However, Nawaki suddenly reacted, "Then why don't you do it yourself instead of making me do it?"
Hearing this, Chiba was momentarily stunned. Then he thought, Has Nawaki gotten smarter?
Still, to appease Nawaki, Chiba replied, "Nawaki, think about it—by doing this, won't you make the people of Konoha and Iwagakure remember you instantly?"
"Besides, as the grandson of the First Hokage, you can't afford to tarnish his legacy, can you?"
Nawaki nodded. "You make a good point, but you still haven't explained why you won't do it yourself."
Seeing this, Chiba sighed. Senju has definitely gotten smarter; he's not as easy to fool as before.
"Didn't I give you this opportunity? And unlike you, I don't have the same connection. While Uchiha Madara was the former leader of my clan, he and I are not as closely related as you are to the First Hokage."
Chiba continued to persuade Nawaki, saying, "Don't you want to be in the spotlight in front of everyone?"
After a moment of thought, Nawaki nodded. "I do."
"Alright, since you want to stand out, just follow my lead."
"Okay." Although Nawaki still couldn't figure out why Chiba was handing this opportunity to him, he didn't press the matter further.
Time passed slowly as all the candidates gathered in the classroom.
Bang!
With a loud crash, the classroom door shattered.
A man with long white hair and a green vest strode in. The once noisy classroom instantly fell silent.
"Why are you all so loud? Don't you know this is the noisiest classroom?"
"..."
The candidates immediately quieted down. Though some initially wanted to protest, upon noticing the green vest signifying a Konoha Jōnin, they swallowed their words.
The Konoha Genin immediately recognized the person on the stage—Jiraiya, a disciple of the Hokage.
However, the Genin from Iwagakure were utterly confused. They had no idea who this man was, yet he dared to barge into the exam hall and act so arrogantly.
It was understandable that the Iwagakure Genin didn't recognize Jiraiya. After all, the Second Ninja War had yet to begin, and Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru had yet to earn the title of the "Legendary Sannin."
Despite their confusion, the Iwagakure Genin, intimidated by the presence of a Jōnin, refrained from expressing their anger and instead whispered among themselves.
"Who is this guy? He's so full of himself."
"No idea, but judging from his clothes, he's probably a Konoha Jōnin."
...
"The first test of the Chūnin Exam has been temporarily relocated," 'Jiraiya' announced.
Waving a hand dismissively, he continued impatiently, "You can check the latest notice at the Hokage Building."
The room immediately erupted into murmurs.
"What?"
"Why was the venue changed without warning?"
"Shut up."
'Jiraiya' silenced the crowd with an authoritative tone, his eyes filled with arrogance. "This is a direct order from the Hokage.
This room will soon be used for a conference between Konoha and Iwagakure regarding their alliance.
Are you really going to delay a crucial diplomatic meeting for a bunch of Genin?"
The weight of his words made the candidates hesitate. If what he said was true, interfering with the alliance would not only be disrespectful but could also have serious consequences.
At that moment, one of the candidates stood up and said, "Jiraiya-senpai, we haven't received any notice about the venue change."
Hearing this, 'Jiraiya' momentarily panicked. He had no idea how to respond.
He quickly cast a desperate glance toward the door, seeking assistance.
Outside, Chiba had been enjoying the spectacle, but now he realized that Nawaki was faltering at a critical moment.
With no choice, he gave Nawaki an encouraging look, signaling him to handle it himself.
Internally, Nawaki — who was disguised as Jiraiya—felt like screaming. If he weren't already in too deep, he would have punched Chiba for putting him in this situation.
Left with no other choice, Nawaki took a deep breath and continued acting.
"This was a last-minute decision, which is why you haven't received any notification. Enough questions—head to the new examination room immediately. If you miss the exam and lose your chance to become a Chūnin, don't blame me."
With an impatient wave of his hand, 'Jiraiya' signaled for them to leave.
"..."
Although the Genin wanted to argue, after a brief hesitation, they followed the lead of the first person who stepped out and exited the classroom one by one.
Once the last person left, Nawaki—still in disguise—exhaled a deep sigh of relief.
However, what no one noticed was that in a small compartment near the stairs, two unconscious Chūnin lay sprawled inside, having been silently taken down.
Just then, Chiba strolled into the classroom. "Nawaki, did you enjoy yourself?" he asked with a smirk.
"Enjoy? I nearly died of stress! Didn't you see how tense the situation was? It's a miracle I didn't mess up!" Nawaki snapped, clearly frustrated.
He still couldn't understand why he had gone along with Chiba's crazy idea in the first place.
Thinking about it now, if they had been caught, while Sarutobi Hiruzen might have let it slide, Tsunade would definitely have had something to say about it.
And knowing her, she wouldn't hesitate to beat him into the hospital.
"Chiba, do you realize you almost got me killed?" Nawaki asked, glaring at him resentfully.
Chiba looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"
Seeing this, Nawaki sighed and explained his concerns.
"Relax," Chiba reassured him, patting his chest confidently. "This was my idea. If we get caught, just put all the blame on me."
If it were anyone else, Chiba might have been a little worried. But since the person they had to deal with was Tsunade, it wasn't a big deal.
At worst, he'd just have to throw himself at her mercy—not the hardest thing in the world.
Hearing this, Nawaki was moved. "Chiba, I knew I wasn't wrong about you. You truly are my good brother."
"Come on, no need for that. This is just a minor issue," Chiba said, waving him off casually.
Though the plan had been impulsive, he had undoubtedly tricked Nawaki into going along with it. As Nawaki's future brother-in-law, Chiba felt it was only right to help clean up some of his messes.