In the Stadium under the Tower, the Hokage is standing in front of the Chunnin Hopefuls. He says, "Today we are doing a Preliminary Round. Too many people have passed. Anyone who doesn't feel like they can fight, can leave now. Just raise your hand."

The stadium has two raised platforms on the side of them, used as bleachers. A couple screens are in the wall, on the far side of the arena. In front of those screens a pair of hands doing a hand seal. While the Hokage, and Hayate are on a smaller raised platform that in an inch, or two off the floor.

Then a man says, "I shall explain to them the rules of the matches!" This man is Hayate Gekko, a tokubetsu Jounin (Special Jounin) of Konohagakure.

Hayate seemed to be a calm and composed individual. He was also described as being an individualist, and gentle person. He also had a great sense of duty to his village. Hayate cares deeply about his girlfriend Yūgao, displaying a light teasing mood when alone with her, and showed concern for her well-being, asking her to be careful on missions after her promotion to ANBU due to their increased difficulty.

Hayate had short brown hair, dark-coloured eyes and dark markings under his eyes. Even though he was a young man, he had pronounced lines under his eyes as well as an unexplained chronic cough that plagued him. He wore the standard Konoha shinobi outfit complete with a hitai-ate that he wore as a bandanna, flak jacket and regular shinobi sandals. He also carried a katana with a rectangular hand guard strapped over his back.

Hayate explains the rules. He says, "My word is law. Who ever forfeits loses. Killing is allowed, but it is frowned upon. The first match is Sasuke Uchiha versus Yoroi Akadō. Everyone else go to the bleachers."

Yoroi's appearance was greatly concealed by the mask he wore around his mouth that hung around his neck, sunglasses that obscured his eyes and hitai-ate which he wore like a bandanna. He also wore what appears to be the standard attire of his team consisting of a high-collared, sleeveless, purple shirt with a short-sleeved, white one underneath, a simple obi around his waist, purple pants, blue sandals and purple fingerless gloves. It was also revealed that he had black shoulder-length hair.

When everyone is one the bleachers, Hayate asks, "Are you two ready?" After seeing the nods from the Genin, he yells, "Hajime (Begin)!"

Yoroi hands glow blue with chakra, as he rushes at Sasuke. "Just one touch, and the Uchiha will lose," Yoroi thinks, but sadly for Yoroi, Sasuke already has activated his Sharingan, and dodging everything Yoroi does.

Sasuke kicks Yoroi into the air and follows close behind them. While in the air, Sasuke provokes him into attacking him, giving him the chance to counter them and, in turn, kick them higher into the air at increasingly greater speeds. The higher up they get and the faster they move, the more damage that will be caused to Yoroi when, as his finishing blow, Sasuke inevitably kicks them back to the ground. Knocking Yoroi out cold.

Hayate yells, "Sasuke Uchiha wins due to knockout! The next match is Choji Akimichi versus Shino Aburame!"

When the two Konoha shinobi get down to the arena floor, Hayate asks, "Are you two ready?" After he sees the nod, Hayate yells, "Hajime!"

Like other Akimichi, Chōji has a rotund build and markings on his cheeks in the form of swirls. He has spiky, brown hair that sticks upward.

Chōji donned a green, short-sleeved haori with a long, white scarf over a white shirt, with the kanji for "food" (食) on it. He also wore black shorts, hoop earrings, and bandages around his legs and forearms. His blue forehead protector was styled in a manner that allowed two tufts of hair to poke out at each side.

Shino is regularly seen sporting the same style as the rest of his clan, consisting of dark sunglasses and a sea-green jacket with a high, upturned collar. He has dark, bushy, brown hair and dark, narrow eyes. He has always been wearing his signature round and dark glasses. Even Hinata, his teammate, did not know what his eyes truly looked like.

Asuma, Choji's Sensei then yells, "Choji, if you win, I'll pay for an all you can eat trip for some barbecue!"

Choji then does some hand seals. Ram → Special Seal. He yells, "Baika no Jutsu(Multi-Size Technique)!" The Akimichi grows super round.

He then yells, "Nikudan Sensha (Human Bullet Tank)!" Choji then tucks himself into a ball, and rolls fast straight towards Shino. The Akimichi then suddenly stops rolling, and rolls to a stop right in front of Shino. Choji then reverts back to his normal size. Then a swarm of insects fly back into Shino's body.

Shino says, "You must be wondering how you stopped rolling? I will tell you. Why? Because, if is the most logical way to tell everyone here how I won this match. You see right as Hayate-san said, "Hajime", I placed a whole bunch of Kikaichū insects on your back. The Kikaichū ate your chakra, and you then lost control of your jutsu. I suggest that you give up."

Choji says, "I give up!"

Hayate then yells, "Shino Aburame wins the match due to forfeit. The next match is Misumi Tsurugi versus Kankuro!"

Misumi's appearance was greatly concealed by the mask he wore around his mouth that hung around his neck and hitai-ate which he wore like a bandanna. He also wore what appears to be the standard attire of his team consisting of a high-collared, sleeveless, purple shirt with a short-sleeved, white one underneath, a simple obi around his waist, purple pants, blue sandals and purple fingerless gloves, along with a pair of round-framed glasses.

When the two shinobi get down to the arena floor, Hayate asks, "Are you two ready?" After he sees the nod, Hayate yells, "Hajime!"

Misume then blitz Kankuro, gets the puppet of his back, and wrap himself around Kankuro's body. Tsurugi says, "This is my Nan no Kaizō (Soft Physique Modification)! Using this jutsu, I can stretch and bend my body however and whenever I please, extending it to great lengths and retracting it again. This is done by dislocating the body's joints. I would give up if I were you. I can break your neck here, and now. Which would kill you instantly."

Kankuro simply says, "Fuck off!"

Misumi then does what he threatened to do, but to his horror, Kankuro's body turns into a wooden puppet. Kankuro then gets out of the puppet's wrapping, and connect chakra strings to his puppet fixing it. The Sabaku makes the puppet wrap around Misumi. Kankuro then makes the puppet break Misumi's neck, ending the match.

Hayate then yells, "Kankuro Sabaku wins the match due to the murder of his oponent. The next match is Sakura Haruno versus Ino Yamanaka!"

When the two shinobi get down to the arena floor, Hayate asks, "Are you two ready?" After he sees the nod, Hayate yells, "Hajime!"

Before anyone can do anything, Ino does a string of hand seals, and yells, "Shintenshin no Jutsu (Mind Body Switch Technique)!" Ino's body slumps, as her conscious is sent to Sakura's mind.

Now a mental battle between Sakura, and Ino commence. It doesn't last long though, as Ino loses, when Sakura yells, "SHANNARO!"

Ino wakes, and gets back up, only to see a fist from Sakura hit her cheek, making her fly across the arena. The Yamanaka gets up, and the two get into a series of punches, that end with each other knocking the other out.

Hayate then yells, "No one wins the match due to a double knockout. The next match is Temari versus Tenten Higurashi!"

Tenten has black hair and grey eyes, both of which are depicted as dark brown in the anime. She wears her hair in two Chinese-style buns on her head with short fringe-bangs framing her face. Tenten wears a pink sleeveless qipao-style blouse with red sleeve trimmings and yellow fastening buttons and dark green pants. A pouch is adjusted to her thigh and her hitai-ate and sandals are both blue.

When the two shinobi get down to the arena floor, Hayate asks, "Are you two ready?" After he sees the nod, Hayate yells, "Hajime!"

Tenten then quickly unseals some kunai, and throws it at Temari, who blocks it with a Futon jutsu( Wind Release Technique). This happens for most of the match, until Tenten places two scrolls on either side of her in an upright position. Higurashi then does a string of hand seals. Tiger → Dragon → Monkey → Hare → Snake → Cross arms. The scrolls then rise up, and spin around each other cloaked in smoke shaped like a dragon. When the smoke disperses, Tenten jumps in between the scrolls and starts to unseal and throw weapons at her opponent in quick succession. Tenten yells, "Sōshōryū (Twin Rising Dragons)!"

Temari counters this, with a swing of her fan, as she yells, "Kamaitachi no Jutsu (Sickle Weasel Technique)!" a vortex of wind forms around Tenten cutting her to pieces.

Tenten then fall to the ground, and lands with her back facing the ground, onto Temari's metal fan. Which knocks Tenten out.

Hayate then yells, "Temari wins the match due to a knockout. The next match is Shikamaru Nara versus Pakura Uzumaki!"

When Shikamaru gets down to the arena floor, he mumbles, "Troublesome, why do I have to fight a girl?"

Sadly, Pakura hears this, and asks, "What? Why don't you want to fight me?"

Shikamaru answers, "Because, it is troublesome. How do I know this, your dating a troublesome blonde. If he is troublesome, his girl is troublesome. It's just how things go."

Hayate then asks, "Are you two ready?" After he sees the nod, Hayate yells, "Hajime!"

Pakura quickly creates her heat orbs, but Shikamaru is just as quick, or maybe slower. He does the rat seal, and yells, "Kagemane no Jutsu (Shadow Imitation Technique) success!" Shikamaru's shadow then races towards Pakura's shadow, and connects.

All though, Pakura is just really strong, and forces her way out of the technique, rather easily. Pakura moves her hands, which includes the heat orbs combining. She then yells, "Shakuton: Nessen (Scorch Release: Heat Ray)!" The orbs then shoot a big ray incinerating everything close to it.

It is a good thing that Shikamaru did the Kawarimi no Jutsu with a loose piece of floor. Pakura's heat orbs then changes their shape into a sword. As they fly toward Shikamaru, Pakura yells, "Shakuton: Hikō-Netsu Ken (Scorch Release: Flying Heat Swords)!"

Before the swords can reach Shikamaru, he puts his hands up in surrender, and says, "I give up. I can't win against that."

Hayate then yells, "Pakura Uzumaki wins the match due to forfeit."

Naruto yells, "Good job, on winning the match, Pakura-chan! I knew you could do it!"

Pakura replies, "Thanks, Naruto-kun, but could you please shut the fuck up. You were very loud."

Naruto then whispers, "Sorry, Pakura-chan."

Hayate yells, "The next match is Kiba Inuzuka versus Naruto Uzumaki!" When the two shinobi get down to the arena floor, Hayate asks, "Are you two ready?" After he sees the nod, Hayate yells, "Hajime!"

Naruto then unsheathes his chokuto, and holds it in a reverse grip. The Uzumaki throws a tri-pronged kunai passed Kiba's face. He then disappears in a Yellow Flash, and reappears behind Kiba, who now has a huge slash that is now gushing blood from his left shoulder, to his right-side of his waist. Kiba then falls to the ground motionless. Naruto yells, "Hiraishingiri (Flying Thunder God Slash)!"

Naruto then says, "He isn't dead, don't worry. All though, he is almost dead. So I'd get the medics here, and quick!"

So after the medics arrive, and take Kiba away, Hayate then yells, "Naruto Uzumaki wins the match due to a Knockout! The next match is Hinata Hyuga versus Neji Hyuga!"

As a Hyūga, Hinata possesses the Byakugan, giving her featureless white eyes, with tinges of lavender. She has dark blue hair that she keeps in a hime-cut. Her hair is short, kept just above her forehead with chin-length strands framing her face.

Hinata usually wears a cream-coloured hooded-jacket with a fire symbol on the upper sleeves and fur around the cuffs and hem. Along with this she wears navy blue pants and keeps her hitai-ate around her neck.

Neji has fair skin and long dark brown hair. When his Byakugan was not active he has featureless white eyes, with a slight lavender tint. Neji wears a beige-coloured shirt, a dull blue shirt beneath that, and mesh armour beneath that. He wore dark brown shorts, blue shinobi sandals, and wrapped bandages around his right arm, chest, and right leg. He tied his hair back in a loose ponytail tied a few inches above the end. He wore a black hitai-ate, under which was a smaller headband with two straps that frame the sides of his face, both of which hide his Hyūga main family's juinjutsu.

When the two shinobi get down to the arena floor, Hayate asks, "Are you two ready?" After he sees the nod, Hayate yells, "Hajime!"

They both activate their Byakugans, and rush at each other with a flurry of Jyuken (Gentle Fist) Strikes. This goes on until Hinata is down for the count.

Hayate then yells, "Neji Hyuga wins the match! Neji! You better get away from Hinata!"

Neji then aims a strike for her chest, ready to kill her, when he sees a tri-pronged kunai stick into the ground. The male Hyuga then stops, and sees a Yellow Flash. Along with that Yellow Flash, Naruto appears.

Naruto then punches Neji in the face. The blonde then kick Neji in the dick, for the shits, and giggles of it. That's actually not why he did it, though. No, Naruto was, and is pissed at Neji. No one should hurt a family member, especially if they are weaker than you. You should protect your family members, especially

He does a spinning back hand to Neju's face, making him fly, and get imbedded into the wall. The Uzumaki then walks up to Neji, and says, "You better hope to whoever the fuck you believe in that you don't face me in the finals, or you will be leaving that fight crippled." Naruto then disappears in a Yellow Flash, and reappears next to Pakura.

Hayate then again yells, "Neji Hyuga wins the match! The next match is Gaara versus Rock Lee!"

When the two shinobi get down to the arena floor, Hayate asks, "Are you two ready?" After he sees the nod, Hayate yells, "Hajime!"

Gaara then shoots a tendril of sand at Lee, who blitzes towards Gaara. Lee attempts a punch, only for it to be blocked by a wall of sand. He then jumps up into the air, and attempts a spinning kick, which again gets blocked by sand. Bushy Brows then drops low to do sweep kick, which also gets blocked by sand. Lee then hears his sensei, who yells, "TAKE YOUR MOST YOUTHFUL WEIGHTS OFF, LEE!"

Lee then yells, "OF COURSE GAI-SENSEI!"

Rock Lee then appears on top of the hand seal. He bends down lifts his leg warmers up to reveal weights. He unclasps them, and lifts them at his head. While this is going on Ino, who has woken up already, asks, "What are weights going to do?"

She then sees Lee drop the weight, which creates a huge crater, and dust to fly up into the air. Lee then disappears, and reappears in front of Gaara, and gives him a huge uppercut. As Gaara is in the air, Lee jumps up, and kicks him back to the ground. When Gaara lands, Lee also lands another kick. Lee then hears Gai, who yells, "LEE! USE THEM!"

Lee then yells, "Kaimon (Gate of Opening)! Kyūmon (Gate of Healing)! Seimon (Gate of Life)! Shōmon (Gate of Pain)! Tomon (Gate of Limit)!"

Kakashi asks, "Did you really teach him the Hachimon (Eight Gates)?"

Gai answers, "Yes I did. He can't perform Ninjutsu, or Genjutsu. It's his dream to be an excellent shinobi through only the use of Taijutsu. The Hachimon is the only way for his dream to be accomplished."

Lee delivers an upward kick to Gaara, sending them high into the air. He follows the opponent along their upward trajectory, taking tight hold of them so that they can't move or escape; Rock Lee wraps opponents with the bandages he wears to help in this regard. Once they've reached the peak of the initial kick's arc, the user begins a spinning motion and propels them headfirst towards the ground. The user releases the opponent right before impact and retreats to safety, leaving the opponent to collide with the ground alone.

Lee then watches as the Gaara he sent headfirst into the ground dissolves into sand, and reforms perfectly fine. He tries to get away from two tendrils of sand, but his left leg, and right arm gets captured. Gaara clutches his hand into a fist, and says, "Sabaku Sōsō (Sand Waterfall Funeral)!" The sand then crushes Lee's left leg, and right arm.

As Gaara tries to kill Lee, Gai steps in, Hayate then again yells, "Gaara wins the match! This has concluded the Preliminary Round!"

The Sandaime then stands up, and says, "You are now to pick to see who you will be facing in the Finals."

Genin do exactly that.

Naruto: 1

Neji: 2

Pakura:3

Temari: 4

Shino: 5

Kankuro: 6

Sasuke: 7

Gaara: 8

They then go to train for a month.