The Prelude to the First Exam

"Body Flicker Shisui, Yellow Flash... Konoha has sent some truly capable people this time!"

Are you scared?

"Yes, they're all tough nut to crack, not easy to deal with!"

A man with short, choppy black hair and deep dark circles under his eyes leaned on the railing, a cigarette dangling from his lips, looking down at the street below. He exhaled a smoke ring, which was then blown away by the wind.

"Hmph, just a bunch of outdated old fogies, what's there to be afraid of?"

"Hey, Brother Zen, you're incredibly capable now, but I don't have as many tricks up my sleeve. Using these eyes too much will make me go blind, and I don't have to replace eyeballs for any of my brothers or sisters. It's better to save my energy; these old foxes are all shrewd!"

The man with dark circles under his eyes complained.

However, the long-haired man standing next to him remained completely unmoved by his companion's complaints.

His long black hair danced in the wind, Senju Zen's square and serious face was like a stubborn piece of iron, which could not be changed even by a thousand blows and chisels.

The two were dressed in robes with red clouds and black backgrounds, their style completely out of place with their surroundings. However, the passersby ignored them, and even three Cloud Ninja talking and laughing loudly not far away.

"Genso, let's go! I need to take another look. This Uchiha Shisui is still lacking; the immense power required for the Asura Path clone doesn't meet my requirements."

Senju Zen turned and left.

Uchiha Genso tossed aside his half-burnt cigarette butt and followed.

"Brother Zen, if you don't even think much of the mighty Body Flicker Shisui, then you really don't have much room for choice."

"You don't need to waste your breath. Just do your job properly and don't worry about me."

Uchiha Genso chuckled, a smile spreading across his face. His voice suddenly softened, "I was just impatient. So much time has passed, and Konoha is still there, perfectly fine. Every time I pass by, I feel like destroying that village. Several times I almost couldn't resist taking action... Controlling myself is so hard!"

"I understand. Now I only need this last clone, the Asura Path, which specializes in combat. Once we have all the clones, we can begin our operation... Let's begin our plan." Senju Zen said calmly, but his hands inside his sleeves were clenched into fists, his nails digging into his palms without him even noticing.

Until the blood dripped onto the stone pavement.

"Brother Zen, wait! If you leave this thing behind, we'll be discovered beforehand."

Genso bent down to clean up the bloodstains on the ground, while Senju Zen loosened his fist, and the wound on his palm healed within seconds.

On the second floor of the Konoha Embassy, on the open-air balcony, Minato sat in a rocking chair, sipping tea, admiring the azure sky and white sea of clouds before him, while the gray-blue mountain peaks also had a unique charm.

Such a scene cannot be seen in Konoha.

It's a pity I didn't bring Kushina along; it would be a bit lonely to enjoy such a beautiful view alone!

However, not coming might not necessarily be a bad thing...

At this time,

Footsteps sounded behind me.

"Kakashi, is everything alright?"

"Everything is normal. There was a small conflict on Naruto's side, but Shisui intervened and resolved it quickly. Everyone else is fine and is still strolling around, although some have already started returning to train..."

Kakashi strolled over and began to give a report.

"The exam starts tomorrow, so even last-minute cramming will do..." Minato laughed.

The exam process has been released. Like previous Chunin Ninja Exams, it consists of three parts: preliminary rounds, first rounds, and the final round.

There is no ranking system in the Chunin Ninja Exams. Whether you can become Chunin depends mainly on your overall performance in the three exams. Even if you lose, it doesn't matter. Martial prowess is only one of the evaluation criteria.

Although such joint examinations have a strong performative element, it is undeniable that those who stand out in such settings are definitely not weaklings.

"Sharpening your skills at the last minute? It's good enough if you can adjust your mindset."

Kakashi shook his head.

I don't approve of this last-minute cramming.

"There will be three exams, but the specific details are still unclear. However, as expected, the Cloud Ninja have no intention of holding any written exams. All three exams will be practical combat-based." Minato also did not receive the specific exam rules; everything will only be known after the exams begin.

"No written test? That should be good news!"

Kakashi knew how bad Naruto's academic performance was; he had put all his talent into fighting.

"I hope this exam will end safely..."

Minato gazed at the surging sea of clouds, a slight unease creeping into his heart. Ever since entering Kumogakure, he had had a bad feeling.

However, she didn't know where this feeling came from, nor could she explain it. She could only silently pray that nothing unexpected would happen and remain as vigilant as possible.

The following morning.

Halfway up a mountain, there is a huge circular platform carved out using Ninjutsu, with a bottomless abyss on one side and a sheer cliff on the other.

Hundreds of candidates gathered on the platform, waiting for the first exam to begin.

"Ouch! It's a bit cold!"

Since it's already autumn, the chilly wind in the mornings steals away the body heat, making people shiver.

Especially the female ninjas dressed very scantily, crossed their arms, stomped their feet incessantly, and cursed the damned time.

"Suzuran!"

Sasuke has sharp eyes and spotted Suzuran standing among the Rain Ninja at a glance.

"Huh? Suzuran? Where is she?" Naruto, who was yawning, suddenly perked up and looked around among the Rain Ninja not far away. He noticed Suzuran looking over and immediately flashed a bright smile, waving vigorously, "Yo, Suzuran!"

Shuyuan glanced at the two of them helplessly. Why were they trying to steal the spotlight at a time like this?

Naruto, in particular, attracted a lot of attention with his shouts, including scrutinizing, curious, hostile, provocative, and malicious gazes.

However, since things have come to this, there's no point in saying anything now. Besides, he doesn't think the examinees here will cause any trouble for the three of them; Naruto could easily defeat a whole group.

He also looked at Suzuran and nodded, as if to say hello.

Suzuran smiled shyly and nodded to the three of them, but did not leave the Rain Ninja team. She had her own teammates, and this was not a good time to come over and say hello.

"Damn it, how much longer do we have to wait? Just tell me how the test is going to be conducted!"

"I rushed over early this morning, it's freezing cold!"

As time went on, the examiners did not appear, except for the Cloud Ninja who were maintaining order.

The candidates, who had been waiting for a long time, couldn't help but complain. The candidates from Kumogakure themselves were fine, but those from Yugakure, Kusagakure, and Takigakure were full of complaints, buzzing like a swarm of big-headed flies, which was very annoying.

"You bunch of idiots, shut up!"

Suddenly, a blonde, fair-skinned, and imposing female Cloud Ninja appeared on a large Taiseki near the mountain wall of the platform. Her cold eyes were like knives, and the noisy guys from before immediately shut up and lowered their heads.

He dared not meet the gaze of this beauty. (To be continued)