Talent System In The Naruto Universe

"He's Lord Jiraiya? One of the Legendary Sannin from Konoha?"

"He's nothing like what I imagined."

"He doesn't seem very reliable."

After a few moments of silence, the room burst into hushed commentary.

In their minds, the Legendary Sannin were supposed to be heroic figures. But Jiraiya's antics shattered that image.

Hanekawa shook his head.

In the shinobi world, strength is what matters most. That's how the Legendary Sannin came to be.

If judged by their personalities and actions, the Sannin would probably be seen as the "Three Menaces" of Konoha—symbolizing gambling, debauchery, and recklessness.

"You're early, Lord Jiraiya," Akimichi Doto quickly stepped forward.

"I figured the candidates would be thrilled to see me, so I came to greet them in advance," Jiraiya said with a smug grin.

"..." Akimichi Doto silently lamented, You're having the opposite effect.

"Hello, everyone!" Jiraiya waved enthusiastically, a broad smile on his face.

"I'm the proctor for the second stage. Don't mistake me for someone else this afternoon!"

"Fight Jiraiya? Are you serious?"

"He's the proctor, not a participant! Don't suggest something so terrifying!"

"The difficulty's definitely going to be insane. We're doomed!"

The classroom buzzed with chatter.

Hanekawa was equally surprised. He couldn't understand why Jiraiya was the proctor. Could it have something to do with me?

Unable to come up with a reason, he decided not to dwell on it. After all, the identity of the proctor didn't really matter to him.

"See you this afternoon," Jiraiya said cheerfully before leaning back and vanishing, leaving behind a startled crowd and a shattered window.

"..." Akimichi Doto stared at the broken glass, speechless. I'll have to report this to the Hokage and charge Jiraiya-sama for the repairs.

Being from the Akimichi clan, most of his funds went to food and drink—he didn't have spare cash for such damages.

"Silence!" Doto turned to the class, his voice stern.

The room quieted immediately, the students abandoning their gossip about Jiraiya.

"The written exam results will be posted on the bulletin board. Check them yourselves," Doto announced. "The second stage starts at 2 PM. Those who pass the written exam should gather at the First Training Ground on time."

"Yes, sir!" the group responded in unison.

"The results will be posted in about an hour." With that, Doto left the classroom, carrying the test papers.

Hanekawa recalled the so-called "Tenth Question" from the original series' Chūnin Exams. However, this exam didn't have it—it was just a standard written test.

"How about we grab some lunch at Ichiraku Ramen while we wait?" Asuma Sarutobi suggested.

"Sounds good," Shisui Uchiha nodded, smiling. "I haven't had Ichiraku in a while—I've missed it."

"Then it's settled!" Kurenai Yuhi said enthusiastically, grabbing Hanekawa's arm and leading the group out.

"Damn it!" Asuma clenched his teeth in frustration. "I need to find a girlfriend!"

The shinobi world had a reputation for early maturity, and at 12 or 13, relationships weren't unheard of.

"What's a girlfriend?" Might Guy asked, genuinely puzzled.

"It's your youth," Kakashi Hatake replied dryly before leaving the classroom.

"Youth!" Guy exclaimed excitedly, chasing after him. "Let's see who gets to Ichiraku first!"

Obito Uchiha's eyes filled with jealousy. Why does Hanekawa always get the good fortune? I want Rin to treat me like that.

"Rin, wait for me!" Obito called out, running after her.

Meanwhile, Shizune remained quiet. She was solely focused on improving her medical-ninja skills. Like Rin, she often felt overshadowed by her overly strong teammates, particularly Shisui.

---

The group soon arrived at Ichiraku Ramen.

"Welcome!" Teuchi greeted them with a warm smile. "To celebrate your Chūnin Exams, extra noodles are on the house today!"

"Huh? Uncle Teuchi, how did you know we're taking the Chūnin Exams today?" Kurenai asked, surprised.

"Don't underestimate my information network!" Teuchi said, winking.

"Thank you, Uncle Teuchi," Hanekawa said, recalling how Teuchi often treated Naruto Uzumaki generously in the original series.

He felt that Ichiraku Ramen played a significant role in preventing Naruto from straying to a darker path.

"It's nothing," Teuchi replied, waving it off. "Just come by often in the future."

Hanekawa glanced around. Among their group, there were no members of the Akimichi or Hyūga clans. Otherwise, Teuchi would have taken a financial hit today.

After finishing their ramen, the group returned to the ninja academy, chatting and laughing.

At the bulletin board near the entrance, a crowd of candidates had already gathered. However, the results hadn't been posted yet, leaving everyone waiting in anticipation.

"I hope I pass," Uchiha Obito clasped his hands together in prayer.

"Did you do it yourself?" Sarutobi Asuma looked at him skeptically.

Among the crowd, it was likely only Obito and Might Guy who were on shaky ground with the written test.

"Of... of course!" Obito replied, somewhat guilty.

In front of Nohara Rin, he didn't dare admit the truth. But without cheating, he feared failing and becoming a laughingstock.

"How about you, Guy? How do you feel?" Hatake Kakashi asked while staring at the bulletin board.

"I feel great!" Might Guy exclaimed confidently. "My youth won't end here!"

"…" Kakashi felt like he had worried for nothing. Guy seemed fearless as always.

"It's fine as long as we pass," Asuma said nonchalantly. "Rank doesn't matter."

"You're just saying that because you can't take first place," Kurenai Yuhi teased. "After all, the top spot will definitely go to Hanekawa!"

"No way!" Asuma protested. "As a shinobi, survival is the top priority!"

That wasn't entirely untrue—it was something he had learned deeply while working on missions with Sakumo Hatake.

Their team was strong, but the missions they took on were often highly dangerous.

"They're posting it now," Hanekawa noticed Eichiro approaching the bulletin board to put up the list.

The waiting candidates rushed forward.

"I passed! I passed!"

"Why isn't my name here?!"

"Damn it! This has to be rigged!"

Some cried in despair, while others shouted in excitement.

"As expected, first place is Hanekawa!" Kurenai exclaimed happily after glancing at the rankings. She turned to him, clearly pleased.

"What about you?" Hanekawa asked, patting her head.

"F-Fifth place," Kurenai answered, turning away as her face reddened. She used to be unfazed by head pats, but now they felt oddly different.

"I passed!" Might Guy shouted, full of energy. "Youth burns brightly once more!"

"Rin, you're second place," Obito said, a tinge of regret in his voice. If only he'd scored a bit higher, he could've beaten Hanekawa.

"Second is already great," Nohara Rin replied with a smile. "And you're twenty-first. Congratulations."

"Thanks…" Obito scratched his head, feeling conflicted. How did I only get twenty-first? Did I cheat for nothing?

"Everyone passed!" Shisui Uchiha said after scanning the list, smiling brightly.

Hanekawa nodded slightly.

Out of the 54 genin who took the test, 45 passed, leaving only nine eliminated. Compared to the Chūnin Exams in the original series, this one was significantly less difficult.

"Let's head to the First Training Ground," Hanekawa said, shifting his gaze away. "The Chūnin Exam focuses on the second and third stages. Be prepared."

"Don't worry!" Asuma said confidently. "I'll blow your mind when the time comes!"

"Good luck," Hanekawa replied with a smile.

"Why do I feel like you're underestimating me?" Asuma huffed.

"Let's go!" Kurenai suddenly grabbed Hanekawa's arm and pulled him along.

Asuma gritted his teeth. You two are too much!

"Rin, do you feel ready?" Obito asked, looking at her.

"I'll do my best," Rin said, shaking her head.

"You ranked high on the written test, so there might be a bonus," Shizune interjected. As a fellow medical ninja, she understood Rin's concerns.

"You'll definitely pass!" Obito said with unwarranted confidence.

Rin didn't take his words seriously, still feeling a bit nervous.

"Don't worry," Hanekawa reassured from ahead. "You'll all do fine."

"Really?" Rin's eyes lit up instinctively.

Hanekawa's strength and foresight gave her immense trust in his words.

"Yeah," Hanekawa nodded lightly. He could see the future, after all.

Rin exhaled in relief, her burden lightened.

"…" Obito clenched his fists. Damn it! Why does she trust him and not me?

Evil Hanekawa! His eyes burned red with envy, as if he had swallowed a bitter lemon.

"What's that?"

Suddenly, the candidates traveling with Hanekawa exclaimed in astonishment.

"It's huge!"

Uchiha Obito instinctively looked up and asked, "Why is there such a huge toad?"

In the middle of the First Training Ground stood an enormous toad holding a pipe in its mouth.

"There's someone on top of it!" Shizune said in a daze. "It's Lord Jiraiya."

"You guys don't know about this, do you?" Sarutobi Asuma coughed, ready to explain, but was interrupted.

"That's Jiraiya's summoned beast," Hanekawa said. "It comes from Mount Myoboku, one of the Three Great Summoning Grounds."

He even recognized the toad—Gamabunta. Known as the Toad Boss by Uzumaki Naruto, it was incredibly powerful, capable of holding its own against Shukaku in battle.

So he's summoning it now? Hanekawa already had a good guess about the second exam's contents.

"It looks amazing," Nohara Rin couldn't help but say in awe.

"What's the big deal?" Kurenai Yuhi scoffed.

"Did you forget that Lady Tsunade also has a summoning beast? We'll sign a contract with it someday too!"

Rin froze for a moment, then grew excited. The thought of having such a powerful summon in the future filled her with anticipation.

"Hanekawa, have you signed a contract yet?" Asuma suddenly asked, a serious look crossing his face.

"I have," Hanekawa replied with a nod.

"Then if you summon a beast from the Shikkotsu Forest, wouldn't that let you breeze through this test?" Asuma hesitated before grumbling, "That's cheating! Ugh, I should've asked the old man for his summoning beast!"

"My summon is a healing type," Hanekawa said with a shake of his head. "I won't use it."

"That's a relief," Asuma exhaled.

"What's the big deal about summons?" Obito said sourly. "Real strong ninjas don't need summoning beasts."

But deep down, he was drooling with envy.

Everyone knew a lot of the fame of the Three Legendary Sannin came from their powerful summons.

"Hey, you little brats! Come over here!" Jiraiya waved at them.

The group approached.

"The rules are simple," Jiraiya said once everyone was gathered. "Get through this forest of death ahead as fast as you can."

"That's it?" Kakashi asked skeptically. "Just a race?"

At that moment, Jiraiya leaped down from Gamabunta, landing in front of them. He formed a series of hand signs, and with a puff of smoke, a variety of toads of different shapes and sizes appeared.

"Along the way, they'll set traps and attack you, so be careful!" Jiraiya said with a grin.

The group instantly erupted into murmurs.

These were the legendary summons of the Sannin!

"A few reminders," Jiraiya raised two fingers.

"First, your team's slowest member will determine your time. Second, only the top seven teams will advance."

"What?"

"Half of us will be eliminated? I'm done for!"

"I didn't learn the Body Flicker Technique; I can't run fast!"

The candidates' faces filled with worry, some even sweating profusely.

"Alright!" Jiraiya laughed. "The test begins now! Good luck, everyone!"

At the sound of rushing wind, the group darted into the forest at full speed.

"See you at the finish line," Asuma said, running off with Shisui and Shizune.

Kakashi, Obito, and Might Guy quickly followed.

"Let's go," Hanekawa said, leaping into the trees and moving swiftly. Rin and Kurenai hurried to keep up.

Not long after, a swarm of toads hopped into the forest.

Jiraiya rubbed his chin. Should I make things harder for Hanekawa? If he summons Katsuyu, I'll have Gamabunta deal with it.

Perception Technique!

While running, Hanekawa formed hand signs. Suddenly, his brow furrowed. "Kurenai, to the left."

Without hesitation, Kurenai stopped and formed hand signs.

The next second, a blazing fireball shot out of the trees toward them.

Water Style: Water Formation Wall!

Kurenai spat out a stream of water, forming a wall to block the fireball.

Hanekawa retreated, disappearing from sight.

Rin drew her kunai, standing back-to-back with Kurenai as they scanned the surroundings warily.

"Where's that kid?"

A purplish-red toad scanned the area, confused.

The sharp sound of crackling lightning erupted.

The toad turned instinctively, only to be greeted by a blinding flash of electricity.

"Ahhhh!" the toad screamed as it was shocked into dizziness.

Hanekawa didn't kill it, as it was one of Jiraiya's summons.

"You… you pass…" the toad croaked weakly.

Its only thought was: Konoha genin… terrifying beyond belief!

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