Naruto: From Novice to Grave

Higashino leaned back in his chair and said lazily, "Hey, what do you think about me going out and finding all those mission scrolls now? That way we won't have to wait so long."

"Are you kidding me? What's the point of taking a second exam for the other teams? If you find it troublesome, why bother taking the exam? With your achievements, it's completely unnecessary, isn't it?"

"Aren't you one too? What are you doing here?"

"It was requested by Lord Fugaku, the clan head."

"See, we're in the same boat. Okay, let's not talk about why we participated today. By the way, did you encounter any people trying to steal your reels on your way here? How did you get through?"

"Yes, of course we just walked over. We can just use a clone to deceive them. Chunin are very important to those seniors. I don't want to fight them to avoid wasting each other's chakra, which would cause trouble for their later actions."

"You really are a gentle Uchiha."

"Seriously, if you're saying that about me, it doesn't mean you personally took down the team that was trying to rob you, does it?"

"How could that be? Instead of worrying about others, you should worry about yourself. You should understand that we'll definitely meet in the later matches. Are you ready?"

Shisui said excitedly, "I've been ready for a long time. I've been looking forward to a real battle with you. The Chunin Exams seem like a good stage."

See, regardless of whether the Uchiha clan members are aloof or gentle like still water, they are essentially still a warrior race.

Although seeing their relatives or friends get killed won't turn their hair yellow, green, blue, red, or white... but if they're pushed to the limit, they might pilot a Gundam.

Thinking of the daimyo, nobles, and officials from the Land of Fire who would be watching, Higashino Shinji agreed, "It is indeed a good stage, but if you lose, won't you get a beating from Lord Fugaku when you get back?"

Uchiha Shisui: "..."

It was a friendly battle, full of bonds and camaraderie, but why did it sound like a brawl between neighborhood kids when you described it?

The two were chatting idly, making the eyelids of the Chunin Exam examiners twitch uncontrollably. They were thinking, "Give me some respect for the Chunin Exams, you bastards! Why don't you feel any tension at all?"

Why did the original design of a battle for the reels become as simple as picking up a handful of weeds by the roadside when it came to you?

Is this the world of geniuses?

I'm really sorry, they simply don't understand this kind of world.

As time passed, things quickly became lively outside. The meticulous team had already found all the scrolls, and then they found themselves in a troublesome situation where they were being robbed by teams in front and pursued relentlessly from behind.

With only 6 reels left out of 8, how should the 15 teams divide them? The answer is simple: have them compete in a match, and whoever wins gets to keep it.

A massive brawl erupted outside the central building of Exercise Field 41.

This can be considered a preliminary round. Only the final winner will be qualified to enter the third exam and demonstrate their team's strength to the villagers in the Konoha Arena.

Now, all the Chunin responsible for maintaining order in the examination hall are gathered outside to guard the area, lest anyone die unexpectedly in the chaos.

Unlike the joint Chunin Exams held by multiple countries, the exams held by our village are different because everyone is a teammate, and killing your opponent is not allowed.

If someone dies unexpectedly, how will the Will of Fire be promoted? Konoha isn't like the insane Hidden Mist Village; they don't use the death elimination system.

----------

After a long battle, four teams successfully obtained the scrolls, broke into the building, and completed the registration.

Why only four? Because two more reels were destroyed in the battle, and deliberately so. Two older teams, seeing that the reels were in danger, decided to do the most foolish thing, with a lose-lose mentality of "if I can't have them, neither can you."

When on a mission, if you are facing ninjas from other villages, you can do this if you have no other choice: destroy the mission items so that the enemy can't get them. No one will say anything about that.

But to do this while the Chunin Exams are being held in their own village seems a bit too extreme. It's a classic case of harming others without benefiting oneself, and the purity of their Will of Fire is extremely low.

Naturally, the two teams that destroyed the scroll received a severe warning and their ratings in the Konoha Ninja System dropped drastically. It was foreseeable that they would never be able to advance to Chunin in their lifetime.

A ninja who cannot protect mission items is not a qualified ninja. A selfish and self-serving personality makes it even less likely that they will become a reliable force to protect their comrades and the village.

Higashino Makoto and Uchiha Shisui listened to the examiner using those two teams as negative examples to educate everyone, and they couldn't help but feel annoyed.

Are these two teams... idiots?

Once everything was settled, the Third Hokage appeared before everyone: "Congratulations, you have passed the second round of the Chunin Exams."

I am delighted with the skill and ninja spirit you all displayed in the scroll battle. You are all the future of Konoha, and the Will of Fire will continue to be passed down through you!

"Long live the Will of Fire!"

"Long live the Hokage!"

"Lord Hokage, we will continue to work hard!"

The genin below were stirred up by the Third Hokage's words and couldn't wait to start the third exam.

Higashino Shinya was just as excited as everyone else. When it comes to life, the most important thing is to know when to stop and to fit in.

At this moment, the examiner of this exam brought out a movable blackboard: "The third exam will be held in 5 days, on September 7th, at the circular arena in the center of Konoha."

This is a team battle between squads. We've already arranged our opponents based on everyone's strength. I think we don't need anyone to remind us what preparations to make over the next few days.

Higashino took a closer look and, sure enough, the four teams were paired up for a match, and his opponent was Uchiha Shisui, who was scheduled for the last match.

Goodness, in the future, when joint exams between multiple countries are held, they'll at least use an electronic screen to draw lots as a formality. Now, they've directly predetermined the opponents, without even putting on a show.

Higashino Makoto and Uchiha Shisui exchanged a glance, neither of them surprised.

The Third Hokage concluded, "Alright, the second exam is now over. Go back and get some rest. Five days from now, try your best to be in your best form for the competition!"

----------

When Shisui came out, he encountered Gekko Hayate and his two teammates who were waiting outside for Higashino Makoto. As teammates, they naturally wanted to check on the progress of the Chunin Exams.

Uzuki Yugao asked, "Shin, Shisui, did you pass the second exam?"

Hayate Gekko answered for them: "With Shin and Shisui's strength, there's definitely no problem."

"And who are your opponents in the third round?" Seeing the two exchange a glance, Uzuki Yugao asked in surprise, "Could it be that two people taking the exam separately have run into each other? Is that really such a coincidence?"

Higashino Makoto spread his hands: "Isn't it surprising? It's just such a coincidence."

Gekko Unkan glanced at Uchiha Shisui and said, "Well, as expected, let's go. You can start preparing for the match a few days from now. This isn't just a battle between the two of you."

Uzuki Yugao looked completely confused. What was going on? Was there some inside story she didn't know?

When Higashino Megumi came home from get off work that evening, she also asked about the third exam.

Although she didn't understand why the Hokage would bother having her son participate in the Chunin Exams given his achievements, she was still very concerned about the exam.

"So, Zhen, which squad are you facing?"

"Is it Shisui?"

"It's that child." Higashino Megumi seemed to understand something and suddenly changed the subject: "Speaking of which, there have been some strange rumors circulating in the village these days."

Higashino asked curiously, "What news?"

"It seems that some people are discussing Konoha's gains and losses in this war, saying that the higher-ups were too lenient towards the surrendered Sunagakure, and that Iwagakure has been slow to sign a peace treaty."

It seems that some people believe that the Third Hokage has become somewhat indecisive as he gets older, and is no longer able to secure enough benefits for Konoha.

Now, everyone's even talking about who will be the next Hokage. Oh, right, it seems the Uchiha clan head is also one of the candidates.

Higashino Makoto looked at his mother and smiled, "So, my real opponent is Uchiha Shisui."

"Honestly, why does it have to be you?" Higashino Megumi expressed her dissatisfaction.