Intimidating the Entire Room, Konoha's Four Petals

After arriving at the registration area on the third floor, Team 8 handed their application forms to the person in charge and received the examination room location and their seat numbers.

After leaving the Administration Building, Ryusuke and the other two headed to the teaching building.

Along the way, Ryusuke did not see Team 7 or Team 10. He did not even catch sight of Might Guy's team.

He had no idea whether they had arrived early or late.

At the entrance to the examination room, Ryusuke and the others saw a familiar figure: Yuhi Kurenai.

Sarutobi Asuma and Kakashi Hatake stood beside her.

"Teacher Kurenai."

Ryusuke and the other two immediately stepped forward to greet Yuhi Kurenai.

"Seeing the three of you appear together makes me very happy."

Yuhi Kurenai slowly rose to her feet and smiled approvingly. "There is actually another rule for the Chunin Exams. Unless a team has suffered casualties and is short-handed, every member must register in order to participate."

"The fact that you signed up together shows that none of you are willing to abandon your companions. I can already see the bond between you."

"Whether you pass this exam or not, I'll take you on higher-level missions from now on."

After saying that, Yuhi Kurenai patted Ryusuke on the shoulder and introduced Kakashi Hatake and Sarutobi Asuma to Team 8. "These two are both my classmates, as well as Konoha's Elite Jonin. You've met this bearded one before. His name is Sarutobi Asuma, though you can also call him Teacher Asuma."

"This masked man is Konoha's Copy Ninja, Kakashi Hatake. He is Team 7's Jonin Instructor. You can call him Teacher Kakashi."

"Teacher Asuma, Teacher Kakashi."

Ryusuke and the other two politely greeted them as well.

"Hello."

Sarutobi Asuma smiled. "Ino often mentions you in front of me. She must miss you a lot. Our two teams can get together more often in the future."

At that last sentence, Sarutobi Asuma glanced at Yuhi Kurenai, his little intentions still painfully obvious.

At the mention of Ino's name, Ryusuke and Hinata's lips curled slightly. They could already imagine the expression on Ino's face whenever she talked about them.

Kakashi Hatake also lowered the Make-Out Paradise in his hand and studied Ryusuke, who was far taller than Hinata and Aburame Shino and almost as tall as Yuhi Kurenai. With interest, he said, "So this is the Top Student? In terms of presence, he really isn't someone our team's second-place student can compare to."

"But be careful. Our team's second-place student has grown quite a bit lately."

Yuhi Kurenai replied proudly, "Even if your Uchiha has awakened his Sharingan, he still cannot be Ryusuke's opponent."

"Just wait and see, Kakashi, Asuma. My students are going to leave you utterly shocked!"

"Oh?"

Kakashi Hatake and Sarutobi Asuma both looked surprised at her words.

She was that confident?

Could this Top Student be hiding some kind of trump card?

"Teacher Kurenai, we'll head in first."

Seeing Yuhi Kurenai showing off so openly, Ryusuke could not help saying so.

"Mm, go on in. Good luck with the exam." Yuhi Kurenai nodded with a smile.

After politely nodding to Kakashi Hatake and Sarutobi Asuma, Ryusuke led Hinata and Aburame Shino through the examination room door.

In an instant, the atmosphere changed drastically.

First came the noise of a bustling marketplace, followed by waves of hostile—or even murderous—gazes crashing toward them. Hinata and Aburame Shino's bodies instinctively tensed, an innate warning response.

"What a rude bunch."

Ryusuke frowned slightly, then swept his gaze across those people glaring viciously at them. Beneath his Colored Contact Lenses, the three black tomoe of his Sharingan slowly spun.

The next second, everyone who met Ryusuke's eyes underwent a drastic change in expression.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

As though they had seen something terrifying, their faces turned pale one after another.

Some who looked fierce on the outside but were weak inside were so frightened that they collapsed onto the floor.

Others screamed themselves hoarse. "No! Don't kill me!"

The entire examination room immediately descended into chaos.

But before long, the chaos subsided.

"I... I'm not dead? Great, I'm not dead!"

Those who returned to reality from the genjutsu space discovered that they were unharmed and immediately shouted in ecstatic relief.

Some even shed tears of joy.

They completely failed to notice that everyone else had witnessed their pathetic state.

When they finally realized it and saw the looks in the eyes of those around them, they fell silent one after another, so ashamed that they wished they could dig a hole and crawl into it.

However, no one around them mocked them.

Instead, they all looked warily at Ryusuke below.

Some who had luckily avoided being caught in the genjutsu could not help swallowing, their faces filled with fear.

"A group genjutsu... Who exactly is this guy?"

"I just saw myself die. My teacher once used a genjutsu like that on me—it was the Rank B Hell Viewing Technique. This guy can use such an advanced genjutsu without hand seals? And it's even a group genjutsu!"

"I know him. He's this year's Top Student from Konoha. Even the Uchiha Clan's orphan in his class has never been able to beat him."

"If we run into him in the upcoming exam, we run immediately!"

"..."

Under Ryusuke's intimidation, the entire examination room suddenly became abnormally quiet, with only hushed whispers remaining.

Creak—

Just then, the examination room door was pushed open again.

A familiar voice immediately reached Ryusuke and Hinata's ears.

"Ah... Ryusuke, Hinata, long time no see!"

Ryusuke suddenly felt a weight on his back. The powerful impact made his body tilt forward slightly.

A pair of arms wrapped around his neck from behind, and someone hung off his back.

Only one person would dare behave so boldly.

"Long time no see, Ino."

Ryusuke skillfully pried Ino's arms away and slowly set her down.

Looking at Ino, whose long blonde hair was tied into a high ponytail and whose bangs nearly covered one eye, Ryusuke said in surprise, "It's only been a few months, but did you get taller, Ino?"

"Hehe, you noticed?"

Ino made a tiny gesture with her fingertips and said with a smile, "I grew three centimeters over the past few months."

After saying that, Ino was about to compare herself with Hinata, the tallest of the three girls.

But the next second, Ino's mouth fell slightly open. Her body froze in place, and her colors turned to stone-gray.

Her eyes were fixed firmly on Hinata's chest.

"Ryusuke, long time no see!"

At that moment, another girl's delighted voice reached Ryusuke's ears.

Looking toward the source of the voice, he saw a pink-haired girl in a red cheongsam jogging toward him.

Behind her were a blond-haired boy and a black-haired boy—Naruto and Sasuke Uchiha.

"Long time no see, Sakura." Ryusuke raised a hand in greeting.

The ladylike Sakura was not capable of something as bold as Ino's behavior.

After seeing Ryusuke respond to her, Sakura's smile brightened further. She was about to greet her two friends. "Ino, Hinata, long ti—"

Her voice abruptly stopped. Sakura's mouth also fell slightly open, her gaze locking firmly onto Hinata's chest.

What was that supposed to be?

It had not been anywhere near this exaggerated three months ago!

Sakura then lowered her head and looked at her own conscience, which not only allowed her to see her toes but did not even give her the slightest sense of weight. Her entire body turned stone-gray as well, and cracks even appeared across it.

That was the sound of her heart breaking!

"Hinata, come talk with us somewhere else..."

After snapping out of it, Ino immediately pulled the Hinata who had been frightened by their stares aside. No one knew what they were whispering about.

Sakura hurried over as well.

Watching the three girls converse, Ryusuke swept his eyes through the examination room again and soon found the girl with her hair in twin buns, who was also looking at them.

Konoha's Four Petals had finally gathered together for the first time.