Hui's shadow avatar was ready to watch the spectacle unfold, but outside, the participants who were about to take the stage had mixed emotions.
They had yet to fully grasp the depth of the rules, only realizing that they might have to face their own teammates as enemies.
"This rule is absurd! We're part of a team, and splitting us up means we can't even use our full strength!"
"Exactly! The Chunin Exams have always been conducted with teams as the basic unit. What's the point of splitting us up now?"
Some participants voiced their dissatisfaction, protesting to Takashi Ishida.
In response, Takashi Ishida merely gave a cold sneer before speaking loudly:
"These are the rules. If you don't wish to accept them, you're free to quit."
Hearing this, those who were dissatisfied had no choice but to suppress their frustration.
After all, they had come this far; giving up now would be a huge waste.
"Alright, now we'll begin the random draw for your ribbons.
"Red and blue, two factions. To prevent any unauthorized switching of ribbons, once you've drawn your ribbon, go directly to your designated faction!"
With a wave of Takashi Ishida's hand, a few Iwagakure ninjas appeared, each carrying a box.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. If we end up in opposing factions, you better go easy on me," Kei Yuki teased Ranzuki. He had assumed they would once again team up to conquer the other village ninjas, but it seemed they might end up as opponents.
Ranzuki chuckled at his words.
"Didn't you always want to defeat me? If we're really on opposing sides, this is your chance."
Kei Yuki smiled in return. Though he knew his talent was not on par with Ranzuki's, he was still a prodigy in his own right. For a long time, Kei had wanted to face Ranzuki in battle—and win.
Why?
Perhaps it was because he didn't want Ranzuki to bear so much pressure alone. He wanted to share some of the burden.
Watching Ranzuki go to draw his ribbon, Kei Yuki's eyes showed a hint of heartache.
He's too tired.
This scene was noticed by Nawaki, whowho sucked in abreath of cold air. A chill ran down his spine as goosebumps rose on his skin.
Good heavens, Nawaki thought, I can't believe it… male camaraderie is blooming right here in front of me!
Horrified, Nawaki quickly moved away from Kei Yuki and lined up at a different box to draw his ribbon, leaving Kei puzzled.
Kei had no idea why this strong Konoha ninja was looking at him with such an odd expression. If Kei knew what Nawaki was thinking, he'd probably challenge him to a fight on the spot.
"This rule is so unfair. If I get separated from Minato, Nawaki, or Konan and end up in a different faction, what am I going to do?"
Kushina looked distressed.
Minato, however, smiled reassuringly.
"Don't worry. We'll definitely be in the same faction."
His confidence left Kushina momentarily stunned, and she pouted.
"You can't control luck," she muttered.
But Minato's eyes glinted.
If luck couldn't be controlled, then he'd manipulate the outcome. The rules for the ribbon draw didn't explicitly forbid cheating.
Since the rules were vague, even if caught, he could argue his way out.
"Go ahead and draw first," Minato said to Kushina. He planned to base his choice on her ribbon color so they could stay in the same faction.
As for ensuring all four Konoha participants were in one faction? That wasn't necessary. The outcome of the faction battle didn't determine who would pass; individual performance did.
This insight was Minato's focus.
"Red. I'm in the red faction," Kushina said, holding up her ribbon as she headed toward her faction's area. She glanced back at Minato with a mix of nervousness and anticipation.
Minato gave her a reassuring smile before stepping up to draw his ribbon.
The boxes were tightly sealed, making it impossible to see the ribbons inside, supposedly ensuring fairness.
But Minato didn't believe in this so-called fairness.
Earlier, he had observed the Iwagakure ninja holding the boxes. When Ranzuki had drawn his ribbon, the ninja's hand had subtly moved.
From that, Minato deduced that Ranzuki was in the red faction, while Nawaki was in the blue faction.
It was clear that the process wasn't entirely random.
Stretching his hand into the box, Minato felt the identical texture of the ribbons, making it impossible to discern their colors by touch.
But he had no intention of relying on guesswork.
Instead of drawing just one ribbon, Minato grabbed several.
As he withdrew his hand, he formed a single-handed seal in a blind spot from the others' view.
Genjutsu: Dark Veil Technique.
For half a second, the Iwagakure ninja holding the box lost his vision.
In that brief moment, Minato peeked through the small opening in the box, identified the red ribbon, and let the others fall back inside before withdrawing the red one.
He casually walked toward the red faction's area, leaving the Iwagakure ninja observing from the side in turmoil.
The ninja realized the guy holding the box had been affected by a technique but chose to remain quiet. After all, the implicit rule of this ribbon draw was simple: if you could cheat without being caught or making it obvious to other participants, it was allowed.
Clearly, this Konoha boy had grasped that unspoken rule.
Reaching Kushina's side, Minato smiled warmly at her.
Meanwhile, Kei Yuki, also in the red faction, narrowed his eyes as he observed Minato.
That boy… had performed a one-handed seal.
"Amazing. Konoha truly produces geniuses," Kei remarked, marveling at Minato's talent. He himself could perform one-handed seals. But it was an incredibly hard skill to master.
Soon, the ribbon draw concluded, and the two factions were officially formed:
Red Faction: Ranzuki, Kei Yuki, Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, and several others.
Blue Faction: Nawaki, Kasamo, Konan, and several others.
Many participants wore complicated expressions as they glanced at former teammates now on opposing sides.
In an instant, allies had become enemies.
"The factions are decided. Now, I will take you to the location for this Chunin Exam. Let's go."
Takashi Ishida led the red faction away, while another Iwagakure Jonin guided the blue faction.
After a short walk, both groups arrived at the entrance to a massive canyon.
"This is your exam site. Now, go and defeat the other faction," Takashi Ishida declared before vanishing with a Body Flicker Technique.
Similarly, the other Jonin disappeared after giving the same instructions to the blue faction.
Above the canyon, the accompanying Jonin from various villages had gathered. Hui's shadow avatar, observing from above, glanced toward the rocky walls.
Hidden within were Iwagakure ninjas. The true "proctors" of this exam.
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