Early morning.
The Forest of Death.
By the time Kin arrived, many were already waiting.
The crowd stretched as far as the eye could see. If not for knowing it was the Jonin Exam, he might have thought the entire Konoha shinobi force had gathered.
It was absurd.
"Over here!" Namikaze Minato waved, while Kushina stood beside him with a worried expression.
Kin walked over and joined the two.
His gaze swept the surroundings—there were at least several hundred people, if not close to a thousand.
In previous years, Konoha's Jonin count had hovered around two hundred, never exceeding three hundred even at its peak.
Though many had fallen in the recent war, replenishing the ranks shouldn't require this many candidates. Even the Chunin Exam wouldn't see such numbers.
"Has Jonin-level strength become this common now?"
Kin had heard rumors about the unusually high turnout for this year's Jonin Exam, but seeing it firsthand was still surreal.
The Chunin Exam would make sense, but Jonin represented the pinnacle of a shinobi's career—excluding the Kage, of course.
If all these candidates succeeded, Konoha's strength would surpass its historical peak.
They wouldn't even need to fight; the sheer numbers alone would terrify their enemies.
Even Iwagakure, notorious for its massive shinobi forces, couldn't muster this many Jonin. Their advantage lay in Genin and Chunin numbers, not high-ranking ninja.
If any village could field an overwhelming number of Jonin, they'd dominate the others effortlessly.
"Blame your jutsu innovations for this," Kushina said, shooting Kin a sidelong glance. His techniques—whether the Six Styles, Basic Internal Energy, or the Three-Colored Haki—were too effective at creating elites.
"Just wait until you face them in combat. You'll realize they're all using your techniques."
Kushina imagined the scene: two masters of the Six Styles clashing, their identical taijutsu rendering the fight a drawn-out stalemate.
Kin stroked his chin, recalling encounters with Kumo-nin who'd returned from the frontlines. The Three-Colored Haki was the most potent power boost among his creations.
Though he hadn't sparred with anyone except White Fang, he knew many on the Kumo front had made leaps in strength over the past year.
Would this Jonin Exam turn into a battle of "Hokage vs. Pirates"? After all, most of his exchanges with other villages drew inspiration from One Piece.
"At this rate, a new rank above Jonin might emerge in a few years," Minato mused.
Jonin had always been the apex, their scarcity a mark of prestige. But if their numbers ballooned, the title would lose its luster.
Elite Jonin was merely an honorary add-on, still part of the Jonin rank, with privileges granted by the Hokage's discretion.
"What's next? Inventing a new Kage rank?" Kin scoffed. Even if others agreed, Sarutobi Hiruzen would never allow it.
Minato and Kushina stayed silent. The topic was too sensitive—responding might seem disrespectful to the Third Hokage.
"They're here," Kin suddenly said, turning toward the locked gates of the Forest of Death.
The forest was vast, and its wild beasts could easily claim the lives of unprepared civilians.
"What's here?" Kushina asked, puzzled.
Minato, equally unaware, followed Kin's gaze.
With a poof of smoke, Orochimaru appeared at the gates, accompanied by Might Dai and two other shinobi.
"Is Might Dai participating too?" Kin asked.
"Yes," Minato nodded. "He's a formidable opponent this time."
In a combat-based exam, Might Dai's presence was practically cheating.
"Interesting," Kin grinned, eager to test his skills against the legendary taijutsu master.
"Listen up," Orochimaru's voice cut through the chatter, and the crowd fell silent.
As one of the Sannin, his reputation was unmatched, and Konoha's propaganda had only amplified his and the Third's prestige.
"I am Orochimaru, your proctor for this Jonin Exam."
"This is Konoha's first official Jonin Exam. It consists of two stages: a Survival Assessment to test your combat prowess, and a Written Exam, mirroring the traditional comprehensive evaluation."
The Survival Assessment was a new addition, loosening the requirements for Jonin promotion. Previously, candidates needed either the Hokage's personal recognition or extraordinary battlefield achievements—a highly subjective process.
Now, any Chunin or Special Jonin could apply, provided they had a Jonin's endorsement.
"Here are the Survival Assessment rules."
Orochimaru gestured, and the two shinobi beside him formed hand seals. Smoke erupted as two large boxes materialized.
"Each of you will draw a Number Tag from the left box and a slip from the right. The slip will list a target Number Tag."
He raised a hand, counting off the rules:
"First, losing your Number Tag means disqualification."
"Second, failing to acquire your target's tag within the time limit means disqualification."
"Third, leaving the Forest of Death means disqualification."
"Fourth, if your Number Tag is more than ten centimeters away from your body, it counts as lost."
"Fifth, killing anyone will be treated as murder under village law."
"Begin drawing your tags."
Might Dai was the first to step forward, claiming Tag #39 and a slip. He unfolded it dramatically for all to see.
"Let our youth burn with passion!" he bellowed.
"What an idiot," Kin muttered, watching Orochimaru facepalm in exasperation.
The slip read: Tag #3.
That number was now everyone's least desirable target. Few dared to challenge Might Dai's might—Kin included. Confidence aside, losing to him would mean instant failure.
One by one, candidates drew their tags.
Kin retrieved Tag #666—an auspicious number—and pinned it openly on his chest instead of hiding it.
Once the boxes were empty, Orochimaru raised his arm.
"You have seven days."
"The exam begins now!"
...
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(End of Chapter)