In the Chūnin exam arena, a group of surviving teams from the Forest of Death stood in neat rows, the Genin doing their best to appear composed. A total of thirty teams had entered the exam, meaning sixty Genin had ventured into the deadly forest. But only six teams had survived to make it to this stage—the third exam. In total, only sixteen Genin were left.
One team had been reduced to a single survivor. Two other teams had dropped out entirely before reaching this point, unable to pass the trials.
Among the remaining Genin stood some familiar faces: Naruto Uzumaki's seventh squad, Hinata Hyūga's eighth squad, Neji Hyūga's third squad, and Shikamaru Nara 's tenth squad. The Sand Shinobi team led by Gaara was also present, as was the lone survivor of the Red Copper Armor team from Village Hidden in the Sound. Otogakure had sent two teams, but one had been disqualified by Gojo himself.
Hiruzen Sarutobi , the Third Hokage, stood before the gathered Genin, slowly exhaling a cloud of pale smoke. His tone was solemn as he spoke. "In the ninja world, we speak of balance. By killing to maintain that balance, we are supposedly showing our 'friendliness,' but this habit, this ruthless philosophy, has been abandoned by us."
He paused, taking a long drag from his pipe as the words seemed to hang in the air. "Ninjas from different villages, young and old, grow through hard work, determination, and perseverance. Carrying the name of their village, they build a bridge of hope for the future. This is the meaning of the Chūnin exam."
The old Hokage exhaled another puff of smoke, his voice almost reverent as he continued, "It is not the act of battle that defines us, but what we do with the lessons we learn. It is about hope—hope for a better future."
Before Sarutobi could finish his speech, however, the air was broken by a loud, mocking voice.
"Who wants to hear about hope and balance from this old man?" Gojo called out, his voice drawing the attention of every Genin in the arena. He had appeared out of nowhere, casually strolling among the Genin as if he were part of the group. "We're not here to talk about hope! All we want is to defeat our opponents and become Jonin as soon as possible! That's the real reason we're here!"
A number of Jonin glanced around in surprise. How had Gojo appeared so suddenly? He had been standing behind Hiruzen Sarutobi just moments before. The man's speed—almost supernatural—was enough to leave everyone speechless.
Hiruzen's face darkened. He had been just about to get to the heart of his speech—the will of fire, the core idea that every ninja in Konoha should understand. But Gojo had done what he always did: interrupted, making a mockery of everything.
"Gojo!" Hiruzen snapped, his voice tinged with frustration. "Stop making a mockery of this moment!"
Kurenai, standing off to the side, gave a soft sigh of exasperation. "Gojo, not again…"
Her face flushed with embarrassment. After all, they were standing before the Fire Daimyo and several high-ranking officials from other villages. And yet, Gojo was messing around like a child, completely disregarding the gravity of the situation.
The Sand Shinobi, led by Gaara, exchanged glances. "Who is this Gojo?" Gaara asked quietly. His tone suggested confusion. "How can he speak so freely, especially in front of the Hokage?"
The Jonin supervising the exam were equally taken aback, though they had grown used to Gojo's behavior by now. It was... normal by his standards.
Gojo, on the other hand, seemed completely unfazed. He lazily leaned on a railing, popped a lollipop into his mouth, and gave a carefree shrug. "What? I'm just telling it like it is. Hope is overrated, anyway."
"Gojo, please," Kurenai said, rubbing her temples. "You're not helping."
He just smiled and waved her off. "Relax, Red. It's all good. We're just having a bit of fun." He turned his attention back to the Genin, who were now whispering among themselves.
"You're all going to get crushed anyway, but don't worry—there's always next year," Gojo-sensei added with a wink, clearly not taking the exam seriously at all.
Hiruzen sighed deeply, clearly at the end of his rope. "Gojo, I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."
Naruto, overhearing the conversation, stood up proudly. His eyes gleamed with determination as he pushed his forehead protector back. "Listen up, everyone! I'm NarutoUzumaki ! One day, I'll be the greatest Hokage ever! And with Gojo-sensei's training, I'm going to beat all of you here and now! I'll show you all that I'm no joke!"
The entire arena fell silent. Every single Genin turned to stare at Naruto, their expressions a mix of confusion, disbelief, and judgment. This kid was really serious, wasn't he?
Naruto puffed out his chest, completely oblivious to the atmosphere around him. "Just you wait! I'm going to be the strongest ninja—mark my words! Believe it!"
Sasuke, who had been standing nearby, scowled. "What an idiot..." he muttered under his breath, his hand clenched into a fist.
Sakura, Naruto's fellow teammate, could only shake her head and facepalm. "Naruto, why do you always have to make things worse?"
Naruto, still beaming with confidence, raised his voice even higher. "You all can laugh now, but you'll see—when I'm Hokage, I'll—"
"Bang!" Sakura delivered a swift punch to his head, sending Naruto crashing to the ground with a comical thud.
"Ow! What was that for?!" Naruto groaned, rubbing the bump on his head.
Sakura simply ignored him, giving a polite bow to the other Genin. "Sorry, he's just... a little overenthusiastic. Please ignore him."
Hiruzen let out a long, tired sigh. "Ah, youth... so impulsive…"
Meanwhile, Gojo Satoru stood off to the side, still munching on his lollipop, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Ahh, the future of the ninja world. So full of... energy. Naruto's got the spirit, but that's not going to save him when he faces someone with actual skill."
Hiruzen turned his back to the arena, attempting to regain some semblance of dignity. "We should focus on the exam..."
Gojo waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. We're just getting started, old man."
And with that, the moment passed, as the arena shifted focus to the third exam.
Kakashi Hayate, the official announcer, stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Alright, the third exam will now officially begin. The first match is Sasuke Uchiha vs. Yoroï Akadô, Sasuke, his face as cold as ever, gave a slight smirk. "I'll prove myself here," he muttered, his fists tightening in anticipation.
From the stands, Naruto shouted, "Sasuke, don't lose to this guy!"
Sasuke shot a quick glance at Naruto, clearly unimpressed. "Thanks for the encouragement, idiot."
Sakura clasped her hands together and offered a small prayer. "Sasuke, you can do it. We're all counting on you."
Nearby, Kurenai glanced at Gojo, clearly not letting his antics distract her. "So, what do you think of the match?" she asked, feigning indifference.
Gojo glanced up from the book he was reading—"Making Out in Heaven"—with a grin that suggested he had absolutely no interest in the fight. "Sasuke's going to win. He's my student, after all. Remember?"
Kurenai's eyes widened slightly as she leaned over to peek at the book's cover. Her face immediately turned a deep red. "W-What are you reading?!"
Gojo smiled innocently, holding up the book. "Oh, just some light reading. You should try it sometime."
Kurenai quickly turned away, muttering under her breath. "You're unbelievable…"
Meanwhile, Sasuke was already making his way to the center of the arena, his eyes burning with intensity. This was his moment. He would prove himself, no matter what.