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[On the Bridge Near the Mission Hall]
On a bridge not far from the mission hall, Naruto Uzumaki was fuming as he glared at Kakashi Hatake.
He truly couldn't fathom how chaotic his white-haired sensei's life must be. Kakashi was late to almost every meeting, always using the same excuse: "I got lost on the road of life."
And when it wasn't that, it was something equally ridiculous—like being delayed by a black cat crossing his path.
Gods bow to cats now? Naruto thought, exasperated.
But despite the complaints from his students, Kakashi's expression remained as lazy and unreadable as ever. He gave a casual cough and said, "Alright, enough chatter. Let's get started on today's mission."
"Really? What kind of mission are we doing today?" Naruto's eyes lit up with excitement.
Ever since returning from the Land of Waves, word had spread throughout the village that Team 7 had successfully completed a B-rank mission—a feat rarely assigned to fresh Genin. It had shocked their peers who graduated with them and inflated Naruto's ego tremendously.
Naturally, he now expected another high-ranking mission.
[Cut to the Riverbank]
But soon after, the scene shifted to Team 7 standing beside a river… collecting garbage.
"This sucks! We were capable of completing a B-rank mission, and now we're back to D-rank chores?" Naruto shouted, clearly disappointed.
His enthusiasm had turned to frustration in seconds.
"Quit complaining, Naruto," Kakashi replied, leaning lazily against a tree with his usual orange Icha Icha Paradise novel in hand. "This mission isn't just about cleaning up. It's also part of your training."
"Training? Picking up trash is training?" Naruto bellowed.
Kakashi didn't respond to him directly. Instead, he called, "Ye Dou."
Ye Dou silently stepped forward from the group and leapt into the river, standing calmly on the surface.
Naruto and Sasuke watched, slightly stunned.
"That," Kakashi finally explained, "is your next training objective. It's the same chakra control principle as tree climbing, but water walking is a bit harder. Your goal is to stand on the surface and collect the trash while maintaining your balance. Once you can do that, your chakra control will have improved significantly."
Indeed, water walking required even more precise chakra regulation than tree climbing. Not only did they have to stay afloat, but they also had to multitask by collecting debris. Completing the exercise would dramatically boost their chakra efficiency and in turn strengthen their ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu.
After giving a flawless demonstration, Ye Dou returned to the riverbank and placed down his tools.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Naruto asked, sensing something off.
"I've finished my training," Ye Dou replied plainly, implying he was done with the garbage collection.
Naruto turned to Kakashi in protest. "Come on, Sensei, that's not fair!"
But Kakashi simply flipped a page in his book and said, "You'll do fine. Good luck."
He had used Ye Dou as a silent motivator again—something he'd found very effective. Both Naruto and Sasuke saw Ye Dou as a rival, and neither wanted to be shown up.
[Iruka and the Problem Children]
Over the following days, Team 7—and in fact, most Genin squads—didn't leave the village. Everyone eligible for the Chūnin Exams was preparing intensely.
As July approached, Konoha grew more lively with the arrival of visiting dignitaries. Feudal lords and nobles, rarely seen within the village, began appearing under heavy guard to witness the upcoming Chūnin Exams.
Meanwhile, Genin from other villages also began entering Konoha, familiarizing themselves with the terrain and scouting for intel.
[Konoha Council Room – Pre-Chūnin Exam Meeting]
In the Hokage's meeting chamber, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat at the head of the table, calmly surveying the jonin gathered before him.
"The Chūnin Exams are approaching," he began. "All jonin squad leaders responsible for Genin—step forward."
Yūhi Kurenai, Hatake Kakashi, Sarutobi Asuma, and several others stepped out from their ranks.
"Officially," Hiruzen continued, "Genin who have completed eight or more missions are eligible to be recommended. I want to hear your assessments. Do you believe your students are ready?"
Hiruzen viewed this particular Chūnin Exam with deep importance. Konoha was at a turning point—it needed new strength to replace the legends of the past like the Sannin, Sakumo Hatake, and Minato Namikaze.
He had pinned his hopes on the new generation: the reborn Ino-Shika-Chō trio, the Uchiha heir, the Hyūga prodigy, and the mysterious Ye Dou whose contributions during the Wave mission had not gone unnoticed.
After a brief silence, Kakashi stepped forward first.
"In the name of Hatake Kakashi, I recommend Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Iori Ye Dou of Team 7 to participate in the Chūnin Selection Exams."
Next, Kurenai spoke. "In the name of Yūhi Kurenai, I recommend Hinata Hyūga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame of Team 8."
Then Asuma followed. "In the name of Sarutobi Asuma, I recommend Shikamaru Nara, Chōji Akimichi, and Ino Yamanaka of Team 10."
The room erupted into murmurs.
All the nominated Genin had graduated only a few months ago. In the last five years, there hadn't been a single instance of first-year Genin being recommended for the Chūnin Exams.
Clearly, this year's test would be anything but ordinary.
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