Uchiha Chiri

"If we could all be assigned to the same squad after graduation, that'd be great."

"Soaking in the hot spring, Jiraiya scrubbed his back and sighed. "I feel more at ease with you guys. Everyone else in class has a bit of a superiority complex."

"Each squad can only have three new graduates. The four of us can't all be together," Hiruzen reminded him.

There was something else he didn't say: his goal was to become the Hokage's apprentice, and he didn't want to join a ninja squad like an ordinary new graduate.

"Then we can drop Watanabe. Compared to us, he'd rather be with Tsunade anyway," Jiraiya joked.

Watanabe smiled faintly and didn't deny it.

"What about you, Orochimaru? Is there anyone in particular you want to team up with?"

Orochimaru silently shook his head.

"Don't be so quiet all the time. Girls won't like that kind of personality," Jiraiya teased him. "Orochimaru, you'll never get married."

Orochimaru hesitated for a moment, then slowly asked, "Do you guys... have any dreams?"

"Of course! My dream is to get up close and personal with countless beautiful girls!" Jiraiya answered with a grin. The other three knew him well, so they weren't surprised.

"I want to become Hokage!" Hiruzen declared firmly.

"I hope for world peace," Watanabe said.

The three of them froze. Somehow, Watanabe's dream seemed incredibly noble.

"Orochimaru, you're the only one who hasn't said anything," Jiraiya said, turning his attention to him.

A puzzled look flickered across Orochimaru's face. "I don't know."

He felt empty. There was nothing in particular he wanted, and nothing in particular he wanted to do. It was as if he were a believer who couldn't find his faith. All his life, he had simply done what he thought he ought to do.

The four of them soaked in the hot spring for the entire afternoon. When they finally got out, their friendship had grown closer without any of them quite realizing it.

"The written test results should be out by now. Let's go check at school." Hiruzen couldn't wait to see his score.

Watanabe agreed.

The school grounds were packed. Countless students and parents crowded around the notice board, and Watanabe and the others had to struggle mightily just to squeeze into the throng.

"Ninety points!"

Hiruzen found his name and beamed.

"Heh-heh, seventy-eight points. As long as I passed!" Jiraiya grinned foolishly.

Watanabe had scored ninety-five, even higher than Hiruzen. But when he looked at the top of the list, he saw Orochimaru's name: a perfect score.

Orochimaru remained calm as ever. "Twenty-five people failed."

The names marked in red on the notice board belonged to those who had failed.

Only those who scored at least sixty points qualified for the next round.

"The Illusion Technique test is tomorrow morning, and the practical test is in the afternoon. Both will be held at the Training Ground, and they'll definitely be harder than the written test." Hiruzen pondered for a moment, then said goodbye to the three of them:

"I'm going home to prepare. Don't let your guard down, either. We might be opponents tomorrow."

"Sure. See you tomorrow."

Watanabe said goodbye soon after. He took the graduation exams just as seriously as Hiruzen did; he simply didn't show it as openly.

That night, Watanabe stayed up again to improve his kidney function. He reviewed every ninjutsu he had already mastered, making sure he wouldn't embarrass himself by forgetting the Hand Seals during the practical test.

Early the next morning, the stands at Training Ground Number Fifteen were already full. From a distance, they looked like a sea of people, the spectacle rivaling the Chunin Ninja Exams.

"Chiri, I'm sorry to trouble you, but we'll need you to conduct the Illusion Technique test later."

On the judges' stand, a young man wearing a Forehead Protector spoke respectfully to a woman.

The woman looked to be around thirty. The Uchiha crest, a fan, was emblazoned on her clothes. She had cool, striking features and a tall, shapely figure. Black stockings hugged her long legs, giving her a mature allure. She answered the young man coolly, "Understood. Just call me when it's time to begin."

"Isn't it overkill to have Chiri test the Ninja Academy students on Illusion Technique?" Nara Clan Leader said with a chuckle from the judges' stand, secretly keeping an eye on Hiruzen's expression.

"The Uchiha represent the pinnacle of Illusion Technique, and Chiri is exceptional even among them."

"I'll go easy on them. I won't eliminate every last one," Uchiha Chiri said. She paid no mind to Nara Clan Leader's flattery, her voice still cool.

"Now that we've heard that from Chiri, we can relax."

The young ninja who had greeted Uchiha Chiri walked to the center of the Training Ground and directed the examinees into position. His name was Gekko Hayate, and he was in charge of today's graduation exam.

"There are so many people!"

Walking beside Watanabe, Jiraiya muttered under his breath. The mass of heads swaying in the stands made him dizzy.

Watanabe looked toward the judges' stand. He knew almost all of the judges over there. They had all visited the Senju Clan Compound on Tsunade's birthday: Hiruzen Sarutobi, Shimura Danzō, the Hyuga Clan Leader, Nara Clan Leader, Hatake Clan Leader, and others.

I wonder if Tsunade came, or if she's already started her intensive training.

Watanabe thought as his gaze swept from the judges' stand to the spectators, but he couldn't spot Tsunade.

"Chiri, we're ready."

Gekko Hayate called to her from across the Training Ground.

Uchiha Chiri left the judges' stand and strode toward the examinees with long, confident steps.

The moment she appeared, Jiraiya's eyes lit up. He stared fixedly at her black stockings, his mind instantly wandering.

"She's a real beauty..."

He murmured to himself.

"So that's Uchiha Chiri."

From Gekko Hayate's introduction, Watanabe had guessed the woman's identity. The Uchiha, Senju, and Hyuga were Konoha's three most prestigious clans. Uchiha Chiri had become famous in the village in recent years. They said no one could match her skill in Illusion Technique, and many believed she would become the next Uchiha Clan Head.

"Next, Chiri will test you on Illusion Technique."

Gekko Hayate explained the rules to the examinees. "Starting from this line, you'll earn ten points for every step you take while remaining conscious. Anyone who takes fewer than three steps will fail."

The rules were simple and easy to understand.

Uchiha Chiri stopped ten steps away from the examinees. She closed her eyes, then opened them again—and her eyes had turned into a pair of scarlet Three-Tomoe Sharingan, like a demon opening its eyes in the depths of hell.

[You have been put under an Illusion Technique: Willpower +10, Spirit +8, Alertness +9...]

Watanabe was slightly startled. When did she use the Illusion Technique?

Seeing many examinees looking dazed, Gekko Hayate realized Uchiha Chiri had already made her move. He immediately announced, "The Illusion Technique test begins now!"

Orochimaru formed Hand Seals, making the Chakra in his body go into disarray to keep himself conscious, then took his first step toward Uchiha Chiri.

The others followed his example and moved forward behind him. But with every step, the effects of the Illusion Technique grew stronger, and their eyelids began to close against their will.

"This level of Illusion Technique won't hold me back!"

Jiraiya clenched his teeth. His Chakra was already so disrupted that his whole body was trembling.