Arrival
Even with Kosuke providing rear support, the lineup was still exceptionally strong—excluding him, that is.
A total of thirteen participants were taking the Chūnin Exam this time: four squads, plus Kosuke. Only one of these squads consisted entirely of Genin who had graduated that year. The rest had at least one Chūnin in their ranks, and some—like Minato and Shirō's team—were composed entirely of Chūnin.
After all, Shirō and his peers had graduated early and been sent to the battlefield. Those who survived gained valuable combat experience and accrued enough merit to warrant promotion. The Village knew the value of soldiers tempered by the crucible of war.
However, this created a problem for the Third Hokage: the most promising Genin had all been promoted, leaving a shortage of young talent in the lower ranks.
Otherwise, Shirō and the others probably wouldn't have needed to take this exam at all.
Still, the situation was manageable. Victory was all but assured, especially since the other Villages were unaware of Kosuke's true strength.
Before long, the Third Hokage appeared, accompanied by an elderly man in glasses—Mitokado Homura.
The Hokage proceeded to deliver what Shirō mentally dubbed a super Genjutsu speech—the Will of Fire.
While inspiring to most Leaf Shinobi, Shirō, who had long since memorized the 24-character cultivation mantra from his past life, wasn't moved in the slightest.
In essence, the Third Hokage said: "Work hard. The Village is proud of you. Advisor Mitokado Homura will be your leader. That is all."
Yet somehow, the man managed to talk for nearly half an hour on just those three points. Shirō couldn't help but admire their ability to stretch a speech that far.
As for Mitokado Homura leading the team, Shirō had no objections. Though someone like Sakumo Hatake—White Fang—might have been a better fit in terms of sheer strength and battlefield command, there were complications.
Sakumo had killed Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law during the war. Sending him to Sunagakure now would be like tossing oil into a fire.
Thus, Mitokado Homura was the logical choice. As a former student of the Second Hokage and a long-standing Hokage Advisor, his strength and experience made him a reliable leader, even if age had dulled his edge a bit.
Besides, sending a Hokage Advisor was a show of respect to Sunagakure. It avoided unnecessary friction and signaled Konoha's sincerity.
After the Third Hokage's speech, Homura took command and led the group on their journey.
In addition to the thirteen examinees and four Jōnin squad leaders, over a dozen ANBU accompanied them. Shirō only saw them during occasional breaks—they stayed hidden in the shadows most of the time—so he couldn't determine the exact number. But it was no fewer than ten.
The journey itself was uneventful. Apart from the three fresh Genin, everyone else was a battle-tested veteran. With ANBU eliminating threats before they could develop, nothing disrupted their progress.
But Shirō had underestimated two things.
First: the desert was far harsher than he'd imagined, and he hadn't prepared adequately.
At this rate, with his fair complexion exposed to the sun, he'd soon look like the real Emiya Shirou.
Second: he couldn't practice Thousand-Faced Wind during breaks.
That technique made too much noise and would disturb others' rest. This wasn't a solo mission or a small team op—he had to be mindful of the group.
As a result, Shirō's plan to master Thousand-Faced Wind before the exam was completely derailed.
Fortunately, there was no shortage of things to train. Since Ninjutsu was off the table, he turned his attention to Magecraft.
Currently, he only knew the most basic form of Barrier Magecraft—far from what was needed to create a true Magic Workshop.
Still, foundational techniques in Barrier construction could be applied to both Reinforcement and Projection Magecraft. It wasn't a detour but a foundational enhancement.
To maximize efficiency, Shirō came up with a plan.
He would leave behind a Shadow Clone to train in Barrier Magecraft while his main body continued traveling. When the group stopped to rest, he would dispel the clone, absorb its memories, and take a break himself.
Because his chakra reserves were limited, the clone couldn't perform anything too advanced like Thousand-Faced Wind anyway. But for theory and practice in magical formulas, it was ideal.
Naturally, Shirō didn't implement this without permission. He first asked Nakamura, and then formally received approval from Mitokado Homura before proceeding.
Still, surveillance was unavoidable. The ANBU regularly left a clone nearby to monitor him, which was understandable. If Shirō were in charge, he'd do the same.
And really, as long as they weren't interfering, he didn't mind. He wasn't doing anything that required secrecy.
Thus, half a month later, the group finally reached Sunagakure.
---
"Lord Mitokado, please follow me. The Kazekage has already arranged your accommodations," said a Sand ninja at the gates.
"Understood. Thank you. Everyone, let's go," Homura replied, then asked as they walked,
"How many villages have arrived so far?"
"Replying to Lord Mitokado: Iwagakure, Kusagakure, Amegakure, and Takigakure have already arrived. Only Yugakure has yet to arrive."
"I see. Then will the exam proceed on schedule?"
"Yes, Lord Mitokado. The first phase begins the day after tomorrow."
"Good. Thank you."
After gathering the necessary information, Mitokado Homura said no more and followed quietly.
A few minutes later, the guide stopped in front of a large building.
"Lord Mitokado, this is the residence prepared for your delegation by the Kazekage."
Homura nodded appreciatively.
"The Kazekage is thoughtful. Please extend my gratitude to him."
"Yes, sir."
Without showing any surprise, Homura led the Konoha delegation inside.
This level of hospitality was expected. Even though the Hokage himself hadn't come, Konoha was still a superpower among the Five Great Nations. Sunagakure wouldn't dare show them disrespect.
This wasn't like the reckless attack on Boruto during his visit to Kirigakure in the next generation. Back then, Naruto could have singlehandedly destroyed the other four villages. That recklessness was born of ignorance.
Sunagakure's leadership, by contrast, understood their position well. No provocations occurred. No one tried to cause trouble. In fact, anyone prone to such behavior had likely already been silenced.
The whole point of hosting this joint Chūnin Exam was to ease post-war tensions, foster diplomacy, and re-establish balance. Stirring up new conflicts would defeat the purpose.
Thus, everyone in Shirō's group maintained pleasant expressions. Those who couldn't were left behind. Appearance and decorum were key to establishing mutual trust.
As for the accommodations—needless to say, Konoha and Iwagakure received the best treatment. The other villages were also treated respectfully, as Sunagakure tried to ensure everything was flawlessly organized.
Every detail was handled with political precision.