Time passed quickly, and before long, the eve of the Chunin Exams arrived.
Konoha, once calm and orderly, had transformed into a bustling hub of activity.
Ninja wearing headbands of different villages walked openly through the streets, their presence turning heads wherever they went. Shinobi from smaller nations had begun to arrive in waves, each group carrying its own purpose, ambitions, and hidden agendas.
At the same time, merchants from distant lands poured into the village like a tide.
Where there were people, there was profit.
Colorful stalls lined the streets, wagons creaked under the weight of goods, and vendors loudly advertised their wares.
Aoki Yoru moved through the crowd at a relaxed pace, weaving between people while glancing around with curiosity.
For him, this was a rare opportunity.
Although Konoha had hosted Chunin Exams before, he had never dared to join the crowds back then.
Those ninja from other villages…
Were unpredictable.
To civilians, they were dangerous.
A single bad encounter with a short-tempered shinobi could cost someone their life. And even if the ANBU intervened, it might already be too late.
Back then, Aoki had chosen caution over curiosity.
Survival always came first.
But now—
Things were different.
He was no longer a powerless civilian.
He was a ninja.
His gaze wandered across the stalls.
Rows of ninja tools gleamed under the sunlight—kunai, shuriken, wire traps, explosive tags.
There were also medicinal herbs from distant lands, each with unique scents and properties.
And then—
Some rather… unexpected items.
Aoki paused briefly, his expression turning strange.
One particular stall, selling intimate products, was surrounded by an unusually large crowd.
"…Seriously?"
He couldn't help but mutter under his breath.
"Is the ninja world really this… open?"
For a moment, he recalled something from his previous life.
During large international events, the most sold items weren't souvenirs—
But health protection products.
Aoki shook his head, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
"No matter the world… human nature stays the same."
Then his thoughts drifted even further.
"Those guys in One Piece… spending months at sea…"
A mischievous glint flashed in his eyes as his imagination wandered into questionable territory.
But suddenly—
He stopped.
His gaze sharpened instantly.
Three figures entered his field of vision.
Dark skin. Strong builds.
And—
Kumogakure headbands.
Aoki's expression grew serious.
At the center of the trio stood a man whose name echoed in his mind like thunder.
Darui.
The future Fifth Raikage.
A Storm Release user.
Beside him were two familiar faces—
A red-haired kunoichi with a fierce expression—Karui.
And a white-haired boy lazily sucking on a lollipop—Omoi.
Students of Killer Bee.
"Why are Kumogakure ninja here…?"
Aoki frowned slightly.
Konoha's Chunin Exams were usually hosted for smaller allied nations. It was both a display of strength and a way to maintain influence.
But Kumogakure?
That was different.
Tensions between the two villages had been high ever since the Hyuga incident. Although the conflict had been temporarily suppressed through sacrifice, no true peace agreement had been established.
Their forces still watched each other at the borders.
Under normal circumstances, cooperation like this wouldn't happen.
Unless—
Something had changed.
Aoki's eyes narrowed slightly.
This wasn't in the original story.
"Is this… the butterfly effect of my presence?"
Then another thought surfaced.
The bandit suppression mission.
The Cloud ninja he had killed.
"…Could they have had connections?"
He shook his head lightly.
There was no point overthinking it.
If something truly dangerous was coming, it wouldn't be his burden alone.
The higher-ups would handle it.
For now—
He just needed to focus on surviving the exams.
The next morning—
Aoki packed his gear and met up with Kenta and Yui.
Under Kakashi's lead, the three headed toward the exam hall.
Along the way, Kakashi explained the situation.
Kumogakure had originally requested to participate.
The Third Hokage had refused outright.
Everyone knew they had ulterior motives.
Konoha couldn't afford unnecessary trouble.
However—
The matter had somehow reached the Daimyo.
Under pressure—subtle but undeniable—Konoha had been forced to accept.
Aoki listened quietly.
Politics…
Even in a world of ninjutsu, power wasn't just about strength.
They entered the examination building.
Aoki glanced around.
He had expected some kind of genjutsu trap at the entrance—like the one Naruto faced in the original story.
But—
Nothing.
No illusion.
No obstruction.
Just a normal classroom.
He walked in calmly and took a seat.
Tilting his head slightly, he scanned the room.
Familiar faces appeared one after another.
The Ino–Shika–Cho trio.
Members of the Hyuga clan.
The Sarutobi clan.
All of them were present.
Of course they wouldn't miss this opportunity.
Then—
His gaze shifted forward.
And paused.
Two figures stood out immediately.
Izumo Kamizuki.
Kotetsu Hagane.
Future gatekeepers of Konoha.
Beside them sat a Hyuga clan member, identifiable by the signature Byakugan.
Aoki's eyes flickered.
So that's the arrangement…
These were likely part of Konoha's frontline defense in the exam.
But—
He wasn't particularly optimistic.
Izumo and Kotetsu were, at best, average Chunin.
As for the Hyuga member—
If they had any remarkable strength, they would have appeared in the original story.
Which meant—
They were probably mediocre.
Against someone like Darui?
They wouldn't stand a chance.
"Bang!"
The classroom door slammed open.
Darui walked in, followed by Karui and Omoi.
Their presence was overwhelming.
Without a word, Darui scanned the room, his gaze cold and dismissive.
Then he sat down—
And casually propped his feet onto the desk.
The gesture was blatant.
Provocative.
Around the room, reactions varied.
Some frowned.
Some clenched their fists.
Some watched silently.
And some—
Simply avoided eye contact.
"Swish—!"
In an instant, proctors appeared at every corner of the room.
"Quiet!"
The head proctor's voice rang out.
"The written exam begins now. Duration: one hour. Passing score: sixty."
His gaze swept across the room.
"This is a team-based exam. If one member is disqualified, the entire team fails."
Then his eyes landed on Karui.
"You. Feet down. Or you're disqualified."
Karui clicked her tongue but complied.
Ignoring the tension, the proctor waved his hand.
The exam papers floated through the air, guided by Wind Release, landing neatly on each desk.
"The exam begins."
Aoki picked up his paper.
His eyes scanned the questions.
Difficult…
But not impossible.
Most of the content came from advanced materials taught outside the standard academy curriculum.
For those who had studied seriously—
Passing wouldn't be an issue.
Then—
Aoki closed his eyes briefly.
He extended his perception.
Just as I thought…
No hidden examiners.
No planted informants.
This wasn't a test of information gathering.
It was a direct test of knowledge.
More importantly—
It was targeted.
Surrounded by unfamiliar candidates from other villages, those without proper preparation would struggle.
Especially—
Kumogakure.
A faint smile appeared on Aoki's lips.
He picked up his pen—
And began writing.
After some time—
Aoki frowned slightly.
A faint electric current had appeared on his paper.
Subtle.
Almost undetectable.
But he sensed it.
Not just his paper—
Several others were affected as well.
The source—
Karui.
Interesting…
Aoki immediately understood.
She was using Lightning Release to detect the pressure and rhythm of pen strokes—essentially reading others' answers.
Creative.
But—
Not enough.
Aoki's fingers flickered.
A small burst of lightning severed the connection.
Karui paused slightly.
Her eyes shifted toward Aoki's back, surprise flashing across her face.
At the front of the room—
The head proctor observed everything.
"Kakashi's student…"
A faint glint of approval appeared in his eyes.
"Impressive."
"Thwack!"
A kunai embedded itself into a desk.
"Cheating detected. Team disqualified."
A candidate from Kusagakure stood up slowly, his face pale.
His teammates followed.
They left in silence.
One by one—
More candidates were eliminated.
Their methods were crude.
Obvious.
To experienced Chunin, their tricks were as clear as flames in the dark.
Aoki couldn't help but recall something from his previous life.
"From the teacher's perspective… every move is visible. It's just a matter of whether they choose to act."
Time passed.
The tension in the room grew heavier.
Pens slowed.
Sweat dripped.
Then—
Ring—!
The bell echoed sharply.
"Stop writing immediately!"
"Anyone who continues will be disqualified!"
The proctors moved forward, collecting papers one by one.
Some candidates slumped in their seats.
Others stared blankly ahead.
Hope.
Fear.
Regret.
All mixed together.
The head proctor stepped forward.
"The results will be posted later."
His gaze swept across the room one last time.
Then he said calmly—
"For some of you…"
"…failing this exam might actually be a blessing."
Silence fell.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
Because everyone understood—
This was only the beginning.