Chapter 72 - Cap 66: Can I quit the exam?

A new day had come and the Genin were already gathered in the Tower Combat Arena.

"Six teams..." - Kurama muttered as he looked around - "Five teams of Konoha and one of Suna..."

The redhead was surprised when he felt a couple of loving glances. He slowly moved his gaze, only to notice how Kushina and Mikoto were looking at him with a smile - "I guess they came to see Sasuke and decided to stay for the next test..."

Kurama looked away again to see who else was there, only to find that it was not only the Jonin sensei but Hiruzen as well, along with some of the Clan Heads.

"Sorry, I'm late *cough*" - said a man with a look that said he could fall at any moment - "My name is Hayate Gekko... and I will be the examiner for this test..."

"Is he all right?" - the Genins wondered when they saw the Examiner start coughing up blood.

"I'm sorry about that..." - said Hayate as he coughed again - "This test will be a tournament where you will fight an opponent who will be chosen by numbers and will be divided into two parts"

"I feel like our examiner is going to die any minute..." - Kiba muttered as he watched the examiner. The other Genin of Konoha nodded.

"Anyway, the rules are simple..."- Hayate continued, "One, the battles are one versus one, and if one of the participants receives help, that participant will be disqualified. Two, the fight will go on until one of the opponents falls unconscious, surrenders or dies"

"Now... before we start *cough*, I'm going to ask the following question..." - said Hayate as he looked at the Genins - "Is there anyone who wants to retire? If so, you'd better say so now"

- said Hayate as she looked at the Genins - "Is there anyone who wants to retire? If so, you'd better say so now.

"I'm retiring..." - Kabuto raised his hand almost immediately - "This last test left me completely exhausted so I can't continue..."

"That disgusting snake smell..." - murmured the young redheaded man as his gaze sharpened.

"I'm retiring too..." - said Kankuro as he raised his hand - "I only went in because the teams needed three members"

"I..."- said Shikamaru but couldn't continue his words when he noticed his mother was there and was looking at him coldly - "I... find all this problematic..."

"Anyone else?" - asked Hayate as he watched two Genins climb up to the stands - "So there are 16 participants left... Now we'll do the following, each participant will come and spin this 'roulette'. The order will depend on the time of your arrival at the tower... now, please pass the Sabaku team"

Gaara was the first one up and without even thinking twice, he spun the roulette - "Sabaku no Gaara, number 6!"

"Now I'm waiting to see who can prove my existence..." - said Gaara in a low voice.

Then Temari came up - "Sabaku no Temari, number 8!"

"At least I'm lucky enough not to face Gaara..." - thought Temari with great sweat on her forehead.

"Yoroi Akadon, number 3!"

"Misumi Tsurugi, number 9!"

"Kurama Uzumaki, Number 15!"

"Tch! I am at the bottom..." - Kurama clicked his tongue when he saw his number.

"Next!" - exclaimed Hayate.

"I'm sorry!" - Hinata said ashamedly as she pulled out her number - "Hinata Hyuga, number 1!"

"Wish me luck Kuro-kun~" - said Ino as she winked at the redhead - "Ino Yamanaka, number 12!"

" You got it, princess!" - shouted Inoichi from the second floor.

"Please, somebody kill me!" said Ino as her face lit up like a Christmas light because of the shame she was feeling right now.

"At times like this... I feel that it's not so bad not having a father..." - said Sasuke as he looked at his mother who had a funny smile on her face.

"Good luck, Sa-chan~!" - shouted Mikoto with a tender smile on her face.

Sasuke's face paled and he quickly turned to shame - "Please kill me..."

"Easy, Sasuke... you'll soon have a father..." - Kurama thought the latter because it was obvious he wouldn't say it quietly.

"I just hope it comes out on the 16th because I feel like I need to punch you in the face..." - said Sasuke as he looked at the redhead. He quickly walked over to the roulette wheel and turned it, only to pull out the number 4 - "Tch! An extra..."

"Hey! Extras need a screen too!" - said Yoroi sadly.

"Sakura Haruno, number 11!"

"Against Ino..." Sakura muttered as she looked at her blonde friend, only to nod her head in regret - ". . ."

"It's my turn!" - exclaimed the young Inuzuka but his face paled when he saw his number - "Number 16?!"

"Wow! That's 'good' luck!" - said Sakura perplexed.

"Damn it all!"- Kiba shouted in terror - "Of all the possible enemies, it had to be the pumpkin head!"

He didn't know how to react in such a situation but froze when he felt a hand land on his shoulder - "Easy Kiba-kun... It'll only hurt a lot when it's over but I promise I'll give you a quick 'death' "

"Can I quit the test?" - Kiba asked in fear - "Tell me it's still possible"

"I'm sorry, young Inuzuka," said Hayate as he shook his head, "Because when you took your number, you lost the right to quit the exam..."

"There are times when I think the reason for my existence... is just to suffer..." - murmured Kiba as he bowed his head.

"Shikamaru Nara, number 10!"

"Tch! What a drag..." - Shikamaru muttered as he squinted - "At least I have time to relax..."

"Shino Aburame, number 14!"

"Choji Akimichi, number 13!"

"This is awkward..." - said Choji when he saw that he would fight his friend and teammate.

Now it was the turn of team 11, being the first to climb Rock Lee - "It's time to show my flames of youth!"

"Rock Lee, number 5!"

"Then you will prove my existence..." - mumbled Gaara as he looked coolly at the boy in green.

" Tenten, number 7!"

"And I was waiting for the handsome redheaded boy..." - said Temari as she shook her head - "I guess I'll have to settle with you... girl..."

Tenten's eyes narrowed as her anger grew as she watched Temari look at her b.r.e.a.s.ts when she called her a girl. She had a serious inferiority complex when it came to the b.r.e.a.s.t department, as many of the younger girls had much more than her.

"And as the last number, Neji Hyuga the number 2" - said Hayate when she saw how the Hyuga stayed where he was.

"You see, Hinata-sama? That is fate." Neji only looked at Hinata coldly.

"Tch! Fate boy, I've had enough of him..." - muttered the young Uzumaki with a scowl. "Hinata-chan... don't hold back"

"Hai, Kurama-kun!" - Hinata nodded as she tried to calm herself. She felt this was the perfect time to show her cousin what she was made of.

"They must already know who their opponents are but I will still announce it," Hayate said as he looked at the Genins.

First Combat: Hinata vs Neji

Second Combat: Yoroi vs Sasuke

Third Combat: Lee vs Gaara

Fourth Combat: Tenten vs Temari

Fifth Combat: Misumi vs Shikamaru

Sixth Combat: Sakura vs Ino

Seventh Combat: Choji vs Shino

Eighth Combat: Kurama vs Kiba

"You have one hour to prepare," said Hayate, and then disappear from the arena.

"So many good enemies and I get the extra..." - Sasuke muttered as he snorted.

"Hey! We extras have feelings too!" - Yoroi exclaimed angrily, "Let's see how much longer you're going to have that condescending look..."

Kurama decided to ignore everything else but stopped his steps when he felt an intense look that seemed to be piercing his back. Slowly he moved his eyes to the origin of that look, only to notice a beautiful woman with messy brown hair and wild eyes - "Grr!"

Kurama's pupils sharpened as his pupils split - "ROAR!"

The woman was surprised when she heard the roar but quickly her fighting instinct was on fire like never before - "ROAR!"

"Kaasan?!" - exclaimed a pretty girl in her 20s with brown hair.

"What do you want, Hana?" - said the woman with a scowl when she noticed that the boy wasn't paying attention to her anymore.

"What's the matter with you?" - asked Hana with surprise, she had never seen her mother act like that.

"I don't know" - denied the woman with a clear irritation on her face - "But my instinct told me to fight that boy..."

"Hey, Tsume!" - exclaimed Inoichi. "What was that?"

"It's nothing" - replied Tsume with a scowl - "Now you'd better get back to your place, I don't think your wife is allowed to be more than two meters out of her range"

"Hahaha!" - The other clan leaders laughed when they heard this, with the clear exception of Hiashi and Shibi.

Inoichi's eyebrow contracted but he was silent when he saw his wife holding his frying pan.

"To all this... it is a surprise to see you two here" - said Shikaku as he looked at the Uchiha and Uzumaki women.

"Weren't you informed about Orochimaru's presence?" - asked Mikoto in surprise.

"Yes... but that's all they told us," replied Shack with a frown.

"The thing is, Orochimaru managed to put a cursed seal on Sasuke-chan," said Mikoto as she sighed regretfully. "That's why Kushina-chan came to check it to see if he could remove it or seal it completely."

"I see..." - nodded Shikaku seriously - "But why did Orochimaru do that to Sasuke?"

"I have a hypothesis that Orochimaru was also involved in the whole Uchiha coup affair" - said Mikoto quietly - "I heard from Fugaku that one of his allies wanted a talented young Uchiha and that would be Sasuke-chan"

". . ." - the others were silent because matriarch Uchiha's words made so much sense.

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Chapter 86 available in Pa treon