N-A-A Chapter 389 The second round of the competition is being meticulously planned.
Chapter 389 The second round of the competition is being meticulously planned.
Although Fengying Luosha remained expressionless in the stands, he was inwardly deeply distressed. He had thought that this round would eliminate most of the teams from the five small countries.
After all, this kind of special coded intelligence transmission is a skill exclusive to major powers. Even if small countries have it, they use older versions that have been phased out by major powers, making it very easy to identify.
But to his utter surprise, the methods used by these small countries were increasingly bizarre and outlandish.
Spiritual entities, infrasound, dance codes, flesh and blood transformation... there are several methods, and he still doesn't fully understand what's going on.
"Lord Kazekage, your tea has gone cold," a servant whispered to him.
Luo Sha looked down and saw that the water in the teacup had long been gone, but he was still holding the cup and pretending to drink tea.
"Hmm." He put down the cup expressionlessly, his face still bearing that inscrutable look.
The following matches became uneventful; no one pulled any tricks anymore, and even the most amazing methods were within the realm of common understanding.
In fact, the methods used by each village are pretty much the same: codebooks, coded language, and hand gestures are all newly created information cipher systems in each village.
However, Konoha did have some eye-catching moves. The Uchiha clan's Transcription Eye Technique is actually a way to use genjutsu to create written text and transmit information.
This method of transmission is almost impossible to intercept; it's practically a natural intelligence-transmitting marvel.
The Hyuga clan's long-range surveillance allows them to see information clearly even through several walls. Combined with the Byakugan's high resolution, they can even count the fine hairs on a mosquito's leg.
The Inuzuka clan uses scent signals, which are transmitted through special urine markings. Humans cannot detect this with their sense of smell, but insects can.
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio's Mind Transfer Technique naturally places the Yamanaka clan in the second position, acting as a relay point for information.
The deer at the beginning weren't doing so well; they were the third to last in terms of obtaining information, which slowed their progress.
With the last Iwagakure contestant tripping over a trap and being eliminated, the first assessment was completed.
Finally, the results of the first round of assessments were released: among the five great ninja villages, one team from Kirigakure advanced, one team from Kumogakure advanced, three teams from Iwagakure advanced, and two teams from Sunagakure advanced.
The team with the most players advancing was Konoha, with a total of six teams and eighteen players.
As for the five small countries, two teams from Sound Village advanced, while the other villages only sent one team, so naturally all of them advanced.
It must be admitted that Konoha is still Konoha after all. Even after being weakened multiple times, its foundation is still too authoritative.
Of the 19 teams that advanced, they made up 6, nearly a third of the total, according to the people.
The second round of assessments will be held in three days, in a desolate desert outside Sunagakure.
But this is just the beginning of the real test, because this time people might die.
To maintain order, the examiner for the second round of exams was changed from an ordinary Jonin to Granny Chiyo.
Compared to a few years ago, Grandma Chiyo has aged a lot. Her face is covered with dead skin and age spots. Although she hasn't lost all her teeth, she doesn't have many left.
But when he opened his mouth, his decisive and ruthless aura was overwhelming: "Little ones, now tell me, is there anyone who wants to quit? It will be too late if you don't speak now, after all, people will die."
Retreat? How could I possibly retreat?
Now that they've retired, their ninja careers are over. They might be assigned a death mission by their superiors at any time, which would cost them their lives.
But if you give it your all, you might just achieve even greater success.
Seeing that no one withdrew or retreated even a step, Granny Chiyo nodded. "Very good, you have ambition. Come, sign the waiver of your life or death."
After everyone had pressed their fingerprints and signed the waiver, Granny Chiyo said, "The second test is simple: cross the Desert of Death and enter the core area within three days. But let me make it clear beforehand, we will only admit the top eight teams this time, so we need to be quick, or we'll be eliminated."
"Now we will draw lots to select the entrance. There are four entrances in total, located at the east, south, west, and north gates. When the time comes, the gates will be unlocked simultaneously, and you will be allowed to enter."
After saying that, Granny Chiyo took out a cardboard box and distributed number plates.
As for underhanded dealings, there certainly are. Gate 1 and Gate 2 are the closest to the central area, and the distance is about two-thirds shorter than other places. In addition, the level of danger is only half that of other places.
But there's nothing we can do about it. The younger ones are so disappointing, so the older folks have to swallow their pride and bear the shame.
Granny Chiyo had already planned out the group that would enter with them from the same school.
There were only four teams at Gate 1. The teams drawn were Sand Village Team 1, Sound Village Team 2, Oni Country Witch Team, and the last team was a low-ranking team from Iwagakure Village. The team had two female members, and the team leader was a little girl who was not even ten years old.
At first glance, this team seems to have been guaranteed a spot, because the second team of the Sound Village and the witch of the Land of Demons are both women, which is equivalent to directly eliminating three teams.
The five teams at Gate 2 consist of the second team from Sunagakure, the second squad from Iwagakure, the swordsmen from Takigakure, the squad from Amegakure, and the sixth squad from Konoha.
This team is a bit risky, as it involves three major ninja villages, but their chances of advancing are still quite high.
The second squad of Iwagakure was not very strong. The Konoha squad was ranked sixth, which was still considered bottom-tier. The three members of the squad were a girl riding a dog, a member of the Aburame clan who wore sunglasses and played with insects, and a member of the Kurama clan who used genjutsu. However, they did not show any special characteristics in the first round and were quite ordinary. Moreover, their physical skills were extremely poor.
The other two teams, since they didn't have their own players, weren't involved in any behind-the-scenes manipulation; the teams were randomly assigned.
Ultimately, the two powerful clans of Konoha, the Hyuga and Uchiha, clashed with each other. The remaining teams consisted of the three major ninja villages, the only team from Kirigakure, the only team from Kumogakure, and the first team from Iwagakure, led by Tora.
This team has the most experts, all of whom are highly skilled; a fierce battle between them is inevitable.
As for the last gate, it brought together nine Konoha players, and the other ninja villages were all small ninja villages, including the Infrasound Team from the Sound Village and the Flesh and Blood Modification Team from the Star Village.
However, Konoha was lucky to draw two of the weakest teams. Unfortunately, they were assigned to the Fourth Gate, which is the farthest and has the most traps. Even if they were to unite, it would take a lot of time.
Even if they manage to advance by chance, they might fight over the final qualifying spots, so there's nothing to fear.
Chiyo's plan was meticulously crafted, but reality slapped her in the face with such speed and devastation.
The nineteen teams headed to the four gates, lit the incense, and the second round of the competition officially began.
The Sand Village team took the lead, not going to explore the map first, but heading straight for the Witch of the Land of Demons.