The commotion around the Konoha Twelve soon drew some ill-intentioned stares.
Several older-looking genin with weather-beaten faces walked over. Their forehead protectors came from obscure little ninja villages, and their eyes held the sinister look of seasoned combatants.
The middle-aged man with a scarred face at their head sneered. His voice was neither loud nor soft, but it carried straight to the Konoha Twelve:
"Hmph. Brats these days have less and less manners. Making a racket in a place like this—you must be itching for an early grave."
His words carried an undisguised threat, and the air around them instantly chilled. Sakura instinctively frowned, Sasuke opened his eyes with a knife-sharp gaze, and Rock Lee dropped his smile and took a guarded stance.
Before anyone else could speak, however, Naruto suddenly stepped forward, his Kin hair gleaming brilliantly under the lights.
He clenched his fists, his chest heaving as he met the man's gaze without a trace of fear. His voice boomed like thunder: "What did you say?! So what if we're making noise? We're having our own conversation! What's it got to do with you?!"
He straightened his back and lifted his chin slightly, a defiant fire burning in his blue eyes. Every word rang out firmly: "And listen up—I, Uzumaki Naruto, will become a chunin in this exam!
"That's not some empty boast! It's a goal I set ages ago! You guys had better remember it, and don't come crying when I leave you in the dust! You useless old geezer!"
As his words fell, the entire third floor went silent for a moment.
Every gaze focused on the loud Kin-haired boy.
Some were disdainful: "An attention-seeking clown."
Some were curious: "Who's this Kin-haired kid? Is he really that bold? He's provoking everyone equally."
Others held a barely