Because This Is Konoha

In the Chunin Ninja Exams classroom.

Naruto Uzumaki was tearing his hair out.

"What the hell is this? How am I supposed to know?"

"Naruto, want to look at my answers?"

The little girl with the Byakugan quietly slid her exam paper over.

The Chunin proctors saw the blatant cheating and pretended they hadn't.

They were all Konoha Ninja, after all. They could do her that favor.

"Now for question ten. If you choose not to answer, you and your teammates will be eliminated. If you choose to answer but get it wrong, you'll remain Genin for the rest of your lives!"

"What kind of twisted rule is that?"

"How can there be a rule like that?"

"Then what was the point of all those questions we just answered?"

The classroom fell silent. The examinees began weighing their options.

Some raised their hands and left with their teammates.

If Uchiha Yoru had been there, he would have thought there was nothing to fear. Naruto had become Hokage while still a Genin, and that old man Maruboshi Kosuke, a student of the Second Hokage, was a Genin no Jonin dared underestimate.

He still took on S-rank and A-rank missions!

If you had the strength, Genin was just a title. You could still earn respect!

Naruto Uzumaki raised a trembling hand too, seemingly about to withdraw.

Ibiki Morino cursed inwardly. Didn't they understand the hint? Hadn't their teachers told them?

Before the exam, Ibiki Morino had leaked the question and asked the Jonin instructors to pass it on to their students. All they had to do was hold out until the end.

Were there really idiots who still didn't get it?

"Even if I stay a Genin for life, I'll become Hokage! I'll make it happen through sheer determination!" Naruto Uzumaki slammed a hand on the desk.

Idiot. You're just giving yourself more competition! Ibiki Morino admired Naruto's resolve, but he couldn't help cursing his decision.

Inspired by Naruto Uzumaki's spirit, everyone resolved to stay.

At last, Ibiki Morino announced that everyone still in the room had passed.

The door opened, and someone who bore a passing resemblance to Sasuke walked in.

"I'm Uchiha Yoru, your proctor for the next test!" Uchiha Yoru greeted them lazily.

"Uncle Ibiki, you let way too many people through!"

"Ask your own student why!"

"It's fine. The next test will cut the numbers by at least half. Give us a smile, Uncle Ibiki. Why do you always look so grim?"

"Actually, don't smile. It's kind of terrifying!"

Ibiki Morino suppressed his anger. "Hurry up and take the examinees to the testing grounds!"

"Sure!"

"Is my smile really that frightening?"

Ibiki Morino stretched his mouth into a smile. Paired with his stern, intimidating face, it made the other proctors' hair stand on end.

"Follow me," Uchiha Yoru said listlessly.

He had stayed up too late playing Snake, then Uchiha Itachi had dragged him out of bed. He was dead tired.

"Is that guy a Konoha Ninja too? He looks so weak!"

"He's so young, and he gets to be a proctor?"

"I heard the Uchiha Clan had a lot of power. Guess it's true—anyone can become a proctor!"

Uchiha Yoru heard every word. An odd smile crept onto his face.

He looked young, had no reputation to speak of, and gave off none of the menace one might expect. It was no wonder they doubted him.

Uchiha Yoru led the examinees to the edge of a gloomy, forbidding forest.

Before they entered, he stopped them.

"You need to sign this death waiver! We make no guarantees for your safety in this test!"

A flicker of fear crossed the examinees' faces.

"Once you've signed, it's a scroll survival battle!"

"Only those who collect both a Heaven Scroll and an Earth Scroll will pass!"

"But..."

Uchiha Yoru unleashed Fire Release and burned some of the scrolls on the spot!

"Teacher Yoru, what are you doing?" Naruto Uzumaki cried.

"Oh no! How did the scrolls catch fire all by themselves?"

"Oh well. Only some of you will get scrolls!"

One examinee protested angrily. "You obviously burned them yourself! And surely you can get more scrolls!"

"Who saw me do it?"

"I did!"

Several Shuriken instantly pierced the examinee's arm.

"Aah!"

"Anyone else want to raise a hand?" Uchiha Yoru asked.

Everyone around him fell silent.

"Teams whose names I call, come up and collect your scrolls!"

"Team 7, Team 8, Team 9..."

"Why are all the scrolls going to Konoha Ninja?"

Someone cried out in shock. There weren't many scrolls, yet every Konoha Ninja team had received one. Only the leftovers had been handed out to the rest.

Did he have to make his favoritism so obvious?

Having a scroll meant having a bargaining chip. They only needed to find its counterpart to advance to the next round.

Those without one would have to seize two scrolls, meaning they would need to rob at least two teams.

Gaara looked at the scroll in his hand, then at Uchiha Yoru. He was a little touched.

"Because I'm from Konoha. If you don't like it, you can hunt them down. Killing is allowed, after all," Uchiha Yoru said coldly.

"What I've done should teach you something: strength decides everything. If you're stronger than me, beat me up and take the scrolls!"

"Are you strong enough?"

"No! But do you dare lay a hand on me? My fellow Konoha Ninja won't just stand by!" Uchiha Yoru sounded like a spoiled young master.

"If you don't have the strength, keep your heads down and behave!"

No one said a word after that. No one even dared look up at him. They seethed inwardly but didn't dare voice a complaint.

"You have five days. Enjoy yourselves!"

Several proctors led the Ninja inside, then locked the gate behind them.

Out of the corner of his eye, Uchiha Yoru glanced at the last Ninja to enter. The man turned back at just the right moment. Their eyes met, and both understood.

So Orochimaru came after all!

Lord Yoru spotted me. No matter. I'm here to give his little brother a present! The Ninja disguised as Orochimaru licked his lips.

Who would emerge victorious, and who would die here? They would know in five days!

A figure slipped through the gate, staying out of sight of the Ninja guarding it. No one noticed.

I'm technically a Genin too. There's nothing wrong with me taking the Chunin Ninja Exams, is there?

Teams raced through the forest, each member harboring their own plans.

I'll kill everyone who disrespected my brother! Gaara thought as he traveled with Temari and Kankuro. He could consider sparing the Konoha Ninja.

Sasuke-kun, I'm coming! You're going to love this gift!

This time, we're definitely becoming Chunin!

I'm going to become a Chunin before that idiot Sasuke!