Earlier, Raj had assumed there wouldn't be any Jinchuriki-level combatants.
Now, it realized it had only guessed the beginning correctly, completely missing the ending.
'A bunch of Genin who are practically Elite Chunin.'
"Konoha is truly powerful," Guy muttered. "Even their Genin are this strong. I'm clearly not qualified to be a Chunin yet."
Raj shot him a disdainful glance.
'Is that really the point?'
If Konoha is like this, the other villages must be the same.
No wonder they didn't want Asuma and the others to participate in the exams.
The problem lies right here.
This year's exams are a complete farce, filled with shameless elites pretending to be young.
"Meow~ I feel like our only purpose here is to lower the average age," Raj couldn't help but grumble.
"Well... let's regroup first. Maybe they're just here to see us off," Rin said, her voice trailing off at the end, clearly not believing her own words.
Ninjas weren't ordinary people; missions and battles had become commonplace in recent years.
Why would a mere Chunin Exam warrant such a grand send-off?
Guy, ever the impulsive one, immediately charged toward the crowd without a second thought.
Obito and Rin followed closely behind.
The little girl with Raj on her shoulder stood out even from a distance.
Especially after Raj's strength had become widely known, nearly every Genin and Chunin recognized Minato's Team as having a small but powerful Ninja Cat.
As they approached, everyone first noticed the cat before smiling and nodding in greeting.
Some of the slightly older ninjas greeted them warmly, introducing themselves as seniors:
"So, you're Minato's Team, right? We knew there was a Ninja Cat accompanying you. Come on, we've been waiting for you."
"Ah... sorry we're late!"
Rin immediately scooped Raj off her shoulder and rushed to the front of
The group bowed deeply in apology.
"We're sorry!" Obito and Guy echoed her apology.
Raj didn't need to apologize; he was a cat, and no one cared if cats were late.
He glanced around, noting that most of the ninjas were from Konoha's major clans - elite Chunin by any measure.
If this was Konoha's standard, he wondered what the arrangements were like in Sunagakure and the smaller ninja villages.
'Just don't let any Jonin show up. That would be...'
"Hahaha! Now that everyone's here, let's get moving! I'm just a Genin myself, but Lord Third has ordered me to lead the group until we reach Bellflower Castle. Please cooperate!" a voice called out from near Konoha's main gate.
Everyone turned sharply, while Raj leaped onto Guy's head, straining to see the speaker.
The moment he recognized the figure, half the thought in his mind vanished.
If he wasn't mistaken, that was Kosuke Maruboshi.
'He's just a Genin, right? But nominally a Genin - this guy could easily be a Jonin!'
'Oh, right. He's not old yet. His combat power might be even greater now...'
"What's wrong, Raj? We're participating in the Chunin Exams! We can't be so downcast. Let your youthful passion ignite!" Guy said.
Guy could be surprisingly perceptive at times.
He immediately noticed Raj's change in mood when the cat slumped dejectedly on his head.
"Hahaha, don't worry, everyone! We're just here to fill the numbers. The real promotions will depend on you kids," someone laughed.
Everyone joined in the laughter.
'Youthful passion, my ass!'
Raj cursed inwardly at the clueless guy, then worried for a while before finally letting it go.
Worrying won't change anything.
Besides, Genin with Kosuke's level of skill were rare.
Even if Konoha allowed him to participate, they wouldn't interfere too much in the matches.
Their main concern was preventing Sunagakure and other villages from resorting to dirty tricks.
Judging by the ninja's words, the actual promotions would still go to the younger generation, like Rin and her team.
This meant only Rin's trio and a few other thirteen- or fourteen-year-olds had a real chance of advancing.
The rest were just going through the motions.
So... these guys were just background props.
If there were actual matches, it would likely be kids against kids.
Bullying kids? Now that's a fight Raj could win.
After traveling for half a day, they reached a forest.
Kosuke Maruboshi signaled for everyone to stop, surveyed the surroundings, and announced, "Everyone, take a rest. You're free to hunt and cook, but don't touch anyone's crops or livestock."
"Understood, Kosuke-sama," the Genin replied in unison.
Having completed dozens, if not hundreds, of missions, they were well-versed in the ninja code.
The group immediately scattered to forage for food.
Rin's approach was slightly different.
She sat down, opened her pouch, and pulled out several small pills, handing them to Obito and Guy with a hint of embarrassment.
"I made these Soldier Pills myself. They might not taste great..."
"Thank you," Obito and Guy replied, deeply touched that Rin had remembered to prepare Soldier Pills for them even while traveling.
Raj pondered whether to use his Points to buy some food.
Just then, Rin pulled out another pouch and took out some jerky and dried fish.
She offered it to Raj, saying, "Raj, eat this."
Obito and Guy glanced at the jerky and dried fish, then at the Soldier Pills in their hands.
Their faces showed a mix of confusion and hesitation.
The Soldier Pills were good, but they certainly couldn't compare to the aroma of jerky...
"Thank you, meow~" Raj purred, taking a piece of jerky and savoring it slowly.
The taste wasn't actually that great, but he made a show of enjoying it immensely.
Sure enough, his Points began to increase steadily.
Obito simply averted his eyes, choosing to ignore the temptation.
Guy, on the other hand, swallowed his Soldier Pills in one gulp, declaring them "delicious" despite their blandness.
After finishing his pills, Guy dashed into the forest, helping others hunt while treating it as a workout.
The Land of Fire was rich in forests, and game was abundant.
Normally, open fires were forbidden on missions, but the rules were more relaxed during the Chunin Exams.
Kosuke lit a fire first, roasting meat while the others caught three fish, a rabbit, and gathered wild vegetables and mushrooms, creating a surprisingly lavish feast.
Raj glanced over, then decisively dropped his dried fish and meat and sprinted toward the group.
"Huh?" Rin immediately stood up to chase after him, but she couldn't keep up with Raj's speed.
By the time she caught up, Raj was already squatting beside Kosuke, a freshly grilled fish dangling from his mouth.
She didn't recognize Kosuke, but his position as the leader of so many Genin and the respect he commanded made it clear he was no ordinary figure.
She quickly approached and apologized.
Kosuke waved dismissively with a good-natured smile, indicating it was nothing to worry about.
This was just a minor incident.
Raj wouldn't have risked his reputation for a single fish.
His main goal was to earn some Points from Kosuke.
He hadn't expected Kosuke to be so good-natured; instead of getting angry about the stolen fish, Kosuke invited Rin to sit down and share the meal.
Ninjas travel swiftly.
After their meal, they pressed on with renewed vigor.