ALL NOVEL Chapter 19: Chapter 19
In the Village of Konoha!
It wasn't unusual to see foreign traders roaming the streets.
But ninja from one of the Four Great Nations? Now that was rare.
"Are those Sand Shinobi?"
"Looks like Sunagakure's getting restless again."
"I can feel it too. That brat named Rasa... his strength is something else."
Not far from the bustling streets, under the cool shade of a tree, a trio of Cloud ninjas were gathered. One of them, a towering youth with a broad frame, watched as the Sand shinobi disappeared from view. His eyes gleamed with a spark of interest.
"Ay! This is exactly why the Third Raikage insisted on lowering your rank for this mission."
"The Shinobi World has been peaceful for too long. It's not just the Five Great Nations anymore—even smaller ones like the Hidden Rain and Hidden Waterfall are starting to make moves."
"If we want the upper hand in the, we need to gauge the strength of the other villages."
Good thing Tetsuya Fujiwara wasn't here.
If he saw both Rasa and Ay standing face to face, he'd probably want to bail.
The future Fourth Kazekage and Fourth Raikage.
This Chunin Exam... it's not just for show.
"I know."
"It's not just about scouting out the other villages' younger generation. It's also about flexing our muscles. Showing them just how powerful the Hidden Cloud really is, right?"
"Exactly, Ay. It's good you understand that."
"I hope this Chunin Exam brings more interesting people than just that Sand brat. Otherwise, this is going to be pretty dull."
...
To avoid any unnecessary conflict between the villages before the Chunin Exams even began, the higher-ups in Konoha, led by Hiruzen Sarutobi, had gone to great lengths to maintain order.
They arranged accommodations for the visiting ninja in over ten locations throughout the village, with constant patrols by the Anbu and the police force to keep everything in check.
What had to come, finally came.
Half a month flew by in the blink of an eye, and the long-anticipated Chunin Exams arrived right on schedule.
"Tetsuya!"
At the gates of the Fujiwara, Tanaka, and Uesugi compounds, dozens of clan members had gathered, their eyes filled with hope and pride as they looked at Tetsuya Fujiwara.
"Don't worry, everyone! I'll definitely pass the Chunin Exam and become the next Chunin of the Fujiwara, Tanaka, and Uesugi families."
Tetsuya adjusted the headband on his forehead, determination shining in his eyes as he faced their expectant gazes.
"Tetsuya-niisan, we believe in you! You're gonna ace the exam!"
"Go get 'em, big bro! You're the genius of the Fujiwara clan!"
His unwavering confidence lit a fire in the children around him, and soon, their high-pitched voices filled the air.
"Tetsuya, we should get going."
Two figures appeared at the end of the road, quietly waiting for him.
It was Mikoto Uchiha and Muto Aburame.
Zhenwo, another member of their group, had been assigned elsewhere and had already informed them that he wouldn't be around for a few days.
———
At the Ninja Academy—
The entire school had been cleared out in preparation for the Chunin Exams.
By the time Tetsuya, Mikoto, and Muto arrived, the academy's courtyard was already packed with candidates.
Each village's shinobi stood in clearly defined groups, clustered by their respective alliances.
Unsurprisingly, the largest contingent was from Konoha.
A total of thirty-seven teams, one hundred and eleven ninja, were participating from the village.
The second-largest group came from the Hidden Rain, with nine teams.
The rest—Sand, Stone, Cloud, and Mist—each sent about three to four teams.
As for the smaller villages, they barely had two to four teams each.
After a brief moment of pause, Tetsuya and his friends joined Konoha's ranks.
Standing there were the elites from the prominent clans—Senju, Uchiha, Hyuga—whose sheer presence created an oppressive atmosphere for anyone watching.
"Tetsuya, Mikoto, Muto! You guys made it!"
Over the past six months, through countless missions, Tetsuya had built a network of friends, including several other teams.
Among them were members of the Uchiha and Nara clans.
Of course, most of the Uchiha attention was directed at Mikoto.
As the prodigious girl who'd awakened her Sharingan, Mikoto had become the subject of admiration for many young boys in her clan.
"Heiko, Genichi…"
After exchanging brief greetings, the conversation naturally turned to the upcoming exam.
The Chunin Exams consisted of three stages.
The first was a written test, the second was a team survival exercise, and the third was an individual battle.
Nearly three hundred Genin were divided into seven groups for the exams.
The written portion covered topics on the ninja world and various technical knowledge related to shinobi skills. For Tetsuya, this was hardly a challenge.
While other Genin used strange and inventive jutsu to sneak peeks at answers, Tetsuya casually slapped his almost perfect exam paper on the proctor's desk and strolled out of the room, carefree.
He was like a gust of wind—swift and effortless.
"Tetsuya, you're out already?"
"Judging by your face, I'm guessing you did well?"
About ten minutes later, Muto and Mikoto also emerged from their respective classrooms and immediately gravitated toward Tetsuya.
"Of course!"
"Academics are my specialty, after all!"
"How about you two? How'd it go?"
Tetsuya smiled as he turned to look at them, amusement dancing in his eyes.
"If you passed, there's no way we wouldn't."
Mikoto shot him a sideways glance, secretly grumbling.
"Stupid brat."
'Like I'd tell you I only finished early because I used my Sharingan to cheat.'
Tetsuya, ever sharp, caught the fleeting look in her eyes.
Yeah, Sharingan and Muto's bugs—definitely cheating tools.
But the proctors were Jonin from Konoha, after all. Even if they noticed, no one would call them out for it.
Seeing Mikoto's subtle pout, Tetsuya resisted the urge to tease her.
Out of the nearly three hundred candidates, only eleven teams failed the written exam. Most of them came from the smaller villages, while those from the Five Great Nations and the Hidden Rain all passed with ease.
———
Konoha's Training Ground 37.
Yes, the second stage, the survival exercise, would take place in the infamous Training Ground 37.
The very place where Tetsuya's "beast-slaying" journey had begun.
"Greetings, rookies from all the villages. I am your proctor for the second stage: Orochimaru."
"The rules for this stage have already been posted. No need for me to repeat them."
"In the next three days, I'll be waiting for you at the end of Training Ground 37. I hope you enjoy your time."
Orochimaru as the second proctor? Interesting.
Tetsuya's gaze narrowed as he stared up at the figure on the platform.
While Orochimaru hadn't yet walked down the darker path he would eventually take, his nature, the core of who he was, remained unchanged.
Tetsuya could sense it. Deep within the forest of Training Ground 37, Orochimaru had undoubtedly prepared some nasty surprises for them.
"Well then, let the second stage begin!"
At Orochimaru's signal, the teams wasted no time and bolted toward the forest, vanishing into its thick greenery.
"Tetsuya! Let's go!"
"Right!"
Nodding, Tetsuya cast one last glance at Orochimaru before following Mikoto and Muto into the depths of the forest.
"Interesting... Tetsuya Fujiwara, huh?"
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed as he watched the last few teams disappear into the trees.
"Seems like you've already caught on to something."
Tetsuya's gaze hadn't escaped his notice.
With a flicker, Orochimaru and several other Jonin vanished from the platform, ready to make the second stage even more thrilling.
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