A week is neither a long nor a short time.
Konoha, inside the Ninja Academy.
Sakura rushed over, while Naruto and Sasuke had been waiting at the school gate for a long time.
"Sorry, Sasuke-kun, Naruto, I'm late..."
Sakura, panting, looked up and saw that Sasuke was wrapped in bandages all over his body, while Naruto had changed out of his usual black cloak and was wearing a red cape.
" Sasuke-kun, you're injured? No way! How can you force yourself with such a serious injury..."
"It's alright, this is the result of your training. Judging from your appearance, you've gained new power as well, Naruto."
A red robe swayed in the wind behind him, Naruto nodded calmly.
Seeing Naruto's indifferent expression, Sasuke felt both annoyed and a burning desire to fight.
"Actually, I also want to use this new power to fight you. Then we'll step onto the Chunin Ninja Exams stage together, and I'll defeat you there."
"With your current level, there's absolutely no hope. Let me tell you, Brother Huayue, where exactly is the sacred cultivation ground I'm heading to? The so-called immortals aren't just a verbal term, but rather..."
Naruto shook his head repeatedly as he spoke, knowing that no matter how he tried to describe it, Sage Mode couldn't do so clearly.
"Forget it, you'll find out when the time comes. According to Brother Huayue, unless you open those eyes, you will be powerless against the immortals."
As they chatted, the three walked into the Ninja Academy. Sakura, who was following behind, was slightly stunned and couldn't help but feel a little annoyed.
Naruto has been strong since he was a child, and he doesn't know what tact is. Couldn't he use a gentler word when talking to Sasuke-kun?
However, with Naruto and Sasuke-kun around, this ninja exam should be pretty easy, probably...
Upon entering the stairwell, the two frowned slightly and turned to walk up the stairs.
"Wait, Naruto, Sasuke-kun, the registration classroom isn't this way..."
"That's Genjutsu. Come with us."
A cold voice rang out. Sakura wiped her eyes, and although she hesitated, she still followed.
At the entrance on the first floor, Izumo Kotetsu stood guard at the classroom door. After hearing Uchiha Sasuke's voice, they shook their heads helplessly.
"Honestly, it's all Iruka's fault. He said it was too dangerous and a waste of time for recent graduates to take the ninja exam."
Kotetsu nodded in agreement, deeply agreeing.
"Those Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto saw through the Genjutsu here at a glance; they're no ordinary Genin 've just graduated."
"Not only that, the young lady of the Hyuga Main House, those two Red-Haired Shanks girls, the previous generation's genius Neji, the new generation of Ino-Shika-Cho... there are quite a few monsters among those guys."
The two couldn't stop complaining, complaining that Iruka was increasing their workload, and complaining that even though he was Chunin proctor, why did he have to act as a gatekeeper here?
They came to be proctors to observe the newbies because they didn't want to guard the gate like usual. Little did they know that even after becoming proctors, they would still have to guard the gate.
Only after confirming that the last group of Konoha examinees had entered the examination room did the two change back into their proctor uniforms, ready to watch the rookies break down under psychological pressure.
Meanwhile, in the Chunin Ninja Exams, as Naruto and the others entered, a familiar figure turned around and exclaimed in surprise.
" Naruto? You guys are also participating in the Chunin Ninja Exams. That makes sense. Your Team 7 is one of the strongest among the graduating classes."
Naruto glanced at it, his eyes understanding.
"You're no different, Shikamaru, Choji, Ino. If you meet me in battle, don't expect me to go easy on you."
"Hey, broad forehead, I didn't expect you to join too. Don't drag Naruto and Sasuke down, after all, you're pretty useless." "What did you say?! Ino!"
When arch-rivals meet, tensions rise and their voices grow louder, much to the dissatisfaction of the many tense Chunin Ninja Exams.
Not far away, Kushina looked around and quickly pulled Karin and Haku over, wanting to shield Naruto from the potential onslaught of hostility from the crowd.
" Naruto, you guys keep your voices down! Look at the expressions on the faces of the people around us. If we keep going like this, we might get ambushed by other examinees halfway through the journey!"
"Being sniped? What's wrong with that? Being sniped means there's a greater chance of passing the ninja exam. That's also proof of strength."
Looking in the direction of the sound, a head of blue hair fell naturally, and her Byakugan held a hint of indifference and impatience, as if she had no patience for anything. She resembled Iceburg queen, but looked more like a powder keg ready to explode at any moment.
"You're here too, Kiba, Shino, Hinata."
Hinata nodded almost imperceptibly, then casually asked as if she didn't care.
"Oh, speaking of which, you two are neighbors with Teacher Huayue. If you make it to the finals, will Teacher Huayue come to watch the competition?"
Raising an eyebrow, Naruto pondered for a moment before giving an uncertain answer.
"I'm not entirely sure, but during the Chunin Ninja Exams finals, Huayue mentioned he would participate, though which match it would be depends on his mood..."
Upon receiving a definite answer, her icy demeanor instantly crumbled, replaced by a radiant smile.
"I see. Then we must do our best to make it to the finals and show others our strength."
Seeing that the group of people's voices had not stopped, many anxious ninjas quietly released their killing intent.
However, Naruto frowned slightly, and just as Sasuke in the small circle was about to open his Sharingan, he saw Naruto's index finger, which was resting on his shoulder, twitch slightly.
The next second, a cold wind, sharp as a knife, spread violently, carrying a murderous aura. The deep resentment and killing intent instantly silenced the Chunin Exams arena.
The red cloak fluttered in the wind, causing a flicker of surprise to cross the cold, vertical pupils of the person hiding among the examinees.
'This cold, deep hatred, the Nine-Tails '...'
"What are you doing? The exam is about to start. Go back to your seats."
The doors opened, and a burly man with countless scars and injuries on his face, his head wrapped in a black headscarf, Morino Ibiki, entered the examination hall.
The first round of the Chunin Ninja Exams has officially begun.
Inside the Hokage's Office in Konoha, squads of Anbu, following the Hokage's orders, conducted searches both inside and outside the village.
The Third Hokage sighed deeply, turned to look at Jiraiya was observing the beautiful women around him through binoculars, and coughed heavily.
"You're getting on in years, don't you know how to settle down? But you've come back just in time; I think the position of Fifth Hokage should be yours..."
"Forget it, old man, I'm too lazy for this kind of thing."
Jiraiya waved his hand repeatedly, and the Third Hokage had no choice but to tell the truth.
"In this Chunin Ninja Exams, Orochimaru and the organization he joined are very likely to attack Konoha. I have no choice, Jiraiya."