The anticipated spectacle of an Uchiha showcasing his impressive power failed to materialize, leaving everyone somewhat disappointed. Kabuto Yakushi, the double agent, surrendered outright.
This prompted many to direct derisive boos towards Kabuto, who had previously claimed to be a senior student from a previous Konoha graduating class.
However, the jeers seemed to have no effect on Kabuto; he even smiled and waved to those he recognized. He was committed to his laid-back approach.
After all, a double agent's thick skin wasn't just for show. Only a fool would let mere taunts derail their plans.
In the third round, Kankuro easily defeated Misumi Tsurugi.
The fourth round featured Temari versus Tenten.
Just like in the original story, Tenten, the wealthy weapon mistress, found her vast arsenal completely countered by Temari's Wind Style.
In the end, Tenten was decisively defeated by Temari's ultimate technique, the Wind Style: Sickle Weasel.
The fifth round saw Shino pitted against Zaku Abumi.
Zaku Abumi, one of the Sound ninja trio, possessed the ability to unleash devastating sonic blasts capable of shattering rock.
However, Shino's insects completely clogged the special devices on Zaku Abumi's arms, causing his sonic blasts to backfire spectacularly. It was a complete and utter defeat for Zaku Abumi.
The sixth round was a clash between Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno. This proved to be a fairly even match.
As a support-type ninja, Ino's true strength shone when she teamed up with Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi, forming the traditional Ino-Shika-Cho trio.
One-on-one combat wasn't her forte.
Although she had joined Natsuki's club and gained the ability to summon spirits, her summoned spirit was the most arrogant Hero King, Gilgamesh.
And Gilgamesh could completely ignore Ino's commands. After nearly giving Lord Danzo a heart attack during the Uchiha incident, he took off to conquer the world with members of the Uchiha clan.
Rumor had it that he had already led the Uchiha across the sea, aiming to conquer the Land of Water.
And Ino chose to rely on her own abilities, not summoning the gate of babylon. She had only used it previously because of the emergency.
As in the original story, she encountered Sakura's second personality and her Mind Body Switch Technique failed.
In the end, the two childhood friends, like ordinary girls in a squabble, exhausted themselves to the point of collapse.
Both were disqualified from the third round of the official matches.
It's worth noting that, thanks to Natsuki's presence, their rivalry over Sasuke didn't escalate into a bitter feud this time.
This was because Ino had developed a preference for Natsuki.
After all, Natsuki was even more handsome than Sasuke.
Ino, with her straightforward personality, fell for him at first sight. Sakura, however, still preferred the brooding, cool type like Sasuke.
The seventh round deviated from the original storyline once again: Rock Lee versus Kyoraku Tomoda.
Seeing the names on the screen made Natsuki realise the influence of the his own butterfly effect.
Originally, Rock Lee was supposed to face Gaara, forcefully opening the Five Gates and breaking through Gaara's defenses.
Ultimately, he would be left crippled by Gaara due to exhaustion.
Unexpectedly, they wouldn't even meet this time.
As for this Kyoraku Tomoda, he was a character who never appeared in the original story and was apparently a Suna ninja.
Natsuki guessed that his actions in the Forest of Death had led to the early conclusion of the second exam, allowing more examinees to pass and impacting the tournament arrangements.
The eighth round: Gaara versus Dosu.
The boy with deep-set eyes and a giant gourd on his back drew everyone's attention the moment he entered the arena.
His overflowing killing intent seemed to lower the temperature of the entire venue by several degrees. He was a walking, talking human air conditioner.
It made people wonder how many lives he had taken, how many mountains of corpses and seas of blood he had traversed, to possess such terrifying killing intent.
"So...so scary," Sakura, who had returned to the second floor to watch the matches, said with a shiver.
"It's as if his gourd is filled with killing intent," Ino added, trembling slightly beside her.
How could the Chunin Exams keep producing such monsters? Was this level of killing intent something a teenager should possess?
"Yeah, it's a good thing we fought each other earlier," Sakura said. "We put on a good show and avoided the pressure."
Sakura nodded in agreement.
At this moment, Dosu entered the arena.
As the strongest of the Sound ninja trio, he was a rare ninja who utilized sound waves as weapons.
This instilled in him an arrogant disdain for ordinary ninja.
Yet now, beads of sweat dotted his forehead.
He lacked confidence facing the monster before him, who carried a gourd and seemed to have crawled out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
But as a ninja from the Sound Village, a subordinate of Orochimaru, he couldn't admit defeat before even fighting.
Otherwise, he wouldn't survive the consequences.
But in the next moment, he realized that Gaara's killing intent wasn't locked onto him.
Gaara hadn't even glanced at him. Instead, he stared intently at the second floor, at a strikingly handsome Konoha ninja with delicate features.
That person was Natsuki, who enjoyed immense popularity after his instant victory against Yoroi in the first round.
"Bastard! How dare you ignore me!" Dosu had always been the center of attention in his own team.
He never expected that in the Chunin Exams, he would be treated with such disregard.
Instantly, he stomped on the ground and launched himself into the air, his right arm subtly aimed at Gaara, initiating the attack.
"Resonating Echo Drill!"
Invisible sound waves fiercely erupted. But from Gaara's large gourd, an endless stream of golden sand poured out, automatically forming an impenetrable sand wall that blocked the attack.
Only then did Gaara seem to snap back to attention, focusing on his opponent.
Immediately, Dosu felt an overwhelming killing intent, like a mountain pressing down on him, making his heart skip a beat. He was paralyzed with fear, frozen in place.
"Bastard!!! How dare you Attack me?!"
"Sand Binding Coffin!" Gaara roared, raising his right hand and clenching it into a fist. Instantly, endless sand surged toward Dosu, completely entangling, covering, and crushing him.
BOOM!!!
A tremendous explosion blasted away a large portion of the sand.
Dosu, his face filled with terror, crawled out, gasping for air.
But in the next instant, a massive wave of sand engulfed him once more, pulling him back in.
"Help!"
"I surren…"
"I surrender!" Just as the sand was about to cover his mouth and nose, Dosu shouted desperately, fighting against the pressure.
"That's enough! Stop!" Exam proctor Hayate Gekko quickly flashed into the arena, halting the match.
At the same time, Gaara muttered softly: "Die!"
BOOM!!!
The Sand Binding Coffin abruptly compressed inward.
Several streaks of blood sprayed out, and the yellow sand gradually turned crimson.