Exam's day

Chapter 41: Exam Day

Early morning in Konoha Village, the day of the Chunin Exam.

Kiba walked through the village streets, heading towards his usual stop: the Konoha Extra Large Mantou shop. This was probably the place he visited most diligently, apart from home and the training grounds.

The owner of the shop, a towering, dark-skinned man with a stern face, was one of the few people in Konoha who didn't treat Kiba with disdain. The other was Uncle Teuchi at Ichiraku Ramen.

"One Konoha extra-large steamed bun, please," Kiba said, grabbing a steamed bun and reaching into his pocket for money. However, the owner placed his hand over Kiba's, stopping him.

Confused, Kiba looked up at the owner.

The man, silent as usual, moved Kiba's hand to another steamed bun next to it and let go. This bun looked identical to the first.

Is he recommending this one? The owner isn't very talkative... Come to think of it, I'm surrounded by quiet people.

Shrugging, Kiba paid for the bun and said, "Thank you."

The owner remained silent, watching Kiba leave before serving the next customer, who frowned at Kiba's departing figure.

"Boss, I don't understand why the Third Hokage is allowing the traitor's son to take the Chunin exam..." the customer complained.

The owner said nothing, continuing his work silently.

This year's Konoha Chunin Exam was held in the first indoor practice field. Upon arrival, Kiba found it reminiscent of the third trial arena from the anime, with the statue featuring hand seals prominently displayed. Unlike the anime, which featured the Death Forest as a training ground, this exam was held within the village itself.

This time, there were no ninjas from other countries participating. Kiba counted about forty-three participants, contrasting with the eighty-seven who participated in the Naruto era Chunin Exam.

Kiba began to understand why the Chunin Exam was held earlier. Konoha was still recovering from the Second Great Ninja War and urgently needed fresh blood. The early exam aimed to identify potential ninjas who could become independent.

His heart tightened at the thought. The Third Great Ninja War was looming, and Konoha's upper echelon likely sensed it. Being considered a "seed" with potential growth, Kiba might be sent to the battlefield to hone his skills, experiencing the most wars. This wasn't about being a discarded pawn; it was about experiencing the harshest battles.

His brows furrowed as he considered this.

Hirohiko and Yukina, who had arrived earlier, spotted him. Yukina called out and waved.

Not just me, Hirohiko and Yukina will face the harshest battles too!

Kiba's heart sank, but he ran over with a smile.

"Not late," Hirohiko noted, nodding to him and quietly giving a thumbs up, as if Kiba's punctuality was a significant achievement.

Hello! I'm usually not late; I just oversleep occasionally!

Kiba felt a mix of amusement and exasperation.

"Look," Yukina said, glancing up at the spectator seats on the second floor.

Kiba followed her gaze, spotting many ninjas, including Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki Kushina, and the referee, Homura. Among them were several Jonin he didn't recognize.

Uzumaki Kushina noticed them and quietly clenched her fist, a clear sign of encouragement—and a reminder of the consequences if they failed.

The trio broke into a cold sweat.

"Assemble!" A commanding female voice called out. The forty-three Chunin candidates lined up in rows, organized and disciplined, standing three rows deep.

Kiba stood behind Hirohiko and Yukina, taking out the extra-large Konoha steamed bun he bought earlier.

Sure enough, the Sannin are impressive! Their presence alone is overwhelming!

Kiba felt the pressure from the three ninjas standing at the front—Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru.

Konoha's Sannin!

Kiba took a bite of his steamed bun, eating quietly.

Jiraiya, standing in front, noticed Kiba at the end of the line, munching on his steamed bun.

This kid... does he not feel nervous?

Tsunade and Orochimaru also noticed Kiba's actions but didn't intervene. Instead, they silently acknowledged the candidates who remained calm under pressure. Sarutobi-sensei certainly picked good seedlings.

With a glance, they observed the forty-three candidates, who averaged between eleven and thirteen years old. Only one was over fifteen, and the youngest was seven.

Tsunade looked at these ninjas, feeling a pang of sadness. It's cruel to send these children to the battlefield.

She began to announce the competition rules.

It was simple: this was the first test, also a preliminary selection. Each ninja would randomly choose an opponent. The winner advanced to the next round, while the loser was eliminated. The rules were similar to those of the Chunin Exam in Naruto's time. Konoha needed talent, but life-and-death struggles were avoided.

Since the Third Hokage took office, Konoha's policies had softened, becoming more rational. Measures for personnel training had improved, allowing Konoha Village to recover quickly from the Second Great Ninja War. The Third Hokage played a significant role in this progress.

As Kiba listened to Tsunade's announcement, he felt a hostile, vaguely murderous gaze.

Hyuga Yutaka!

Kiba didn't need to look to know it was him.

He took a fierce bite of his steamed bun but was surprised by the delicious taste.

This is...

Kiba looked at the Konoha extra-large steamed bun.

It's minced meat! Pork chops with special sauce!

Delicious!

The boss knew I had the Chunin exam today!

Realizing the boss's silent encouragement, Kiba smiled unconsciously at the thought of the Konoha extra-large steamed bun.