The Chunin Exams

"Chunin Selection Exams?"

Recently, progress on the maintenance and sculpting of the Valley of the End had been steady, and the area was finally beginning to resemble a proper valley.

With that phase of their mission concluded, a new trial awaited them.

It had been over two years since Diejian and his teammates became genin.

It was the height of summer, a season filled with the incessant drone of cicadas.

The members of Team Six were gathered at a dessert shop, where their jonin sensei, Kagami, brought up the subject of the Chunin Selection Exams.

The three gathered there were all dressed in casual attire.

However, being a ninja, Sakumo still wore long sleeves and trousers.

Diejian, on the other hand, wore a Hawaiian shirt over a tank top, paired with shorts and straw sandals—a breezy, cool ensemble.

The only female member, Juri, wore a sexy kimono with a slit that reached her knees, her bare feet glistening with sweat.

She fanned herself with a round fan, directing a breeze toward her exposed thighs.

The short hem of her skirt fluttered with the air, though the depths beyond remained obscured in shadow.

She had her hair pinned up, revealing the nape of her neck, where a transparent earring shaped like a "tag" swayed.

Inside that plastic-like earring, a faded, withered flower petal lay dormant.

Everyone was in that transitional period, shifting from the delicate features of childhood toward adulthood.

Diejian's height, Sakumo's features, and Juri's physique were all gradually shedding their youthful appearances.

Sakumo seemed unsure of where to look, clearly flustered by Juri's unexpected allure.

"What is it? Chunin Selection Exams? I've never heard of them."

"I just told you."

"Aren't Chunin promotions based on document reviews?"

"That is exactly what I am about to explain."

Despite their physical changes, their inner selves were not so easily altered; Juri's arrogant demeanor remained unchanged.

Even when addressing Kagami, who was both her elder and her teacher, she pointed her fan at him with a sharp "snap," showing not a shred of respect.

Given that they had spent the last two years performing civil engineering work as genin, their promotion to chunin had been delayed until the mission was complete.

Now that the opportunity had finally arrived, she pursued the topic with keen interest.

Diejian had heard whispers of this from Tobirama previously, so he simply confirmed the reason for the meeting, thinking, So it really is this.

Diejian took a gulp of ice-cold water, the cubes clinking against the glass.

The sensation of cooling his heated body from within was becoming addictive.

"The Second Hokage has formulated a new set of criteria for the Chunin selection process."

"The Second Hokage again..."

Juri recalled their genin promotion exam and turned her face away in disgust.

After the genin exam, she had learned it was originally designed to test teamwork, and she felt a deep annoyance at the machinations of the Second Hokage, Tobirama.

This was likely an arrangement made with the knowledge that Juri disliked Diejian and the Senju—realizing the implication in Kagami's words, Juri felt a surge of resentment toward Tobirama.

It wasn't that Juri didn't know that Team Six would never have passed without Diejian's care.

Precisely because of that, Juri could not bring herself to acknowledge Diejian honestly.

She still didn't know how to respond to that kindness.

Whenever such incomprehensible emotions welled up, Juri's attitude toward Diejian only grew worse.

"As Sakumo said, it was originally a document review conducted by several jonin. But considering the success of the ninja training facilities and the expected increase in the number of genin, a more rigorous selection process has been arranged."

When Konohagakure was first established, chunin promotions were handled by clan heads recommending their own ninjas, with the promotion granted upon the approval of other clan heads and the Hokage.

Later, it evolved into a simplified form where clan heads were no longer required, provided one received recognition from a certain number of qualified jonin.

Now, that system was changing—this was the Chunin Selection Exam that Kagami spoke of.

For a time after the development of the ninja training facility system, no chunin promotions had been held, entirely to establish this "Chunin Selection Exam" system and launch it all at once.

It wasn't just Diejian and his team; the fact that other peers had spent two years as genin was also due to this reason.

Even more surprising was that the Chunin Selection Exams would be held jointly with other hidden villages.

Whether it was an opportunity to "show their cards" to Kumogakure, with whom they had long hoped to form an alliance, or to investigate the military strength of Kirigakure, which had been passive in its diplomacy—each village surely had its own agenda.

This was a bold attempt to push diplomacy between villages into a new phase, now that some time had passed since the end of the war.

However, many villages were hesitant about introducing the military strength of other villages into their own lands, so Konohagakure, as the initiator, volunteered to serve as the host.

To handle any emergencies during these Chunin Selection Exams, Tobirama had begun strengthening the village's defensive capabilities about a year ago.

From the establishment of the Konoha Military Police Force led by the Uchiha Clan, to the large-scale barrier covering the entire village developed primarily by the Yamanaka Clan, to the formation of the "Anbu" to handle special missions involving village secrets—the thoroughness of his planning touched upon every aspect.

A joint event carried immense risks.

For instance, if a ninja invited into the village were to incite a riot and cause destruction, the "Kage," as the leader of the village, would be unable to bear the responsibility.

It is only natural that the other villages are hesitant.

However, for Konohagakure, this Chunin Selection Exam is an obstacle that must be overcome at all costs.

Once this "social gathering" is successfully navigated, a formal alliance will be established with Kumogakure, which has long desired peace.

The same applies to the signing of a non-aggression treaty with Iwagakure, which is currently transitioning to the administration of the Second Tsuchikage.

Relations with Sunagakure and Kirigakure remain unstable.

However, if three of the five great hidden villages join forces, even if Suna and Kiri were to cause trouble, war would be impossible due to the overwhelming disparity in military strength.

In particular, an alliance between Konohagakure, led by the strongest clan in the ninja world, the Senju, and Iwagakure, home to the Second Tsuchikage Mu—who wields the special technique known as Kekkei Tōta—and his subordinate Ōnoki of Both Scales, carries immense significance.

The peace that Hashirama pursued is steadily moving toward success through the capable hands of Tobirama—to the point where all issues might even be resolved within Tobirama's generation; Diejian once again felt the greatness of his teacher.

Does he not need me anymore? The fact that he could make such a joke showed that Diejian was enjoying these peaceful days.

"Ninjas from other villages and VIPs from various nations will also be arriving, so I ask everyone to be vigilant. The specific dates will be announced later, but as the first graduating class of this facility, no withdrawals are permitted. Please manage your physical condition and prepare for the exam."

"Hmph. A Chunin Selection Exam? I couldn't ask for more; I will never back down. So? What is the content of the exam?"

"Hey, hey. How can you so casually think about cheating, Juri?"

Juri immediately wanted to cheat through her brother, Kagami.

Although Diejian scolded Juri for this, he had actually asked the same question when he heard it from Tobirama earlier, and had already been reprimanded for it.