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Chapter 37: The Exam Begins!
🕑 Added 2025-02-20 14:39:34 +0000 UTCChapter 37: The Exam Begins!
The Chūnin Exams arrived on schedule, but for the first month, participants only went through preliminary assessments.
Although this was an internal exam with no outside villages invited, the testing format remained the same.
But in the end, what truly mattered was the final exam.
And that final stage attracted a significant audience.
There were no grand ceremonies, and they weren’t using a large stadium like the Chūnin Exams in the original story.
Instead, the event took place inside a barrier-protected training ground.
But that didn’t stop people from gathering.
After all, ninja loved a good fight.
And many came to cheer on their friends and family.
“Nii-san! Over here!”
In the crowd, Sasuke Uchiha excitedly waved toward his older brother, Itachi, who was waiting in the preparation area.
His big brother was competing—there was no way he’d miss this!
Not only that, but a large number of Uchiha clan members had come to watch.
They easily had the biggest cheering section in the entire audience.
“Alright, Sasuke. Don’t distract your brother.”
Fugaku Uchiha glanced at his youngest son before turning to his eldest, who smiled and nodded back at him.
Keeping his face expressionless, Fugaku said,
“He needs to stay focused for the challenging exam ahead.”
“Yes, Father.”
Sasuke pouted but didn’t dare argue.
Seeing Sasuke quiet down, Fugaku shifted his gaze to a nearby figure—Shisui Uchiha.
Dressed in casual attire, Shisui stood off to the side, blending into the crowd.
“Shisui,” Fugaku said. “I heard the proctor for this exam is your friend.
What’s he like?”
“Friend?”
Beside them, Izumi Uchiha raised an eyebrow, glancing curiously at Shisui.
She had come to cheer for Itachi, but now she was interested in this mysterious proctor.
“…Yeah, we’re friends.”
Shisui nodded.
More than that—we’re actually teammates.
“And he’s incredibly strong.
His abilities are frighteningly well-rounded.
So for Itachi… as long as he puts on a good performance, that’s all that matters.”
Shisui wasn’t stupid.
He knew exactly why Fugaku had asked this question.
The Uchiha patriarch wanted to know if Itachi had a chance of winning.
Itachi was definitely talented—he had even defeated a Root operative at a young age.
But his opponent today was Haruta.
As Haruta’s teammate, Shisui knew all too well how monstrous his combat ability was.
Even now, he still vividly remembered that stone dragon from their mission in Sunagakure.
“…Is your friend really that difficult to deal with?”
Fugaku frowned.
“And what about you? How would you fare against him?”
“…That’s…”
Shisui wasn’t sure.
But he believed he’d have a better chance.
Especially since he had the Mangekyō Sharingan.
“Alright, enough.”
Before the conversation could continue, Mikoto Uchiha interrupted with a gentle smile.
She patted Sasuke’s head, then said,
“They’re friends—there’s no need to compare them.
And besides, we’re here to support Itachi, aren’t we?”
“Fine, fine. I understand.”
Fugaku let it go.
Meanwhile, Sasuke remained confident in his big brother.
Clenching his fists, he declared,
“Nii-san is definitely going to win!”
Shisui couldn’t help but chuckle at that.
But then, his gaze shifted to the exam area, and he silently thought to himself—
Itachi won’t get hurt…
I made sure of that!
After all, Shisui knew how his teammate operated.
To avoid any accidents, the moment he learned Haruta was Itachi’s proctor, he had gone all out "bribing" him.
His only request?
“Just don’t injure Itachi!”
---
Meanwhile, in the proctor’s area…
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood in front of Haruta, speaking in a calm tone.
“Haruta, do you know why I agreed to let you be the proctor?”
“…Uh…”
Haruta blinked.
The exam was about to start, and now the Hokage wanted to talk about this?
He’d had a whole month to bring it up—why now?
Still, Haruta shook his head and answered honestly.
“I don’t know, Hokage-sama.”
“You were raised in Root.
Your thought process is different from other ninja.”
Hiruzen smiled, placing a hand on Haruta’s shoulder.
“But you are still a Konoha shinobi.
You’ve carried too much darkness on your shoulders.
And for that… I am sorry.
Now, more than anything, I want you to step into the light.”
“……”
Haruta was at a loss for words.
If you really wanted that, wouldn’t it be better to just shut down Root?
Of course, he wasn’t stupid enough to say that.
Root was useful, after all.
And besides—he was planning to take over Root himself!
“I know Danzo has probably told you a lot of negative things about the Uchiha.”
Seeing Haruta remain silent, Hiruzen wasn’t bothered.
Instead, he kept smiling as he continued,
“But I want you to understand—whether it’s you or the Uchiha, you are all Konoha shinobi.
I want to see everyone coexist peacefully.
Itachi is a Konoha prodigy, and you and Shisui are teammates.
That is why I chose you as his proctor.
You are no longer part of Root.
I want to see a new Haruta—one who is not weighed down by darkness.
Can you promise me that?”
“……”
Haruta was speechless.
Damn it—this is just another attempt to manipulate me!
It was clear now—Hiruzen was worried he might “go too far” in the exam.
But honestly? Wasn’t this unnecessary?
Shisui had already been “talking” to him for days about this.
On the other hand, Danzo had also sent people to remind him of Root’s “humiliation”.
---
[New Mission Acquired: Defeat Uchiha Itachi—Make Him Understand Root’s Suffering.]
[New Mission Acquired: Ensure Uchiha Itachi Remains Unharmed.]
---
Looking at his new mission prompts, Haruta felt a headache coming on.
Seriously?
Hiruzen and Danzo really are natural-born enemies.
Their missions weren’t just different—they were completely opposite.
“…I understand, Hokage-sama.”
But Haruta had been through the Sunagakure mission.
He already had plenty of experience handling conflicting objectives.
“I won’t let you down.”
“That’s good.”
The wrinkles on Hiruzen’s face deepened as he smiled even wider.
“I look forward to seeing your performance.
Now, go get ready…”
“The exam… begins now!”
---
