After handing their application forms to Hiruzen Sarutobi, the group gathered to strategize for the upcoming Chunin Exams.
"The exams are primarily divided into three stages," began Shibi Aburame, his eyes hidden behind his signature dark glasses. "First is the intelligence gathering phase. Don't worry about this; I'll have my kikaichū collect the answers and relay them to each of you discreetly. I guarantee we'll all pass."
"I'm counting on you, Shibi!" Minato laughed. Although Minato was a sensory ninja himself, there was still a massive gap between his skills and Shibi's specialized hive-mind intelligence network.
"Mm. We are comrades. No need for thanks," Shibi replied flatly. Those who knew him well could tell he was actually quite pleased.
Choza, meanwhile, was busy crunching on a large bag of potato chips, appearing entirely unconcerned with the tactical meeting.
"Then comes the second stage: testing our ability to transport information under pressure," Minato took over. "From what I've heard, it involves collecting two specific scrolls and reaching a designated goal."
"As for the third round, that's pure combat prowess," Choza added between bites. "Hehe! Even if we end up facing each other in the arena, don't expect me to go easy on you!"
Ren Kurogane nodded. He remembered the general flow of the exams clearly, and hearing the trio confirm the details made him feel a sense of relief. At least the rules hadn't changed into something bizarre in this era; he wouldn't have to stress over learning weird new mechanics.
Over the next few days, the four didn't train separately. Instead, they spent their time together, learning the nuances of each other's abilities to prepare for future team missions.
"I don't have many flashy tricks. I just hit hard and move fast," Ren said, manifesting a Rasengan in his palm for Shibi and Choza to see.
Minato already knew the extent of his skills, so there wasn't much to explain there. The other two were from noble clans whose abilities were rooted in secret family techniques that spoke for themselves. The "self-introductions" were really only necessary for Minato and Ren.
Seeing the sphere of high-density, visible chakra in Ren's hand, Choza's jaw dropped. He finished his chips in two gulps and leaned in uncomfortably close to the Rasengan to inspect it.
"What?! You're actually manifesting raw chakra in your palm? And it looks like it's rotating at an insane speed! How is that even possible?!"
Shibi remained silent, his expression unreadable behind his goggles, but the slight tremor in his frame betrayed his internal shock. This wasn't a standard ninjutsu.
After demonstrating the technique, Ren continued, "Aside from the Rasengan, I know a bit of sealing jutsu. I can handle logistics and support."
Shibi and Choza stared at him in dead silence.
Wait, what? You're walking around with a one-hit-kill ultimate weapon, and you're telling us you want to do 'logistics'? Since when were powerhouses this eccentric?
At that moment, Minato chimed in with a grin. "As for me, you can just think of me as a slightly weaker version of Ren. We share a similar toolkit: sealing jutsu, sensory abilities, and the Rasengan."
With that, Minato manifested his own Rasengan, which looked every bit as potent as the one Ren had shown.
This time, Shibi and Choza were officially numb. They hadn't expected their "civilian" teammates to be such monsters. If they actually had to fight these two in the finals, they'd probably be shredded by those blue spheres in seconds.
The thought made both of them break into a synchronized cold sweat.
If I'm unlucky enough to draw one of these two in the tournament, I'm forfeiting immediately!
Minato noticed his teammates' pale complexions but didn't overthink it. His mind was occupied by the weight of their future as a squad. Once they became Chunin, they'd be sent to the front lines. Would he be able to survive?
No! I will survive! I have to—I'm going to be Hokage! Minato's gaze hardened with resolve.
Ren, however, looked perfectly relaxed. He had no ambition for the Hokage seat or military glory. He simply wanted to grow stronger and live a comfortable ninja life. He found the idea of resigning to become a civilian difficult; he wasn't from a wealthy clan, and without military merit, no one would give him the time of day.
Besides, being a ninja meant he didn't have to work in a field. As long as he did missions, he got paid. Once he was strong enough, missions wouldn't even be dangerous anymore. It was basically getting paid to exist. The thought was incredibly satisfying.
The next day, the Chunin Exams officially began.
Because it was wartime, there were no joint exams with other villages. When Ren's group arrived at the location, they found a crowd of Genin already trapped in a genjutsu on the second floor. Most of them didn't even make it to the first testing room before the exam started.
It seems that without protagonists like Naruto around, a simple genjutsu is enough to weed out a huge chunk of the Genin pool.
Scanning the half-empty classroom, Ren's eyes met Shibi's. The latter gave a nearly imperceptible nod. Once the test papers were distributed, Ren took a sharp breath.
I haven't seen a single one of these questions in my life!
Just then, Shibi's voice drifted into his ear. "I've located the correct answers. Just write what I tell you."
For an exam this difficult, there were always one or two "proctors" mixed in with the students who held the answer key. Once Shibi's insects intercepted the information, passing it to the team was trivial. The first stage was a walk in the park.
Only a handful of teams survived the cull. The second stage took place in the Forest of Death. Including Team Minato, only twenty-five participants—eight teams—had made it this far.
The rules were the same as the future exams: battle for the Heaven and Earth scrolls. A team needed both to enter the Central Tower, where opening the scrolls would signal their victory.
After signing the standard death waivers and collecting their scroll, they were led to a starting point. The Forest of Death was vast, with multiple gated entries. A Jonin led them to their gate, ushered them in, and locked the door behind them.
From this moment on, the only way out was to pass the exam or wait three days for it to end.
Unlike other teams who wandered aimlessly hoping for luck, Team Minato didn't move an inch at first. Before the scrolls had even been handed out, Shibi's insects had already tagged every participant. He knew exactly who had which scroll.
"We have the Heaven Scroll. The nearest Earth Scroll is to the west. My insects will guide us; it'll save a lot of time."
"Seriously, Shibi, you're the most reliable guy I know," Ren said sincerely.
He thought back to Naruto's generation, wandering like headless chickens and leaving themselves open to ambush. But his team? They had analyzed the exam parameters to the letter before even stepping inside. With Shibi acting as a super-radar, all their logistical headaches were gone.
Ren, Minato, and Choza essentially just had to act as Shibi's muscle.
"You're right. This exam feels almost too easy," Minato agreed.
Choza, still munching on his chips, didn't speak, but he nodded vigorously in agreement. Guided by the insects, the three shadows soon intercepted their targets.