Konoha's main gate.
Renye and the other two had just returned from a mission.
This time, they had worked together to eliminate a Chunin squad from the Land of Wind.
Just then, Renye noticed that Yusuke Senju had somehow arrived at the gate.
"Teacher Yusuke, why are you here?" the three asked in confusion.
"Hey, hey, hey. Aren't you three brats taking your instructor a little too lightly?" Yusuke Senju rubbed his brow in frustration.
As their Jonin team leader, he was supposed to lead them on missions and ensure their safety during those missions.
But whenever Renye went to accept a mission, he never told him.
By the time Yusuke found out, the three of them had already left the village to carry out the mission.
Sometimes, the mission was already completed before he even learned about it...
In principle, a Genin team needed to be led by a Chunin or Jonin instructor before they could accept missions at the mission hall.
But the three had special identities, and their strength had already reached the Chunin level, so the staff responsible for mission registration chose to turn a blind eye.
After all, their teacher was Lord Tobirama.
Renye's reason for not wanting Yusuke Senju to accompany them was simple.
If Yusuke, a Jonin, protected them in secret, they would not choose to risk their lives during missions.
They would subconsciously develop a sense of dependence, and the stimulation of their fighting spirit and potential would be greatly reduced.
When they encountered powerful enemies, they would instinctively wait for the Jonin to resolve the crisis instead of actively thinking about how to use what they had learned and rely on teamwork to overcome it.
Over time, their combat instincts would grow lax, and they might even develop the mentality of, "Someone will cover for us anyway."
And that kind of mindset was often the deadliest.
After Renye realized this, he stopped notifying Yusuke Senju whenever they went on missions.
At first, Danzō and Koharu did not understand, but they gradually came to understand during their missions.
Of course, the missions Renye accepted never exceeded the team's capabilities.
He wanted to grow stronger, not get himself killed.
What was the difference between taking on something beyond their abilities and courting death?
Renye remembered one time when the mission target had been described as a Chunin squad.
But when they arrived, they discovered that the squad was led by a Jonin.
Renye estimated that even with a sneak attack, their chances of taking them out were only forty percent.
Without the slightest hesitation, he abandoned the mission and led the other two away.
Jonin who had survived the Warring States Period possessed extremely rich combat experience and were even more cautious.
They would not let their guard down just because Renye and the others were young.
Instead, they would go all out and end the battle in the shortest possible time.
Because the arrogant fools had long since become graves overgrown with weeds.
After all, ninjas were like assassins with high offense and low defense. Their physical toughness was not particularly high.
Even a Jonin could be brought down by a Chunin or Genin.
For the time being, Renye had no desire to fight a Jonin who had survived the Warring States Period.
Unless they were truly left with no other choice, he would only fight with everything he had as a last resort.
At any other time, if they could run away, they would run away. There was no shame in it.
Yusuke Senju naturally understood what Renye and the others were thinking, and he was very pleased.
But because of that, he felt as though he had no presence at all.
It was not wartime. The village's Jonin were all leading students on missions, while he wandered around the village every day with nothing to do.
He was a dignified Jonin, yet he had somehow become like an unemployed drifter.
Those Jonin who were close to Yusuke often teased him.
"Were you abandoned by your students?"
Whenever that happened, Yusuke could only smile without saying anything. Only he knew the bitterness in his heart.
Students who were too independent were not necessarily a good thing.
To avoid remaining one of the village's idle drifters, he thought it over and finally made up his mind...
"You three have performed well, so I signed you up for this Chunin Exams," Yusuke said.
"With your strength, I think passing the exam won't be difficult... Once that happens, I can go lead newly graduated Genin."
Generally speaking, Chunin were the backbone of a village and an important part of its military strength.
Once they passed the Chunin Exams and became Chunin, a team no longer needed a team leader teacher.
In fact, most Genin instructors were Chunin.
After all, a village only had so many Jonin.
Usually, a group of Jonin would instruct Genin. Once those Genin became Chunin, they would then be assigned to instruct newly graduated Genin.
The three froze where they stood.
They had not expected Yusuke Senju to say something like that.
"Teacher Yusuke, you don't want us anymore?"
Renye swallowed and muttered to himself.
Did we make Teacher Yusuke angry by going on missions without him? Did he decide to quit because of that?
The three exchanged glances and saw the shock in one another's eyes.
"Teacher Yusuke, don't be angry," Koharu Utatane said timidly. "At worst, we'll take you with us on the next mission..."
"That's right, Teacher Yusuke. You're a Jonin, after all. You can't seriously be sulking over this with us, can you?" Danzō Shimura curled his lip.
He looked as though he had already seen through his teacher's little scheme.
Renye said nothing. He merely sighed helplessly.
That expression seemed to say something, yet also seemed to say nothing at all.
Yusuke Senju: "???"
Just moments ago, he had still felt sorry for the three of them.
But now, that sense of guilt had completely vanished.
He was immensely grateful that he had made the right decision. Otherwise, those three would have angered him to death sooner or later.
"The Chunin Exams are five days from now. Don't go out on any missions for the next few days. Prepare properly."
Yusuke no longer wanted to look at the three of them. As soon as he finished speaking, he hurriedly turned and left.
Just then, Renye called out to stop him.
"Teacher Yusuke, wait..."
Yusuke turned back to look at Renye. "What other question do you have, brat?"
"Um... well..." Renye scratched his head and asked tentatively, "The Chunin Exams can't have theory questions, right?"
"Of course they do," Yusuke answered.
He was a little curious. Why was Renye asking that?
Wait, why did this kid's face look so terrible?!
"Renye, are you alright?" Yusuke Senju asked.
"Heh... I-I'm fine." Renye was still in a daze.
"If you're fine, then I'll be going."
With that, Yusuke vanished from the spot.
"Renye, don't be nervous. The Theory Exam is very easy," Koharu Utatane comforted him.
Renye said nothing and stared up at the sky.
At that moment, he felt a helplessness unlike anything he had ever experienced.
Didn't he know whether the Theory Exam was easy or not?
That dazzling score of five points was still posted on the wall at home.
He had thought that after becoming a ninja, he would no longer have to study academic subjects. He had never expected the Chunin Exams to be waiting for him.
His grades had already been poor, and he had been out of school for more than a year.
Renye felt that becoming a Chunin was probably hopeless for the rest of his life.
Seeing this, Danzō sighed helplessly. Renye's academic grades were truly beyond words.
"When the time comes, let's see if we can cheat."
Before you continue