Chapter 375: Aoba Has No Problem!
For a moment.
Everyone's gazes were directed toward the top of the tower.
Only some sensitive people were the first to see such a thing among the crowd just now, and many people did not notice it.
With such a cry of surprise.
Almost every ninja present looked toward the top of the tower, including the two ninja guards.
"This..."
"What happened?"
"Oh my god!"
"Are they dead?"
"Someone really died!"
"..."
Cries of surprise rang out one after another, causing all the ninjas to panic.
Right now, all of them were filled with question marks.
There were many things that they could not understand.
For example...
How did these three Iwagakure ninjas die?
Who killed these three Iwagakure ninjas?
Also, why did the bodies of these three Iwagakure Ninjas suddenly appear at the top of the tower?
Such a question.
One after another, they popped up.
It made everyone present to have a haze in their heads. They had no idea what was happening, the kind they couldn't even guess.
"Not good!"
The two ninja guards already realized that something serious had happened. They could not leave this place, nor did they want to leave this place now. They immediately looked around, hoping to see some clues.
After all.
These three Iwagakure ninjas had just been hung up.
It definitely wasn't there before.
Step, step, step...
At this time.
The sound of footsteps came from the tower. The owner of these footsteps were the ninjas who had entered the venue after the second round had begun.
Among them were Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Akimichi Choza.
Shikaku was the first to walk out.
He saw everyone raising their heads and looking at the top of the tower. They were all pointing and talking, and the scene was very noisy.
Suddenly.
Shikaku immediately looked up at the top of the tower. His eyes were focused on the three corpses above the tower.
"What is going on?"
Shikaku narrowed his eyes slightly. However, all the participants had signed a consent form that they did not need to be responsible if they died in the venue.
But...
It also depends on the situation!
The three Iwagakure ninjas were hanging on the tower in full view. Such a scene really gave him a headache.
"This..."
When Inoichi and Choza saw this scene, their minds immediately became a mess.
This was the first time they had been the Chunin Exam Chief Examiners. They were not very experienced and had never encountered such a thing. There was no such strange thing in their past experience.
"Don't panic!"
After the shock, Shikaku was only stunned for a short moment before he immediately recovered. His face turned serious, and his gaze fell on the ninjas behind him.
"Now, each of you will be in charge of checking the participants!"
"If they have the Scroll of Heaven and the Scroll of Earth in their hands and can fight, then bring them to the tower's first floor immediately."
"If they do not meet the requirements, lead them to the empty room on the second floor."
"Remember!"
"Each person is responsible for one team!"
"Before the second round is completely over, you can not leave them and pay attention to see if there is anything special about them!"
Shikaku arranged it in an orderly manner. He was the one with the highest position here and also the one with the best brain. He was also one of the few people who could stabilize the situation.
"Yes!"
These proctors immediately nodded.
After that, they spread out in all directions, each of them walking toward a different team. They all understood what Shikaku meant.
Not only did he have to protect these people.
They also had to find out who did it.
All of a sudden.
Each team became a four-man team. Only Aoba, who was leaning against the wall of the tower, silently watched all of this.
After what happened just now.
Aoba found that Shikaku's ability to adapt on the spot was really very powerful. Almost after Shikaku arrived, the chaotic situation here was about to be stabilized.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
At this time, Shikaku immediately cleared his throat and immediately attracted everyone's attention.
"Now, there are some accidents here!"
"Everyone also saw it!"
"I have a few things to ask you!"
"I hope that you can think it through before answering!"
When Shikaku said this, his tone paused slightly, and his gaze swept over everyone. His face was serious, making people feel a trace of pressure.
Following Shikaku's words.
The scene immediately fell into silence.
No one answered Shikaku.
After all.
This matter was not done by any one of them, and no one saw how these three Iwagakure ninjas appeared.
For them, it could be considered a type of supernatural event.
"Alright."
Seeing that no one spoke, Shikaku slowly nodded. He narrowed his eyes slightly, a cold light flashing in his eyes.
The nature of this matter was extremely vile!
After all, the people who died were Iwagakure's ninjas.
It was not that Iwagakure's ninjas could not die, but they could not die in such a way!
Now, almost every participant saw this scene. Even if they deliberately blocked the news, it would still be transmitted through various channels.
This kind of thing...
It would definitely reach the ears of Iwagakure's Third Tsuchikage.
The relationship in the ninja world was very tense. Anything could happen. If they could not handle it carefully, it might put Konohagakure in a passive state.
"The second round of the exam of each of you has ended!"
"Now, we will review your qualification to pass the exam!"
"A team with the qualification to pass the exam will enter the third round, and the team without the qualification will be eliminated!"
Shikaku said coldly. He didn't know who did this, but it could be said that it was definitely done by a team among these people.
In the second round of the Chunin Exams, if there was a dead person, this was not anything special!
If they did not see Iwagakure's team after the second round and after searching the Forest of Death, they found the corpses of these three people and confirmed the death of these three people, so there would not be too much trouble.
But...
Right now, the bodies of these three ninjas were hanging high above the tall tower.
This could be said to be a deliberate provocation!
Shikaku did not know who had done this, but he secretly vowed in his heart that he would find the person who had done this.
"Chief examiner, isn't the exam time five days? There is still a bit of time left. How can it end like this?"
"Yes! We were prepared to snatch the scroll at the last moment. Isn't it too sudden to end the exam now?"
"That doesn't make sense!"
"I also feel that the exam shouldn't end so quickly!"
"What right do you have to change the rules like this?"
"..."
The crowd let out dissatisfied voices. These were all members of the team that did not have the Scroll of Heaven in their hands. If the Chunin Exams directly end now, they would be directly eliminated.
This touched their interests, causing these people to complain.
According to their plan...
In the final time of the second round, the teams holding the scrolls would definitely prepare to enter the tower. This way, they would be able to determine their target and then fight for the scrolls accurately.
Even though there was a very high possibility that it could not be obtained!
But for them.
It was their only opportunity.
Now that this opportunity was about to disappear, even the last bit of hope they had in mind would disappear.
This was not something they wanted to see at all!
Because of this.
These people could not help but let out their voices to protect their interests. After all, this was a Chunin Exam and not something insignificant.
"Why?"
When Shikaku heard the complaints of these people, the corners of his mouth slightly curled up into a cold arc. He also had some emotions in his heart.
When I asked you if you see something unusual.
You didn't say anything.
Now it involved ending the second round ahead of time.
One by one, they jumped out.
So you can still talk...
"Because I was the one who set the rules for the Chunin Exams. The rule of this year's Chunin Exams. If anything unexpected happens, immediately stop the examination at any time!"
Shikaku said firmly. His tone revealed an unquestionable feeling. This person was extremely dignified, and it was the kind of attitude that the final explanation rights belonged to him.
As soon as this was said.
The participants who had expressed their dissatisfaction immediately quieted down.
From the attitude that Shikaku displayed, it could already be seen that Shikaku had already made a decision and would not easily change it.
Then.
Shikaku looked toward the other proctors who did not have any tasks.
"Go and check the names of the participant for the second round. See how many teams have not arrived here? Who are the members of those teams? And also count the injured ones." Shikaku said to one of the proctors.
"Yes!" The proctor immediately responded and then immediately began to move.
"Leave this place immediately and go to the Hokage's office to inform Sandaime-sama. Tell him about this matter and make sure that he comes here!" Shikaku said to another proctor.
"Yes!" The proctor replied and then disappeared.
"Go to Konoha Hospital and ask Yamagata Ken-sensei to come and see the general cause and time of death of these three bodies!" Shikaku ordered the third proctor.
"Yes!" A figure disappeared in a flash.
At this point.
The few proctors here were all arranged by Shikaku. Each of them had different tasks on hand.
"Inoichi, go back immediately and bring a few reliable Sensor Ninjas over. I think this matter is a bit strange. When necessary, you need to read the memories." Shikaku said to Inoichi. When facing Inoichi, his tone becomes much more relaxed, completely different from when he was facing other people.
"No problem." Inoichi immediately nodded. He understood what it meant to have something like this happen, so he immediately walked toward the Forest of Death exit.
"Shikaku, what do I do?" Choza immediately asked in confusion.
"Choza, after the numbers have been tallied and the results are out, bring your men and search for the remaining team in the Forest of Death. Maybe you can save some ninjas." Shikaku's brain worked quickly. The moment he encountered this matter, he had already thought of all kinds of solutions. Only then did he calmly and methodically issue these orders.
"Okay~" A smile appeared on Choza's face. Logically speaking, his mood should be very heavy when encountering such a thing. After all, he was the chief examiner of the second round. Now that such a thing had happened, he needed to take responsibility. However, he had Shikaku by his side, so he just had to listen to Shikaku. He believed that Shikaku would arrange these things very appropriately.
After Shikaku finished arranging everything here.
Among the proctors.
There were only two ninja guards who did not have any assignments.
Shikaku turned around and looked in the direction of the tall tower. His gaze fell on Aoba.
Right at this time.
The two ninja guards also focused on Aoba. They were very curious about what kind of conversation these two people were going to have.
"Aoba, why are you here?" Shikaku stared at Aoba and asked. He had not dealt with Aoba just now. In his heart, Aoba was not the most urgent thing. Now that things were almost arranged, his attention was naturally on Aoba.
"Otherwise, where should I be?" Aoba said with a smile.
"Didn't you forfeit?" Shikaku deliberately raised his voice a little. The purpose was to let the participant who had yet to enter the tower know this news. He did not want Aoba to give him regret and then continue to participate in the third round.
"Yes, I have forfeited!" Aoba nodded. After that, he looked up at Shikaku and said, "According to the rules of the second round, even if you have forfeited, you can't leave here. I can only wait for five days to end, so I am standing here to get some fresh air."
"Is that all?" Shikaku did not really believe Aoba's words. However, he also understood that what Aoba said was true. Even if Aoba had already forfeited, Aoba could not leave the Forest of Death. This was the rule of the second round; no one was an exception.
"Check out the good show here by the way," Aoba said with a smile.
"What good show?" Shikaku frowned. He felt that Aoba was not honest. He must know something and did not say it. So when he talked to Aoba, his tone gradually changed from inquiry to interrogation.
"Of course, it is a rare show!" Aoba raised his hands and crossed his arms over his chest. He looked like he was watching a show. After that, he looked at the two ninja guards. The smile on his face became deeper and deeper, showing a feeling 'It's your problem that you don't understand, and it has nothing to do with me.' Then he said, "This phenomenon of person-to-person transmission is very difficult to see. I didn't expect to see people's corpses hanging on the top of the tower in the end. This Chunin Exams is too worthwhile."
"Does this matter have anything to do with you?" Shikaku leaned close to Aoba. He lowered his voice and tried his best to keep his words from being heard by others. It was completely different from the way he had told everyone just now.
"Brother Shikaku is flattering me too much. I am a person who needs answers to pass the first two rounds. How can I do such a thing? Besides, I don't have time!" Aoba still had a smile on his face. He raised his right hand and pointed to the wall of the tall tower behind him with his thumb. "I came into the tower after an hour. I didn't come out and stand here until after you came out. I haven't left from the beginning to the end. How did I do it if it has something to do with me?"
After Shikaku heard Aoba's words, he immediately fell silent.
This was no problem with it.
Shikaku thought quickly in his mind. If the time Aoba entered the second round was divided into three parts.
The first part was the period from entering the Forest of Death to the tower. During this period of time, Aoba was with Saki and Rin. He didn't even have the chance to see the three Iwagakure ninjas.
The second part was after they arrived at the tower. Aoba had been in the tower all this time, and Saki and Rin were also there. There was no time to kill.
The third part was after Aoba came out...
If Aoba had never left.
Then it was indeed not done by Aoba.
However...
There was an indescribable feeling in Shikaku's heart. This feeling had no theoretical basis and no evidence to support it. However, he felt something was wrong with Aoba, but he could not tell where.
Suddenly.
Shikaku looked at the two ninjas guarding the entrance.
When he looked at the two of them, the two of them were also looking at him.
All of a sudden.
Several people's eyes focused on each other.
"Has Aoba never left since he came out?" Shikaku slowly asked. Even though he had doubts about Aoba for no reason, he still had to use evidence to speak. He could not rely on his own suspicions to determine who did this. This was wrong.
"Never left!"
The two ninjas spoke in unison. The two of them did not hesitate at all and blurted out without even thinking. It sounded like they had arranged it beforehand.
"Huh?"
After hearing this, Shikaku frowned even more. His slightly narrowed eyes tried to hide the suspicion in his heart as much as possible, and his brain worked quickly at this time, trying to find a trace of clues.
"How can you be so sure?"
Shikaku felt that there was something strange about this, so he immediately asked. According to common sense, these things had to be thought about.
But they didn't even think about it.
This didn't sound right.
This was like making false testimony.
"Aoba has indeed never left!"
However, at this time, a low voice sounded. The owner of the voice was the Aburame ninja.
Right now, there was a proctor standing beside him. The proctor was holding two scrolls in his hands. One was the Scroll of Heaven, and the other was the Scroll of Earth. It was the scroll that their team had obtained.
At this time.
Their team had already confirmed that they could enter the tower and participate in the third round of the Chunin Exams.
Because of this.
The tense heart of this Aburame ninja, and he also relaxed. His entire being became much calmer.
"How are you so sure?" Shikaku immediately asked. Right now, he suspected Aoba in his heart, so as long as it was not extremely certain, he felt that there might be some problems, so he had to ask a few more questions.
"We are the first team to arrive here!"
This Aburame ninja slowly said. After he finished speaking, his gaze fell on Aoba. He suddenly realized that his words were quite vague and immediately changed his words.
"No!"
"I mean..."
"We were the first team here, and see Aoba standing at the wall!"
"If no other team left before we came..."
This Aburame ninja felt that his words belonged to the category of testimony, so after he finished speaking, he immediately added a few more words, making his words even more rigorous.
"You are indeed the first team after Aoba came out and also the second team that took the exam to arrive here. It's just that you didn't accept our certification at that time, so you didn't enter the tower." The ninja guard nodded and said. He didn't expect such a thing to happen, but now it seemed that such a thing could just provide proof of absence for many people, making things much simpler.
"Then there's no problem!"
The Aburame ninja nodded. After confirming that his speculation was correct, he turned to look at Shikaku. Through the dark sunglasses, his gaze fell on Shikaku.
"After we arrived here, we wanted to enter the tower. However, when we saw Aoba standing at the wall and the two guards standing at the entrance, it just happened to be three people. We could not be sure if the people here were members of Aoba's team, so we did not dare to take out the Scroll of Heaven and waited at the entrance!" The Aburame ninja slowly explained.
"That's right, that's what I meant. If Aoba leaves halfway, even if it is only a minute, I will seize this opportunity to verify it for you and let you enter the tower. At least give me a chance to explain. However, Aoba has always been here, and the two of us have been mistaken by the later participant as the people who blocked the entrance for the scroll. This is why so many people have been in a deadlock until now." The ninja guard added.
"Ever since we arrived here, I have been keeping an eye on Aoba. From the moment I arrived here, Aoba has never left this place. If you suspect that Aoba did this, then you can give up. This is something that is impossible!" The Aburame ninja directly proved that Aoba was not the culprit.
"Yes! That's what I meant too! Aoba has no time to do these things. If it must be done by one of the participants, I would eliminate Nara Saki and Akimichi Rin in the tower, followed by Yamanaka Aoba." The ninja guard said with a serious face. He was a proctor. No matter how stupid he was, he doesn't think that someone could kill someone like this under his nose before hanging them up.
"You said that Saki and Rin have already entered the tower. Then Aoba's team passed the second round, right?" This Aburame ninja immediately noticed the main point. His question immediately attracted the attention of the surrounding participants. Everyone looked at the ninja guard.
"That's right, Aoba's team is the first team to pass the second round!" The ninja guard nodded and said.
"Then it's even more impossible for it to be Aoba!" The Aburame ninja immediately analyzed, "There is no need for those who pass to do this. Only the teams who have not passed and want to snatch the scrolls from others can do such a thing!"
As soon as this was said.
Everyone present nodded.
This was clearly a matter of snatching the scroll.
Then, the team that already had the scroll and passed the examination not only did not have the time to do such a thing, but they also did not have the motivation to do such a thing because there was no need!
Of course.
This Aburame ninja was not being kind to clear Aoba of suspicion. He knew very well that there was no problem with Aoba at all. Even if he did not say these words, Aoba would not be affected at all.
Then...
These words of his.
It was for Shikaku to hear.
The implication was not so obvious, but with Shikaku's high IQ, he could easily understand it.
That was, as the second team to arrive here, they saw that Aoba did not leave, which means that they did not leave either...
This means that they were the same as Aoba. They have no time to commit the crime!
They also had the Scroll of Heaven in their hands. They belonged to a team that met the requirements for passing the examination. Such a team did not need to snatch the scroll. What they needed to do was to protect the scroll.
Then...
This meant that they were the same as Aoba and had no motivation to commit the crime!
This Aburame ninja looked like he was going to wash away Aoba's suspicion, but in fact, he was washing away the suspicion for himself.
They had been waiting here bitterly for a long time. He did not want to be disturbed by unrelated matters. Right now, there was only one thing he wanted to do the most. That was to pass the second round and concentrate on preparing for the third round.
"I understand!"
Shikaku nodded emphatically, they had already spoken so many words, and he already understood that such a thing had nothing to do with Aoba.
However...
He still had a vague feeling in his heart.
There was a shadow of Aoba in this matter.
But this was only a feeling.
It could not be counted at all.
"You guys should go inside the tower too!"
Shikaku stopped interrogating Aoba. His eyes stared deeply at Aoba for a few seconds as if he wanted to find some clues on Aoba's face.
However, he still did not find anything.
"Aoba, although you have already forfeited, now that such an accident has happened in the Chunin Exams, we can't let you leave for the time being. You need to stay here and wait for the release order to go out with everyone. I hope you can understand." Shikaku's tone softened a lot. He did not have a good impression of Aoba, but now that Aoba had chosen to forfeit, there was no point in having more emotions.
"I understand."
A smile appeared on Aoba's face. He really wanted to leave this troublesome place, but since Shikaku did not allow it, it was not a problem for him to witness the development of the matter with his own eyes.
After all, the right and wrong in this place...
He was also the one who took the initiative.
After arranging Aoba, Shikaku looked at the two ninja guards.
"The two of you will still wait here. Once you see a team arrive, bring them in immediately. Right now, any team that has yet to arrive here is likely to be the culprit. Any one of them can be the murderer!" Shikaku said in a deep voice.
"Understood!"
The two ninjas nodded. Their task was to guard the entrance for five days. Now, more than four days have passed. No matter how anxious they were, they were not short of this last bit of time.
In a short time.
Shikaku finished explaining everything here.
Aoba followed the participants and returned to the tower. The proctors saw that he had already forfeited and his team before forfeiting had already passed the second round, so they let him wait on the first floor.
At this moment.
The few ninjas on the first floor had already become familiar with each other. There was no conversation between them, and there was a smell of gunpowder.
At this time.
Everyone here was very clear.
Any one of them could be the opponent they were about to face in the third round of the Chunin Exams.
As for Aoba.
On the contrary, these people were not so wary of him.
Especially the first two teams that waited outside the entrance who obviously had the Scroll of Heaven. They really wanted to come up and chat with Aoba, but they could clearly feel the unapproachable aura Aoba emitted, so no one went over.
Gradually.
The first floor of the tower.
It becomes extremely quiet.
This kind of scene was different from the room on the second floor, which was filled with people.
People were discussing among themselves.
After all, these people had already been clearly informed that they had not passed the second round of the Chunin Exams. Their journey had ended here. After dealing with this place, they could return to their respective homes.
Facing such a situation.
Everyone felt the same!
This made sense of distance between them disappear. Everyone was talking about what they had encountered during the Chunin Exams and exchanging experiences of failure with each other.
Of course.
What they were talking about the most were the three Iwagakure ninjas!
"Who do you think did to those three?"
"I don't know either, but I think they might be in this room!"
"I'm just curious how they managed to hang those three people on the tower in front of us!"
"To be honest, I feel quite good. Who asked those ninjas of Iwagakure to be so arrogant after coming here!"
"Did you do it?"
"..."
The ninjas here started to discuss with each other. They also felt that it should be done by the people here. After all, they would have been near the tower if they could hang people on it.
Only...
They didn't have a single clue.
The only thing they could be sure of was...
They didn't do it themselves!
Everyone could only be sure that they didn't do it themselves, but they only believed in themselves and no one believed in others.
Moreover.
They were no fools.
So no one asked the people around them.
After all...
They all signed the consent form before entering the Forest of Death, meaning they had already handed over their life.
But the problem was...
There was no problem with the death of those Iwagakure ninjas!
But who killed was the big problem!
For a moment.
Everyone had a premonition in their hearts.
After this Chunin Exams ended.
No!
They couldn't wait until the end!
Just after they left this place...
Iwagakure would know about this. They could all see that the person who did this was to let Iwagakure know. Otherwise, it wouldn't have caused such a sensation.
Moreover.
Even if the news was blocked here.
The person who did this...
That person would definitely spread the information.
It was impossible to hide such a thing!
...
Two hours later.
Hiruzen arrived at the entrance of the tall tower. Beside him were Shikaku and a few other ninjas wearing masks.
"Sandaime-sama, those three people are hanging there. I haven't sent anyone to move them yet. I'm afraid of accidentally destroying some clues." Shikaku pointed at the corpse and reported to Hiruzen.
"You did a good job." Hiruzen nodded. After that, he looked at Anbu, who was wearing a white robe and said in a deep voice, "Go and take down these three corpses. Pay attention to the traces around you and see if you can find how they were put there."
"Yes!"
The Hokage's Anbu immediately responded. After that, his figure flashed and disappeared directly.
"Shikaku, do you have any ideas?" Hiruzen had his hands behind his back. His face was a little serious. During this period, Danzo could not work, which increased the pressure on him exponentially. It should be known that in the original course of the story, Hiruzen had always had Danzo. Even if he died, he was ahead of Danzo.
"Through this method, it is obvious that the three Iwagakure ninjas are deliberately targeted. Moreover, they wait for everyone to see them hanging on the tower. No one has discovered it. This is a provocation to us!" Shikaku said with a heavy face. After he said this, he immediately took a deep breath and spat heavily, "But I can't find anyone who has the motivation to do this. In the second round venue, besides this Iwagakure team, it is our Konohagakure people. Did the people in the village do this?"
"From the facts, it is indeed like this." Hiruzen nodded. Even if he did not want to believe that it was done by the people in the village, when all the suspects were from the village, there was no way he could not believe such a thing.
"If the one who was hung up were not our Konohagakure's ninja, then I would be more inclined to suspect Iwagakure's ninja. Of course, I did not wish such a thing to happen, but the problem was very strange. I saw these three Iwagakure ninjas in the first round. The very obvious feeling they gave me was that they were here to cause trouble. However, I have not seen them cause trouble, and then they died here. It really surprised me!" Shikaku said with emotion. He had already made mental preparations for Iwagakure's ninja to cause trouble, but things did not go according to his expected plan. Instead, it became another thing.
"Iwagakure should not have planned this matter. They would not commit suicide to frame others. Let's wait for the results of Yamagata Ken's side to come out and see. I think that someone deliberately did it. However, no matter what kind of purpose that person has, we can foresee one thing. That is, Iwagakure will attack us because of this matter!" Hiruzen said with a calm face. He had already thought of several steps. After all, he was the Hokage of the village, and he had to consider things for the village.
"Sandaime-sama, the three of them have signed the consent form..." Shikaku reminded.
"This consent form is like an alliance letter between our village. In the face of huge benefits, it has no binding force. I have long seen that Iwagakure wanted to make things difficult for us, but now it has given them a better reason!" Hiruzen suddenly felt a headache. What happened here was enough for Iwagakure to say something.
"Then do we still need to investigate?" Shikaku hesitated for a moment and asked. He vaguely felt that Hiruzen did not want the matter to continue.
"Actually, there is no difference. After all, this matter was done by the ninjas in the village. They signed the consent form when they entered here. Iwagakure can just disapprove the consent form and take the opportunity to attack us, so we can't rely on the consent form to protect the village!" Hiruzen sighed. He felt things had already become like this, and there was no need to continue.
"I understand." Shikaku nodded. He understood this principle. It was an individual's behavior to sign the consent form. Iwagakure was killed by Konohagakure's ninja. That was a matter between the villages.
"Shikaku!"
All of a sudden.
A loud and clear voice sounded from afar. Moreover, as the voice was transmitted, the tone was constantly changing. It could be seen that it was running toward this place.
"This is Choza's voice!"
Shikaku immediately felt as if something had happened. He looked toward Hiruzen, who was at the side, and Hiruzen was also looking at him. Both of them could see the bewilderment in the other's eyes.
New n𝙤vel chapters are published on fre(e)webnov(l).com