Konoha, the Chunin Exam.
Due to the large scale of this exam, a first in the ninja world, there were over six hundred Genin participants from various countries, six times more than the hundred or so in the original story.
Therefore, the first stage of the exam was held near the Forest of Death.
In the open training field, a dense crowd of Genin gathered.
When Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura arrived, they were greeted by a sea of people.
"Gulp!"
Haruno Sakura, unaccustomed to such large gatherings, nervously swallowed her saliva as the Konoha ninjas began to gather around.
But with over six hundred examinees, the atmosphere was intense as everyone's gaze was fixed on the Konoha and Mist ninja forehead protectors, filled with envy, jealousy, and murderous intent.
Outside the training field, each village's Genin teams were led by their respective Jonin or Chunin. The Konoha and Mist teams were fine, but the teams from other countries were filled with suspicion.
"Tch, so-called strongest ninja village, and this is it."
The Genin, especially upon experiencing the prosperous and pleasant climate of the Land of Fire's Konoha, were filled with envy and greed.
This is human nature.
"Hey, hey, stop looking around."
Team 8: Hyuga Hinata, Yamanaka Ino, Haku.
Team 9: Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, Kotohime.
Team 10: Yamanaka Hi, Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji.
And many others like Team 3's Rock Lee, Neji, and Tenten.
At this moment, the Konoha ninjas gathered together, as people are inclined to do.
"Haha, looks like not many have participated this time, probably to prevent dragging the team down."
At this moment, a group of ninja wearing Mist forehead protectors approached.
Kimimaro, Hozuki Suigetsu, and Uzumaki Karin, with Karin wearing a Konoha forehead protector.
Konoha and Mist together had six teams, with a total of eighteen Genin participating in the Chunin Exam.
The one speaking so casually was Hozuki Suigetsu, carrying a large sword on his back and laughing familiarly.
Kimimaro, on the other hand, was noticeably more aloof and spoke less. Everyone nodded in acknowledgment upon meeting.
Most were unaware of Hozuki Suigetsu and Kimimaro, except Uchiha Sasuke, who showed a stubborn look when he saw Kimimaro.
"Didn't expect a monster like you to come."
Uchiha Sasuke said somewhat bitterly, his eyes full of fighting spirit, prompting others to start analyzing the situation.
In response to Sasuke, Kimimaro just nodded indifferently, "As Lord Yoru's disciple, your strength is too weak."
With that, Kimimaro inadvertently revealed that he was stronger than Uchiha Sasuke.
Faced with everyone's gaze, Uchiha Sasuke, though reluctantly, grunted in acknowledgment, his competitive nature still evident in his low, harsh words.
"I have already activated the Sharingan."
"Oh! Just activated it?" Kimimaro's infuriating gaze left Sasuke at a loss for words.
"Alright, everyone's here."
Just then, a female voice rang out, belonging to Tayuya of the Sound Village, followed by the Sound Four and Jugo.
At this moment, Konoha, Mist, and Sound, eight teams in total, with twenty-two Genin. The Sound Four constituted one team, and Jugo, obviously following Kimimaro, formed another team.
As everyone started mingling and forming alliances, Nara Shikamaru thought to himself, "How confident must Uchiha Yoru be to participate with so few people? Clearly, these are all elite teams."
The six hundred-plus ninja from other countries were almost all hostile and envious, clearly not missing any chance to vent their feelings.
Despite this, Konoha, Mist, and Sound did not choose to bring more ninja from their villages, knowing that quantity doesn't always trump quality.
Regardless, facing over six hundred foreign ninja, the pressure was real. In case of an emergency, fighting against six hundred would indeed be a challenge for them.
"Okay, here's the information on the ninjas we need to be wary of. Of course, some details might be missing due to them being Genin."
As everyone gathered, Uzumaki Karin gently pushed up her glasses and calmly handed out a stack of cards for everyone to see.
Even though Karin was usually lively, she was very composed when it came to intelligence analysis.
It can be said that in this world, Karin still retained her innate talent for sensory and intelligence analysis.
"Marked cards highlight the characters we need to pay attention to."
Uzumaki Karin calmly pushed her glasses up, but secretly, through her ninja perception, she noted down all the ninjas with powerful chakra in the examination hall.
Especially Gaara from the Sand Village, whose chakra was terrifying. At this moment, Uzumaki Karin showed a strange smile.
It seems to be the One-Tailed Jinchuriki that Teacher Yoru mentioned.
"Hey, hey, you arrogant brats, just because you're making noise, I really want to kill you."
"Hehe, Konoha, Mist, and Sound ninjas are so arrogant, sending only about twenty people. It seems they look down on us."
"A bunch of brats, I don't believe they are that strong."
As time passed, these foreign country ninjas increasingly targeted the Konoha, Mist, and Sound ninjas, with some secretly inciting provocations, putting all the pressure on them.
In the Sand Village's ninja team, Temari squinted her eyes when she saw this, "It seems this Night God really has confidence."
"Don't underestimate the enemy."
Suddenly, Gaara's words caught Temari and Kankuro by surprise, their faces filled with shock.
The indifferent Gaara was actually filled with seriousness, a sight they had never seen before.
At this moment, Gaara was staring intently at Kimimaro and Jugo, the two who he felt were very dangerous.
Boom! Just then, a burst of white smoke appeared, and after the smoke cleared, a group of ninjas wearing God's forehead protectors appeared.
"Sorry for the wait, I am the first exam proctor for the Chunin Selection Exam, Senju Yamato, Ao, and Yakushi Kabuto."
Everyone was shocked at this sight.
As the thick smoke dissipated, the main examiners turned out to be three in charge, and many recognized them.
The Mist's Byakugan user Ao, an old Jonin who had taken a Hyuga clan's Byakugan during the Third War.
Yakushi Kabuto, a Jonin from the Sound Village, now wearing a God's forehead protector. Everyone fell silent, although there had been rumors that Orochimaru established the Sound Village as a part of Konoha, the reality still brought a sense of gravity.
There had never been such an event of ninja village mergers in the history of the Ninja World.
As for Yamato, they were unfamiliar with this most mysterious ninja, but the surname Senju shocked everyone.
Meanwhile, behind the three main examiners, many ninjas appeared, some showing vengeful smiles as they shook their papers.
Many were surprised to see the papers in the examiners' hands, exclaiming, "What the heck! A written test!"
"Listen up, everyone, whoever causes trouble before the exam will be immediately disqualified."
Ao's cold look and the killing intent from the Mist ninja made many Genin fearful.
Yakushi Kabuto, on the other hand, showed a gentle smile and pointed to the papers brought by the examiners, "Don't worry, the first round, as you can see, is a written test. Do your best."
Ao and Yakushi Kabuto presented two completely different concepts.
Kabuto then began to explain the rules of the exam with a smile.
"Now that everyone is here, let me explain the exam rules. Without the examiner's permission, no private battles are allowed…"
As Kabuto pushed up his glasses and slowly explained the exam rules, someone raised their hand in confusion.
"Examiner, are we going to take the test here?"
"Are we supposed to lie on the ground to take it? Or what?"
There was a buzz of discussion among the people, even the Jonin and Chunin from various ninja villages outside the training ground showed curiosity.
At this point, Yakushi Kabuto and Ao slowly turned their heads, looking towards Senju Yamato.
The surname Senju was bestowed by Tsunade, and it also proved Yamato's loyalty.
Yamato, with a stern face resembling a dummy, showed a fake smile and stepped forward, saying to everyone, "Don't worry, I will prepare the exam hall for everyone right now."
With a smiling face, Yamato suddenly formed hand seals.
Wood Release: Serial Pillar Houses Technique
Rumble~
Suddenly, sections of wood sprouted from the ground in the training field, shocking all the ninjas present. Even the leading Jonin and Chunin outside were amazed at the scene.
"Wood! Wood Release!"
"It's actually a Wood Release!"
"Damn, the Senju clan has another Wood Release ninja."
Boom~
In a blink of an eye, consuming a large amount of chakra, Yamato's face turned three shades paler, and a huge wooden classroom appeared.
This classroom enveloped all six hundred examinees.
Wood Release also created desks and chairs. As the examinees looked on in shock and confusion, a classroom materialized.
"Truly worthy of Captain Yamato, his mastery of Wood Release has reached this level."
Yakushi Kabuto said with a smile, while Yamato, who performed this jutsu, pretended to be calm, but he was actually exhausted.
Such a large exam site required delicate control to create benches and desks, without harming the over six hundred Genin.
The chakra consumption was bearable, but it was mentally exhausting.
"All examinees, quickly take your seats, I declare the exam starts!"
With Yamato's loud shout, no one dared to underestimate the Senju-like Yamato anymore.
The leading Jonin and Chunin outside the exam site were also shocked.
"Take a seat, Yamato's consideration is really thorough."
Hatake Kakashi lazily watched everyone and gestured for them to sit down.
Outside the site, wooden roots also sprouted, forming sun umbrellas and chairs, a very thorough consideration.
At this moment, the leading ninjas from other villages looked at Konoha ninjas with more awe and fear.
Power is the fundamental means to suppress all greed.
Hokage office building.
Under a giant water globe, ripples reflected the scenes of the exam site for everyone to see.
Nearly all available Jonin in the village gathered, watching intently.
Still, Lord Yoru knows how to play, creating such a spectacle.
Uchiha Yoru, facing the admiring gaze of the others, smiled broadly, while some had already guessed something.
Given the ninja's habit of recording information, this exam included ninjas from all major villages, potentially showcasing various special jutsus.
Of course, the Rock Village and Cloud Village only sent a few teams of Genin to fulfill their duties, claiming they had recently conducted Chunin exams.
In other words, it didn't matter much if these teams failed to advance; they were merely leftovers.
Even so, gathering so much intelligence was valuable, even if only half of it was worth recording.
Many Jonin looked at Uchiha Yoru with admiration.
Such a large-scale Chunin exam was not only a display of muscle for deterrence but also for intelligence gathering, aiming to reduce casualties in future ninja conflicts.
"Look, it's Wood Release!"
"How terrifying!"
"That's! The Fifth Hokage's Anbu."
Yamato had just come out of the Anbu, unrecognized at first, so all eyes turned to the Fifth Hokage behind him, as the Senju are known for Wood Release.
Facing everyone's gaze, the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, nodded boldly: "Yamato indeed uses Wood Release. He's been in the Root and Anbu, and two days ago, he officially became a Jonin under my command."
Tsunade thus acknowledged Yamato's Wood Release, causing a stir among the crowd, as Konoha had another Wood Release user.
Some Jonin quickly realized and looked towards Uchiha Yoru.
Uchiha Yoru, however, clapped in satisfaction, "Yamato's control is good, but he needs more chakra. He must work harder in this area."
"By the way, for the second round of the exam with so many examinees, to avoid accusations of cheating, let the Intelligence and Barrier teams use this jutsu. The purpose is to let the team leaders from all countries clearly see the real battlefield."
"Let's do it in the newly built arena, showing everyone what a great nation looks like. Charge high admission fees, set up betting, and invite dignitaries, officials, and merchants from all countries to observe."
"Yes!"
Uchiha Yoru is completely aiming to make the event transparent and fair this time, leaving no room for anyone in the ninja world to criticize.
In plain terms, it's a live broadcast, which not only showcases the strength of their own village but also generates a substantial amount of funding.
"Gambling!" Hearing this, Tsunade excitedly slams the table and laughs loudly, "Finally, I can have a proper bet."
Meanwhile, Terumi Mei's eyes also show a hint of excitement. This is the first time since the merger of Konoha and the Mist Ninjas that they are making a high-profile display to the world, and they cannot afford to lose face.
~~~
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