A huge crowd had gathered in front of Konoha's bulletin board.
Takuma had just come back from the training ground, reeking of sweat. His self-destruct tactics experiment had failed three times today, and his clothes were tattered from the explosions. He looked like a complete mess. He'd planned to head straight home and take a shower, but the exclamations coming from the bulletin board disrupted his plans.
"The Chunin Exams?"
"The joint Chunin Exams are being held in Konoha!"
"All Genin can sign up!"
The plot of Naruto flashed through his mind: the scroll hunt in the Forest of Death, the bloody preliminary matches, the grand opening of the finals, followed by Orochimaru's Konoha Crush Plan, the Third Hokage's sacrifice, Sasuke's departure, and Naruto's pursuit...
Scenes that had once existed only in manga and anime were about to become real—bloody, deadly reality.
Takuma squeezed into the crowd and looked up at the notice stamped with the Hokage's seal.
The Hidden Leaf Village and Sunagakure would jointly host this year's Chunin Exams. Eligible Genin could register at the Hokage Office within three days, in teams of three.
His team had consisted of their jonin leader, Namiashi Raidō, and his teammates, Yamada Kenta and Sato Jiro, along with him, Mori Takuma. During the Land of Waves mission, Yamada and Sato had died, and Namiashi Raidō had returned to regular duty and stopped leading the team. He was the only one left in Team 12.
By the rules, he didn't even qualify to register.
"Make way! Let me see!" a familiar, loud voice called from behind him.
Before Takuma could move aside, a powerful shove pushed him out of the way. Uzumaki Naruto charged up to the bulletin board like a cannonball, his blue eyes wide.
"The Chunin Exams! They're finally here! I'll show everyone that I, Uzumaki Naruto, am going to be Hokage!"
Haruno Sakura followed behind him, looking exasperated as she tugged at Naruto's sleeve. "Can you keep your voice down? Everyone's staring."
Uchiha Sasuke brought up the rear at an unhurried pace, hands in his pockets and a cold expression on his face.
Watching the three of them stirred a strange feeling in Takuma. Team 7, the main cast of Naruto—the gears of fate had begun to turn. And he, a transmigrator, was like an NPC watching from the sidelines, standing in the crowd as the spotlight shone on someone else.
"Hey, Takuma!" Naruto poked his head out of the crowd and waved energetically. "You're going to take part too, right? In the Chunin Exams!"
Takuma gave a bitter smile. Before he could answer, Sakura spoke for him. "Naruto, the teams have to be made up of three people. His teammates..."
She stopped mid-sentence, as if she'd suddenly realized what she was saying, and clapped a hand over her mouth.
Naruto awkwardly scratched the back of his head, lowering his voice for once. "Ah... sorry. I forgot."
"It's fine." Takuma waved a hand. "My teammates died. Yours didn't. What are you apologizing for?"
He said it as if it were nothing, but Naruto's expression grew even more complicated. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again.
Takuma turned and left the crowd.
Behind him, Naruto's voice picked up again. "Sakura! Sasuke! Let's go find Kakashi-sensei and sign up!" Then came Sasuke's scoff and Sakura's complaint. Their voices gradually faded into the distance.
Before he knew it, Takuma had returned to the training ground. He looked up and saw Namiashi Raidō standing in the middle of it. His injuries had mostly healed. Though his face was still somewhat pale, his posture had regained its usual straightness.
"Sensei." Takuma walked over. "What are you doing here?"
Namiashi Raidō got straight to the point.
"You heard about the Chunin Exams?"
"I just saw the notice."
"Do you want to take part?"
Takuma paused, then nodded. "I do."
"Lord Hokage has made a special exception... You can find temporary teammates and form a team."
"Teams of three are a strict requirement," Namiashi Raidō continued, "but the Third Hokage believes your situation is exceptional. Team 12 encountered rogue ninja during a mission and lost two Genin. It wouldn't be right to disqualify you from the Chunin Exams because of that."
"So... I can team up with other Genin?"
"They must be registered Genin of Konoha, and their jonin leader must agree. You'll have to complete the team registration within three days." Namiashi Raidō laid out each condition clearly. "The requirements are strict, but there's a chance."
Takuma was silent for a moment, then bowed deeply.
"Don't thank me. It was the Third Hokage's decision." Namiashi Raidō's tone remained even, but the corner of his mouth lifted by an almost imperceptible amount. "You have three days. Don't waste them."
He turned and walked away, his footsteps fading into the distance.
For a Genin on their first mission outside the village to encounter rogue ninja, even one survivor would be a miracle. Before he'd transmigrated, he'd been an ordinary person. Though he now had the Senju Bloodline and a system, deep down, he was still a modern person.
He wanted to become stronger.
Not to become Hokage, not to become a hero, and not even to change the plot. He just didn't want to see his comrades die in front of him again. He didn't want to experience that helplessness again. Protecting the people who mattered—that was what he'd told the Third Hokage, what he'd told Tenten, and what he'd silently told Yamada and Sato after their deaths.
But protecting others required strength.
Just then, the familiar electronic notification sounded in his mind.
[Event detected—"The Prelude to the Chunin Exams"]
[Witness qualification: Before the bulletin board in Konoha, the call to the Chunin Exams has officially sounded. The gears of fate have begun to turn. The paths of countless ninja will converge, clash, and change in this exam. As a witness, wherever your gaze falls, history unfolds.]
[Obtained 1 lottery draw]
He silently thought, Draw. A warm current flowed directly into his body. Unlike the Healing Factor, which altered his cells, this energy penetrated deep into his nervous system. Every neuron was enveloped, reshaped, and strengthened by a kind of warm energy.
Then the world changed.
The wind, the chirping insects, the laughter of children in the distance—all of it registered clearly in his mind. The sensation of sunlight on his skin became more acute, and his body automatically analyzed the humidity and temperature of the air. More importantly, a strange sense of alertness rose from the base of his spine, like an invisible string being pulled taut.
He could sense danger.
There was no logical basis for this perception, but Takuma instinctively trusted it.
[Lottery result: Spider-Man's basic Spider-Sense]
[Passive skill; no activation required. Warns of danger within a range of 5 meters.]
[Note: This signature ability belongs to the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man from Queens, New York. It has saved Peter Parker countless times. Hopefully, it can save you too.]
[Note: Sensing danger does not mean you can avoid it.]
Takuma opened his eyes.
His senses were far sharper than before.
Wolverine's Healing Factor had given him the means to survive.
Spider-Man's Spider-Sense had given him the ability to sense danger.
The Senju Clan bloodline and his chakra gave him the confidence to fight.
Now, he needed a team.
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