Everyone stood in tense silence, waiting for Hiruzen Sarutobi's answer.
The Third Hokage raised his head, his weathered face grave as he spoke. "The epitome of battle between the allied nations."
"What do you mean?" someone called out, unable to contain their confusion.
Hiruzen's voice carried across the examination hall with the weight of decades of experience. "Historically speaking, the countries that are now our allies were once neighboring nations locked in constant warfare. To avoid mutual destruction, each nation agreed to select this specialized battleground. That is the true origin of the Chunin Selection Exam."
He continued, elaborating on the examination's history and purpose. With each explanation, the candidates' understanding deepened. This wasn't simply a test to earn a promotion. It was a stage where ninja villages demonstrated their strength, where they bore the prestige and reputation of their entire nations.
The purpose became clear: show overwhelming strength in this exam, and the daimyos, princes, and celebrities watching from the stands would assign more lucrative missions to your village. More missions meant more funding, more resources, more power.
A ninja village didn't represent just itself. It represented an entire country.
To secure more mission contracts, to prove your nation's military might, you had to display superior strength in this examination. You had to fight with everything you had, not just for yourself, but for your country, for your village, for everyone depending on you.
This exam was also an opportunity to demonstrate diplomatic strength without actual bloodshed.
The candidates had entered thinking this was merely a promotion test. They hadn't expected such deep political undercurrents flowing beneath the surface.
For a moment, emotions rippled through the gathered genin. Excitement, nervousness, determination, all mixing together in a complicated stew.
Compared to the others, Gaara remained utterly calm. His arms stayed crossed over his chest, his expression unchanged as he spoke flatly. "Whatever. Compared to all that political talk, why don't we get to the actual content of this exam where we risk our lives?"
Hearing Gaara's blunt words, Hiruzen nodded slightly. "Very well. Then I'll introduce the content of the third exam..."
"I'm very sorry, Hokage-sama."
A new voice interrupted. A ninja wearing a standard Konoha chunin vest appeared in the center of the examination hall, dropping to one knee before Hiruzen. His face was partially obscured by a lock of dark hair that fell across his forehead.
"Please forgive my interruption," he continued respectfully. "But the rules from this point forward should be explained by me, Gekko Hayate, as the designated referee."
Hiruzen studied the kneeling ninja for a moment, then inclined his head. "I'll leave it to you, then."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Moonlight Hayate rose to his feet, turning to face the assembled candidates. "Hello, everyone. I'm Hayate, and I'll be..."
He paused, his throat constricting. A cough forced its way up before he could suppress it.
"Ahem."
The sound was quiet, barely noticeable. Several candidates shifted their weight, waiting for him to continue.
"Before the third exam begins..." Hayate tried to push through. "We need to... cough, cough, COUGH..."
Another series of hacking coughs erupted from his chest. This time, they were louder, wetter, more concerning.
The moment that second coughing fit started, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression transformed completely. His eyes widened with alarm. Around the room, several of the older jonin instructors, those who'd lived through the Third Shinobi World War, went rigid with recognition.
Their faces drained of color.
Hiruzen shot to his feet, his voice cracking with urgency as he shouted, "MEDICAL TEAM! Get the medical team here immediately! Hayate needs to be quarantined NOW! We need a full examination!"
As the examiner, Hayate's expression shifted to confusion and concern. He turned toward the Hokage, raising one hand placatingly. "Hokage-sama, I just have a small cough, it's nothing serious. Cough, cough..."
"STOP TALKING!" Hiruzen's command thundered through the hall with uncharacteristic panic. "Everyone, cover your mouths and noses! Don't breathe the air directly!"
Before Hayate could protest further, several medical staff members burst into the examination hall. They wore full surgical masks and gloves, and they carried a stretcher between them with practiced efficiency. They surrounded Hayate immediately.
"Wait, I'm fine! Really, I'm completely fine!" Hayate's protests grew more frantic as the medical team lifted him onto the stretcher. "I can still referee! Let me continue as the referee!"
His increasingly desperate shouts echoed as the medical staff carried him out of the hall at a near run, heading toward the isolation ward. The doors slammed shut behind them with an ominous finality.
Even with Hayate removed, the tension in the room didn't ease. Hiruzen's face remained grim, and the veteran ninja instructors continued exchanging worried glances.
Might Guy stepped forward, his normally enthusiastic demeanor replaced by unusual seriousness. He raised his voice so all the candidates could hear. "All candidates, evacuate the examination hall immediately! Wait for further notice before returning for the exam!"
Kakashi turned to Naruto and Sasuke beside him, his visible eye grave. "You two, go outside with the others."
"Kakashi-sensei, what's happening?" Naruto's face showed genuine puzzlement. "What's wrong? It was just a cough."
Kakashi shook his head, his voice quiet. "Lord Third will explain everything to you shortly. For now, just go."
The candidates filed out of the examination hall in a confused daze, murmuring questions to each other. None of them understood the severity of what they'd just witnessed. As they passed through the doorway, Hiruzen's commanding voice reached them one final time.
"Quickly! Perform a full disinfection of the entire examination hall! Leave nothing untreated!"
Ten minutes passed in tense silence outside the venue.
When Mitarashi Anko finally appeared at the entrance again, relief flickered across several faces. "All candidates may now re-enter the examination hall and prepare for the exam to continue."
The genin followed Anko back inside, their confusion only growing.
The moment they crossed the threshold, a powerful chemical smell assaulted their senses. The entire room reeked of disinfectant, so strong it made eyes water and throats burn. Every surface gleamed with excess moisture. They'd scrubbed everything.
More concerning was the fact that Hiruzen and all the jonin instructors still wore expressions of deep seriousness. Whatever had happened, they clearly didn't consider the danger passed.
The candidates reformed their three rows. Naruto and Sasuke returned to Kakashi's side, both watching the Third Hokage carefully.
"I imagine all of you have questions about what just occurred." Hiruzen's voice had regained its usual composure, but an edge remained. He studied the confused faces before him.
"That's right," one brave candidate called out. "Hayate-sensei just coughed a few times. Why did he have to be quarantined? It seemed excessive."
Hiruzen's expression grew even more grave. He looked directly at the student who'd spoken, and when he replied, his voice carried the weight of terrible experience.
"Perhaps, in your eyes, this seems like a very small matter. A trivial thing." He paused, letting that sink in. "However, to those of us who have lived through war, who have witnessed the aftermath of prolonged conflict, coughing is never trivial."
His words fell like stones into still water, sending ripples of unease through the young genin.
"You have never experienced war," Hiruzen continued, his tone growing softer but no less serious. "You are the fortunate ones, born into this era of relative peace. You don't know the true cruelty of warfare. You don't understand what it means."
He gestured broadly, encompassing all of them. "War's cruelty isn't limited to death by kunai and jutsu. Some die from violence, yes. But many more die from something far more insidious. Something that spreads invisibly through camps and villages and cities."
The Hokage's next word came out heavy with dread. "Plague."
Several candidates shifted uncomfortably. The word hung in the air like poison gas.
"War and plague are eternal companions," Hiruzen said flatly. "This is an unchangeable truth written across human history. When battles rage, when thousands die in short periods, when armies move too quickly to properly dispose of bodies, when water sources become contaminated, when sanitation collapses under the pressure of conflict..." He paused. "That's when disease emerges."
His eyes swept across the young faces before him, most of whom had never seen real combat. "Entire battalions can be wiped out not by enemy ninja, but by illness that spreads through their ranks like wildfire. I've seen it happen. Many of us here have."
Behind Hiruzen, the older instructors nodded grimly. Asuma's jaw was clenched tight. Kurenai's hands had formed fists at her sides. Kakashi's visible eye had darkened with memory.
"So yes, we must pay attention, even to something as seemingly insignificant as a cough." Hiruzen's voice grew firm again. "Right now, we can only hope that Hayate is suffering from a simple cold. Nothing more than that. But until we're certain, until the medical team has completed their examination and confirmed there's no risk, we cannot be careless."
He finished speaking, his expression solemn. Behind him, those terrifying ninja who'd survived wars and understood their true horror maintained equally grave faces.
The examination hall fell completely silent.
None of the candidates had anything to say. They'd never experienced war. They'd only read about it in history books, seen sanitized accounts in academy textbooks. They understood, intellectually, that war was cruel. But they'd never truly comprehended the depth of that cruelty until this moment.
The major hidden villages had been established precisely to reduce warfare, to create stability and peace. Peace had always been humanity's greatest aspiration, the dream that drove civilization forward.
And these young genin, standing in this disinfected examination hall, were beginning to understand how fragile that peace truly was.
"Since Hayate has been quarantined," Hiruzen said, breaking the heavy silence, "Chief Examiner Mitarashi Anko will explain the rules of the third exam in his place."
Hearing her name, Anko straightened up and performed a respectful bow. "Yes, Hokage-sama. I'm honored."
She turned to face the eighteen remaining candidates, and her usual mischievous grin spread across her face, completely at odds with the somber mood. "Well then! I'll be taking over as the examiner for the third exam in place of /Hayate. Hehehe, Lord Hokage better give me a pay raise for this. I'm getting a little excited just thinking about the extra money!"
Several candidates' expressions went flat at her inappropriate enthusiasm. The mood shift was jarring.
Anko either didn't notice or didn't care. She continued cheerfully, "However, before I introduce the rules for the third exam, there's something everyone needs to complete first."
At her words, the candidates' expressions remained carefully neutral. By now, they'd learned that these exams always had weird preliminary conditions or surprise twists. They'd stopped being shocked by anything.
Seeing their lack of reaction, Anko felt a stab of disappointment. Where was the confusion? The nervous questions? These kids were no fun. With a sigh, she pressed on.
"What you need to complete is a preliminary selection round. This will determine whether you're actually qualified to participate in the third exam proper."
She paused dramatically, hoping for gasps of surprise.
Still nothing. The candidates simply stared at her, waiting for her to continue. They were conserving energy, not wasting it on pointless questions.
Anko's shoulders slumped slightly in defeat. "Fine, fine. I'll explain. You've heard what Hokage-sama said about the political nature of this exam. The audience will include daimyos from various nations, high-ranking nobility, wealthy clients, and other important people. For their sake, we can't let this exam drag on too long."
She gestured at the assembled genin. "Therefore, we need to reduce your numbers further. Some of you won't advance to the final round."
Finally, a few confused expressions appeared. Anko felt a small surge of satisfaction.
"You might be wondering why the third exam is beginning immediately after the second, without giving you time to recuperate from your injuries." She smiled. "Well, here's your answer. Right now, at this moment, you have that recuperation time. If any of you are feeling unwell, if you need to rest longer, if your injuries are too severe to continue..." She paused meaningfully. "You can withdraw from this exam."
The announcement hit like a thunderbolt. Several candidates straightened up in shock.
"This upcoming exam consists of individual battles," Anko continued seriously. "You'll have to fight with everything you have, possibly to the point of death. So if you choose to quit now, if you decide you need more time, no one here will think less of you. We respect every choice you make."
Her eyes swept across the three rows of genin. "I'll ask one more time, clearly and directly. Does anyone wish to withdraw from this examination? You have one minute to decide."
After Anko finished speaking, a complicated range of emotions played across the candidates' faces. Some clenched their fists, determination blazing in their eyes. They'd come too far to quit now. A ninja needed courage, needed the will to face any challenge.
But not everyone felt that way.
Within seconds of Anko's question hanging in the air, a hand rose tentatively.
"Um, Mitarashi Anko-sama? I'd like to withdraw."
Every head turned toward the voice. All eyes locked onto the candidate who'd spoken.
Naruto recognized him immediately. Before the exam had started, this person, Kabuto Yakushi, had acted like an experienced veteran and pointed at Naruto condescendingly. So Naruto had stuck him to the wall.
Thinking about it now, that had been rather rude. He should have properly made friends with Kabuto at the time instead of just throwing him.
But wait. If Kabuto was withdrawing now, couldn't Naruto make friends with him during the withdrawal process? The timing was perfect!
Naruto's eyes lit up with realization and opportunity.
Mitarashi Anko held up the candidate file folder, flipping through pages until she found the right one. "You're Konoha's Kabuto Yakushi, correct?"
As she asked the question, disappointment colored her voice. She'd expected some candidates to quit, sure. But she'd hoped it wouldn't be one of Konoha's own genin. She scanned through Kabuto's file quickly. Six consecutive Chunin Exam attempts. Six failures. Not even promoted once.
Her disappointment deepened into something approaching contempt. But the rules were the rules. She couldn't stop someone from voluntarily withdrawing, no matter how much she wanted to.
"Kabuto Yakushi," she said flatly. "You're dismissed. You may leave now."
"Yes, ma'am." Kabuto adjusted his glasses with one finger, then turned and walked out of the formation.
His teammate, a genin named Kai, glanced at Kabuto's departing back but said nothing. They'd already received word from Lord Orochimaru. The Konoha Crush plan had been postponed indefinitely. Orochimaru had more important priorities now, apparently.
So Kai didn't question Kabuto's withdrawal. There was no reason to continue with the exam if the original mission had been cancelled.
Watching Kabuto's retreating figure, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. He murmured under his breath, too quiet for most to hear. "That young man... I seem to recall seeing him take the Chunin Selection Exam multiple times before. And he always withdraws partway through. What could he be planning?"
The Third Hokage's gaze shifted to Mitarashi Anko. "Show me that candidate's file."
"Yes, Lord Third." Anko walked over and handed him the folder.
Hiruzen flipped through Kabuto's information methodically. Graduated from the Ninja Academy at age nine. Took the Chunin Exam six times over the years. On paper, everything looked ordinary. Unremarkable, even.
Finally, Anko offered the only detail of potential significance. "Lord Third, do you remember during the Battle of Kikyo Pass, when our medical team rescued an enemy child from the battlefield?"
Recognition flickered across Hiruzen's weathered face. "It's him?"
He fell silent, but his mind was already working. After this examination concluded, he would dispatch ANBU to investigate this Kabuto Yakushi more thoroughly. Something didn't add up.
Meanwhile, near the side of the examination hall, Naruto turned to Kakashi and Sasuke. "I'm going outside for a moment."
"Going out?" Sasuke's eyebrow rose in confusion. "Naruto, wait a bit. Hinata's match is about to start. Didn't you say you came here to cheer everyone on?"
"I'll be quick. Just wait a minute."
Without further explanation, Naruto hurried out of the building at a fast walk that quickly became a jog.
His departure didn't attract much attention. A few of his friends noticed. Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced up briefly, registered Naruto leaving, then looked away without comment.
The Third Hokage's current attitude toward Naruto was simple: as long as Naruto didn't do anything to actively harm Konoha, he wouldn't interfere. Let the boy do as he pleased.
Outside, Naruto accelerated to his top normal speed, not wanting to miss too much of the exam. He finally caught up with Kabuto just as the older boy was passing through the building's main gate.
"Hey! Senior Kabuto, please wait a moment!"
Kabuto stopped and turned around slowly. When he saw who'd called out to him, his expression went carefully neutral, but internally, warning bells started ringing.
Of course he remembered Naruto. Before the exam, he'd accepted orders from Lord Orochimaru to make contact with Sasuke Uchiha, to test him, to gather information. Then this blonde kid had appeared and slammed him against the wall hard enough to crack the stone.
After emerging from the Forest of Death, Kabuto had met with Orochimaru face to face. The legendary Sannin had given him a new assignment: investigate Naruto Uzumaki's daily schedule and habits. That told Kabuto everything he needed to know. In Orochimaru's heart, Naruto had become more important than even Sasuke Uchiha.
And now Naruto had chased him down. What exactly was this about?
Kabuto's mind raced through possibilities, none of them good. A bad premonition settled in his gut like a stone.
Since he'd left the Forest of Death with his teammates immediately after the exam concluded, Kabuto knew nothing about Naruto's habit of stopping other candidates to "make friends." If he'd known, he would've used a Body Flicker to escape the moment he heard Naruto's voice.
Naruto came to a stop directly in front of Kabuto. Then, to the older boy's complete shock, Naruto bent forward at a perfect ninety-degree angle.
"Senior Kabuto, what I did before, sticking you to the wall like that, was completely inappropriate. I'm truly sorry." Naruto's voice carried genuine sincerity. "I apologize for my rudeness."
Just to apologize? Kabuto felt the tension drain from his shoulders like water. Relief washed through him. "Naruto, I've already forgotten about that incident. You don't need to feel guilty about it. Really, it's fine."
He was one of the people who'd witnessed Naruto's battle with Orochimaru firsthand. Even if Naruto hadn't apologized, Kabuto certainly wouldn't have dared to hold a grudge against someone who'd killed one of the Legendary Sannin. Self-preservation came first.
Kabuto adjusted his glasses and put on his most helpful, earnest expression. "Is there something I can help you with, Naruto? If it's within my power, I'll definitely assist you as your senior. Just say the word."
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