Konoha.
Brother Cong might be arrogant, but he's still an outsider.
"Outsiders don't get to interfere in Konoha's internal matters."
The average member of the Hyūga Clan may not sense anything strange, but as the clan head, Hyūga Hiashi naturally picked up on subtle clues.
Even though both Terumi Mei and Tsunade were already Bai Ye's women, flaunting that connection openly in front of everyone still left a strange taste.
The Five Kage all wore different expressions.
Even if the first day was just a "simple" written test, it was still treated with importance. All the villagers gathered in anticipation, waiting for the exam to begin.
Identity verification.
Still, no matter how you looked at it, those were real Genin.
"I suggest you hold your breath and let this act play out."
Brother Cong raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by Tobirama's frosty tone.
"Take a seat."
But the overwhelming chakra from those two... there's no way they were Genin!
When chakra surged and the veins around the temple bulged, Hiashi's eyes widened. His body froze as realization hit.
These two weren't here for the exam. They were trying to covertly gather intelligence—testing Konoha's current state.
"You two so-called Genin dared to criticize the Uchiha police force? Clearly, you hold dissatisfaction toward Konoha."
Yet ironically, it was working.
—
A sudden stir erupted at the entrance of the Ninja Academy.
Cold sweat beaded on Orochimaru's back as he carefully took another step toward the exit.
Bai Ye, however, found the act unnecessary.
What did it mean?
The sudden change clearly disoriented both Hashirama and Tobirama.
Still...
It was a form of intelligence.
To ensure fairness—and to prevent dissent after the results were revealed—every detail of this test was meticulously prepared.
This also helped silence complaints from the villagers after the exams.
"I see... does the Hokage want to join us?"
That's how Naruto, Sasuke, and even Konan recognized the forehead protector from the Hidden Sound Village beforehand.
Especially the one grinning while scratching his head—he was the most terrifying of them all.
Such a shame.
After Tsunade became Hokage, she extended favor toward the Hyūga Clan too.
Terumi Mei blinked playfully, openly ignoring the stares around her as she leaned against Bai Ye.
But there was no way Tsunade and Bai Ye would give Orochimaru the chance to stir things up.
At the academy gates—
After tossing Orochimaru's documents onto the table, Tobirama stared coldly at the fake Suna shinobi—Uchiha Satoshi.
Disguised as the Fourth Kazekage, Orochimaru was starting to talk too much. He would've been better off silent.
Seeing the Second Hokage's forehead protector, Brother Cong sneered.
So the situation had become clear now.
Silence fell over the reception room.
No one dared to move.
The Five Kage had all gathered here.
The identity verifier only had this job thanks to Bai Ye's backing—and his own capabilities.
It almost had the same weight as a Five Kage summit.
"Captain Cong! Situation alert!"
Since she had already pledged herself to Bai Ye, Terumi Mei made no effort to hide her affection. She enjoyed showing her closeness to him, declaring it in public.
Tsunade frowned and tapped the table, signaling displeasure.
Imagine when the Genin from other villages lost to Konoha's team—they'd throw a fit. "You call that a Genin?!"
Still…
Bai Ye sat calmly at Tsunade's side.
Orochimaru flinched.
This was Konoha. With the Hokage faces carved into the mountains, why even bother wearing disguises?
Hokage's reception room.
So when Hiashi heard that line, he instantly frowned.
Feeling bored, Terumi Mei suddenly stood and casually dropped into Bai Ye's lap—unbothered by anyone's reaction.
"This is Konoha. What does my arrogance have to do with you, ninja from another village?"
This was, after all, Tsunade's domain.
Bai Ye sneered, showing no courtesy.
Ōnoki didn't get it.
Naruto was the Nine Tails' Jinchūriki.
Right.
"I'm heading to the restroom."
He had a gut feeling—something big was about to happen.
"Konoha can't stop anyone from using the restroom."
Hmm?
After verification, participants were issued ID cards and directed to the exam venue.
Brother Cong clearly viewed Konoha's villagers with indifference.
With their authority, they could just identify everyone directly—why make it complicated?
"Mizukage, this is the reception room. It's a public setting!"
Naturally, such a scene drew everyone's attention.
To ensure accurate records, Tsunade demanded complete intel during identity checks.
I can't follow that guy's brain circuits.
"They're off."
"Brother, be careful—people might misunderstand you."
…
Tsunade had issued new exam regulations.
Nothing else mattered.
She still took good care of Brother Cong.
Anyone caught cheating or using a proxy would be disqualified.
So…
He was the same man who knelt before the Five Kage. No wonder he acted so strangely.
The Uchiha police force maintained order now.
"Oh? You haven't entered yet?"
The guards weren't just oppressive—they were also protectors of the village.
Including mission counts and graduation dates—everything had to be verified.
Right now, Tobirama already had his suspicions.
Raikage clenched his teeth—he looked like he wanted to change identities on the spot.
"Silence! Form a line and verify your identities!"
It was hard to believe Bai Ye's disciples had improved so much in just one month.
More intense than Kiri or Kumo?
These two had highly suspicious identities!
The big screen in the corner captured everyone's attention.
But just as Orochimaru was about to probe further—
By the way, thanks for subscribing. Also, the prior identity error listing Hashirama and Tobirama as Kusagakure has been corrected.
"Uchiha—how arrogant."
PS: Chapter 3 update.
If it was just rumors before, now the truth was laid bare: the Uchiha Guard Captain had made Kirigakure and Kumogakure submit.
There's only one Nine Tails in the world—and no known Jinchūriki from the Sound Village.
Chakra perception systems separated by region.
Bai Ye leaned back in his chair, glanced toward Orochimaru, and chuckled.
In a way…
With Naruto and Sasuke present, this Chūnin Exam had become far more complicated.
They just stood around like soy sauce in the background.
Golden chakra flared, hitting like a four-hit combo in the blink of an eye.
Bai Ye smiled, and a chakra lightsaber formed at his fingertip, aiming directly at Orochimaru.
Sensing danger, Orochimaru instinctively tried to flee.
Meanwhile, Ōnoki stared at Uchiha Bai Ye—flanked by two powerful women—and fell deep into thought.
With an exam of this scale, every detail deserved scrutiny.
Hearing the commotion, Brother Cong's energy surged. He raised a hand and summoned a dozen guards to surround Hashirama and Tobirama.
Orochimaru glanced at Bai Ye… then quickly looked away.
…
They all had bodyguards in tow.
If Bai Ye hadn't intervened, the Third Hokage might've actually accepted Kumo's absurd demands.
Konoha had changed dramatically!
"Shoot, Shinsō."
The same line. Bai Ye said it again.
What kind of power could make three great ninja villages respect one man?
Orochimaru—disguised as the Kazekage—still looked ominous, staring hard at the screen.
Maybe Konoha really was under this man's control.
Outside the village, near the shinobi rest zone, Uchiha Madara's labor had already caused ripples.
He recognized that forehead protector. With so many exam takers, even ordinary Konoha ninja were trained to recognize headbands from various villages.
As outsiders, these ninja were kept under strict surveillance and couldn't interact with villagers until after the exam.
Konoha's Genin were freakishly strong.
At this moment, everyone was lost in their thoughts.
Today marked Day One of the Chūnin Exams.
Villagers kept their distance, watching with curiosity.
"You're arrogant? In my village?"
"Besides having an absurd amount of chakra, the facial expressions looked completely artificial."
Tsunade smirked and casually nestled herself into Bai Ye's arms.
Hiashi's Byakugan flared with a snap!
Things were escalating.
Bai Ye chuckled and turned toward the display.
That chakra… it might even exceed Naruto's.
The Five Kage sat together in tense silence.
Hashirama shrugged and exchanged a glance with his younger brother.
Right now, surrounded by guards, Tobirama's eyes narrowed. He stared cautiously at Uchiha Satoshi—clearly on edge.
Deep inside, he felt gratitude—toward the Uchiha, and the ever-watchful guards.
Did Orochimaru really think a human skin mask and a bit of chakra control could let him sneak into this crowd?
"I feel bad for Konoha's villagers. With guards like you, how did they even survive?"
Uchiha's police force walked the streets without fear.
A simulated Kamishini no Yari shot out and pierced Orochimaru's limbs in a blink.
"A normal Shinobi Village wouldn't dare send spies under the guise of Genin."
He could already guess what the First and Second were thinking—they'd keep bluffing to the end.
No one at the top is an idiot.
"Then can I assume… you're not here for the exam?"
Brother Cong stepped forward, waved his hand, and calmed the restless scene.
The live feed on the big screen now showed the exam venue.
Hiashi acted quickly, reporting the anomaly to Satoshi.
Once Orochimaru revived the First and Second Hokage, the entire tone of the exam shifted.
Back in the Hokage reception room, Orochimaru's lip twitched as he glared at the screen.
And now…
The line kept moving. Eventually, it was the First and Second's turn.
No one questioned the verification anymore.
Byakugan.
"I suggest you hold your breath and keep watching."
He pointed at Orochimaru, speaking coldly.
Was a chakra-based disguise with a human skin mask really that effective?
MORE ADVANCE CHAPTERS ON MY PATREON PAGE. DO A ONE TIME PURCHASE OR JOIN AS A PAID MEMBER TO CONTINUE ENJOYING THIS WONDERFUL BOOK.
patreon.com/Prince209