Kushina Uzumaki wore a happy smile as she darted around the Senju Compound.
The compound, once so quiet and desolate, had become lively.
Red-haired members of the Uzumaki Clan could be seen everywhere.
Kushina spotted some familiar faces among them and immediately bounded over to greet them with a smile.
"Uncle Naritsugu, Aunt Minami..."
"Oh my, isn't that Kushina? It's been so long!"
The familiar uncles and aunts were just as warm and kind as they'd been before she left the Land of Whirlpools.
Their familiar greeting carried Kushina back to the past.
As she chatted with them, tears welled in her eyes. She cried out and threw herself into their arms.
"I've missed you so much!"
"Easy, easy. It's been a few years, and you've grown so much. You've gotten heavier, too."
Aunt Minami stumbled back a step, rubbing Kushina's little head as she smiled fondly.
Uchiha Chonhua stood behind them, watching the heartwarming scene with a smile.
"It's been a long time since things were this lively here."
Tsunade gazed at the bustling scene, lost in thought, as if remembering her childhood.
Back then, there had been many people in the Senju Compound. Every day was lively, and everyone wore a smile.
Then Great-Uncle died, the First Shinobi World War broke out, and the members of the Senju Clan went to the battlefield. After that, they never came back...
Tsunade felt wistful, her mood low.
"Did you come back from the northern front for our Chunin Ninja Exams, Tsunade-sensei?"
Chonhua's words brought Tsunade back to the present. She composed herself and nodded. "The northern front has been at a stalemate. Both sides have been trading blows, but there haven't been any major clashes. They don't need me there much."
"So I came back. The Chunin Ninja Exams need a recommendation and a guarantee from a supervising instructor, after all."
"Thanks for going to the trouble, sensei."
Tsunade waved a hand. "It's no trouble. The Chunin Ninja Exams are coming up soon. Are the three of you ready?"
"Of course!"
Chonhua smiled confidently. He was determined to earn the title of Chunin!
Tsunade clapped him on the shoulder. "Good! That's the spirit! It's up to you to win this!"
Huh?
Chonhua narrowed his eyes at Tsunade. "Win? Win what? Sensei, did you place a bet?"
Tsunade nodded with a grin, not bothering to hide it. "It's a sure thing, so of course I placed a big bet. Hehehe, it's not like I can lose every day. I'm finally going to win one! Hahaha!"
Tsunade laughed heartily with her hands on her hips.
Chonhua's face stiffened.
Tsunade's gambling philosophy was simple: losing was harmless, but winning meant trouble.
Was he supposed to win or lose? In theory, with the strength of Team Tsunade, they were all but guaranteed to pass the Chunin Ninja Exams.
But that meant Tsunade would win her bet—and something would go wrong!
Or could something go wrong with the exams themselves, and they'd fail? No way. He didn't want to take them again!
A moment ago, Tsunade had been feeling wistful. Now it was Chonhua's turn.
The Chunin Ninja Exams began on July first each year.
Chonhua sat in a corner of the classroom, observing the other Genin. He didn't see anyone he knew.
Namikaze Minato was still at Mount Myoboku, and Shikaku Nara and the others had no plans to take the Chunin Ninja Exams right after graduating.
Team Tsunade was an exception. They were strong enough and eager to take the exams sooner.
Tsunade, their supervising instructor, was also willing to recommend them.
"They're all strangers... No, there's one I know."
Chonhua spotted a familiar face: a young man in a vivid green skintight outfit, with a scruffy beard.
He'd be even more recognizable if his face were a little older and more weathered.
Might Guy's father, the Genin Might Duy.
At that moment, Duy was fidgeting nervously. He clasped his hands, closed his eyes, and prayed.
Chonhua noticed and wondered: Could Might Duy have failed the written portion of every Chunin exam?
"Begin!"
At the proctor's command, the students in the exam room began answering the questions.
This written exam was like the one the Konoha 12 had taken the first time they sat the Chunin Ninja Exams. It tested a ninja's ability to gather intelligence.
There were some differences, though. For instance, there was no Ibiki Morino trying to break them with his choices. The exam had correct answers, wrong answers, and combinations of both.
The chief examiner had made it clear: only a team whose every member answered every question correctly would pass.
In other words, they couldn't focus only on their own answers. They also had to keep an eye on their teammates' answers.
One wrong answer, and the whole team was out!
It was actually more brutal than the exam the Konoha 12 had taken. That one tested their resolve; this one tested whether they knew the right answers.
Chonhua didn't start answering right away. Instead, he read through the entire exam.
The questions were difficult. The Ninja Academy had never covered much of this material, and plenty of it came from books outside the curriculum. He'd already spotted several people frowning and clutching their heads in despair.
Chonhua's lips curved into a confident smile.
Easy. These questions are child's play for me!
He didn't need to cheat to gather the right answers. He was the right answer.
He picked up his pen and began writing briskly.
Hizashi Hyuga's eyes lit up. Chonhua had finally started answering. He immediately activated his Byakugan, looking straight through Chonhua's body at the answers on his paper.
Hizashi lowered his head and copied away. He trusted Chonhua more than he trusted himself. Those answers had to be right.
Mikoto Uchiha was a little troubled. Gathering information wasn't hard, but she had no way to tell whether the other person's answers were correct.
I know this one. He got it right. Huh? The next one's wrong. He made a mistake.
Mikoto looked at someone else.
All wrong... Next.
Right, right, right. That's the answer. Hmm... This one feels right, but that one feels wrong...
There ought to be an exam paper with every answer correct, but she couldn't confirm whether the person had gotten them right. She hadn't understood this question, so she couldn't judge the answer.
What should she do? Should she just guess? What if she got it wrong...
"Caw, caw."
"Hm?"
Mikoto froze. Looking down, she saw a black crow perched on her leg.
The crow tilted its head and looked at her.
Mikoto's body went rigid. Her beautiful eyes grew unfocused and hazy. Her hand moved on its own, gripping the pen as she began answering the questions.
Chonhua looked away. Mikoto would be fine now, too.
The written exam was a piece of cake!
Tap.
Chonhua finished the last stroke, set down his pen, and leisurely observed the others.
Might Duy especially caught his eye. His current performance was just too amusing.
Duy was in bad shape. He was drenched in sweat, and his whole body was trembling.
It's over, it's over! Just as I thought!
What does any of this say? It's like trying to read the heavens! My hand's shaking so much I don't even know where to start.
Why do they have to give us a written exam?! Might Duy's face was streaked with tears.
This time... I'm done for again.
Eita, Heiji, I'm sorry! Might Duy has let you down!
He knew he could cheat, but the problem was... he didn't even know how.
Would it be okay to crane his neck and look at the paper beside him? That was way too obvious.
Might Duy covered his face. He was... completely spent.
The pitch-black crow perched on a branch, blinking as if curiously peering into the classroom through the glass.
Chonhua linked minds with the crow and checked how Might Duy's teammates were doing on the exam.
They were decent at gathering intelligence. They'd all found the examiners hidden among the candidates, leaking answers.
But...
Chonhua shook his head. They'd found the right people, but the answers they got were wrong.
"Time's up. Put down your pens!"
At the chief examiner's command, all the candidates stopped writing and watched as the proctors collected their papers.
Some sat calmly, while others looked utterly devastated.
A loud thud rang out.
Chonhua looked toward the sound. Might Duy had slammed his head onto the desk.
"My youth... ends here."
The chief examiner kept a straight face. "Candidates, please don't make noise. Keep quiet."
"Ah, yes!"
Might Duy jolted upright and glanced at the chief examiner sheepishly.
It didn't take long for all the papers to be graded.
The chief examiner gathered the papers with every answer correct and walked to the podium. The candidates' gazes followed him every step of the way.
When they saw him gather three papers together, some candidates watched them nervously, praying that their own papers were among them.
On the other hand, when the chief examiner picked up one paper or two, the candidates' hearts pounded as they prayed theirs weren't there.
Some candidates trusted their own abilities but doubted their teammates'. Seeing the papers, some hung their heads in despair, while others glared at their teammates.
What a vivid picture of humanity.
"Next, I'll announce the names of those who passed the first exam. Those who pass may proceed directly to the next exam site."
"Hattori Taro, Koizumi Shohei, Kazenaga."
The three immediately jumped to their feet and exchanged glances. Their nervousness and anxiety vanished, replaced by smiles they could hardly contain.
The other candidates looked at them enviously.
The chief examiner continued announcing names. Those who heard theirs were delighted; those who didn't grew more and more anxious.
Why hasn't he called my name? Am I on the list? Is he going to call me? Thoughts like these echoed endlessly in their minds.
"Uchiha Chonhua, Mikoto Uchiha, Hizashi Hyuga!"
At the sound of his name, Chonhua stood up, his expression calm. Once he'd met up with his teammates, he headed for the next exam site.
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