Raj couldn't shake his confusion.
Based on what he remembered from the anime, the Kage of both nations usually attended the Chunin Exams to show their importance.
This time should be no different, right?
Burdened by his worries about Orochimaru, Raj ate dinner, snuck out for some cat food, and returned to sleep, calmly awaiting the next day's exams.
Raj wasn't in the best mental state.
In his previous life, he had consistently performed well on regular exams, but he always faltered during major tests.
This time, however, he felt no pressure at all, since he wasn't the one taking the exam.
He was just a Ninja Cat accompanying them as a formality.
Of course, not every exam would be like Ibiki's psychological test.
If Guy truly couldn't answer a single question, Raj would definitely step in to help.
There were numerous exam venues; Bellflower Castle currently had no shortage of accommodations.
The next day, amidst the chaos and commotion, Rin, Obito, and Guy, along with Raj, were led to their designated exam hall by a "fellow examinee from their village."
Obito glanced at the exam hall and nervously swallowed.
He then took out eye drops and applied a drop to each eye.
'Better late than never.'
He would need his eyes to be in top condition for the exam, so he wanted to give them a little extra care beforehand.
"Rin, later..." Guy raised his hand, wearing a fawning smile.
"I... I can't help with that," Rin said, her expression momentarily blank.
Though she considered herself to be a decent student at the academy, many things couldn't be solved with just good grades.
Some skills required practical experience, such as passing answers - a technique she hadn't yet mastered.
Raj, perched on Rin's shoulder, glanced at Guy and said, "Why can't you just observe others' movements and copy them?"
"Huh?" Guy froze, bewildered by this strategy.
But upon closer thought, it made sense.
If he confirmed that the other person had the same exam questions as him, he could simply copy their answers by following their pen movements.
'But I can't do that!'
He felt a pang of despair.
This tactic was probably only feasible for Obito, the Uchiha with the Sharingan.
At that moment, a Chunin emerged to maintain order, urging everyone to enter quickly.
This year's Chunin Exams were filled with seasoned ninja, with only a few rookies mixed in.
Konoha wouldn't bother assigning two troublesome gatekeepers just to make things difficult.
Raj glanced at the seating chart and couldn't help but look up at the proctor.
Could the seating arrangement be any more obvious?
Though Rin, Obito, and A'Guy were seated apart, the majority of the surrounding ninja were from Konoha.
Even if Rin couldn't answer the questions, someone would likely "accidentally" let her see their answers...
True home-field advantage!
"Meow~"
Raj let out a soft meow, then patted Guy's arm with his paw and pointed at the seating chart, trying to alert him to the composition of his "classmates."
But A'Guy clearly didn't notice.
'Oh well, let him figure it out.'
With the home-field advantage, there would definitely be a way to manage.
Even if he got eliminated, it wouldn't matter - he could just try again next year.
Missing one year was no big deal.
Obito, ever quick on his feet, soon realized he was nearly surrounded by a sea of seasoned veterans.
With his Sharingan at the ready, his confidence surged, making him as steady as an old hound.
Upon entering the examination hall, Raj slumped onto the table and began to doze off.
But just seconds later, his eyes snapped open as a red-haired boy entered the room.
A strikingly handsome youth from Sunagakure.
The key wasn't his looks, but rather... He was from Sunagakure-Sasori!
Chiyo's grandson, the most renowned prodigy of the Sunagakure. Hadn't he already become a Chunin?
'As expected, both sides have abandoned all pretense of honor,' Raj thought, his guard rising.
'This is the man who will later turn the Third Kazekage into a puppet...'
'Speaking of which, when exactly did the Third Kazekage get turned into a collectible figure? It must have been around this time.'
Raj froze, his gaze fixed on Sasori's movements.
The red-haired youth noticed the cat's stare and glanced over.
Upon seeing the small black Ninja Cat, a "gentle" smile spread across his face.
'Cute, but its life is fleeting. A pity it's so small; otherwise, I could grant it eternal artistry. Still, there are plenty of adorable lives here.'
With this thought, Sasori glanced around at the other ninja taking the exam, his smile softening even further.
To the untrained eye, he might have seemed like just another sunny young man.
Raj shivered, burying his head to avoid looking at the boy.
'Another ruthless one. I hope he doesn't notice me... or Rin, Obito, and Guy.'
'As for whether this guy has mastered the core technology, I have no doubt.'
Given that Sasori's physical form had remained frozen at around age 15, he would likely assassinate the Third Kazekage this year or next.
By then, he would undoubtedly have mastered the Human Puppet technique.
Rin didn't notice her Ninja Cat's subtle movements.
Within minutes, everyone had arrived, and the exam papers were distributed.
Raj glanced at the paper.
It was a standard exam, with a variety of questions.
Through the gaps between the characters, the Little Black Cat saw the word "Don't Know" written densely across the page.
After only a few glances, he felt his head grow heavy with drowsiness.
'Time for a nap. By the time I wake up, the exam should be over.'
Raj curled up beside Rin and drifted off to sleep.
His last thought before drifting off was: 'I should keep a set of these exams by my bed. A few glances at them when I can't sleep would be incredibly effective.'
The drowsiness induced by the exam paper proved irresistible.
Raj fell asleep, emitting soft snores.
Fortunately, this was a ninja exam hall, and everyone present was a Chunin, so the minor disturbance went largely unnoticed.
However, Rin, as Raj's caretaker, couldn't bear to watch. She nudged the clueless cat.
The snoring stopped. Rin focused on answering the exam questions.
As the proctor patrolled the hall, he casually glanced at her paper, a hint of surprise flickering in his eyes.
He had assumed that a girl bringing a Ninja Cat would undoubtedly use it to cheat-a common tactic in exam halls.
They had never specifically targeted any particular clan for such practices.
But it turned out she was a genuine academic prodigy, having brought the cat along merely for a nap...
'A misunderstanding!'