Hit it or Deny it: Rock Lee's Explosion!

The crowd wants the Uchiha; the schedule disagrees. With Sasuke still absent and the Kazekage watching pointedly, officials shuffle the bracket — and Shino's opponent Kankuro forfeits outright rather than show his puppet's tricks before the 'real' event, a decision that reads very differently by day's end. Temari descends fan-first for the next match, and Shikamaru, shoved over the rail by Naruto, lands in a fight he never agreed to attend, against an opponent who already hates Leaf genin.