Several days passed, and the Ninja Academy had been turned into the venue for the first written exam.
The playground, hallways, and classrooms were all packed with people.
"So many people…"
Yūhi Kurenai sighed.
It was her first time seeing so many foreigners.
"Before we go in, let me tell you something—if you can't answer the questions later, just cheat. Copy from the two people in the middle, or hand in a blank paper."
Kiyoshi revealed this "insider knowledge" to them.
This exam was essentially a competition of cheating skills—
in other words, a test of intelligence-gathering ability.
As long as the cheating wasn't too obvious, the proctors wouldn't interfere.
Of course, if you could withstand the psychological pressure, even submitting a blank paper would allow you to pass the first written test.
In short, this stage was all about information gaps.
Veteran genin who had taken the exam multiple times were required to keep everything confidential. The application form clearly stated this—signing it meant agreement.
"Wait… Kiyoshi, did you just say cheating?"
Sarutobi Asuma was stunned.
It was hard to imagine such a word coming from someone like Kiyoshi, who always carried the image of a genius.
"…Cheating."
Kurenai knew Kiyoshi wasn't someone who spoke nonsense.
But this still sounded unbelievable.
"Just remember to stick it through until the end. Let's go in first."
Seeing they didn't believe him, Kiyoshi didn't bother explaining further.
His pupils blurred slightly as he quickly scanned his surroundings, memorizing the basic appearances of those around.
After walking for a while, they reached inside the academy.
At one of the entrances, a crowd of ninjas had gathered.
"You've got guts coming to the Chūnin Exams like this. Kid, I suggest you give up."
Tetsuka stood there, injuries visible on his body.
Behind him were two Uchiha genin, their faces full of anger.
"That's way too harsh…"
"Why are people blocking the entrance?"
Whispers spread among the crowd.
"Hey, Kiyoshi, what's going on?"
This scene clearly shattered Asuma's expectations.
Fighting before even entering the exam?
And they were Konoha ninjas at that.
"Who knows."
Kiyoshi shook his head, making no effort to explain.
He walked straight toward them.
"The crest on his back… that's Uchiha."
"Isn't that Uchiha Kiyoshi? I heard he's a genius."
"This should be interesting…"
The commotion instantly drew attention.
"Kiyoshi!"
Kurenai hurried after him.
Asuma, still confused, quickly followed as well.
"Kiyoshi, be careful. Those two are strong."
Tetsuka was just about to get serious when he saw Kiyoshi approaching.
"Dispel the genjutsu."
Kiyoshi nodded slightly to Tetsuka and looked at the two ninjas blocking the entrance.
These two were actually Konoha Jōnin in disguise, testing the strength of the participants.
Letting weak candidates enter would only get them killed.
Naruto and Sakura had encountered a similar setup.
As for these two, Kiyoshi didn't recognize them—likely unfamiliar Jōnin.
"Genjutsu?"
Asuma was completely lost.
"It's the sign behind them," Kurenai said, following Kiyoshi's hint and looking carefully.
The number "301" on the door was actually "201."
This was the second floor.
"Not bad."
The ninja on the left spoke, surprised Kiyoshi saw through the illusion instantly.
Even Uchiha Tetsuka hadn't noticed.
And Kiyoshi hadn't even used the Sharingan.
As they spoke, the sign returned to normal.
"But seeing through genjutsu alone isn't enough."
The ninja on the right suddenly launched a powerful kick toward Kiyoshi.
Kiyoshi's expression didn't change as he sidestepped smoothly.
Since this was a test, they wouldn't use full Jōnin strength.
And within the limits of genin-level power—
Kiyoshi had no intention of losing.
Chakra surged within him.
Crackle!
A faint arc of electricity flickered between his fingers as he thrust forward with lightning speed!
Lightning Release: Lightning Finger!
"!"
The attacking ninja quickly raised his arm, blocking with the metal plate on his glove.
Boom!
A dull impact echoed, drawing attention from even distant examinees.
"You've got some skill."
The ninja stepped back, giving way—acknowledging Kiyoshi's strength.
"S-so fast… I couldn't even see it."
"They let him pass?"
Onlookers analyzed the scene, trying to extract useful information.
"Let's go."
Kiyoshi motioned for Kurenai and Asuma to follow, then turned to Tetsuka.
"You guys come too."
With that, he walked in first.
"Hey, Kiyoshi, what just happened?"
Once inside, Asuma felt completely lost.
Everything felt random—
the conflict, the fight…
"They're Jōnin in disguise," Kiyoshi said.
"Disguised Jōnin?!"
Both Asuma and Kurenai were confused.
"They're just testing our strength."
As they reached the end of the hallway, Kiyoshi pointed back.
Kurenai and Asuma turned around.
One of the two ninjas closed the door, his body suddenly expanding with a poof, pulling out a cigarette—clearly using the Transformation Jutsu.
Noticing their gaze, he made a "shh" gesture.
Tetsuka and his teammates, who had hesitated before entering, turned back just in time to see it.
Their eyes widened in shock.
"H-hey, Kiyoshi, how did you know?"
Kurenai's lips moved rapidly, her curiosity fully drawn out.
"Whenever something seems unreasonable, there's usually a logical rule behind it. Do you really think a Konoha examinee would do something that offends others with no benefit?"
Kiyoshi said calmly.
Whether or not one knew the original story, it was obvious—
if something was abnormal, there had to be a reason.
Even if some in Konoha disliked the Uchiha, no one would openly provoke them in public.
No one was that foolish.
Sure enough, not long after Kiyoshi finished speaking, the ninja quickly finished his cigarette.
With another poof, he shrank back into his genin disguise and reopened the door—
This time, stopping another candidate…
a ninja with a dog.
(End of Chapter)