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"As expected of my disciple, Ye Dou! Youth is about to bloom! Hahaha!"
Greasy bowl-cut, thick eyebrows, gleaming white teeth — nowhere to sit but full of spirit.
In front of Ye Dou's wooden house, Might Guy stood with his hands on his hips, head tilted back as he laughed heartily, his voice echoing down the lane.
He had just heard from Kakashi about his disciple's outstanding performance during the recent Land of Waves mission, and in a flash, pride surged through his chest.
"You're too smug, Sensei!"
Tenten said helplessly, adjusting her scroll pouch.
"If it were someone else, you'd be lecturing them about humility," Neji added coldly, turning to glance at Ye Dou.
"A Genin chasing down Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Hidden Mist…"
He trailed off, unable to find the right words. It was just too unbelievable.
That man — Zabuza — was one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, infamous across the Five Nations. Yet he was chased through the forest by a boy wielding nothing but a short blade. Unthinkable.
"With that performance, you could take the Chūnin Exams right now and pass!" Neji added, his voice tinged with a rare note of admiration.
"Chūnin Exams, huh? I'm taking them this year for sure!"
Lee's expression turned serious.
Last year, he had decided not to participate, feeling his training hadn't yet reached the level he desired. But now, he was ready. Ready to prove that hard work could surpass genius.
[New Goals]
The Chūnin Exams, unlike the Jōnin selection, weren't nearly as strict in terms of qualifications and were held twice a year.
While Chūnin weren't Jōnin — the elite backbone of each village — they were still essential to maintaining the daily strength and operations of the Hidden Villages.
It was now the end of May. In a little over a month, the next round of the Chūnin Exams would be hosted in Konohagakure.
"Ye Dou," Might Guy said, this time with a more solemn expression, "do you have the confidence to enter?"
The Chūnin Exams were on a different level than the Genin graduation tests. Aside from the written portion, the rest involved real combat — often dangerous and occasionally fatal.
For most new Genin teams, Might Guy wouldn't recommend taking the exam in their first year.
But Ye Dou wasn't most Genin.
He was strong. In Guy's heart, he believed Ye Dou had already surpassed him in talent.
And truthfully, Guy wanted Ye Dou to participate.
The Chūnin Exams weren't just about promotion. They were also a stage — a platform where nations flexed their hidden strength.
When other villages sent their best, Konoha had to respond in kind. If a village's young generation appeared weak, it could invite invasion. Smaller Hidden Villages had been conquered in months after failing to present a strong enough force during the Exams.
Konoha had once been proud — home to the Legendary Sannin, to Sakumo Hatake (Konoha's White Fang), and to the Yellow Flash of the Leaf.
But now? In Guy's generation, only Kakashi's name carried weight.
That's why Guy wanted Ye Dou to shine. To carry the torch for their era.
To be a beacon.
Something he, as a teacher, could never be.
"Yeah," Ye Dou replied simply, nodding at his sensei's gaze.
"Hahaha! That's the spirit!" Guy bellowed, fists clenched in excitement. "Starting tomorrow, we train like never before! Our goal — to pass the Chūnin Exams with passion!"
"In that case, we're rivals now!"
Lee's eyes gleamed. Tenten smiled. Even Neji gave a subtle nod.
All of Team Guy knew — this year, they were going all out.
That night…
After everyone had left, Ye Dou sat on the rooftop of his house, staring into the distance at Hokage Rock.
Beside him, his mongoose companion gnawed lazily on roasted chicken.
"You're really going to take the Chūnin Exams with those…brats?" the mongoose asked between bites.
"Yeah."
Ye Dou's eyes narrowed.
He had to take the Chūnin Exams — not because of ambition, but because Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke would be there.
But his true goal was not promotion.
It was something else.
A conspiracy was brewing.
This year's Chūnin Exams would be no ordinary tournament. An event was about to erupt — the Konoha Crush Plan.
If Ye Dou was right, Orochimaru had likely already joined forces with the Fourth Kazekage.
They were preparing to strike Konoha during the Exams.
The Hidden Sand was nothing like Konoha. While Konoha was prosperous, its people thriving, the Sand Village was impoverished — surrounded by arid desert and starved of resources. Famine was common.
During the First Shinobi World War, when the First Hokage distributed tailed beasts to maintain balance, the Sand chose resources over power. They traded their tailed beast, Shukaku, for land and supplies.
It showed their desperation.
Despite being one of the Five Great Nations, their survival was always at risk. Their gaze had long been set on Konoha's fertile land.
But Konoha was strong.
Even after Minato Namikaze — the Yellow Flash — died during the Nine-Tails' Attack, even after Sakumo's suicide, and the decline of the Uchiha Clan… Konoha still stood tall.
The Sand dared not strike.
Until now.
With the Uchiha clan gone, Konoha's deterrence had weakened.
The lean camel was still bigger than the horse, but now, the horse was getting hungry.
A storm was coming.
And Ye Dou would be right in the middle of it.
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