As soon as the three from Kirigakure Village walked into the classroom, all eyes turned to them.
One reason was that this was the first time Kirigakure had ever sent genin to take part in the Chunin Exams. Until now, the only time anyone had encountered them was as enemies on missions.
And of course, the village's reputation for secrecy and assassination made everyone even more curious.
The other reason was simply that the three of them were really good-looking.
Suigetsu and Kimimaro stood out with their striking hair colors, and Haku had such a soft, androgynous face that it was hard to tell if he was a boy or a girl.
Most female ninja were the outgoing and energetic type, so someone like Haku, who gave off such a gentle and caring "big sister" vibe, was actually pretty rare.
"So these are the people from Kirigakure, huh…"
"Aren't they known for assassinations? Even if they're just genin, I bet they're pretty strong."
"Still, they're really nice to look at…"
The classroom buzzed with whispers.
A lot of people were glaring at them with clear hostility, their eyes full of aggression.
But the three of them didn't seem bothered at all. Being from Kirigakure, they were used to this kind of attention. People probably held grudges against them all the time.
There was probably a long line of people who hated them.
"There are so many people! I don't remember seeing this many during the last test."
Suigetsu looked around, wide-eyed, like he'd never seen the world before.
Members of the Hozuki clan had always been drawn to strong fighters, so they actually enjoyed this kind of environment.
"The Land of Fire focuses a lot on diplomacy. That's why people from so many different countries come here for the Chunin Exams," Kimimaro explained.
With his arms crossed in front of his chest, Kimimaro spoke to Suigetsu.
Even though Kimimaro used to be the one with no experience, he had at least traveled with Hatake Satoru, so he knew a thing or two now.
"I heard the Chunin Exams were a big deal, but seeing it with my own eyes really is something else."
"So many countries, so many people, all gathered peacefully in one classroom. It's kind of amazing."
Even though everyone here was a genin, it wasn't uncommon to fight foreign ninja to the death during missions.
With so many people packed into one room, it was kind of a miracle that no one had died yet.
After Team 7 walked in, the whispers about the Kirigakure ninja slowly died down.
That group of newcomers were just fresh genin, barely with any mission experience, and they were loudly gathering in one spot.
Yamanaka Ino threw her arm around Sasuke and started laughing and chatting, while still bickering with Sakura as usual.
Sasuke looked down with a blank face. He was clearly annoyed, but didn't want to flat-out reject her.
"Wow, you guys must be newbies, huh? Just graduated, barely done any missions, total rookies."
"You're all being so loud. Do you even realize this is an exam room?"
"You look more like a bunch of kids heading off on a field trip."
Yakushi Kabuto sighed and adjusted his glasses with a helpless look.
Judging from his tone and age, this definitely wasn't his first time at the Chunin Exams.
A few of them glanced over, curious. Even though Ino wasn't too fond of the way he talked like a know-it-all, Kabuto was still wearing a Konoha headband.
So chances were, he could still be helpful to them.
Yakushi Kabuto had some cards that held information on quite a few people.
But the situation with Kirigakure was too mysterious, so there wasn't much written about them on the cards.
"It's just that Kirigakure Village is so secretive, not many people know much about it."
"Then there are new countries like Otogakure, which was just founded in the past couple of years, so there's not much detailed info about them either."
Right as he finished talking, three ninjas from Otogakure turned their heads to look at Yakushi Kabuto behind them.
Kabuto didn't seem to notice at all and kept holding his cards, continuing his explanation to Naruto and the others.
"All of you here are elite genin from different villages nearby. Competing against them won't be easy."
"..."
To be honest, ever since Kabuto called them together and started talking, they could already feel the shift in the atmosphere around them.
Just a moment ago, the group of newcomers had been loudly chatting away, but once it got quiet, they suddenly realized the whole classroom was filled with people glaring at them with clear hostility.
Naruto kept squinting and pressing his lips together. Ever since he came in, he'd looked like he was itching to do something.
But to others, he probably just looked like he was shaking from nerves.
Sasuke glanced sideways at Naruto, thinking for a second. Comforting others wasn't really his thing, so he stayed quiet.
Besides, he was honestly excited about fighting all these strong people. Haku, Gaara, Neji, Lee—so many powerful opponents. He was looking forward to it.
Sakura stood hesitantly behind Naruto, about to step up and say something to cheer him up.
But just as she moved forward, Naruto's hands gave a small shake, and then he suddenly lifted his head and shouted at all the other genin in the classroom.
"Ah—!"
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I won't lose to any of you!"
Right away, the stares from the classroom became even more intense.
Sakura's concern shattered instantly. She rushed forward and wrapped her arm around Naruto's neck from behind.
Her expression said she wanted nothing more than to strangle him right then and there. Was there anything dumber than making everyone in the room hate you on the first day!?
These people were all total strangers—who knows what they'd do if a fight broke out?
"Pfft! Seriously? He's even worse than me!"
Suigetsu leaned on his desk, resting his cheek on his hand, and turned to look back at Naruto with a curious expression.
Back outside, it was already funny enough when Kakashi had carried him and Sasuke in one hand each, and now he was making bold statements the moment they came in. Pretty full of himself.
"He's a really interesting guy."
Haku smiled warmly at Naruto.
The three Otogakure ninjas exchanged a knowing look, and then quickly darted out of the crowd, heading straight for Kabuto.
The Konoha bunch were all strange. Picking fights before the exam even started—might as well go for the guy who's been trying and failing the exam for four years.
One of the men, who had the word "death" written on his clothes, suddenly jumped up, throwing two kunai at Kabuto as a fake-out attack.
Right after that, Tōsu, whose face was mostly wrapped in bandages with only one eye showing, threw a punch straight at him.
But before he could follow up, both of their bodies suddenly shot into the air as if they'd lost control, and then slammed hard into the wall!
"This is a written test, you know. If you start fighting, it's going to be a real problem for me."
Hatake Satoru sat casually at the teacher's desk, resting his cheek in his hand and smiling at the door.
The room immediately broke into chaos.
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