A year and a half later, at the gates of Konoha Village...
The four members of Minato's squad gradually emerged from the forest path, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows behind them.
"Hey! It's Minato's team!"The young Chūnin on guard duty perked up when he saw them approaching.
"Yes, we just finished our mission," Minato said with a calm smile. He nodded, then turned to his team.
"The Chūnin Exams are coming up. I've already submitted your names to Hokage-sama. Kakashi, Rin, Obito—you'll enter as a team of three."
"YEAH!"Obito practically launched himself into the air like he was trying to transform into Ultraman Tiga. His eyes sparkled with excitement—he'd been waiting for this moment forever.
Rin gave a bright smile, her eyes warm with anticipation.
Kakashi, meanwhile, remained characteristically neutral.Can I not participate? he complained internally. Seriously, in Konoha, Genin are probably more dangerous than some Kage. Who came up with this system? I swear Genin have higher kill counts than ANBU.
Minato continued, "I'll go report the mission. Tomorrow I'll brief you on the rules and expectations for the exams."
He gave a cryptic smile. "Most of the contestants are around your age… with one exception. So don't slack off."
And with that, Minato vanished in a flicker of yellow light.
The three Genin exchanged glances. Then, without a word, they went their separate ways.
The Chūnin Exams—a promotion mechanism introduced by the Second Hokage—were more than just a test. They were a stage for nations to size each other up, a pseudo-diplomatic bloodsport to flaunt each village's strength.
After the Second Great Ninja War, however, joint exams had been paused.
Why?
Because that whole "peace treaty" was just a polite way of saying, "We're scared of Konoha right now, let's wait till they chill out."
But under the surface of this so-called peace, tensions were simmering.
A few days later…
The Chūnin Exams officially began.
Phase One: The Written Test
Kakashi finished the test early. Of course he did. The questions were tough—but not for someone who'd absorbed the entire "Five-Year Simulation & Three-Year Ninja Exam Review" booklet Minato-sensei had handed them.
He leaned back in his chair, spinning a pen between his fingers like a bored academic.
Behind him, Obito looked like he was decoding ancient alien runes.
If brains were chakra, Obito would be running on fumes, Kakashi thought dryly.
Thankfully, they had prepared for this.
Casually, Kakashi began signaling with his fingers—subtle, coordinated code gestures. A well-planned cheat system masked as spontaneous twitching.
Because let's be honest: this exam wasn't about answering questions—it was about passing information under surveillance.
And speaking of surveillance…
Behind the one-way mirror and the 360° camera system, the Third Hokage sat like some kind of elderly Big Brother, watching everything unfold.
A little creepy, old man, Kakashi noted silently. Maybe take a walk or read a book instead of spying on teenagers cheating.
Unsurprisingly, most teams were eliminated after the first round.
Phase Two: The Survival Test – Forest of Death
Sunlight filtered through the massive forest canopy like glinting shuriken. Shadows danced over moss and grass as the wind whistled through the gnarled branches.
Kakashi's team moved cautiously, eyes sharp.
They had five days to retrieve a scroll from another team—specifically, if you had the Scroll of Heaven, you needed the Scroll of Earth, and vice versa. Only then could you head to the central tower.
Translation: Half of you are automatically doomed.
Suddenly, faint footsteps echoed through the underbrush. Kakashi halted, gesturing for silence.
Three figures emerged—bickering loudly and clearly failing at being subtle.
"You really have time to argue now?" Kakashi called out casually, voice floating down like a breeze.
The trio froze.
Looking up, they spotted three Genin standing calmly on the tree branches above. One of them had gravity-defying silver hair and a dark blue mask.
"Hatake… Kakashi?!" one of them said uncertainly.
"You're trying to steal our scroll, aren't you?" the tall one sneered.
Sharp one, Kakashi thought, then gave a friendly snap of his fingers. "Bingo. So let's not drag this out. Hand it over and we can avoid bruises, blood, and the whole dramatic collapse thing."
"Who do you think you are?"
The short, round boy scoffed. He recognized Kakashi—he'd gone to the Academy with him. After White Fang's death, Kakashi's reputation had... dimmed.
"A fading genius," the boy muttered under his breath.
Kakashi vanished.
In the next instant—
WHAM!
The chubby Genin flew backward, taking a full-force kick to the gut. He smacked into a tree and crumpled like a deflated rice ball.
The tall boy stepped forward, furious. "You—!"
He froze.
A kunai was pressed to his neck. Kakashi stood before him, eyes calm and slightly bored.
"Pro tip: if you don't want a concussion before lunch, don't mouth off during ambushes."
The third Genin visibly gulped.
"Scroll. Now."
Reluctantly, they handed it over.
Kakashi grinned. "Nice. Scroll of Earth. Lucky us."
He turned to his teammates. "Alright, Rin, Obito—let's get moving. Taco Tuesday waits for no ninja."
They leapt away, leaving behind three defeated and humiliated Genin to ponder their life choices.
As evening rolled in, three shadows raced across the treetops and landed outside the central tower.
Kakashi scanned the area. No sign of anyone.
"Huh. We're the first. Guess punctuality is a lost art."
They entered the tower and, under the surprised eyes of the exam proctor, received their room cards.
Now came the best part: enforced lockdown.
No leaving until the round ended.
So, naturally, Kakashi's team fell into a routine of leisurely incarceration.
Hotpot. Board games. Watching other teams fight through the window like it was pay-per-view.
Four days later, the second team finally stumbled into the tower.
Obito jumped up. "Hey! Let's play ninja battle cards!"
Kakashi arched a brow. Here we go.
The newly arrived team reluctantly agreed.
Among them, Kakashi immediately recognized someone familiar—a boy with a dumpling-shaped nose, wearing a black high-collar shirt and bearing the Uchiha crest.
Uchiha Shisui.
Kid had potential. And terrible fashion sense.
"Summon: Second Hokage!" Shisui shouted as he played his card. This was the fourth time he'd drawn an S-rank card.
Obito groaned, staring at his own B-rank ninja card like it betrayed his family.
"You lose again, Obito-senpai."
Obito slammed a hand on the table. "No! As long as I have cards in my deck—I haven't lost!"
He held his cards aloft dramatically. "I believe in my deck! There's a Hokage in there waiting to be drawn!"
Kakashi leaned over. "You might want to believe in math instead. The odds are plotting against you."
"I'm drawing again!"
Obito slapped his hands together, channeling divine luck into his next card.
"Successive Hokage of Konoha, bless me! Give me the First Hokage!"
He slowly flipped the card...
"PFFFFT—!"
Obito spat out blood.
Kakashi glanced at the card... then instantly looked away.
Why would anyone print swimsuit Chiyo on a card? he thought, both disturbed and impressed by the publisher's chaotic evil energy.
"Hahaha! Obito, your luck is tragic!" Rin laughed.
"Unbelievable…" Obito groaned. "Come on, one more round!"
Kakashi gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Obito, I believe in you. Statistically, if you lose six more times, you might get a win."
"Why six?"
"There's a guaranteed result after ten losses."
"Ha?!"