Chapter Ten: The Chunin Exams Begin!

“Let me go... sob sob...”

“Let go of Konohamaru...”

“Let go of the boss...”

By the time Naruto arrived, he saw a stranger with his face painted in garish colors standing in the middle of the street, holding up Konohamaru while enduring the flurry of fists and kicks from Konohamaru’s two little companions.

These days, after receiving quite a bit of discipline from Haoyun at home, Naruto had become a little steadier. Instead of rushing forward recklessly, he paused to observe the situation.

First, the forehead protector—the symbol looked like the one from the Village Hidden in the Sand, one of the Five Great Hidden Villages.

To be able to stroll around Konoha in broad daylight, was this not one of the ninjas here for the upcoming Chunin Exams that his teacher had mentioned a few days ago?

Looking further, he noticed behind the stranger a woman carrying a giant fan and a man with a gourd on his back, the kanji for “love” carved on his forehead, both watching from a tree. The assailant himself had a cloth-wrapped puppet implement strapped to his back...

There was no need for further speculation—these must be the future trio of Sand’s strongest that his teacher had spoken of: Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro!

In a flash, these thoughts raced through Naruto’s mind. Only then did he step forward, preparing to act.

Indeed, Haoyun’s training had worked wonders, and Naruto’s own perception was nothing to scoff at—he had been transformed from a hothead into a strategist.

Not that Haoyun had any prejudice against brawlers; it was just that the Flying Thunder God technique couldn’t be learned by instinct alone! Wasn’t it obvious? Sakura and Sasuke had both been trained as straightforward fighters.

“Kankuro, are you here for the exam, or are you declaring war on Konoha?”

Kankuro’s pupils contracted, his gaze toward Naruto growing hostile. Still, his grip on Konohamaru relaxed slightly.

“You know who I am?”

“Kankuro, second son of the Kazekage, apprentice to Lady Chiyo, and a prodigious puppet master. If I’m not mistaken, strapped to your back is Crow, the best early-stage puppet for a puppet master, am I right?”

Naruto smiled as he laid bare all of Kankuro’s background. Instantly, everyone’s eyes—Temari and Gaara, who had been watching, as well as Konohamaru’s friends—turned to Naruto.

Especially Konohamaru, whose eyes shone with undisguised admiration, even as he remained in Kankuro’s grip.

Kankuro was slightly taken aback, a vague fear creeping over him.

Had Konoha’s intelligence on its enemies grown so detailed?

“So what if you know my name? This kid ran into me—shouldn’t I teach him a lesson?” Kankuro pressed on stubbornly. To have all his secrets so plainly revealed, and yet not to let go and walk away on the spot—this was already a testament to his nerve as a ninja.

“Of course, you should,” Naruto replied with a mysterious smile. “But considering your identities, it’s probably not worth your while.”

He continued, “This child is the Third Hokage’s grandson, just enrolled in the Ninja Academy; you are the Kazekage’s son, a genin invited to the exams.”

Naruto paused after pointing out their statuses. “If the two of you had a public altercation, and if, say, a spy from another village claimed that one of you killed the other... Tsk, tsk. One’s a student, the other a genin—you wouldn’t even need anyone of great status to do the deed...”

By this point, Naruto didn’t need to say more—Kankuro’s expression changed instantly.

As the Kazekage’s son, Kankuro was no political fool! Nor did he naïvely believe that there were no spies from other villages in Konoha!

He hadn’t forgotten the spy list from Sand that he’d accidentally come across in his father’s office.

If even the weakest Sand could plant spies, what about the other villages...?

“Kankuro, let him go. Apologize!”

A cold voice cut through the air from behind Kankuro.

He shuddered violently, then immediately released Konohamaru and bowed to him at a ninety-degree angle.

“I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

Not far away, Kakashi, watching this scene from the shadows, couldn’t help but glance at Haoyun...

How innocent and adorable Naruto used to be... Now, well!

Haoyun, on the other hand, nodded in satisfaction. Whether it was Naruto’s new rhetorical style or Gaara’s decisiveness, he was thoroughly pleased.

If one wanted to be a statesman without the strength to dominate the world, it was better to be a sly old fox.

Hadn’t Hashirama, once peerless and fearless, ended up without even a body to preserve?

“Kankuro, let’s go.”

When Kankuro had finished bowing and straightened up, Gaara finally spoke again, landing in front of him.

Without a word, Kankuro followed Gaara closely. Gaara gave Naruto a deep look, left him with a quiet “You’re impressive,” then walked away with his siblings.

Naruto watched the three of them leave in silence, ignoring the bickering Konohamaru he’d just rescued. He touched his nose and thought—his teacher was right; reading more books was indeed a good thing.

...

In the Hokage’s office, the Third looked at the assembled jōnin who had returned with their teams.

“This year’s Chunin Exams will be held in Konoha. It’s a golden opportunity for us to showcase our strength before the feudal lords and the other hidden villages. Those in your squads who are ready—submit their names.”

Kurenai stepped forward first.

“Hyuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino are ready and request to participate in the exams!”

“Hyuga Neji, Tenten, and Rock Lee are ready and request to participate!”

“Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji are ready...”

“Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura...”

Strangely enough, whereas last year’s graduates had only one team recommended, this year’s fresh graduates already boasted three teams.

Immediately, Iruka, who was in charge of registration, objected! This year’s nine graduates were all from his class!

“I object! Naruto, Ino, Sasuke—they’re strong, but definitely not strong enough for the exams! This time, two major villages are co-hosting, and letting them compete is far too dangerous!”

“I’m their jōnin. We have the right to recommend. With the strength of Shikamaru’s team, they’ve long since reached the level of a chunin.”

Asuma, the Third’s son, answered with a cigarette dangling from his lips—though, with his wife present, he didn’t dare to light it.

“But if something were to happen to them...”

Iruka still disagreed. Asuma snorted coldly, mocking, “Since when do ninja worry about danger? Aren’t we always walking the edge of death?”

The Third, watching the heated dispute between Iruka and Asuma, thought for a moment, then tapped the table to draw everyone’s attention.

“Since you all feel your teams are ready, then let Iruka test them. Those who pass will take the exams a week from now; those who fail will stay in the village. Is that agreeable to everyone?”

The jōnin exchanged glances. Iruka’s own strength was modest—hence his reassignment as a teacher—but he was still at the level of a chunin.

If they couldn’t even pass Iruka’s screening, they really weren’t suited for the exams...

“Agreed!”