Chapter 130: The Team Assignments
When the ninja village system was first established, there was no such thing as Genin, Chunin, or Jonin. Skill was judged by an internal measure. It was only later, to better serve their clients (and to charge more), and to more efficiently assign missions, that the current three-tiered system was created.
If the evaluation was done internally, there was a lot of room for manipulation. Did your mastery of the Eight Gates have anything to do with the fact that you were just a Genin? No, it did not.
Did your mastery of Sage Mode, your status as a perfect Jinchuriki, and your victory over the progenitor of the ninja world have anything to do with the fact that you were just a Genin? No, it did not.
But once the Chunin Exams became a multi-national competition, held in front of a massive audience, it was all about real strength.
Hidden Cloud Village, Ninja Academy
A large classroom was filled with students.
They were of various ages and were clearly not from the same class. A group of younger kids were chatting noisily, while the older ones waited in silence.
A moment later, a tall, young ninja walked in. The entire classroom, boys and girls, fell silent for a moment, and then erupted in a chorus of exclamations.
"Wow, is that Lord Yotsuki Dana?! He's so handsome!"
"Is that the legendary youngest of the Four Heroes of Mount Tenmoku, the strongest new star of the ninja world?! I'm seeing him in person!"
"That's his old record. Lord Yotsuki Dana's current title is the Hokage Killer, Killer H!"
"Are you an idiot? There's no way he has a title that blunt..."
Yotsuki Dana had caught up to the average height of the Yotsuki clan. At fifteen, he was already 180cm tall. Among a group of kids who were mostly under 160cm, he stood out. With his tall, powerful build and his handsome face, he left the students in a daze.
He walked to the podium and cleared his throat, signaling for them to be quiet. When they had all returned to their seats, he said, "Hello, everyone. I am Yotsuki Dana. Some of you have just graduated from the Ninja Academy, and some of you have been studying at the advanced ninja school for a while. You may be wondering why you have been gathered here. In fact, you are all the people who have recently applied for the Chunin Exams."
Hiroto, sitting in the front row, shouted in his mind, "I didn't!"
"However," he continued, "I am here to inform you that all of your applications for the Chunin Exams have been rejected."
Many of the students were shocked. They didn't understand why the village would do such a thing. But he didn't keep them in suspense.
"This year is special," he explained. "A Joint Chunin Exam will be held soon, in the Land of Rain. All the great ninja villages of the ninja world will be participating, and the Daimyo of several countries will be in attendance. A large number of merchant guilds, celebrities, and potential clients will also be there. In other words, you will be taking the Chunin Exams under the watchful eyes of the entire ninja world."
The shocking news stunned the students. Many of them felt the immense pressure and were already thinking of backing out.
But some were not so easily intimidated.
A figure leaped onto a desk. "Haha! I knew it! This is the perfect stage, made just for me! I, Killer Bee, am about to become famous!"
"The student in the front," Dana said, waving his hand, "please sit down."
But the figure was already lost in his own world.
"The entire ninja world will be chanting my name! The ninja killer! Killer Bee!"
Dana decisively picked up a piece of chalk and threw it at his forehead with the speed of a kunai, sending him tumbling backwards.
"Alright," he continued, "the Joint Chunin Exam is of great significance, and the difficulty will certainly be higher than our own internal exams. So, you should all think carefully about whether you want to participate. I must remind you that although we do not yet know the specific format, a ninja exam will certainly be decided by combat. You need to consider the risks. If you feel you need more training, there is no shame in that. You can build up your strength and take the village's own exams next year."
A girl raised her hand. After he nodded at her, she asked, "Lord Dana, will people die?"
Normally, in an internal exam, there would be no deaths.
"That's a good question," he said. "The village will do its best to ensure your safety and to minimize the possibility of that happening. But to be frank, I suggest you all be mentally prepared for it, so that you can face any challenge with a calm mind. In addition, if any of the exams involve a risk to your life, you should be able to forfeit on the spot. I will confirm this later."
Another student raised his hand. "Lord Dana," he asked, "will we be participating individually?"
"From what we've been told," he said, shaking his head, "it will be a team-based event."
In reality, with the Cloud's relationship with the Rain, they already had the entire exam schedule. But since the purpose was to train the new generation, he would not reveal too much.
A few more questions were asked, and he answered them all patiently. When all their questions had been answered, he said, "Now, you can all decide whether you want to participate. Those who do not wish to can leave. There will be no punishment."
A small number of the students hesitated and then left, but most of them stayed. The Cloud was at the height of its power, and its reputation as the strongest village had given its young ninja an extraordinary sense of confidence and mission. They were more excited than afraid.
Dana silently counted the number of people. It was about what he had expected. And all the important ones had stayed.
"Well then," he said with satisfaction, "since many of you do not have a fixed team, the teams for this exam will be arranged by the village."
There were a lot of participants, but many of them were just there for the experience. Internally, the village had already divided them into "seed" teams and "fodder" teams, though they couldn't say that out loud.
"First, Team One: Hiroto Uzumaki, Kayo Uzumaki, Tetsuo Okine."
"Team Two: Killer Bee, Yahiko, Konan Kohaku."
"Team Three: Yusuke Akahoshi, Ganseki, Akane."
"Team Four: ..."
A total of seven teams, twenty-one participants.
"And finally," he said, "allow me to introduce myself again."
With a flick of his hand, he had somehow produced a pair of glasses and put them on. He pushed them up his nose, and no one could see his eyes.
"My name is Yotsuki Dana. I will be your team leader and your coach."