Gathering at the Hidden Sand Village

"Ando, don't rush," Moriyue said with a kind smile, showing no sign of anger at all.

"But..." Ando wanted to say more. If they hadn't forbidden him from using ninjutsu, he would have charged forward and fought the opponents already.

Learning ninjutsu is meant to allow you to speak calmly with idiots. If it can't achieve that, then ninjutsu is completely useless.

Moriyue patted Ando's shoulder again, which made Ando swallow back what he wanted to say. However, judging from his displeased expression, he clearly had strong opinions about those who had spoken to them.

"Everyone, there's no point in saying these things now. We'll meet on the battlefield." Moriyue narrowed his eyes slightly. Even when mocked and insulted by those people, he didn't show any anger.

Casualties are normal in the Chunin Exams. There's no need to get angry at the dead, is there?

Kazeki, who had been silent beside them, seemed to sense something. As a sensory ninja, she was very sensitive to changes around her. She could feel a faint pressure emanating from Moriyue.

It felt like Mount Fuji about to erupt. Although there were no outward signs, that kind of natural disaster-like pressure had already quietly spread.

The three quickly left the crowd and headed towards the inn arranged for them by Gaara. Along the way, they saw many familiar faces.

Since Shikamaru had been promoted to Chunin and was serving as an examiner in this exam, the Ino-Shika-Cho team was short one member. However, Ino had pulled Sakura in, forming a three-person team.

Besides them, Hinata, Kiba, and Shino also participated in this Chunin Exam. Except for Naruto, who was undergoing training, and Sasuke, who had long since defected, the Konoha Twelve Genin were basically all present. This Chunin Exam was not only a threshold for promotion to Chunin but also a trial to test the results of their two years of training.

However, Moriyue's gaze passed over these familiar faces. The person he was most interested in hadn't arrived yet.

Upon entering the second floor of the inn, the room Gaara arranged for them had a good location with an excellent view. From here, they could see nearly half of the Hidden Sand Village's scenery. Sounds cool, right?

In reality, the entire inn was built within stone pillars, or rather, the rooms were carved out of the stone pillars. Moriyue was currently standing on a natural stone platform outside the room. Endless wind and sand surrounded the Hidden Sand Village. In the distance, ant-like ninja teams were entering the Hidden Sand Village. Those were genin who had come to compete.

"Zero, did you sense anything noteworthy from the people you contacted earlier?"

Moriyue let out a slight breath. He felt that the air was filled with dust. Living in such an environment for a long time would probably cause lung disease.

"There are a few worth noting. For example, the little princess of the Hyuga Clan from Konoha. We had some past grievances, and if we encounter her in the exam, she'll likely target us."

"It's not just Konoha; the Sand Village's attitude towards us isn't exactly friendly either. They're used to being poor, and during that period, they supplied our village with quite a few resources."

"There are also other small villages. Most of them will follow the choices made by Konoha and the Sand Village."

"So, in this battle, everyone around us is an enemy." Kazeki's face showed a hint of worry. This isn't good. Although our group is only here to gauge the strength of each village, being eliminated too early will be talked about.

Moriyue patted Kazeki's shoulder reassuringly, signaling her not to worry too much.

"The cart will find its way when it reaches the mountain; the boat will go straight when it reaches the bridge. Don't worry. Ando, your studies on ninja knowledge aren't finished yet. Today's lesson should begin."

Moriyue advised them to be more optimistic. After all, judging by his own strength alone, he was definitely at Chunin level.

Before mastering Forbidden Jutsu: Reverse, he already had the strength to defeat Karui. His strength would only be greater now. Are people from other villages hostile towards them? So what? This isn't like arguing online. Moriyue had remembered all the people who had insulted them just now.

Now, their only chance is to be eliminated in the written exam. Otherwise, Moriyue would make them experience the wonderful feeling of Rai'gyaku.

When Ando heard Moriyue's words, he felt darkness ahead. The written exam was starting in a few days, and their captain was still cramming from textbooks. Could they really pass the written exam?

"What's with that look? You don't believe me?" Moriyue noticed the helplessness on Ando's face, knowing that this guy was once again having second thoughts.

"Not at all. Let's begin..."

To be safe, Moriyue felt it was necessary to understand the exam knowledge. Although the questions for this Chunin Exam were said to be answerable by anyone who wasn't as foolish as Naruto, Moriyue, having experienced rote learning, habitually previewed it beforehand.

He considered it as understanding the basics of ninjutsu, laying the groundwork for his future forbidden jutsu research.

The Hidden Sand Village came alive with the influx of examinees, but the examinees' goals were not just to pass the Chunin Exams. Everyone understood that the political significance of this Chunin Exam outweighed its practical significance. It was merely a way to show an attitude to the major villages.

The Sand Village and Konoha have joined forces. Others who want to cause trouble need to be careful. Although the Sand Village is incredibly poor, Konoha is still a giant among the five ninja villages. Those who want to stir up trouble during this exam can save their energy.

As dusk fell, the night sandstorm added a bit of chill compared to the daytime. Under the dark night and strong winds, the "Ku Sha" became crystal clear under the moonlight, like sharp snowflakes.

Under the night sky, a Sand ninja wearing a white cloth knelt on one knee, reporting something to a man hiding in the shadows.

"Gaara is not qualified to bear the responsibilities of Kazekage. He is selling the Sand Village to Konoha."

"He is too young and inferior to you in all aspects. In our opinion, it would be better..."

At the same time, in another part of the inn, a bald monk sat on the ground holding a pipa. Moonlight shone on his fingertips, and the pipa emitted a sharp, low sound. The monk's lips curved into a sinister smile as he played the pipa towards the moon.

At the entrance of the Hidden Sand Village, a girl with short blue-green hair, with an orange hairpin on her right bun, skipped along ahead.

She had amber eyes and healthy, tanned skin. She skipped when she walked, looking very lively. Just looking at her from afar could infect people with joy.

"Ah, we've finally arrived at the Hidden Sand Village! I hope I can make more friends this time!"

"Also, I can't forget the village chief's request. I want to make the Hidden Waterfall Village's name known in this battle! Let everyone witness the power of our village!"

"But having fun is the most important thing!"

And so, as more and more people arrived, the Hidden Sand Village gradually became livelier. It was estimated that the first exam would be held soon.