As the most powerful ninja village in the world, Konoha commands unparalleled prestige and influence. The villages of Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and the smaller nations surrounding Konoha have all sent their outstanding genin to participate in this Chunin Exam.
Although the Five Great Ninja Villages can mobilize thousands of ninjas in wartime, the total number of Jonin and elite Jonin in each village barely reaches the hundreds. In other words, ninjas who can be promoted to Jonin are undoubtedly at the command level. For example, during the Third Ninja War, Kakashi was able to command Rin and Obito on missions because of this relationship.
However, no matter what, Chunin are a crucial backbone of a ninja village, not only as a fighting force but also as future leaders. They not only have the potential to be promoted to Jonin, but their numbers are also several times that of Jonin! Many important missions in the village require Chunin to complete. Because of these various reasons, the leadership of each ninja village places great importance on this Chunin Exam.
To ensure Kazekaze passes the exam smoothly, Mokuken specially prepared a rich breakfast to provide enough protein.
"Chunin Exam, here I come." Kazekaze, ready, walked out of his house and then met up with Sakumo at a base of the Anbu.
Although this is not the first time Konoha has hosted the Chunin Exam, it is the first time other ninja villages have been invited to participate.
"It's said that there are over two hundred genin participating in this exam," Sakumo shared the information he had gathered with Kazekaze. The competition among ninjas is also a competition of intelligence.
"Not only that, but the genin participating in this exam are not just this year's graduates. There are also those from previous years who participated in the Chunin Exam but failed to be promoted." Sakumo further explained, feeling a bit anxious.
Thinking about facing opponents who are teenagers or even in their twenties, Sakumo couldn't help but doubt whether he was being too ambitious by participating in this exam. After all, he didn't have Kazekaze's terrifying talent.
Suddenly, Sarutobi's voice came from a distance,
"Kazekaze, Sakumo, over here." Kazekaze and Sakumo instinctively looked over and saw Sarutobi waving at them.
"Captain Sarutobi?" Sakumo was surprised. Because throughout the venue, there were no Jonin accompanying their subordinates. Is this the advantage of having connections? Sakumo thought to himself.
"Stay calm, Sakumo. Even if you don't pass this Chunin Exam, you can always try again next year. You're still young, there's no need to rush. As long as you can gain experience from this Chunin Exam, that's enough." Kazekaze patted Sakumo's shoulder, comforting him, and then strode over to Sarutobi.
Sakumo watched Kazekaze's back with a blank expression, unsure of what to say. 'Aren't you a year younger than me? Why are you acting like you're looking after a junior? And... why do you sound like you've already passed this Chunin Exam?' Sakumo took a deep breath, suppressing his frustration, and silently followed.
"Hiruzen, what brings you here?" Kazekaze asked curiously as he approached Sarutobi.
"Lord Tobirama was worried you might not understand the situation, so he specifically asked me to come over." Sarutobi smiled.
No matter how you look at it, Kazekaze's small figure seemed out of place here. If he hadn't witnessed Kazekaze's terrifying talent firsthand, he would never have believed that a seven-year-old child was qualified to participate in the Chunin Exam! Moreover, as long as Kazekaze performs steadily, he will pass this exam!
"Kazekaze, you are strictly forbidden from using the Morning Peacock technique in this Chunin Exam." Kazekaze nodded, not surprised by this requirement. The Morning Peacock causes significant damage to the body, and he hadn't planned on using it anyway.
"Additionally, let me tell you something else. This Chunin Exam is divided into two rounds. The first round is an elimination round, with only sixteen advancement slots." Sakumo gasped. With over two hundred genin participating and only sixteen slots available, it meant that only one out of every thirteen people could pass the first exam. For a moment, Sakumo's spirits fell.
'I probably don't stand a chance.'
"Keep an open mind and be prepared for both outcomes. You're still young, Sakumo, and that's your advantage," Kazekaze said without hesitation.
Even if Sakumo failed three years in a row, he would still only be eleven years old.
However, Sarutobi looked around at this moment, as if wary of someone. After confirming that there were no Uchiha clan members around, Sarutobi reminded Kazekaze.
"There are also genin from the Uchiha clan participating in this exam..." Sarutobi initially wanted to say 'genius,' but seeing Kazekaze's calm expression, he chose a different term.
For some reason, ever since meeting Kazekaze, Sarutobi always felt that those geniuses, prodigies, and talents seemed rather ordinary.
"Uchiha?"
"That's right. Among them is a guy named Uchiha Setsuna. If you encounter him, be careful, Kazekaze." Sarutobi paused slightly.
"As far as I know, he has successfully killed four Iwagakure Jonin and is recognized as a strong figure within the Uchiha clan." Sarutobi add.
"A record of killing Jonin four times?" Sakumo's eyes widened in disbelief.
"According to Kagami, Setsuna's strength has long reached the level of an elite chunin, and he has also awakened the Sharingan. He's a very formidable ninja. It's just unclear why he hasn't participated in the Chunin Exam before."
In reality, Sarutobi didn't reveal the truth. Tobirama's politics were not as straightforward as Hashirama's. He was both the light and the shadow of Konoha. Every year, he would secretly allocate a few guaranteed promotion slots to the Uchiha. As long as they participated in the Chunin Exam, they could be promoted to Chunin regardless of their performance.
After all, the Chunin Exam is not just about winning; it's about evaluating performance in battle. Since it's an evaluation, it's naturally up to Tobirama's discretion. However, due to the Uchiha clan's bloodline limit, their ninjas are inherently stronger than others. This predetermined method actually limited the Uchiha from obtaining more promotion slots. Thus, Uchiha Setsuna was arranged to participate in this year's Chunin Exam.
"Uchiha Setsuna...?" Kazekaze repeated the name.
Although there are many members of the Uchiha clan, few are well-known. In Kazekaze's memory, the character Setsuna appeared in the original work. He was a Jonin of the Uchiha clan and a member of the Konoha Police Force, not only insidious and cunning but also inherited Madara's will, always wanting to seize power from the Senju clan!
"Sarutobi-senpai, why are you here?" Suddenly, a man with the Uchiha clan crest stopped beside Kazekaze, looking at Sarutobi Hiruzen with surprise. "Uchiha Setsuna." Sarutobi frowned slightly, not expecting to encounter him right after mentioning him.