A towering, mountain-like figure with a square face— Just looking at him, no one would believe this man wearing an Iwagakure forehead protector, a man who looked every bit an adult, was actually the fourteen-year-old prodigy of the Rock Village.
Gangtu!
A genius whose record on the battlefield was already terrifying.
Wasn't this the classic "speak of the devil and he appears" moment?
"Here." Honda Taka completed the trade smoothly.
After receiving the Intelligence Handbook, Gangtu flipped straight to the final section—the rankings.
He had heard rumors about this handbook while traveling here, which was why he'd stopped to buy one himself.
"Has my information been leaked?"
That was his first thought when he saw his own profile printed inside. His data was supposed to be under strict seal.
It had to be either the Sand or the Leaf who'd leaked it— those two villages knew of him, and it wouldn't be unusual for them to release the info through third-party channels.
And he could be so sure because— that was exactly what they had done too, leaking profiles of Konoha and Suna's examinees.
Every major village was putting out information, but none had spread as quickly or as widely as this Intelligence Handbook.
Its evaluation system allowed readers to understand a shinobi's capabilities at a glance— something traditional intelligence reports could never achieve.
A real talent, Gangtu thought to himself. Whoever devised this system was a genius in their own right.
"Captain! This time, we'll show the whole shinobi world that the geniuses of Iwagakure are second to none!" One of the Rock-nin shouted excitedly after seeing the rankings.
Indeed— in the past, it was always the geniuses of other villages who basked in the spotlight. Now, finally, it was Iwagakure's turn.
The Rock-nin were known for unity and unyielding toughness, not for producing "geniuses." But now that they had one who stood above the rest, pride and excitement surged through their ranks.
In the shinobi world, honor was everything.
Every great village tirelessly promoted its prodigies, for reputation was directly tied to profit.
To put it in simpler terms: The Five Great Villages were the five largest mercenary corporations, and geniuses were their star employees.
Many clients hired villages not for their strength—but for their fame.
Only by truly living in this world could one understand why the villages still flaunted their geniuses despite the danger it invited.
Because the benefits far outweighed the risks.
"Tch, you people take some random ranking too seriously. Thinking you're the strongest just because of a list—how ignorant."
A voice cut through the crowd.
A shinobi wearing a Sunagakure forehead protector approached, flanked by two teammates—a man and a woman.
He too carried a copy of the handbook.
Shien recognized him immediately— the one ranked second overall in the guide: the Sand genius Maki.
Naturally, great villages could produce geniuses continuously. With abundant resources and vast populations, their young talents gained fame easily.
Smaller villages, but didn't have that luxury. Even with equal strength, their names rarely spread.
That was why the Joint Chunin Exams were such a golden opportunity. If a ninja from a minor village managed to shine here, they could not only earn glory for themselves but bring lucrative missions to their homeland.
Even knowing the exam was a meat grinder, small villages still sent their teams year after year. Because one good performance could make it all worthwhile.
"Maki!"
Gangtu said the name flatly, but his tone carried crushing pressure.
And that was no figure of speech. In the shinobi world, killing intent was a real, tangible thing.
In the future, Orochimaru would use it to freeze even elite jonin like Kakashi, and to paralyze Sasuke, who was then still just a genin.
Gangtu's killing intent wasn't quite on that level— but it was strong, sharpened through countless kills.
Clearly, Iwagakure was determined to push this prodigy into the spotlight. And what better stage than the Joint Chunin Exams?
Perhaps the reason they'd kept his existence secret until now was to let him explode into fame at that very moment.
The tension between the two groups thickened, forcing the surrounding civilians to quietly back away.
Ordinary villagers were no strangers to ninja confrontations— and smart enough to stay clear when killing intent flared.
Only the three stall owners stayed put, munching on snacks as they watched.
Shien's eyes, but were fixed on Maki. He remembered this man well— the future leader of the Sand's "main character team."
He hadn't expected Maki to be so famous—or so arrogant—when he was young. But it made sense. Those who grew into elite jonin were rarely nobodies in their youth.
The ninja profession didn't allow for "late bloomers." True geniuses and powerhouses always showed signs early— only exceptions like Obito and Naruto broke that rule.
"Gangtu!"
Maki stepped forward, meeting the killing intent head-on. Their teammates moved in behind them, hands drifting toward their weapons— the air between them taut as wire.
Then—
A new killing intent swept through the street, cold and piercing, snapping the tension like a blade between them.
A small silver-haired boy with a mask walked slowly toward the stalls.
Kakashi.
He had arrived.
Coincidence? Hardly.
With the Chunin Exams starting tomorrow, many participants had come to scout the area in advance. This street, lined with intel stalls, was a natural gathering point.
"Now they're all here." Honda Taka murmured.
Shien and Yamanaka Koji immediately understood what he meant— the top three ranked geniuses in the handbook were now face-to-face.
"Kakashi?" ×2
Both Gangtu and Maki spoke the name at once, eyes flashing with barely contained hostility.
The son of the White Fang— the "super genius of Konoha." Of course they'd heard of him.
One of their missions in the exam was to eliminate rival village prodigies. Kakashi was naturally high on that list.
Especially for Maki.
The Sand Village hated the White Fang. During the last Shinobi War, Hatake Sakumo's short blade had slaughtered scores of Suna shinobi.
Now his son stood here, a brilliant prodigy of his own— how could the Sand not both fear and loathe him?
If Maki ever got the chance, he'd remove this "threat to the village" without hesitation.
But for now, they could only glower. Everyone knew the ANBU and Uchiha Patrol Division were watching closely. Anyone stupid enough to actually start a fight here would be dragged off instantly.
The Uchiha really did keep order in the village.
"This year's Chunin Exams," Gangtu rumbled, voice deep and sure,
"the champion will be from Iwagakure."
"Hmph!" Maki scoffed.
"It'll be Sunagakure, obviously!"
"Pathetic," Kakashi said blandly, not even looking at them. He turned his head toward the stall, where Shien and Yamanaka Koji still watched the show.
"Watergate-sensei asked me to get you."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked off, utterly unconcerned, his indifference radiating cool confidence.
The definition of 'style.'
Watching him go, Shien couldn't help but think— No wonder Sasuke would grow up to be such an expert at acting aloof.
With a teacher like that, how could he not learn from the best?
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