Chapter 15: The Chunin Exams' First Test
The Ninja Academy's largest classroom pulsed with restless energy, its vast space packed to the brim with genin awaiting the first stage of the Chunin Exams. The air was thick with tension, heavy enough to make even the boldest shinobi second-guess themselves. Rows of desks stretched across the room, each one occupied by a group ninja radiating a volatile mix of ambition, anxiety, and raw determination.
Renji stepped into the chaos alongside Team 7, his warm, unshakable smile cutting through the nervous atmosphere like a ray of sunlight. Sakura's emerald eyes widened as she surveyed the sea of shinobi. "How can there be this many people?" she gasped, her voice trembling with awe and unease. "Are all these genin really taking the Chunin Exams?" The weight of the moment pressed against her chest, her heart pounding like a drum.
Sasuke's dark brows furrowed slightly, his sharp eyes scanning the crowd with cold, calculating precision, as if mentally cataloging every potential threat. Naruto, by contrast, was a bundle of raw energy—his blue eyes sparkled with a wild blend of nervousness and exhilaration, his grin wide enough to light up the room. "This is so cool!" he muttered, fists clenched, practically bouncing with anticipation.
Renji, serene as ever, let his gaze drift lazily over the bustling scene, his friendly smile unwavering.
Sakura clenched her fists, taking a slow, deliberate breath to steady her nerves. I have to stay calm. I have to stay focused, she told herself, her mind racing to keep her composure intact.
"Sasuke-kun!" A high-pitched squeal sliced through the noise as Ino Yamanaka launched herself onto Sasuke's back, wrapping her arms around him like a possessive vine. "I finally found you, Sasuke-kun! It's been forever! I'm so happy I'll get to see you every single day now!" Her voice dripped with affection, her grin practically blinding.
"You pig!" Sakura's hard-won calm shattered like brittle glass. Her personal nemesis, Ino Yamanaka, had stormed onto the scene, and the air crackled with their instant rivalry. The two launched into a heated bicker, their voices rising above the classroom's chaotic hum.
Renji, not one to be gawked at like some rare beast in a menagerie, slipped away from the drama and claimed an empty seat in the third row. Propping his chin on his hand, he watched the unfolding spectacle with a faint, amused smirk. Front-row seats to Team 7's soap opera. Hard to beat this view.
"What? You guys are stuck in this troublesome exam too?" Shikamaru Nara slouched over, his voice dripping with his usual listless apathy. Beside him, Choji Akimichi munched loudly on a bag of potato chips, crumbs tumbling down his vest like a breadcrumb trail.
"Yo-ho! Found you guys!" Kiba Inuzuka swaggered up, Akamaru perched proudly atop his head like a furry crown. Shino Aburame trailed behind, silent and enigmatic, while Hinata Hyuga followed, her cheeks flushed a soft pink. "How rare is this? Everyone's here!" Kiba's sharp canines glinted as he grinned.
Before Naruto could get a word out, Kiba shoved him into a corner, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Hey, Naruto! Who's that blue-haired guy you walked in with? Spill it!"
Naruto's eyes flicked to Renji, who had already blended seamlessly into the third row, chatting with unfamiliar shinobi like he'd known them for years. Crossing his arms, Naruto puffed out his chest with exaggerated smugness. "Hmph! I'm not telling you anything about Renji! He's our secret weapon, dattebayo!"
Kiba's jaw dropped. "Idiot!" he snapped, smacking his forehead. He just spilled everything! Renji. Strong. Team 7's secret weapon. Probably on par with Sasuke. Great, another headache to deal with.
Meanwhile, Renji lounged in his seat, his chin still propped on his hand as he listened patiently to the shinobi next to him brag about his supposed heroics.
"Really? That's seriously impressive!" Renji said, his tone warm and encouraging. The guy lit up, practically tripping over himself to boast more, desperate for another scrap of praise from the blue-haired genin. Renji's smile never faltered, but his eyes glinted with quiet amusement—and a hint of disdain. This guy? He's not a real ninja. Just here for the money. He'll never make it.
Team 7's antics had drawn the attention of nearly every genin in the room, and the stares were far from friendly. Kabuto Yakushi noticed, his calm, measured steps carrying him over with a polite, almost scholarly smile. "My little juniors," he said, his voice gentle and encouraging, "let me share some valuable info with my Shinobi Information Cards."
Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and the other rookies crowded around him, their heads huddled together as they peered curiously at the cards in Kabuto's hands. Sasuke's voice cut through the chatter, sharp and direct. "Show me Rock Lee's info."
Kabuto obliged, sliding out a card with a theatrical flourish. "Rock Lee. One year your senior. Mission experience: 20 D-ranks, 11 C-ranks. Sensei: Might Guy. His taijutsu's seen abnormal—borderline freakish—improvement this year, but he's got nothing in ninjutsu or genjutsu. Last year, he was pegged as a top-tier genin but skipped the exams. Like you, this is his first shot. Teammates: Tenten and Hyuga Neji."
Kabuto's smile softened as he leaned in slightly, his voice lowering to a quiet, informative whisper. "But the real one to watch? Gaara of the Sand." The name hung in the air like a storm cloud. "Eight C-ranks, one B-rank. A B-rank mission for a genin? That's no small feat. He's from another village, a newcomer, so intel's scarce. But…" His voice dipped, drawing attention with a calm, measured tone. "He's come back from every mission without a single scratch."
Kabuto's gaze flicked to Sasuke, a subtle glint of curiosity in his eyes. Kiba, impatient as ever, jumped in. "Kabuto-senpai, what about Renji? Got anything on him?"
Shikamaru's sharp eyes darted to the blue-haired figure, who was blending into the crowd of unfamiliar shinobi with unnerving ease. Kabuto's smile faltered, his tone tinged with regret. "Renji? Sorry, nothing." Even his vast network had come up empty. That kid's under that man's wing, after all.
"Hehe!" Naruto shot Kiba a smug grin, practically bouncing with glee. "Told ya, you'll never find out, dattebayo!"
Across the room, Renji spotted Rock Lee, Tenten, and Neji weaving through the crowd. "Lee!" he called, his voice bright and welcoming, like a burst of sunlight.
"Renji!" Lee waved back with enough enthusiasm to power a small village, flashing a thumbs-up that sparkled with youthful vigor. "He's super enthusiastic and a great guy!" Lee declared to his teammates, his grin wide enough to blind.
Tenten raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "Sasuke's teammate? Since when are you two so chummy?" He's good-looking, though. Like a gentle little sun. That smile's dangerous.
"We met this morning!" Lee said, his voice brimming with sincerity. "He's awesome, Tenten!"
Neji, ever the pragmatist, cut straight to the point. "How strong is he?" His pale eyes narrowed, assessing Renji from afar.
Lee paused, his expression turning serious. "I don't know his strength. But…" He glanced at Team 7, his voice dropping. "Team 7 revolves around him." Sakura's decisions always came with a glance at Renji. Sasuke, proud and unyielding, bent to Renji's words with surprising ease. Naruto's gaze rarely strayed from him, like a moth drawn to a flame. "They trust him completely."
Tenten's brow furrowed, her mind racing. "He didn't attend the Ninja Academy, yet he's on Team 7 out of nowhere. They've only been together a few months. That means he's either insanely strong… or a natural-born leader with charisma to spare."
Neji's gaze locked onto Renji, his expression unreadable. "Or possibly both." Either way, he's a threat worth watching.
A deafening roar shattered the classroom's chaos. "Everyone, SHUT UP! You useless lot!" The voice thundered from the podium, freezing the room in an instant. The Sound Village shinobi harassing Kabuto shrank back, their bravado snuffed out like a candle.
Ibiki Morino stood at the front, a towering figure with scars crisscrossing his face like a battle map. "I'm Ibiki Morino, proctor for the first stage of the Chunin Selection Exams," he growled, his voice low and menacing. His gaze swept over the Sound shinobi, a warning glinting in his eyes. "No private fights without my permission. Even then, no killing. Defy me, and you're out. Understood?"
Renji's lips twitched, barely suppressing a smirk. Only in the shinobi world. Back in my old life, a proctor this arrogant would've been canceled into oblivion by a single complaint.
Ibiki's voice boomed again, cutting through the silence. "The first stage of the Chunin Exams begins now! Grab your numbered tags and sit where they tell you. Then I'll distribute the written exam."
Renji glanced at his tag: Number 3. Front row, dead center, right under Ibiki's scarred, intimidating glare. You've got to be kidding me. He swallowed the urge to flip the proctor off and took his seat, his smile still infuriatingly serene.
The classroom was flanked by at least twenty proctors, their eyes sharp as a blade, watching every move. Ibiki began droning on about the exam rules, but Renji tuned him out. Why listen? I've got an omniscient perspective. And connections. Last night, Danzo had slipped him the answer key, his voice cold and direct: "Focus on your mission, not the exam."
Renji's mood had been… conflicted. In his past life, he'd despised those who coasted on connections, skating by on favors and shortcuts. Now, here he was, one of them. Irony's got a cruel sense of humor.
The exam papers hit his desk with a soft thud. The questions were identical to the answer key—same wording, same order. Renji's pen moved like lightning, filling in answers with mechanical precision. Two minutes later, he was done. Leaning back, he locked eyes with Ibiki, his smile almost taunting.
Ibiki's scowl deepened, his eyes narrowing like a predator sizing up prey. Proctors hate anyone who used their connections.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +50!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +50!]
[Chakra: 26,030 / 100,000,000]
Renji's grin widened ever so slightly. Thanks for the chakra boost, Ibiki. Keep glaring, you're doing great.
The forty-five-minute exam crawled by, the tension in the room thick enough to choke on. Genin were disqualified left and right, their dreams crushed with every shout.
"Number 59! Disqualified!"
"Number 18! Disqualified!"
"Number 36! Disqualified!"
The weak-willed squirmed in their seats, some trembling under the pressure.
Renji, bored out of his mind, began crafting intricate ice roses with his fingers. The delicate petals shimmered in the dim light, each one a testament to his mastery of Ice Release. Anyone can freeze a puddle. This? This is precision. This is art. The subtle flex of his chakra drew a few curious glances, but he didn't care. He was here to pass time, not impress.
Finally, the eliminations slowed, leaving less than half the genin standing. Ibiki's voice sliced through the heavy silence. "For the final question, here's the deal: answer it wrong, and your entire team is disqualified. Your written scores? Wiped to zero. Choose not to answer? Your team's out too."
The room erupted in a chorus of gasps and protests, the genin's nerves fraying like cheap rope. Ibiki's smirk turned downright sadistic as he leaned forward, his voice dripping with malice. "Oh, and one more thing. Answer wrong, and your entire team will be permanently banned from ever taking the Chunin Exams again."
Danzo hadn't mentioned this twist—probably because Ibiki had kept it under wraps. But Renji knew the answer. Still, a flicker of doubt crept into his mind. What if my presence has changed things? What if Naruto's not the same? The butterfly effect was a tricky beast.
Renji glanced back at Naruto, his expression calm but searching. Then, in a flat, almost mechanical tone, he spoke to Ibiki. "We're all shinobi. Giving up before we even start isn't what we do. When we chose this path, we accepted we'd face anything."
He turned to Naruto, his smile warm and encouraging. "Right, Naruto?"
Naruto's pupils trembled, his heart pounding as a surge of resolve welled up inside him. He slammed his hand on the desk, shooting to his feet. "That's right! Don't underestimate us, dattebayo! We're not shinobi who run from a fight!"
His bravado collapsed as he slumped back into his seat, utterly drained. I'm lying! I'm terrified I'll drag Renji, Sasuke, and Sakura down with me, stuck as genin forever! But Renji's trust burned in his chest like a fire. Naruto clenched his fists, his knuckles white. I won't let him down. No way!