Early morning, the air carried a hint of chill.
Today was the day to submit the registration forms for the Chunin Exams.
When Sasuke and Sakura arrived, they found that Naruto had already been waiting for a long time.
He leaned against a red railing, holding a book in his hands and reading quietly.
He exuded an aura that felt completely out of place for a shinobi.
"Good morning, Naruto-kun! You're here early."
Sakura energetic voice broke the silence.
"Good morning, Sakura-chan."
"Good morning, Sasuke-kun."
Naruto closed the book and looked up, a signature gentle smile appearing on his face.
"It's the Chunin Exams, after all. I didn't want to keep you waiting too long."
Sasuke stood with his hands in his pockets, looking at the calm Naruto, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt... something was a bit off about Naruto today.
It felt as if a stream that was once clear to the bottom had suddenly turned into a deep, dark pool.
Was it an illusion? He didn't look any different.
"Since everyone's here, let's go."
Sasuke suppressed the strange feeling and took the lead.
"Don't be late for registration."
"Of course."
Naruto followed with a smile, his pace steady...
Inside the Ninja Academy building.
When they reached the second-floor corridor, it was already crowded with Genin from various nations.
At the entrance of Classroom 301, which was under a genjutsu, two fierce-looking "Genin" were blocking the door to stop the candidates.
They had even sent a few people flying who tried to force their way in, acting incredibly arrogant.
"With your level, you want to take the Chunin Exams? Go home and drink some milk!"
Unsuspecting candidates were pushing and arguing, making the scene quite chaotic.
Sasuke stopped and gave the two examiners a cold look.
To his eyes, this level of genjutsu was full of flaws; he was about to speak up and expose it.
"No need to stop, Sasuke-kun."
Beside him, Naruto didn't stop. He walked steadily through the crowd without sparing the door sign a second glance.
"It's just a method to filter out the small fry. Ignore it."
Sasuke was taken aback for a moment, then gave a relieved smile.
"True."
He withdrew his hand, which had been ready to form a seal to dispel the illusion, and followed Naruto with his arms crossed.
"Such a boring trick really isn't worth wasting time on."
"Wait for me, Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun!"
Sakura hurriedly followed.
The three of them ignored the noisy crowd and the examiners' shouting, walking straight through the genjutsu toward the stairs leading to the third floor.
Their composed demeanor caused a few sharp-eyed candidates to glance over...
In the empty hall leading to the registration area.
"You there, the black-haired boy and the blond boy, please wait a moment."
A green figure suddenly dropped from above, blocking their path.
The newcomer had thick eyebrows and large eyes, wore a jumpsuit, and struck a pose with a burning gaze.
"I am Rock Lee. You must be Naruto and Sasuke, right?"
Lee's gaze swept back and forth between Naruto and Sasuke.
Finally, his eyes settled on the more sharp-edged Sasuke, before glancing hesitantly at the calm and reserved Naruto.
"I want to challenge you."
"I want to see if my taijutsu is effective against geniuses."
"A challenge..."
A flash of fighting spirit appeared in Sasukes eyes. He was about to step forward but instinctively glanced at Naruto.
Naruto adjusted his glasses, took half a step back against the wall, and made a gesturing motion.
"Go ahead, Sasuke-kun."
Naruto tone was gentle and composed.
"It'll serve as a good warm-up before the exam, to face different opponents."
This sentence gave Sasuke plenty of face.
"Hmph, I was looking to stretch my legs anyway."
Sasuke gave a confident smile and stepped forward.
"I'll finish you in five minutes."
The battle broke out instantly.
Lee's speed was incredible, a testament to pushing physical training to the extreme.
"Konoha Senpu!"
A sharp sweeping kick came with a gust of wind.
Because he underestimated his opponent, Sasuke was caught off guard and retreated a few steps in a slightly disheveled manner.
"So fast!"
Sakura cried out.
But Sasuke was, after all, a genius of the Uchiha clan.
"Interesting taijutsu..."
Sasuke steadied himself, the tomoe in his eyes beginning to spin.
He absolutely would not allow himself to lose to anyone other than Naruto.
When Lee initiated the start of the Kage Buyo again, Sasuke moved.
The Sharingan instantly observed the trajectory of the muscle movements.
The moment Lee kicked again, Sasuke performed an almost identical roundhouse kick.
Bang!
Their legs collided.
Although he was slightly lacking in power, the technique was a perfect copy.
Using the counterforce, Sasuke landed gracefully and brushed the dust off his pants.
"Wh-What?!"
Lee was shocked.
"That's... my move?"
The expressions of Neji and Tenten, who were watching from nearby, also changed.
"He copied it after seeing it just once?"
Tenten said in surprise.
"So that's the Uchiha clan's Sharingan..."
Sasuke looked at the shocked Lee, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Although taijutsu wasn't his specialty, with the Sharingan's insight and copying ability, he had instantly analyzed the mechanics of the opponent's movements.
"Nice taijutsu. It's mine now."
Sasuke turned his head toward Naruto, his eyes holding a hint of provocation, as if saying:
"Look, this is the power of the Uchiha."
Naruto stood by the wall and gently closed the book in his hand.
He looked at the high-spirited Sasuke and nodded with a smile, like a gentle older brother affirming his younger brother's performance:
"Good observation skills, Sasuke-kun."
This praise reached Sasuke ears, making him feel an inexplicable sense of relief.
Only after receiving Naruto affirmation did his sense of superiority truly feel grounded.
"Alright, warm-up's over."
Naruto straightened up and walked toward the door of Classroom 301.
"The real stage is inside. Let's go."
Sasuke looked at Naruto back.
The pleasure he had gained from suppressing Lee somehow dissipated a bit.
He had clearly won, and he had clearly been recognized.
But he always felt like he was showing off his results to Naruto, while Naruto was the one inspecting them.
This inexplicable difference in status made him feel very annoyed.
"Next time... I'll definitely give this guy a big surprise."
Lee watched Sasuke leave in silence, his fists gradually clenching...
Classroom 301.
The moment the door opened, the noisy waves of sound from inside hit them.
"Yo, Boss!"
An excited shout rang out.
Inuzuka Kiba, with Akamaru, squeezed through the crowd and ran over excitedly.
Behind him, Shino and Hinata followed.
"Oh, Kiba."
Naruto smiled slightly and nodded.
"Haha, I knew you'd definitely show up, Naruto-aniki!"
Kiba patted his chest and said proudly to Hinata beside him:
"See, I told you, with Naruto-aniki's strength, there's no way he'd miss this."
Kiba was now completely won over by Naruto.
Not just because of the previous Mizuki incident.
More importantly... he had challenged Naruto again a few days ago.
As a result, he and Akamaru were beaten so badly by a single Kage Bunshin that they couldn't even fight back, let alone against Naruto himself.
He hadn't even managed to touch the hem of Naruto clothes.
From then on, he had no other thoughts but to cling tightly to Naruto coattails.
Because he was certain that Naruto would surely be extraordinary in the future.
So he was more than willing to call him "Boss."
"Na-Naruto-kun..."
Hinata hid in the back, her face flushing as she greeted him in a small voice.
"Hello, Hinata-chan."
Naruto replied gently.
"And... Shino."
Beside them, Aburame Shino, who hadn't spoken, adjusted his sunglasses and nodded to Naruto.
No one noticed that Shino's hand, hidden under his trench coat, was trembling slightly.
He gave Naruto a deep look and instinctively took half a step back.
"My bugs... are afraid of Naruto-kun..."
That fear was as if they had encountered an apex predator.
Bang!
Accompanied by a puff of white smoke, the examiner team led by Morino Ibiki appeared, a powerful pressure instantly sweeping through the room.
"Shut the hell up, you bunch of trash!"
Ibiki, his face covered in scars, scanned the crowd like a hawk.
The room fell silent instantly.
"I am the chief examiner for the first stage of the exam, Morino Ibiki."
He announced coldly:
"The first stage of the Chunin Selection Exams... begins."