Talent System In The Naruto Universe

At the entrance of Tsunade's house, Hanekawa stood gazing at the snowy sky, momentarily lost in thought.

He recalled the Chūnin Exam rules that Asuma Sarutobi mentioned last week. They were not much different from the rules in the Chūnin Exam that Naruto participated in.

The only major difference lay in the second stage, the team battle.

In the original series, the goal was to collect Heaven and Earth scrolls and reach the tower in the Forest of Death. However, since this Chūnin Exam was exclusive to Konoha and had fewer participants, that method wasn't suitable.

Asuma only mentioned that the second stage involved crossing the Forest of Death as quickly as possible.

A race? Hanekawa pondered.

"Hanekawa!"

A cheerful voice called out, drawing closer. Hanekawa looked up to see Kurenai Yuhi running toward him with a bright smile on her face.

Perhaps influenced by him, Kurenai now favored a single ponytail over her original shoulder-length hairstyle. This gave her a youthful, vibrant charm that replaced her previously mature aura.

"Are you cold?" Hanekawa noticed her flushed cheeks and asked.

"Not at all," Kurenai replied, shaking her head.

"Let me warm you up," Hanekawa said, extending his hand as her eyes filled with curiosity.

A gentle flow of chakra emitted from his hand, turning into warmth.

With his current level of chakra control and mastery of chakra nature transformation, using this fire-based chakra technique was effortless. After all, his C-grade perk "Five Element Chūnin" gave him a 100% mastery bonus for all five chakra natures.

Feeling the warmth on her cheeks, Kurenai froze for a moment. Then, as her heart raced, the redness on her face deepened.

Hearing footsteps approaching, she quickly stepped back, putting some distance between them.

"Hanekawa, good morning!" Might Guy greeted enthusiastically.

"Good morning," Hanekawa replied with a slight nod, looking at Kakashi Hatake, Obito Uchiha, and Rin Nohara standing beside him.

"I bumped into them on the way," Rin explained.

"Bumped into? More like—" Might Guy began but was swiftly interrupted.

"Guy!" Obito quickly gave him a sharp look. "It was just a coincidence!"

Might Guy blinked, paused, and tried to speak again, only to be cut off once more.

"Kurenai," Rin asked with concern, "why is your face so red?"

"Huh?" Kurenai panicked, fanning herself with her hand. "I ran over here, so I'm a bit hot."

"The Chūnin Exam is about to start. Let's not waste time and talk as we walk," Hanekawa interjected with a light cough, steering the conversation.

"Let's go!" Might Guy exclaimed, clenching his fists in excitement. "I can already feel my youth burning!"

Hanekawa glanced sympathetically at Kakashi. How does he tolerate Guy for so long? That's a feat in itself.

Kakashi remained silent, while Kurenai secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She cast a quick glance at Hanekawa, blaming him for the awkward situation.

"Let's go, Kurenai," Hanekawa called back after taking a few steps.

"Coming!" Kurenai quickly followed, a smile unconsciously forming on her face.

---

The first stage of the Chūnin Exam was a written test, and the venue was set in the Ninja Academy.

"Which exam room are you in?" Asuma asked as they walked. "I'm in the first room. Anyone with me?"

"Our team is in the first room," Rin replied.

"Great!" Obito said happily. "Rin, let's sit together!"

"You'll be disqualified if you're caught cheating," Kakashi reminded him, expressionless.

"Hey!" Obito protested. "Arrogant Kakashi! I don't need to cheat!"

"Actually, cheating is allowed," Hanekawa suddenly said with a smile.

"What?" Everyone looked at him, surprised.

"The written test doesn't just assess theoretical knowledge but also the ability to cheat under the examiner's nose without getting caught," Hanekawa explained. "But if you're caught, you'll have to wait until next year to try again."

"I see!" Obito's eyes lit up. Who could cheat better than someone with Sharingan? Your answers will become mine!

"How do you cheat?" Guy scratched his head, puzzled.

"You should just focus on answering honestly," Kakashi advised, glancing at him.

With Guy's flamboyant style, it would be a miracle if he wasn't caught cheating.

"Hey, what's that white-haired guy doing?" Kurenai pointed to a figure crouching on the academy's wall.

"Peeking?" Asuma's sense of justice flared up as he noticed the sneaky behavior. "How shameless can someone be?!"

Kakashi squinted, finding the figure familiar.

Hanekawa had already recognized him—it was Jiraiya.

"Hmph!" Asuma declared righteously. "Wait here, everyone!"

"Wait!" Hanekawa called out.

Kakashi Hatake instinctively called out, but it was too late.

"You scoundrel!"

Asuma Sarutobi leapt up, grabbing at the man's hair.

"Didn't your old man teach you manners?"

In a flash, Jiraiya appeared behind him, lifting Asuma by the collar instead.

"Let me go, you pervert!" Asuma's face turned bright red.

He had intended to look cool but ended up embarrassing himself in front of Hanekawa and the others.

"Pervert?!" Jiraiya growled, clearly annoyed. "I am Jiraiya, the Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku!"

"You're Jiraiya?" Asuma froze, staring at him.

Though it had been years, this man matched the Jiraiya in his memories.

"I even held you when you were a baby," Jiraiya said, letting go of him.

Asuma pouted, unimpressed. Even if you pull the seniority card, it doesn't change your reputation as a lecher.

He had heard plenty of stories about Jiraiya's antics.

"Lord Jiraiya," Kakashi and the others greeted respectfully.

"Uncle Jiraiya," Hanekawa addressed him differently, being Tsunade's student.

"Hanekawa, is your teacher not here?" Jiraiya asked.

"She's at home," Hanekawa replied.

"Not at the casino?" Jiraiya asked, shocked.

"Uncle Jiraiya, what are you doing here?" Hanekawa quickly shifted the topic.

"Peeping, obviously!" Asuma snapped, still upset.

"Watch your mouth, kid!" Jiraiya shot him a glare before explaining seriously, "I'm observing the skills of the Chūnin Exam participants."

"You're the proctor?" Hanekawa raised an eyebrow.

"Sharp as ever!" Jiraiya grinned proudly. "I'm the proctor for the second stage."

Asuma's eyes widened in horror. Great, the exam hasn't even started, and I've already offended the proctor.

"Kid," Jiraiya said, patting Asuma's shoulder, "I'll be keeping a special eye on you for your dad."

Asuma could only force a smile that looked worse than crying.

"Alright, go take your written exam," Jiraiya said, leaping back onto the wall. "See you this afternoon."

Hanekawa and the others bid him farewell and entered the academy.

---

In the original series' joint Chūnin Exam, Konoha had 87 genin participants—far surpassing other villages, even the Sand Village, which only sent 30.

This time, the number was smaller, with 54 genin divided into two exam rooms.

Hanekawa's team was assigned to the first room, so they went straight to a classroom on the first floor.

The room was already bustling with participants, who whispered among themselves upon seeing them.

Though young, they were quite well-known in Konoha, especially Hanekawa, whose fame was the greatest.

"Damn it!" Asuma grumbled. "Why does everyone know Hanekawa and not me?"

Despite being the Hokage's son and a hero at the Fire Country's borders, his deeds seemed overshadowed.

"It's because of Hanekawa's strength!" Kurenai said proudly, crossing her arms.

"Or maybe because he's a lead doctor at Konoha Hospital," Shizune suggested thoughtfully.

After becoming Sakumo Hatake's student, Shizune had decided to learn medical ninjutsu and frequently heard about Hanekawa's achievements from Nonō Yakushi.

"Just lucky," Hanekawa replied with a modest smile.

"Once I beat you, my fame will surpass yours!" Asuma declared stubbornly.

"No!" Might Guy shouted passionately. "Hanekawa is my rival! This is the promise of our youth!"

What promise? Hanekawa's mouth twitched.

"I'll be the ultimate victor!" Obito Uchiha clenched his fist. "I'll show you all what it means to be an Uchiha!"

"Quiet!"

A round, stocky young man entered the classroom. It was clearly a member of the Akimichi clan.

"I am your proctor, Akimichi Doto," he said sternly. "The only rule is no cheating. If you're caught, you're disqualified."

With a wave of his hand, two assistants stepped forward to distribute the exam papers.

Hanekawa quickly recalled who Doto was—Minato Namikaze's comrade during the Third Great Ninja War.

"Begin the exam," Doto announced.

Hanekawa glanced at the questions, which were far more difficult than the academy's theory tests. Still, they were manageable for him. Picking up his pen, he started answering.

Others showcased their skills, whether by writing answers or using creative methods to cheat.

After two hours, Doto collected the papers.

At that moment, a figure leapt through the classroom window.

"Listen up! I am the unparalleled white-haired sage, the Toad Sage who silences crying children with my presence—Lord Jiraiya!"

Jiraiya stood before them, striking a flamboyant pose.

The room fell into an awkward silence.

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