On the floor of the third-floor corridor in the Ninja Academy building, a Konoha genin clutched his face as he slid backward seven or eight meters, his back slamming into the wall with a dull thud.
"Is this all Konoha's ninja are capable of? You can't even take one of my fingers, and you still dare enter the Chunin Exams?"
The young Otogakure ninja blocking the stairway withdrew his hand from his sleeve. The metal armor gleamed with a cold, hard sheen beneath the corridor lights, and his face wore a look of lofty contempt.
Two other Otogakure ninja leaned against the wall nearby, watching the show. One of them, with half his face wrapped in bandages, toyed with a long needle in his hand, his mouth twisted into a crooked grin.
"Zaku, don't go too far. This is their turf, after all. It won't sound good if word gets out that we're bullying kids."
"What's there to be afraid of? The adults said Konoha hasn't even settled on a head examiner yet. This exam site is like an unmanaged patch of wilderness—we can play however we want."
Zaku planted his foot on the Konoha genin's hand. Bones ground together with a crunch, and the man beneath him cried out in agony.
Dozens of genin contestants from various villages crowded the corridor, but not one dared step forward. A few from Sunagakure huddled in a corner to watch, while the Kusagakure and Amegakure ninja remained completely silent.
"Let him go."
A low teenage voice came from behind the crowd. Sasuke Uchiha walked up from the stairway, his black eyes fixed on the foot Zaku had planted on the other man.
Naruto poked his head out from behind Sasuke, his orange tracksuit especially eye-catching among the gathered ninja.
"Hey, you Otogakure