The Chunin Exams Begin

After two or three more uneventful days, the Chunin Exams began.

Ninjas from various countries arrived in Konoha one after another, joined by throngs of tourists who had come specifically for the festivities, leaving the streets packed and bustling with excitement.

The genin participating in the exams gathered in the examination hall to wait.

Shikamaru's team, Sasuke's team, and Kiba's team, who had arrived earlier, were greeting one another when Zeyu and his two teammates appeared.

"Hinata, we're here."

Zeyu waved a greeting and jogged over to Hinata's side.

"Zeyu, hello. You look very energetic today," Hinata greeted him, looking a bit shy.

"Mm, Hinata is very cute today, too," Zeyu said, looking at her with a smile.

Hinata lowered her head, pressing her index fingers together. Feeling the eyes of everyone on them, she whispered her thanks.

"Th-thank you for the compliment."

"Hey, Zeyu, don't ignore us," Kiba, who had been busy posturing with Sasuke, turned back to complain.

"Well, Zeyu has always been like this. Kiba, aren't you used to it yet?" Megumi walked over with her arms crossed, followed by a helpless-looking Shota.

Kiba wiped sweat from his brow and said, "Well, that's true. This guy Zeyu only has eyes for Hinata."

Hearing this, Hinata's face turned even redder. She snuck a glance at Zeyu, feeling very happy inside.

Zeyu saw Hinata's flushed face and scratched his head with a laugh.

He then introduced Megumi and Shota to the others.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, a man with white hair and round-rimmed glasses walked over.

It was Kabuto Yakushi, who began to warn everyone about the precautions for the exam.

Zeyu listened half-heartedly and whispered to Hinata beside him, "Hinata, do you remember what we talked about before?"

Hinata raised a small hand to her mouth and whispered back, "You mean about the exam? Yes, Zeyu, I remember."

"That's good," Zeyu said.

The two of them continued to chat quietly in the back, leaving Kiba, Megumi, and the others to sigh in helpless exasperation.

After Kabuto finished introducing information about some of the participants, Naruto made a rude provocation.

This stirred up dissatisfaction among the ninjas present, and the Sound Ninja Trio, unable to hold back any longer, leaped out from the crowd and attacked Kabuto.

Kabuto, who had initially dodged the attack, ended up on the ground retching, leaving Sasuke and the others looking on in shock.

Just then, with a "poof" and a cloud of smoke, Ibiki Morino appeared in the open space at the front of the hall.

After a brief opening speech, he began to explain the content of the first exam.

Meanwhile, deep underground in Konoha, in the center of a hollowed-out cross-shaped bridge, a man wrapped in bandages gave orders to a ninja kneeling before him.

"The Chunin Exams have begun today. Proceed according to plan, and remember to be cautious. Do not expose yourself."

"Yes, Danzo."

Danzo turned around and asked, "Has the Third Hokage made any moves recently?"

"Reporting, My Lord, there is nothing unusual from the Hokage, though he did pull the file on a certain young man."

"Oh? Pulling files is a common occurrence, isn't it? Does that really require a report?" Danzo turned back and asked, puzzled.

"Reporting, My Lord, pulling files is indeed common, but he specifically sealed the information on this boy afterward, and..." As he spoke, he pulled Zeyu's file from his robes.

"This was obtained before the information was locked down."

Danzo frowned as he took it and began to read, his eyes immediately catching the striking red hair.

He continued to scan the rest of the contents.

After a long while, finding nothing particularly special, he gave his orders.

"I understand. You've done well. You may go."

After the ninja left, Danzo fell into deep thought.

"Hiruzen, what are you planning? You had better not interfere with my plans."

At the exam site.

After Ibiki finished explaining the rules, the exam officially began.

Everyone sat at their desks, staring at the test papers before them, each lost in their own thoughts.

Kiba: "Zeyu really hit the nail on the head. Things are going to be much simpler now."

Megumi: "I didn't expect it to actually be like this."

Hinata: "That's great, Zeyu. Now everyone can pass."

Shino: "Although I could pass without writing anything, stealing information is one of my specialties." Shino thought to himself as a small bug crawled out from his hand.

Shota: "Zeyu, you're a god! Thank you so much!"

Zeyu rested his head on one hand, twirling his pen with the other, and let out a bored yawn as he looked at the exam paper in front of him.

How boring. I wonder how Hinata is doing? Thinking this, he closed his eyes and used the Mind's Eye of the Kagura to search for her.

"Ah, found her." Zeyu smiled and focused his energy on Hinata, only to suddenly realize that Naruto was right beside her.

Huh? Still Naruto? Even though so much has changed, are certain events destined to happen regardless?

Zeyu frowned, feeling slightly displeased.

After thinking it over carefully, he managed to come to terms with it.

Forget it. Hinata is with me now anyway. I should be magnanimous; the past is the past. I am Hinata's boyfriend now, and that is a fact.

At this moment, Naruto, sitting next to Hinata, was scratching his head in frustration. He didn't understand a single question on the paper and couldn't answer any of them.

But if he just guessed and got them wrong, he would lose points.

Just as he was wondering what to do, he caught a glimpse of Hinata out of the corner of his eye.

He saw that Hinata was holding a pen, but she wasn't writing anything.

The veins around her eyes were bulging, her Byakugan was activated, and her face was flushed red.

"What is Hinata doing?" Naruto wondered, his face full of confusion.

Zeyu looks like he's about to fall asleep. Tee-hee, how cute, Hinata thought, unable to help covering her mouth to giggle.

She didn't notice Naruto's confused expression at all, continuing to observe Zeyu with her Byakugan.

After a while, Ibiki Morino announced the hidden rules.

Because they had been informed beforehand, everyone remained calm and passed the exam smoothly.

Ibiki announced from the podium that those still in the room had passed this stage of the exam.

Naruto stood up from his seat, cheering happily.

Suddenly, something was thrown from outside the window, shattering the glass. Several kunai flew in, pinning a red banner to the ceiling and walls.

The name of the second Chunin Exams proctor was written on the cloth.

Anko Mitarashi stood in front of the banner.

After a dramatic opening speech, she turned to Ibiki and complained that too many people had remained.

She threatened to cut the number of participants by more than half.

Hearing this, everyone broke into a cold sweat.

Some time later, the examinees dispersed to find their team leaders and discuss the second exam scheduled for the next day.

Ibiki remained in the exam hall alone, collecting the papers.

Looking at the several blank sheets in his hand, his mouth twitched, and he looked helpless.

"To think so many people handed in blank papers and still passed... It seems I'll need to come up with a new method."

"Yo," Kakashi greeted Naruto and the others from the side of the road.

"You all passed, right?" Kakashi asked.

"Heh heh, of course!" Naruto laughed, hands on his hips.

On the other side.

"You all handed in blank papers? And you still passed?" Shimizu Nana looked at the three of them in disbelief.

That idiot Shota, why is he telling Nana about this? Zeyu thought, shaking his head helplessly.

Megumi was also sweating beside them.

Only Shota stood there with a grin, hands on his hips, looking smug.

This idiot is on par with Naruto, Zeyu thought, his mouth twitching.

Just then, Kurenai Yuhi walked over with Kiba, Shino, and Hinata.

Kurenai stepped forward, took Nana by the arm, and pulled her aside to whisper.

"Nana, did they hand in blank papers on your end too?"

"Huh? It's the same for you, Kurenai?" Nana asked, stunned.

Kurenai understood, whispering, "Did they plan this? Whose idea was it?"

Nana fell into deep thought as well. The two exchanged a glance and turned around together.

Staring at the six of them, she asked, "Whose idea was it to hand in blank papers this time?"

The group broke into a cold sweat, looking everywhere but at her, feigning indifference.

Hinata grabbed Zeyu's arm, shook it gently, and whispered, "Zeyu-kun, are you alright?"

Zeyu patted Hinata's hand lightly and smiled, saying, "It's fine, Hinata."

He then turned to Kurenai and Nana and said, "It was me. This exam was meant to test our intelligence-gathering capabilities, and since I knew the content beforehand, I've technically exceeded the mission requirements. Is there a problem, teachers?"

Kurenai and Nana smiled helplessly, and Nana said, "It really was you, Zeyu."

"There isn't any major issue; you all passed the exam," she continued, "but Zeyu, you were too flashy this time. All three of you handed in blank papers."

Kurenai added, "That's right. And you led Hinata astray. Hinata has the Byakugan; she could have passed this exam easily without handing in a blank paper."

Upon hearing this, Hinata lowered her head and said, "I'm sorry. It's not Zeyu-kun's fault; it was my own choice."

Zeyu reached out and took Hinata's hand.

Just as he was about to offer a few words of comfort, Kurenai stepped forward and pressed down on Zeyu's head, saying with a hint of irritation, "You brat, don't you dare drag Hinata into your mischief next time. If anything actually happens to her, I'll make you regret it."

"Yes, yes, Kurenai-sensei, have mercy on me," Zeyu pleaded.

After some playful banter and chatting for a while, the group dispersed.

Zeyu apologized to Hinata, but she insisted it didn't matter. She knew perfectly well that she could have answered the questions, but because she had been using her Byakugan to watch Zeyu the entire time, she had handed in a blank paper as well—besides, she knew a blank paper would pass regardless.

Too embarrassed to voice this, the two playfully nudged each other.

On the way back after walking Hinata home, she gathered the courage to tell him the truth, and Zeyu blushed upon hearing it.

The atmosphere grew increasingly intimate.

As they walked along, a carriage suddenly whizzed past them. Zeyu pulled Hinata into his arms to protect her, their faces drawing very close.

Hinata's face turned bright red, and seeing how adorable she looked, Zeyu couldn't help but kiss her.

"Zeyu-kun, there are too many people here," Hinata said.

Zeyu glanced around, then took Hinata's hand and ducked into an alleyway.