Some more time passed.
For some reason, since the beginning of spring, bear attacks on human settlements had occurred one after another not just around Konoha, but in many parts of the Land of Fire. The entire country seemed to be suffering from a "bear disaster."
These beasts were not only naturally cunning and vengeful, but more troublingly, in this world where chakra existed, some bears had undergone abnormal physical growth. They became thick-skinned, incredibly strong, and a few individuals even possessed chakra, making them difficult for ordinary soldiers and hunters to handle.
Locals were overwhelmed by these "notorious pests," and security forces were exhausted with little to show for their efforts, forcing them to submit urgent requests for help to Konoha.
Suddenly, the mission office was piled high with requests to subjugate or drive away giant bears. Subjugation missions were generally ranked C-rank, while a few particularly dangerous ones—concerning bears that possessed chakra, were massive, and could serve as ninja beasts or summoning beasts—even reached B-rank.
In addition to their regular duties, the ninjas of Konoha frequently found themselves rushing through the mountains and forests.
On this day, Shinichi and Maruboshi Kosuke took on another such request.
---
After leaving the village, the two moved quickly along the forest path.
Along the way, Maruboshi Kosuke seemed to suddenly remember something and broke the silence: "Regarding what you asked me about the Chunin Exams last time, I looked into it over the past couple of days and heard some rumors."
Generally speaking, during non-war periods, there were two main paths for a Genin to be promoted to Chunin: first, by accumulating enough mission experience and merit, being recommended by their direct Jonin instructor, and undergoing an internal review; second, by participating in the Chunin Selection Exams held jointly by the major ninja villages or by their own village.
Shinichi didn't know what the Third Hokage was thinking when he didn't assign him a specific Jonin instructor upon graduation. He only arranged Maruboshi Kosuke as his teammate, even though this Eternal Genin's strength and experience had long surpassed that of an ordinary Jonin, essentially taking on the role of a mentor.
This arrangement might have been due to the Third's deeper considerations, but it also meant that the first path to promotion was basically closed to Shinichi.
Therefore, he had already asked Maruboshi Kosuke for news about the Chunin Exams earlier.
"The Chunin Exams will indeed be held this year," Maruboshi Kosuke continued, his voice steady. "However, the host is not Konoha, but our ally—the Hidden Sand Village."
'Sunagakure?'
Hearing this, Shinichi's heart skipped a beat.
He knew clearly that in the original future, the fuse for the Third Shinobi World War was precisely the Hidden Sand Village using the "disappearance of the Third Kazekage" as an excuse to launch a surprise attack on Konoha. Subsequently, the flames of war spread like wildfire, sweeping across the entire ninja world.
This so-called "ally" had never been a peaceful neighbor.
Looking back at the various shinobi world wars, perhaps out of covetousness for the fertile lands of the Land of Fire, Sunagakure had made Konoha its primary target almost every time.
They were practically the Italy of the ninja world!
No!
Even worse than Italy!
As an ally, although Italy was hesitant at the start of the war and performed pathetically after joining, they at least only switched sides when the situation became unfavorable. Sunagakure, however, was accustomed to backstabbing right from the start.
However, because the Land of Wind was covered in seas of sand and the land was barren, it lacked actual occupation value for Konoha. Coupled with the fact that multiple powers surrounded them in every major war, even if Konoha defeated Sunagakure, they would usually only force them to sign a superficial "alliance"—which was essentially just a cease fire.
Then they would have to turn around to deal with pressure from other ninja villages. This cycle of history kept the relationship between the two countries in a fragile and distorted state of alliance.
So, he was hesitant about going to Sunagakure for the Chunin Exams. It meant voluntarily stepping into a place that might be the first to start a war in the future and was the most untrustworthy toward Konoha.
"What, don't want to go to Sunagakure?" Maruboshi Kosuke glanced at him, seemingly having noticed his hesitation long ago, and smiled.
He roughly understood the Third Hokage's considerations. The speed of this child's rank promotion wasn't the priority; in the future, he would likely still be placed in a squad of peers to cultivate bonds.
His own role was more like a mentor and a transition period to let the sapling take firm root.
But since Shinichi had asked, he didn't want to make decisions on his own, so he requested instructions from the Third Hokage. Only then did he learn the news that Sunagakure had invited Konoha to participate in this year's Chunin Exams.
"Senpai, who is the village's leader leading this time?" Shinichi didn't directly answer whether he would go or not, instead asking a key question.
"I've looked into it. It's one of the Sannin, Jiraiya."
'Jiraiya?'
Hearing this name, Shinichi's heart felt much more at ease.
Although Jiraiya traveled abroad all year round, every time he returned to Konoha, the Third Hokage would often entrust him with important or special missions.
With one of the Sannin, who possessed excellent strength and experience and was famous throughout the ninja world, leading the team, the safety factor and the ability to handle variables naturally increased significantly.
"With that lord leading the team, it is indeed much more reassuring," Shinichi nodded.
Maruboshi Kosuke looked at him and suggested in a steady tone: "If you decide to go, this old man can accompany you as your teammate this time."
"Senpai?" Shinichi looked at him with some surprise. "You don't plan on maintaining your status as a Genin anymore?"
"I'm just participating in the exam as a teammate; it doesn't mean I have to fight for that Chunin title. These old bones of mine can still manage a trip to Sunagakure with you." Maruboshi Kosuke smiled, his expression calm.
Shinichi understood; this was the senpai's way of escorting him. He nodded solemnly: "Thank you, senpai. With you there, I feel much more at ease."
"You shouldn't worry too much either." Maruboshi Kosuke looked into the distance, his voice carrying the steadiness of years of experience: "Although Sunagakure has a history of being fickle and has committed more than one act of betrayal, the start of a war is never a spur-of-the-moment decision. Before a major war, there are often many observable signs—such as an abnormal rise in military spending, the secret stockpiling of strategic materials, the manufacturing and purchasing of large-scale equipment, the sudden expansion of ninja ranks, and even subtle changes in the frequency and scale of border patrols... These movements are not easy to hide completely from the eyes and ears of other nations."
Hearing this, Shinichi's mind cleared, and many scattered clues were instantly connected.
Why most of the students in their class would be collectively arranged to graduate early at the age of nine in his memory.
Thinking about it, at this time next year, the shinobi world war should not have broken out yet, but various ominous signs must have already quietly gathered like dark clouds, allowing the Konoha high-level to keenly sense the brewing of a new storm of war.
Thus, the high-level made a prompt decision to start the graduation process early, with a clear purpose:
To let this batch of children become familiar with the ninja mission process as early as possible and accumulate basic experience. Once war truly broke out and most of the core forces headed to the front lines, the village would certainly lack manpower to maintain internal operations and handle various basic missions within the country.
At that time, this batch of already-prepared Genin could quickly fill the gaps and become an effective force supporting the village's rear.
Furthermore, if the war situation continued to deteriorate and troops became scarce, these Genin who graduated early and were no longer pure recruits would be deployed more quickly to the edges of the battlefield or to second-line missions.
---
"However, participating in the Chunin Exams usually requires a three-man squad and a leader with a rank of at least special Jonin," Maruboshi Kosuke reminded him. "I count as one teammate. As for the remaining teammate and the team leader, you'll have to find a way yourself."
'Teammate... team leader...' Shinichi thought for a moment, and two names appeared in his mind.
If those two were willing to participate, then he would be completely at ease for this trip to Sunagakure.