Time flew by.
Before long, the day of the Chunin Exam arrived.
The genin from Sunagakure and Iwagakure, led by elite jonin from their respective villages, arrived at Konoha's main gate one after another.
Because relations between the major Hidden Villages were far less harmonious than they would be in the future, neither the Kazekage nor the Tsuchikage made an appearance.
That was easy enough to understand. As the leader of a village, casually entering another country's Hidden Village could lead to unimaginable consequences if anything went wrong.
Since there were many visitors from other villages this time, Shikamaru Nara was responsible for receiving the people from Iwagakure. Uchiha Sōgetsu, meanwhile, was assigned to receive the group from Sunagakure.
Before Konoha's main gate, Uchiha Sōgetsu stood in black clothes with his arms folded, waiting for the people from Sunagakure.
Soon, his targets appeared.
A group of eight from Sunagakure, wearing robes meant to shield them from wind and sand, came into view.
As they approached, one of them stepped forward and removed her wide white hood.
Beneath it was a delicate, elegant face. Her sandy-brown shoulder-length hair framed bright indigo eyes like exquisite jewels. She wore a Sunagakure forehead protector around her fair neck and cautiously glanced at him before speaking in a crisp voice. "Hello. I am one of the jonin leading Sunagakure's team this time, Karura."
Another person stepped forward right after her and removed her hood. "I am Pakura, a jonin leading Sunagakure's team."
Pakura wore her hair in a bun, dark green on top and orange below. Her amber eyes and frosty, proud bearing carried a faint hint of provocation as she looked at Uchiha Sōgetsu.
"I am Uchiha Sōgetsu, the one responsible for receiving you."
Uchiha Sōgetsu pushed up his glasses with his index finger,