Nearly two more months passed.
Konoha grew livelier than usual, and security grew tighter.
Ninja wearing forehead protectors from different villages could be seen throughout the streets and alleys, and an invisible tension hung in the air.
The annual Chunin Exams officially began.
That day, Ye Chuan, Hinata, and Kiba Inuzuka followed Kurenai Yuhi to the site of the first exam, the Ninja Academy's main classroom building.
"There are so many people..." Kiba Inuzuka said, looking at the genin from various ninja villages.
"Yes. Apparently, there are especially many genin taking the exam this year, including quite a few formidable ones," Kurenai Yuhi reminded them. "Don't let your guard down."
Ye Chuan remained as calm as ever, his gaze sweeping casually around.
Just as they were about to enter the building and submit their applications, a commotion and the sounds of fighting suddenly came from ahead.
Two figures were exchanging blows at high speed in the corridor.
One was a thick-browed boy in a green jumpsuit, and the other was none other than Sasuke Uchiha.
The thick-browed boy was astonishingly fast, his taijutsu fierce and powerful as he pressed the attack with every move.
Even a genius like Sasuke could only struggle to defend himself, and he had activated his Sharingan just to barely keep up with his opponent's movements.
"Is that... Rock Lee?"
Ye Chuan recognized the thick-browed boy, Konoha's taijutsu specialist and Might Guy's disciple.
Sure enough, the plot was still playing out on schedule.
Rock Lee's two teammates stood nearby: Tenten, a girl with her hair in buns who used all kinds of ninja tools, and... the genius of the Hyuga Branch Family, Neji Hyuga.
Rock Lee clearly held the upper hand in the fight, and he was even preparing to use his signature taijutsu technique, Front Lotus.
This world's taijutsu really does have its merits when honed to the absolute limit.
Ye Chuan watched, silently making his assessment.
Pure speed and strength, without relying on ninjutsu or kekkei genkai.
Hawkeye's taijutsu existed more to complement his swordsmanship, pursuing efficiency and precision-a completely different style from Rock Lee's pure explosiveness.
Almost at the same time, Neji Hyuga, standing off to the other side, also noticed Hinata.
"Hmph. Lady Hinata, have you come to take the Chunin Ninja Exams too?"
Neji's voice carried undisguised mockery.
"Shouldn't a member of the Main Family stay home instead of coming here to make a fool of herself? With your strength, you'd be better off giving up now."
The old Hinata would probably have lowered her head in shame at those words.
But after the trials of the Land of Waves mission and Ye Chuan's encouragement, she was no longer the person she had once been.
Hinata took a deep breath, looked straight at Neji, and firmly retorted:
"Brother Neji, I'll prove it to you!"
"I'm not necessarily weaker than you!"
"Oh? Big words."
A flicker of surprise crossed Neji's eyes.
"Then let me see just how much you've improved over these past few months!"
Before he had finished speaking, the two assumed their Gentle Fist stances almost simultaneously!
However, just as they were about to make their moves, a voice brimming with "youthful vigor" rang out:
"All right, all right! Young people should express their youth through sweat and tears, not fight private battles here! All of you, stop!"
Guy's arrival forcibly put an end to the two fights that were about to erupt.
Ye Chuan's gaze settled on this thick-browed jonin.
Might Guy, Konoha's proud Blue Beast of the Hidden Leaf.
Information about this man flashed through his mind.
An inheritor of the Eight Gates Released Formation, the mighty Guy who could drive Kisame Hoshigaki into a corner through taijutsu alone, and had nearly brought the entire story to its finale with a single kick.
He silently assessed his chances.
With his current inheritance progress, his grasp of basic Observation Haki and Armament Haki, plus Wado Ichimonji...
Against an ordinary jonin, he might win, and he could even kill someone like Zabuza in an instant if they were in poor condition.
But... against Might Guy using the Eight Gates Released Formation, especially with the Seventh Gate or the Eight Gates open?
He probably... had no chance of winning.
Ye Chuan knew that very well.
That already went beyond strength in the conventional sense. It was power on another level.
There are plenty of monsters in this world, too.
The minor disturbance quickly subsided under Might Guy's intervention.
Ye Chuan and his two teammates submitted their applications without trouble and headed toward the examination classroom.
On the way, they met Team Asuma, who had also come to take the exam. They merely nodded to each other without much conversation.
In the waiting area before entering the examination room, the atmosphere was even more oppressive.
The genin from the various villages kept to their own distinct groups, wary of one another.
Ye Chuan scanned the crowd and spotted the three conspicuous figures from Sunagakure.
Gaara with a huge gourd on his back, Temari carrying a large fan, and Kankuro with a puppet strapped to his back.
With Observation Haki, he could even faintly sense the violent tailed beast chakra inside Gaara.
He also spotted a silver-haired ninja wearing glasses-Kabuto Yakushi-chatting with the other Konoha genin.
And among the Kusagakure team was a girl with striking red hair, Karin Uzumaki.
That special healing ability... really is useful. Ye Chuan gave her another glance.
Just then, the bespectacled Kabuto Yakushi actually took the initiative to walk over to Ye Chuan.
"Hello, my name is Kabuto Yakushi. I'm a Konoha genin, and I've taken the Chunin Ninja Exams several times already."
Kabuto offered a gentle smile and adjusted his glasses.
"I've gathered quite a bit of information on this year's examinees. Your information card says you and your team, Team 8, completed a B-Rank Mission not long ago, right?"
His voice was not loud, but it was enough for some attentive people nearby to hear, including Sasuke Uchiha, who was not far away.
Kabuto continued:
"As far as I know, among all the rookie Konoha genin taking the exam this year, only you, along with Gaara from Sunagakure over there, have a record of completing a B-Rank Mission. That's truly impressive."
Is he trying to set me up with praise, or is he probing for something?
Looking at the smiling, silver-haired senior before him, Ye Chuan understood.
He knew this fellow was Orochimaru's most capable subordinate, had been hiding in Konoha for years, and was far from harmless.
Ye Chuan put on a perfectly measured smile:
"It was just good luck. You flatter me."
He remained noncommittal, neither confirming nor denying it, wanting absolutely nothing to do with this dangerous figure.
Sure enough, after hearing Kabuto Yakushi's words, Sasuke's gaze toward Ye Chuan shifted slightly, gaining a trace of scrutiny and... fighting spirit.
Clearly, the information that Ye Chuan had completed a B-Rank Mission had made Sasuke regard him as an opponent worth taking seriously.
Just then, Kabuto Yakushi seemed to accidentally bump into the trio from Otogakure beside him.
The three Sound Ninja immediately lashed out, attacking Kabuto Yakushi.
Kabuto Yakushi dodged in a panic, but was soon overwhelmed and fell to the ground, looking utterly weak.
Playing the part to the end?
Ye Chuan watched it all coldly.
Kabuto Yakushi was deliberately showing weakness for no other reason than to make others lower their guard around him.
The Sound Ninja's sudden attack caused a stir throughout the examination room.
Just then-
"Silence!!!"
An oppressive voice rang out, stunning the entire room like a thunderclap!
A Konoha jonin with a face covered in scars appeared at the front of the classroom with a group of examiners.
Ibiki Morino! The head examiner for the first exam!
His icy gaze swept across the room, and all the genin involuntarily fell silent.
"I am the head examiner for the first exam, Ibiki Morino."
"Now, everyone, take your assigned seats! Listen carefully... to the exam rules!"
The first stage of the Chunin Ninja Exams, the written test, officially began!
Before you continue