[]=[]=[]=[]
This chapter was sponsored by Marble Beans through Kofi (@ ko-fi .com/ubemantou). Thank you so much for your support, and may a warm mantou find its way to you!
To those like Marble Beans who want more, well... you can sponsor a chapter on P@treon at pa treon.com/ubemantou. I would greatly appreciate it!
[]=[]=[]=[]
Suguru leaned against the fence surrounding the Forest of Death, his silver hair now tucked beneath a plain cap, his attire deliberately civilian. The transformation was simple—no headband, no weapons pouches, just a simple shirt and trousers that any child might wear while wandering the village.
He watched and waited as the genin began to trickle toward the designated meeting area, their faces a mixture of relief and apprehension after surviving Ibiki's psychological warfare.
"Right on time," Suguru muttered, his lips curling into a smile as he spotted Naruto's bright orange outfit among the crowd.
The genin gathered in clusters, whispering among themselves about what might come next.
None of them paid much attention to the silver-haired child lounging by the fence. They attributed his presence to just another curious villager watching the proceedings.
Suguru's eyes narrowed when he spotted Sasuke. The Uchiha's gaze swept across the area, pausing momentarily when it landed on him.
Recognition flashed in those dark eyes, followed by confusion.
Hinata was next, her Byakugan activating briefly as she scanned the surroundings. Her eyes widened when she noticed him, a small gasp escaping her lips.
"Haha," Suguru stifled a laugh, watching as Kiba's head snapped in his direction, no doubt alerted by Akamaru's sensitive nose detecting a familiar scent.
Shino's insects buzzed more intensely, a subtle indication that the Aburame had identified him as well.
Lee, ever enthusiastic, nearly bounded over before Neji grabbed his arm, whispering something that made the green-clad genin pause. Tenten's hand twitched toward her weapons pouch, though she made no move to approach.
Sakura's reaction was more subdued—a slight widening of her eyes, a quick glance at Sasuke for confirmation.
Shikamaru, standing at the back of the crowd, hadn't noticed him yet. But Suguru knew it wouldn't take long. The Nara's intelligence was legendary, and even without prior acquaintance, the reactions of the others would provide ample clues.
It was time to begin.
Suguru pushed himself off the fence with a lazy motion, walking toward the center of the gathering.
The genin parted before him, some with recognition, others with confusion at why they were making way for what appeared to be a child.
"Welcome to Training Ground 44," Suguru announced, his voice carrying across the clearing with unexpected authority. "Better known as the Forest of Death."
He formed a quick sequence of hand signs, and the air around them shimmered. The genin found themselves surrounded by a three-dimensional illusion.
It was a Genjutsu so vivid it seemed to replace reality itself.
"..!!"
"W-w-what?"
A few of the foreign genin were shocked. What child could perform such a powerful Genjutsu on such a large group of people?
The forest loomed before them in the illusion, massive trees with trunks wider than houses, darkness pooling between their ancient roots. Creatures slithered and crawled through the undergrowth, some larger than the genin themselves.
"This is the stage for your second exam," Suguru's voice narrated as the illusion showed teams racing through the forest, battling one another.
"Each team will receive either a Heaven scroll or an Earth scroll. Your objective is simple: obtain both scrolls and reach the tower at the center within five days."
The illusion shifted to show genin opening scrolls prematurely, their faces contorting in horror before they collapsed.
"Opening your scroll before reaching the tower will result in... consequences," Suguru continued. "You'll be fighting not only each other but the forest itself. Many of you will fail. Some may die."
As the Genjutsu faded, the genin blinked, adjusting to reality once more.
But something was wrong. Suguru stood before them, his silver eyes now blank and emotionless, staring directly into each of their eyes simultaneously. A clone for every single one of them.
Then came the gasps as each genin felt cold steel pressed against their throat. Another Suguru clone stood behind each of them, and kunai were placed against their skin with just enough pressure to make his point.
Even the disguised Orochimaru felt the blade, though his eyes narrowed with intrigue rather than fear.
Suguru took this moment to greet him.
"Sensei,"
"Oho~?" Orochimaru raised a brow, whispering like a hissing snake. For a moment, he stopped to think, realizing the implication of a single word.
So this was the person who had been leaving his notes around and calling him 'teacher.'
"To call me sensei…" Orochimaru shook his head, "My dear student, you've really taken your time."
Suguru chuckled, "This dear student of yours finally pays his respects."
He pulled back the kunai pressed against his teacher's flesh. His hands formed a seal.
Then.
—Poof!
The clones vanished in puffs of smoke, leaving only the original Suguru standing before them.
"I am Hiryu Suguru, a jounin of Konohagakure and proctor for the second stage of the Chuunin Exams."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"O-oi…"
"No way…?"
"He's a jounin?"
"But he's just a kid!"
"Didn't you see what he did just now? That was a large number of Shadow Clones!"
"How is that even possible?"
Suguru observed the reactions with a sense of amusement, particularly enjoying Naruto's slack-jawed expression. The blonde jinchuriki pointed an accusatory finger, his blue eyes wide with disbelief.
"Hey! That's my jutsu! The Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto shouted, drawing attention to himself. "How do you know it? That's supposed to be a forbidden jutsu!"
Suguru tilted his head slightly, a small smile playing on his lips. "Is it now? I wasn't aware you had invented it, Naruto-nii."
Naruto's face reddened slightly. "Well, I didn't invent it, but—"
"Relax," Tatsuya slapped the back of Naruto's head, his eyes never leaving Suguru. There was a calculating look in his gaze, trying to analyze something.
That Genjutsu just now…
It was an odd one.
Someone else had similar thoughts. Another Uchiha, one who was still unfamiliar with the Ghost's capabilities.
'That technique…' Sasuke glared.
Even with his Sharingan, he couldn't break free from its grasp. Just what was it made of?
It reminded Sasuke so much of Itachi. He couldn't help but glance at Tatsuya, his cousin, who was standing with veiled nonchalance.
As far as he knew, his younger cousin hadn't even touched the test paper, as if he understood the purpose of the exam at a glance. At first, Sasuke scoffed, wanting to give his only remaining clansman a hint.
However, when Ibiki announced the results at the end, Sasuke couldn't help but admire Tatsuya's foresight.
The boy in question, however… just followed his instincts.
* * *
Across the gathering, Suguru could see the other Konoha genin exchanging glances.
First, Team Kurenai.
Kiba was whispering something to Hinata, who kept her eyes downcast but nodded slightly. Shino remained stoic, though the subtle shift in his stance suggested his heightened guard.
Second, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.
"Wait, isn't that the kid who used to be from a younger class?" Ino whispered to Shikamaru, her blonde ponytail swishing as she leaned closer. "The one who disappeared?"
Choji, munching on chips beside them, nodded. "Yeah, I think so. Didn't he beat Sasuke in a spar once?"
Shikamaru sighed, his expression a mixture of annoyance and intrigue. "Hiryu Suguru. He graduated early, became a chuunin almost immediately after. Rumor has it he went rogue for a while."
He narrowed his eyes. "What a drag. If he's proctoring, this exam is going to be troublesome. I heard from my old man that Suguru has a penchant for… Mischief."
Meanwhile, Team Guy…
Tenten had nudged Neji. "Isn't that the boy who helped us against those masked shinobi?"
Neji's pale eyes narrowed. "Yes. Though I didn't realize he was a jounin."
Lee's enthusiasm couldn't be contained. "Such youthful prowess! To achieve the jounin rank at such a young age! I must train harder to match his accomplishments!"
Finally, Team 7.
Mitsuko and Sakura exchanged glances, with Mitsuko's Byakugan activating briefly to assess Suguru's chakra.
'Why is there so much?'
Mitsuko's eyes widened at what she saw, but she quickly composed herself. If not for Naruto and Gaara being nearby as well, she would've regarded her old classmate as a monster.
Well…
Perhaps being compared to a jinchuriki would already make people think they were a monster… But Mitsuko wasn't aware of the details. She could only glance at the more distant Uchiha Tatsuya, asking him with her eyes if that was normal.
Tatsuya merely shrugged in reply.
Meanwhile.
Suguru took in all these reactions with silent satisfaction. It was precisely the effect he had hoped to achieve — confusion, recognition, and a healthy dose of wariness.
It was time to explain the little changes he made to the exam.
[]=[]=[]=[]
Please support me on my P@treon again! Hehe~
Link: pa treon.com/ubemantou
(No space.)
You can read up to 35 chapters ahead!
[]=[]=[]=[]