The sun rose.
Clear skies, bright sunshine.
Standing by his bedside, Yuichi picked up Konoha's forehead protector from the cupboard and tied it neatly around his head. He slipped on a coat, pulled on black trousers, and headed for the door.
When he pushed it open, dazzling sunlight spilled over him, highlighting his sharp, handsome features. The faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips seemed full of vitality under the warm glow.
He dashed downstairs in a hurry.
The obasan downstairs called out with a cheerful smile.
"Yuichi, good luck today! If you pass the exam, you'll become a Chūnin!"
"We'll be cheering you on!"
"Do your best—you're the pride of our street!"
Neighbors waved as Yuichi ran past, calling back with a grin, "I'll do my best!"
In a blink, his figure vanished around the corner.
The Chūnin Exams of Konoha…
They officially began today.
After a month of waiting, the moment had finally arrived.
And it wasn't only Yuichi who was eager.
Sunagakure, too, had been waiting for this day—because the "Konoha Collapse Plan" would be set in motion here.
Everything began now.
The venue for the formal examinations was already packed with spectators.
Many shinobi without missions had come to watch, and countless Konoha civilians filled the stands as well. For them, battles between ninja of this level were a rare sight.
Among the candidates—
Neji's expression was calm, but his thoughts burned: "Will I get to fight that guy?"
Sasuke, who had long since completed his training, arrived early. He was eager too: "Yuichi, Gaara—I will defeat you both with my own hands. With the Chidori I've mastered this past month, I'll crush you…"
Naruto, by contrast, looked frustrated.
Pervy Sage had suddenly disappeared after only briefly teaching him.
Dragged back to Konoha, Naruto had barely grown stronger this month. Sasuke seemed to have learned something incredible, while he himself hadn't progressed at all.
He was distressed.
Tenten stood at the entrance of the venue, eyes scanning the crowd. "He's not here yet… that tall, handsome guy."
The "handsome guy" in her thoughts was, of course, Yuichi.
Yuichi wasn't the type to arrive late.
Sure enough, ten minutes before the exam began, he stepped inside and walked into the candidates' waiting room.
He exchanged nods with Dajie and posed for a photo with a few other ordinary Genin.
Before he could finish, Neji suddenly stepped in front of him.
"I hope I can fight you, Yuichi."
Sakura blinked in surprise. Why would Neji, so strong, want to fight Yuichi of all people?
To her, Yuichi looked slender and frail, not someone powerful.
Yuichi glanced back at Neji, then smiled faintly. "I want to fight you too."
Using the genius of the Hyūga clan as a stepping stone to display his strength before all of Konoha—
Yes, this was a perfect opportunity.
Temari and Kankurō exchanged silent glances.
They hadn't cared about Yuichi before, but Gaara had noticed him.
Anyone who drew Gaara's attention was never ordinary.
Temari thought, "But he doesn't look special at all. Aside from his looks, he seems weak."
Kankurō countered inwardly, "Gaara's instincts have never been wrong. Could this guy be hiding real power?"
Soon, every eye in the room gravitated toward Yuichi.
It made him uncomfortable. Am I really that noticeable? I wasn't trying to show off before…
Just as he considered how to shake their stares, the waiting room door opened.
A Chūnin entered.
"Since everyone's here, I'll announce the rules for the formal exam."
The rules were the same as in the original exam.
Afterward, he revealed the first match-up:
"The official Chūnin Exam, Round One…"
"Hyūga Neji… vs. Nagano Yuichi!"
For a moment, Yuichi froze.
Me?
Why would the Third Hokage arrange this? The decision didn't match his usual style at all.
Yuichi's stunned look, however, seemed to Sakura like fear.
He's already scared before the fight… this will be boring. Neji will crush him easily.
Temari and Kankurō thought the same. Maybe Gaara was wrong this time—Yuichi looked too intimidated for the match to be worth watching.
"Yuichi, go get ready. You're up soon," the Chūnin said lightly with a smile. "Don't get stage fright—there are a lot of people here today."
He turned and left.
Yuichi snapped out of his daze and noticed Neji's eager gaze.
Clearly, Neji was looking forward to this fight.
It's not that I want to use you as a stepping stone, Neji. But this is the Third Hokage's arrangement. I'm sorry—your reputation as a genius will take a heavy hit today.
Yuichi thought this silently, then walked toward the door on the right, while Neji headed toward the left.
The two would enter the vast exam arena from opposite sides.
High in the stands, Sarutobi Hiruzen squinted, his eyes following the two doors.
The "Fourth Kazekage" beside him—Orochimaru in disguise—watched carefully.
"Lord Kazekage," Hiruzen said warmly, "two of Konoha's most talented young shinobi are about to appear. They are the village's future. Talents like these are rare—this battle will be exciting."
To Orochimaru, those words were strange.
Boasting of Konoha's geniuses right in front of the leader of another village?
It was as if Sarutobi were announcing: These two will either be eliminated by you today, or they will one day grow into threats too troublesome to ignore.