Chapter 43: Sharp Insight - Turns Out We’re the Fools!
"This seat is mine."
At Mirai's bold declaration, the classroom fell silent in an instant.
His name was already well-known here, so his words immediately drew every eye in the room.
"What did you say?"
"We got here first. If you want a seat, show up earlier next time," one of the genin, already seated, replied coldly.
They knew Uchiha Mirai was strong, but that didn't mean they would simply obey him.
"This is your last chance," Mirai said calmly. "Leave on your own… or I'll help you."
"Stop being so arrogant. Do you really want to disrupt the exam hall? You'd better watch out, or you'll lose your chance to take the exam."
But Mirai only gave a dismissive huff when the three still refused to move.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
In three heavy thuds, the genin who'd been seated moments ago were now sprawled in the crowd.
Mirai calmly sat down in the seat he'd just claimed, with Kurenai and Asuma settling into their own places beside him.
Seeing Mirai actually resort to force, the classroom erupted.
"So that's the Uchiha clan for you—so arrogant!"
"He didn't even hesitate to attack his own teammates. Isn't he afraid of getting disqualified?"
"Ha… Well, he's a genius from a prestigious clan, with the Hokage's son as his teammate. Do you think the exam proctor would dare mess with him?"
"But that speed, though… I couldn't even see him move before those three were already down."
As the murmurs continued, Asuma shifted uncomfortably. Because of Mirai's actions, everyone was looking at him as if he were a spoiled, arrogant child of the Hokage.
If it weren't for the previous incidents, he'd be glaring at Mirai, demanding to know what he thought he was doing.
Though Kurenai didn't entirely understand Mirai's motive, she sat quietly, trusting him. She knew his behavior wasn't usually like this, so there had to be a reason behind it.
After Mirai settled into his seat without further action, attention gradually drifted away from him. Some examinees even had thoughtful looks on their faces, creating an odd tension in the air.
Not long after, the classroom grew chaotic as teams without seats began imitating Mirai, attempting to claim seats by force. Chaos spread across almost the entire classroom, except for the area around Mirai.
In the monitoring room, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Yuhi Shinku, Minato Namikaze, and the other jonin instructors looked on in surprise.
"Shinku, your student is quite perceptive," Hiruzen said with a complex expression.
This year's Chunin Exams were designed by him personally, with various tests he thought would be interesting. He'd been quietly proud of his clever setup, but he hadn't expected Uchiha Mirai to see through it so quickly.
Recalling Danzo's earlier warnings, Hiruzen felt a pang of unease. Was he truly nurturing a potential threat?
No!
He shook his head with a self-deprecating smile. He couldn't let Danzo's paranoia sway him. He'd built Konoha into a fortress, one Uchiha could hardly pose any real danger.
"Shinku, you've got a good one on your hands," Minato said with a smile, clearly impressed. Over time, he'd also developed a fondness for Mirai.
Shinku forced a strained smile, feeling conflicted. Mirai was "good," alright—good at stealing his daughter's heart. Whenever he remembered how Kurenai had stayed up late weaving a scarf, only to give it to Mirai instead of him, he felt a pang of bitterness.
Suddenly, a shrill bell rang, and several masked Anbu entered the room.
"Quiet!"
At their sharp command, the classroom fell silent.
"Anyone without a seat, leave the room immediately."
"What?!"
The standing genin couldn't suppress their shock at the Anbu's order. Did this mean they were already disqualified?
"Why should we leave? We had seats, they were just taken from us!"
"Yeah, isn't it because you didn't arrange enough seats? Why should we pay the price?"
At their protests, a cold killing intent emanated from the Anbu.
"These are the rules. If you don't want a permanent ban from future exams, you'll leave now."
The Anbu's indifferent tone silenced the complaining genin. Everyone knew the Anbu, under the Third Hokage, didn't joke around.
All eyes turned toward the back of the room. Uchiha Mirai sat by the window with his arms crossed, expression unperturbed, as if he had expected this all along.
Did he figure it out from the start? Was that why he took a seat by force?
Their gazes filled with awe. To have deduced this hidden rule so quickly—his insight was frightening.
Some genin seated in the classroom let out sighs of relief, grateful they'd realized what was going on, others who lost their spots looked crestfallen. A moment ago, they'd criticized Mirai's heavy-handed tactics, yet now they saw themselves as the real fools.
The answer had been right there, but out of ignorance and arrogance, they'd ignored it. If only they'd understood sooner, they wouldn't be in this mess now. But it was too late.
Kurenai watched Mirai with a gleam in her eye, she knew there had to be a reason for his actions. And now, it all made sense.
Asuma, meanwhile, lowered his head in disappointment. While he hadn't acted out of impulse this time, he still felt a sense of inadequacy. Every day in Konoha left him feeling more and more lost.
Maybe… leaving Konoha wasn't such a bad idea after all.
When the room finally quieted down, the Anbu stationed themselves in the four corners. The Anbu standing at the podium gave a sweeping gesture.
"Alright, the first stage of the Chunin Exams… officially begins!"
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