"That's right. Lock really does live up to the reputation of a genius who graduated at the top of his class," Katsuki Oguri said with genuine admiration.
Lock raised an eyebrow, surprised. "You know me?"
Oguri chuckled softly. "Calling myself your senior would be a bit of a stretch. I'm nowhere near your level. But I remember your name well. Kakashi mentioned you during the graduation assessment three years ago."
At the sound of Kakashi's name, Lock's attention sharpened. "You know Kakashi?"
Oguri gave a faint, almost bitter smile. "Yes. When he first became a Genin, he was placed on my team. Didn't last long, though—barely half a year before he left to prepare for the Chunin Exams. Still, in that short time, I learned enough to know how remarkable he was. Strange kid, quiet and aloof, but a true genius. And from him, I heard about you. He said you were his greatest rival. The one opponent he couldn't afford to ignore."
Lock allowed himself a faint smirk. That much didn't surprise him. He and Kakashi had sparred countless times back in the Academy, and Kakashi had never once beaten him. For someone as proud as Kakashi, it was only natural that he'd set his sights on surpassing him.
Oguri leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "Listen, Lock. Once you join this competition, everyone here will see you as fresh prey. They'll challenge you again and again—especially the ones from powerful clans. Be careful. Don't burn yourself out."
Lock nodded slightly. He appreciated the warning. It wasn't something Oguri had to say, which made it clear the boy's intentions weren't malicious. "Don't worry. I'm not here to cause trouble. I just want to pass this exam."
He tilted his head. "But tell me something—aren't you worried someone else might already be inside the central tower? If they've gathered a full set of scrolls, they'd be finishing the exam while we're all out here fighting."
Oguri's lips curled into a confident smile. "You can relax. As of now, only one person has collected all three scrolls. But he hasn't entered the tower. That means there's only one candidate qualified, and two spots still open."
Lock frowned. "How can you be so certain?"
Oguri's eyes gleamed with quiet pride. "Because we've planned. Outside of this group, it's nearly impossible for anyone else to collect a full set. And we have eyes stationed near the central tower. The moment someone tries to slip inside, we'll know."
Lock studied him closely, increasingly impressed. "You make it sound like you've been preparing for this a long time."
Oguri gave an embarrassed shrug. "Geniuses like you wouldn't understand the struggles of the rest of us. For shinobi who aren't from prestigious families, the missions we get barely cover expenses. Passing the Chunin Exams the usual way is out of reach. So, we create other paths."
Lock's eyes widened as the realization clicked into place. "So this is about… helping others advance?"
Oguri chuckled, regaining composure. "Exactly. To be honest, this is my fourth Chunin Exam. Three of my comrades have taken it alongside me. Out of all our attempts, at least thirty percent of the candidates promoted did so through arrangements like this."
Lock let out a low whistle, shocked. "So you've turned the Chunin Exams into… a monopoly."
Oguri shrugged as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "If no one talks, who's going to expose us? And even if the Hokage's office suspects something, why would they care? At the end of the day, what matters is that the ones promoted are strong enough to handle the responsibilities of Chunin. All we're doing is reducing the bloodshed."
Lock's thoughts churned. What Oguri was saying made a twisted kind of sense. Instead of chaotic slaughter, the exam here had become a series of controlled duels. It was still within the rules, just… bent.
He couldn't deny it. Oguri wasn't just cunning. He was brilliant.
"Alright," Lock said slowly. "Then what are the terms if I want to join this little… competition of yours?"
Oguri's expression brightened. He lifted a single finger. "The rule is simple. To enter, you must pay a deposit of ten thousand ryō. Win or lose, it's non-refundable."
Lock's gaze sharpened, his mind racing. Twenty people gathered here. That meant nearly two hundred thousand ryō collected in deposits. Split four ways among Oguri and his comrades, that was fifty thousand each, more than most Genin could dream of making in a year.
No wonder they were willing to forfeit their own promotions. The profit was staggering.
Lock thought back to his missions under Jiraiya's squad. Even with their strength, after years of B-rank missions, his personal savings barely passed fifty thousand. And most Genin weren't even allowed near B-rank missions. At best, they scraped by with C-ranks, pulling in maybe five thousand ryō per mission—and splitting it among three or four people.
For regular Genin, income was painfully low. But this? Two Chunin Exams a year, each netting ten thousand ryō or more, guaranteed. Oguri's group had found a way to turn the exams themselves into a business.
Lock let out a quiet laugh. "If you four ever quit being shinobi and became merchants, you'd make a fortune."
"Perhaps," Oguri said with a grin. "But for now, this is our trade."
Lock straightened. "Fine. Ten thousand ryō is no problem. I'll join. But I don't have that much on me right now."
Oguri waved a hand, smiling knowingly. "Of course, of course. We'll tally it afterward. I trust you. You don't strike me as someone who'd break his word."
Lock inclined his head in thanks. He wasn't sure if Oguri's trust was genuine or simply the confidence of someone who had run this scheme three times before. Either way, it didn't matter. For Lock, the price was cheap for what it bought—an open path through the chaos of the Forest of Death.
And in the end, survival mattered far more than money.
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