Chapter 29: The First Exam
The moment Ryuzen and his team stepped through the doorway, they felt dozens of eyes lock onto them.
The gazes sweeping across them varied widely—some fierce, some calculating, some deliberately mysterious. For a timid person, the weight of that attention might have been overwhelming.
Ryuzen's expression never flickered. He moved forward calmly, locating his seat as if alone in an empty room.
Hinata and Shino followed suit, equally unfazed.
Seating arrangements separated them—Hinata in the front row, Ryuzen in the third, Shino further back in the fifth.
From the rear of the classroom, certain genin watched the three with undisguised hostility, eyes gleaming with predatory interest.
Those skilled in intelligence gathering had already identified them.
Those who hadn't collected intelligence but knew Konoha's notable families recognized Hinata's Byakugan and Shino's Aburame affiliation easily enough.
But one person focused on Ryuzen with particular intensity.
Yakushi Kabuto—one of the two great spies of the Naruto world, alongside Uchiha Itachi—studied the silver-haired boy with genuine curiosity.
In the original timeline, Kabuto had claimed to have collected information on nearly every genin present. That statement wasn't exaggeration.
And his information on Ryuzen puzzled him.
Born a civilian. Dominated the Academy from enrollment, surpassing even the Uchiha orphan. Graduated as top student. Mission record: ten D-rank, zero C-rank, one B-rank.
Among all Chunin Exam candidates, Ryuzen was the only genin with a B-rank completion. He was also clearly the core of Team 8.
The other notable candidate was "Sandstorm" Gaara—but Gaara's identity was an open secret to someone like Kabuto. A jinchūriki, a monster.
How could a civilian-born ninja stand on equal footing with a jinchūriki unless he was something extraordinary?
If only he had a kekkei genkai, Kabuto mused. Then I could report someone truly interesting to Lord Orochimaru.
He didn't know that Ryuzen's senses had already noted his attention. Kenbunshoku Haki didn't miss details like persistent observation.
Ryuzen simply didn't care.
He wasn't invincible yet, but neither Orochimaru nor Kabuto frightened him.
The Gathering
Time passed. More candidates filed in.
Among the twelve prominent genin of their year, Team 8 had arrived first. Gradually, the others appeared—Team 10, Team 7, Team Guy.
Just as in the original timeline, the nine gathered at the entrance after not seeing each other for four months.
But this time, Hinata and Shino didn't join them.
Ryuzen hadn't moved from his seat, so they remained beside him. Before graduation, aside from Ryuzen himself, Hinata and Shino had maintained low profiles. Even Ryuzen, despite being top student, had been the most isolated person in their class.
They had little connection to Naruto and the others.
Soon, the familiar commotion erupted. Naruto's loud complaints drew Kabuto's intervention, leading to a demonstration of his intelligence-gathering abilities.
And just as in the original, Sasuke requested information on two specific people.
One was "Sandstorm" Gaara.
The other wasn't Rock Lee.
It was Yagyu Ryuzen.
"Ah... your instincts are sharp." Kabuto adjusted his glasses, smiling behind them. "You happened to ask about the two most dangerous candidates here."
"The two most dangerous?"
Confusion crossed the genins' faces.
Kabuto didn't explain verbally. Instead, his fingers danced across his deck of information cards. Two cards slid between his fingers, and with a pulse of chakra, their contents materialized.
"First—Yagyu Ryuzen. Konoha genin, graduated this year. Specializes in swordsmanship. Instructor is Yūhi Kurenai, recently promoted jōnin. Mission experience: ten D-rank, zero C-rank, one B-rank."
"Next—'Sandstorm' Gaara. Mission experience: D-rank unknown, eight C-rank, one B-rank."
"No way... B-rank missions?"
Sakura and Ino both covered their mouths in surprise, unconsciously glancing toward Ryuzen's seated figure.
"Damn it... the gap is that big?" Sasuke's expression tightened with unwillingness. His eyes found Ryuzen's meditating form, and his hands clenched slightly. It doesn't matter. Mission experience means nothing. I've awakened my Sharingan. I won't lose to him again.
The Examiner Arrives
Kabuto followed his usual script—casually dismissing the Otogakure ninja, provoking their attack, then feigning weakness through vomiting to make others underestimate him even as they valued his intelligence.
"—Enough. Calm down, you losers."
White smoke erupted.
When it cleared, Morino Ibiki stood before them, his face a roadmap of scars from countless tortures and interrogations. The sight struck the gathered genin like a physical blow. Silence fell instantly.
After ending the disturbance with the Oto-nin and Kabuto, Ibiki announced the exam rules and began distributing test papers.
Ryuzen accepted his paper and scanned the questions quickly.
Theoretical and logical problems—none particularly difficult for someone with his background. He glanced forward, confirming Hinata was already writing steadily. Then he picked up his pen and began.
These questions posed no challenge for him or Hinata.
As for Shino, his intelligence guaranteed he would grasp this exam's true nature quickly.
Team 8 had nothing to worry about.
True to expectation, as Ryuzen's pen danced across the page, candidates who realized the exam's hidden meaning began employing their various methods. Some techniques were subtle; others made the proctors sneer with contempt.
Each cheating attempt cost two points. Five offenses meant expulsion.
With each tick of the clock, another candidate was escorted out. The classroom's population steadily shrank.
Throughout this, Ryuzen noticed many eyes attempting to read his answers through various means. He didn't bother concealing his paper. If they could copy, let them.
The question was how many would survive to the end.
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