Jiraiya grinned. "That's why it's important to be on your toes. The other villages will be watching Konoha closely. But don't let that bother you too much—just stay sharp and focus on your own strength."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses, his expression thoughtful. "Sensei, do you think others will have figured out our plan by now?"
Jiraiya, leaning against the hotel wall, spoke up. "The Raikage will test us. He'll make sure his village doesn't lose face in front of Konoha. Especially in his own village," he paused for a second, looking toward the three of them. "But I believe in you guys."
A moment of silence passed as Kaida, Itachi, and Kabuto felt both proud and a little burdened by the praise. The weight on their shoulders increased slightly.
"Rest up," Jiraiya finally said, his expression softening a bit. "Tomorrow, things are going to get real. You'll need all the energy you can get."
The three nodded and headed inside, mentally preparing themselves for the exams ahead.
---
Night settled over Kumogakure. Though still alive with activity, the village seemed quieter as the stars emerged over the mountain peaks. Kaida lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling, thinking about the other teams they had encountered today.
'Deidara, Ao, the Rain ninja... This Chunin Exam is going to be intense,' he thought to himself.
Turning over in bed, Kaida tried to push the thoughts away and get some sleep. Tomorrow would be the true beginning of the Chunin Exams—and the start of something far greater.
---
The next day, the village's massive arena buzzed with the energy of young shinobi from all corners of the ninja world. Teams gathered, whispering amongst themselves, glancing warily at one another. Among them stood the teams from Konoha, ready to represent their village with pride.
Kaida, Itachi, and Kabuto stood together, waiting for the official announcements to begin. Above them, high in the stands, the Raikage watched with a calculating gaze. His focus paused on Darui, now officially representing Kumogakure in the exams.
Raikage A leaned forward slightly, as was tradition, like every Kage did before events of this caliber in Konoha.
A stood, his towering frame commanding the attention of everyone in the arena. His eyes scanned the crowd of young shinobi. Without wasting time on pleasantries, he spoke in a deep, authoritative voice that echoed across the vast arena.
"The Chunin Exams are not just about testing your strength. They are about testing your resolve, your intelligence, and your ability to work as a team. Those who cannot handle the pressure will not make it far. Kumogakure is proud to host these exams, and we expect nothing less than excellence from every participant. Fight with honor. Fight with purpose. And show the world the true strength of your village."
His words were short, but they carried a weight that left no room for doubt. The young shinobi, especially those from Kumogakure, straightened up, inspired by their leader's direct approach.
With that, Raikage A stepped back, and an elite Jonin from Kumogakure—a tall man with a scar running down the side of his face—stepped forward to address the participants.
"The Chunin Exams will be held in three stages. The first stage is a written exam designed to test your knowledge and ability to gather information under pressure. The second stage will take place in the Thunder Plains, where you will face the dangers of nature and your fellow competitors. The final stage will be held here, in this very arena, where only the strongest will rise. The rules are simple: survive, show your strength, and most importantly, don't die."
A murmur spread through the crowd as the Jonin's words sank in. He paused, letting the tension build before continuing.
The Jonin looked over the crowd one last time before finishing. "Now, prepare yourselves. The exam begins soon."
With that, the tension in the air intensified, and the participants began to mentally ready themselves for the grueling tests ahead.
With the initial speech done, they were sent toward a building designated for the first stage of the test—a big hall filled with seats like a ninja academy for the participants to sit.
As the participants settled into their seats, the atmosphere thickened with anticipation. Kaida, Itachi, and Kabuto exchanged glances. But these were not just simple glances—within seconds, Itachi connected their minds with a subtle genjutsu. It was so difficult to detect that only a highly skilled sensor could find it, and Itachi could only do it because Kaida and Kabuto didn't resist.
The role of the genjutsu was simple: communication. Without saying a single word, all three of them could now communicate in their minds.
The elite Jonin who had introduced the exam stepped forward once again, his scarred face set in a serious expression.
"Welcome to the first stage of the Chunin Exams. You will all be given a series of questions that test your knowledge as shinobi. However, this is not just a written test. There is a hidden layer to this examination."
A ripple of curiosity swept through the crowd.
The Jonin continued, "You will be given a sheet with questions. There will be a total of 10 questions, but only knowing the answers is not enough..." he paused for dramatic effect, "after each answer, you must write a secret code placed at different locations securely in this area. You have to find those codes and write them below your answers. Only answers with codes will be evaluated at the end. If you are caught fighting by an instructor, you will be disqualified. A minimum of three answers are needed to pass the test. You will have three hours to complete the test."
A low murmur spread through the participants. This was exactly the type of challenge that Kumogakure thrived on: fighting, cunning, and strategy.
"Now, the question papers will be distributed," the Jonin announced, and as he spoke, a flurry of papers began to fly through the air, landing in the hands of eager participants.
Kaida caught his sheet and scanned the questions quickly. Each one required knowledge of ninja history, geography, shinobi techniques, and various principles one should follow during missions. However, beneath the surface, Kaida noticed the strategic phrasing. It seemed to encourage participants to confront other teams rather than simply answer questions.
The codes could be destroyed by others, meaning passing the first stage would become difficult for many teams. But the problem faced by the Konoha teams was entirely different.
'This is going to get chaotic,' Kabuto said inside his mind, his voice laced with excitement. 'We need to decide our approach.'
'It would be wise to remain stealthy, at least at first,' Itachi suggested. 'Gather information and assess our competition. We can engage if we have to.'
As they discussed their strategy, some teams with hot heads had already started moving. The sounds of scuffling echoed from a nearby room. Kaida's eyes widened.
'Let's move. We can use this to our advantage,' Kaida thought.
When they went out, they found three ninja running toward the location of the first code—they were none other than the Iwagakure team led by Deidara. They were heading toward the room on the map used to store maps and scrolls, though all of them were fake. Kumogakure wasn't going to take the risk of leaving the real ones there.
Kaida and the group decided to follow them quietly.
'Don't make a sound. This is an excellent opportunity for us to decide our approach. Let them make the first move,' Itachi said using the mental link.
With Sharingan activated, they followed Deidara's team from a distance.