Chapter 107

Chapter 107

Clearing his throat Sakumo coughed a few times, drawing the attention of Haneda, Asuma, and the others before he began speaking.

"This time, I've already recommended you all to the Hokage for the Chunin Exams."

"Here are the consent forms. If everything looks fine, go ahead and sign them."

Sakumo didn't offer much explanation and simply handed out the three consent forms. However, Haneda's form was noticeably different from Asuma's and the others.

Initially, Haneda was curious about this difference, but after taking a look, he couldn't help but laugh. The handwriting suggested that this form had been written personally by the Third Hokage.

Essentially, it asked him to go easy on Sunagakure's participants during the Chunin Exams, to give them a little face and not defeat them too overwhelmingly...

Asuma, noticing that Haneda's form looked different from his own, leaned over curiously. He saw that his father had requested Haneda not to humiliate Sunagakure's team too badly.

Asuma burst out laughing and said, "No surprise, Haneda! Even the old man thinks you alone could storm through the Chunin Exams!"

"And there's Kakashi and Guy too," Haneda said as he signed the consent form and handed it back to Sakumo.

"Meh, they're just your defeated opponents, nothing to worry about," Asuma boasted, but upon seeing the disapproving look from Sakumo, he quickly corrected himself.

"I mean, uh, Kakashi's probably the only one who could give you a challenge, Haneda."

"Alright, Asuma," Sakumo interrupted.

Although he didn't have much to say about Asuma's current attitude, whenever Haneda was mentioned, Asuma's praise became almost excessive. It was as if, in Asuma's mind, no one in the ninja world could compare to Haneda. Sakumo had nearly gotten used to it by now and chose to ignore Asuma's antics. He continued with the exam details.

"The Chunin Exams are divided into three parts. The first is a written test, the second is a team-based battle, and the third is an individual battle."

"Keep in mind, only those who advance in the individual battles can be promoted to Chunin."

Asuma and Kurenai listened intently, full of excitement, while Haneda seemed somewhat uninterested.

After all, it was well-known that Konoha Genin were considered the strongest. Haneda didn't want to lose that "buff."

Sakumo noticed Haneda's lack of enthusiasm, assuming it was because the opponents were too weak. He simply smiled and continued.

"The written test will take place tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. and will end at 11:30 a.m."

"The location is the Ninja Academy. Make sure to arrive on time and don't be late."

"If you don't have any questions, just sign the forms and get ready for tomorrow's exam."

"Oh, Haneda, stick around for a bit. Kakashi asked me to pass on a message to you."

With Asuma and Kurenai glancing curiously, Haneda asked, "What did he say?"

"He said he won't lose this time," Sakumo said with a smile.

…

Meanwhile, Sunagakure's ninja had already arrived in Konoha.

Their team leader was Pakura, and the participating Genin were Baki, Yura, and Kumodōshi.

The first two would later become Jonin and recommend Gaara as the Fifth Kazekage, while the third was relatively unknown.

Originally, Baki and the others were students of Rasa, the future Fourth Kazekage.

(Note: Kumodōshi is an original character, as well as Rasa's student. Since Baki would later recommend Gaara for the Kazekage position and became Gaara's teacher, it's likely he had some significant background, hence this interpretation.)

"Our mission this time is to observe and record all of Konoha's talented young ninjas," Pakura instructed as per orders from the Sunagakure higher-ups.

"There are two particular ninjas you need to focus on."

"One is Uchiha Haneda, rumored to possess the Three Tomoe Sharingan and to have killed a Jonin."

"The other is Kakashi Hatake, son of the White Fang of Konoha."

Kumodōshi asked, "Captain, a ten-year-old with the Three Tomoe Sharingan who's killed a Jonin—can that even be real?"

"Isn't it just propaganda spread by Konoha to promote themselves?"

"The intel from the black market is unlikely to be wrong," Pakura replied, not wanting to discuss the distasteful topic of the black market further.

*Hiss...* Kumodōshi drew a sharp breath. Three Tomoe Sharingan and Jonin-level strength—what could he possibly do against that?

Baki, nervous, asked, "Captain, if we encounter Uchiha Haneda, can we abandon the mission?"

Pakura, understanding their concerns, nodded. Sending three Chunin-level ninjas to deal with a Jonin-level opponent like Haneda was nearly impossible.

"Yes, he's not someone you can handle," Pakura said. "This time, focus on gathering intelligence about Kakashi Hatake."

"If the opportunity arises, you can cripple him, but don't kill him, to avoid causing trouble with Konoha."

…

The next day, the first part of the Chunin Exam—the written test—began as scheduled.

Haneda, worried that Obito would be late, dragged him at full speed to the Ninja Academy. Along the way, they ignored every elderly lady they passed, rushing forward without stopping.

By the time they reached the entrance of the Ninja Academy, Obito, panting and pointing at Haneda, complained, "Damn it, Haneda! Why'd you run so fast? I haven't even had breakfast yet!"

"I was worried you'd be late, Obito. Do you realize how many times you've had to help old ladies cross the street? I'm helping you here; you should be grateful!" Haneda retorted.

"What's so bad about helping old ladies? There's still plenty of time before the test," Obito mumbled under his breath.

"Whatever," Haneda muttered, turning his attention to find Kakashi, Asuma, and the others. Given Kakashi's punctuality, he was surely already there.

"Haneda, long time no see." It wasn't long before Kakashi approached.

"We just haven't trained together like we used to," Haneda replied, bumping fists with Kakashi as they casually began chatting.

"Do you feel ready for the exam? I was planning on copying your answers," Haneda joked.

"There's too much material, and I've forgotten a lot of what we learned in school. I was hoping to cheat off Rin," Kakashi admitted.

"Never mind then. There'll probably be a couple of answers we can cheat off of. Let's keep an eye out," Haneda said with a grin.

…

Obito, standing nearby, began to feel increasingly uncomfortable.

Why were they so openly talking about cheating in the exam? Where was their sense of shame?

He, Uchiha Obito, would never stoop to their level!

"Hey! Kakashi, weren't you top of the class? How can you not know how to answer the questions?"

"And Haneda, cheating isn't right! We're legitimate Konoha Genin, how can you be okay with something like that?"

Obito said righteously.

Hearing Obito's obliviousness, Haneda and Kakashi exchanged knowing smiles. They had already figured out that the written exam wouldn't be based on previously learned knowledge. It would actually test ninja surveillance and anti-surveillance skills!

In other words, it was about how well you could cheat without being caught, while also preventing others from catching you.

Additionally, there was another important aspect: the ability to pass information. This was specifically aimed at those with strong combat skills but poor surveillance abilities. These people would rely on the cheat-savvy members of their team to pass the written test.

Haneda and Kakashi smiled at each other, knowing that Obito would have no choice but to rely on them to carry him through the exam.

"Dead-last, if you can't do the test, don't come crying to me," Kakashi teased.

"Uh... if you just ask nicely, I'm sure I'll pass the answers to you, Obito. We're even in the same test room," Haneda added.

"What the heck?! I, Uchiha Obito, would rather stay a Genin forever than cheat my way through the test! I'll become Hokage without ever stooping that low!!" Obito shouted indignantly.