Chapter 100: Chapter 98: A Mixed Crowd in Konoha, The Exam Begins!
Chapter 98: A Mixed Crowd in Konoha, The Exam Begins!
Although Uchiha Yi didn't plan to stir up trouble this time, that didn't mean Konoha would remain peaceful. Beneath the surface, unseen currents continued to surge.
"Konoha sure is lively," remarked three individuals with purple markings labeled "One," "Two," and "Three" on their faces. Disguised as Grass Village participants for the Chūnin Exams, they infiltrated Konoha.
Their targets? Stone Ninja's Kuru and Cloud Ninja's Troy. Not to mention Kakashi—though he wasn't a direct priority for now.
They had already succeeded in capturing Mist Ninja Chūji and Sand Ninja Pakura. Now, only the final steps of their plan remained.
The closer they got to their goal, the more cautious they needed to be. A single misstep could ruin everything.
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Another day passed.
Despite the few villages that chose not to attend, Konoha couldn't delay the event any longer.
Finally, the Konoha-hosted Chūnin Exams, a collaboration with other ninja villages, officially began.
The purpose of this event was clear: Tsunade wanted to showcase Konoha's strength to the other villages.
After Konoha's devastation and subsequent reconstruction, she needed to rebuild its reputation. Without such a demonstration, Konoha risked becoming a perceived weakling—an easy target for future conflicts.
Thus, the Chūnin Exams became a stage for Konoha to flaunt its revitalized strength.
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The First Round: Written Exam
Before the test could even begin, an unexpected interruption arose.
Rock Lee, the energetic boy with thick eyebrows, heard of Sasuke's genius reputation and sought him out for a challenge.
Fresh off a successful mission, Sasuke was confident in his abilities and saw no reason to refuse.
However, despite activating his Sharingan, Sasuke was no match for Lee's speed and taijutsu.
He suffered a humiliating defeat, sending him into a spiral of self-doubt.
This pre-test incident quickly ended, as the exam commenced soon after.
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Uchiha Yi observed the proceedings from the sidelines.
The first round mirrored the original storyline, designed to test participants' ability to gather intelligence while assessing their perseverance.
There were a few deviations: Kabuto was absent, and Neji remained in Amegakure.
Notably, the three participants representing Amegakure—Karin, Hinata, and Haku—had earned their spots through rigorous selection.
All three had even defeated Neji during the trials.
Haku and Karin's victories were expected, given their unique talents and techniques.
Neji, while undeniably gifted, relied too heavily on traditional methods, making his moves predictable and exploitable.
As for Hinata, her success came as a surprise. Known for her shy demeanor, she had somehow defeated Neji—a feat even Uchiha Yi couldn't comprehend.
When he asked her about it, she blushed furiously and fainted on the spot, leaving the matter unresolved.
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Meanwhile, Orochimaru had taken an interest in Sasuke after reviewing his background.
Just like in the original timeline, Orochimaru dispatched his subordinates from Otogakure to test Sasuke's potential.
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The first round concluded under Naruto's impassioned speech.
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As the results were announced, Mitarashi Anko made her dramatic entrance.
Clad in a fishnet outfit, she shattered the classroom window, startling the examinees.
Her sudden appearance caused confusion, but the situation quickly calmed as she introduced herself.
With a flick of her wrists, Anko threw kunai at the ceiling, unfurling a banner with her name and title.
Her flashy entrance drew mixed reactions. Many found her antics awkward rather than impressive.
At this stage in her life, Anko's confidence and charisma were still in full bloom—a stark contrast to her eventual decline.
"Isn't she Orochimaru's disciple, Mitarashi Anko?"
"I didn't expect her to be so... unconventional," Uchiha Yi remarked, chuckling as he watched the scene unfold in the surveillance room.
Seated nearby, Tsunade couldn't understand his amusement. "What's so funny about this?" she asked.
"Don't you think Anko is like a hot-blooded fool trying to act cool?" Yi replied.
His comment baffled Tsunade. While the ninja world was no stranger to eccentric characters, she couldn't see what was so amusing about Anko's theatrics.
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The Second Round: The Forest of Death
Anko led the remaining participants to the infamous Forest of Death for the next stage of the exam.
Before entering, she delivered an ominous speech about the dangers awaiting them, insisting they sign waivers absolving Konoha of responsibility for any casualties.
This alone was enough to deter a few faint-hearted individuals, who chose to withdraw.
The rules were simple: each team received either a "Heaven" or "Earth" scroll.
To pass, they had to obtain the matching scroll from another team and make it to the central tower.
Once the preparations were complete, the participants entered the forest from various starting points.
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Back in the surveillance room, Uchiha Yi observed the proceedings with interest.
"Hmm?" Yi murmured as he noticed his Akatsuki ring vibrating.
"A meeting? At this time?"
Realizing it was urgent, Yi excused himself from the room.
Using his Fire Release techniques, he reached a secluded area where he could attend the meeting undisturbed.
After channeling chakra into his ring, Yi's consciousness was transported to a space resembling a giant hand, where he stood upon one of its fingers.
Other Akatsuki members were also present, each standing on a finger of the colossal hand.
The meeting had begun.
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To Be Continued...
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