Yakushi Kabuto adjusted his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses sweeping over the somewhat awkward Konoha Genin.
"During the Chunin Exam, every candidate's nerves are stretched tight. If you make a racket this loudly without a care for anyone else, you could easily provoke everyone's anger and become a target."
Sato Yu's face showed a flicker of realization and gratitude.
"Thanks for the warning, Kabuto-senpai. This is our first time taking part, so we don't really understand the rules."
Kabuto gave a slightly helpless, bitter smile and waved his hand. "It's nothing. I understand. After all, unlike me... this is already my seventh time taking the Chunin Exam."
"Seventh time?!"
Uzumaki Naruto was the first to cry out. His eyes went wide as he pointed at Kabuto, his voice so loud that several ninjas from other villages nearby frowned again.
"You've taken it seven times and still haven't passed?!"
Haruno Sakura hurriedly tugged on Naruto's sleeve, signaling for him to lower his voice. Then she turned to Kabuto, curiosity on her face.
"Kabuto-senpai, since you've taken it so many times, you must know a lot about the exam, right? Could you tell us some relevant information?"
Kabuto did not seem to mind Naruto's bluntness. He smiled and took a thick stack of cards from his ninja tool pouch.
"Of course. We're all comrades from Konoha, after all." He deftly fanned out the cards and displayed the special deck in his hand. "This is intelligence I've gathered over the years, recorded with Chakra on specially made cards."
Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to them.
"According to my statistics, candidates from six ninja villages are participating in this Chunin Exam. Sunagakure, Amegakure, Kusagakure, Takigakure, Konoha, and Otogakure."
He paused, his eyes passing over the group listening intently.
"One hundred and fifty-six people