(Pharmacist?)
In the blink of an eye, time passed — and July arrived.
The Chūnin Exams were once again underway.
Aside from Kirigakure (the Village Hidden in the Mist), Kumogakure (Hidden Cloud), and Iwagakure (Hidden Stone), nearly every other major village had sent their genin to participate. Even Sunagakure (Hidden Sand) had dispatched several promising ninja.
While submitting his registration, Chen Xing noticed a few of them — the Sand shinobi — their chakra levels and presence clearly marked them as elites among their peers.
---
For this year's exam, the Konoha Ninja Academy had suspended regular classes to serve as the testing site.
Following the directions posted on the streets, Chen Xing soon arrived at a large examination hall.
The room was enormous — it could easily seat over three hundred participants. Dozens of young shinobi from various villages filled the rows, talking quietly and sizing each other up.
> "There are so many people…" Chen Xing murmured.
As he took his seat, a soft, friendly voice called out from beside him.
"Hey, you're from Hoshigakure, right?"
The speaker was a young man with pale silver hair tied in a short ponytail, round glasses, and the Konoha forehead protector tied neatly around his head. His demeanor was calm, polite — almost overly so.
Chen Xing smiled politely. "Yes, that's right. Hello."
The young man's expression was mild as he adjusted his glasses. "My name is Yakushi Kabuto. Nice to meet you."
> (Yakushi… Kabuto?)
The name instantly struck Chen Xing.
White ponytail, round glasses, polite tone… this has to be him — Orochimaru's future right-hand man.
Even now, Kabuto's chakra felt unusual — carefully suppressed, yet vast and refined. It wasn't weaker than many jōnin Chen Xing had encountered.
> So he's already this skilled at this age. No wonder he fooled so many during the original Chūnin Exams.
Kabuto smiled, pretending to stretch. "It's impressive, isn't it? Ninjas from every nation, all gathered here for one goal."
Chen Xing nodded slightly, his guard subtly raised.
> He recognized me the moment I walked in. That means someone's already informed him. Is it Orochimaru, or the Root division?
---
Not long after, the doors slammed shut.
A stern, cold man with a bandana over his head and a long coat entered — Morino Ibiki, the proctor for the first exam.
His arrival silenced the entire room instantly. The oppressive aura of a veteran interrogator spread through the hall like a weight of iron.
> "That's Morino Ibiki… leader of the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Division," Chen Xing realized.
"So the Third Hokage really sent him to oversee this round. His mental presence is… suffocating."
Just like in the original timeline, Ibiki explained the written test, though this year's version had minor changes in scoring. The true purpose, however, was unchanged — to test observation, teamwork, and information-gathering under pressure.
The exam began. Within minutes, candidates were being caught cheating. Those who failed to follow Ibiki's warnings were immediately disqualified and escorted out by the proctors.
The room echoed only with the scratching of pens and the occasional muffled whisper of chakra manipulation.
---
Chen Xing finished his paper quickly. Leaning back in his chair, he folded his arms and watched the others. Beside him, Bai and Tiexing continued writing seriously. Their focus made him smile faintly.
> Not bad. Their basics are solid.
Across the room, Kabuto's eyes glinted faintly as he whispered to his card deck — his ninja info cards — while pretending to adjust his glasses.
Ibiki's gravelly voice cut through the room.
"Candidate number thirty — you've cheated five times. Disqualified. Your entire team, out!"
"Candidate fifty-five — same result. Out!"
---
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's Office, the Third Hokage watched everything through his crystal ball.
Several jōnin stood beside him, observing the exam scenes.
Might Guy leaned forward, his green jumpsuit creasing. "Lord Hokage! That boy right there — is that the one Kakashi mentioned? The so-called Peacock King of Hoshigakure?"
The Third Hokage exhaled smoke from his pipe. "Yes. That's him — Chen Xing. Kakashi's reports confirm he's not from any Hidden Village under our control. His chakra and battle record are extraordinary. Hard to believe he's only thirteen."
"Thirteen?!" Guy's eyes widened. "But his strength surpasses many elite chūnin. Remarkable!"
Another jōnin muttered, "I thought he was at least fifteen… to have that much chakra and composure, it's unbelievable."
Sarutobi nodded thoughtfully. "A rare genius indeed."
---
Suddenly, one of the jōnin from the Yamanaka clan, watching the crystal ball, frowned. Onscreen, a young Yamanaka genin had used Mind Transfer Jutsu to target Chen Xing.
Inoichi Yamanaka smirked. "Seems my clan's boy picked the wrong target."
The other jōnin chuckled. "Looks like that kid's about to regret it."
Inside the exam room, Chen Xing's eyes snapped open. He felt the intrusion instantly — a foreign presence brushing against his mind. His chakra flared subtly, like a silent explosion.
The Yamanaka genin's body jolted — then collapsed, fainting on the desk.
Back in the Hokage's Office, Inoichi chuckled under his breath. "Good thing my student didn't push harder. That boy's mind is like a steel wall."
---
(Forest of Death)
After the first exam ended, only about two-thirds of the candidates remained. Many had withdrawn voluntarily under the psychological pressure of Ibiki's "final question."
Moments later, a new figure appeared in a flash — Anko Mitarashi, proctor of the second exam. Her energetic voice cut through the tension.
"All right, maggots! Those of you who survived — congrats! The second exam will be held in the Forest of Death!"
The crowd erupted in murmurs. Some paled visibly; others grinned with excitement.
The Forest of Death — officially known as Training Ground Forty-Four — was an enormous, fenced-off jungle filled with deadly beasts and poisonous plants. Even most jōnin avoided it unless on assignment.
Anko grinned. "Before we start, let me make one thing clear — people will die in this test. So sign these consent forms. If you're not ready to risk your life, walk away now."
After the forms were signed, each team received a scroll — either Heaven or Earth.
"The rules are simple," Anko continued. "You have five days to reach the tower at the center of the forest. To pass, your team must have both scrolls. That means you'll need to hunt down another team and take theirs. Lose yours, and you fail. Open the scrolls early, and you also fail."
A murmur swept the crowd.
"So basically," one genin muttered, "you're telling us to fight each other."
Anko smirked, tossing a kunai in her hand. "Exactly. Let's see who survives."