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[NTU] [ARC-04-CHUNIN-EXAMS] Chapter : 53
🕑 Added 2024-05-31 19:41:05 +0000 UTCAt the edge of the village, in a forest by the Naka River, a figure moved swiftly through the trees. It was Uchiha Toshiro, beginning his training before dawn. Despite carrying weights exceeding 200 kilograms, he performed high-speed maneuvers, abrupt stops, and evasive actions, sweating profusely from the effort.
In his previous life, such a feat would have been impossible for an adult, let alone with 200 kilograms of weight on him. Yet, Toshiro ran through the forest at high speed, refraining from using chakra to enhance the effectiveness of his training.
"Pant! Pant! Pant!" Toshiro finally halted, completing one of his daily morning exercises. He glanced at the timer strapped to his arm—59 minutes and 48 seconds. "That's good progress! Three seconds faster than yesterday!" he exclaimed. "Progress, no matter how small, is still progress. One day, I'll be the strongest ninja in the world! Come on!"
Encouraging himself, he forced his tired legs, which were feeling as if they were filled with lead, to move towards his training area for training senjutsu.
Nearly half a year had passed since his first C-rank mission. Thanks to Satoshi's meticulous guidance and his own relentless efforts, Toshiro's strength had improved significantly. His combat experience had also grown from the numerous missions they had taken, making him far more capable than he had been six months ago.
However, Toshiro often reflected on the path he was on, justifying his relentless pursuit of strength. If he didn't become stronger, he feared he would meet the same fate as those he had killed till now.
Sitting on the stone slab he had set up, he felt the morning breeze cool his racing heart. Entering a state of meditation, he sought to connect with nature, a practice he had been attempting for almost five years without success. Despite all his efforts, he still couldn't sense nature chakra.
"Do I really have no talent for senjutsu?" he wondered. After nearly five years of fruitless efforts, he was having doubts about whether he should continue this training. While it did improve his chakra sense, chakra control, and spiritual energy, these benefits weren't the main reason he pursued it. He wanted the power of the Sage mode, and without it, these improvements felt pointless.
"Alas," he sighed, finishing his morning exercises. "Haste makes waste. I need to be patient."
Toshiro considered consulting the Neko-baasama, a cat closely connected to the summoning realm. Perhaps she had information he was missing.
After breakfast, he headed to the usual meeting place for his team. Last night, Satoshi hinted at an important announcement, making him wonder if war had broken out. The uncertainty made him anxious.
"Good morning, Asuka! Kirishima!" He greeted his teammates, noticing he was the last to arrive. "Has Mr. Satoshi arrived yet?"
"Morning, Toshiro!" they replied in unison. "Satoshi-sensei hasn't arrived yet."
"Asuka, do you have any idea what's going on? This secrecy is making me nervous," Toshiro asked, hoping for some insight.
"I don't know!" Asuka replied, clearly frustrated. "Satoshi-sensei called us here but hasn’t shown up yet!"
Despite Asuka's eccentric nature, Toshiro could sense from her tone that nothing major had happened, easing his worries slightly. He couldn't help but think that her father, being a high-ranking member of the Uchiha clan, would have informed her if something significant, like a war, had broken out.
Toshiro felt a little more at ease after seeing her casual attitude and settled in to wait for sensei.
After about half an hour, Uchiha Asuka, growing impatient, was on the verge of complaining about her teacher's tardiness when Uchiha Satoshi's voice emerged from the nearby stump.
“I'm sorry! I'm sorry!”
"I had to pick up some documents from the Hokage Building and got delayed."
"Too slow, Satoshi-sensei! Ninjas must be punctual; that's what you always tell us! And yet, you don't follow your own advice!" Asuka retorted, not letting her teacher off easily.
Toshiro, curious about the documents his teacher had gotten, pondered their significance. Typically, Satoshi-sensei brought mission scrolls from the Hokage Building, but this time, he had brought documents—an unusual occurrence.
"Haha! My bad. How about I treat you all once this is over?" Satoshi offered, trying to placate his spirited and eccentric niece. Since becoming Asuka’s sensei, he has received many visits from her father, always accompanied by a bottle of sake. Though the visits were casual, Satoshi knew they were intended to ensure he took good care of his daughter. Despite her quirks, Satoshi liked the girl, showing her a lot of leniency. Fortunately, Asuka remained serious and diligent during training and missions.
"That's more like it!" Asuka conceded, satisfied with the promise.
"Alright, Satoshi-sensei, what's going on this time? Is it an out-of-village mission?" Kirishima, unusually quiet, spoke up, curious about the mysterious summons.
"Is it finally time for some high-level missions?" he speculated, hoping for a more challenging mission.
"Well! Is the village finally recognizing our talents?" Asuka added enthusiastically. "With our strength, we deserve more than just C-rank missions. Bring on the B-rank, A-rank, or even S-rank missions!"
Watching his disciples' excitement, Satoshi chuckled. Despite their training, they were still just kids, barely at the level of Chūnin. Their confidence in handling high-level missions was endearing but unrealistic.
"Don't get ahead of yourselves," Satoshi said, turning his attention to Asuka. He pondered their progress; their foundational training had been solid. The next few years would be crucial for them, particularly in awakening their Sharingan. Awakening it required intense emotional experiences, typically occurring between ages 10 and 20. The older they got, the harder it would be to trigger this ability.
Finally, Satoshi addressed the group. "I called you here for the Chūnin Exams."
"Chūnin Exams?!" the trio exclaimed in unison, surprised. Less than a year after graduation, they were being thrust into this significant challenge.
Seeing their shock, Satoshi felt satisfied. "These documents are why I was late. Take a closer look," he said, pulling out three Chūnin Exam application forms stamped with the Hokage's seal and handing them to his students.
"The Chūnin Exam this time will be conducted for teams. If all three of you are participating, you can sign the application forms."
Satoshi cut to the chase, explaining the exam's general rules to his students. This Chūnin Exam was somewhat similar to the one Toshiro remembered, but with a few differences. It included a written test, team battles, and individual battles, much like the anime. However, unlike the plot where various nobles and ninja villages participated, this exam was limited to Konoha's own ninjas due to the tense situations. The threat of war meant they couldn't risk inviting other villages, as it might lead to espionage or attacks.
"So, do you three want to sign up together?" Satoshi asked, smiling at his students.
"Of course!" Kirishima responded immediately, looking to Toshiro and Asuka for their answers.
"I'll participate too!" Asuka agreed without hesitation. Only Toshiro remained silent, considering his options. He suspected the village was preparing manpower for the impending war, and those who advanced in this exam might end up as cannon fodder.
After seeing the hopeful looks from Kirishima, Asuka, and his teacher, Toshiro sighed. "Alright, I'll participate too."
Satoshi smiled, pleased with their decision. "Just fill in your names on the application forms, and I'll handle the rest," he said. He then addressed each of them individually. "Toshiro, with your Sharingan awakened and your strength, you have nothing to worry about. Asuka, you're the cleverest and most observant among the three, so you have a good chance of passing."
Turning to Kirishima, Satoshi's expression hardened. "You're the most troublesome. Your impulsive nature has improved, but not enough. At critical moments, you're the most likely to cause problems."
"Don't worry, Satoshi-sensei! I'll pass the exam easily!" Kirishima replied confidently, oblivious to his sensei's growing frustration.
Satoshi sighed. "Your overconfidence is exactly why I'm worried. Despite your improvements, you still lack caution. If something goes wrong, it'll likely be because of you."
Kirishima tried to protest, but Satoshi cut him off. "Stay here today. I need to train you further."
Realizing sensei was serious, Kirishima quickly backtracked. "I understand, Satoshi-sensei! I won't make the same mistakes again!"
Toshiro glanced at Asuka, silently questioning Kirishima's misplaced confidence. Asuka rolled her eyes, equally exasperated. Despite their efforts to instill caution in Kirishima, he remained headstrong and reckless.
Watching the interaction, Toshiro couldn't help but worry.
'He still hasn't truly experienced a significant setback. Let's hope he doesn't meet the same fate as Nawaki in the original story.'
Reflecting on Nawaki, the young heir of the Senju clan, who met a tragic end, Toshiro felt a pang of concern. Kirishima's stubbornness and overconfidence could lead him down a similar path. Despite their best efforts, some lessons can only be learned through hard experiences.
Three days later, in a classroom at the Konoha Ninja Academy specially prepared for the Chūnin Exam, about forty Konoha shinobi were seated, diligently answering the exam questions. This classroom was just one of many used for the exam. Among the examinees were Toshiro and his teammates.
The setup of the exam was quite strategic. Observing the scattered glances and the various ninjutsu and secret techniques being subtly displayed, it was clear that cheating was allowed. Occasionally, an unfortunate candidate would be caught by the invigilators. If the cheating method was subtle enough, the invigilators often ignored it, treating it as part of the test. However, some invigilators were strict, like the one who announced loudly, "Candidate number 57, disqualified from the exam!"
A fourteen- or fifteen-year-old boy was dragged out, struggling, but the strength gap was too great. The invigilator, annoyed by the boy's resistance, declared, "Candidates 58 and 59, you are also disqualified due to your teammate's cheating." The two remaining candidates, looking defeated, left the examination room.
Kirishima, seated behind the recently disqualified candidate, was extremely nervous. The test questions were beyond his brain, but he feared failing his teammates, Toshiro and Asuka, if he cheated and was caught.
Toshiro, sitting three or four rows behind Kirishima, was relaxed. He knew the importance of theoretical knowledge and found the exam questions easy, thanks in part to his access to the Konoha Library. He had no trouble answering the questions, a testament to his dedication to studying. Now the only problem was how to get the answers to the knucklehead Kirishima.
