Three days passed quickly.
Before the final registration deadline, every participating village—near and far—had arrived in the Hidden Leaf Village. Teams of genin from every major and minor shinobi village filled Konoha's streets.
Each of the Five Great Nations had sent at least three or four teams, and smaller villages followed suit. With their arrival, even the most oblivious villagers quickly realized that the Chūnin Exams were about to begin.
Merchants in Konoha sensed the opportunity immediately. Shops began restocking and preparing goods. They knew that the influx of visiting shinobi was only the beginning. Once the exams reached their final stage, nobles, feudal lords, and dignitaries from the Land of Fire and neighboring countries would flood into the village. Their arrival meant only one thing—business.
Konoha had not been this lively in years.
⸻
When Menma Uzumaki returned to the Ninja Academy, it had been quite some time since his last visit. He looked around at the large crowd of young ninja wearing forehead protectors from various villages.
Of course, Konoha's own genin made up the largest group. Next came Sunagakure—the Village Hidden in the Sand—one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations. After that were genin from smaller villages such as Kusagakure (Grass), Takigakure (Waterfall), Tanigakure (Valley), and Otogakure (Sound).
Though many looked confident, only a few seemed truly dangerous.
Yakushi Kabuto… Not here yet? Menma thought, scanning the crowd. Then he must've already gone inside.
If Menma could find Orochimaru directly, that would be ideal. According to what he remembered from the original timeline, Orochimaru personally appeared during this phase to target Sasuke Uchiha.
However, this wasn't the right moment. Talking to the Snake Sannin while surrounded by teammates was too risky. What Menma needed was an opportunity to meet Orochimaru alone — and Kabuto could serve as the perfect bridge for that.
I'll wait for the second stage. The Forest of Death should provide the right opportunity.
⸻
A few minutes later, Sasuke and Naruto arrived together.
Only Sakura Haruno was missing. The three boys waited by the entrance for a short while, half-expecting that Sakura might've chosen not to participate in the Chūnin Exams.
Then —
"Naruto-kun! Sasuke-kun! Menma-kun!"
Sakura's voice rang out as she hurried toward them.
"Oh! Sakura! I knew you'd show up!"
Naruto grinned and waved energetically.
Sakura stopped to catch her breath, then smiled nervously.
"Of course I came. All three of you are participating, so there's no way I'd back down. I'll do my best not to hold you back during the exams."
Naruto gave her a thumbs-up.
"That's the spirit, Sakura! We're a team — no one's leaving anyone behind!"
Menma and Sasuke, however, remained calm and silent. To them, Sakura's resolve didn't change much about the mission ahead.
"Alright," Menma said at last. "Now that everyone's here, let's go. The exams won't wait."
"Right!" Naruto answered eagerly.
"Yeah," Sasuke muttered.
⸻
As they walked through the corridors, the tension in the air became palpable. Shinobi from different nations stood in tight groups, watching each other closely. Some even glared with open hostility.
Such animosity was nothing new in the shinobi world.
Even outside of the great wars, missions often pitted villages against each other, sowing seeds of hatred that lingered across generations.
Would that hatred ever truly fade?
Menma doubted it.
People like Hashirama Senju, Jiraiya, and even my brother Naruto talk about understanding and peace, he thought. But the shinobi world doesn't work that way. Human nature doesn't change. Where there's power, there's greed. Where there's greed, there's war.
It was idealism — nothing more. The so-called dream of understanding each other was a fantasy built on self-deception.
Hatred, Menma knew, was an inheritance that passed down like a cursed bloodline.
Only the unification of all nations — under one power — could ever end that cycle. But that was an impossible dream. For now, his only concern was survival and freedom — things he still didn't completely have in his grasp.
⸻
"There are so many people!" Naruto said, looking around with excitement. "So many villages! This is gonna be awesome!"
Sasuke smirked, his Sharingan instincts itching. "Good. The stronger they are, the better."
Sakura's hands trembled slightly as she counted the dozens — no, hundreds — of participants. Her anxiety was obvious, but when she saw how calm and focused her teammates were, something inside her steadied.
They're so strong, she thought. If they're not scared, then neither am I.
They continued down the hallway toward Classroom 301, where the first stage of the Chūnin Exams would begin.
But as they reached the far end of the building, the path ahead was blocked by a crowd.
Loud arguments filled the corridor. Some were even shouting.
At the center of it all—
Two familiar faces stood before the classroom door, smirking.
Menma's eyes narrowed. His expression hardened.
Them again, huh…?
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