Crazy Ideas, Life Is a Gamble

The next day, nine in the morning.

Ryusuke and the other two arrived at their usual meeting spot early.

Yuhi Kurenai did not make them wait long either, appearing in an instant.

Normally, as soon as Yuhi Kurenai arrived, she would immediately lead Ryusuke and the others to pick up a mission.

But this time, Yuhi Kurenai did not do that. Instead, she held three forms in her hands.

Yuhi Kurenai handed the forms to Ryusuke and the others. "Yesterday, Lord Hokage summoned all the Jonin Instructors and announced that this year's Chunin Exams will begin on July 1st. I've already registered you. These are the applications."

"The three of you can discuss it. If you decide to participate in this year's Chunin Exams, fill out the applications and submit them at the Administration Building before noon on July 1st."

"If you don't plan on participating, you can just ignore these applications."

"Every Chunin Exams is not only an opportunity for genin to advance, but also a chance for Konoha to display its national strength to the outside world. So if you participate, your opponents will not only be genin from this village, but also genin from other shinobi villages."

"And when fighting genin from other villages, casualties are unavoidable. Your teacher can't help you, so think carefully."

"All right, dismissed. You're on leave for the next few days."

With that, Yuhi Kurenai disappeared in an instant.

From beginning to end, Yuhi Kurenai never reminded the three of them that if even one person gave up, Team 8 would be unable to participate in the Chunin Exams.

Clearly, she was testing Team 8's teamwork, seeing whether the months they had spent fighting side by side had forged a bond between them.

Looking at the application in his hand, Aburame Shino asked, "Ryusuke, what do you think?"

"Of course I'm participating."

Ryusuke smiled. "This is one of the few opportunities we have to compete against genin from other shinobi villages and see how large the gap is between us and others our age."

At that, the corners of Aburame Shino's lips lifted slightly. "If you're participating, then so am I."

"Me too," Hinata echoed.

"Then let's train hard over the next few days. We'll meet here at eleven in the morning on July 1st."

Ryusuke waved the application in his hand, then parted ways with Aburame Shino and Hinata.

He did not invite Hinata to his home, and Hinata did not feel disappointed.

After deciding to participate in this year's Chunin Exams, both Hinata and Aburame Shino felt pressure in their hearts, but they were also filled with motivation.

Hinata decided that once she returned home, she would ask her father to train her. She could not become Ryusuke's burden.

Aburame Shino had the same thought.

Having seen Ryusuke's strength and being certain that he had some hidden trump card, Aburame Shino felt both reassured and pressured.

When a teammate was too strong, even if he could not catch up, he could not drag him down.

So Aburame Shino decided that once he returned home, he would ask his father for some special training.

That was the advantage of being born into a shinobi clan!

After parting with Hinata and Aburame Shino, Ryusuke did not return home. Instead, he came to a spot beneath a cliffside waterfall.

Shadow Clone Technique!

Ryusuke formed hand seals and created five Shadow Clones.

The five Shadow Clones then divided the work among themselves and began their individual training.

Boom! Boom! Boom...

Crackle! Crackle! Crackle...

Sounds like Exploding Tags detonating and currents colliding rang out continuously.

But with the waterfall right beside them, those sounds were drowned out by the roaring rush of water.

Unless someone passed by, no one would notice Ryusuke and his five Shadow Clones at all.

And one of the Shadow Clones would occasionally activate Red Eye's X-ray Vision and Telescopic Vision.

If someone passed by or tried to spy on this place, Ryusuke would discover them in advance.

With the surveillance provided by the Shadow Clones' Omniscient View, and given the current special period, Ryusuke no longer needed to be so cautious.

Several hours later, finally feeling exhausted, Ryusuke took a towel from his Space Backpack and wiped his soaked hair and body while taking out dry clothes to change into.

Then, Ryusuke dispelled the Shadow Clones, and his exhaustion deepened once more.

But Ryusuke did not go home. Instead, he lay down on the grass, planning to rest for a while before continuing his training.

A diary suddenly appeared out of thin air in his hand.

When he opened it, its pages were filled with Chinese characters.

The contents recorded the main plot and important events Ryusuke had organized over the years.

Lying on the grass, Ryusuke held the diary before his eyes and carefully flipped through it.

Even if Sarutobi Hiruzen used the Crystal Ball Technique to spy on this place, he would only see Ryusuke lying there and reading.

As he looked over the words in the diary, Ryusuke reviewed the plot of the Chunin Exams once again. Images of important events and important figures flashed through his mind.

At the same time, a bold idea that had often surfaced during this period appeared in Ryusuke's mind once more.

The Chunin Exams were merely the subtitle of this arc.

The true theme was—the Konoha Crush!

It was also Konoha's second great calamity after the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's Attack!

The protagonists of this arc were Sarutobi Hiruzen and Naruto, while their respective opponents were Orochimaru and Gaara.

Everyone else was merely a supporting extra!

Even if Ryusuke went all out, at most he would be a high-ranking supporting extra like Kakashi Hatake or Might Guy.

If he did nothing, then at most, like Nara Shikamaru, he would go with Naruto to support Sasuke Uchiha.

If Ryusuke had not encountered Raiga Kurosuki these past few months, had not obtained Red Eye and Ice Release, and had not discovered the system loophole, he would absolutely have chosen to remain an insignificant extra.

As long as Sarutobi Hiruzen died, Konoha would soon enter Tsunade's era.

Unlike Sarutobi Hiruzen, Tsunade would not be suspicious of everything. If Ryusuke performed well, he would only earn the attention of the Fifth Hokage.

As Tsunade's subordinate, Ryusuke would not fear Shimura Danzō setting his sights on him either.

After all, Tsunade's lineage was incredibly formidable. As the Medical Saint, she had saved countless shinobi from both her own generation and the generation below hers. She was a female icon throughout the entire Shinobi World.

Once she became the Fifth Hokage, whether shinobi clans or civilian shinobi, they would all become her supporters.

In Tsunade's era, Shimura Danzō would not even dare act as recklessly as he had during Sarutobi Hiruzen's era.

Sarutobi Hiruzen protected him out of friendship and because Konoha needed Root, but Tsunade would never show him any courtesy.

So at first, Ryusuke felt that the Chunin Exams arc was merely a transitional arc for him.

Only after this arc would his stage truly begin.

But now, Ryusuke had an incredibly bold, even crazy idea.

And that idea had already formed into a highly feasible plan on its own.

Once it succeeded, Ryusuke would leap through the Dragon Gate like a fish, unstoppable from then on!

At that thought, Ryusuke's breathing suddenly caught.

Beneath the diary, a resolute glint suddenly flashed deep within Ryusuke's red eyes. He murmured, "The bold feast while the timid starve... Life itself is a gamble!"

After saying that, Ryusuke abandoned the idea of continuing his training. He got up and returned home, preparing to perfect this plan.