Chapter 39: A Bold Idea, Life Is a Gamble

The next day, at 9 a.m.

Yagyu and his teammates gathered early at their usual spot.

Kurenai arrived shortly after, using her body flicker technique to appear before them.

Normally, as soon as Kurenai arrived, she would immediately take Yagyu and his teammates to pick up a mission. However, this time was different. She was holding three forms in her hand.

Handing the forms to Yagyu, Shino, and Hinata, Kurenai said, "Yesterday, the Hokage summoned all the jōnin instructors to announce that the Chunin Exams will be held on July 1st. I've already registered you for it. These are the application forms."

"You three can discuss it. If you decide to participate in this year's Chunin Exams, fill out the application forms and submit them to the administration building by noon on July 1st."

"If you choose not to participate in this year's Chunin Exams, you can simply ignore the form."

"Each Chunin Exam isn't just an opportunity for genin to be promoted; it's also a chance for Konoha to display its national strength. If you participate, your opponents will not only be from this village, but also genin from other villages."

"And when fighting against genin from other villages, there's always the risk of casualties. I won't be able to help you during the exams, so you must consider carefully."

"That's all for now. You're dismissed, and I'm giving you some time off for the next few days."

After saying that, Kurenai disappeared with her body flicker technique.

Throughout the entire exchange, Kurenai hadn't mentioned that if even one of them chose not to participate, Team 8 would be disqualified from the Chunin Exams. Clearly, she was testing their team cohesion, seeing whether the bonds they had built over the past few months were strong enough.

Shino looked at the application form in his hand and asked, "Yagyu, what do you think?"

"Of course, I'm going to participate," Yagyu said with a smile. "This is one of the rare opportunities to compete against genin from other villages and see how we measure up against them."

Hearing this, Shino's lips curled into a faint smile. "If you're participating, then so am I."

"Me too," Hinata chimed in.

"Since that's settled, let's use the next few days to train. We'll meet here at 11 a.m. on July 1st," Yagyu said, waving his application form as he parted ways with Shino and Hinata.

He didn't invite Hinata to his home, and she didn't feel disappointed either.

After deciding to take part in the Chunin Exams, both Hinata and Shino felt a sense of pressure but also newfound motivation. Hinata resolved to ask her father for guidance so she wouldn't be a burden to Yagyu.

Shino had similar thoughts.

Having witnessed Yagyu's strength and knowing he had a hidden trump card, Shino felt both reassured and pressured. His teammate was so strong that, even if he couldn't catch up, he didn't want to hold Yagyu back.

Thus, Shino decided to ask his father for extra training when he returned home.

This was one of the perks of coming from a ninja clan!

After parting with his teammates, Yagyu didn't return home immediately but instead went to a waterfall at the edge of a cliff.

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

Yagyu formed hand seals and created five shadow clones.

The clones divided the workload and began their respective training.

Boom boom boom…

Sizzle sizzle…

The sound of explosions, like detonating explosive tags, and the crackling of electricity echoed continuously.

But with the roar of the waterfall nearby, the sounds were drowned out by the water's flow.

Unless someone happened to pass by, no one would notice Yagyu and his five shadow clones. One of the shadow clones periodically activated the Red Eye, using it for both clairvoyance and remote viewing.

If anyone approached or spied on the area, Yagyu would know in advance.

With his shadow clone monitoring from above and the current situation being special, Yagyu no longer needed to be as cautious.

A few hours later, Yagyu finally felt fatigued. Wiping his damp hair and body with a towel he retrieved from his space inventory, he changed into dry clothes.

Afterward, he dispelled his shadow clones, causing his fatigue to deepen.

Instead of heading home, Yagyu lay on the grass to rest before continuing his training.

In his hands appeared a diary out of thin air.

Opening the diary, it was filled with Chinese characters.

The text contained Yagyu's notes on the main storyline and key events he had compiled over the years.

Lying on the grass, Yagyu held the diary above his head and carefully flipped through it.

Even if Hiruzen Sarutobi used his Crystal Ball Jutsu to spy on him, all he would see was Yagyu lying down and reading.

As Yagyu reviewed the notes, recalling the plot of the Chunin Exams, certain important events and characters came to mind.

At the same time, a bold idea that had been recurring in Yagyu's mind recently surfaced once again.

The Chunin Exams were just the subtitle of this arc.

The real theme was—The Konoha Crush!

It was also the second major disaster to befall Konoha after the Nine-Tails attack.

The main characters of this arc were Hiruzen Sarutobi and Naruto, and their respective opponents were Orochimaru and Gaara.

Everyone else was just supporting characters!

Even if Yagyu gave it his all, the best he could hope for would be to play a supporting role, like Kakashi Hatake or Might Guy.

If he did nothing, he would be no more than a side character, like Shikamaru Nara, running to support Sasuke alongside Naruto.

If Yagyu hadn't encountered Raiga Kurosuki, hadn't obtained the Red Eye and Ice Release, and hadn't discovered the system loophole, he would have definitely chosen to play it safe and remain a side character.

As long as Hiruzen Sarutobi died, Konoha would soon enter the era of Tsunade.

Unlike Hiruzen, Tsunade wouldn't be full of suspicion. If Yagyu performed well, she would only appreciate and value him as the Fifth Hokage.

Becoming one of Tsunade's subordinates meant Yagyu wouldn't have to worry about Danzo targeting him.

Tsunade's heritage was incredibly strong, and as a renowned medical ninja, she was a lifesaver for many from her generation and even younger generations. She was a revered figure, an idol among female ninja across the entire ninja world.

If she became the Fifth Hokage, both ninja clans and civilian ninjas alike would support her.

In Tsunade's era, Danzo wouldn't dare act as recklessly as he had under Hiruzen.

Hiruzen had shielded Danzo out of a sense of camaraderie and belief that Konoha needed the Root. Tsunade, however, would not hesitate to take action against him.

So at first, Yagyu believed that the Chunin Exams were just a transitional arc for him.

Only after this arc would his real stage appear.

But now, Yagyu had an incredibly bold, even insane idea.

Moreover, this idea had gradually formed into a viable plan.

Once implemented, Yagyu would soar to new heights, unstoppable!

At that thought, Yagyu's breath caught momentarily.

Beneath the diary, a determined gleam flickered in his red eyes as he murmured, "Fortune favors the bold… Life itself is a gamble!"

With that, Yagyu abandoned his plans for further training and headed home to perfect his scheme.

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