It wasn't just Ethan who felt this place was like a park. For Kabuto, it wasn't a dangerous place either.
So, from the very beginning, Ethan's team advanced toward the tower at full speed. Following Kabuto's suggestion, getting close to the tower early and ambushing other teams before they reached the goal was the most efficient strategy.
With Kabuto's true strength, even if he wandered aimlessly through the Forest of Death, he could easily collect both the Heaven and Earth scrolls and complete the exam.
However, as an operative, he couldn't be too high-profile, especially with genuine Leaf Village ninja as teammates this time. He had to continue hiding his identity and follow the exam rules obediently.
Ethan agreed with all of Kabuto's suggestions. For him, clearing the exam as quickly as possible was enough. He didn't care how it was done.
To keep his cover and avoid attention, Kabuto would certainly choose "safe" opponents to collect the necessary scrolls. Ethan only needed to stay on the sidelines throughout the process.
And that was basically how things went. Ethan barely had a chance to act. Although Akado Yoroi carried himself like he was the best and looked down on everyone, his strength wasn't weak. Facing genin from smaller villages posed no challenge for him.
Kabuto also showed some of his abilities appropriately, and with Ethan not dragging them down, their team had obtained both scrolls just one day after entering the Forest of Death.
However, neither Akado Yoroi nor Kabuto were in a hurry to head to the tower. Knowing they still had things to take care of in the shadows, Ethan completely pretended not to care.
Kabuto even went out of his way to explain that eliminating more competitors now would benefit them in the later rounds.
"Ah, I see!"
Ethan played the part of a clueless rookie, nodding earnestly and staying in a safe spot with Akado Yoroi while Kabuto frequently went out to "scout."
In reality, Kabuto was checking on Sasuke and making sure he cleared the second round, since Orochimaru intended to continue observing him. The Chunin Exams were a perfect stage for that.
This went on until the last day of the exam, when Kabuto reappeared with Naruto and the others.
"Sorry, sorry. I got caught up in a few things."
"Anyway, let's hurry to the tower. If we're late, we'll miss the deadline."
The rest of the process wasn't anything special. After entering the tower and opening the scrolls, a chunin in charge of reception gave a briefing to those who passed.
Since Ethan was a new Leaf genin, he had to listen to some extra instructions. Akado Yoroi and Kabuto remained calm, while Ethan pretended to listen attentively the entire time.
After the usual orientation, the teams were led to a large hall, where they lined up to hear the Third Hokage explain the true reason behind the Chunin Exams.
In short, it was a way for major nations to show off military power on a small scale without going to war. Ninja villages that performed well could boost their reputation and secure more missions afterward.
It was essentially a mini-war, fought by young ninja.
Once the newcomers had learned the true purpose of the Chunin Exams, Hayate Gekko explained the preliminary matches before the third exam.
"Preliminary rounds?"
Too many people had passed, and since the final exam would be a widely viewed battle, having too many participants would drag things out. Important guests could lose interest, and weak contestants wouldn't properly represent their villages anyway.
"..."
It sounded cruel. After putting in so much effort to make it this far, now they were being told: if you're not good enough, you're not even qualified to stand on the final stage.
But the Chunin Exams were always like this. No one found it unreasonable. All exams are cruel by nature.
"Therefore, anyone feeling unwell or unwilling to continue after hearing this explanation, please report it now. Otherwise, the preliminary rounds will begin shortly."
"Starting immediately?"
Next came Kabuto's moment. The spy for Orochimaru calmly announced he was withdrawing from the exam.
Ethan glanced at him. He probably found this kids' game a little dull now that his mission was done, so he wasn't interested in continuing.
With his history of repeatedly participating and withdrawing from the Chunin Exams, his actions would certainly raise suspicion. But since his mission had entered a new phase, his days as a spy were coming to an end, and he probably no longer cared how the village viewed him.
Another reason was that Kabuto knew if he kept going, he might not be able to hide his true strength any longer. Withdrawing now was safer.
Naruto looked surprised, while Ethan simply reached out and shook Kabuto's hand. "Thanks for all your help these past few days. I probably wouldn't have made it this far otherwise."
"Ethan, you're an excellent ninja. Even without me, you could've passed this test."
Kabuto remained perfectly in character, waved goodbye to his teammates and Naruto, then left with a gentle smile.
"Tsk. Truly the number one actor in the Naruto world."
Even with the Third Hokage right there, no one noticed anything unusual. That was impressive.
Ethan withdrew his gaze and looked around.
Aside from Kabuto, no one else gave up. Even with an extra round added, no one wanted to back down now.
Hayate Gekko then explained how the preliminary matches would be conducted. The names of two participants would be randomly displayed on a large screen. They would fight one-on-one, and the winner would advance.
The rules were simple, and since it was individual combat, there was no need to consider team results. No one objected.
And so, the preliminaries officially began.
The first match was Sasuke Uchiha versus Akado Yoroi.
"They're really not even pretending anymore."
Many people could tell this was intentional, but no one said anything. After all, this was the Leaf's home ground. Giving a little preferential treatment to their own wasn't unexpected.
And it was hard to prove favoritism with something like a digital lottery. Anyone who questioned it would only be ridiculed.
Ethan looked around. Everyone stood by the railings on the second floor, waiting for the matches to begin.
With Kabuto having withdrawn and Akado Yoroi heading into battle, Ethan was alone again.
But compared to before, he now had people to talk to. Several genin from his class were nearby, and Team 7, led by Kakashi, was standing next to him.
His own instructor, Aoba Yamashiro, was also present. He had been with the Third Hokage earlier and hadn't had a chance to say hello yet.
"Looks like your second round went smoothly."
Aoba glanced over Ethan's clothes. He was wearing blue-black pants with a black jacket, a tool pouch and short sword at his waist, fingerless gloves, and his forehead protector as a belt.
His appearance wasn't the main point. What stood out was that after several days of survival in the wild, his outfit had no damage, and even remained clean, barely covered in dust.
And there wasn't a single scratch on his body.
Compared to Team 7's battered state nearby, the contrast was clear.
"Senior Kabuto, who you introduced, was a great teammate. I learned a lot from him."
"Hey, Ethan, how strong is that Akado Yoroi guy?"
"Him, well..."
Naruto and Sakura hesitated for a moment before asking. They thought it might be a tough question. After all, Akado Yoroi had been Ethan's teammate, and he looked older and more experienced.
Ethan had passed without a single injury, so they figured Akado Yoroi must be strong.
But they didn't expect Ethan's evaluation to be so blunt.
"He's no match for Sasuke."
"Huh?"
Naruto and Sakura were surprised, but the match that followed proved Ethan wasn't wrong.
Even though he was still affected by the curse mark and couldn't go all out, Sasuke defeated Akado Yoroi in a very short time.
The following matches weren't that exciting either. It showed that the preliminaries were necessary. The genin who made it through the Forest of Death had wildly varying skill levels. Letting all of them move on would've embarrassed the Leaf Village.
Soon, both Sasuke and Naruto had advanced. Sakura fought Ino to a draw.
Even though Sakura didn't win, Ethan could see that she was beginning to grow. She was no longer just a girl chasing after Sasuke.
"Team 7 is finally on the right path."
Looking back on everything, Ethan realized the match sequence still mostly followed the original timeline. He now believed the Leaf Village had arranged the matchups. The "random draw" was just for show.
"Next should be Hinata versus Neji, right?"
A Gentle Fist showdown? That could be interesting. But when Ethan glanced at the screen, he saw his own name.
Ethan vs. Rock Lee.
"..."
(To be continued.)