"Aren't you joining too, Shikamaru?"
Menma asked with a faint smile.
To be honest, in the Hidden Leaf Village, there weren't many who didn't dislike Menma. Shikamaru Nara was one of the few exceptions. His calm demeanor and intelligence made him approachable — the kind of person others often respected, even if he found everything "too troublesome." Under normal circumstances, Menma might have wanted to befriend someone like him, but for someone who had long rejected Naruto's ideals, friendship in Konoha was a luxury he could not afford.
It would almost seem naïve — even foolish.
Someday, maybe he would form such bonds again… but not now.
Not until he found people who could truly walk the same path beside him.
"Hey, it's not like I've got much of a choice," Shikamaru sighed, scratching the back of his head with a helpless expression.
"It's great we get to take the Chunin Exams," Naruto said cheerfully, patting his shoulder. "But you don't seem too happy about it, Shikamaru."
Shikamaru groaned, his look of exasperation deepening. "Man, this is such a drag."
Sasuke, as usual, stood aloof. Even when Shikamaru and Choji greeted him, he only gave a brief nod — not out of rudeness, but habit.
Anyone else might have thought he was being arrogant, but those who knew him — like Shikamaru and Choji — were already used to his cool, detached nature.
"Oh? Menma-kun, did you change your clothes? Wow, you look a lot more attractive than before!"
At this age, looks mattered, especially to the girls of their class.
Ino Yamanaka's eyes had, of course, first landed on Sasuke, but upon seeing Menma's new outfit, her attention shifted. Her bright blue eyes widened in surprise and admiration.
"Menma's looking sharper these days," Choji said with a grin, munching on his chips.
"Well, thank you," Menma replied politely with a faint smile.
"Hey, all the handsome ones are on your team, Sakura. You're so lucky," Ino teased.
"Hehe, jealous? Too bad you don't have a chance, Ino," Sakura said proudly, hands on her hips.
"Ugh, you big forehead! That attitude of yours drives me crazy!"
"Well, pig!"
"Forehead!"
And so began another one of their usual quarrels — a cycle of rivalry only girls could maintain with such fiery passion.
Menma, Shikamaru, Naruto, and Choji all just sighed in unison. They were already used to it.
Meanwhile, Team 8 — Kiba, Hinata, and Shino — approached.
Soon, all ten of them were together, chatting lightly. The room began to buzz with familiar energy and excitement.
However, not everyone appreciated the noise.
Some of the other genin from foreign villages glared at them with irritation. The Leaf genin knew better than to cause real trouble here — appearances mattered. But outsiders didn't always share that courtesy.
"Hey, brats! This isn't your playground. Keep it down," a scarred man wearing a Takigakure forehead protector snapped harshly. "If you keep making noise, I'll—"
Before he could finish, Menma took a single step forward.
Boom!
A surge of chakra erupted from him — dense, suffocating, and far beyond what any ordinary genin should possess. The air grew heavy. The faint, chilling edge of killing intent rippled across the room.
"Oh? Then tell me…" Menma's voice dropped into a cold monotone, his eyes dark and unwavering. "What exactly will you do?"
In an instant, his demeanor had changed — from calm to lethal.
The Takigakure ninja froze, a bead of sweat rolling down his face as his body trembled slightly.
"This chakra… it's overwhelming."
"He's killed before."
"That pressure isn't normal for a genin…"
Murmurs spread through the crowd as several foreign genin stared at Menma with wary eyes.
Among them, Hyuga Neji, Rock Lee, Gaara of the Sand, and even Kabuto Yakushi observed silently — each noting the unnatural density of Menma's chakra.
At the corner of the room, a timid girl with bright red hair — Karin Uzumaki — glanced up at him curiously. Her eyes widened slightly. That chakra signature… it felt familiar, yet entirely different.
Even Shikamaru, Kiba, and Choji exchanged glances.
In less than half a year, Menma had changed drastically.
"Tch…"
The Taki-nin, intimidated, froze mid-step — unable to advance or retreat.
Then suddenly—
Bang!
The door slammed open.
Several Konoha chuunin entered briskly, led by a tall, muscular man in a long black coat. His face bore a jagged scar and a perpetual look of disdain.
"Quiet."
The single command echoed across the room.
Every genin instinctively fell silent. Even the foreign ones stopped breathing too loudly. The man strode to the podium, hands in pockets, his cold eyes sweeping across the room like a hawk sizing up prey.
Menma's expression hardened. He recognized that face.
Morino Ibiki — the infamous head of the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Division.
"Hmph. Looks like everyone's eager," Ibiki said, his deep voice cutting through the air. "I get it — this is the Chunin Exam. But let me remind you: this is not a playground. I am your examiner for the first round. My name is Morino Ibiki."
He paused, his killing intent barely restrained as his gaze moved across the crowd.
"During this test, you will follow my commands exactly. Any disobedience, any attempt to cheat or act without permission, and you will be disqualified immediately. Understood?"
The room remained completely silent.
Even the most arrogant among them — like Gaara and Kiba — could sense the authority in his tone.
Satisfied, Ibiki gave a curt nod.
"Good. Let's begin your first assessment. Hand in your application forms and take your assigned seats according to the numbers on your cards. The first exam… is a written test."
A few Konoha chuunin moved through the aisles, distributing the forms.
"Oh? A written test?" Sakura brightened immediately, confidence blooming across her face. "Looks like this one's going to be easy."
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