Konohagakure No Sato :
Chunin Exams Venue :
The dramatic tension of Ibiki's speech didn't even have a chance to settle before the front windows decided to explode.
*shatter*
*clink**clink**clink**clink*
Glass shards sprayed across the floor as a dark blur streaked into the room so fast most of the Genin didn't even have time to blink. In a flash of motion, a heavy black cloth unfurled right in front of Ibiki's podium. Kunai whistled through the air, pinning the corners of a massive banner to the ceiling and floor.
It looked like a low-budget theater entrance, but the message was clear:
The Proctor of the Second Exam: Anko Mitarashi!
" YOU Guys ..!! This isn't the time to be celebrating .... I Am THE Proctor of the Second Exam !! Anko Mitarashi...!!"
Soon , The Genin's heard the voice and finally looked at The Kunoichi at Front.
The Woman is Anko Mitarashi.
She has a sharp, energetic appearance with a slightly mischievous edge. Her skin is fair, and her face carries a confident, almost teasing expression. She has dark purple hair, styled in a spiky, uneven way and tied back into a short, high ponytail, with loose strands framing her face.
Her eyes are dark and intense, with a bold, lively look that reflects her wild personality. She has a wide, confident smile that adds to her fearless vibe.
She wears a mesh armor top underneath a Light brownish coat that hangs loosely over her shoulders. Around her waist is a short orange skirt, paired with dark shorts underneath. Her outfit also includes bandages around her thigh and standard shinobi footwear.
IMAGE
Naruto stared at Anko, just like every other guy in the room. (Even though I knew it was coming... she is really just wearing mesh armor under that coat. No shirt, just the skirt. How bold... and...)
"...Big," Naruto whispered softly.
His voice was quiet, only reaching the few seats immediately around him. That included Hinata, who was now wide awake. She peeked over at him, shy but curious, and immediately tracked his gaze right to the chaotic kunoichi's chest. As an aspiring shinobi of the prestigious Hyuga clan, she connected the dots instantly.
(...So Naruto-kun likes them big.)
Subconsciously, Hinata crossed her arms over her own still-budding chest, a secret, happy little smile touching her lips. But before she could get too lost in thought, Anko's loud voice cut through the room again.
"Fifty-seven?! Ibiki, you let nineteen teams slide by? "
"Hmph," Ibiki grunted. "The rest are all a tough bunch... and excellent candidates."
The Genins puffed up a bit at the unexpected compliment from the terrifying proctor. But Anko just snorted, completely unimpressed.
"Hoh! Well, alright then! I'll just have to drop more than half of them in the upcoming exam!"
A wave of anxious whispers washed over the classroom, but Anko wasn't done , She looked forward and addressed all the Genins
"I'll give you the details tomorrow. We will be changing locations, so get the time and place from your Jonin instructors. That's it, you are dismissed!"
Saying her piece, Anko vanished, . Naruto tracked her movement easily, shaking his head.
( diving right back out the same shattered window she'd crashed through )
The classroom stayed quiet for a beat before the dam broke. Murmurs and groans filled the air, just like any normal classroom after a brutal test.
Naruto let out a long breath, watching the remaining proctors file out. The mention of the second exam meant the Forest of Death was up next, and with it, the inevitable clash with someone like Orochimaru.
(...With Hiraishin, I'm safe. But what about Sasuke and Sakura? Will things really play out the same way?)
Naruto sat back in his chair, his mind drifting through the dangerous possibilities of the days ahead. While thinking of the Mental Sannin , Naruto lost track of the time , However, his brooding was soon interrupted.
"Give me the information on the Leaf Genin, Uzumaki Naruto."
Naruto's Hound Senses skill—a passive Skill that boosted his hearing and smell to canine levels—picked up the whisper effortlessly. In a classroom that was slowly emptying out, hearing his own name was an instant trigger.
( ...hmm , gossiping behind my back , but this voice )
Glancing over his shoulder, Naruto saw the much-belated scene playing out at the back of the room. The Rookie 9, Karin's team, Team Guy, the Sand siblings, the Sound trio, and a few others were all clustered around a silver-haired boy with glasses: Kabuto.
(...Is this fate? )
The voice asking for his info belonged to Neji. Focusing his senses, Naruto recognized the familiar chakra signatures of his friends, but he zeroed in on Kabuto's.
(Hmm... his chakra capacity doesn't seem like much... but there are plenty of ways to hide it anyway.)
Even if it felt like an average Genin's reserves, Naruto knew better. A master spy who had been lurking in the Leaf for years would know exactly how to fool sensors and even the Byakugan.
But it wasn't just the size of the chakra pool that tipped Naruto off. Thanks to his System and the unique emotional sensing of Kagura's Mind Eye, he felt the stark contrast.
(...That chakra is calm..... No, not calm. Indifferent. It's almost entirely devoid of emotion.)
Shikamaru's chakra felt lazy, Kiba's was hyperactive, Gian's felt like solid earth, Sasuke's burned like fire, and Neji's was a prickling sensation. Then there was Ino, Sakura, Choji, Shino, Lee, Tenten, and... Hinata.
(Huh? When did Hinata get over there?)
Naruto blinked, realizing the seat beside him was empty. Somehow, while he was lost in thought, she had slipped away and joined the crowd.
( ....must be embarrased from before )
Shaking his head, Naruto stood up and strolled toward the gathering. As he walked, his internal interface flared to life. He systematically activated his sensory skills:
Dynamic Vision Lv6 (81/100)
Keen Eyes Lv6 (11/100)
Halo Eyes Lv4 (93/100)
He also pushed his passive skills through his MindHub, sharpening their edge beyond normal limits:
Kagura's Mind Eye
Hound Senses (Passive)
Chakra Sensor (Passive)
Naruto stopped a few paces behind the crowd, letting his Stealth passive keep him unnoticed. His Halo Eyes at Level 4 gave him a perfect spherical view of a 5-meter radius around himself.
(Let's see if I can figure anything out about Kabuto using just my own skills, without relying on my memories.)
Taking a slow breath, Naruto triggered the final piece of the puzzle:
Reading Level 6.
He had recently discovered that when System skills were layered in specific combos, their effects evolved past their basic descriptions.
Reading, which normally just let him process literature or scrolls at superhuman speeds, underwent a massive shift when at Level 6 and combined with his ocular and sensory skills.
It stopped reading words and started reading opponents. While it wasn't too practical in the middle of a fast-paced brawl yet, it was terrifyingly effective when he had a moment to observe.
Naruto had given this unique combo effect a fitting name:
[ Sherlock's Gaze ]
The world didn't just slow down; it fragmented into a thousand data points. Naruto's vision tunneled into Kabuto, stripping away the "friendly senior" facade layer by layer.
For someone like him who was usuing cheats and has even learned under Hattori-sensei and The medical Saint Like Tsunade , everything felt different
Deduction 1: The Respiration. Breath is steady—exactly 12 inhalations per minute.
Using Hound Senses hearing , Reading the Heart rate: 60 BPM. Statistically impossible for a Genin surrounded by hostile foreign ninja. Result: Artificial physiological suppression.
Deduction 2: The Olfactory Signature. Hound Senses pick up a faint metallic tang beneath the smell of old parchment. Antiseptic. Specifically, a chemical used only in deep-surgical theatres. Trace amounts of formaldehyde on the cuffs. Result: Frequent contact with cadavers.
Deduction 3: The Hands. Pristine skin, yet the index and middle fingers of the right hand are slightly curved inward—a muscle memory reflex for holding a Chakra Scalpel. The skin on the fingertips is unnaturally smooth.
Result: High-level Yang Release usage has scrubbed away the natural callouses of a swordsman or kunai-user.
Deduction 4: Tactical Posture. Weight is shifted 60% onto the left heel. He looks like he's leaning toward the Rookies, but his center of gravity is perfectly aligned to pivot and strike the Sound Genin behind him. His eyes, behind the glare of his glasses, never stay on one person for more than 0.5 seconds.
Result: Active combat-threading. He's currently tracking every threat in the room simultaneously.
Deduction 5: The Equipment. The pouch on his right thigh is slightly over-encumbered. It doesn't contain just scrolls; the weight distribution suggests heavy liquids. Glass vials. The left sleeve has a micro-wrinkle near the wrist—a hidden Mechanism for some weapon ?. Result: High-level assassination kit.
Deduction 6: The Neck. A faint scar behind the left ear, partially hidden by the hairline. A surgical incision. Not from a battle, but a self-administered or controlled procedure.
Naruto's eyes sharpened. Under the weight of the Holmes Gaze, the "Genin" Kabuto evaporated. In his place stood a predator masquerading as a mouse.
(...Yup. That is not the body of a Genin. Not even a Chunin. Bone density, muscle fiber contraction, and chakra stability...even without Byakugan , with my reading , that's 100% Jonin-level conditioning.)
The suspicious points weren't just mounting; they were screaming. From five meters away, Naruto watched the "spy" perform, his own eyes narrowing into slits.
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The Back Of The Classroom :
While Naruto stayed completely hidden in the shadows, perfectly concealing his presence with his Passive Stealth skill that he signed in from Aburame Clan , and observed Kabuto with Sherlock Holmes Gaze,
The real show was happening at the back of the classroom. Kabuto pushed his round glasses up the bridge of his nose, playing the role of the helpful, harmless veteran Genin to most flawless state .
"Uzumaki Naruto. A fresh graduate rookie who became a Genin just months ago," Kabuto read aloud from his chakra-infused info card, his voice steady and carrying easily over the hushed crowd.
"A member of Team 7 with Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura, under the Jonin teacher Hatake Kakashi, the famous Copy Ninja."
Kabuto's eyes flicked over to Hyuga Neji, who had asked the question. As a master spy, Kabuto didn't miss a detail and obseved Hyuga ( or The Uchiha ) Subtely —he immediately noted the bruised forehead protector and the obvious finger marks on Neji's battered hands.
Actually , Kabuto had been observing Sasuke from the moment the Uchiha stepped into the building, catching the confrontation with Neji and Rock Lee later , Naturally, he had also kept a close eye on Naruto.
But honestly? Aside from the Rookie of the Year's ridiculous chakra reserves and physical skills, direct observation hadn't yielded much. The real bombshells were in the intel Kabuto had painstakingly gathered before this exam around the village.
Kabuto tapped the stat sheet diagram on the card.
"Uzumaki Naruto has the most balanced stats with no obvious weakness compared to the other Genin. Actually, his chakra is a stat that has already surpassed most Chunins , and even some Jonin. And of course, his basic physical stats, like Taijutsu, are on par with Rock Lee, if not exceeding him entirely. All in all, his basic stats surpass almost everyone here."
Hearing Kabuto's casual delivery of these terrifying facts, the Rookie 9 and the surrounding Genin listened with rapt attention. A few nervous swallows echoed in the quiet room.
*Gulp* *Gulp*
"Surpassing the Taijutsu master who swept the floor with the Uchiha..." someone whispered.
"...So that heavy chakra we felt earlier was from him?" another muttered.
Kabuto didn't stop to let them breathe. He kept going. "Uzumaki Naruto has also completed 3 A-Rank, 7 B-Rank, 11 C-Rank, and 31 D-Rank missions, an—"
"Impossible!"
Before Kabuto could finish, Sasuke snapped. As Naruto's teammate, Sasuke felt like he was listening to a bad joke. He had heard Gaara and Lee's impressive stats and believed in Kabuto's reliability, but how could he possibly believe Naruto had secretly pulled off another 2 A-Rank and 7 B-Rank missions? Team 7 had only ever done five C-Rank missions! When the hell did Naruto find the time?
"I am on his team," Sasuke growled, his jaw tight. "I don't know anything about that extra A-Rank or those 7 B-Rank missions."
Hearing Sasuke's outburst, the Genin around them shifted uncomfortably. They looked at Kabuto with sudden doubt. Even the Rookie 9 looked confused. Seeing this, Kabuto just smiled an easy, practiced smile and adjusted his glasses.
"Well, let me elaborate then. According to my intel, Uzumaki Naruto has achieved a genius-level feat in the art of Fuinjutsu. His attainments are such that he devised and created entirely new Fuinjutsu seals. After the village tested those seals, Naruto was provided with one A-Rank and one B-Rank mission merit."
"...You serious??"
" Something like A-Rank can't be taken lightly "
" yeah , it's all Jonin stuff , isn't it "
"What about the other B-Rank missions, then?"
"According to my info, it's not just Fuinjutsu," Kabuto continued reading showing 'nervousness' himself
"Uzumaki Naruto has also created some B-Rank jutsu, C-rank jutsus and donated them to the Konoha archives. For this, he was awarded six B-Rank mission merits. and other C Mission Merits "
".... Creating Ninjutsu ?? "
" And here is the kicker: these were things he did before he even graduated from the Academy."
The surrounding Genin were absolutely floored. The Rookie 9 were no exception. For the ones who had learned the Breathing Technique or the Chakra Burst from Naruto, a massive realization hit them like a freight train.
They had no idea the "training tips" he had casually tossed their way actually met the minimum threshold for B-Rank, or possibly even A-Rank, secret techniques!They finally felt the crushing weight of the gifts Naruto had given them without asking for a single "thank you" or favor in return.
The ones feeling this the most intensely—with a sudden, overwhelming warmth in their chests—were the four girls in the crowd: Hinata, Ino, Karin, and Shizuka.
A strange, fierce pride welled up inside them. Almost subconsciously, their hands drifted down to their waists, lightly brushing against the knife sheaths holding Naruto's gifts. Even though they didn't know about the Hiraishin marks yet, the weapons suddenly felt incredibly heavy and special.
"...Before graduating, you say?"
"Damn bastard, he didn't mention anything about that!"
"Kiba, Naruto did mention it, though he definitely left out the mission merits part."
"...And don't forget the technique that he taught us."
"Hmm."
"Is he really just a Genin?"
"Tch, so what? It's not a combat type."
"One A-Rank and seven B-Rank missions, even before graduation..."
"No, he only talked about six B-Ranks. One is still left unaccounted for."
"What kind of seal did he make?"
"I am more interested in the jutsu, though. That is B-Rank and A-Rank jutsu, you know!"
Hearing the barrage of questions, Kabuto smiled and fixed his glasses again.
"All the information about his jutsu, seals, or techniques has been classified as a village secret. Only the deeds themselves are mentioned. According to my info, the actual details are only available for those with Jonin-level clearance. As for the last B-Rank mission... that was a combat type. From what I gathered, Uzumaki Naruto single-handedly subdued and apprehended a veteran Chunin. And just like everything else, the details are highly classified."
The Genin took a sharp, collective breath.
( With this I have gathered their trust for a moment .....it will be much more useful in future )
It was right at this exact moment that Kabuto felt it. A strange, prickling sensation of being watched. A cold shiver ran violently down his spine. He subtly shifted his eyes, scanning the empty corners of the room, but saw absolutely nothing.
(Strange...) Kabuto thought, a single drop of sweat sliding down his temple. (Maybe I attracted the attention of a monitoring Jonin with all this talk. Let's wrap it up.)
Kabuto adjusted his glasses one last time, flawlessly transitioning back into the persona of a normal, attentive Genin.
"According to my info, Uzumaki Naruto from the Leaf and Gaara of the Sand are the two strongest applicants in this exam. Everyone should watch out for them. ...Well, that will be all. Now I will excuse myself. After all, we all need to be prepared for tomorrow."
Saying his piece, Kabuto bowed politely to the stunned crowd and departed "normally", feeling the heavy gazes of the Genin on his back.
The shockwaves of the news vibrated through the crowd long after Kabuto left. The Rookie 9 were suddenly dealing with some very troublesome thoughts.
Shikamaru, Shino, Kiba, Choji, and Gian were all processing the revelation differently, and so were the girls. The information was mind-blowing, but honestly? Except for the official mission merits and the whole "capturing a Chunin" thing, Naruto hadn't really hidden anything from them.
He had openly taught them the Breathing Technique and Chakra Burst. And since Kabuto said it was all highly classified Jonin-level intel, it was only natural Naruto hadn't bragged about it.
Neji, however, looked like he was going to blow a blood vessel. His pale eyes bulged in absolute disbelief. Even though Naruto was Rookie of the Year, Neji had never taken him seriously.
When Naruto had ambushed him earlier or even the year before , Neji had brushed it off as a lucky AMbush . But hearing this? Neji clenched his fists tight, Especially when his mind flashing back to Naruto's ambiguous, protective relationship with that "failure" of a cousin over the past year.
( Is this Fate ?? )
His teammates were having their own reactions. Rock Lee was literally crying tears of hot-blooded inspiration , remembering their training sessions over the years
( Not only Genius but Naruto-kun works hard too .....what youth *Uwahhh* )
while Tenten just looked deeply impressed.
( He definitely looked different from the rest .......Neji ..!!)
And then there was Team 7.
Sakura stood frozen, her mind spinning.
(To think Naruto was so amazing... I did see his strength on our missions, but to think it was to this extent? Making A and B-Rank seals and jutsus before he even graduated?!)
Looking to her side, Sakura saw Sasuke-kun. He looked utterly shell-shocked. He stood rooted to the spot, his fists clenched so hard his knuckles were white, his jaw locked in a furious grind. Looking at Sasuke vibrating with Shock, Sakura felt a sudden, massive shift in her worldview for the very first time.
(...Naruto is even more amazing than Sasuke-kun, isn't he?)
As soon as the thought bubbled up, Sakura panicked, violently shaking her head internally to throw the thought away. But the seed was planted. Moving nervously, she stepped closer to the brooding Uchiha.
( No , Sasuke-kun needs me ,....even if the whole world looks away , I will always look at you Sasuke-kun )
"Sasuke-kun."
"....."
"....Let's find Kakashi-sensei. We still need to find out about the next exam."
Sasuke finally snapped back to reality. He gave a dark grunt, shoved his hands deep into his pockets, and headed for the door without a word. Slowly, the rest of the stunned crowd began to disperse, the room filled with paranoid mutters about Uzumaki Naruto.
Somehow in all this Talk , Sakura and Sasuke totally forgot about their last team member entirely .
Sasuke and Sakura pushed through the doors and headed outside the building. But as they stepped into the daylight, they immediately noticed two figures waiting near the exit , The people seems to be talking softly .
It was their team captain, Hatake Kakashi.
And standing right next to him, looking completely casual and entirely unbothered, was Uzumaki Naruto. Seeing them, Sasuke paused for a fraction of a second before increasing his pace, his eyes locked on the blonde, with Sakura hurrying closely behind.
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Author's Notes :
Whenever there is a core point in story
I got nervous , like a lot
Just like Now , going further , there will be the fight with Snaky Sannin , and I have no idea how to write it .
It's already been 2 days and instead of pacing the story I am trying to dilly-dally like the Monkey Hokage .
The problem is not the fight but The Main character's mentality and approach , especially Sasuke
well , next chapter will be Forest of death intro and some small things
Does anyone has ANY Ideas . Or should I just go with it
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