Chapter 55

AN1: Good News : TWO CHAPTERS TODAY!!!! 

Bad News: I'll be posting the chapters sporadically in the coming days (3/4 chapters per week)..😶‍🌫️. I need some extra time to write my One Piece: Freedom of the Strong fanfic.

AN2: Check out my P@treon for extra chapters starting at 3$.

Currently, I have published 51 extra chapters. The storyline is at the stage where the Third Shinobi World War has nearly ended.

www.p@treon.com/noviceauthor777

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Gazing at the field, Minato emanated an aura of warmth and reliability. Toshiro sighed, acknowledging the visible gap between them. The protagonist's aura is truly enviable.

Uchiha Fugaku cannot be compared to him at all in this sense.

Seeing the desired effect, Minato felt relieved.

He intended to use the Shunshin to intimidate the Genin. After the ruckus caused by Jiraiya-sensei, the candidates were becoming a bit unruly. To bring them back under line, displaying a bit of real skill and strength was essential.

Minato bemoaned his unfortunate choice to assist Jiraiya-sensei and be in charge of this Chunin exam by the Third Hokage.

Jiraiya's free-spirited personality always posed a challenge. He was a hands-off mentor, allowing Minato to do everything under the pretext of 'training'.

"This exam is straightforward!" Minato announced.

"We're going to provide a mission scroll to each of the teams. To pass the exam, the team needs to have three mission scrolls and survive in the Forest of Death for three days. Only after surviving for three days will you be allowed to enter the building at the center of the forest, where the third test will take place."

After explaining the exam rules, Minato felt more at ease and was nodding to himself. He made no mistakes!. Otherwise, Kushina would surely mock him!

Originally, she wanted to be a proctor too. Luckily, the sensei vetoed it!

Her fiery temper, combined with that of these guys unruliness, would have been chaotic. One just needs to mention her red hair...

"Examiner-san, you haven't introduced yourself yet!" A girl, around fifteen or sixteen, asked, gazing at him shyly, too close to him.

"!!"

Fortunately, Kushina wasn't here. The consequences would be unimaginable!

"Ah, sorry! I forgot to introduce myself!" He scratched the back of his head, smiling apologetically, causing a greater stir among the girls.

"My name is Minato Namikaze, a Jonin! You can call me Minato-senpai!"

"Ah! You're the legendary Minato-senpai! We've heard about you at the academy! And you're even more handsome than the legends!"

Bold girls conversed with Minato openly, recalling him as a genius mentioned at the academy. Seeing Minato in person was like putting a face to their imaginations.

His appearance and demeanor were perfect, turning the exam into a fan-girl war.

Even the once-angry Asuka joined in, forgetting her earlier anger.

Toshiro marveled at Minato's charm. No wonder he became the Fourth Hokage!. But it was time to start the exam.

"Minato-senpai~ Any other rules to this exam?" someone asked, helping Minato out of the overwhelming attention.

Minato sighed with relief. These enthusiastic girls were overwhelming!

He smiled gently, explaining, "The only restriction is no killing or maiming other candidates. Anyone who violates will be disqualified immediately!"

"Next, receive your scrolls in teams and enter the forest!"

"Remember, invigilators will be watching from the shadows. Avoid excessive harm to your comrades! If in danger or want to withdraw, use the provided flare, and someone will assist you!"

Minato's warm approach influenced the Chunin exam significantly.

After consulting with Jiraiya, he proposed this plan to the Third Hokage, who praised and approved it, despite some opposition from Danzo. The Third Hokage encouraged Minato, imparting the 'Will of Fire.'

"Gather according to your teams. I'll call out the numbers, and you'll enter one by one!"

"Number One!"

"Here!"

As Minato called the numbers, the crowd thinned quickly.

"Thirteen!"

Hearing his team's number, Toshiro, along with Asuka and Kirishima, promptly entered the Forest of Death.

Minato noticed that the one who helped him with the fangirls was an Uchiha genin and smiled warmly at his retreating figure.

Unaware of the happenings behind him, Toshiro, now in the Forest of Death, observed his surroundings vigilantly.

Knowing the high number of participants, he felt confident in passing but remained cautious to avoid unexpected mishaps.

Sunlight pierced through the gaps in the canopy, casting beams onto the dead leaves and moss-covered ground. Even during the day, it remained eerily dark. Strange bird calls and beastly roars echoed occasionally, creating a chilling terror that made every candidate in the forest proceed cautiously.

"Well, this will be our temporary campsite during the course of the exam," announced Toshiro. Standing beside an enormous tree, he circled around it and nodded in satisfaction, then scanned his surroundings. "This place is good. Close to a water source, with a clear view and no nearby cover for potential attackers."

"Toshiro, shouldn't we be searching for the other teams?" asked Kirishima, who had been following silently. Impatient, he was eager to get the scrolls and pass the exam quickly. Unlike Kirishima, Asuka appeared much calmer, though she showed a slightly disgusted expression after assessing the campsite.

Ignoring Kirishima, Toshiro stepped up to the tree, brushed aside a leaf obstructing his view, and peered into a hollow in the trunk. "Just as I thought, a tree hole!" He smiled, satisfied with the small space inside. Jumping back to the ground, he turned to the still-discontented Asuka and said, "Asuka, don't be upset. Finding a campsite like this in the wild is pretty good!"

Though Asuka had been training for nearly a year, old habits died hard. Unlike the boys, she cared more about these things. "That's all there is to it," she conceded. In the wild, having a shelter from the elements was already fortunate.

"Do you have any plans for finding the mission scrolls?" Asuka asked, curious about his strategy. Both ignored Kirishima's suggestion, much to his dissatisfaction.

"Plans? None," Toshiro admitted.

Kirishima, who is usually noisy, was stunned. "So, we should just go find the quest items now..."

"Shut up! No one asked for your opinion," Asuka snapped, recalling Kirishima's behavior before the start of the exam. Toshiro watched his teammates bicker without interrupting, finding amusement in their squabbles. At his age, a girlfriend was the last thing on his mind, but watching these two was entertaining.

"Alright, Kirishima, go patrol, set up warning traps, and see if you can find any game," Toshiro commanded. "Asuka, clean the tree hole and gather firewood for a campfire."

As the de facto leader, Toshiro's orders were heeded. His authority came not from seniority but from awakening the Sharingan, a respected trait in the Uchiha clan.

"Campfire? Are you sure?" Asuka asked, wary of attracting attention with a fire.

"It's too tedious to hunt for mission scrolls individually. We'll rest tonight and draw them all in," Toshiro explained, smiling. Even Kirishima, who feared nothing, was taken aback by the audacious plan, while Asuka was eager to try it.

"The two of you..." Kirishima was speechless. Toshiro, usually mature and steady, proposing such a reckless idea, and Asuka agreeing readily, was a shock.

Toshiro's plan hinged on Minato Namikaze being the examiner. The rules prohibited disabling or killing opponents, so he believed a campfire would attract not just candidates but also examiners, ensuring no accidental casualties. Moreover, his irritable mood from unsuccessful senjutsu practice made him crave an outlet for his frustrations.

"Stop hesitating! I've never seen you so cautious," Asuka chided Kirishima. "Why so now?"

Kirishima, facing his childhood sweetheart's dissatisfaction, couldn't help but feel reprimanded.

**Three days later**

A battle was underway. Three days after the Genins who passed the second phase exam were gathered in the same building, the fight between Lee and Gaara happened for the final round.

Opponents were chosen by drawing lots, and the loser is eliminated round by round. Only those who retained their combat effectiveness after the second round of exams participated in this assessment.

The rules were straightforward: defeat your opponent to advance to the next round until only one remained. The examiner would also judge if you could become a qualified chunin based on your performance.

So far, there have been more than a dozen battles. Currently, Toshiro was on the battlefield, facing an opponent he had history with—Shimura Hien. They had previously fought on the academy grounds once during the fight between the Uchiha and Hokage faction kids. Hien was two years older than him, and now fate has brought them together as opponents once more in the Chunin exams.

In the expansive room, the two figures clashed repeatedly with Kunai and Taijutsu. Within the blink of an eye, they had exchanged several blows. When they separated again, it was clear that Shimura Hien was at a disadvantage. Sweat beaded on his forehead, while Toshiro remained composed.

"Damn! This time, I'll beat you and wash away the shame of my past!" Hien gritted his teeth, remembering the humiliation of his previous defeat. Despite his intense training since then, he still found himself unable to gain the upper hand against Toshiro, whose relaxed demeanor only fueled Hien's frustration.

Toshiro, on the other hand, remained indifferent. He hardly remembered the previous skirmish at the training ground; it had been a minor distraction between his life and training. Seeing that Hien was about to monologue, Toshiro interrupted, forming hand seals.

"Genjutsu : Temple Nirvana!"

With the final hand seal, white feathers began to fill Hien's vision. Despite his attempts to resist, his mind weakened, and his limbs lost strength. "I've lost again... Damn Uchiha..." were his last thoughts as he saw Toshiro turn away, the Uchiha clan's fan symbol visible on his back.

"Winner! Uchiha Toshiro!" announced Minato as the examiner, as Hien fell unconscious.

Toshiro returned to the stands, where his teammates awaited him. The other candidates watched him with a mix of jealousy and awe. They had seen his hand seals but had missed any indication of the illusion, which had swiftly defeated his opponent. This heightened their perception of him as an even more dangerous competitor.

Toshiro had gained a reputation from his antics during the second round, which also played a role. Lighting a bonfire had attracted waves of genins and huge beasts, forcing the invigilators to intervene and prevent any casualties. Although Toshiro collected the required mission scrolls, his bold actions left a lasting impression.

"You see that? He didn't even need his Sharingan to perform such advanced Genjutsu," one candidate whispered. "If he used his clan's dojutsu, we'd stand no chance."

"I envy him!" Asuka exclaimed. "If I awaken my Sharingan, I won't be any weaker than him."

Kirishima, nodding in agreement, felt the same. However, both were still recovering from the intense battle that had occurred during the night in the Forest of Death. Despite having the terrain advantage, they faced five different teams drawn by Toshiro's fire. Though the teams arrived at different times, it was still a taxing ordeal.

Toshiro eliminated most opponents, but Kirishima and Asuka were not idle. Kirishima, the meat shield, sustained significant injuries, and Asuka was not unscathed either.

"Enough about me. How are you two doing? Have your opponents been confirmed?" Toshiro asked, approaching his teammates. He noticed Kirishima looked a bit sluggish.

"Don't worry about it. My opponent's been determined—just an ordinary civilian ninja, I don't know," Asuka replied, rolling her eyes in irritation.

Sensing her frustration, Toshiro could only sigh and stand aside. He realized Asuka was still upset about the battle in the forest a few nights ago.

'But it's not my fault. She seemed eager to fight then, so why is she blaming me now?'

Since Kirishima has been injured, Asuka has been giving Toshiro the cold shoulder, a sign of her strong bond with Kirishima.

Time passed slowly as various shinobi took their turns to fight each other, showcasing familiar and unfamiliar jutsu. By the next day, both Asuka and Kirishima had successfully defeated their opponents. Despite Kirishima's usual rashness, he is very good in one-on-one fights and strong, carefully selected and trained by their clan. Even with his injuries not fully healed, he managed to win against a civilian ninja.

This highlighted the unfortunate reality for many civilian ninjas—not everyone had the talent or the connections of someone like Minato Namikaze, who was a disciple of one of the legendary Sannin and had a girlfriend from the Uzumaki clan.

With the second round of knockouts beginning, the successful candidates prepared for their next battles. Soon, it was Toshiro's turn.

"Next, Uchiha Toshiro vs Hatake Kakashi", announced Minato.

AN: Check out my P@treon for extra chapters starting at 3$.

Currently, I have published 51 extra chapters. The storyline is at the stage where the Third Shinobi World War has nearly ended.

www.p@treon.com/noviceauthor777