Guy nearly choked on his own breath. Of course he knew Kakashi was provoking him, but he was genuinely worried about the kids.
Seeing Guy's constipated expression, Kakashi chuckled and patted his shoulder. "Relax, I'm just messing with you. But I trust them—they're ready."
At that moment, Iruka—who had been in charge of registering the rookies—couldn't hold back anymore. He slammed the table and stood up.
"Kakashi-senpai! I object! Those kids used to be my students—I know them well! Especially Naruto. Letting them take part in such a brutal exam right now is completely irresponsible! They have no chance of passing!"
Kakashi slowly turned around. The single visible eye—usually dull and lifeless—now carried rare seriousness as it locked onto Iruka.
"Iruka-sensei, I understand how you feel. You were once their guide."
"But it's been over half a year since then. In these hundred and eighty days, my understanding of those kids surpasses yours."
"Your expression tells me you still don't believe in them—you still doubt whether they're qualified to step into that brutal exam."
Kakashi stood there lazily with his hands in his pockets, but his tone left no room for argument.
"In that case, why don't you test them yourself?"
Iruka's brows twisted into a knot. After a moment of hesitation, he finally let out a helpless sigh.
"Fine. We'll do it your way."
"But let me be clear—if my test proves they're still just fledglings, I hope you'll withdraw your recommendation. Don't send them to their deaths."
Kakashi gave a slight nod. Beneath his mask, his lips seemed to curl faintly, silently agreeing.
---
Night fell, stars scattered across the sky.
After finishing dinner with Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke, Akira set off alone toward home.
He preferred quiet and had no interest in wandering aimlessly through the noisy village.
The street was deserted. Old streetlights flickered weakly, casting unstable yellow halos.
A figure stood silently beneath the shifting light, almost blending into the night itself.
Akira stopped, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his lips—as if he had already seen through everything.
"Iruka-sensei, your Transformation Jutsu fundamentals are still as solid as ever. Textbook perfect."
The figure stiffened instantly. The attack he had been preparing froze mid-motion.
"You… saw through me at a glance?"
Iruka dispelled the transformation, his face full of disbelief.
He never imagined that Akira—the quiet, unremarkable student from the Academy—would be the first to see through his disguise.
Even Sasuke, the so-called genius, hadn't noticed anything earlier.
Akira tapped his eye casually. "Everyone's chakra flow is unique. I just happen to have a good memory."
Iruka opened his mouth, intending to argue—but meeting Akira's clear, perceptive gaze, the words died in his throat.
That gaze was too sharp.
It made him feel completely exposed, like a clown with nowhere to hide.
Iruka let out a bitter smile and walked closer, curiosity now evident in his eyes.
"I didn't expect you to hide your abilities this deeply. Are you a sensory-type ninja?"
Akira shrugged vaguely. "Something like that, I guess."
Iruka sighed. "I really misjudged you back then."
The two stood by the roadside talking for quite some time. As Iruka learned about Akira's recent experiences, wave after wave of shock hit him.
Later, after confirming things with Kakashi, he finally understood—the "mediocrity" Akira displayed in the Academy had all been an act.
The realization left Iruka with mixed emotions—relief, but also regret.
How had he failed to notice such a hidden gem?
---
A week passed in the blink of an eye.
With recommendation forms signed by Kakashi in hand, the group once again stepped into the familiar Ninja Academy.
The first stage was a written exam—pure hell for Naruto, whose brain was filled with nothing but muscles and ramen.
The entrance to the second-floor corridor was packed with people. Two chūnin guards stood there, maintaining a genjutsu with amused expressions.
The clearly marked door "201" had been distorted into "301."
Akira didn't step forward immediately. Instead, he stood at the back of the crowd with his arms crossed, watching Rock Lee's clumsy yet earnest performance with interest.
"This thick-brow kid's acting is pretty decent. Even Sasuke and Naruto didn't notice he's holding back. Not bad… not bad at all."
Lee might be obsessed with taijutsu, but he was far from stupid—his combat instincts were exceptionally sharp.
Sasuke, with his latent Sharingan ability, easily saw through the crude trick.
Hands in his pockets, he stepped forward coolly. "Move. You're in the way."
"We're heading to the third floor—not here."
The two chūnin guards exchanged glances and let out mocking laughs.
"Oh? You figured it out already? Not bad."
"But sharp eyes alone won't cut it. You think a bunch of brats like you can take the Chūnin Exams? Don't make me laugh. Go back home and drink milk."
Before he finished speaking, one of the chūnin suddenly attacked—a sharp roundhouse kick slicing through the air toward Sasuke's face.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Reacting instantly, he countered with a fierce spinning kick.
"—!"
The expected impact never came.
Just as their legs were about to collide, a green blur slipped between them like a ghost.
Rock Lee caught both of their ankles effortlessly, still wearing that harmless smile.
"We're all comrades of Konoha. Fighting here isn't allowed."
Sasuke's pupils shrank violently, shock surging through him.
"This guy… that weak act earlier was all fake? That speed—ridiculous!"
That explosive movement instantly reminded him of the terrifying Suna ninja—Gaara.
Akira remained leaning lazily against the corridor wall, taking it all in with a faint, amused smile.
Watching from the sidelines like this had its own kind of enjoyment.
Lee's sudden burst was clearly meant to show off in front of Sakura.
Ever since he laid eyes on her, the guy had been completely smitten.
Neji, who had been observing coldly, didn't join the commotion. Instead, he walked over to Akira, his Byakugan seeming to probe for weaknesses.
"You've been making quite a name for yourself lately."
Akira didn't even lift his eyelids. "Just rumors. I hate trouble—I haven't done anything worth mentioning."
Neji clearly didn't believe him and lowered his voice. "You killed a jōnin during the Land of Waves mission. That caused quite a stir. I'm guessing you had a hand in it."
Neji was deeply curious about this former "dead last." His instincts told him that Akira was dangerous—dangerous enough to spark a strong urge to challenge him.
Akira smiled, his tone modest to the point of being infuriating. "You're giving me too much credit. I can barely handle a few chūnin. Taking on a jōnin? That's life-or-death territory—I'd be under a lot of pressure."
Neji snorted inwardly, not believing a word—but he didn't press further.
The commotion ahead was already coming to an end.
From start to finish, Akira never intervened, watching like an outsider.
Once Lee diffused the situation, the group continued upstairs.
Honestly, Akira could've cleared this kind of exam with a shadow clone. But experiencing this "youthful" atmosphere in person was… interesting in its own way.
---
They finally arrived outside the real third-floor exam hall.
Kakashi was already leaning against the doorframe, holding his ever-present Icha Icha Paradise, as if he had been waiting for a while.
Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura were all surprised to see him.
"Kakashi-sensei? What are you doing here?"
Akira strolled in last, glancing at Kakashi's lazy posture with a knowing smile.
Kakashi closed his book, his gaze sweeping across them before settling on Akira, smiling.
"Congratulations. All of you made it."
"Especially you, Akira—you're practically guaranteed a chūnin vest this year."
"But as for Sasuke and Naruto… you'll have to risk your lives for it."
As soon as those words fell, Sasuke and Naruto looked completely lost, like they'd just been hit with something they couldn't process.
Naruto, especially, couldn't hold it in.
"Kakashi-sensei, that's not fair! Why is Akira basically guaranteed to pass? Is this some kind of backdoor deal? Corruption! This is definitely rigged!"
In his mind, Naruto instantly imagined a hundred shady political schemes.
Kakashi sighed helplessly and explained, "Because of his outstanding performance in that S-rank mission, the Third Hokage personally approved Akira's promotion after this exam."
"And even setting that aside… with Akira's current strength, do you really think anyone in this exam could last more than three moves against him?"
That hit them like a wake-up call.
Naruto and Sasuke exchanged glances, realization dawning.
Yeah… among all the candidates this time, was there really anyone who could match Akira?
Names flashed through their minds.
Gaara—that eerie Suna ninja.
Neji—the Byakugan prodigy.
Or Rock Lee, with that insane speed.
All three were undeniably strong—strong enough to make their hearts tighten.
But neither Sasuke nor Naruto believed any of them could actually defeat Akira.
After all, Akira had killed Zabuza—the Demon of the Mist, a true jōnin-level opponent—head-on.
Thinking of that, both of them looked at Akira with barely concealed envy.
Sasuke, who usually kept his emotions tightly hidden, betrayed himself with his clenched fists.
Sakura, on the other hand, clasped her hands together, smiling brightly.
"Wow! Akira's basically promoted already—that's amazing! I'm so jealous!"
Her feelings toward him were complicated.
What she felt for Sasuke was obvious—pure teenage infatuation.
But with Akira, it was different.
There was a quiet fondness… mixed with deep respect—and distance.
A distance even greater than what she felt toward Sasuke.
On the surface, Akira seemed approachable, warm, even easygoing.
But the moment you tried to get close, you'd realize there was an invisible wall between him and everyone else.
Still, as a teammate, she was genuinely happy for him.
Naruto and Sasuke exchanged another look, their eyes igniting with determination.
"This time, I'm definitely becoming a chūnin! I won't fall behind!"
Akira glanced at Kakashi's knowing expression and felt a bit helpless.
He understood exactly what Kakashi was doing.
Using him as a whetstone—deliberately stirring things up to push Naruto and Sasuke into competing harder.
Still, Akira didn't mind playing that role. He had nothing better to do anyway.
After a bit more chatter, Kakashi waved them inside.
Just as the four of them entered, Might Guy approached, his expression serious.
"Kakashi… are you really okay with sending them in there already? I'm not worried about Akira—that kid's a monster—but Sasuke and the others… this stage won't be easy for them."
Guy and Kakashi had been rivals for years. He genuinely didn't want Kakashi to ruin these kids' futures on a whim.
Kakashi dropped his usual lazy demeanor and thought for a moment.
"I have faith in them. And who knows, Guy—maybe this time, all of my students will pass… while yours fall short."
Guy froze, black lines practically appearing across his forehead.
"How are you still this arrogant? My students have gone through a full year of intense training. I know exactly what they're capable of."
"Especially Neji—he was the undisputed top of his class. A Hyūga genius. His strength runs deep."
At the mention of Neji, Kakashi nodded, a trace of regret flickering in his eyes.
"He is strong—arguably among the best of his generation. But he has a fatal flaw. And it's something neither you nor I can change."
Neji's tragedy lay in his birth as a branch family member of the Hyūga clan.
No matter how exceptional his talent, the Caged Bird Seal was an invisible chain, ensuring he could never truly soar.
His ceiling had been decided the moment he was born.
If not for that… Kakashi might have rated Neji even above Sasuke at this stage.
But there were no "ifs."
Guy fell silent. Even someone as fiery and optimistic as him could only feel powerless when it came to this.
"But sending them into that kind of brutal environment now… if something really happens, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."
Kakashi looked toward the closed exam doors, his gaze deepening.
"The path of a ninja is never smooth. If they fail—or even get hurt—it just means they aren't ready to wear that vest yet."
"But trust me, Guy. Their potential far exceeds what you imagine. They're already very close to chūnin level."
Of course… the gap between chūnin could be enormous.
Guy sighed, no longer arguing.
"If something goes wrong… you'll regret it."
Kakashi didn't respond. He simply stared at the doors, as if he could see through them.
---
At that moment, Naruto took a deep breath and pushed open the heavy doors.
Creaaak—
The instant they opened, a wave of noise and pressure hit them.
The exam hall was already packed—hundreds of shinobi from different villages filled the room.
The combined presence of so many fighters pressed down like a physical weight, slamming into Naruto's chest.
It was his first time seeing something like this.
He was instantly overwhelmed.
That suffocating pressure made both Naruto and Sakura feel uneasy, unsure where to even place their hands.
Sasuke looked calm on the surface, but his tense muscles gave him away.
Only Akira stood behind them with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm as still water as he scanned the room.
The so-called killing intent and pressure felt like nothing more than a passing breeze to him.
Meanwhile, the more experienced candidates in the room immediately fixed hostile gazes on the newcomers.
Kiri ninja. Kusa ninja. Sound ninja.
Several outsiders even joined forces, releasing their chakra pressure to intimidate the Konoha rookies.
The air itself seemed to thicken.
Even Sasuke felt a tightness in his chest as a bead of sweat slid down his temple.
And then—
"Boom!"
A far more overwhelming, tyrannical presence erupted from Akira without warning.
If the others' pressure had been streams…
Then his was a tidal wave.
That invisible force crushed the opposing pressure instantly, overwhelming everything in its path.
The entire room fell into dead silence.
Every ninja stared at the boy by the door, breathing unevenly, as if an invisible hand had seized their throats.
The weight of that presence pressed down like a mountain.
"This guy… there's no way he's just a genin! That's impossible!"
"This kind of pressure… even our jōnin instructors aren't this terrifying! Who the hell is he?!"
Many of the genin who had just been eager to put the Konoha rookies in their place were now pale, their legs trembling.
No one had expected this seemingly harmless boy to suppress the entire room single-handedly.
In a corner, Gaara stared fixedly at Akira.
Bloodshot veins spread through his eyes as a surge of uncontrollable excitement rose within him.
"Interesting… so interesting! Mother, can you feel it?"
"His blood must be exquisite… killing prey like this with my own hands—that's what will make me feel alive!"
Gaara's body trembled violently—not from fear, but from twisted excitement and desire.