Asuma, Shisui, and Kurenai exchanged glances.
Familiar!
Too familiar!
Their sensei's classic tactics.
Just when you thought the exam hadn't started, the assessment had already quietly begun.
It was indeed their sensei's style of setting the test.
They dared not be careless anymore, their minds repeatedly flashing back to the map they had just seen, but...
"Be content."
Shisui muttered softly.
Asuma and Kurenai were stunned for a moment, but quickly understood—don't be too greedy, just remember part of the map.
One minute.
Normally, that should be more than enough to memorize a map.
But.
The spots where the map could be seen were only a couple of rounds.
There were fifty or sixty people here.
In that instant, it was impossible to convince others to rationally copy the map, because they weren't teammates—they were opponents.
No solution.
"Next, we will first confiscate all ninja tools and supplies. Everything you need for the second exam must be obtained within the exam grounds."
"Secondly..."
"Get ready, as we will be shuffling the teams shortly."
Kyōichi smiled as he looked at everyone.
The scene erupted into chaos.
Shuffling the teams?
This meant that former teammates might now become enemies.
So.
The intelligence they had gathered...
They all looked at each other, momentarily at a loss for words.
Kurenai exchanged glances with her two teammates, all of them speechless.
The vibe was spot on!
This mischievousness was so thick, its origin was unmistakable at a glance.
"The rest of the information was already shown on the map earlier, so I won't repeat it."
"Kyōichi-sama, what if we didn't see it clearly?"
"If you didn't see it clearly, it means you're not cut out for it. If you can't even grasp the map's details in a minute, what right do you have to become a chūnin?"
The scene fell silent.
Some were furious but couldn't find a way to refute.
Kyōichi didn't give them a chance to continue, waving his hand to signal everyone to head to the exam grounds—
The Forest of Death!
On the way, the atmosphere was tense.
Shisui exchanged hand signals with Asuma and Kurenai.
Obito, not far away, noticed and his eyes lit up.
Konoha Military Police Force code!
He excitedly pulled Rin over and started frantically signaling to Shisui.
But.
Midway through...
He forgot one of the signals.
It was awkward.
Fortunately, Shisui understood his intent and replied with a signal, nodding slightly.
It wasn't hard to guess.
It was probably about looking after Rin.
Obito himself didn't know the meaning of the word "fear."
At this moment, many were wary of each other.
But.
Some were already trying to form alliances, especially those who were former teammates or had good relationships.
At the back.
Kyōichi and Might Duy followed closely.
"Kyōichi, how does your brain even work? So many twists and turns, so many devious ideas."
Might Duy sighed in admiration.
For this exam, he was acting as a guard, observing and providing protection if necessary.
So.
He didn't know the full plan, just like the genin, and was only piecing it together as things unfolded.
All of this...
He wasn't sure if Guy could handle it, but he certainly couldn't.
Duy knew his limits.
While his taijutsu was strong and he had the Eight Gates, he lacked the knowledge and skills expected of a chūnin or jōnin. Leading a team would only harm both himself and others.
Witnessing this exam only reinforced that belief.
"It's nothing. I'm just standing on the shoulders of giants."
"That makes sense. This is the essence of youth!"
"..."
He's at it again.
Kyōichi ignored Might Duy's sudden burst of enthusiasm, focusing instead on the group of genin ahead.
Their intelligence—or lack thereof—was already becoming apparent.
Many had secretly formed alliances.
Breaking up the teams wasn't just a test of leadership and temporary coordination, but also of overall strategy—
If three people could be assigned to three different teams and still coordinate, they could unite and eliminate other squads first.
In games, such tactics wouldn't fly.
But.
On the battlefield, it's common.
Life-and-death struggles don't care about honor or fairness.
If they didn't understand that...
They might as well quit now!
Kyōichi caught up to the Forest of Death but didn't go further.
Chasing after them to watch the action was too tiring.
Better to find the Sandaime!
Sandaime's Telescope Technique was the perfect tool for live coverage, eliminating the need to run around.
As for rescue...
Wasn't that what Minato and the medical team were for?
No need for him to intervene.
"Sandaime-sama."
"Why aren't you supervising the exam? What are you doing here?"
Sandaime looked at Kyōichi curiously.
Though he was also present, he was quite a distance from the Forest of Death, and it would take some time to get there.
Normally...
The proctor would be overseeing the exam grounds...
Kyōichi grinned and said, "Minato-senpai is over there. Why would someone like me, a junior, need to step in? I heard you have a technique that allows you to observe from a distance. No particular reason—I just wanted to see it for myself."
"..."
Sandaime was speechless.
The Telescope Technique.
This jutsu...
Was a little embarrassing.
His small hobby was now known to all the younger generation.
He coughed awkwardly and said, "Fine. Using the Telescope Technique to monitor the Forest of Death isn't a bad idea. It allows us to observe from multiple angles..."
"Sandaime-sama, I prepared a large mirror for you."
Kyōichi pulled out a sealing scroll and unsealed a massive mirror.
Sandaime was speechless.
After a long pause...
He performed the jutsu, using the Telescope Technique to project the distant scene onto the mirror.
Though the technique required some adjustments, it was no challenge for Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Kakashi's eyes widened.
This jutsu...
Amazing!
Now, they could freely switch perspectives and observe everything happening in the Forest of Death through the mirror.
The only problem was...
The Hokage had essentially become a live broadcast tool.
Nara Shikaku broke into a cold sweat.
The young truly fear nothing!
Only Kyōichi would dare make such a request. The rest of them would have pretended not to know about Sandaime's jutsu.
At that moment...
The first to appear on the screen was—
Uchiha Obito.
His team consisted of Obito, Yamashiro Aoba, and Might Guy.
"This team is quite strong. Might Guy may not excel in ninjutsu or genjutsu, but his taijutsu is impressive. Obito can cover the ninjutsu gap, and Yamashiro Aoba is skilled in reconnaissance."
Chōza analyzed thoughtfully.
Clearly...
He didn't fully understand the dynamics of this team.
Hagane Kotetsu, however, knew better.
Seeing this, he sighed softly, already predicting their failure.
Obito and Guy.
On the same team?
"Chōza-senpai, you only see part of the picture. On paper, this team is strong, but the problem is... when these three are together, they only have two brains between them."
Kyōichi couldn't help but laugh.
Minato putting them together was quite the joke.
Kakashi thought about it carefully and realized Kyōichi's assessment was both accurate and hilarious.
Guy and Obito.
Together, they only had half a brain.
"I memorized the map. Let's head to the resource points first, then—"
"Forget the resource points! Let's find some enemies and take out a team first!"
"Yosh! My youth is burning!"
Sandaime watched this scene and couldn't help but feel a deep sense of doubt.
Obito...
Could he really be the second coming of Uchiha Kagami?
"My apologies. I overestimated them. Clearly, they don't even have one brain between them."