Team Seven pushed open the door to the examination hall.
Behind the door, the massive classroom was already packed with people. Ninjas of all bizarre shapes and styles stood scattered throughout the room, creating a deafening cacophony.
"Sasuke-kun, you're so late!"
As Team Seven stepped into the classroom, surveying the diverse group of examinees, a golden-haired figure darted toward Sasuke like a cheerful butterfly.
Sasuke's brow twitched. He was about to sidestep her effortlessly, but before he could react, Sakura surged forward with astonishing speed, blocking Ino's path.
"Stay away from Sasuke, Ino-pig!" Sakura shouted, veins bulging on her forehead as she pointed furiously at Ino.
"Oh my, isn't it Sakura? Long time no see! Your forehead's still as wide as ever, and your chest's still as flat as a pancake. You ugly Sakura!" Ino grinned mockingly, her words dripping with venomous sarcasm.
'Such endearing sisterly affection,' Sasuke thought dryly.
"What did you say?!" Sakura shrieked, pointing wildly at Ino, her fury boiling over. "I dare you to say it again!"
"Nyehehe~"
Completely unfazed by Sakura's threat, Ino stuck out her tongue and made a goofy face.
"You three are here too? Ugh, these tedious exams are such a drag."
As he spoke, the other two members of the Ino-Shika-Cho Formation approached. Shikamaru, hands in his pockets, sighed with exasperation.
"What kind of question is that?" Naruto scoffed. "If you three idiots are here, of course we have to be too."
"Don't call us idiots! Tch, whatever. This is such a drag!"
Shikamaru rolled his eyes. He briefly considered arguing back but decided it was too much effort and resigned himself to the "idiot" label.
'Judging by their auras, they've grown even stronger. Their progress these past few months must be far greater than what they showed back at the academy.'
Sasuke had always been the top genius ninja, dominating the entire year group.
Sakura, for some reason, had mastered incredibly powerful Water Release techniques in recent years, consistently ranking among the top three in practical exams.
And Naruto? That monster with his superhuman stamina and overwhelming physical prowess!
'Ugh, this is such a drag!'
With his dead-fish eyes, Shikamaru calmly observed Team Seven before letting out a deep sigh, sounding like an old man.
'Even back at the academy, Team Seven consistently ranked among the top three.'
Even someone as uninterested as Shikamaru couldn't help but hear about Team Seven's legendary mission experiences over the past few months.
The thought of potentially facing these three as rivals in the Chunin Exams filled Shikamaru with dread.
'No matter who I'm up against, I have no chance of winning. This is such a pain.'
Other students from their graduating class might believe that the trio's strength had already been displayed at the Ninja Academy. They were undeniably strong, but only one level above the rest—not unattainable or beyond reach.
With enough effort and strategic planning, there might still be a chance of victory.
But Shikamaru, with his cool head and analytical mind, had long realized that the trio's true strength far exceeded what they'd shown at the Academy.
Especially Sasuke. Ever since that night, Shikamaru had found his classmate utterly impenetrable, both in terms of skill and psyche.
'If I end up facing those three, I might as well just surrender. After all, we've been classmates for six years. Surrendering means they probably won't kill me, at least.'
"Tch, finally seeing some familiar faces."
Kiba Inuzuka strode over, his face brimming with confidence, a small white dog perched on his head.
Behind him stood Hinata Hyuga, her cheeks flushed crimson, and Shino Aburame, his expression obscured by a high-collared coat and sunglasses.
"Looks like all nine Genin from our class are participating in this year's Chunin Exams," Kiba Inuzuka observed, glancing around at his classmates before fixing his gaze on Naruto. He grinned, "I wonder how far everyone will get? A blockhead like you, Naruto, will probably get eliminated in the first written exam, right?"
"Kiba, you jerk! You looking for another beating?" Naruto retorted, pointing to the headband on his forehead with a confident smirk. "A Genius Ninja like me will definitely pass these Chunin Exams and become an excellent Chunin!"
"Tch, talk big after you pass the written test," Kiba scoffed. "Sure, the three of you were the top performers at the Ninja Academy, but don't underestimate us. We've been training hard lately."
"Then I'll be watching with anticipation!" Naruto declared, crossing his arms with an air of confidence.
Amidst their banter, Sakura had somehow slipped away from her bickering with Ino and was now surveying the candidates in the classroom.
'Rain Ninja!'
When Sakura's gaze swept over the group of Rain Ninja, her eyes lingered noticeably longer than on the other candidates.
'After everything that's happened, Amegakure still sent representatives to participate in the village's Chunin Exams?'
'Could those enemies in the red-cloud robes be connected to them somehow?'
Sakura calmly averted her gaze, silently pondering these questions.
'I hope it's just about Suien.'
She offered a silent prayer. The enemies had been far too powerful.
If they were connected to Amegakure, the Rain Ninja's presence at the exams might be part of some deeper scheme.
As Sakura observed the examinees in the classroom, Sasuke was doing the same.
During his observations, he spotted Yakushi Kabuto. The two exchanged a brief glance, nodding and smiling to acknowledge each other.
'Orochimaru isn't here. He'll probably only emerge during the second exam.'
Sasuke scanned the direction of the Grass Village ninja but found no trace of Orochimaru.
Orochimaru's disguise might have been perfect, but Sasuke's perceptive gaze never lied. He sensed no lingering sense of being watched from the Grass Village's direction.
Realizing Orochimaru wasn't among them, Sasuke's gaze lingered briefly on a red-haired, naturally dazed-looking girl with glasses among the Grass Village ninjas before he withdrew his attention.
'Bang!'
A thunderous slam echoed as a dozen ninjas materialized instantly in the classroom.
"Quiet down, you lot!"
The burly, scar-faced man at the head of the group, draped in a black trench coat, roared at the assembled students. "I am Morino Ibiki, the proctor for this examination!"
"Now, I will write the rules of this exam on the blackboard and explain them thoroughly. No questions will be entertained, so listen carefully!"
With Morino Ibiki's declaration, the Chunin Exams officially commenced.
Sakura solemnly unfurled her exam paper, quickly scanning the questions.
'These are the Chunin Exam questions?!'
Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief.
'This!'
'This!!'
'Are these questions seriously this easy?!'
'These are practically free points!'
'Is the village deliberately making it easy for us to pass this round?'
Sakura felt she could score a perfect score on these questions even with her eyes closed.
Without hesitation, she grabbed her pen and began writing furiously, her hand moving as if guided by divine inspiration. There was no pause for thought; each stroke flowed seamlessly, like drifting clouds and flowing water.
The exam was allotted one hour, but Sakura finished answering all the questions in less than ten minutes.
'Is that it?'
Sakura stopped writing, glanced at her completed paper, nodded slightly, and felt a twinge of disdain.
'Anyone who isn't a complete idiot could answer these, right?'
'Surely no one could fail this, could they? Right? Right?!'
Lost in thought, Sakura's peripheral vision caught sight of Naruto in the distance.
She saw him sweating profusely, pen clutched in hand, staring blankly at the test paper on his desk, utterly lost.
'He can't...'
Seeing this, Sakura's breath hitched, and her mind went blank.