New weapon acquired.
Combat power massively upgraded.
Gold balance overflowing again.
With plenty of health and mana potions stocked up, Shikage felt completely confident about handling any prolonged battles.
Even though he had only gone up two levels—hitting Level 18—his core stats were looking incredible. Every single one of his five main attributes had broken past 50, with his highest, Intelligence, sitting at a solid 65.8.
Going by raw stats alone, Shikage was already operating at the level of an official Jonin.
As for his skills, his Shadow Secret Techniques hadn't leveled up recently. They were stuck at their current progress bars and would require more grinding to push higher.
However, his standard ninjutsu—like the basic Clone, Transformation, and Substitution jutsu—had all hit Level 4, reaching absolute mastery.
The most notable improvement was his Body Flicker Technique, which was now Level 3.
He had focused almost all his training on it lately.
While he couldn't replicate the terrifying speed of Shisui's Phantom Body Flicker, compared to normal shinobi, Shikage was already a master of high-speed movement.
His Shadow Legion hadn't fallen behind either. Following their master's lead, they were constantly growing stronger.
Right now, even his weakest shadow soldier could solo an official Chunin.
Every single aspect of his combat profile had been tuned to peak condition. That was where his absolute confidence came from.
As long as no one showed up with world-breaking, rule-defying power, he was going to be invincible in these Chunin Exams.
Because he himself was already a rule-breaking existence.
Stepping out of the Nara compound, Shikage took a deep breath of the fresh Konoha air and headed straight for the Ninja Academy.
That was where the first stage of the Chunin Exams—the written test—was being held.
...
Sunlight filtered through the trees, casting scattered shadows across the Academy courtyard.
Normally used for basic student drills, the training ground had been temporarily sectioned off to serve as the starting point for the exams.
A large banner reading "Chunin Exams" was planted in the center of the field, flapping gently in the wind.
White chalk lines cordoned off ninety percent of the courtyard to form a waiting area, which was already packed with over a hundred Genin candidates.
Standing in scattered groups of three, the candidates were divided by their respective hidden villages, easily identified by their distinct outfits and forehead protectors.
Some whispered among themselves, constantly sizing up the competition.
Some stood in total silence, eyes closed as they meditated to steady their chakra.
Others had shifty eyes, subtly casing the surrounding Konoha architecture.
The atmosphere was heavy, tense, and suffocating.
A sixteen-year-old boy pushed up his round glasses, his eyes sweeping across the crowd so naturally that no one noticed he was analyzing them.
—Konoha has the most candidates. Forty-eight in total.
—Suna is second, with twenty-four.
—Kusa, Taki, Ame... fifteen, nine, and twelve respectively...
—That guy over there is...
—And that one is...
Headcounts, identities, faces—Kabuto Yakushi processed the massive stream of data and neatly filed it away in his mind.
For a normal person, attempting to mentally organize that much information in such a short time would be impossible.
But for Kabuto? It was difficult, sure, but he had done this a few times before. He could handle it.
Kabuto didn't particularly love or hate his job. He simply wanted to offer everything he had to that man.
Remembering his objective, Kabuto narrowed his focus onto a few highly-anticipated candidates.
They were the ones with real talent—the ones Lord Orochimaru was actually interested in.
"Shibuki."
Kabuto looked at a group of nine genin. A thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy was standing in the center of the circle.
He had a handsome face and a bright, excited smile. He was currently chattering away to his teammates, likely boasting about how he was going to "shine" in the exams.
"The son of Takigakure's leader."
Kabuto murmured softly, his voice too quiet for anyone else to hear.
"Genin-level strength. Specializes in Water Style and Taki-style ninjutsu."
"Optimistic, ambitious, and highly motivated."
"But he's never seen real blood. He's been sheltered. Mentally, he's still a child."
Honestly, Kabuto didn't understand why someone with such mediocre talent had caught Orochimaru's eye.
He guessed it probably had to do with Shibuki's background. Being the son of Taki's leader had to hold some strategic value for Orochimaru.
Kabuto didn't want to dig any deeper into the specifics.
He just needed to execute Orochimaru's orders perfectly.
Compared to Shibuki, the next target had far more actual talent.
Hearing a sudden commotion, Kabuto shifted his gaze.
It was the Suna genin.
Unlike the other villages, the Suna candidates were cleanly split into two entirely separate factions.
And the tension between them was venomous. They hadn't even been in the courtyard for ten minutes before a petty argument broke out.
The loud bickering was drawing ugly looks from the surrounding genin.
But because Sunagakure was one of the Five Great Villages, most of the candidates swallowed their irritation and looked away.
Only the Konoha genin openly glared at them, completely unafraid to show their disgust.
Noticing the hostile stares, a girl from one of the Suna factions frowned. She wore a headscarf and had two purple, T-shaped markings painted on her cheeks.
"Quiet!" she snapped.
"We are in Konoha! Remember who you represent!"
"Stop acting like children and making Suna look like a joke to the other villages!"
She clearly commanded a lot of respect. The moment she spoke, the boy leading the opposing Suna faction let out a cold scoff, but the argument died down immediately.
Even so, the two groups kept glaring at each other with pure hostility, acting more like blood enemies than comrades from the same village.
The girl's authoritative display caught a lot of attention.
Some looked at her with wariness, some with mockery, and some with genuine respect.
Shibuki, for instance, was staring at the girl's clear, serious almond eyes in absolute awe.
The calm, rational, and commanding presence she exuded was exactly the kind of leadership he desperately wanted for himself.
Kabuto took in the entire scene without missing a detail. He pushed up his glasses again and murmured.
"Maki of Sunagakure."
"Student of the Hero of the Sand, Pakura."
"Specializes in Sealing Jutsu and Taijutsu."
"Meticulous, strict, and incredibly disciplined."
"Definitely one of the seeded elites in this exam."
He shifted his eyes toward the buzz-cut boy leading the other Suna faction.
"Daimaru of Sunagakure."
"Calls himself the 'Red Sandstorm.' Specializes in Earth Style."
"Arrogant, egotistical, and completely self-absorbed."
"Has a terrible relationship with Maki."
"..."
Just as Kabuto was about to continue his analysis, a sudden wave of noise erupted from behind him.
In the tense, quiet courtyard, the commotion was jarring.
Kabuto turned around. The moment he saw who had arrived, his eyes narrowed sharply.
—Lord Orochimaru's special target has arrived.
His lips moved slightly as he whispered the name.
"Eldest legitimate son of the Nara clan."
"Shikage Nara."