"Have you heard? Konoha has already reached an agreement with the Land of Waves. Konoha will now be responsible for the country's seaborne trade."
"This is big news! I heard that many ninjas who were about to retire early have been recruited."
"It's a shame their comfortable retirement is gone."
"You're overthinking it. You have no idea how happy the recruited ninjas are. Compared to the salary of the Shipping Department, a pension is nothing."
As Team Seven returned to the village, news spread throughout Konoha. Kado, the wealthy businessman from the Land of Waves, had spent a fortune hiring Zabuza and Haku to prevent Tazuna and his team from building the bridge.
However, despite the passage of time, the bridge's construction progressed steadily, with no sabotage attempts from Zabuza or Haku. Eventually, Kado lost his patience and personally led his men to attack Tazuna's village.
But how could ordinary men stand against Konoha's shinobi? Under Kakashi's leadership, Team Seven effortlessly defeated Kado. Using this as justification, Kakashi killed Kado. Shortly after, Konoha sent special personnel to seize Kado's assets and businesses, putting an end to the tyranny that had dominated the Land of Waves for over a decade.
With Konoha's support, the Land of Waves established a strong alliance with the village and began close commercial cooperation. This partnership brought significant revenue to Konoha, helping maintain its standing forces without weakening its military strength.
"Kakashi, you executed the mission flawlessly this time. I've also read your report."
"Not only did you bring the students back safely despite the threat of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, but you also completed the mission. I must say, you handled it beautifully."
"This S-rank mission has now come to an end."
In the Hokage's office, Minato Namikaze spoke with a smile. In front of him stood Team Seven, ready to submit their mission report.
"S-rank mission? This mission was S-rank?" Naruto covered his mouth in shock. He hadn't expected such a seemingly simple task to be classified at that level. While they had encountered the formidable Mist ninja Murakami Shinobi along the way, the mission itself had felt relatively safe and not overly difficult.
"Did you really think our mission was just escorting Mr. Tazuna back to the Land of Waves?"
"If I'm right, the true objective was Kado."
Uchiha Sasuke, upon hearing Minato's words, lowered his head in thought. He quickly pieced together the mission details and realized why it had been classified as S-rank.
"Really? Kakashi-sensei, is that true?" Naruto asked curiously, unaware of the hidden layers within their assignment.
Kakashi chose not to explain. The mission had been secretly assigned by Minato and, in principle, had nothing to do with Naruto and the others. However, since Team Seven had always worked together, their involvement was significant. Minato, with some personal bias, credited the mission to the team.
As a result, Naruto, Sasuke, and Karin successfully earned credit for an S-rank mission, each receiving 1,000 points.
After completing the debriefing, Minato retrieved several documents from his desk, handed them to Kakashi, and addressed the group:
"In one month, Konoha will host a joint Chunin Exam with several allied villages."
"Kakashi, these are recommendation letters from you as a Jonin. You can recommend students who show promise to participate in the exam."
Minato smiled. The Chunin Exam was not held annually in Konoha; instead, it took place every two years. Only those who passed the exam could be promoted to Chunin. Since it had been nearly two years since the last one, the village had decided to organize a joint exam to showcase its military strength.
This was an excellent opportunity for Naruto and the others to prove themselves, allowing more people to witness the strength of Konoha's next generation.
"The Chunin Exam? Can we take it?"
As expected, Naruto's curiosity was immediately piqued, and he asked excitedly.
Before Kakashi could respond, Sasuke interjected coldly:
"What are you thinking? Only experienced Genin can participate. Do you even know the two main requirements to become a Chunin?"
"Passing the Chunin Exam is just one part. The most important requirement is earning 3,000 mission points!"
"Even with this S-rank mission included, we only have around 1,000 points. We're still far from qualifying for Chunin rank."
Sasuke, being analytical, understood Konoha's promotion system well. Though he was eager for the Chunin Exam, he didn't have high expectations.
"That's unfair! With my strength, I should already be a Chunin," Naruto muttered in disappointment, sighing dramatically.
Seeing Naruto's reaction, Minato, as his father, could only rub his forehead helplessly. He wasn't sure whom Naruto had inherited this personality from, but it was certainly exasperating.
However, Minato then clarified:
"If you want to participate, you can—if Kakashi recommends you."
"Sasuke, you're quite familiar with the ninja promotion system, but you're mistaken about some details."
"The Chunin Exam does not have a strict mission point requirement. It doesn't explicitly state that you must have 3,000 points to take the exam."
"In other words, even if your mission points haven't reached 3,000, you can still take the exam. Once you pass, your points will remain recorded."
"When you accumulate enough mission points, you'll be promoted automatically."
"Konoha has many ninjas who have reached 3,000 mission points, but few actually pass the Chunin Exam."
"You three may not have enough points yet, but if you pass the exam…"
Minato trailed off, but the meaning was clear. Strength was the true requirement for the Chunin Exam. This was fantastic news for Naruto and the others.
"Really? Kakashi-sensei, we want to participate!" Naruto clenched his fists excitedly. Promotions and salary increases were exactly the kind of things he longed for. Plus, if he could become a Chunin before Sasuke…
Just imagining it made Naruto smirk to himself, causing the others to glance at him in confusion.
"Minato-sensei, which villages are participating in the joint Chunin Exam?"
"Is the test dangerous?"
Kakashi didn't immediately agree to Naruto's request. He wanted to understand the nature of this exam first. This was the first time he had heard of a joint Chunin Exam among multiple villages.
"It includes several allies with whom we have strong diplomatic ties—Sand, Sound, Grass, and even Rain will send teams to participate."
"With Konoha included, this makes it an exam between five villages."
"This exam has drawn considerable attention from the ninja world. The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, will also visit Konoha to oversee the proceedings."
"It's a rare opportunity."
"As for the danger… every Chunin Exam is dangerous."
At the end of Minato's speech, his eyes fell on Naruto, Sasuke, and the others. Seeing that none of them showed any tension or fear upon hearing the word "danger," he secretly nodded. From this alone, it was clear that Kakashi had trained them well.
At the very least, they didn't shrink back in the face of danger, and their courage was commendable.
"It's true. No Chunin Exam prioritizes absolute safety."
Kakashi had initially hesitated, considering whether Naruto and the others should participate. After all, this was a joint exam, and fighting against ninjas from other villages was entirely different from sparring with fellow Konoha shinobi. In the village, comrades might hold back due to shared allegiance, but outsiders wouldn't hesitate. In this exam, every fight would be real.
However, after hearing Minato's words, Kakashi realized he was being overly cautious. The Chunin Exam was a great opportunity for Naruto and the others. If they missed it, they would have to wait at least two more years before they could attempt promotion again. That kind of delay could significantly hinder their growth.
There was a stark difference between becoming a Chunin at twelve versus at fourteen.
After all, many ninjas spent their entire careers stuck as Genin.
"Sensei, my three students all have the strength and potential to become Chunin."
"I would like to recommend Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Karin Senju for the Chunin Exam."
News of the Chunin Exam quickly spread throughout the village. At the same time, Minato received recommendation letters, and teams without a Jonin instructor could also register voluntarily. The Chunin Exam was open to all qualified Genin.
For a time, the entire village was consumed by an intense atmosphere of training and preparation.
The Uchiha Clan Compound
At the home of Uchiha Fugaku, Sasuke had been training in preparation for the upcoming Chunin Exam.
Since his team had stopped taking missions to focus on training, Sasuke had devoted himself to improving his abilities. However, after a few days, he felt no noticeable progress. To ensure he was fully prepared, he decided to ask his father for guidance.
The Uchiha household had an unusual dynamic—despite having a seemingly close relationship, conversations between family members were rare. This was especially true between Sasuke and his father, Fugaku.
Fugaku had always held great expectations for Sasuke, but his reserved nature meant he rarely expressed his emotions. Instead, he was far more prone to reprimanding Sasuke than praising him. Because of this, Sasuke grew up with the impression that his father favored his older brother, Itachi, more.
Additionally, Fugaku's strict demeanor and busy work schedule created an emotional gap between father and son.
"Training you? Aren't you already under Kakashi's guidance in Team Seven?"
"Hasn't Kakashi been training you?"
In his study, Uchiha Fugaku looked up from his work and regarded his son with curiosity.
"I am a member of the Uchiha clan. I want my father to guide me in my training!"
Sasuke knelt on the tatami mat, bowing his head. Direct conversations like this were rare between them, mostly occurring between Fugaku and Itachi.
Fugaku sighed. "It's not that I don't want to teach you. To be honest, I'm not very good at it."
"Itachi was always trained by his master."
Sasuke's face darkened. He hadn't expected his father to turn him down so quickly. To Sasuke, saying "I'm not good at teaching" felt like an excuse.
For a brief moment, he felt both hurt and frustrated. Deep down, he couldn't shake the feeling that, in his father's eyes, he would never compare to Itachi. That thought made a bitter jealousy rise within him.
"Father…"
Just as Sasuke was about to give up and leave, Fugaku spoke again.
"However, now that you've awakened your Sharingan, I can teach you how to use it more effectively."
"Our Uchiha clan has built its reputation on the Sharingan. As long as you can master it, the Chunin Exam should not be an issue."
"Your chakra affinities are Fire and Lightning. Kakashi happens to be highly skilled in Lightning Release techniques, so I will ask him to train you in that aspect. With focused training for a month, you should see significant improvement."
Fugaku's words stunned Sasuke. A moment ago, he had felt completely disheartened, but now he was overwhelmed with excitement. In those words, he could sense his father's deep care for him.
"Yes! Thank you, Father!"
Sasuke beamed with happiness as Fugaku put down his scroll and led him to the training grounds in the Uchiha compound.
Naruto's Home
At the same time, Naruto Uzumaki returned home, exhausted and covered in sweat. Usually cheerful, he now wore a rare expression of frustration.
Minato and Kushina were both busy with work and weren't home, leaving the house eerily empty. Naruto let out a heavy sigh as he stepped inside.
"The Chunin Exam is in one month… I need to get stronger before then."
"But Dad and Mom are both too busy to teach me any new jutsu. What should I do?"
After a full day of training, Naruto felt that his progress was slow. The problem wasn't just his exhaustion—he didn't have the right instructor to push him forward.
As he absentmindedly walked through the house, a thought suddenly struck him. His eyes widened.
"That's it!"
Without hesitation, he slammed the door shut behind him and sprinted toward the ninja academy.
Tension in the Ninja World
While Konoha's shinobi prepared for the Chunin Exam, the other participating villages were also selecting their competitors.
This was a joint exam between five villages—an opportunity to demonstrate power. None of the villages wanted to send a weak team and risk embarrassment.
In the Hidden Sound Village, Orochimaru secretly deployed a large force near the Fire Country's border. At the same time, he sent three teams to Konoha to participate in the Chunin Exam. Disguised within one of these teams, Orochimaru himself infiltrated Konoha.
Meanwhile, in the Hidden Sand Village, Kazekage Rasa personally led his village's Chunin Exam candidates to Konoha. Unbeknownst to most, numerous Sand ninja had disguised themselves as ordinary spectators, taking detours through neighboring lands to covertly enter the Fire Country.
Beneath the surface, the entire Land of Fire was beginning to stir with hidden movements and unknown intentions.
(End of Chapter)