Although an incident involving the extraction of Tailed Beast chakra had quietly taken place, no one was aware of it, and the second stage of the Chunin Exams concluded without disruption.
As part of the arrangement, Hayashi secretly assisted the Takigakure team in obtaining an Earth Scroll.
The scroll originally belonged to Yashamaru's team. Hayashi stated with complete seriousness that it was not intentional, it was simply unfortunate timing that caused their paths to cross at the worst possible moment.
However, Yashamaru's team had not been eliminated yet. They still had a chance to secure another scroll before the exam officially ended.
As for who would ultimately be unlucky, Hayashi was not concerned.
For the Takigakure team, acquiring a scroll without effort felt like unexpected fortune. Fuu's excited expression clearly showed her satisfaction.
As for the Seven-Tails inside Fuu's body, it had already been fully suppressed by Hayashi using a sealing technique. Not a single trace of its chakra could leak out, and it was completely sealed away from influence.
At the very least, this would spare Fuu from the constant burden that troubled most jinchūriki.
Compared to others like Gaara, who suffered from severe dark circles due to Shukaku's influence, Fuu would not have to endure such torment. Even though Gaara's condition remained even after Shukaku's removal, it showed how lasting such damage could be.
Hayashi considered this a satisfactory outcome.
Five days passed quickly, and the genin who successfully cleared the second stage were gathered once again.
The number had been greatly reduced compared to the beginning, but still too many remained for the final public matches.
Since the final stage would be held in front of the village leaders, weaker participants and those lacking skill needed to be filtered out first.
Thus, a preliminary round was arranged.
This type of elimination format, which focused on direct combat, was also called a one-on-one match selection.
With nothing else to do, Hayashi returned to the exam venue to observe the matches.
The Konoha genin who advanced included his own class, Mikoto's class, Kushina's class, and Minato's class. Most had managed to reach this stage, though their paths varied.
Nawaki was in a rather awkward position, as all of his subordinates had already been eliminated from Chunin contention.
Since genin battles did not require a large battlefield, the preliminaries were held inside a medium sized indoor training facility.
Jonin instructors stood on the circular second floor walkway, allowing them to observe the battles below clearly.
Standing there, Hayashi glanced at the match lineup that had been drawn earlier.
If someone claimed there was no manipulation in the selection process, he would not believe it.
Konoha genin were overwhelmingly matched against ninjas from other villages, and few of them were strong contenders.
Clearly, the village had ensured favorable outcomes wherever possible.
Of course, not everyone was lucky.
For example, the current match, Guy versus Obito.
Obito stood below with a confident expression, occasionally glancing toward the second floor where Rin was watching.
For him, the Chunin Exams were temporary, but showing off in front of Rin was a lifelong pursuit.
"Guy, you should give up. I do not want to hurt you," Obito said casually.
Half a year ago, they were still on the same starting line, both inexperienced genin.
But after learning several ninjutsu, Obito now believed he had surpassed Guy, who relied purely on taijutsu.
He intended to advance, impress Rin, reach the finals, and eventually defeat Kakashi.
Everything had already been planned in his mind.
Guy only shook his head.
He did not speak much, but his determination was clear.
He had no intention of surrendering.
Standing here meant something important to him. He wanted his father, Might Duy, to see him on the final stage.
Duy had remained a genin for years, working hard at a weapon shop while still carrying the title. Guy did not want to disappoint him.
His eyes briefly shifted toward Hayashi in the distance.
He took a deep breath, and the trembling in his hands gradually stopped.
Guy stepped forward, one hand extended, the other held behind his waist in a formal stance.
"Might Guy, I ask for your guidance."
Obito's expression also turned serious.
At the signal from Yamanaka Inoichi, the match began immediately.
Guy moved first.
He charged forward in a straight line, closing the distance almost instantly.
After training under Hayashi for months, his movements were far more refined than before, with no wasted motion.
However, Obito was not unprepared. As a classmate, he understood Guy's fighting style very well.
Since speed was his strength, restricting movement was the key.
Obito threw several kunai in curved trajectories.
Guy twisted his body mid advance, narrowly avoiding them, then accelerated again.
In an instant, he closed in and unleashed a powerful whip kick.
Bang.
Obito's body was struck, but it immediately turned into a wooden log, shattered upon impact.
Substitution Technique.
Obito reappeared at a distance without hesitation and immediately followed up with more kunai.
This time, wires attached to the kunai extended outward, spreading rapidly and forming a dense net that restricted movement in all directions.
Obito tightened his grip.
This was the only method he could think of to limit Guy's speed.
He inhaled deeply, chakra gathering in his throat.
The wires had also been coated with oil. A single fire release would turn the entire space into a trap.
Victory was within reach.
"Fire Style, Great Fireball Technique."
Just as he was about to release it, an unexpected problem occurred.
Earlier that morning, Obito had helped an elderly woman cross the street. She had given him a piece of candy as thanks, and he had kept it in his mouth.
At that exact moment, it became stuck in his throat.
His face instantly turned red. He could not breathe.
Guy, who had been trapped in midair, used the wires to reposition himself, closing in rapidly.
Then he struck.
Bang.
A precise kick landed directly on Obito's mouth, dislodging the candy instantly.
Obito finally gasped for air.
That feels better.
That was his first thought before collapsing to the ground.
"Might Guy wins," Yamanaka Inoichi announced.
Minato quietly covered his face.
He now felt even worse than Nawaki.
Hayashi let out a faint laugh.
This match had turned into something far more chaotic than expected.