Yakushi Kabuto adjusted his glasses, the gaze behind the lenses sweeping over the somewhat uneasy Konoha Genin.
"During the Chunin Exams, every candidate's nerves are on edge. If you keep making this much noise, you'll easily draw unnecessary anger and become the target of everyone's ire."
Satō Yū's face showed a flash of realization and gratitude. "Thank you for the reminder, Kabuto-senpai. This is our first time taking part —we really don't know the etiquette."
A wry smile flitted across Kabuto's face. "It's fine, I understand. After all, unlike me... this is already my seventh attempt at the Chunin Exams."
"Seventh?!"
Uzumaki Naruto was the first to shout, eyes wide, finger stabbing at Kabuto so loudly that foreign Ninja nearby frowned again.
"You've taken it seven times and still haven't passed?!"
Haruno Sakura tugged Naruto's sleeve to hush him, then turned to Kabuto, curiosity written on her face. "Senpai, since you've entered so many times, you must know the exam inside out. Could you share some intel?"
Kabuto didn't seem to mind Naruto's bluntness. Smiling, he pulled a thick stack of cards from his ninja tool pouch.
"Of course —we're all Konoha comrades." He fanned the cards with practiced ease. "Years of data, recorded with Chakra on special cards."
Every eye was drawn to the deck.
"By my count, this exam has entrants from six Villages: Sunagakure, Amegakure, Kusagakure, Takigakure, our Konoha and Otogakure."
He paused, sweeping his gaze over the attentive crowd.
"One hundred and fifty-six contestants in total."
The precise figure drew sharp intakes of breath from many Genin.
Out of one-hundred-fifty-six rivals, only a scant few would earn promotion.
Uchiha Sasuke stepped forward, dark eyes fixed on Kabuto's cards. "These cards hold detailed profiles on every participant?"
"Exactly." Kabuto nodded proudly. "Whatever I can collect —preferred Ninjutsu, mission logs, even open combat evaluations —it's all here."
He looked at Sasuke. "Anyone in particular? Give me a name and I'll find the entry."
Without hesitation, under everyone's gaze, Sasuke spoke two names.
"Tejima Shinichi. Hyuga Neji."
When those names left his lips, nearby Konoha Genin stared in surprise.
One name stood for the acknowledged strongest of their year; the other, a prodigy from the previous class.
Hyuga Neji merely flicked a calm glance at Sasuke, unsurprised.
His own gaze then shifted to Kabuto —clearly he, too, wanted whatever data existed on Tejima Shinichi.
Kabuto inclined his head; the cards riffled as though alive.
He drew the first card —Hyuga Neji's.
"Hyuga Neji, Konoha Genin, branch family of the Hyuga Clan. Expert in Taijutsu Gentle Fist, possesses the Kekkei Genkai Byakugan. Mission record: 20 D-rank, 11 C-rank. Overall assessment: strength nearing Special Jonin —beware his tenketsu strikes and 360° field of vision."
"E-eleven C-ranks?!"
Inuzuka Kiba blurted, shock written across his face.
Most newly graduated Genin had barely completed one or two C-ranks; eleven was staggering.
Toward the back, Hyuga Hinata lowered her head, fingers nervously intertwined at Neji's record.
Next, Kabuto drew the second card.
He frowned, puzzled.
"Tejima Shinichi, Konoha Genin... mission record unremarkable —only one C-rank completed."
Several foreign Genin smirked at the underwhelming numbers.
On paper, nothing special.
Kabuto adjusted his glasses and continued.
"However, he's the personal pupil Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen took in not long ago, and the undisputed top student of your year —already far beyond his peers at graduation."
He paused, sweeping the room before settling on Shinichi's face.
"As for his specific abilities and Ninjutsu, my cards hold little. Public combat footage is scarce; intelligence is hard to come by."
Regret colored his tone, yet a gleam flickered behind his lenses.
"Still, anyone hand-picked by the Hokage and singled out by both Neji and Sasuke must be extraordinary. All I can say: his strength... is likely unfathomable."
The vague appraisal only heightened the mystery —and the pressure.
The final phrase, "unfathomable," drew every eye back to Shinichi.
Sasuke frowned, unsatisfied with the lack of concrete data, while Shinichi remained impassive.
Neji gave a soft snort, Byakugan still locked on Shinichi, thoughts unreadable.
Before the Konoha Genin could react, a figure appeared at the front desk.
Tall, scarred, clad in Konoha's black trench-coat and forehead protector —the captain of the Interrogation Unit: Morino Ibiki!
Morino Ibiki surveyed the room. "Quiet, rookies!"
Instant silence; every curious gaze snapped to him.
"I'm Morino Ibiki, chief proctor for the first phase of the Chunin Selection Exam."
No one spoke; someone swallowed audibly.
"First phase begins now. Hand in your applications, then collect your numbered tags and take the corresponding seats."
The candidates moved, forming a hushed, orderly line to receive their numbers.
Tejima Shinichi received his: 47. Kobayashi Takeshi took 48; Satō Yū, 49.
Fortunate seating —Shinichi in front, teammates directly behind, the trio tight-knit.
As they walked to their places, Shinichi stopped and turned. "Remember what I told you before the exam —from this moment, everything follows my lead. Even if you want to quit, you need my consent. Without my nod, you don't decide."
His face was expressionless, the words unequivocal.
Kobayashi nodded at once. "Got it, Shinichi."
Satō quickly followed. "We understand —we follow you, no matter what!"
Over months of missions, Shinichi had never been wrong. With Yamato-sensei absent, Shinichi's word was law; they trusted him completely.
Hearing their replies, Shinichi gave a slight nod, a measure of reassurance settling in his chest.
The real aim of this written test wasn't book knowledge —it was intel-gathering ability and psychological resilience under pressure.
Kobayashi and Satō were civilian Ninja, no clan heritage, only average talent.
They might handle the theory, but the later psychological segment would be brutal.
Uncertainty bred panic, and panic led to fatal misjudgments.
Shinichi had to ensure his teammates weren't eliminated for that reason —after all, the Chunin Exam advanced teams, not individuals.