplessly.
"Didn't you hear them shouting the names of the ninja villages?"
She didn't expect that her companion would be so selfish.
"I'm a contestant from Konoha, doesn't that mean you're supporting me?"
Who would have thought that after hearing this, Tianma was not embarrassed at all, but instead became more determined to believe that those people supported him.
"Why don't you just say you support Itachi... Never mind, it won't make any sense if you say it."
Xinzi stopped talking halfway through.
After all, that's the Uchiha.
Wouldn't it be asking for trouble to put the thousand-year-old ninja clan together with these small families like them?
Uchiha Itachi slowly typed a question mark.
He didn't really understand the meaning of his teammate's words, but he was a teammate after all, so he replied.
"It's definitely not to support me."
However, these words only silenced both teammates.
Being modest is a good thing, but being overly modest is pointless.
If I don't support you, the Uchiha, do I really support Tianma?
The audience is not stupid. They can tell who is better and whose game is more exciting with their naked eyes.
Neither of them spoke anymore. Uchiha Itachi looked around at his teammates with a question mark in his face and stopped talking - he was not good at proactive communication, and only said a few more words because both sides were teammates.
The leading ninjas from several ninja villages were also very surprised to see the high platform of the Daimyo of the Land of Water.
They all knew more or less about the mistake that the Hidden Mist Village had made in getting the qualification to host the event.
No one thought that the Hidden Mist Village could really invite the daimyo to attend the opening ceremony.
In their imagination, it would be great if a great noble could show up.
But now the daimyo is directly watching the game...
Then the original plan to hide my shortcomings is no longer suitable.
They gathered the candidates on their side and started to make tactical arrangements again.
In short, it’s to show off.
The coolest and most powerful one can be.
There is nothing to hide.
It would be a disgrace if I couldn't even make it to the re-examination.
By then, even if they had ten thousand amazing killer moves, it would be useless.
Because there is no chance to show off at all - people's impression will only remain on 'Look, this is the ninja village that didn't even pass the initial test'.
How could these proud and arrogant ninjas possibly bear this?
However, it is not entirely about mobilizing candidates from one's own village and asking them to try their best.
There are also those who warn their own people not to let them go.
For example, Iwagakure Village.
"Listen Deidara, you really can't blow up the surrounding buildings."
"Especially in places where there are people, nothing you say will work!"
"Even if you are eliminated, you can't blow up!"
The leading ninja of the Iwagakure Village warned the boy in front of him for countless times.
"I know, I know, you're so long-winded... ah!"
The blond boy, whose bangs covered half of his face, waved his hand impatiently.
"I don't want to be long-winded, but Deidara..."
"Isn't it that you can't blow up buildings with people in them? It's not like I do it every day."
“It’s not okay to explode occasionally!”
The ninja leading the team was overwhelmed.
Originally, a kid like Deidara who had just entered the ninja school not long ago was not qualified to take the Chunin exam.
But when he heard that Uchiha Itachi was going to take part in this Chunin Exam, he insisted on taking part.
Because the village didn't say he was not qualified to participate, he even kidnapped several other Genin who were going to take part in the Chunin Exam out of anger.
The reason is very simple.
"These people who can't even beat me can take part in the Chunin Exam, why can't I?"
"I can't even defeat them, so what are they going to do? Throw away the people from the Hidden Rock Village?"
Although his words were arrogant , because those candidates who were about to take the Chunin Exams lost to him, the Tsuchikage could only get angry and glare at him, calling him nonsense, but he couldn't really do anything to him.
After all, in the ninja world, there is no such thing as blaming others for being too strong.
If anyone is to blame, it's only because those who are not motivated enough are too weak.
So the Tsuchikage could only hit Deidara on the head with a bunch of bumps and then throw him into the confinement room.
——But how could a mere confinement room possibly hold Deidara, who had already ignited his talent for blasting and was prepared to make it his lifelong pursuit?
Almost as soon as the man was locked up, Deidara blew a small hole silently and ran out.
Of course, there was a lot of sarcasm towards the guarding ninja afterwards.
Seeing that this would only lead to a vicious cycle, the Third Tsuchikage discussed with others and decided to make an exception and give him the opportunity to participate.
At the same time, in order to save the face of the Iwagakure Village and prevent him from going berserk during the Chunin Exam, Akagi, who was still studying at the Ninja School, had to graduate early and become his teammate.
The purpose is to hope that Akagi, who is as strong as an adult and has a mature and stable personality, can stop Deidara and prevent him from causing any unmanageable disaster.
They are here to take part in the Chunin Exams. They can show off their muscles, but they can't destroy other people's homes.
As for why Black Soil didn't come together...
Of course, they were worried that Kurotsuchi and Deidara would go crazy together and make the Iwagakure Village completely embarrassed.
Although under normal circumstances, Heitu is still very sensible.
But in the Chunin Exams, anything can happen.
Who knows if it will suddenly stimulate people?
Fortunately, Kurotsuchi was not determined to take part in this Chunin Exam, which made the Iwagakure Village feel relieved.
Finally getting rid of the nagging ninja leader, Deidara stood on the field in high spirits.
He quickly moved his eyes to look for his old enemy (self-proclaimed) Uchiha Itachi - they hadn't been able to decide the outcome last time because of Uchiha Sasuke.
This time, he must prove himself uprightly.
He, Deidara, is the strongest!
This is different from the past when people would be notified of an exam and then just start as they pleased.
The current Chunin Exams have a formal opening ceremony and speeches - of course, the ninjas' speeches are still very short, and there will not be a situation where everyone falls asleep during a long speech.
The short and powerful speech made the candidates and the audience even more excited and looked forward to the following events...
However, the formality of the opening ceremony has nothing to do with the content of the exam.
When dealing with these ninjas who took the exam, the Chunin Exam preparation team of the Hidden Mist Village continued its past tradition of being "inhumane".
It was announced that the match would start the next day, but the door was kicked down just after midnight that evening.
Unlike the last time, this time in the Mist Village exam, the accommodations for the candidates and tourists were separate.
Although it still looks like they are intertwined, those 'guests' are just stooges set up by the Hidden Mist Village.
The purpose is to carry out this night attack.
After all, it is said to be the next day...but once it is past twelve o'clock, it is still the next day.
"Follow me. I will only wait for twenty minutes. Candidates who cannot find me within twenty minutes will be eliminated."
After saying that, the man jumped out of the room and disappeared - according to what this person said, he would not leave the vicinity.
But where exactly they are hiding and what methods should be used to find them...that depends on the candidates' own ability to improvise.
Damn!
Some candidates went to bed early to recuperate, while others, who were too excited and had just laid down, got up in a hurry to get busy.
Because no one expected that the Hidden Mist Village would launch a "night attack" at this time, some people who were careless were caught off guard.
Put on clothes in a hurry and pick up props in a hurry.
When I followed him out, there was still the ding-ling-bang sound.
The pieces fell to the ground in a bang.
——On the contrary, the audience was in good condition because they were told that the exam would start at dawn after returning to the hotel. They leaned against the window to watch the live broadcast of "Mirage Technique" outside with great energy.
They didn't know what was going on with the ninjas, but they did make up for their sleep.
The audience couldn't help but laugh as they watched the ninjas looking flustered, looking no different from themselves when they were late in the morning.
How to put it, what they usually see are ninjas who are steady and cold, coming and going without a trace , and taking the heads of enemies amidst thousands of troops.
Now when I see this group of young people looking flustered and even terrified, I not only don’t feel disappointed, but I also feel quite friendly.
"Hey, so ninjas are human too."
It's just that they are a little bit better... OK, it's not a little bit. But in the final analysis, when they encounter problems, they are no different from ordinary people.
Some people have a different focus:
"That steel wire is really convenient. If I could do the same, I could just swing it and pull it to take away everything I need... I wouldn't have to worry about being late anymore."
Looking at the various ways that the ninjas went out, some people made envious sounds.
"Ah, shouldn't we hope that we won't be in a situation where we have to rush out? Give ourselves more time to prepare."
But no matter where people's focus was, the candidates taking the exam rushed out of the door and began to look for the "leader" who kicked the door.
As soon as they landed on the ground, they were greeted by the "thick fog" unique to the Hidden Mist Village.
The thick white fog, like spilled milk, not only obscured the surrounding scenery, but also made it impossible to see teammates clearly.
"Tianma, Xinzi, follow me."
Uchiha Itachi spoke first.
"OK."
"no problem."
Not only did his teammates not refute, they also took the initiative to propose a solution:
"How about we arrange a secret code to meet each other, so that if we get separated, we can use the code to reunite."
“That makes sense.”
Uchiha Itachi agreed.
"Then let's calculate the trajectory of the ninja tools in battle."
"I have taught you this calculation method. I believe that no matter what kind of problem is given, everyone can solve it."
Ask questions and answer them at any time. Isn't this safer and more reliable than having a fixed answer?
After all, no one can guarantee that there will be no one.
Lurking in the fog and eavesdropping.
You know, one of the most famous techniques of the Hidden Mist Village is their "silent killing technique".
Isn't it child's play for me to get close to you and eavesdrop on your information silently?
Xinzi & Tianma: The smile gradually disappears.
The Hidden Mist Village Ninja who was really eavesdropping: The smile gradually disappeared.
——Gam, why don’t you play by the rules?
Although the test is stated to be "finding a guide", how could a ninja's test be as simple as "talking"?
The occasion is already set, so testing the teamwork and discrimination abilities is just a side job.
What the Hidden Mist Village ninjas didn't expect was that the contestants for this Chunin Exam were not only 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon', but also 'Crouching Dragon, Hidden Phoenix'.
In the past, Uchiha Itachi gave test questions anytime and anywhere.
Later, Deidara casually threw a bunch of clay spiders on the ground, indicating that if it was his teammate, he would be able to dodge it - if he couldn't dodge and was killed, then he was definitely not his teammate.
The logic sounds fine, but in practice it means sending people away.
Akagi finally understood why the Third Tsuchikage had that expression when he said goodbye to them.
That expression of wanting to say something but stopping, seemed to be one of gratitude and guilt.
So this is it! ?
Fortunately, Chi Tu was no pushover, so he didn't become the unlucky guy who was beaten and sent away by his teammates at the beginning.
At the same time, other teams also encountered obstacles.
Some people simply cannot find each other because of the fog, while others suddenly appear and need to be identified.
There were also those who bumped into each other for no reason and started fighting out of nervousness.
"Take my move!"
"Where did this despicable villain come from to attack me? Look at me using Fire Escape!"
"Ahhh, it's hot, damn it, I'm angry!"
There was chaos in the thick fog.
However, the audience watching through the mirage technique can see clearly what the contestants are doing through the caster's 'considerate' markings and magnification.
In just these short twenty minutes, it seemed as if I had seen all kinds of human life.
At the same time, I also gained a new understanding of the ninjas' fancy operations.
"So you can tell if a teammate is someone you know based on the way he hits you and the intensity of his blows?"
"Sure, I tell you, I can even tell by how hard the ears are being pulled.
Is it my mother or my sister..."
"Brother, it's not easy."
"No, it's actually okay once you get used to it..."
Why does it feel like this audience seems weird?
Although the scene was extremely chaotic, and there were even some people who crazily beat their teammates (or perhaps they were taking the opportunity to seek revenge?), after all, these were the elites carefully selected by each village to participate in the Chunin Exam, so it would not be so difficult that they could not even find a guide.
Twenty minutes later, each group stood next to their leader.
It's just that there are inevitably some people with messy clothes or bruised faces... and a few who were unfortunately hit by the Fire Escape, looking like they just crawled out of a coal mine.
"Not bad, I thought at least three or five groups would be eliminated."
The Kirigakure ninja waiting on the side nodded.
"Congratulations to everyone for successfully passing the initial stage and officially obtaining the qualification to participate in this Chunin Exam. Next, we will officially move on to the preliminary round."
"The preliminary round will officially begin after you arrive at the examination room. You can use this time to adjust yourself or... sort yourself out."
As he spoke, the examiner's gaze was still passing over the candidates' faces and bodies.
When he saw a few people with bruised faces or smoke-stained faces, he paused for a few seconds to emphasize the situation.
However, after hearing what the examiner said, the candidates who were frightened by the previous sudden attack did not feel at ease - not only did they not feel at ease, they looked at the examiner with even more vigilance and alertness.
It seems to mean, 'You can make up whatever you want, and let's see how else you can trick us.'
Examiner: I obviously meant well. I was worried that you would lose face if you appeared in front of the audience with this image. Since you don’t appreciate it, then forget it.
Seeing the examiner turn and leave, the candidates followed him vigilantly.
Once bitten, one is afraid of ropes for ten years. They did not dare to let down their guard all the way, fearing that some traps or mechanisms would pop up on the road and cause problems.
We ran all the way from darkness to dawn, and then arrived at an abandoned town near the bay.
"This was originally a prosperous port city, but it was abandoned decades ago due to frequent tsunamis. This ruin, along with the surrounding area for several kilometers, will be the venue for the preliminary round of the Chunin Exam."
After a short break (mainly to allow the audience to get up, clean up and have breakfast), the examiner appeared in front of everyone again.
And this time, he had an extra box in his hand.
A big family
They were all familiar with the box, which was sealed on all four sides and had only a round opening on the top where one could put a hand.
"The lottery box."
People who often go shopping at Ugetsu store will be familiar with this box.
"Each group will send one person to come forward and draw a clue. All you have to do is find the designated props based on the clues and then protect them until the end."
"Then how will it end?"
The ninjas, who had been intimidated by the Hidden Mist Village at the beginning, pricked up their ears when they heard this and asked questions nervously.
——Who knows if this will start from tomorrow.
What if they say 'tomorrow' again, but it ends at midnight and dawn?
"Until the boat comes to pick you up."
The examiner said this, pointing to the sea level in the distance.
A ship can be vaguely seen there.
"I won't tell you the exact deadline, you can look at the ship."
"When the ship reaches the shore, you will board with your mission items."
"If you bring the mission items on board and confirm that they are correct, you will have passed the initial test."
"But let me say this beforehand. The purpose of this initial test is 'search' and 'protect', so no matter what your mission objectives are, you must not let 'it' get hurt."
"If the mission target is injured or damaged, it will be considered a failure regardless of whether we can board the ship on time."
"Let me first state that although it is used as an examination room, it is still full of dangers. In addition to the difficulties we have arranged, there is also the possibility of landslides or even tsunamis. We do not provide life insurance."
As he spoke, he pulled out a stack of printed paper.
"So before we start, all candidates need to sign this life and death agreement." He looked around with a serious expression, "If anyone wants to quit, you can stand up now."
One minute, two minutes.
Three minutes passed and no one stood up, so the examiner smiled.
"In that case, I will assume that everyone is prepared to sacrifice their lives."
"Then come to me and sign a life and death agreement, and then draw clues about your target!"
All of them were well-trained ninjas, and the examinees quickly lined up.
As each team signed the life and death agreement, a representative went to the side to draw his or her own clue.
All the clues are hidden in the characteristics
In the small box, even with the Byakugan of the Sharingan, it is impossible to see the contents inside.
Prevent cheating to the greatest extent possible.
The team that has drawn their own clues will also leave the scene quickly to prevent the possibility of leaks.
Although the examiner did not say that the test required them to compete against each other.
But for someone who can kick the door in the middle of the night... who can guarantee that they don't set a trap here?
What if their goals conflict? Don't they have to take action?
It is better to make thorough plans from the beginning to prevent any possible crises.
Uchiha Itachi's team naturally got their own clues.
They found an inconspicuous place, opened the small container, and took out the note inside.
On it was a string of framed numbers and the word 'expensive'.
"Expensive? What do you mean by expensive? Are you asking us to find the most expensive one?"
Tianma was confused.
How come he didn't expect that a Chunin Exam would be associated with the word 'expensive'?
"Maybe they want us to escort precious antique paintings or something like that."
"Compared to that, what is this number for?"
Xinzi shook the piece of paper, and when he saw no other clues appeared, he began to ponder helplessly.
“Find a pattern.”
Uchiha Itachi quickly found the key.
"These missing parts are the clues we need."
Tianma & Xinzi were silent for two seconds, then looked at Uchiha Itachi at the same time.
So many digital questions...
It's really hard not to suspect that Itachi-sensei was involved in setting the questions!!