Examination Process

After going over a few precautions, Yuun left, giving the three of them the remaining time. Although he had not mentioned the requirement that all three had to participate together, he believed none of them would choose to give up.

Even Hinata Hyuga, the weakest of the three, was far stronger than she had been in the original story. Those dozen or so C-rank Missions had not been for nothing. While Hinata's strength might not have improved greatly, she had already begun to develop the mindset of a qualified ninja.

After saying goodbye to the three of them, Yuun went off to train. Although he usually tried to make time for training, becoming a Jonin instructor inevitably reduced both his training time and its intensity. Even though his Gentle Fist had reached mastery, he still needed regular practice to remain at his peak.

After checking his ninja tool pouch and making sure nothing had been left behind, Yuun headed out.

"Heh, I'm actually looking forward to this." After taking some time to find Hinata and the others, Yuun stood on a rooftop and watched them enter the Ninja Academy before climbing down. He strolled toward the academy at an unhurried pace. There was still plenty of time before the exam began, so there was no need to rush to watch the show.

"No! I hate those droopy eyelashes of yours the most!" Before Yuun could even go upstairs, a scream came from above.

"Sounds like something interesting happened." Yuun suddenly became curious and headed toward the sound.

"Let me make this clear—I will never lose to any of you!" When Yuun arrived, he happened to see Rock Lee defeat Naruto Uzumaki in a single move. "Because... among Konoha's Genin, I am the strongest!"

"Heh, looks like I made it in time." Standing in the corridor and looking down, Yuun saw Sasuke charge at Rock Lee.

"Konoha Whirlwind!" Even without activating his Byakugan, Yuun could clearly see every one of Rock Lee's movements. Without opening the Eight Gates, Rock Lee was only at the Genin level.

Unfortunately, Sasuke was still noticeably weaker than Rock Lee. Sakura Haruno cried out, and Sasuke was sent flying by a kick.

"Tch, both eyes already have two tomoe." Yuun suddenly felt nostalgic. He had witnessed Itachi awaken the Sharingan, and seeing Sasuke's Sharingan now stirred up old memories.

Unfortunately, with Sasuke's current strength, even the Two-Tomoe Sharingan only put him at the Genin level. If he had even half the strength Itachi possessed at twelve, defeating Rock Lee would have been child's play. Just as Yuun remembered, Sasuke was easily kicked into the air by Rock Lee. Rock Lee had already leaped behind Sasuke, intending to continue his combo, when a small windmill suddenly flew in and disrupted him, pinning the loose bandages around Rock Lee's wrist to the wall. Even compared to Itachi, that hidden weapon technique was probably not much worse. No wonder he could teach Tenten.

"Honestly! You youngsters are so full of fire!" Might Guy suddenly appeared and struck his signature Tooth Flash pose.

"Waaaah! Another guy with even thicker eyebrows showed up!" Naruto shouted.

"Hey! Don't make fun of Guy-sensei!" Rock Lee yelled, clenching his fists.

"Shut up!" Naruto shouted back without backing down. "Weird people keep popping up one after another—what kind of reaction am I supposed to have?!"

"What did you say?" Rock Lee angrily tried to retort, but Guy stopped him.

"Rock Lee." Guy beckoned to him.

"Ah! Yes!" Rock Lee hurriedly turned around.

"You idiot!" The moment Rock Lee turned around, Guy punched him flying.

"Waaah!"

"Y-you..."

"Sen... sensei!"

"Sensei... I... I..."

"Rock Lee! Don't say another word!" With tears streaming down his face, Guy stretched out his arms and hugged Rock Lee tightly.

"Sensei!" Rock Lee, equally tearful, hugged Guy back.

"Holy crap!" Yuun covered his eyes and turned away. "I've been blinded! I shouldn't have watched that for so long!"

"That's right! This is youth!"

"Sensei!"

Ignoring the tightly embracing teacher and student, Yuun quickly left. A savage creature like Guy really needed Kakashi to handle him. Yuun, at least, wanted nothing to do with him.

After getting away from the noisy center, Yuun was about to find a good spot to watch the exam. Since he had the Byakugan, he could see inside the classroom even from outside, so he only needed somewhere comfortable to sit. But before he could decide where to settle down, he ran into Kakashi.

"Interested in getting something to drink?" Kakashi suddenly asked.

"..." After thinking for a moment, Yuun nodded. It was only an exam. With his current field of vision extending beyond five kilometers, he could clearly see the examination site as long as he was not too far away. "Sure. Where?"

"Come with me." Kakashi was briefly stunned that Yuun agreed so readily, but quickly recovered and led him to a lounge.

"Come to think of it... life really is leisurely without subordinates..." Not long after sitting down, Kakashi let out a wistful sigh. "And no missions, either..."

"But..." Asuma, who had arrived earliest, spoke up. "You'll be busy soon enough."

"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked curiously.

Asuma took a drag from his cigarette. "This year's chief examiner for the first test is Morino Ibiki..."

"..." Kakashi looked thoroughly depressed. "I didn't expect it to be that sadist..."

"Kakashi-senpai, you should trust your subordinate." Yuun suddenly cut in.

"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked.

"Have you forgotten that subordinate of yours who's number one at surprises?" Yuun looked teasingly at Kakashi. "With him there, even Morino Ibiki won't be able to do anything, right?"

"You seem to know him pretty well..." A trace of confusion flashed through Kakashi's eyes, though he still looked outwardly indifferent.

"That's normal." Yuun smiled. "I used to be that guy's teacher at the Ninja Academy. He left quite an impression on me."

"So that's how it is." Kakashi nodded in understanding. Not many people in Konoha knew Naruto was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, but it was not exactly a secret either. A newcomer like Yuun, whose connections were not particularly extensive, might not necessarily know.

"Anyway." Asuma turned to Yuun. "What have you been watching with your Byakugan activated this whole time?"

"Of course I'm watching the exam." Yuun's smile was radiant. "I'm watching a very interesting exam."

Chunin Ninja Exams, First Examination Site

"Those lacking confidence would be better off recognizing reality and choosing not to take the test... that way, you can still try again later..." Morino Ibiki swept his sinister gaze across the examinees, piling on more psychological pressure until he felt it was enough. "Now make your choice... the tenth question: take it or not take it... Raise your hand if you choose not to take it! Once your number has been recorded, you may leave..."

The examination hall was silent as death. Other than a few examinees brimming with confidence or simply unconcerned, everyone else was constantly weighing their options in their hearts.

"I... I..." At last, one examinee could no longer withstand the immense pressure. "I'm not taking it!"

"I'm not taking it either!"

"Me too!"

"Everyone, I'm truly sorry!"