News of the Chunin Exams

A large crowd gathered in front of the Konoha Village bulletin board.

Takuma had just returned from the training ground, drenched in sweat and smelling of it. Today's self-detonation tactical experiment had failed three times, leaving his clothes in tatters and his face covered in soot. He had intended to head straight home to bathe, but the exclamations coming from the bulletin board interrupted his plans.

"Chunin Exams?"

"A joint Chunin Exam is being held in Konoha!"

"All Genin are eligible to sign up!"

The plot of Naruto flashed through his mind: the scroll battle in the Forest of Death, the bloody duels of the preliminaries, the grand opening of the final rounds, followed by Orochimaru's Konoha Crush Plan, the sacrifice of the Third Hokage, Sasuke's defection, Naruto's pursuit...

Those scenes, which once existed only in manga and anime, were about to become a real, bloody, and lethal reality.

Takuma squeezed into the crowd and looked up at the notice stamped with the Hokage's seal.

The Hidden Leaf Village and Sunagakure are co-hosting this year's Chunin Exams. Eligible Genin may register at the Hokage Office within three days, in teams of three.

His squad's leader had been Aoba Yamashiro, with teammates Yamada Kenta and Sato Jiro, plus him, Mori Takuma. During the mission in the Land of Waves, Yamada and Sato had died, and Aoba Yamashiro had returned to the regular rotation, no longer leading a team. Team 12 was left with only him.

According to the rules, he didn't even qualify to sign up.

"Make way! Let me see!" A familiar, loud voice came from behind.

Before Takuma could dodge, he was shoved aside by brute force. Uzumaki Naruto rushed to the bulletin board like a cannonball, his blue eyes wide.

"Chunin Exams! It's finally here! I'm going to let everyone know that I, Uzumaki Naruto, am the man who will become Hokage!"

Haruno Sakura followed behind, tugging at Naruto's sleeve with a look of disgust. "Can you keep it down? So many people are watching."

Uchiha Sasuke walked at the back, unhurried, hands in his pockets, his expression indifferent.

Takuma watched the trio, a strange feeling welling up inside him. Team 7, the protagonists 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 others.

"Hey, Takuma!" Naruto poked his head out from the crowd and waved vigorously at him. "You're going to participate too, right? The Chunin Exams!"

Takuma gave a wry smile. Before he could answer, Sakura spoke for him. "Naruto, it's teams of three. His teammates..."

Halfway through, Sakura seemed to realize something and abruptly covered her mouth.

Naruto scratched the back of his head awkwardly, lowering his voice for once. "Ah... sorry, I forgot."

"It's fine." Takuma waved his hand. "They were my teammates who died, not yours. What are you apologizing for?"

The words were spoken lightly, but Naruto's expression grew more complex. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again.

Takuma turned and left the crowd.

Behind him came Naruto's voice, regaining his spirit. "Sakura! Sasuke! Let's go find Kakashi-sensei and sign up!" Then came Sasuke's cold snort and Sakura's complaints. Those sounds faded into the distance.

Without realizing it, he walked back to the training ground. Takuma looked up and found Aoba Yamashiro standing in the center of the field. His wounds had mostly healed; although his face was still a bit pale, his posture had returned to its usual upright stance.

"Sensei." Takuma walked over. "Why are you here?"

Aoba Yamashiro asked straight to the point.

"Have you heard about the Chunin Exams?"

"I just saw the notice."

"Do you want to participate?"

Takuma paused, then nodded. "I do."

"The Hokage has granted special approval... you may look for temporary teammates to form a squad."

"Teams of three are a strict requirement," Aoba Yamashiro continued, "but the Third Hokage believes your situation is special. Team 12 encountered rogue ninjas during a mission, and two Genin were sacrificed. It would be unreasonable for you to lose your eligibility for the Chunin Exams because of that."

"So... I can find other Genin to team up with?"

"They must be registered Genin of Konoha, you must obtain the consent of their team leader, and you must complete the registration within three days." Aoba Yamashiro stated every condition clearly. "The requirements are harsh, but there is a chance."

Takuma was silent for a moment, then bowed deeply.

"Don't thank me. It was the Third Hokage's decision." Aoba Yamashiro's tone remained flat, but the corners of his mouth lifted in an almost imperceptible arc. "Three days. Make it count."

He turned and left, his footsteps fading away.

For a Genin to encounter rogue ninjas on their first mission out of the village and survive was a miracle. He had been an ordinary person before transmigrating; although he now possessed the Senju bloodline and a system, he was still a modern person at his core.

He wanted to become stronger.

Not to become Hokage, not to be a hero, and not even to change the plot. He simply didn't want to see his companions die in front of him again, didn't want to experience that sense of powerlessness. Protecting important people—he had said this to the Third Hokage, to Tenten, and in his heart, to the deceased Yamada and Sato.

But protecting others required strength.

Just then, a familiar electronic chime rang in his mind.

[Event Detected: "The Prelude to the Chunin Exams"]

[Witness Judgment: In front of the Konoha bulletin board, the horn of the Chunin Exams has officially sounded. The gears of fate have begun to turn, and the paths of countless ninjas will intersect, collide, and change in this exam. As a witness, wherever your gaze falls, it is history.]

[Obtained: Lottery Ticket × 1]

He mentally triggered the draw, and a warm current poured directly into his body. It didn't restructure his cells like the healing factor; instead, it permeated deep into his nervous system. Every neuron was wrapped, reshaped, and strengthened by a warm energy.

Then, the world changed.

The sound of the wind, the chirping of insects, the laughter of children in the distance—all were clearly located in his mind. The sensation of sunlight on his skin became sharper, and the humidity and temperature of the air were automatically analyzed by his body. 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.

This perception had no logical basis, but Takuma instinctively trusted it.

[Lottery Result: Spider-Man's Basic Spider-Sense]

[Passive skill, no activation required, warns of danger, effective range: 5 meters]

[Note: The signature ability of the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man from Queens, New York. It has saved Peter Parker countless times; hopefully, it will save you too.]

[Note: Sensing danger does not equal being able to dodge it.]

Takuma opened his eyes.

The sharpness of his senses far exceeded his previous state.

Wolverine's healing factor gave him the capital to survive.

Spider-Man's Spider-Sense gave him the ability to perceive danger.

The Senju bloodline and Chakra gave him the foundation for battle.

Now, he needed a team.