"The Jonin exam is about to begin. When your name is called, step forward to collect your identification token. Tekuno Kanden."

  "Present!"

  "Shirakumo Hayama."

  "Present!"

  "Hyuga Na—"

  "Uh..."

  "Kanda Kyoichi."

  "Present!"

  Kyoichi stepped forward and, like the others, respectfully took his token before quietly returning to his position.

  As the names were called, Kyoichi listetentively.

  Shirakumo Hayama's name didn’t surprise him; the man’s distinctive appearanstantly jogged his memory.

  However, the slightly pudgy young ninja ekuno Kanden was ued.

  Kyoichi remembered him clearly, for one simple reason: Tekuno frequently appeared in the anime as a rare ninja tools master, much like Tenten. bining ninja tools with summoning scrolls, he had ultimately bee a Jonin.

  Clearly, his expertise in ninja tools was siderable.

  Kyoichi couldn't help but g him a few more times.

  Aside from those two, there was another partit, an unremarkable Elite in. But ironically, this person posed the greatest threat. Based on Kyoichi’s chakra sensing, this individual felt oddly suspicious—almost as if they were someone disguised.

  Orochimaru?

  There was a distinct possibility. Orochimaru had always enjoyed pying these kinds of games.

  With a quick survey of the group, Kyoichi had a det uanding of the partits: most were individuals who couldn’t directly advahrough battlefield merit but had the skills necessary to qualify.

  "First round of the exam will begin here. Ahe writte. Seven of you, take your pces."

  The one announg the exam was a Jonin.

  Kyoichi reized him—Yūhi Shinku, father of Kurenai Yūhi.

  But this wasn’t the time to get caught up iing someone’s parent. He walked forward, took a test paper, and sat down at the designated spot to begin.

  To bee a Jonin, one needed a certain level of knowledge. Even Naruto, in the end, had to face this hurdle and studied hard before being a Jonin.

  Kyoichi g the test paper and exhaled slightly.

  The questions…

  While challenging, they weren’t insurmountable. Most involved battlefield tactid formation strategies, the kind of knowledge that any experienced in should know.

  Although Kyoichi didn’t know everything, his memories from this life, bined with tidbits from his past life watg the anime, helped him navigate the questions with retive ease.

  For the others, the test seemed even easier.

  After all, Kyoichi was the you here.

  Being a in at fourteen wasn’t particurly fast, but if he made Jonin at fifteen, it would be sidered a remarkable achievement. Unsurprisingly, he had bee the ter of attention for this exam.

  Kyoichi k too. Among the seven partits, at least half were here because of him.

  This first test was merely the beginning.

  Kyoichi focused on the paper while others. Before long, the unremarkable Matsuno Hara handed in his paper. The others followed suit, one by one.

  Kyoichi deliberately fi—not because he couldn’t answer but to study everyone’s behavior before leaving.

  By now, he had formed a det picture of the group.

  Among the Aburame , Aburame Toji and Hyuga Natsu were likely from Root, quietly him. The other Aburame member seemed to be genuinely here for the exam, as they handed in their paper early.

  "The sed exam is simple," Yūhi Shinku decred. "Within the Forest of Death are two scrolls. The first four to gather a plete set will proceed to the third stage."

  With that, he issued a and, and everyone dispersed in an instant.

  Kyoichi uood.

  The sed roued intelligehering, bat ability, and speed.

  In intelligeno one could surpass the Aburame and Hyuga s. These three were the biggest obstacles in this round. However, Kyoichi's challenges didhere.

  There was also Matsuno Hara.

  That guy—was he really here for the exam?

  When they scattered using the Body Flicker Jutsu, Kyoioticed Matsuno Hara heading in the same dire as him. With Jonin-level abilities, it was impossible for him to not sense Kyoichi's presence.

  No matter.

  He couldn’t rely on himself to find the scrolls anyway. The Aburame and Hyuga were the best trackers, so his real task was to observe and act at the right moment.

  As he ran, Kyoichi used chakra sensing to s the surroundings.

  Sure enough, Matsuno Hara was tailing him.

  This person was definitely disguised—he wasn’t here to bee a Jonin.

  Kyoichi was well aware of it.

  Choosing not to directly front the situation, Kyoichi maintained a calcuted distance from Aburame Toji. He kept himself close enough to intercept but far enough to avoid being obvious.

  “Iing. Trag ability, huh?” Matsuno Hara muttered, lig his lips with a sinister grin.

  The Senju… truly enviable!

  Meanwhile, Aburame Toji found one scroll and quickly headed for another. Clearly, his is had located it.

  Kyoichi prepared to close in when—

  Swish!

  Matsuno Hara nded in front of him, his raspy voice breaking the tension.

  "Kanda Kyoichi, only four slots are avaible for the round. Do you think you secure one?"

  Dammit… Orochimaru, you creepy snake.

  Kyoichi cursed internally.

  "Hehehe, I’m not ied in the scrolls," Matsuno Hara said, lig his lips again. "But I am ied in you. If you defeat me, I might even help you get a scroll."

  Everything about his void mannerisms screamed Orochimaru.

  "I’m not ied in you."

  Kyoichi’s response was curt.

  "You don’t have a choice."

  Matsunrinned, drawing a kunai as he vanished in a blur, reappeario Kyoichi.

  But—

  Poof!

  The Kyoichi in front of him dissipated into nothing.

  "A e? No… an exceptionally fast Body Flicker!"

  Matsuno Hara’s eyes gleamed with excitement. He raised his hand, summoning a rge snake.

  Seriously? No shame whatsoever.

  Kyoichi cursed under his breath but didn’t hesitate. F seals, he exhaled a sharp jet of water.

  Water Release: Water Severing Wave!

  The high-pressure stream bisected the snake before redireg toward Matsuno Hara.

  Caught off guard, Matsuno Hara was nearly strutil his body turned into a heap of mud.

  Earth Substitution.

  Cssiaru. Always finding ways to evade with minimal effort.

  Kyoichi wasn’t surprised and immediately ged course, fog on catg up with Aburame Toji.

  Orochimaru, meanwhile, grew even more intrigued.

  Initially, he only wao test Kyoichi's abilities and firm rumors about the Senju lineage awakening within him. But after Kyoichi’s mastery of the enhanced Body Flicker and the almost-lost Sed Hokage teique, Water Severing Wave, Orochimaru's curiosity deepened.

  What else could this boy be hiding?

  Gcell