The next day, Konoha.
Nothing that happened in the outside world affected Konoha in the slightest.
What currently captivates the hearts of everyone in Konoha is still the ongoing second round of the Chunin Ninja Exams.
Some savvy vendors keep up with current events and have launched guessing games; if you guess correctly, you can enjoy free goods or services.
This attracted a large number of customers, many of whom also made purchases in the store while participating in the guessing game.
Especially today, as the final day of the second round of the Joint Chūnin Exams, the final list of those who passed will be released tonight.
Whether ninjas or ordinary people, everyone was highly enthusiastic, awaiting the final result.
Meanwhile, in an underground gambling den nestled in a deserted area of Konoha, the place was bustling with activity.
Surrounded by many people, a ninja occasionally dictated the progress of the match.
The casino staff constantly adjusted the odds for various outcomes based on the information provided verbally.
Despite repeated investigations and crackdowns, this underground gambling den has remained steadfast and unyielding, changing locations from time to time.
Now, we can even obtain firsthand information from the examination room.
Anyone with a modicum of intelligence should be able to guess what's behind it.
If some reckless fool were to insist on investigating, the final result would only point to the Fifth Hokage, whom everyone present revered.
Of course, a clueless person won't be able to find the deepest parts.
Gambling, prostitution, and drugs are the three prohibitions for ninjas, a consensus among them long before the establishment of ninja villages.
But people are complex. If Konoha doesn't have any dark corners, then there's only one possibility: Konoha is doomed.
When there are many people, naturally all sorts of strange things will emerge; beyond the light lies darkness, and beyond the boundaries of order lies chaos.
Ren has a clear understanding of human nature and knows that some things cannot be completely eradicated.
Since it's impossible to completely eradicate it, I'll just have to reluctantly earn the money myself.
Those who persist despite various severe punishments can only be truly passionate about something.
Inside the examination hall, where everyone was watching.
By the third day, some of the ninjas had reached the central tower and successfully qualified.
The first group to arrive was, unsurprisingly, the Konoha team.
However, Kitsuchi's expression turned somewhat unnatural when he saw the first team to advance.
It was Deidara's team. Besides Deidara, there was also a silver-haired ninja and a blond-haired ninja, Kabuto and Jūgo, respectively.
Kabuto was undoubtedly the leader of the trio; after Deidara and Jūgo were brought back by Ren, they were directly handed over to Kabuto.
The three got along very well, so Ren formed a team with them and sent them to participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams with a mission.
The second and third places were subsequently won by Kirigakure and Sunagakure, respectively.
Utakata and Gaara, the two Jinchūriki, arrived at the tower unscathed with their respective teams.
Later, more teams from Konoha and Kirigakure arrived.
No, Sunagakure's two teams passed the first test, while the other team encountered Gaara early on and was killed by their own people.
Neither Iwagakure nor Kumogakure had any groups appear.
The Iwagakure Ninja, who had banded together, set their sights on Kumogakure after learning that there was only one team from Kumogakure in this assessment.
Although the Hidden Cloud Village team had a Jonin who was quite valuable even on the black market, they were ultimately no match for the sheer number of opponents.
Of the 12 people from Iwagakure, apart from the lazy Kurotsuchi, the remaining 11 were all Jonin.
Especially the two Jonin who are in the same group as Kurotsuchi, they may not be a match for the Hidden Cloud Village in a one-on-one fight, but if the two of them go at it together, they can beat the Hidden Cloud Village Jonin that he can't find his way back.
During these three days.
The Hidden Cloud Village and the Iwagakure presented an exceptionally exciting forest chase battle between 'Genin' (low-ranking ninja).
Such behavior from the two villages naturally drew warm greetings from the other ninja villages.
Especially Kumogakure (Hidden Cloud Village). At least Iwagakure (Iwagakure) recruited some secretly trained ninjas, so what's the meaning of Kumogakure directly bringing over established ninjas?
They didn't even bother to act!
The smaller ninja villages were pretty much the same, with many guys disguised as 'Genin' mingling in the examination halls.
Ren also paid moderate attention to the second exam, and frowned slightly when he saw the qualifying results.
Too many ninjas have passed through!
If you rely solely on your abilities without resorting to tricks, the pass rate is indeed difficult to control.
Faced with various ninja villages employing all their skills, Konoha was indeed somewhat powerless, given that the difficulty of the exam could not be increased indefinitely.
So be it, we've already prepared for the qualifiers.
Ren then turned his attention back to Natsuri and the other two.
After observing for three days, Ren realized that he had been too complacent.
Natsuri, Naruto, and Sasuke Uchiha were far from self-aware enough to remain cautious at all times.
That's clearly cowardice!
At the slightest sign of trouble, they lie hidden Fudō, observing the source of the unusual activity.
If they were ninjas, they would run away without saying a word.
As for wild animals, their behavior depends on the species.
The three of them were having a great time; it wasn't an exam at all, it was more like a picnic.
In particular, Natsuri's bottles and jars contained seasonings, while Naruto used the few Sealing Jutsu he had learned from Ren to prevent the spread of Kakkō and smell. Sasuke Uchiha, who had neither the resources nor the skills, was responsible for the physical labor.
The three had a clear division of labor and worked together seamlessly, making many ninjas in the monitoring room drool with envy.
With only half a day left before the exam ended, Ren, who had originally planned to watch the entire exam, had to put down his screen after receiving some news.
Ōnoki Konoha!