After Sasuke and Anko lingered for a while, they decided to head home.
In the following days, Sasuke successfully taught Sakura and Ino how to use the Curse Mark of Heaven and the Natural Cell Method. Both women eventually understood the power that came with these techniques, leading to their happiness.
After a month of hard work, the third round of the Chunin Exam finally began.
When Naruto arrived at the competition venue, he found that most of the participants had already gathered, but he noticed that a few people were missing.
"Where's Sasuke? Why hasn't he arrived yet? I wanted him to see my newly learned ninjutsu!"
Thanks to fate, Naruto had ended up becoming Jiraiya's disciple and had learned the summoning techniques of Mount Myoboku. When Jiraiya first saw Naruto's Rasengan, he was surprised that Naruto had mastered it so quickly. Jiraiya planned to show off, but in the end, he could only teach Naruto summoning techniques, as Naruto wasn't yet ready to learn Sage Mode.
"It's not just Sasuke. Didn't you notice that Ino and Tenten are also missing?" Shikamaru pointed out.
When Naruto heard this, he quickly looked around and realized that Ino and Tenten's spots were empty. A sense of unease suddenly crept into his heart.
"Stop talking and focus on the match," Shiranui Genma, who was standing in front, reminded.
Naruto quickly snapped back to attention, looking around to see that the stands were already filled with spectators. They were excitedly watching and cheering for the participants.
In the stands, Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned and asked, "Have we still not found Danzo's killer?"
Clearly, Hiruzen had discovered the news of Danzo's death. After all, Danzo hadn't been seen for a month, which was unusual, so Hiruzen had sent people to investigate at the Root headquarters.
Finally, they found the bodies of Root members, but Danzo was missing. Hiruzen initially suspected that Danzo had been murdered.
An Anbu member shook his head and replied, "We have no clues yet. We've sent several teams to search for him, but so far, there's still no news."
Hiruzen's face darkened, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "Keep looking. We must find the killer!"
Then he noticed the Fourth Kazekage approaching from the side and greeted him, "Ah, it's a rare sight to see you here, Lord Kazekage. Thank you for making the journey."
The Fourth Kazekage, who was actually Orochimaru in disguise, replied calmly, "It's fortunate the venue is in Konoha. Though you're still young, Hokage-sama, making such a trip must be tiring. You should consider appointing a successor soon."
However, the seasoned Hiruzen recognized this as a subtle jab at his age. Smiling, he responded, "Don't worry, I plan to serve for five more years."
He then stepped forward to announce the start of the tournament.
Off Stage
Shiranui Genma pulled out the new match list from his pocket.
"Due to Tenten's withdrawal, Naruto, as her opponent, will automatically advance."
Naruto felt strange hearing this. *Why would she withdraw?* he thought. But Naruto was still concerned about Sasuke.
"What about Sasuke and Ino? They haven't arrived yet. What happens then?" Naruto asked.
"If they don't show up by the start of their match, they'll forfeit," Shiranui Genma explained.
He then announced the rules for the competition, which were the same as those in the preliminaries. The match ends when one side either surrenders or dies.
"Next is the first match: Shino Aburame vs. Temari!"
This match had little suspense. Shino's bugs were completely outmatched by Temari's wind techniques, and halfway through the fight, Shino realized he had no chance of winning, so he forfeited.
"Now, the second match: Uchiha Sasuke vs. Gaara."
Gaara quickly appeared on the field, but Sasuke was still nowhere to be seen.
The audience in the stands immediately began to murmur among themselves.
"It's finally time for the Uchiha's match."
"But who's Gaara's opponent in this match?"
"I don't know, but he's probably no match for the Uchiha."
"I came here just to see this match."
Shiranui Genma looked at Hiruzen, silently asking what they should do next.
"There's nothing we can do about it. We can't keep the audience waiting any longer," Hiruzen said, shaking his head helplessly. He then stood up and walked slowly to the front of the stands, preparing to explain the situation to the crowd.
At that moment, a blue flash streaked across the field, followed by a shadow appearing on the battlefield.
Everyone looked closely and saw that it was Sasuke. He smiled at the audience and said, "Hey, why didn't anyone come to get me when the match started? That's not very considerate, is it?"
Sasuke had a relaxed smile on his face. In truth, he hadn't forgotten about the match, but he had deliberately taken his time. After all, he had spent some time with Anko earlier, and he wanted to make the most of the time he had. As long as he arrived within the allotted time, he saw no reason not to enjoy himself a bit more.
Hiruzen was relieved to see Sasuke finally show up. He gave Shiranui Genma a nod, signaling that the match could begin.
Shiranui Genma nodded in understanding and then announced loudly, "Let's move on to the second match: Uchiha Sasuke vs. Gaara!"
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