Yakushi Kabuto

"This was the real Room 301."

Sakura looked at the empty corridor on the third floor of the school building, repeatedly checking the number on the plaque outside the classroom.

"It looked like the genjutsu on the second floor had eliminated a huge number of examinees."

Sasuke was more concerned with the actual number of participants in the Chunin Ninja Exams.

"It's about time. Let's go in."

Naruto calmly reminded them.

With that, Naruto pushed open the door to Room 301.

The three members of Team 7 entered the examination room, where the spacious classroom was now packed with people.

"There are so many..."

Sakura marveled at the number of Genin in the room.

The genjutsu on the second floor had already eliminated many examinees. She had thought there would not be too many ninja capable of seeing through it and finding the real examination room.

Yet there were still more than a hundred examinees in Room 301.

"Indeed. The fact that these people are here means they all saw through the genjutsu on the second floor." Sasuke's gaze swept across the examinees, and he could barely suppress his excitement. "They're all people with some real ability!"

Naruto ignored Sakura's amazement and Sasuke's excitement.

Still, like the two of them, his gaze moved across the examinees in the room.

In a corner near the front of the room, six Grass ninja wearing Hidden Grass Village forehead protectors were gathered together. Among them was that red-haired figure.

With Karin's sensory abilities, seeing through the genjutsu and reaching the real examination room was not difficult.

However, Karin was not the focus of Naruto's attention—his gaze shifted to the tall, thin man beside her, who wore a Hidden Grass Village forehead protector and a conical hat.

Orochimaru really had infiltrated the exams.

Naruto acted as though he had casually swept his eyes over the disguised Orochimaru, then immediately looked away.

With Orochimaru's sensory abilities, paying him too much attention would definitely alert him.

Such an incredibly troublesome person had slipped into the exams, yet Naruto was not especially wary of Orochimaru.

Orochimaru had probably already noticed Karin's special qualities.

However, all of Orochimaru's attention was currently focused on Sasuke.

To Orochimaru, Sasuke's importance was simply beyond comparison to Karin's.

Orochimaru would not interfere with Naruto's plan to approach Karin.

After sorting through those tangled threads, Naruto understood that he and Orochimaru had no direct conflict of interest—at least, not during the Chunin Ninja Exams.

Rather than Orochimaru, Yakushi Kabuto was the one Naruto cared more about.

Yakushi Kabuto, with his grayish-white hair, round glasses, and a small braid hanging from the back of his head, was also in the examination room.

Kabuto was even more troublesome than Orochimaru.

He would master all of Orochimaru's forbidden techniques and improve upon them. He would even perfectly wield Sage Mode, which Orochimaru himself could not use.

Though those were only possibilities that might occur in the future, they were enough to make Naruto wary of Kabuto.

In some ways, Kabuto was much like Haku.

Unable to find a reason to live, he mistook the wrong person for his salvation.

His thoughts and beliefs had all been tamed by himself, turning him into a shell belonging to someone else.

Haku saw himself as Zabuza Momochi's tool.

Kabuto blindly imitated Orochimaru... and his madness ran even deeper. He wanted to become a brand-new "Orochimaru."

Kabuto and Naruto could only ever be enemies.

Perhaps... he could remove this future threat ahead of time during the Chunin Ninja Exams.

Kabuto was indeed difficult to deal with, but the truly difficult Kabuto was the one who had mastered all of Orochimaru's forbidden techniques and attained perfect Sage Mode.

Although the current Kabuto possessed the strength of a Jōnin, if Naruto truly wanted to kill him, it would not be difficult.

For now, he would wait and see.

Hiding his thoughts away, Naruto had plenty of opportunities to turn them into reality during the second practical examination in the Forest of Death.

For now, he could prepare a contingency plan.

Having made his decision, Naruto turned his gaze toward the six figures approaching them.

"You're taking the Chunin Ninja Exams too?"

Shikamaru Nara was the first to ask. He glanced at Team 7, where Naruto stood, then looked toward Team 8, who had also come over to greet them.

"This is the first time everyone's gathered together since becoming ninja. Right, Akamaru?"

The boy with red fang-like markings painted on both cheeks, who wore a thick jacket even in July and had its furry hood pulled over his head, was Kiba Inuzuka.

He greeted them boisterously. The little white dog lying on his head—Akamaru—answered with a bark.

"L-Long time no see..."

Beside Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyuga, who was also part of Team 8, softly greeted everyone.

As for Team 8's third member, the boy wearing a high-collared jacket and black round sunglasses—Shino Aburame.

Shino did not speak. He merely nodded to everyone, showing his friendly intentions.

"With this, all nine rookies from this year are taking the Chunin Ninja Exams... Sasuke, how long do you think you can last in this exam?"

Kiba looked at Sasuke. Back at the Ninja Academy, he had always wanted to surpass Sasuke.

Over the past few months as a ninja, his strength had grown, and that desire had only become stronger.

"Hmph. You're not the only one who's grown."

Sasuke paid no heed to Kiba's provocation.

"What a drag. Why is everyone still the same as before?"

Shikamaru complained from the side.

"Before you talk about others, maybe think about yourself too!"

Ino was dissatisfied with Shikamaru's listless attitude. As she spoke, she glared at Choji Akimichi, who had been eating potato chips the whole time. "You too, Choji!"

Ino was just as troublesome as ever...

Saying that out loud would only be troublesome, so Shikamaru merely complained about Ino in his heart.

Ino, who was loudly scolding Shikamaru and Choji, suddenly noticed Naruto staring at her.

"W-What are you looking at me for?"

Faced with Naruto's gaze, Ino instinctively shrank her neck.

"You stand out too much, Ino."

Naruto said this, then turned his gaze toward Yakushi Kabuto, who was approaching them.

Just like the original story. The current Kabuto had not yet completely begun living in imitation of Orochimaru. Deep in his heart, the ideals taught to him by his adoptive mother, Yakushi Nonō, still remained.

The clash between old and new beliefs, the two completely opposing meanings of life, had left Kabuto confused.

It made him defy Orochimaru's orders and approach Sasuke on his own during the Chunin Ninja Exams, trying to find an answer to his confusion.

"Naruto's right. You stand out too much."

After arriving beside them, Kabuto familiarly began criticizing Ino in the tone of a "senior."

"It's not a good habit to suddenly appear and criticize people you don't know. Who are you?"

When a stranger criticized his teammate, Shikamaru stepped forward and blocked Kabuto.

"A Konoha forehead protector... He's a Konoha ninja like us."

Sakura noticed Kabuto's forehead protector.

"Why do you know Naruto's name?"

Sasuke frowned at Kabuto, his eyes filled with wariness.

"Honestly... I'm trying to help. You rookies should look around."

Prompted by Kabuto, they finally noticed that the ninja throughout the examination room had all turned their attention toward them.

"The exam is about to begin, and everyone is tense. Your noise is making them irritated, so you'll easily end up attracting trouble."

Kabuto raised a hand and adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"Is... is it because of me...?"

Of the noise Kabuto mentioned, Ino had been the loudest just now.

"Now you should know I have no ill intentions. My name is Yakushi Kabuto. You can consider me your senior. Just take this as some experience passed down from an upperclassman. There are rookies like you every year, so try to be more careful. The Chunin Ninja Exams are very cruel."

After being reminded of how much attention they were drawing, everyone's hostility toward Kabuto eased.

Sasuke, however, did not let it go. "You still haven't answered me. Why do you know Naruto's name?"

Kabuto met Sasuke's gaze.

"Fine, then I'll pass along a little more 'experience' to you juniors."

As he spoke, Kabuto pulled out a stack of cards from his ninja tool pouch.