On the day of the Chunin Exams.
Naraku, Kakashi Hatake, and Might Duy walked into the examination hall together. The peculiar combination of two children and an older man drew the attention and discussion of most people.
Of course, there was also mockery.
"Isn't that Kakashi Hatake, the White Fang's son?"
"I heard he just graduated from the Academy last year. Does he dare to take the Chunin Exams already?"
"And that Uchiha, he graduated with him. They say he's the White Fang's disciple."
"Tch, so what if he's the White Fang's disciple? It's not that big of a deal."
"They're looking down on everyone too much. Taking the Chunin Exams right after graduation? Do they think the exam is a joke?"
"Exactly. He doesn't think the Chunin Exams are as simple as the graduation exam, does he?"
"Who's that next to the two of them?"
"I don't really recognize him. That old guy's fashion sense is so strange; he looks very weak."
"I bet they won't make it past the second round."
The rustling whispers, like the buzzing of mosquitoes, drilled into their ears, making it impossible not to hear.
Fortunately, Naraku had long since mastered the skill of ignoring surrounding malice, while Might Duy was too thick-skinned to even notice.
Kakashi was a bit annoyed, but he knew arguing was pointless. The only way to silence these people was to pass the exam with his strength.
Not long after, two Jonin Examiners walked in to perform a headcount. After confirming everyone was present, they began to read out the exam rules.
"The first stage is intelligence gathering."
One Examiner introduced the exam requirements. At the same time, the other, silent Examiner turned around and unfurled a massive aerial map of Konoha on the wall. Ten locations on the map were clearly marked in red.
"Now, every two teams will form one squad. Internal matters within the squad should be discussed among yourselves."
"The exam will begin in half an hour. You need to enter the ten buildings marked on the map and collect the necessary intelligence."
"If the entire squad can bring back the correct information here before nightfall, everyone in the squad passes the exam."
"You now have half an hour to form your squads."
The examination hall immediately became noisy.
Everyone wanted to find reliable teams to cooperate with. Naraku's "old and weak" team was largely ignored.
Even though Might Duy enthusiastically invited others to team up, he was mercilessly rejected.
In the end, only one of the few remaining teams—who had also been left out—actively teamed up with them.
Perhaps they considered that Kakashi and Naraku had graduated early, one being the White Fang's son and the other possessing Uchiha blood, so their talent and strength shouldn't be too bad.
Although it was a temporary squad and everyone was unfamiliar with each other, the overall atmosphere was still amiable.
After introductions, Naraku learned that the other members of his squad were Katsuo Kobayashi, Neko Nakano, and Ryoichi Ota.
Naraku held back for a long time to suppress the urge to complain about his teammates' names.
The group of six left the examination hall and reached the vicinity of the selected building within a few minutes.
It was a seven-story building with three entrances, and occasionally, patrolling guards could be seen through the outermost glass windows.
While Naraku observed the building, he also noticed in his peripheral vision that other teams had chosen this location but hadn't acted immediately, likely still planning their strategy.
"There's another team," Naraku whispered, offering his suggestion. "It's not advisable to clash now. Once we alert the guards, our mission will only become more difficult."
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
The others also agreed with Naraku's assessment.
After discussion, everyone decided that Naraku, Kakashi, and the more agile Katsuo Kobayashi would be responsible for infiltration, while the remaining members would provide support and cover, and also look for suitable opportunities to try and disrupt the other squad's mission.
The three entered the building through a side door. As soon as they reached a corner, they saw two guards. Their eyes met for an instant; Kakashi made two hand signs, and Naraku nodded in confirmation.
As Kobayashi turned to guard the surroundings, Kakashi appeared behind one of the guards using the Body Flicker Technique, wrapping a steel wire around the man's wrist with one hand and clamping his throat with the other to prevent him from calling for help.
The other guard immediately sensed something was wrong and turned to check on his companion.
The moment he turned his head, he saw Naraku's face and his hands forming a seal. He was immediately hit by a solid Genjutsu; his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.
Naraku supported the man's limp body, slowly lowering him to the ground, and signaled to Kakashi that it was handled.
Kakashi's hand, gripping the throat, moved slightly. A Kunai slid out from his sleeve, pressing tightly against the guard's neck.
"Where is the item?"
The Ninja guards in this building were also the Chunin Exams Examiners. As long as the examinees' methods were acceptable, they would cooperate by providing clues.
The Ninja controlled by Kakashi initially wanted to resist, not wanting them to obtain information so easily. But as he hesitated, the Kunai against his neck pressed a little tighter; the sharp blade broke the skin, and a trace of blood trickled down, staining his collar.
Feeling the pain and the sticky wetness on his clothes, he immediately blurted out the location of the intelligence.
As soon as he finished speaking, a sharp pain shot through the back of his head.
In the second before he lost consciousness, he couldn't help but regret accepting this mission to assist with the Chunin Exams on a whim.
These two brats, each one was more ruthless than the other.
Being an Examiner was truly suffering.
Naraku and Kakashi, of course, wouldn't know the guard's rich internal monologue. After learning that the intelligence was in an office on the top floor, they began trying to infiltrate without alarming anyone else.
However, the closer they got to the upper floors, the tighter the defenses became. It seemed the exam designers wouldn't let them pass so easily.
The three discussed for a bit, and a plan to "lure the tiger from the mountain" was born.