Chunin Ninja Exams

Half a year passed leisurely.

During the past half year, Team 7 successively executed quite a few D-rank and even C-rank missions.

Kakashi, who did not waste cultivation time during missions, progressed steadily in strength. Now, the Senjutsu energy had already broken through to the Elite Chunin level. According to Minato, Kakashi's chakra volume was already very close to an ordinary Jonin.

During this period, Kakashi had also been pondering Hatake Sakumo's critique of his swordsmanship that day.

After this period of training, Kakashi slowly found a path that combined his own attributes.

He developed the Lightning Release system, increased the cutting and penetrating power of the swordsmanship, and pushed attack power and sharpness to the extreme.

Aside from practicing swordsmanship and Senjutsu energy, Kakashi did not slack off in perceptual development and the study of sealing jutsus either.

Because his attack style tended to be swift, without sufficient reaction speed and dynamic visual observation to support it, his upper limit for attack power was very low.

Using Senjutsu energy, he constantly changed the cellular tissue in his body regarding perception and dynamic visual capabilities. Day by day and month by month, he also achieved gratifying results. This was a cultivation that could not be relaxed, requiring unremitting perseverance throughout one's career.

Today's Kakashi had improved immensely compared to himself when he fought the Grass Ninja back then. Doing a one-versus-seven was unachievable, but a one-versus-two was still very easy.

Coming to the squad assembly point as usual today, the three members of Hatake Kakashi, who were just getting ready to start their daily missions, received a notification from Namikaze Minato instead.

"Starting today, Team 7 will stop taking missions. Prepare to participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams held in Kumogakure a month from now."

"Nani! Teacher Minato, why do we have to go to such a distant place to participate in the Chunin Ninja Exams?" Inuzuka Kawa asked with puzzlement.

"Although the village also has assessments for promotion to Chunin, conventionally speaking, promoting from Genin to Chunin takes several years. While the irregularly held Chunin Ninja Exams are mainly to flaunt the military might of the major shinobi villages, they are undoubtedly the best stage for Genins to be promoted to Chunin!"

Aburame Haru, whose theoretical knowledge was stronger than Inuzuka Kawa's, explained for Minato.

"Well said, Haru's explanation is very correct! Let me just add one point. Because of other mission reasons, I won't be able to lead the team there; at that time, it will be uniformly arranged by the village's assigned team-leading teachers. The primary tenet for Team 7 participating in this Chunin Ninja Exams is: safety first!"

After expressing concern over the three people's cultivation progress, Minato made a training plan for each of them individually based on their progress. Afterwards, he muttered a few words and set off to execute a mission.

It was as if after working for half a year, there was a sudden vacation, feeling a bit unaccustomed. The three of them were still stunned for a moment, and then Kakashi was the first to react.

"Are we cultivating separately or together?"

"Cultivate separately, after all, the cultivation contents are all different."

"Alright."

During the period close to the exams, Kakashi naturally did not waste it either, burying himself in cultivation. The gratifying thing was that the sealing jutsu had made a little progress.

"Beep~~"

Cultivating in the courtyard, Kakashi raised his head to glance at the communication hawk soaring through the air. She knew it was time to go assemble.

Packing up her luggage, she arrived at the village gate.

Visually estimating the bustling crowd, there were more than 20 people.

"Here! Kakashi." In a corner of the crowd, Inuzuka Kawa and Aburame Haru were waving at her.

After Team 7 converged, Kakashi learned:

"The ones leading the team are Shimura Ran and Jonin Hirano Mio. This time, Konoha sent a total of 8 squads to participate."

Inuzuka Kawa, who had arrived earlier at the assembly point, shared the information she scouted with Kakashi.

"Mmh." Hearing that the team-leading Jonin was surnamed Shimura, Kakashi subconsciously grew vigilant. Turning her head to scan the surroundings, she soon spotted a middle-aged Jonin with black hair and a gloomy expression.

He stood together with another Jonin of similar age, waiting after the last Genin arrived.

"We are the team-leading Jonins for your Chunin Ninja Exams this time, Shimura Ran, and this is Hirano Mio. Everyone is here, let's set off." He then took the lead and departed.

The ninjas present followed immediately.

After several days, the group arrived at Kumogakure, travel-stained and dusty.

"Wow, so many ninjas. I see a lot of unfamiliar shinobi village forehead protectors."

Besides the five great ninja villages, Grass Ninja, Rain Ninja, and Takigakure taught in books, there were many unknown or newly established shinobi villages in the Shinobi World.

This time, Kumo invited basically all large and small shinobi villages to participate in this Chunin Ninja Exams in order to flaunt the country's military might.

Even Mist Village, which had very little communication with the outside world in recent years, had two squads coming to participate.

Konoha of the five great ninja villages had a number of participants that was neither too large nor too small, landing right in the middle—fewer than the host and Stone Village, but more than Sand Village and Mist Village.

As it happened, among the people who came from Sunagakure was a familiar face. Sasori, who had not yet earned the title of "Sasori of the Red Sands" at this moment.

"Just stay properly in the embassy these two days and don't run around. Otherwise, dying will be dying for nothing." Giving a cold instruction, Shimura Ran left on his own.

"Hahaha, don't take it too hard, Captain Shimura just has this kind of speaking style. Everyone try to minimize going out before the exams start to avoid conflicts with examinees from other shinobi villages." Hirano Mio, who smoothed over the atmosphere, could only silently endure it even if she harbored dissatisfaction.

Commoner ninjas could only bow and act humble in front of clan ninjas like Shimura.

"Since we are not going out, then Haru, could you please use bugs to scout the abilities of other examinees in the embassy? Let's see which ones we need to pay attention to."

"Mmh, I understand." Aburame Haru nodded to indicate understanding.

After the three returned to the dormitory, Aburame Haru summoned a swarm of perception bugs specifically used for spying on auras.

The bugs squeezed slightly into the gaps of the embassy building, and then shuttled into each inhabited room.

Aburame Haru also closed her eyes accordingly, carefully communicating with the perceptive bug swarm.

"First is Sand Village, which is closest to us. There are 15 examinees, and two people need special attention. One is a red-haired brat. Hmm? He discovered my bugs. So fast!"

Saying this, Aburame Haru furrowed her brow.

"The bugs were discovered and killed just as they approached him. He used senbons. The other person from Sand Village is an orange-haired girl wearing a trench coat. Her chakra fluctuation is the strongest among all Sand Village examinees. Bug perception shows it's a level far exceeding Chunin chakra."

"Next is Stone Village, there are a bit many people. I need to carefully distinguish them."

"There are a total of four people worthy of attention. They are... hmm? No, there's another person. He seems to have discovered the bugs too, good thing he dodged fast. It's a bulbous big nose, named Kitsuchi? He looks several years older than us."

Kakashi was a bit surprised that Kitsuchi had also come to participate in this Chunin Ninja Exams, but upon second thought, she understood.

The biggest problem Stone Village would face in the next few decades was the lack of successors.

As the late-in-life child of the contemporary Tsuchikage, Kitsuchi was one of the few presentable figures emerging in the new Stone Village.

This time, did Stone Village send Kitsuchi out just to display its strength to old rivals?