Chapter 60: Giving the Genin a Little Shock
After several days of rest, the Iwagakure and Sunagakure ninja who'd traveled such long distances finally faced the Chunin Exams.
The vast Konoha examination hall was packed to capacity.
The majority of Konoha genin huddled together, scrutinizing the foreign village ninja with wary and hostile eyes.
Iwagakure and Sunagakure maintained a strained relationship with each other, so neither group bothered acknowledging the other. Each delegation clustered in separate corners.
"Tch, is this really the level of Konoha's genin?"
A Sunagakure participant glanced toward the Konoha section and immediately scoffed. "They're even sending old men in their fifties to take the Chunin Exams."
His companion laughed, words dripping with sarcasm. "Handa, don't underestimate them. Maybe that old man is Konoha's secret trump card, hahaha!"
"Exactly! Look—pfft, hahaha!"
Another burst out laughing. "That middle-aged guy is even wearing a ridiculous green bodysuit, and his hairstyle is absurd!"
The Sand ninja had been suppressing their anger for days, and now they made no effort to hide it. Their loud mockery drew furious glares from the Konoha side.
"Seriously, why did the Hokage let those two participate in the Chunin Exams too?!"
The Konoha genin felt equally embarrassed and muttered amongst themselves. "Might Guy and Maruboshi Kosuke—these eternal genin—what are they even doing here? They're making us look bad in front of those foreigners!"
Speaking of 'eternal genin,' one had to mention Konoha's two most 'legendary' figures.
Might Guy, who perpetually wore that green bodysuit, was technically a genin yet completely ignorant of ninjutsu and genjutsu—a hot-blooded idiot who specialized exclusively in taijutsu.
The other, Maruboshi Kosuke, was even more peculiar. Despite being in his fifties, he remained a genin!
Soon, the examiners for the first test appeared.
"Quiet down, you brats!"
Glancing at the restless examinees, the scar-faced examiner smirked with a slightly sinister expression. "If I hear even one more sound, you're disqualified immediately!"
Faced with the examiner's threat, the genin fell silent instantly. The entire examination hall became deathly quiet.
"Very good. Seems there aren't any complete idiots taking this exam."
The scar-faced examiner nodded in satisfaction before continuing. "The first exam is a written test. You have exactly 60 minutes to complete it. No talking or cheating allowed. If you're caught cheating twice, you'll be disqualified immediately—and your entire team will be disqualified with you. Understood?"
Without waiting for confirmation, he began distributing test papers one by one.
The rules had been explained clearly. Those who understood didn't need repetition, and those who didn't wouldn't understand no matter how many times you explained.
The exam officially began.
The Chunin proctors scanned the examinees with hawk-like eyes, occasionally glancing down to mark names on their boards.
"Number 28, eliminated!"
"Number 12, eliminated!"
"Number 47, eliminated!"
"Number 52, eliminated!"
Before long, the overcrowded classroom became significantly emptier.
Of the nearly eighty examinees, two-thirds were eliminated, leaving fewer than thirty remaining.
Naturally, Konoha suffered the largest losses.
Iwagakure had brought over twenty participants, but only nine remained. Meanwhile, almost all of the carefully selected genin from Sunagakure had passed.
"Tch, Konoha's level really is nothing special!"
Sunagakure's Umezono Chizu crossed her arms and glanced at the decimated Konoha ranks with a mocking laugh. "Less than half made it through!"
"Chizu, don't say that."
Her companion Daigo attempted to defend them, though his words still implied deep concern about Konoha genin quality. His mockery was completely undisguised. "They tried their best. They're just... too weak."
After the first written exam, not only the Sand ninja but even the Iwa ninja showed open disdain.
Weak... pathetically weak!
Konoha truly seemed to be in decline. The younger generation was embarrassingly feeble.
"In my opinion, even Kusagakure's genin are probably stronger than these guys, right?"
Daigo rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his words deliberately insulting.
What trash is Kusagakure, daring to compare them with Konoha?!
These words immediately drew furious glares from the remaining Konoha genin.
"Oh my, how terrifying."
Umezono Chizu sneered, her face showing no fear whatsoever. Instead, she looked toward the examiner and called out loudly. "Hey, examiner! Are we in any danger here?"
The Konoha Chunin proctor replied expressionlessly, "Fighting is prohibited in the examination hall. You're perfectly safe."
"That's good."
Umezono Chizu shrugged, deliberately feigning fear as she called to her companion. "Daigo, we still need to be careful! If these Konoha genin get angry and attack us, we'll be at a huge disadvantage with so few people!"
"Yeah, there's only a handful of us. We'd better watch out."
Daigo pretended to be worried, but his face was all smiles, showing no actual fear whatsoever.
"Enough with the small talk."
Seeing a fight about to erupt in the exam hall, the scar-faced examiner slowly stepped forward. "First of all, I congratulate you all on passing the first round of the Chunin Exams."
"Hey, examiner, can we start the next round already?"
Umezono Chizu interrupted him, arms crossed with an arrogant expression. "For such an easy exam, I don't think congratulations are necessary at all."
"Yeah, it was completely effortless."
Daigo chimed in mockingly. "Examiner, don't waste our time. If we'd known it would be this easy, we would've just stayed home in our village."
This remark drew agreement from the Iwagakure contingent. Though half their number had been eliminated, those remaining were undoubtedly elite.
"Very good. It seems everyone still has plenty of energy."
The scar-faced examiner, despite being openly provoked, showed no anger. Instead, he revealed a disturbingly playful smile. "Cherish this moment, you immature brats... because very soon, you'll deeply regret not being eliminated in the first round."
In the examiner's meaningful gaze, some perceptive examinees detected something different. If they weren't mistaken, it seemed to be... pity?
Wait. Why would he pity them?
Every examinee present felt a sudden chill run down their spine.
A vague sense of foreboding crept into their hearts.
"Tch, all talk and no substance!"
Umezono Chizu gritted her teeth, forcing herself to maintain confidence. "I'll see what kind of tricks Konoha has planned!"
Konoha, Forest of Death
The content of the second exam was so straightforward that everyone suspected something was wrong.
Simply reach the tower in the deepest part of the Forest of Death, retrieve a scroll from inside, and pass the exam.
They'd expected to encounter numerous obstacles along the way, but to their surprise, they'd proceeded cautiously through the entire forest without encountering a single trap or hindrance. It was almost suspiciously smooth.
"What the hell is Konoha planning?"
Umezono Chizu and her two companions, filled with confusion, entered the tower.
However, when they pushed open the tower's heavy doors and stepped inside, they were utterly horrified by what awaited them.
Inside the dimly lit tower, the mottled floor was littered with cruelly dismembered limbs and mutilated corpses. The overpowering stench of blood was nauseating, making their stomachs churn violently.
"Urgh—!"
Daigo couldn't hold back any longer and vomited.
"What... what the hell happened here?!"
Umezono Chizu's face turned deathly pale, goosebumps erupting across her entire body.
Just then, a figure covered in blood—half their head completely shattered, revealing white bone and torn flesh beneath—staggered toward them. They stretched out a mangled, blood-soaked hand. Their face was contorted with absolute terror as they cried out in a hoarse, desperate voice:
"Run! You have to run!
Report to the Hokage immediately! Someone has invaded Konoha!
All the examinees and examiners have been captured!"
As the person drew nearer, the fear in Umezono Chizu and Daigo's hearts reached its absolute peak!
"It's him!"
"That Uchiha!"
The bloodied figure before them—issuing this desperate warning—was none other than Uchiha Kazuki, the same man who'd casually killed Sentaro just yesterday!
"Quickly—"
Uchiha Kazuki tried to say something more, but cold steel flashed behind him.
CRACK!
A sickening sound, like a watermelon being smashed open.
Before the horrified eyes of Umezono Chizu, Daigo, and their companion, Kazuki's head was completely crushed by an enormous iron hammer.
Splatter...
White brain matter and crimson blood mixed together, flowing across the gore-stained floor.
As the headless body of Uchiha Kazuki collapsed forward, they finally saw what stood behind him.
A man nearly two meters tall with a burly, monstrous build. He wore a blood-red mask streaked with gore. His body was drenched in blood and viscera, covered by a filthy butcher's apron. In his massive hands, he gripped a rust-covered iron hammer and an exaggeratedly oversized serrated cleaver.
The figure took one thunderous step forward.
"Your turn."
[End of Chapter 60]
Author's Note:
Welcome to Kazuki's horror show! 😱
The genin who were so confident and mocking just moments ago are now facing what appears to be a brutal massacre scenario. And seeing "Uchiha Kazuki" get his head smashed right in front of them? That's some serious psychological warfare!
Of course, this is all genjutsu—the massive shared illusion that Kazuki and Inoichi created. But these poor genin don't know that. To them, this nightmare is completely real!
Questions:
How will the cocky Sand ninja handle this horror?
What happened to all the other examinees?
Will anyone figure out it's genjutsu before they're completely traumatized?
What other terrors has Kazuki prepared in this nightmare scenario?
This is going to be BRUTAL. Drop your reactions in the comments!
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