Konoha.
Outside the exam venue, within a massive spectator arena, countless spectators let out gasps of astonishment.
At the center of the enormous arena, a giant water sphere bubbled continuously, reflecting the scenes taking place inside the Chunin Exam venue.
The events within the exam venue were almost entirely visible to the spectators. However, as Senju Yamato's Wood Release was unleashed, the crowd watching the spectacle fell into a state of shock.
"Wo…Wood Release?!"
"A Wood Release ninja from Konoha!"
"Who is Senju Yamato?!"
Initially, many people were hesitant about the high ticket prices, but upon seeing the Wood Release ninja inside the water sphere, none of them had any regrets anymore.
Under the giant water sphere, ripples spread out, and the scenes from the exam venue were projected clearly for everyone to see.
Almost every available ninja in the village had gathered here, each one rubbing their eyes in disbelief at the scene unfolding before them.
Lord Shirou is truly a genius, they thought, marveling at the spectacle he had orchestrated.
"A Wood Release ninja! For the Hokage to reveal this… then…"
It wasn't just the ninjas from other villages who were stunned—even Konoha's ninjas were shocked. However, their minds quickly began to process the implications.
There was no need for other villages to gather intelligence—Konoha had boldly and openly presented their Wood Release ninja on the grand stage.
On the spectator platform, Itachi couldn't suppress his look of surprise.
"Lord Shirou allowed Yamato to step directly into the spotlight."
Wood Release ninjas had always been a mysterious and deterrent force hidden within Konoha. By making it public, the element of mystery was now gone.
Beside him, Kakashi scratched his head and spoke in a tone of lazy admiration:
"Lord Shirou truly knows how to strategize. With this move, during the final Chunin Exam battles, this place will probably be packed to capacity."
As he said this, Kakashi's gaze swept over the supermassive, impressively wide arena.
Even before the final battles, the moment the Wood Release ninja appeared, the ninjas of other villages had already started exchanging covert messages. Their expressions had changed, reflecting growing unease.
Meanwhile, Konoha's ninjas, upon hearing the news, began flooding into the arena.
Initially, the written exam had attracted only a sparse audience, leaving the massive venue looking empty. But within just ten minutes, a large number of people had already joined the growing ticket queues.
Shisui, responsible for security at the venue, looked on with admiration. At first, he had thought building such a massive arena was wasteful.
But now, just the ticket revenue from the first event alone would recover the costs—let alone the profits from the upcoming events.
Many Jonin cast secret glances toward the high platform where the Hokage's seat was located, their expressions filled with admiration.
With just one written exam, Konoha had boldly displayed its strength.
If Konoha dared to reveal a Wood Release ninja so openly, it was clearly an assertion of absolute confidence and power. This was dominance through presence.
"So this is Wood Release!"
"How terrifying!"
"Senju Yamato!"
At the very top of the arena, Shirou wore a satisfied smile. Many Konoha ninjas shifted their attention to Tsunade sitting beside him.
Facing their gazes, Tsunade maintained a calm demeanor and softly explained:
"Yamato does indeed use Wood Release. However, he has spent most of his time in the Root and Anbu divisions, so you may not be familiar with him. As of two days ago, he was officially promoted to Jonin in Konoha."
With this statement, Tsunade effectively confirmed Yamato's Wood Release abilities, eliciting gasps of astonishment from the crowd.
Shirou, smiling, turned to Tsunade and remarked:
"Yamato's control is quite good, though his chakra reserves are a bit lacking. He'll need to work on that in the future."
"This exam is fully open to the public to ensure no accusations of home-field cheating. Everyone can now see their own village's ninja performance."
Shirou's strategy left many other villages' ninjas looking visibly uncomfortable.
Most of the teams sent by other villages were just ordinary Genin. Rarely were elite squads dispatched, and even then, they were instructed to hold back, focus on gaining experience, and, if necessary, surrender to preserve their strength.
But with Konoha's transparent and public display, every village's ninja performance was now on full display. If they performed poorly or embarrassingly, it wouldn't just tarnish the individuals' reputations—it would reflect on their entire village and even their nation.
"Hurry, send word to Lord Tsuchikage! Konoha's Wood Release ninja has been revealed…"
Many ninjas had begun secretly relaying this information. Konoha made no effort to stop them, and Shirou looked on with a calm smile toward the four empty stone chairs on either side of the platform.
Five stone chairs were placed on the high platform, carved with the characters for Water, Fire, Lightning, Earth, and Wind, representing the positions of the five Kage of the ninja world.
"In this newly constructed arena, we'll show the entire ninja world what it means to be the First Ninja Village. High ticket prices, gambling opportunities, and invitations to dignitaries, nobles, and merchants from every nation."
"Yes!"
Shirou planned to make the entire event transparent and fair, leaving no room for criticism.
"Gambling!"
Tsunade, who had been looking bored, perked up at the mention of gambling, a wide grin spreading across her face.
"Finally, I can place some big bets!"
Her excitement caused the surrounding Konoha ninjas to exchange awkward glances, many of them twitching at the corners of their mouths.
Although the Hokage had been keeping her in check over the years, Tsunade's infamous weekly gambling sessions were well-known throughout Konoha.
Standing nearby, Tsunade's assistants, Shizune and Kurenai Yuhi, reacted differently. Kurenai licked her lips in excitement and whispered, "I can't wait to try my luck."
Shizune, however, looked embarrassed and hesitantly reminded Tsunade:
"Lady Tsunade, I think you've already lost all your money this month…"
Hearing this, Tsunade's eyes widened in disbelief.
"How is that possible?! I lost everything already?!"
When Shizune nodded reluctantly, Tsunade slumped in frustration, turning toward Shirou with a pitiful expression.
The great Princess Tsunade was being financially restrained—how humiliating!
The other Konoha ninjas quickly looked away, pretending not to see anything, while Shirou sighed helplessly, reaching out to console her.
"Tsunade, half of the Senju Clan's liquid funds have already gone into your research projects. The rest is needed for family and village development. The Uchiha Clan's funds are also allocated to Root and Konoha's needs…"
But as Shirou patiently explained, Tsunade only grew more stubborn, feigning a heartbroken expression that could tug at anyone's sympathies.
Faced with her performance, Shirou had no choice but to relent, whispering:
"There are so many people watching… Fine, I still have some money."
No one could resist Tsunade's combination of strong-willed confidence and her occasional vulnerable, girlish charm.
The Konoha ninjas were already used to this dynamic, but from a distance, Senju Nawaki, the head of the Anbu, watched with a twitching eye.
Is this my violent older sister?!
"So gentle? And even pretending to look pitiful like a little woman?"
Although it wasn't the first time seeing this, every time, Nawaki couldn't help but look at Shirou with admiration.
...
Meanwhile, the first round of the Chunin Exams—an academic written test—was still ongoing, with Konoha ninjas maintaining order inside the venue. They loudly explained the proceedings to the ordinary spectators and nobles watching from the stands.
"This written test evaluates a ninja's ability to gather intelligence. For those who are too clumsy…"
"Ninjas must adapt to combat and information-gathering in all kinds of environments…"
A giant water sphere projected an image of the exam hall, causing the audience to gasp in amazement.
Various methods of information-gathering (cheating) were on full display. Most ninjas carried pens for recording intel, but some were less fortunate. They had no choice but to cut their fingers and use the blood-soaked tips of senbon to write.
The first exam unfolded almost identically to the original events. Among the examinees were covert proctors who already knew the answers. How the participants copied those answers depended entirely on their individual abilities. Aside from a slightly larger number of participants, everything else was mostly the same, with everyone showing off their unique skills.
However, this time, Yamato, who appeared calm and dull, was casting significant pressure on the candidates. Despite his composed demeanor, the legend of Wood Release had been spreading for years, leaving the candidates nervous.
Yet, there were also some academic genius-types among them!
"Damn it, they even know this question!"
Many were racking their brains, while others were furiously scribbling, not even bothering to look up. The most notable was Haruno Sakura, who appeared to be the weakest. This scene, of course, didn't escape the eyes of her Konoha teammates.
Even Kimimaro showed a surprised expression, nodding secretly. "No wonder she's participating in the Chunin Exams. She does have some remarkable qualities."
The second standout was Hyuga Hinata. Despite her volatile personality and seemingly underwhelming academic reputation, her peers knew she was a top student who often dominated theory classes alongside Haruno Sakura.
The sound of pens scratching against paper made many examinees groan inwardly.
Even academically capable participants like Kimimaro and Shikamaru were struggling. Out of the ten questions, they could only answer four or five. Intelligence was one thing, but knowing the material was another—they didn't always overlap.
"Ugh, I envy Sasuke's Sharingan. He's even using it like this!"
Naruto scratched his head in frustration, casting an envious glance at Sasuke sitting far away. Sasuke had activated his Sharingan and was shamelessly copying Hinata's writing movements to replicate her answers.
"Even Naruto doesn't know the answers?"
Everyone was secretly observing one another. Naruto's academic performance wasn't usually terrible, but his current behavior made it clear he didn't know the answers.
However, some sharp-eyed individuals noticed that while Naruto appeared frustrated, he was actually using the reflection on his forehead protector and the light fixtures on the ceiling to copy answers.
Everyone was showing off their unique skills.
Sasuke, on the other hand, smirked. His dual tomoe Sharingan locked onto Hinata's furious writing movements. The corner of his mouth curled into a proud smile.
"This is it!"
But as Sasuke lowered his head to copy the answers, his smile froze.
On the test paper he had copied, there was a shockingly embarrassing love letter!
The final line was especially exasperating:
"Little Second Pillar, the answers are hidden in this love letter. From, Stepmom!"
What the hell!
Sasuke was fuming. The seating arrangement was random, and Sakura was sitting behind him, completely out of his line of sight.
"Damn it! She's messing with me again!"
Although he knew Hinata's personality, Sasuke couldn't stop himself from studying the embarrassing love letter, analyzing it for the correct answers. For some reason, the image of the Hokage Rock lingered in his mind. He did resemble the teacher, Shirou-sensei!
Even Itachi had said so!
Compared to the original events, this exam didn't include the most difficult tenth question. The difficulty of the first round was deliberately lowered to prepare for what lay ahead.
"Alright, I now announce that all the Genin who remain have passed the first round of the exam."
"What?!"
Faced with the candidates' shock, Kabuto calmly adjusted his glasses and smiled as he explained:
"The first written exam was, at its core, a test of your intelligence-gathering and teamwork abilities."
"In a team, there are always combat specialists and support members. But during complex missions, the ability to gather intelligence is crucial. The question is: after obtaining intelligence, can you determine whether it's real or fake? And how do you help teammates who lack such abilities?"
Kabuto's warm smile remained as he continued explaining to the group, his eyes narrowing slightly:
"Among the participants, there were hidden proctors, but there was also deliberately planted false information. Those disqualified earlier? I can only say their skills were too poor. The evaluation criteria of this exam are simple: an eligible Chunin must possess the ability to gather and analyze intelligence. A single piece of false intel can kill not only you but also your teammates."
Kabuto's calm explanation echoed in the room, leaving many ninjas with solemn expressions.
Throughout the exam, candidates had been disqualified one after another. Both the participants and the spectators outside had witnessed it. At this moment, the purpose of the exam finally dawned on them.
"The ability to gather intelligence must be accompanied by the ability to analyze it!"
Suddenly, a flash of cold light appeared outside the window. A shadow darted into the room, and many Genin tensed up.
Bang, bang!
"Now is not the time to celebrate! I'm the proctor for the second exam, Uzumaki Kushina!"
A giant black cloth unfurled, revealing the words "Second Exam" in bold. This dramatic and fiery entrance left countless Genin dumbfounded.
The Konoha ninjas couldn't help but feel secondhand embarrassment.
But Kushina, laughing loudly and raising her hand high, paid no attention to the stares.
"Hey, hey! I'm here too, Anko Mitarashi!"
Anko, another female ninja standing behind Kushina, shouted excitedly, completely unbothered by the awkward atmosphere.
Apparently, since Anko and Kushina had met, they had become fast friends. The two were so in sync that they had planned this grand entrance together.
"Terumi Mei."
The third figure, Terumi Mei, hesitated for a moment before lowering her voice to introduce herself. Her embarrassment was evident.
"Alright, Genin! Let's head to the Forest of Death for the second exam!"
The proctor for the first round, Yamato, forced an awkward smile and muttered under his breath: "Lord Hokage must have a hard time managing all this."
As the Genin began heading toward the Forest of Death, Yamato and Pakura, let out quiet sighs of relief. The earlier scene had been too awkward.
Only Kabuto, with his snake-like indifference to public opinion, seemed unaffected. Instead, he remarked:
"Anko is something. No wonder she gets along so well with Lady Kushina."
Kabuto Yakushi, an elite Jonin of Konoha and Orochimaru's right-hand man in the Root organization, also managed Konoha's orphanage in public.
"Let's quickly gather the test papers. Once reviewed, we'll hand them over to the Jonin team leaders."
The first written exam was merely a way to filter out those who were just here to make up the numbers. Some of the answers on the test were intentionally wrong, and others were copied incorrectly. The participants' team leaders were expected to rely on the information their teams had gathered to identify these issues.
Meanwhile, the water-screen projection outside had shifted to show the Forest of Death. Inside the venue, Senju Yamato was collecting the exam papers. However, when he picked up one particular paper, his expression immediately froze.
"Captain Yamato? What's wrong? Is there a problem with this paper?"
Some Konoha shinobi noticed Yamato's stiff expression from afar, and their curiosity was piqued.
One of them asked suspiciously, "Wasn't this seat occupied by the Hyuga clan's eldest daughter? I heard she was last year's top student."
"More than that," another chimed in. "From the moment the test started, before anyone else had finished writing, this young lady had already completed hers."
While the others were marveling at this, Yamato's eye twitched as he looked at the paper in his hand.
It was a love letter addressed to the Hokage!
But that wasn't the main issue. The real problem was that the letter was laced with obvious coded messages—codes so intricate they could only be used for highly confidential information transmission.
In other words, Hinata Hyuga had embedded all the answers within this love letter.
"Yamato!?"
Kabuto, noticing Yamato's reaction, walked over. When he saw the paper, his expression turned to one of astonishment.
"The Hyuga clan's young lady? She's a genius. This combines over ten types of ciphers taught at the ninja academy. What's more impressive is the sequence—if even one part is out of order, it would be impossible to decipher the correct answers."
Hearing Kabuto's admiration, Yamato's lips twitched. As expected, anyone affiliated with Orochimaru was far removed from normal standards.
"This exam paper is quite special. It's better if we hand it directly to the Hokage."
Kabuto, clearly influenced by Orochimaru's eccentricities, didn't seem to notice the real issue. Instead, he kept marveling, "She truly lives up to being the top student who outshone both Sasuke and Naruto. What an extraordinary young lady."
At that moment, Yamato finally understood the meaning of the phrase talking past each other.
Kabuto simply didn't get it!
With a long, helpless sigh, Yamato carefully set the test paper aside, intending to deliver it to the Hokage's office later.
PS: Read Advanced Chapter at patreon.com/AbsoluteCode