On the rooftop of a secluded street outside the Ninja Academy.
Jiraiya groggily opened his eyes, stretched, and yawned.
He rubbed his sleepy eyes and saw Adult Sasuke standing at the edge of the rooftop, motionlessly staring at the nearby Ninja Academy.
From their angle, they could vaguely see the scene in the third-floor classroom through the windows, the figures of the examinees hunched over their desks answering questions.
"Mmm... what time is it..." Jiraiya mumbled, feeling something pressing on his shoulder.
He turned his head and saw Boruto's leg draped over his shoulder.
Boruto was lying sprawled on the ground, sleeping soundly, a little drool at the corner of his mouth.
"This kid..." Jiraiya smiled helplessly and gently pushed Boruto's leg.
"Mmm...?" Boruto woke up groggily and rubbed his eyes. "Huh? Is it afternoon? Is the exam over?"
"Not yet," Jiraiya said, standing up and working his stiff shoulders. "The first written exam only started a short while ago."
After the mission in the Land of Waves, Adult Sasuke and Boruto had returned to Konoha Village with Jiraiya.
During this time, they had been secretly protecting Naruto alongside Jiraiya, guarding against the movements of that Urashiki.
But strangely, since being severely injured by Menma in the Land of Waves, Urashiki had vanished without a trace, never to be seen again.
Today was the Chunin Exams. Adult Sasuke had brought Boruto here early in the morning, observing the Ninja Academy's activities from a distance.
Jiraiya had also come, worried that the mysterious enemy might suddenly appear at a crowded event like the Chunin Exams and cause large-scale destruction in Konoha.
The words Hiruzen had said a few days ago also made Jiraiya feel that something major might happen during the Chunin Exams.
Boruto also stood up and walked to the edge of the rooftop, standing shoulder to shoulder with Adult Sasuke.
He squinted at the school building in the distance and suddenly asked, "Master, do you think Urashiki will show up now?"
Adult Sasuke was silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "I don't know."
He truly didn't know.
In his original timeline, aside from Orochimaru disguised as the Kazekage launching the [Konoha Crush Plan] during the Chunin Exams, no other mysterious enemies had appeared.
But now, this timeline was completely chaotic.
Sunagakure had been defeated by the Land of Stars, the Fourth Kazekage was imprisoned. How Orochimaru would appear was unknown.
Not to mention that Urashiki from the future.
"How are the later exams scheduled?" Adult Sasuke suddenly asked Jiraiya.
Jiraiya pinched his chin and thought: "According to the exam plan, the first written exam will eliminate most examinees. The second exam should be the [Forest of Death] survival challenge, dropping the teams that pass the written test into a closed forest to compete for [Heaven and Earth Scrolls] and reach the central tower within a time limit."
He paused and looked at Adult Sasuke: "You're worried that guy will make a move on Naruto during this time?"
Adult Sasuke didn't answer, but the gravity in his eyes said it all.
Just then, Boruto suddenly pointed into the distance and said, "Hey... are those Land of Stars' Ninja?"
Adult Sasuke and Jiraiya turned to look simultaneously.
A group of people was walking from the other end of the street towards the Hokage Building.
Leading them was Shisui, wearing the Land of Stars' dark blue standing-collar uniform, with the prominent Uchiha crest on his back.
Following him were a number of Land of Stars' Ninja. Besides some unfamiliar faces, Adult Sasuke also noticed Neji, Kimimaro, Haku, Chino, and… Toneri among the group.
Adult Sasuke's pupils contracted sharply.
'These people—'
Neji had defected from Konoha with his father Hizashi and joined the Land of Stars... he already knew that.
But Kimimaro should have been Orochimaru's loyal subordinate during this period. Why was he in the Land of Stars' group?
And Haku. In the original timeline, Haku should have died with Zabuza in the Land of Waves.
But now, that gentle-smiling young man was not only alive but had become a Land of Stars' Ninja. No wonder he hadn't been seen during the Land of Waves mission.
The appearance of Chino meant that the Chinoike Clan had likely joined the Land of Stars as a whole.
But what shocked Adult Sasuke the most was Toneri.
The orphan of the Otsutsuki Clan on the moon was now appearing in the Land of Stars' ranks…
'Just how many things about this timeline did I not know?'
"Those people..." Jiraiya also narrowed his eyes. "They're all Kekkei Genkai geniuses the Land of Stars has recruited. Uchiha, Hyuga, Kaguya, Yuki, Chinoike... they've all been won over."
His tone carried complex emotions… surprise, vigilance, and a hint of concern.
The Land of Stars was rising too fast…
So fast it made people uneasy.
…
Inside a special reception room in the Hokage Building.
Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of Konoha Village, sunlight streaming into the room.
A large circular conference table stood in the center of the room, now fully occupied.
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, sat at the head of the table, wearing his Hokage's robe, holding his pipe.
Beside him were the two advisor elders, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, along with the Head of the Jonin Team, Nara Shikaku, and several Konoha's Jonin representatives.
On the other side of the table sat the delegations from various Ninja Villages.
Shisui of the Land of Stars, accompanied by Sato, Ai, Neji, Kimimaro, and others, sat in the most prominent position.
They had the largest number and many Kekkei Genkai, naturally becoming the focus of everyone's attention.
Ao of Kirigakure was observing Shisui and his group.
The several Kirigakure's Ninja behind him were also whispering about something, their eyes full of vigilance.
Akatsuchi of Iwagakure sat there, his large frame making the chair look somewhat cramped.
His honest face wore a polite smile, but his small eyes occasionally flashed with sharpness.
Samui of Kumogakure maintained her usual ice-queen demeanor.
She sat expressionlessly, her ice-blue eyes coldly sweeping over everyone present. When she looked at the Land of Stars' Kekkei Genkai Ninja, her brow furrowed slightly.
Representatives from other smaller Ninja Villages were relatively low-key, mostly sitting quietly, observing the undercurrents among the Five Great Ninja Villages.
"Everyone has traveled a long way. You must be tired," Hiruzen spoke first, his voice gentle yet carrying the authority of one who had held a high position for a long time.
"The Chunin Exams are an important opportunity for the Ninja Villages to exchange and learn. I hope everyone gains something from this exam."
He paused and nodded to Shikaku beside him.
Shikaku understood and pressed the remote control in his hand.
A large display screen slowly lowered from the wall in the center of the conference room. When it lit up, it split into a 3x3 grid of nine images, which were the surveillance footage of the first written exam hall.
The nine cameras were shooting the classroom scene from different angles. Although the specific content on the test papers couldn't be seen, the examinees' answering states, the proctors' patrol figures, and even some examinees' subtle cheating movements could be seen.
"The first exam has already begun," Hiruzen said slowly, taking a puff of his pipe. "According to the plan, this written test will eliminate about eighty percent of the examinees."
He did a quick calculation: "There are fifty teams participating this time, one hundred and fifty people. That means only about ten teams, around thirty people, will advance to the second round."
This statement caused a wave of low murmuring.
An eighty percent elimination rate was indeed brutal.
But Shisui smiled slightly and spoke: "Third Hokage-dono, don't underestimate this year's Genin. I actually think the number passing the first exam might exceed thirty percent."
"Oh?" Hiruzen raised an eyebrow and looked at Shisui. "Shisui, you're that confident?"
Shisui nodded, his gaze landing on a certain image on the surveillance screen… the location where Menma was sitting.
He watched that black-haired young man calmly answering questions, a complex look flashing in his eyes.
As a high-ranking official of the Land of Stars, he certainly knew Menma's true identity.
He also knew that Naruto, the boy beside Menma, was the Fourth Hokage's son and the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki.
He knew even more that Menma's participation in these Chunin Exams was probably not just about promotion.
'Shura-sama—' Shisui thought to himself, 'What exactly is your goal?'
But on the surface, he maintained a gentle smile: "I just think that among this year's Genin, there are quite a few promising prospects, whether from Konoha, Kirigakure, Kumogakure, Iwagakure… or our Land of Stars."
Shisui paused and added meaningfully: "Times are changing, and the standards for Ninja are changing too. Perhaps we need to look at these young people with new eyes."
Hiruzen fell silent.
This Chunin Exams had brought together the elites from various villages.
The Land of Stars had only sent two teams, but both were elites. Kumogakure, and Kirigakure had each sent three teams. Although two of them were just 'filling numbers', their main team should not be underestimated.
Konoha, on its side, had brought out all its elites.
'If, as Shisui said, the pass rate exceeded thirty percent—'
"If the number is too large," Sarutobi Hiruzen said slowly, his gaze sweeping over the representatives of each country present, "then the second exam should be quite exciting."
…
On the outskirts of Konoha Village, a mere twenty kilometers away, the forest became exceptionally dense here.
The canopies of towering ancient trees almost completely obscured the sky, with only scattered rays of light filtering through gaps to fall upon the leaf-strewn ground.
The air was thick with the scent of damp earth.
Deep within this uninhabited forest lay a long-forgotten village.
Crumbling earthen walls were half-hidden beneath vines, decaying wooden houses stood as barely more than crumbling frameworks, and weeds grew wildly from the cracks in the stone paths.
But today, this silent village suddenly 'came alive'.
Dozens of figures darted through the forest like phantoms, silently converging on the central square of the village.
They wore uniform grey combat uniforms and sported Otogakure's forehead protectors. Their movements were perfectly synchronized, their discipline strict... they were clearly no ordinary Ninja.
The four leaders met in the center of the square.
Sakon/Ukon, Kidomaru, Tayuya, and Jirobo.
The Sound Five from the original work, now reduced to just four.
Because the strongest, the genius Kimimaro whom Orochimaru valued most, had been taken by Shura to the Land of Stars during the turmoil in Kirigakure.
Although Orochimaru was very displeased, he could do nothing about it.
Without Kimimaro, among the remaining underlings under Orochimaru's command, Sakon/Ukon relied on his ruthless methods and strength that surpassed his peers to quickly become the leader of the four.
"Are all the personnel and supplies here?" Sakon licked his dark green lips and glanced at the other three.
Kidomaru replied: "All the units are in place. Twenty squads, a total of sixty men, all elites."
Jirobo let out a deep, rumbling sound: "The explosive tags and various supplies needed for this surprise attack are ready, enough to destroy the important buildings and facilities in Konoha that Orochimaru-sama specified. Additionally, poison gas bombs and smoke bombs have been prepared to create chaos."
Tayuya popped the bubble of gum in her mouth and said impatiently: "The loophole in Konoha's village-protecting barrier that Orochimaru-sama provided has already been tested. It's still usable."
Sakon nodded, a satisfied smile spreading across his dark green lips.
Back when Orochimaru defected from Konoha, he certainly didn't leave alone.
He had operated in Konoha for many years, secretly nurturing many followers. Although some, like Mitarashi Anko, chose to remain in Konoha, quite a few were willing to follow Orochimaru.
These followers were all Ninja nurtured by the Great Ninja Village of Konoha, with solid foundations and strength far exceeding that of Ninja from ordinary small villages.
They were also the backbone force behind Orochimaru's establishment of Otogakure.
For this [Konoha Crush Plan], Orochimaru had deployed these old subordinates to form a surprise attack unit along with other Otogakure's Ninja.
The plan was that when Konoha fell into chaos internally due to the Chunin Exams and Orochimaru's assault, this unit, which are familiar with Konoha's terrain and understanding its defense systems, would launch a surprise attack from the outside, attacking from within and without to maximize the damage to Konoha.
"Very good," Sakon said, looking around at the three. "The others should rest and await orders according to the plan, maintaining concealment. Kidomaru, Tayuya, Jirobo, you three will accompany me to Konoha to rendezvous with Orochimaru-sama. He has new instructions."
"Yes!" The three replied in unison.
Tayuya spat out her chewing gum and pulled a short flute from her waist, spinning it in her hand. "It's finally about to begin."
Kidomaru formed hand seals with all six of his hands simultaneously, his body slowly merging into the shadows on the ground, only his voice lingering in the air: "Konoha's Ninja... I wonder if they'll let me enjoy myself."
Sakon ignored his companions' chatter.
He raised his hand and made several gestures to the Otogakure's Ninja waiting nearby.
Those well-trained Ninja immediately understood, silently dispersing and hiding among the ruins and trees, as if they had never appeared.
The square returned to its deathly silence.