When the three reached the door of Classroom 301 on the third floor of the Ninja Academy, they found Kakashi leaning lazily against the wall, as though he had been waiting for them.

The moment his students arrived, a faint light of relief flickered in Kakashi's eye, and the tension in his heart eased. "You made it."

He glanced at them one by one, a small, satisfied smile tugging at his lips. "Looks like you ran into a few delays on the way."

"Hehe, sorry for keeping you waiting, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto scratched at his messy blond hair with an embarrassed grin.

Sasuke only gave a brief nod. What he had deduced earlier was now confirmed the Chunin Exams were indeed conducted in teams of three.

Kakashi waved his hand dismissively, his gaze drifting from Naruto to Sasuke to Sakura.

Each of them wore the same look faces full of excitement, eyes burning with fighting spirit.

Kakashi nodded to himself. Just yesterday, he had been worried about whether they were ready. But now, it seemed his concerns had been unnecessary.

"Still," he reminded them, "the examiners won't wait for anyone. Time's short get inside."

"Got it!"

Naruto clenched his fist and answered with gusto.

He turned to look at Sasuke and Sakura. The three of them took a deep breath together, then raised their hands and pushed open the door.

Bang!

The instant the door swung open, the once-boisterous Classroom 301 fell silent.

Dozens of eyes swiveled toward the newcomers.

The room was already packed with candidates from every village many familiar faces from Konoha, but just as many strangers from other lands.

Feeling the weight of so many stares, Sakura unconsciously straightened her back, nerves tightening in her chest.

Sasuke, hands buried in his pockets, remained cool and indifferent, his stern expression unchanging.

Naruto, however, walked at the front with no hint of stage fright. The moment he stepped inside, his eyes darted left and right, scanning the crowd eagerly.

He stood on tiptoe, stretching his neck as he searched the back rows of the room for a flash of red hair.

But no matter how carefully he looked, there was no sign of the figure he had hoped to see.

A small crease formed between his brows, and with a trace of disappointment, he lowered his gaze only for his eyes to suddenly lock on to another familiar silhouette.

"That's !" Naruto's pupils shrank in recognition.

Sasuke followed his gaze, his expression darkening at once. The two exchanged a sharp look, wordless confirmation passing between them.

Yes. It was him.

"Kakashi-sensei, wait a second!"

Naruto's voice dropped low and urgent as he turned toward the doorway.

Kakashi, who had already started to walk away, paused mid-step at the sudden call. He turned back, puzzled to see the three of them rushing toward him again.

"What is it?"

Sasuke's tone was grave as he pointed subtly into the classroom. "Over there. The guy with the gray hair and glasses."

Kakashi's single visible eye narrowed.

Following Sasuke's direction, he quickly found the target.

In the corner sat a tall, thin genin with pale gray hair and round spectacles the very one they had been keeping watch for ever since the intelligence they had received in the dream world.

The one who had stirred suspicion.

Kakashi's expression hardened at once.

Kakashi never expected that the enemy would dare to infiltrate Konoha's Chunin Exams so brazenly let alone cross paths with his own students.

"Do we need to arrest him now?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, locked on Kabuto in the classroom, his voice low with suppressed fury.

He still remembered it clearly: in that dream, this man had nearly killed him with an explosive tag.

Kakashi studied Sasuke's expression, then shook his head slowly. His voice was calm, but carried a warning edge. "Don't act recklessly. Don't alert the enemy. We finally have a clue this is a rare chance."

A glint of cold determination flashed in his eye. "Now that we know his target, as long as he stays in Konoha, he won't escape the Hokage's sight."

Hearing this, Sasuke's breathing steadied. He gave a small nod, and Naruto and Sakura followed suit, forcing down their excitement.

Kakashi placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, his tone reassuring. "Focus on the exam. Don't get distracted. I'll report this to the Hokage immediately. Be cautious."

"Yes!" the three replied in unison.

After watching Kakashi disappear down the hallway, Team 7 exchanged a glance. Then, keeping their composure, they pushed the door open again and stepped back into the classroom.

Inside, they worked hard to suppress their inner tension, blending into the crowd as if nothing had happened.

Still, Naruto's eyes roamed the room restlessly. He searched again and again, but the familiar flash of red hair he longed to see was nowhere to be found.

On the far side of the classroom, however, another red-haired figure immediately drew attention.

A boy sat alone against the wall, a massive gourd strapped to his back. His arms were folded, his head lowered, and he radiated a chilling silence.

In the dim light, the single word "愛" love was carved starkly into his forehead. His pale green eyes swept coldly across the room, keeping everyone at a distance.

His aura was oppressive, his expression dark and forbidding.

Sasuke noticed Naruto staring and asked quietly, "You're looking for that red-haired girl?"

Naruto shook his head, his tone serious. "Sasuke, don't you think… that guy also has red hair. Could he be from the Uzumaki clan too?"

He jutted his lips toward the red-haired boy with the gourd.

Sasuke: …

Sakura: …

Sakura's patience snapped. She smacked Naruto hard on the head.

"Idiot! At least gather some information about the other candidates before coming here! It's fine if you don't know the rest, but that one you seriously don't know? He's the son of the Kazekage of Sunagakure! That's Gaara!"

Naruto winced, clutching his forehead with both hands. His face twisted in pain as he muttered under his breath, "So what if he's the Kazekage's son? Hmph… I'm the Hokage's son."

His voice was so low it was swallowed up by the chatter in the crowded classroom.

Neither Sakura nor Sasuke caught it. To them, it just sounded like Naruto grumbling.

Just as the three were bickering under their breath, a loud shout boomed from the front row.

"What are you rookies making all that noise for? Shut up already! You're driving me crazy!"

Naruto looked up and saw several genin wearing Hidden Rain forehead protectors glaring at them. Their eyes were cold, their expressions full of arrogance and hostility.

The intimidating tone silenced the room. In an instant, the entire classroom grew quiet.

Naruto was so furious at being scolded that he nearly snapped back on the spot. But then Kakashi's words echoed in his mind be cautious, be low-key.

He bit down on his anger, fists clenched tightly at his sides, standing there with a frustrated scowl.

"You must be the fresh graduates, right? The Chunin Exams aren't some kind of spring outing."

A leisurely, mocking voice drifted from behind them.

Startled, Naruto turned around.

Not far away stood a gray-haired young man wearing glasses, hands stuffed casually in his pockets, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

Sasuke's brows furrowed. He actually came up to us on his own. Why?

The gray-haired youth was none other than Yakushi Kabuto.

Kabuto adjusted his glasses as he studied Sasuke. So this is the one Lord Orochimaru has his eye on? Hmph. A little arrogant… but nothing special. Just a fresh genin. Collecting intel on him isn't even necessary.

He smirked inwardly, confident he could easily manipulate a few rookies. Outwardly, his expression softened into a friendly smile.

"It's only natural to be nervous at your first exam," he said warmly. "How about I, as your senior, share some intel on the other candidates?"

Naruto's eyes lit up immediately. "Really? You've got info on the others?"

Kabuto chuckled and drew a small stack of Ninja Info Cards from his pouch, tapping them lightly against his palm. "Of course. I'm a veteran I've taken this exam several times. Gathering intelligence is one of my strengths."

He gestured toward the Hidden Rain genin who had been shouting earlier, giving a knowing wink. "Take those guys from Amegakure, for example. Most of you probably don't know their background… but I happen to have detailed profiles "

"Unnecessary."

A cold voice cut through his words.

Before anyone realized it, Sasuke had stepped forward, standing squarely between Kabuto and Naruto.

His dark eyes glinted with hostility. "We're not interested in your information. Leave."

Kabuto's smile faltered, freezing awkwardly on his face.

He hadn't expected to be brushed off so sharply. For a moment, he stood stunned but tried again. "You really don't want to know about the other candidates ?"

But Sasuke didn't even look at him. He grabbed Naruto by the arm, tugged Sakura along with his other hand, and muttered coldly, "Let's go. Don't waste time with him."

"H-Hey, Sasuke, what are you doing?" Naruto protested, stumbling as he was dragged away. "Didn't he say he's got tons of useful info?"

"Idiot." Sasuke's voice was low but firm, his eyes never leaving the front. "He approached us on his own. That means he has ulterior motives."

"Eh?"

Sasuke snorted, his face set.

Of course, he totally wasn't holding a grudge against Kabuto for nearly blowing him up with an explosive tag in the dream world…

Kabuto stood frozen where they had left him, the Info Cards hanging awkwardly midair in his hand. His smile cracked, slipping into a look of confusion.

What's going on? Everything was going smoothly why did they suddenly shut me out?

…

At the same time, in the Hokage's office.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, stood silently by the window, his pipe in hand.

Through the smoke, his gaze lingered on the direction of the Ninja Academy. His brows remained furrowed, his expression grim.

By now, according to the clock, the Chunin Exams should have officially begun.

Yet despite layers of surveillance both open and hidden nothing unusual had been uncovered.

Perhaps… this time, the dream was inaccurate.

Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a long stream of smoke, trying to ease the tension in his chest. There should be no problems with this exam.

But even as he told himself this, the faint unease lodged in his heart refused to fade.

Suddenly swish!

A dark shadow flickered outside the windowsill.

"Who's there?!"

Hiruzen's pupils contracted as he spun sharply.

But when he saw the figure, his rigid posture eased. "Kakashi. It's you."

Kakashi stepped into the light, his voice grave. "Hokage-sama! We've obtained information regarding Orochimaru."

Hiruzen's eyes widened in shock. He rose to his feet at once. "What? You truly found something?"

Without another word, Kakashi vaulted gracefully into the office. Reaching into his pouch, he produced several documents and laid them before the Hokage. "Please take a look."

Hiruzen snatched them up quickly, scanning the papers.

They were registration forms for three Chunin Exam candidates.

In the photo columns appeared the faces of Kabuto Yakushi, Misumi Tsurugi, and Yoroi Akadō each one wearing a Konoha forehead protector.

The village field read the same on all three forms: Konohagakure.

....

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