Chunin Exams

Lost in thought, he found himself back at the camp entrance without realizing it.

"What a diligent little brat." A boisterous voice came from the shadows at the side.

"Jiraiya-sama." Shinichi stopped, turned toward the source of the voice, and greeted calmly.

He had actually sensed it long ago—under the enhancement of the [Spiritual Perception] Trait, his sixth sense and awareness of his surroundings far exceeded ordinary people. Though he hadn't learned systematic sensory ninjutsu, his capture of gazes and presence was extremely sharp.

Jiraiya hadn't deliberately hidden himself, so before Shinichi even stepped into camp, he'd noticed the observing stare fixed on him.

"Top-tier talent, and what's rarer is this relentless drive—no wonder the old man thinks so highly of you..." Jiraiya crossed his arms and stepped out of the shadows, a hint of emotion in his tone.

"I only did what I should. Lord Third is generous and kind." Shinichi lowered his head slightly, his tone humble but not servile.

"Alright, alright, save the praise for the old man." Jiraiya waved a hand, then suddenly broke into a mysterious grin. He glanced left and right, lowering his voice:

"Come here. I'll show you something good."

Huh?

A question mark popped into Shinichi's head, but he still walked over as told.

Jiraiya chuckled, then extended his right hand. His eyes focused, and the air above his palm seemed to warp slightly. Azure chakra surged forth, spinning, condensing—in the blink of an eye, a fist-sized, stable, and radiant chakra sphere had taken shape, rotating quietly in his palm, emitting a low energy hum.

Rasengan!

"How about that? Pretty impressive, kid!" Jiraiya shook his hand smugly, the chakra sphere spinning steadily, its light reflecting the childlike pride on his face: "It only took me three days! Three days to learn your jutsu!"

The campfire flickered in the distance, illuminating Shinichi's calm face and slightly widened eyes.

He was indeed a little surprised—not that Jiraiya could learn the Rasengan, nor that he mastered it in three days.

What surprised him was that this Legendary Sannin was showing it off like a kid with a new toy, eager to share it with someone.

Shinichi quickly composed himself and nodded seriously: "As expected of Jiraiya-sama, truly impressive. When I first figured out this jutsu, it took me a long time."

"Heh, that's because I stood on your shoulders." Jiraiya was frank. He closed his hand, and the Rasengan dissipated silently.

He rubbed his chin, his gaze at Shinichi now carrying a hint of serious scrutiny: "But you're no ordinary brat. To come up with the concept of a seal-less ninjutsu and actually succeed step by step... The old man calls you a genius, and he's not wrong. The key thing is, you're willing to put in the hard work."

He paused, his eyes sweeping over the lingering sharpness and sweat on Shinichi's body after training: "I've seen too many guys coast on talent and slack off. In this exam, do your best. Let me see if the developer of this Rasengan is just as strong in other areas."

With that, he patted Shinichi's shoulder—not lightly—then slipped back into his usual lazy demeanor, ambling toward the firelight at the camp's center, as if the man who'd just eagerly demonstrated a jutsu wasn't him at all.

Tch. Not even a jutsu as a token? Freeloading, huh?

Shinichi stood there, watching Jiraiya's retreating back, silently complaining.

A few days later, at the edge of a golden sea of sand stretching beyond sight, a dark outline finally appeared.

It was a settlement built against a massive rocky mountain. Towering cliffs bore the huge emblem of Sunagakure, solemn and stark under the scorching sun.

Sunagakure. They had arrived.

In the days that followed, the exam proceeded step by step.

After the written test and the Scroll battle in the Death Desert—despite encountering obvious targeted obstruction from Suna—Shinichi, Maruboshi Kosuke, and Might Duy, with their solid strength and teamwork, steadily advanced into the final round.

A month later, Sunagakure's largest arena.

The crowd roared. The stands were packed. The audience wasn't just Suna villagers; wealthy merchants and officials from the Land of Wind had also come to witness the spectacle. The clamor nearly lifted the sun-scorched air.

Most of the finalists were from Konoha and Suna.

The match schedule seemed deliberately arranged—pitting Konoha contestants against each other, wearing down and eliminating their own forces early.

The first match: Higashino Shinichi versus Maruboshi Kosuke.

But before the match even began, Maruboshi Kosuke, citing "acclimation issues and physical discomfort," directly forfeited. This immediately drew a wave of dissatisfied boos from the stands.

On the high platform, the Third Kazekage turned to the composed Third Hokage beside him and spoke, his voice low but clear enough for nearby officials to hear: "Lord Hokage, this ninja of your village... seems a bit off. His age and the strength he's shown so far don't match an ordinary Genin. Could it be that your village deliberately arranged for a certain Jonin to disguise himself and participate?"

His tone was calm, but the accusation was sharp. He had specifically observed Maruboshi Kosuke during the earlier tests—that seasoned experience and effortless power were definitely at the Jonin level.

Was Konoha so shameless as to pull this just to win the Chunin Exams?

The Third Kazekage sneered inwardly.

He had deliberately arranged this match to force Konoha into a choice: either completely lose face by keeping an old veteran to compete for rank, or discard him and preserve the younger, obviously more promising Higashino Shinichi.

The Third Hokage, upon hearing this, kept his usual gentle smile on his face. He took a slow drag from his pipe before replying unhurriedly: "Lord Kazekage jokes. Kosuke's identity and records are verifiable in Konoha. He is indeed a Genin. I can vouch for that."

He then shifted the topic, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping toward Suna's waiting area: "Speaking of which, that young female ninja of your village—the one who controls sand and has yet to have her defense breached—her performance is truly astonishing. I can't help but wonder if she's actually a skilled Jonin from your village, just dressed differently to guide the younger generation."

The Third Kazekage's expression didn't change. He smiled faintly: "Lord Hokage overthink this. Karura is indeed a genuine Genin of our village. I can assure you of that as well."

He wasn't entirely lying.

After graduating from the Ninja Academy, Karura had worked a clerical job in the Kazekage Building, not as a frontline combat ninja.

However, perhaps due to her kind nature and witnessing her parents' death as a child, she had awakened a special Kekkei Genkai.

She could infuse chakra into sand, manipulating it for attack and defense—especially defense, which moved at her will, forming a sand shield known as the "Absolute Defense."

To ensure Suna secured the best results on home turf, the Third Kazekage had given her a ninja identity specifically for this exam, deploying this atypical weapon.

Originally, after seeing Maruboshi Kosuke's displayed strength—especially that Water Release with its scale and control—he had some concerns about securing the championship.

But now, with Maruboshi Kosuke's voluntary withdrawal, that stone had finally been lifted from his heart.

Of the two remaining Konoha contestants, one was Higashino Shinichi—he seemed talented enough, but he was still young and ultimately lacking in experience.

The other was Might Duy, a ninja who specialized only in taijutsu. Against Karura's flawless sand defense, he posed even less of a threat.

In his eyes, neither of them could possibly break through Karura's defense. The championship was already Sunagakure's for the taking.

That sly old fox!

The two old foxes' eyes met for just a moment, their smiles still fixed on their faces, but each silently cursed the other in their hearts.