Strange Combination? Sorry, All Cheaters!

Late at night, Uchiha Sora dragged his exhausted body back to his residence.

Tomorrow was the day of the Chunin Exams.

Uchiha Sora had spent the entire day testing his gunpowder chakra, and he was now able to utilize it proficiently.

Furthermore, he had already experimented with gunpowder-infused versions of Chidori, Rasengan, and the Fireball Jutsu.

On the surface, they appeared to be standard ninjutsu, but their core was fueled by explosive gunpowder.

It was hard to say which was superior, as the effectiveness of any given technique varied greatly depending on the user.

But at the very least, Uchiha Sora understood that during the Chunin Exams, the explosive power of this gunpowder far exceeded that of a standard Rasengan.

At this moment, he closed his eyes, slowly recovering his strength while waiting for the dawn to arrive.

Soon, the next morning, Uchiha Sora took Sasuke and the two brothers headed straight for the exam site.

They quickly arrived at the plaza.

Konoha Village was bustling with noise and excitement; the Chunin Exams were not just for Konoha, as all five great ninja villages had come to participate.

Consequently, the village was crowded with a chaotic mix of people.

Uchiha Sora took a single glance and spotted quite a few familiar faces.

Gaara and Kankuro were among them.

Of course, since this was the home turf of Konoha, there were far more people from the village.

The Ino-Shika-Cho trio and Naruto's team were also not far ahead.

The proctor in charge of this exam was none other than the eyepatch-wearing Ibiki.

The exam had not yet begun, so everyone was free to move about and converse with one another.

Uchiha Sora had no time for idle chatter; instead, he scanned his surroundings, trying to see if he could spot Orochimaru.

After all, Uchiha Sora knew that the man was extremely dangerous.

If he found him, he should make a point to stay away.

However, at that moment, a crisp female voice rang out from behind Uchiha Sora.

"Uchiha Sora! I've come to find you!"

Uchiha Sora turned his head to see a shy Hinata.

Hinata had clearly dressed up for the occasion, her beautiful hair hanging down, and she carried the faint scent of flowers.

Just being near her was enough to make one feel refreshed and at ease.

"Cousin! I'm going to find Naruto and the others, you can form your team here!"

Beside him, Sasuke gave Uchiha Sora a meaningful look before jogging away.

The two brothers were in different grades, so there was a high probability they wouldn't be assigned to the same team for the exam; thus, Sasuke couldn't stay with Uchiha Sora.

Uchiha Sora didn't mind this, though he did offer a reminder before Sasuke left.

"Remember, stay away from those people from the Land of Rain. They aren't quite right!"

Sasuke was surprised, but he had always listened to Uchiha Sora's words and secretly kept them in mind.

Only then did Uchiha Sora turn back, subconsciously reaching out to pat Hinata on the head.

"Ahem, little Hinata, the exam seems to require teams of three. Why don't we find someone else?"

Being patted on the head by Uchiha Sora, for some reason, Hinata felt no resistance at all.

She even stood on her tiptoes, leaning into his touch.

"Okay! But who should we find? There don't seem to be many people left in our grade."

That was true; Uchiha Sora was currently eighteen, the oldest among those who hadn't graduated yet.

As for others of the same age, Uchiha Sora could only think of one person.

That was Rock Lee, one of the strongest individuals in the early stages of the ninja world!

"There! Let's go find him in a bit!"

Uchiha Sora swept his gaze across the area.

Hinata followed his line of sight and immediately spotted Rock Lee, with his thick eyebrows and green spandex suit.

"Yo! Isn't this the genius of the Uchiha clan... Could it be that you want to team up with me?"

Rock Lee was very enthusiastic, and seeing Uchiha Sora looking at him, he immediately stepped forward.

Seeing this, Uchiha Sora smiled, his face full of passion.

"Hello! I see you have plenty of spirit; I assume you, like me, enjoy burning with the fire of youth?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Rock Lee's eyes widened!

He thought to himself that this Uchiha fellow was quite agreeable.

To think he was just as passionate as he was!

Rock Lee didn't hesitate for a second, his eyes practically sparkling with stars!

"You're Uchiha Sora, right! I remember you. It seems we share the same heroic vision—why don't we team up?"

"After all, only fellow blue beasts are drawn to one another!"

Uchiha Sora nodded with a smile.

"Exactly! Let's give it our all, win these exams, and let our youth burn!"

Rock Lee and Uchiha Sora acted as if they had met long ago, practically itching to throw their arms around each other's shoulders.

Hinata watched this scene with a look of utter confusion.

What was going on? How did Uchiha Sora end up hanging out with Rock Lee?

Still, in Hinata's eyes, Uchiha Sora was simply perfect!

However, others didn't share that sentiment.

At that moment, Choji Akimichi glanced over at Uchiha Sora's side, his eyes widening before he burst into laughter.

"No way! You three aren't actually teaming up, are you? One bushy-brow, one from the Uchiha clan, and one from the Byakugan clan! That's way too bizarre!"

Choji Akimichi's shout immediately drew everyone's attention.

In an instant, the trio of Uchiha Sora, Rock Lee, and Hinata became the center of focus in the plaza.

The sound of whispers and chatter surged around them.

"This is interesting! I heard this Uchiha Sora is from the Uchiha clan, but he hasn't even awakened his eyes yet—he's a total loser. That Hinata isn't very strong either, and don't even get me started on Lee; he's got skill, but he's a weirdo!"

"Yeah, they say this Uchiha Sora opened a clinic that only lets women in for massages! What a freak. These three are a perfect match—isn't this just a 'freak squad'?"

"Who would've thought these three would end up together? The Chunin Exams just got interesting!"

Suddenly, many of the other ninja began to sneer.

In their eyes, both Rock Lee and Uchiha Sora were oddballs.

Uchiha Sora went without saying; his conduct was normal enough, but he ran a clinic that only allowed women inside.

If anyone believed there wasn't something fishy going on there, they'd be dead wrong.

As for Rock Lee, he was a madman who dared to do handstands and circle the perimeter of Konoha Village under the scorching sun every single day!

The most normal one of the bunch was probably Hinata.

Although she had talent, her strength was just a bit lacking.

Other than that, she didn't have any real flaws.

In the crowd, three figures draped in black robes stood in a corner, casting a glance toward the group.

One of them spoke in a raspy voice.

"There are two from the Uchiha clan. Our target this time is the genius Sasuke Uchiha, so ignore the other one!"

This figure was none other than Orochimaru in disguise.

His goal this time was clearly to capture someone from the Uchiha clan.

However, since there were two Uchihas, Orochimaru had done his homework and realized that Uchiha Sora was a loser, while Sasuke was the true target!

As for Uchiha Sora, he ignored the mockery from the crowd.

Instead, he continued to scan for Orochimaru, and at that moment, he spotted the strange figures.

His heart skipped a beat, but he didn't make a scene.

At the same time, above the plaza, Ibiki announced coldly.

"That's enough noise. The Chunin Exams are about to begin, so all ninja, follow me!"