Part Time Employee in Konoha

Chapter 196: What I say, goes!

This world is fair.

If one desires something, one must first give something in return. For instance, if a myriad of snakes demands a sacrifice in the future, then it must first offer itself as a sacrifice.

For example, if someone voluntarily assists others, then it is only right that the kind-hearted individual receives reciprocation. This is the principle of fairness that Akihara Kagura abides by.

The second phase of the Chunin Exam has concluded as scheduled.

All nine newcomers from Konoha miraculously passed, and Class 3, which participated in the Chunin Exam for the first time in the previous session, also passed the second phase.

These young ones had barely any time to celebrate their success in the Forest of Death before they were required to partake in a preliminary match due to the excessive number of participants, ahead of the official third phase.

As the chief examiner, Akihara Kagura, had no choice but to head to the preliminary match arena to oversee the smooth conduct of the third phase.

At the preliminary match arena.

Akihara Kagura, looking down at the dense crowd below, felt that there were still too many participants in this third phase, making the preliminaries a bit more troublesome.

Everyone present also watched Akihara Kagura, the young authority figure, whether they were Genin participants or leading Jonin from other villages, most were aware of Akihara Kagura's reputation.

"So many people..."

Akihara Kagura, the host, did not shy away from expressing his dissatisfaction with the results of the Forest of Death test, frowning and saying, "I'm considering randomly selecting half of them to be killed off, which would also save some time..."

The Genin present were all startled!

"Kagura!"

Hatake Kakashi's forehead twitched.

The group of guiding Jonin standing behind Akihara Kagura were also shocked!

"Well then."

Akihara Kagura spread his hands casually instructing, "There were too many passers from the second phase of the Forest of Death test, have the examiner, Umino Iruka, who took over hosting the test, go back and write a self-critical report to submit to the Hokage's building. These kids have all participated in the exam, so we shouldn't be concerned about deaths..."

"Yes."

A member of the Anbu responded reluctantly with a bow.

"Alright."

Akihara Kagura looked towards a sickly man in the arena, somewhat displeased, and frowned, "Take this person to the hospital, and bring a healthy Jonin over..."

"Cough, cough, cough... I'm fine..."

The main examiner for the third phase, Hayate Gekko, coughed as he responded to Akihara Kagura's words, trying to prove he was in good health but instead confirming he really was ill.

"Someone."

Akihara Kagura glanced at an Anbu member obeying orders, pointing to a purple-haired woman wearing a mask: "Take this guy to the hospital, let him stay there for two months, it's really tarnishing the image of Konoha..."

The masked Anbu member, Uzuki Yugao, secretly clenched her teeth.

The main examiner for the third phase, Hayate Gekko, happened to be her boyfriend, and before he could even host the exam, he was already disliked by Akihara Kagura. Her boyfriend, Hayate Gekko, was quite handsome, just a bit sickly, yet how could that tarnish Konoha's image!

But then again...

Uzuki Yugao had no choice but to follow her superior's orders.

"Let's go, Hayate..."

Uzuki Yugao reluctantly stood up, supporting her boyfriend towards the hospital: "Let's get you checked out first..."

"Cough, cough, cough, it's just an old issue, I can manage..."

"Let's go!"

Uzuki Yugao led her boyfriend away.

Akihara Kagura casually pointed to his own examiner from the Chunin Exam, Shiranui Genma, indicating him to host the preliminary match before the third phase, which was routine for him.

"Genma, you take over."

"Yes."

Shiranui Genma, holding a senbon in his mouth, stepped forward and asked, "Before we start the preliminary match, does anyone want to drop out? After all, solo combat can be very dangerous, and the final trial is a fight for your life..."

"We don't need to deceive them with that."

Akihara Kagura interrupted Shiranui Genma, indifferently saying, "When I participated in the Chunin Exam, I almost killed Uchiha Itachi, and wasn't there someone who stopped it?"

This was a different situation!

Shiranui Genma felt this was indeed a tough job, but could only reluctantly continue, "Alright, as usual, I still have to ask, does anyone want to drop out of the exam?"

"I'll drop out."

Kosuke Maruboshi voluntarily proposed to withdraw.

He wasn't really aiming for promotion, but rather was accompanying Karin and Yakushi Kabuto in the exam. Before withdrawing, the elderly man encouraged his teammates: "Good luck, you can definitely pass with your abilities..."

"I'll drop out as well."

Kabuto actively raised his palm.

At that moment, two members quickly left Karin's squad. All the genin present couldn't help but turn their gaze towards her, seemingly curious if this violent, bespectacled girl would also withdraw.

However...

Karin remained standing in her spot, apparently having anticipated her teammates' withdrawal. These two were originally there to escort her; she would have to fight alone in the third round. Without a doubt, Karin must now rely on her own strength.

"Let the drawing begin!"

Shiranui Genma wasted no time. Seeing that no one else withdrew, he quickly arranged the drawing ceremony, and two names appeared on the device.

Karin VS Hozuki Suigetsu.

The expressions of the two mentioned immediately brightened.

Hozuki Suigetsu looked towards Karin somewhat anxiously. He saw a flash of light on her glasses, seeming quite satisfied with the draw.

This isn't...

Going to get beaten up again?

During the examination in the Forest of Death, Hozuki Suigetsu offended Karin and was severely beaten by her, with his entire squad proving no match for her. If it's just him alone now...

"I forfeit!"

Hozuki Suigetsu wisely raised his hand.

A crowd of genin curiously looked at Hozuki Suigetsu. Apart from Gaara's team of three, everyone felt that Hozuki Suigetsu was rather cowardly.

Chojuro, seeing Hozuki Suigetsu forfeit so quickly, hurriedly tried to persuade him: "Suigetsu, don't be so quick to back down, it's just death at worst..."

"Chojuro!"

Hozuki Suigetsu complained discontentedly: "Don't talk about it so lightly, you're not the one dying! I'm no match for that violent woman anyway!"

In the spectators' corridor.

Akihara Kagura frowned at this scene and asked in a deep voice: "Can't we arrange the ninja from Mist and Sand together? If their ninja dies here, it could be used to stir up relations between the two villages..."

A group of Jonin cast strange looks at Akihara Kagura.

"Lord Kagura..."

The leading jounin from Sand, Maki, asked awkwardly, trying to ensure fairness in the Chunin Exam: "Shouldn't the Chunin Exam still ensure basic fairness?"

"And... cough cough..."

The leading jounin from Mist, Hozuki Mangetsu, coughed and said softly, "Shouldn't such things be discussed quietly, at least not within our hearing range?"

The Chunin Exam in Konoha is really unreliable!

Fortunately, it won't be long before their two villages will go to war with Konoha, and they won't need to send their ninja to such a shabby place for the Chunin Exam anymore...

However...

At least this preliminary match was still fair.

The second match quickly began, with Uchiha Sasuke facing an unknown Mist ninja.

Despite the curse mark given by Orochimaru troubling Uchiha Sasuke, he stubbornly achieved victory. Unfortunately, his curse mark acted up, and Hatake Kakashi had to find a way to help his subordinate solve the problem.

The third match, a Sound ninja, Sakon, faced Yamanaka Ino, with Yamanaka Ino winning.

The fourth match, Kankuro faced Chojuro. Kankuro, the puppet master from Sand, was obviously harsher, but Chojuro's character was somewhat gentle; however, his stronger Water Release Jutsu easily defeated Kankuro, preventing Mist from being utterly disgraced.

The fifth match, Haruno Sakura faced Yamanaka Ino. The two kunoichi from Konoha fought a fierce battle, ultimately both collapsing from exhaustion, leading to both being disqualified.

The sixth match, Temari faced Tenten. This female ninja duel was clearly more attractive than the previous one. Tenten's ninja tools ultimately could not stand up to Temari's Wind Release Jutsu, which blew her high into the air, causing her to spit blood and almost fall from a great height.

Obviously...

Once she fell, she would be seriously injured, even possibly breaking bones.

Temari watched the falling girl with a mocking smile, raised her fan, and quietly waited for Tenten to land on it, preparing to thoroughly humiliate a Konoha ninja.

However, a vine suddenly shot out from the ground, catching Tenten directly, marking the first time Akihara Kagura intervened, never having taken action before, drawing curious glances from everyone.

"Thank you, Lord Kagura!"

Might Guy's face showed gratitude.

Karin, standing beside Akihara Kagura, curiously sized up Akihara Kagura and also looked down curiously at the severely injured Tenten: "Lord Kagura, do you need me to treat her?"

"Mhm."

Akihara Kagura nonchalantly waved his hand, setting Tenten on the ground, and coldly stated: "Let's add a rule on the fly: Inside Konoha, it's not allowed to trample on opponents. Such things can only be done by me..."

You're really quite domineering, aren't you!

Many in the audience silently cursed.

Initially, the leading jounin from Sand, Maki, was somewhat dissatisfied and wanted to reason with Akihara Kagura, but this guy seemed completely unreasonable!

"Thank you."

As the direct beneficiary, Tenten struggled to open her eyes and express her gratitude; she had never imagined that the Hokage's assistant, known for his extreme personality, would choose to save her.

"..."

Akihara Kagura glanced at Tenten without saying much.

"Have you finally decided to save someone again?"

Hatake Kakashi had just alleviated Uchiha Sasuke's curse mark issue and stepped out to watch the exams when he witnessed this scene.

"Nothing strange about that, right?"

"Maybe this little guy has forgotten himself."

Akihara glanced at Hatake Kakashi, then at the drowsy Tenten, not hiding his own past.

"Seven years ago, after I completed the Chunin Exam, I was transferred to the Anbu by the Third Hokage. Danzo banished me from the Root. On the first night I was homeless and slept in the park, a little girl with a bun passed by and went home to get me a blanket..."

"Good deeds do get rewarded..."

Kakashi nodded in realization.

As they were speaking, the seventh exam began. Nara Shikamaru from Konoha and a ninja from the Sound Village fought, with Shikamaru, who usually lacked motivation, emerging victorious.

The eighth exam.

The two worst-performing students from the Ninja Academy, Inuzuka Kiba and Uzumaki Naruto, engaged in a clumsy fight, with Kiba unfortunately losing.

The ninth exam.

Hyuga Neji faced off against Hyuga Hinata.

The son of the Hyuga branch family against the daughter of the main family.

It was an exam that seemed like revenge, as Neji's father had died in place of Hinata's father, Hyuga Hiashi, and Neji always remembered this hatred and the disgrace the main family imposed on the branch family.

Even though he was from the branch family, Neji was still a genius surpassing Hinata, easily defeating her and wanting to kill the white-eyed girl right there, when other Jonin intervened to stop him.

"Are all the Jonin here to stop me?"

Neji, full of hatred and still focused on his grudge, said: "Is this the special treatment for the main family?"

"It's not any special treatment..."

Kakashi, realizing the boy was confused, spoke up: "Have you forgotten the temporary rule added by the Hokage's assistant? Apart from him, no one in the village is allowed to torment or kill their opponent. You were about to break that rule..."

"Enough."

Akihara Kagura frowned and cut off Kakashi's words, casually continuing: "Neji, if you have complaints against the main family, you can find me at Root..."

"And..."

Akihara Kagura leaned on the railing, looking down at Neji who still harbored some hatred: "This little girl named Hinata didn't do anything wrong. You should seek revenge against those who really did wrong. I've heard about your father's situation..."

Akihara Kagura's words shocked everyone present: "If you want revenge, you could kill the main family's elders, her father, or even the higher-ups officials who ordered your father's suicide, or even destroy the Cloud Village..."

"Kagura."

Kakashi rolled his eyes, feeling Akihara Kagura's words were becoming more outrageous: "Be a bit more sensible..."

"Anyway."

Akihara Kagura interrupted his guidance to Neji, disinterestedly continuing: "If the world is wrong, then fight hard to change it. Why bother making a fuss here and trouble this little girl named Hinata? I heard this little girl isn't very talented, she probably doesn't hold much status in the main family, otherwise, they wouldn't have assigned her to the newly promoted Jonin, Kurenai..."

"..."

Kurenai's forehead twitched.

"..."

Hinata, already distressed that her cousin wanted to kill her, felt even worse after hearing Akihara Kagura's words.

"Really now..."

Kakashi's forehead twitched, feeling if Akihara Kagura wasn't strong, he might not live long: "You've just insulted three people in one breath..."

"The exam continues."

Akihara Kagura waved his hand, indifferent, continuing: "I'll pay attention to the Hyuga family matters. Don't disrupt others' exams here."

"I want to see a bloodbath between two people, not you swinging your powerless fists and bullying the weak. Maybe that's because you are weak yourself, so you don't have the courage to defy fate, only bullying those weaker than you..."

"I..."

Neji weakly lowered his fists.

"Neji is a genius!"

Neji's teammate, Rock Lee, quickly stood up to clarify for his teammate: "Neji is a true genius! Don't insult Neji!"

"That bushy-browed kid, what's his name? Doesn't matter, you're disqualified."

Akihara Kagura frowned, his words causing Might Guy to immediately step forward to plead: "Lord Kagura, Lee didn't mean it. Let the kid prove himself, this is his..."

"Jonin Might Guy."

Akihara coldly glanced at Might Guy, continuing: "Say one more word, and I might decide here to ban Lee from taking the Chunin Exam for life."

"I am the chief examiner of this exam."

Akihara coldly surveyed everyone present, not caring whether his actions or words were convincing to others.

"What I say, goes."