The sun had barely risen when Konohagakure was already alive.
Candidates from every hidden village made their way toward the Academy, each carrying their own ambitions.
Some laughed confidently.
Others walked in tense silence.
Veterans of countless missions stood beside newly promoted genin, all seeking the same prize.
Promotion.
Recognition.
A chance to prove themselves.
Naruto walked beside Sakura and Sasuke, his hands tucked into his pockets as he observed the growing crowd.
“So many people…”
Sakura whispered.
“I didn’t think there would be this many.”
Kakashi, walking ahead of them, answered without looking back.
“The Chunin Exams aren’t just an examination.”
“They’re politics.”
The three looked at him.
“The Five Great Nations use these exams to display military strength.”
He glanced toward a group of shinobi wearing Hidden Cloud forehead protectors.
“Every village is watching every other village.”
Naruto nodded.
He remembered attending the Kage Summits years later.
The Chunin Exams had always been more than a promotion test.
They were a stage.
One where nations silently competed without declaring war.
As they approached the Academy, Kakashi stopped.
“This is where I leave you.”
Sakura blinked.
“You’re not coming inside?”
Kakashi shook his head.
“From this point onward…”
He smiled beneath his mask.
“…everything depends on you.”
He disappeared in a swirl of leaves, leaving the three standing before the entrance.
Naruto looked up at the familiar building.
So many memories.
The written exam.
Meeting Kabuto.
Rock Lee.
The illusion on the second floor.
Everything had happened here.
Kurama’s voice echoed softly.
“You remember every step.”
“I do.”
“But don’t assume they’ll repeat.”
Naruto nodded.
“I won’t.”
The three entered the Academy.
The hallways were crowded with genin from every nation.
Conversations echoed through the building as teams evaluated one another with cautious eyes.
Sasuke immediately became the center of attention.
“The last Uchiha…”
“I heard he graduated at the top of his class.”
Several whispers followed him wherever he walked.
Naruto noticed something else.
Almost no one paid attention to him.
He smiled to himself.
Good.
The less attention he attracted now, the better.
Suddenly, a loud voice echoed through the corridor.
“Out of the way!”
A young shinobi was thrown backward, crashing into the floor.
Standing before the classroom door was a scar-faced genin wearing a Leaf forehead protector.
“This floor is restricted!”
He crossed his arms.
“Only Chunin Exam candidates are allowed upstairs.”
Naruto sighed.
“The genjutsu…”
Sakura looked confused.
“What?”
Naruto pointed toward the ceiling.
“We’re already on the second floor.”
She blinked.
“No, we’re not.”
Naruto smiled.
“Look at the window.”
She followed his gaze. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
The angle of the sunlight.
The view outside.
The architecture.
Realization slowly appeared on her face.
“This…”
“It’s an illusion.”
Sasuke activated his Sharingan.
Sure enough, the chakra disturbance became visible.
“Hn.”
Naruto stepped forward.
The scar-faced shinobi glared at him.
“You deaf?”
Naruto smiled politely.
“It’s a decent genjutsu.”
The man’s expression changed slightly.
“But…”
Naruto pointed toward the sign.
“…you forgot to adjust the shadows outside.”
The hallway fell silent.
The disguised chunin looked upward instinctively.
There was nothing wrong with the shadows.
He looked back.
Naruto grinned.
“Got you.”
Several nearby candidates burst into laughter.
The chunin sighed before releasing the illusion.
The hallway shimmered.
The classroom numbers changed.
They had indeed been standing on the second floor all along.
“Very funny.”
Naruto scratched the back of his head.
“I learned from the best pranksters.”
Sakura covered her face.
“I can’t believe that worked.”
Before anyone could continue, applause echoed from the opposite end of the hallway.
“Excellent observation.”
A young man with thick eyebrows stepped forward.
Beside him stood a girl with twin buns and another boy dressed entirely in green.
Naruto smiled.
Right on time.
Rock Lee.
Tenten.
Neji Hyuga.
Lee’s eyes immediately locked onto Sakura.
He pointed dramatically.
“You!”
Sakura looked around.
“Me?”
“Yes!”
Lee struck a heroic pose.
“You are beautiful!”
Naruto quietly stepped backward.
He remembered exactly what came next.
Lee continued without hesitation.
“Please become my girlfriend!”
Sakura’s face immediately turned bright red.
“…No.”
The rejection was instantaneous.
Lee froze.
His spirit visibly left his body.
Naruto couldn’t help laughing.
Some things truly never changed.
Lee suddenly recovered and noticed Naruto.
“You!”
Naruto blinked.
“Me?”
Lee nodded enthusiastically.
“I heard about the mission in the Land of Waves.”
Naruto’s smile faded slightly.
News spread faster than he expected.
“I wish to fight you.”
Sasuke stepped forward.
“If you’re looking for a fight…”
Lee looked at him.
“…fight me.”
Naruto sighed quietly.
Here it came.
“Very well.”
Within seconds, the hallway cleared as the two boys faced one another.
Naruto watched silently.
In the original timeline, Sasuke would be completely overwhelmed.
But this Sasuke had trained harder.
Worked smarter.
Trusted his teammates.
The outcome…
Might be different.
Lee disappeared.
His speed shocked nearly everyone present.
Sasuke barely reacted in time, blocking a powerful kick before sliding backward across the floor.
“Hm.”
Naruto noticed it immediately.
Sasuke’s reactions had improved significantly.
Lee smiled wider.
“Excellent!”
The exchange continued.
Punches.
Kicks.
Counters.
The surrounding genin watched in amazement.
Even Neji raised an eyebrow.
“This Uchiha…”
Tenten nodded.
“He’s better than the rumors.”
Lee increased his speed.
This time, Sasuke couldn’t fully keep up.
A kick slipped through his guard, sending him backward.
Before Lee could press the attack—
Naruto appeared between them.
“That’s enough.”
Lee stopped instantly.
Naruto smiled.
“You’ve both proven your point.”
Lee lowered his stance.
“You interrupted.”
“I know.”
Naruto chuckled.
“But the exams haven’t even started.”
He looked between them.
“You’ll have plenty of chances later.”
Lee considered his words before smiling brightly.
“You are correct!”
He bowed respectfully.
“I shall look forward to fighting both of you.”
Naruto returned the bow.
“So will I.”
From a nearby balcony, a silver-haired shinobi adjusted his glasses.
Kabuto had witnessed the entire exchange.
He frowned.
Naruto hadn’t moved like a normal genin.
It wasn’t just speed.
It was timing.
Positioning.
Decision-making.
Everything suggested years of combat experience.
Kabuto quietly disappeared into the crowd.
There was someone who needed to hear this.
Far away, hidden within the shadows of the village, Orochimaru smiled as a snake slithered onto his shoulder.
The creature whispered its master’s intelligence.
The Sannin’s golden eyes narrowed.
“So…”
He murmured.
“…he stopped the fight.”
Not because he feared it.
Because he understood it.
Orochimaru’s smile slowly widened.
“How utterly fascinating.”
His curiosity had become something more.
Expectation.
Tomorrow, the Forest of Death would begin.
And for the first time in many years…
Even Orochimaru found himself eager to meet a child.