AI Model: gemini-3.0-flashChapter 7: The Chunin Exams Begin
The next day.
The Chunin Exams examination hall.
Young Ninjas from various Villages had already gathered here.
Naruto stretched his limbs.
The first day was the written exam phase.
There wasn't any danger, nor was there anything particular to watch out for.
Since mastering the Flying Thunder God last night, he had placed formulas in four different locations.
His own home, the entrance of the Hokage Office, under the nostrils of the First Hokage's Statue on the Hokage Rock, and the Konoha Hospital.
These should be considered some of the safest places in the Village.
Now, Naruto's Flying Thunder God teleportation range covered almost the entire size of Konoha.
If something went wrong, he was ready to bolt at any time.
After using up four mark slots, only six remained.
He also prepared three Flying Thunder God Kunaito use Flying Thunder God: Level 2.
As for the final three, he would save them to adapt during battle.
Just as he confirmed everything was ready and was about to enter the venue, someone suddenly tapped him on the shoulder.
Looking back, it was actually the SandaimeHokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Naruto..."
At this moment, the Sandaime looked at the Blond-haired Youth before him with a somewhat complicated expression.
"Yesterday evening... Eh, why have your eyes turned white?"
"My eyes felt a bit uncomfortable when I woke up this morning," Naruto lied casually, "so I used some eye drops and put on White colored contact lenses."
"Oh, I see."
The Sandaime cleared his throat and then said seriously:
"Yesterday evening, did you bully three children?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"Why did you do that?"
"They called me a Demon Fox and insulted my parents. Was I supposed to just let them humiliate me?"
Naruto didn't have much of a favorable impression of the old man in front of him, but he didn't hate him either.
Although the old man often tried to gaslight him.
Making all of Konoha isolate him, then coming in to build up favorability.
But he had also truly protected his childhood.
Otherwise, as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Narutofound it hard to imagine he wouldn't have been raised by Danzo to be a perverted killing machine.
The Sandaime continued, "But you shouldn't have used such violent methods. They're just children."
"Then what methods should I have used?"
Naruto asked back.
"Should I just endure it silently like before, hoping that one day these people will understand me?"
Hearing Naruto's response, the Sandaime was momentarily at a loss for words.
He wanted to say something more.
Looking at Naruto's face, he noticed he had grown up a bit more.
Suddenly, he thought of Naruto's parents—Minatoand Kushina.
"If they were still around... they probably could have given Naruto a happy childhood."
Ultimately.
Hiruzen Sarutobi swallowed his words back down.
"Don't let it happen again. Also, good luck with the Chunin Exams."
"I know."
After saying that, Naruto walked toward the examination hall.
The other two members of Team 7, Sasuke and Sakura, were already waiting there.
Sasuke still had his hands in his pockets, looking like everyone owed him money.
Sakura, on the other hand, was a bit curious.
"Naruto, what did the Sandaime-sama just say to you?"
Naruto couldn't be bothered to deal with this woman.
"None of your business."
Having said that, he scanned the surroundings.
The Konoha Twelve Genin were all present, standing in different corners.
The Ino-Shika-Cho Trio from the same year as Naruto, who graduated from the Ninja Academy—Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino.
Upon hearing his "none of your business" to Sakurajust now, they all wore shocked expressions.
"How did this guy suddenly get so brave?"
Ino felt a bit of schadenfreude, waiting for a good show. She quietly poked Choji beside her.
"Look, he's even wearing White colored contact lenses. Is he cosplaying the Byakugan?"
Sakura was about to explode when she remembered Kakashi's instructions from a few days ago—"The Chunin Exams are team-based. Sakura, you are the calmest person in the team; you need to hold back these two idiots at critical moments."
"Hmph!"
She forced herself to swallow her anger, deciding not to lower herself to Naruto's level for now.
"Stupid Naruto! Just wait until the exam is over, I'll teach you a lesson!"
The members of Team Guy—Neji, Tenten, and Lee—stood on the other side.
With a quick glance, Naruto noticed that Hyuga Neji was, for some reason, casting an unfriendly look his way.
"Is he sick in the head?"
Naruto didn't indulge him either, simply rolling his eyes back at him.
As for Team 8—Shino, Kiba, and Hinata—they were standing in a corner.
Hinata seemed to still be brooding over what happened yesterday.
Their gazes met briefly in the air.
Then, Hinata buried her head back into her jacket.
"Big meanie..."
Besides them, there were groups from Amegakure, Takigakure, Kusagakure, Otogakure, and the Hidden Sand Village.
Especially the Hidden Sand Trio.
Temari was carefully observing every Konoha Ninjapresent.
The moment the three members of Team 7 stepped into the examination hall, her gaze locked onto Sasuke.
This wasn't the first time she had seen this youth.
"Uchiha Sasuke, eyes are... black. So it's not him either?"
Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuga Neji.
The two Genius Ninjas of Konoha had eye colors of black and white respectively.
"There aren't any Konoha Ninjas with blue eyes at all..."
"Could it be that even the blue eyes were his disguise?"
The heights of these two were indeed similar to that Boar-headed Youth.
If she could choose, she would have preferred the person who took her first kiss last night to be Uchiha Sasuke.
Because he was a bit more handsome.
From Kankuro, Temari had also learned more information.
"The sole survivor of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Itachi's younger brother."
"He recently successfully mastered the Sharingan's abilities; his strength should not be underestimated."
"However, because he witnessed his own brother destroy the Family with his own eyes, his mental state seems a bit unstable."
Temari clicked her tongue.
"A bit unstable mentally..."
"Running around in the middle of the night without clothes, wearing a boar head mask, and calling himself a konoha forest ranger."
"No matter how you think about it, he doesn't seem like a mentally sane person!"
"Tsk, I need to find an opportunity. If I can see his physique, I'll be able to confirm it!"
Suddenly, Temari noticed a Blond-haired Youthnext to Sasuke.
"He seems to be the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?"
"White eyes, looks a bit dim-witted... hmm, it probably isn't him."
Just as her thoughts were wandering.
Gaara came up to her.
"What's wrong with you? You've been a bit restless since last night."
Temari suddenly snapped back to reality and waved her hand dismissively.
"Hey, I'm saying..."
Kankuro whispered:
"You haven't fallen for some Konoha Ninja, have you? Don't forget our mission this time!"
Temari's fan snapped open with a "whoosh," nearly slicing off Kankuro's head.
"Shut up! If you say another word, I'll bury you in the sand and turn you into a Human pillar!"
Amidst the crowd's commotion.
A Scar-faced middle-aged man appeared before the podium, leading a group of examiners.
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried great authority.
Everyone's attention couldn't help but shift to him.
"My name is Ibiki Morino, and I am the chief examiner for this stage."
"I declare that the Chunin Exams written test begins now."