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After Gaara left, the tension in the room hadn't fully dissipated when Guy walked in. His energetic demeanor was tempered by seriousness as he addressed Inoiki.
"You handled the situation perfectly," Guy said, his voice carrying genuine appreciation.
Inoiki nodded in acknowledgment, his expression calm.
Guy continued, "Alright, you three can go now. I'm here to take care of Lee."
Inoiki, Shikamaru, and Naruto exchanged brief glances before leaving the room. They made their way to the room where Choji was admitted, finding Ino already there, sitting by Choji's bedside with the basket of fruit she'd brought earlier.
As soon as Inoiki entered, Ino looked up and asked, "Brother, what happened? Why did you leave in such a hurry?"
Inoiki offered a reassuring smile. "Just a small matter. Nothing to worry about," he replied.
Hearing this, both Ino and Choji nodded, visibly relieved.
They spent the next few minutes chatting lightly with Choji, keeping the conversation casual and upbeat. When the time felt right, Inoiki, Shikamaru, and Naruto bid him goodbye and left the hospital together.
That night, Inoiki had hoped to speak with his father about chakra weapons, but Inoichi was busy. He spent the entire day attending to intelligence department matters, and by the evening, he went out to a restaurant with Choza and Shikaku for a celebratory gathering. With no opportunity to bring up the topic, Inoiki decided to wait for another day.
The next morning, the day of the Chunin Exam's third round had arrived.
Inoiki walked toward the exam venue with his sister, Ino, by his side. The two moved with a steady pace, the air between them filled with quiet anticipation. Along the way, they were joined by Shikamaru and Choji, the group falling into step with one another as they approached their destination.
When they arrived at the Chunin Exam venue, the group split up.
Ino and Choji made their way to the spectator seats in the stands, while Inoiki and Shikamaru continued toward the arena floor.
The atmosphere in the venue was charged with energy, the crowd buzzing with excitement as the candidates prepared to showcase their strength and determination.
As Shikamaru and Inoiki walked toward the arena, Shikamaru glanced at Inoiki, his tone casual but laced with curiosity. "There's been a lot of buzz about Sasuke's match and Neji's match, but not much about yours. How does that feel?"
Inoiki chuckled, his response lighthearted. "Shikamaru, you're a smart guy. You've already figured out the reason, haven't you? Yet, you still ask me. Why don't you tell me what you think?"
Shikamaru scratched the back of his head, his expression one of mild exasperation. "What a drag," he muttered. "If I had to guess, it's because most people don't know much about you or your strength. You kept a pretty low profile back in the Academy, and no one outside of the participating ninjas knows what really happened during the earlier rounds of the Chunin Exam—or how strong you actually are."
Inoiki smiled faintly, offering no further comment. His silence seemed to confirm Shikamaru's theory.
The two soon reached the arena and joined the contestants, standing in a neat row as they awaited the start of the third round.
The buzz of the crowd filled the air as the final preparations were made. Contestants were given a set time to assemble, and most had already taken their places. Just as the clock ran out, Naruto burst into the arena in a characteristically chaotic fashion.
He sprinted onto the field at full speed, tripping over his own feet and crashing to the ground in a heap.
Inoiki was the first to react. He stepped forward and helped Naruto to his feet, his voice steady with concern. "Hey, are you alright?"
Naruto blinked, his dizzy expression quickly clearing as he regained his bearings. Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Run! Bulls! There are bulls coming—lots and lots of bulls! Run!"
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, glancing around lazily. "Bulls? I don't see any bulls," he said, his tone skeptical.
Naruto pointed frantically toward the entry gate he had just come through. "There! They're coming from there!"
All eyes turned toward the gate, but it stood still and empty. Not a single bull—or anything resembling one—was in sight.
Shikamaru sighed, shaking his head. "You're such a drag, Naruto," he muttered.
Inoiki chuckled softly, stepping back into line. "Classic Naruto," he said under his breath, though his gaze lingered on the gate, half-expecting some kind of chaos to follow.
The rest of the contestants exchanged glances, some laughing quietly while others simply rolled their eyes. The tension in the air lightened for a moment as the arena prepared for the battles to come.
"Alright, quiet down, all of you!" Genma Shiranui, the new proctor for the third round of the Chunin Exam, called out. His voice was firm, his senbon needle shifting lazily between his lips as he addressed the assembled contestants. "Stand in line properly. Remember, you're in the presence of countless dignitaries and spectators from different countries. Present yourselves with dignity—don't embarrass yourselves or our village."
Inoiki, Shikamaru, and Naruto exchanged quick glances before straightening up and taking their places in the line.
Genma's stern tone wasn't unwarranted. The previous proctor, Hayate Gekko, had been mysteriously killed the same night the preliminary exams were completed, a chilling reminder of the dangers surrounding the exam. The change in proctors was a somber note amidst the otherwise electric atmosphere.
Moments later, the crowd's murmurs grew louder as a new figure entered the stands. The Kazekage had arrived, taking his seat beside the Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Hiruzen greeted the Kazekage with a respectful nod, and the two exchanged formal pleasantries. Then, the Hokage stood, walking to the edge of the platform to address the gathered crowd.
"I welcome you all to the final round of the Chunin Exam!" Hiruzen's voice rang out, clear and commanding. "Nine candidates have qualified to compete today. By the end of this tournament, one of them will stand as the winner. So, I invite you to watch closely and enjoy the matches to their conclusion!"
A roar of cheers erupted from the crowd, their excitement palpable.
Behind Hiruzen, the Kazekage leaned back in his seat, his gaze scanning the lineup of contestants in the arena. After a moment, he spoke, his voice calm but curious. "You mentioned nine contestants, Lord Hokage, yet I only count eight. Where is the ninth?"
Hiruzen turned slightly, offering a composed smile. "He is late. However, he will arrive before his match begins—or he will be disqualified."
The Kazekage gave a faint nod, saying nothing further, though his sharp eyes lingered on the arena.
The air grew heavier with anticipation as the matches were about to begin, the crowd buzzing with excitement and speculation about the battles to come.
Genma stood in the center of the arena, holding a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it with a practiced flick, holding it up for the contestants to see. "Listen up," he announced, his tone firm yet calm. "There have been some changes to the match schedule for the competition. Look carefully."
The contestants leaned in, their eyes scanning the revised chart. The changes were immediately apparent. Originally, the first-round matches were supposed to pit Inoiki vs. Dosu and Shikamaru vs. Temari. However, with Dosu now missing, the schedule had been adjusted. Shikamaru's match against Temari remained, but the winner of their bout would have to face Inoiki to qualify for the second round.
Shikamaru stared at the chart for a moment before letting out a long sigh. "What a drag," he muttered, his voice laced with his signature reluctance.
Inoiki chuckled softly, amused by Shikamaru's predictable reaction.
Genma folded the paper and tucked it away. "Alright," he continued, his voice cutting through the murmurs of the contestants. "The first match is Neji Hyuga vs. Naruto Uzumaki. The rest of you, head to the waiting room."
The contestants nodded and began filing out of the arena, leaving Neji and Naruto behind to prepare for their match.
In the waiting room, the atmosphere was thick with anticipation. Inoiki sat calmly.
As the match began, Inoiki couldn't help but notice the imbalance in support. The spectators were overwhelmingly cheering for Neji, the number one rookie of previous year, while almost no one seemed to be rooting for Naruto.
He leaned back in his seat, observing silently. Underdogs always surprise people, he thought, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. The final round of the Chunin Exam had only just begun, but the tension and excitement were already mounting.
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