The next day, Mo Yu got up early.
After his usual training routine, he washed up and headed out.
His destination was Ichiraku Ramen—the spot where he had agreed to meet Tamako.
"Ichiraku, has Tamako arrived yet?"
Mo Yu lifted the curtain and stepped inside.
"Not yet. I'll make you a bowl first. You can eat while you wait."
Ichiraku was busy at the counter, not even lifting his head.
"That works too."
Mo Yu nodded, then added with a sly grin:
"By the way, how's it going with your lady?"
Ichiraku blinked. "My lady?"
"The one who's been staying at your place. You know—your beloved," Mo Yu teased.
Ichiraku's face flushed red. "It's… It's fine. Nothing special."
"What do you mean, nothing special? Did you two fight? Relationship falling apart? Come on, tell me—I'll give you some advice."
Mo Yu pressed further.
Ichiraku rolled his eyes. "Why do you even care? You don't even have a girlfriend yourself, yet you're giving me advice."
Mo Yu laughed. "I'm just worried that if things don't work out, I'll lose my free lodging! … Ahem, I mean, I care about your lifelong happiness. With a personality as honest as yours, finding someone who actually likes you isn't easy. Don't let her slip away."
"I know," Ichiraku muttered, lowering his head.
Seeing he didn't want to talk, Mo Yu dropped the subject, only saying:
"Anyway, if you ever run into trouble, remember to call me. I'll help however I can."
Not long after, Tamako arrived.
The girl had clearly dressed up: light makeup, a playful ponytail, and a youthful, lively aura radiating off her.
"Well? How do I look?"
Tamako twirled in front of him, her little skirt fluttering as she spun.
"Mm. Looks good, looks good," Mo Yu answered absentmindedly.
In truth, his mind was still on Ichiraku's words. Maybe he should find a girlfriend. If Tamako didn't have that hidden identity… she'd actually be a perfect choice.
Sigh…
"Che, no sincerity at all," Tamako pouted.
"Come on, today's the Chūnin Exams, not a beauty pageant. Dressing up won't help you pass."
Mo Yu teased.
Tamako cradled her face playfully. "But what if the examiners think I'm so pretty they just let me pass?"
"…"
Mo Yu rubbed his forehead. "You still half-asleep or something? Talking nonsense."
"You're asking for it!"
Tamako swung a playful punch at his shoulder.
The two bantered their way through breakfast, then waved goodbye to Ichiraku before heading off to the Chūnin Exam site.
The exam usually had two stages: the written test first, then the combat trial.
The written portion was held in a building next to the Ninja Academy.
By the time Mo Yu and Tamako arrived, a large group of examinees had already gathered at the entrance.
The candidates varied widely in age—some as young as Mo Yu and Tamako, barely twelve or thirteen, while others were in their twenties, close to thirty.
Mo Yu's appearance instantly drew whispers.
"Hey, isn't that the loser who couldn't cultivate chakra? What's he doing here?"
"Shh! Don't spout nonsense. That's old news. You've been away on missions, so you don't know—he's already graduated and become a genin. Just the other day, he killed several Rain ninja, all of them chūnin-level."
The first guy paled. "What? A genin killed a chūnin? You're kidding me?"
"Why would I lie? The whole village knows. Ask anyone. Trust me, don't badmouth him again—he's not someone you can mess with anymore."
Another voice added, "That three-man squad of his… none of them are to be underestimated. Even the so-called 'deadweight' has soared. Too bad I used to badmouth him—otherwise, maybe I could've been friends with him."
Some of Mo Yu's old classmates stood nearby, hesitant. They had once mocked him, and now regret gnawed at them, but they didn't dare approach.
Mo Yu ignored the chatter.
Whether it was ridicule when he was down or praise now that he'd risen, none of it could sway his heart.
"Mo Yu, looks like you're a big celebrity now," Tamako teased beside him.
"What good is fame?" Mo Yu replied calmly. "It won't let me skip the exam."
Tamako rolled her eyes.
At this time, the Hidden Leaf wasn't yet as dominant as it would be in the future. And with the world of shinobi growing tense again, the exam was limited to Leaf's own genin—no foreign ninja.
A glance told Mo Yu there were maybe thirty candidates.
Soon, several jōnin examiners arrived, setting up a simple booth by the entrance. Each candidate checked in with their ID, received an exam number, and entered.
Mo Yu and Tamako got their numbers and found their designated classroom.
The doors closed. A whistle blew.
The first exam began.
Mo Yu sat at his desk, casually glancing at the three examiners—one on the podium, two along the classroom walls. He quickly understood the setup.
So, Konoha had already started playing this little game. Cheating wasn't forbidden—as long as you weren't caught.
But Mo Yu did not need to cheat. Back when he couldn't cultivate chakra, he had thrown himself into studying theory, mastering ninja knowledge to a level surpassing even Haruno Sakura of the original story. These written questions were child's play.
Scanning the exam sheet, he smirked. As expected. Easy.
Brush, brush, brush—his pen flew, and in just fifteen minutes, he had finished every problem.
Glancing at the clock, he wondered whether to hand it in early. But then he noticed Tamako a few rows ahead, biting her pen and frowning.
Right. Theory wasn't her strong point. This test might be tough for her.
Mo Yu's eyes gleamed. He pulled out a scrap of paper and copied down his answers, folding it into a small slip.
Under the desk, he formed a hand seal.
Moments later, a thin mist began seeping into the room.
At first, no one noticed—not even the three examiners. With the weather being humid lately, a little fog drifting in through the windows wasn't unusual.
But the mist quickly thickened. One second, it was barely a haze; the next, it was so dense you couldn't even see the student at the next desk.
This was no natural fog. It was ninjutsu.
"Not good!"
The three examiners stiffened and stood up at once.
At that exact moment—
Swish!
A paper slip cut through the air.
Then more followed. Swish, swish, swish! Dozens of little notes zipped back and forth in the cover of the mist.
The examiners instantly realized what had happened.
"Dammit, we've been played!"
They rushed to flood the room with chakra, blowing the fog away—
But by then, the damage was already done.