In the blink of an eye, the second day arrived, and the joint Chunin Exams officially began.
The exam format was completely different from the traditional tests held in the Hidden Leaf.
Kumogakure was a village that fiercely worshipped strength.
Only those with overwhelming power could earn high status, and that brutal philosophy was reflected even in their Chunin Exams.
The first phase tested a genin's ability to gather intelligence and make quick, accurate judgments on a chaotic battlefield.
Inside a vast designated forest, Kumogakure had released numerous specially bred ninja beasts. Their danger levels ranged from ordinary wild animals to creatures as strong as seasoned chunin.
Hidden throughout the forest were point scrolls worth between one and five points. These scrolls could appear anywhere.
A powerful ninja beast might guard a worthless one-point scroll, while a random stone beside the road could conceal a rare five-point prize underneath.
To test the intelligence-gathering abilities of the participating villages, every squad received an information scroll right before the exam began. These scrolls contained encrypted clues pointing toward the hidden point locations.
The genin had to decipher and protect their own scrolls while also stealing those of rival teams. On top of that, subtle clues were scattered throughout the forest itself.
Finding them could reveal new information or even lead directly to hidden point stashes.
The exam would last for two whole days. At the end, the ten squads with the highest scores would advance to the next round.
After reviewing the rules, Jie found the format fairly refreshing. Although luck played a major role, luck itself was undeniably a part of a shinobi's strength.
However, the moment he saw the scoring system, he already knew how this phase would end.
Finding hidden scrolls? What kind of intelligence gathering could possibly compare to the Hyuga clan's Byakugan?
The moment Hinata activated her visual prowess, one sweep of her gaze would expose every hidden scroll in the forest. How could genin from other villages possibly compete?
Painstakingly gathering clues became completely unnecessary. To Hinata, the hidden scrolls were no different from potatoes buried beneath shallow dirt. All her team had to do was walk over and dig them up.
Soon, the starting signal rang out. After receiving their intel scrolls, the various ninja squads flooded into the dense forest.
As Sasuke grabbed his team's scroll, he glanced toward the distant Kage summit platform and gave Jie a confident thumbs-up.
It was their prearranged signal.
In this Chunin Exam, Team 7 intended to go all out and crush the competition, showing the world the overwhelming might of the Hidden Leaf.
Once the team disappeared into the thick foliage, Sasuke turned toward Hinata with a grin.
"Hinata, it's all on you now."
Hinata nodded softly.
She felt a little awkward. Using the Byakugan in an exam like this honestly felt unfair. It was practically a perfect map-hack where nothing in the forest could stay hidden from her eyes.
Still, this was a serious competition between rival shinobi villages. For the sake of the Hidden Leaf's pride, she had no intention of holding back.
"Byakugan!"
Hinata formed the hand seal. Veins bulged around her temples, and her pale eyes shone with a sharp, star-like brilliance.
Under the gaze of her Thousand-Pupil Byakugan, the forest revealed all its secrets.
"There's a point scroll over there," she said, pointing into the distance. "But beside it..."
The moment she activated her dojutsu, she had already noticed the massive heat signature nearby.
Unfortunately, before she could finish her warning, Naruto had already dashed off excitedly in the direction she pointed.
"...there's a bear," Hinata finished helplessly.
Naruto didn't hear a single word.
A loud Smack! echoed through the forest moments later.
Soon after, Naruto returned while casually dragging an unconscious black bear behind him, proudly waving the scroll in his hand.
"What a letdown. It was just a bear," Naruto complained as he kicked at the dirt. "I thought it'd be genin from another village!"
Honestly, it was a fair complaint.
To Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata, an ordinary wild beast was nothing. Their very first combat mission together had involved hunting five rampaging black bears. Compared to that, a single bear posed absolutely no threat to Naruto now.
Sasuke opened the scroll Naruto handed him.
A bold '5' was written inside.
A perfect start.
The three genin immediately grinned.
With Hinata's flawless guidance, Naruto and Sasuke swept through the forest at incredible speed, collecting scroll after scroll along the way.
"Great. We already have nearly fifty points," Sasuke said while counting their haul.
His dark eyes gleamed with excitement. The exam had barely begun, and they still had two full days remaining, yet they had already built an absurd lead.
At this rate, first place was practically guaranteed.
"Hinata, where's the next one?" Sasuke asked as he securely stored the scrolls away.
"Right over there," she replied, before suddenly freezing. "Wait. Someone's coming."
Hearing that, Naruto instantly perked up.
Hinata narrowed her eyes, focusing her vision. A small squad of shinobi was quietly creeping toward their position through the forest.
"Did we finally run into ninjas from another village?" Naruto asked, cracking his knuckles with a feral grin. "Nobody stop me! I'm gonna show them what I can do!"
Now that they knew enemies were approaching, Team 7 was more than ready.
They wanted to see exactly what kind of skills these rival genin possessed.
Meanwhile, high above the forest on the Kage summit platform, Onoki looked at the young Hokage and let out a cold scoff.
"The Hokage is certainly confident," the Third Tsuchikage said dryly. "To visit another village without bringing a single bodyguard... Or is the Hidden Leaf simply lacking in capable manpower? Relying on three little kids to carry the burden of the Chunin Exams?"
In Onoki's eyes, Jie's terrifying reputation was nothing more than exaggerated hype.
Beheading the Fourth Raikage? Defeating the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki? It was probably just propaganda Konoha spread to inflate his status.
If Jie were truly a monster, then why had he sent the Sannin to the frontlines during the war between Iwagakure and Konoha five years ago while he hid like a turtle behind the village walls?
Onoki was convinced the young Uchiha lacked real strength. If Jie had stepped onto the battlefield himself, it would have only exposed Konoha's weakness.
Because of this, Onoki held deep contempt for him.
The Tsuchikage's mockery instantly drew the attention of the other three Kage. They watched in silence, curious to see how Jie would respond to such blatant provocation.
Hearing Onoki's sharp words, Jie simply gave a casual, relaxed smile.
"The Hidden Leaf may not have an overabundance of talent," he replied calmly, "but having the Sannin and the Uchiha Clan is already more than enough."
He paused briefly before continuing,
"If the Third Tsuchikage still doubts Konoha's strength, you're welcome to march your troops against us again anytime."
A faint trace of mockery lingered in his voice.
Onoki's face instantly darkened.
Five years ago, the war against Konoha had ended in a crushing defeat for the Hidden Stone. The combined might of the Sannin, the Uchiha Clan, and Konoha's forces had completely shattered Iwagakure's advance.
Jie's words were clearly meant to reopen that old wound.
Onoki's expression turned uglier by the second. Just as he was about to fire back in anger, a Kumogakure shinobi suddenly rushed onto the platform.
"Reporting to the Lords!" the ninja shouted loudly. "The Hidden Leaf squad has engaged in combat with genin from the Hidden Mist!"
Hearing this, Mei Terumi raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Considering the tense exchange between Onoki and Jie just moments ago, she had half expected the Hidden Stone genin to be the first ones to clash with Konoha's team.
Instead, the Hidden Mist had somehow beaten them to it.
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