The person before them had fiery red hair that fell all the way to her waist.
She emerged from a building inside the Hyuga Branch Family. She was none other than the final female member of Teacher Hizashi's team, Hinata Kurenai.
But Kurenai wasn't dressed in her usual casual clothes. She wore a kimono, making her look every bit the refined young lady.
"I can hardly believe my eyes. I've never seen Kurenai dressed like this before," Nao said, rather surprised.
Shiyu was also taken aback. "There's a saying: 'Clothes make the man.' Dressed like this, Kurenai suddenly looks much more gentle and elegant."
Kurenai's cheeks grew warm. "Are you saying I'm not gentle and elegant usually?"
Shiyu was at a loss for words, which made Hizashi and the others want to laugh.
"Miss, you're here." Both Hizashi and Hiashi were remarkably respectful, suggesting Kurenai's status was quite distinguished.
"Uncle Hiashi, Teacher Hizashi, there's no need to be so formal. I'm just a student now, not some young lady." After facing Team Suzuki, Kurenai had realized what it meant to become a ninja. She wanted to leave behind her pampered young-lady ways for good.
"All right, everyone's here. We parents will get going." Hatake Sanyu was a bit of a maverick, so he left at once using the Body Flicker Technique.
"Hizashi, there's nothing left for me to do here." Hiashi nodded to Hizashi, then gestured to Kurenai before leaving the Branch Family.
Only the members of Hizashi Hyuga's team remained.
"All right, now there are just the four of us. I've already entered you in the Chunin Exams," Hizashi said.
"I also got your guardians' permission. Shiyu, make sure you tell your younger sister." Hizashi's expression turned serious.
"This Chunin Exams in Konoha is the largest since the Second Shinobi World War. It's unprecedented! As far as I know, three hundred Genin have signed up, and the preliminaries are held by team."
"So the candidates are split into teams of three, making a hundred teams!"
"These hundred teams include rookies like you, fresh out of the Ninja Academy, as well as more experienced candidates—even some who fought in the Second Shinobi World War! What's more, after deliberation, the relevant departments in Konoha have decided to allow ninja who are already Chunin to enter this Chunin Exams. In other words, you won't just be facing Genin!" Hizashi's expression was grave.
"Chunin!? Why would there be Chunin?" Kurenai was the weakest of the three, and she was surprised. The Chunin Exams were meant to select Chunin, so why would already-promoted ninja take part?
"Konoha's ninja teams have always consisted of three members. Since this is a team competition, suppose one member of a team is a Chunin and the other two aren't. If they pass the exams, the other two will have a chance to become Chunin."
"But don't worry. There'll be at most one Chunin on a team. There definitely won't be two or more, or it would throw off the balance of the competition too much."
"But why? Why not just select Chunin from among the Genin? Why make it a team competition?" Shiyu asked.
"The reason isn't clear, but the overall plan for this exam was drawn up by Konoha's highest authorities, the Konoha Council of Advisors. The Third Hokage approved the decision, so it's already been settled."
At that, Shiyu thought of someone whose face was half-hidden by bandages. He'd been involved in countless dark events in Konoha.
Danzo? Could he be plotting something? There's no way this is simple. Those three old men on the Konoha Council of Advisors must have some ulterior motive.
"We don't actually need to think about that. We just need to figure out how to win," Kakashi Nao said, getting straight to the point.
"Mm." Hizashi considered it for a moment. "I'm afraid it won't be that simple."
"Let me explain how the exams work. This Chunin Exams has three stages. The first is a written test, probably covering ninja principles and general knowledge, though I doubt it'll be that straightforward."
"Based on the pass rates from previous years, about forty percent of the candidates will be eliminated, leaving only around sixty teams." Hizashi shared the figures he knew with them.
"What!? Forty percent? Nearly half the candidates will be eliminated in the written test?" Kakashi Nao took combat very seriously, but he had no confidence in a written test or ninja trivia. His father was a maverick, and Nao had never been interested in the ninja code either.
"Don't worry. Even if you haven't memorized the ninja principles and general knowledge, you should still be able to answer most of the questions," Shiyu reassured him. He knew Konoha's Chunin Exams wouldn't be that straightforward. They might test their ability to gather intelligence, or ask questions unrelated to the exam. With his White Rinnegan, he had nothing to worry about.
"After the written test comes the second stage: the preliminaries. Your proctor will tell you what they involve after you pass the written test. I don't know anything about the actual content; I only know the stages of the exam." Hizashi was being honest. Even he wasn't authorized to know that kind of information.
"Teacher Hizashi, what happens after the preliminaries?" Kurenai asked curiously.
"Next comes the semifinals, which will select eight contestants to take part in the final stage of the Chunin Exams three months from now. The champion will naturally have the best chance of becoming a Chunin. One thing worth noting is that everyone who passes the preliminaries has a chance to become a Chunin."
"It'll mainly depend on your individual performances and the deliberations of the proctors and judges. In short, the selection will be fair—but don't forget the prerequisite. You have to pass the written test first." Hizashi wrapped up by bringing his students back to reality.
"Any questions about the process?" Hizashi asked, looking at them.
"I don't have any." Shiyu thought it over and couldn't come up with anything to ask. In a word, they just had to get on with it.
Kakashi Nao wasn't confident about the written test, while Kurenai was confident in her written skills but worried about the preliminaries.
"The preliminaries will definitely involve fighting, right?" Kurenai asked timidly.
She seemed deeply unsure of her practical skills, afraid she'd hold the others back.
"Kurenai, take it easy. Let's get through the written test first," Shiyu reassured her, completely unruffled.
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