Can't the Chunin Exams have theoretical questions?

Konoha's Main Gate.

Renye and the other two had just returned from a mission.

This time, they had worked together to kill a Chunin squad from the Land of Wind.

Just then, Renye noticed Yusuke Senju had somehow arrived at the gate.

"Yusuke-sensei, what are you doing here?" the three asked in confusion.

"Hey hey hey, you three brats really don't put me, your supervising teacher, in your eyes at all." Yusuke Senju rubbed his brow, looking quite troubled.

As their Jonin squad leader, he was theoretically supposed to lead the three on missions, ensuring their safety in the field.

But every time Renye went to take a mission, he never told him.

By the time Yusuke found out, the three had already left to carry it out.

Sometimes, he didn't even know until the mission was already complete...

In principle, a Genin squad needed to be led by a Chunin or Jonin teacher to take missions from the mission hall.

But the three had special status, and with their strength reaching Chunin level, the staff in charge of mission registration chose to turn a blind eye.

After all, who was their teacher? Lord Tobirama.

The reason Renye didn't want Yusuke Senju tagging along was simple.

If Yusuke, a Jonin, was protecting them from the shadows, they wouldn't push themselves to the limit during missions.

Subconsciously, they'd develop a sense of dependence, and their fighting spirit and potential would be severely dulled.

When facing a powerful enemy, they'd instinctively wait for the Jonin to step in and solve the crisis, instead of actively thinking about how to use their own skills and teamwork to break through.

Over time, their combat awareness would grow slack, even fostering a "someone's got our back" mentality.

And that mentality was often the deadliest.

Once Renye realized this, he stopped informing Yusuke Senju before missions.

At first, Danzō and Koharu didn't understand, but they gradually caught on during their missions.

Of course, Renye never took missions beyond the squad's capabilities.

He wanted to get stronger, not be stupid.

Going beyond their limits—what was that but suicide?

Renye remembered one mission where the target was supposedly a Chunin squad.

But when they got there, they found the squad actually had a Jonin leading it.

Renye calculated that, even with a surprise attack, their success rate was only 40%.

Without a second thought, he abandoned the mission and took the other two to Run Away.

A Jonin who'd survived the Warring States Period had incredibly rich combat experience and was far more cautious.

The enemy wouldn't let their guard down just because Renye and his team were young.

Instead, they'd go all out to end the fight in the shortest time possible.

Because those arrogant fools? The grass on their graves was already three meters tall.

After all, ninjas were like glass-cannon assassins—their physical durability wasn't high.

Even a Jonin could trip up against a Chunin or Genin.

As for a Jonin who'd lived through the Warring States Period, Renye had no desire to fight one anytime soon.

Unless it was absolutely necessary, forced into a desperate gamble.

Other times, if you could run, you ran. No shame in it.

Yusuke Senju naturally understood what Renye and the others were thinking, and he was very gratified.

But that also made him feel like he had no presence.

It wasn't wartime now, so the village's Jonin were all leading students on missions. Only he was wandering around the village with nothing to do every day.

Here he was, a proud Jonin, reduced to a village loafer.

The Jonin who were close to Yusuke often teased him, "Getting frozen out by your students?"

Every time that happened, Yusuke could only smile and say nothing. Only he knew the bitterness in his heart.

Students being too independent wasn't always a good thing.

To stop being the village's idle hand, he thought it over and finally made up his mind...

If you like this book, to avoid losing it next time, remember to add it to your bookshelf.

"You three did well, so I've signed you up for this Chunin Exams," Yusuke said.

"I think with your strength, passing won't be hard... That way, I can go lead the newly graduated Genin."

Generally speaking, Chunin were the village's backbone, a vital part of its combat strength.

After passing the Chunin Exams and becoming a Chunin, a squad no longer needs a Team Leader Teacher.

In fact, most instructors for Genin are Chunin themselves.

After all, the number of Jonin in a village is limited.

Usually, a batch of Jonin instructs Genin, and once those Genin become Chunin, they're sent to guide the newly graduated Genin.

Hearing this, the three of them froze on the spot.

They hadn't expected Yusuke Senju to say such a thing.

"Teacher Yusuke, are you abandoning us?"

Renye swallowed hard and muttered in his thoughts:

Could it be that they'd been doing missions without Teacher Yusuke, and he got angry enough to quit?

The three exchanged glances, all seeing the shock in each other's eyes.

"Teacher Yusuke, don't be mad." Koharu Utatane said weakly. "Next time we do a mission, we'll bring you along..."

"That's right, Teacher Yusuke, you're a Jonin after all—you can't hold a grudge against us, can you?" Danzō Shimura pursed his lips.

He seemed to have seen through their teacher's little scheme.

Renye said nothing, just let out a helpless sigh.

His expression was as if he'd spoken, yet as if he hadn't said a thing.

Yusuke Senju: "???"

He'd just been feeling sorry for the three of them.

As for now, that sense of guilt had vanished without a trace.

In his heart, he was immensely relieved he'd made the right decision—otherwise, he'd sooner or later be driven to death by them.

"The Chunin Exams are in five days. Don't go out on missions these few days—prepare well."

Yusuke didn't want to see the three of them anymore. As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and hurried away.

Just then, Renye called out to stop him.

"Teacher Yusuke, wait..."

Yusuke turned to look at Renye, puzzled. "What's your problem, kid?"

"Well... um..." Renye scratched his head and asked tentatively, "The Chunin Exams don't have a Theory Exam, right?"

"Of course they do." Yusuke replied.

He was a bit curious—why was Renye asking this?

Wait, why did the kid's face look so awful?!

"Renye, you okay?" Yusuke Senju asked.

"Heh... yeah, I'm fine." Renye was still dazed.

"If that's all, I'm off."

With that, Yusuke's figure vanished from the spot.

"Renye-kun, don't be nervous. The Theory Exam is really easy." Koharu Utatane comforted him.

Renye didn't answer. He looked up at the sky.

In that moment, he felt a helplessness he'd never known before.

Whether the Theory Exam was easy or not—didn't he already know?

That brilliant score of five points was still plastered on the wall at home.

He'd thought that once he became a ninja, he wouldn't have to study academic subjects anymore. He never imagined the Chunin Exams were waiting for him.

His grades had never been good to begin with, and now over a year had passed since graduation.

Renye felt that he was probably never going to make Chunin in this lifetime.

Seeing this, Danzō let out a helpless sigh. Renye's academic performance was truly beyond words.

"When the time comes, we'll see if we can cheat."