Although he said that, Kabuto Yakushi still generously displayed his card.
Seven years as a Genin, with a brilliant resume. He had completed 163 D-rank missions and 28 C-rank missions.
A very standard veteran Genin—ordinary and unimpressive.
Letting the person under suspicion present their own proof, of course, isn't completely trustworthy.
But being able to provide it at all still says something.
It's hard to fake a resume, especially with so many eyes watching over a seven-year period.
So—
Was he someone who didn't want to reveal his true strength, but had no choice but to accompany his team for the exam?
Forming friendships with the village's geniuses was reasonable enough too.
Lee was an outstanding taijutsu ninja, and Sasuke had memorized his stats precisely.
That Sand's jinchūriki's name was "Gaara," though the intel on him wasn't detailed—only some mission records existed.
Besides these few people—
Naruto had discovered some other interesting targets.
Several ninja wearing the "Sound" village forehead protectors kept their eyes fixed on Sasuke.
A red-haired kunoichi from the Grass village gave Naruto an inexplicably familiar feeling with her chakra.
The first exam began soon after.
It was a written test.
The rules were unusual—it was clearly meant to assess individual ability, but the final grade was based on team performance.
And "cheating" was not only permitted but somewhat encouraged.
Getting caught cheating would cost two points each time—meaning only after being caught five times would a team be disqualified.
Among the examinees were some familiar faces like Izumo and Kotetsu, but also several ninjas with chakra levels far beyond what Genin should possess, who immediately began answering fluently.
There was no doubt—they were planted there, with answers in hand, to serve as targets to copy from.
So the real purpose of the test wasn't merely knowledge.
It was about gathering information without being detected.
The final question, posed by the examiner Ibiki Morino, came with a brutal condition: if you failed, you could never take the exam again and would remain a Genin forever. That pressure filtered out those unsure of their own information-gathering abilities.
The second exam followed closely after.
The examiner was a bold and energetic woman—she entered by crashing through the window with flair.
She led them to the next exam's location.
"I'm the examiner for this round, Anko Mitarashi," she declared boldly, her voice as brash as her entrance. "This round is simple: a survival test!"
She laid out the rules.
Each team would receive either a "Heaven" or "Earth" scroll at random. The goal was to obtain both and reach the tower at the center of the training grounds within five days.
Naruto wasn't really paying attention to all that—his eyes were fixed on one of the Grass ninja.
A tall figure, wearing a straw hat with three "sin" (罪) symbols hanging from the edges. Long hair, an eerie and feminine air.
This person—
Naruto vaguely remembered glimpsing him while observing the red-haired kunoichi earlier.
He recalled that the person's chakra hadn't felt this strong at the time.
But now—
It was dazzling. Even Gaara seemed to pale in comparison. He surpassed even Kakashi Hatake. Among all the ninja Naruto had encountered, only Hiruzen Sarutobi could compare.
Such a drastic change—
Was it a special concealment technique?
Or something else—
This Grass ninja's sensory perception was extremely sharp.
In an instant, he detected Naruto's gaze and looked over, grinning with a flick of his tongue.
The second exam officially began, and teams were guided to their entry gates.
At the appointed time, the proctor gave the signal.
The examinees entered the testing area—Training Ground 44, also known as the "Forest of Death."
"What should we do?" Sakura asked nervously, peering around with a kunai in hand.
Sasuke looked at the other member of their team. "Naruto has sensory jutsu. With our strength, no team should be our match. Let's just find a team with the scroll we need and head to the tower."
Naruto shook his head. "Gaara is a troublesome guy."
"And earlier... that Grass ninja's chakra isn't to be underestimated either."
Sasuke was taken aback.
"Not to be underestimated"?
To warrant those words—
What level was he...?
"Let's go find someone first," Naruto said, extending his hand and sensing the chaotic spiritual energy drifting from all directions. "I'm curious about her."
In Japanese, the words for "he" and "she" are pronounced differently.
"She"?
That surprised both Sasuke and Sakura.
Naruto didn't exactly seem like the type to be interested in girls.
"What kind of girl?" Sakura asked. "Someone from our village?"
She thought about it.
It couldn't be Ino.
Then it must be the quiet heiress of the Hyuga clan from Team 8?
"It was a Grass ninja I saw during the test," Naruto answered directly. "The red-haired one."
As soon as he mentioned her, both of them remembered.
The red hair was unforgettable.
"Her chakra feels... familiar to me," Naruto continued. "I want to ask her if we're related somehow."
"Someone from your clan?" Sasuke asked quietly.
Reading Naruto's expression, there were no lies.
"Maybe." Naruto nodded.
They traversed the dense forest, hearing occasional explosions from ninjutsu or painful screams—teams were already fighting.
Yet, no one came to bother them.
Although Naruto's team was among the youngest and seemed like easy targets—
They gave off the scent of strength. Most others didn't consider them prey.
Suddenly—
Naruto stopped.
Sasuke and Sakura halted as well.
"What is it?" Sasuke asked.
Naruto stared at an unremarkable patch of earth beneath a tree. "That Grass ninja—come on out. With your strength, do you really need to ambush the three of us?"
At his words, the earth began to stir.
It rose and gathered into human form. "What keen sensory ability."
"You even saw through that?"
The figure raised a scroll with the character "Earth" on it. "I have the Earth scroll. What about you guys?"
"Mind showing me?"
Naruto raised his hand and gripped his blade. "Still pretending with such a weak lie?"
"You're probably not a Genin here for the exam at all."
"You snuck in with another goal, didn't you?"
"Who is your target?"
"Me?"
"Or Sasuke?"
The Grass ninja stared in awe. "What's your name?"
In his heart, he had already guessed the answer.
Blond hair. From the Leaf. Sharpened instincts...
"Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto declared. "Looks like your target is Sasuke."
"You're after the Sharingan, huh?"
The Grass ninja burst into laughter.
As expected.
"Uzumaki"—that surname... He was the Fourth Hokage's son.
"How amusing," he said with a relaxed tone. "To think I'd encounter such a surprise upon returning to the village."
"You were watching me even before the second exam started?"
Naruto cut him off. "Out of politeness, shouldn't you tell us your name?"
"My name?" The Grass ninja extended his unnaturally long, snake-like tongue and licked his lips. Two long, fang-like teeth gleamed. His entire aura grew even darker—serpentine. "If you want to know... then prove you're worthy."
"Let me see if you have what it takes."
Chakra surged.
Killing intent spread like a wave—birds and insects fled in terror.
Sasuke's eyes widened in horror. He instinctively raised a hand to his forehead.
He felt—
As if he had already died.
(End of Chapter)