Over-the-Limit Reconnaissance

This year's joint Chunin Exam had a total of 153 Genin participants. The Sand sent ten squads, a standard delegation. The Hidden Leaf, flexing its muscle as the foremost ninja village, had 72 Genin participating—more than double that of the Sand.

Other villages, like the Hidden Rain, Hidden Grass, and Hidden Waterfall, contributed 21, 15, and 12 candidates respectively. These three villages were the most significant forces in the buffer zones of the Fire, Wind, and Earth countries.

The newly allied Hidden Sound Village symbolically sent one squad, with few taking this fledgling village seriously.

Apart from the Hidden Waterfall, which had little history with the Sand, and the Hidden Sound, bound by a secret pact, the Sand's relations with other villages were tenuous. The Hidden Leaf had to work tirelessly to smooth relations among its many unruly allies.

The strongest Sand ninjas occupied the best inn, while the other villages were scattered to prevent any incidents upon encounter.

As the day of the exam approached, the restless Genin settled down, focusing on their final preparations.

Senza was honing secret medicines, meticulously checking the bottles and vials in his ninja tool bag. Daimaru was sorting through a pile of materials on the table, carefully filing and sanding each piece.

Yoru, standing by the window, focused his chakra into his eyes, his pupils dilating and contracting as he adjusted focus, surveying potential rivals among the Genin.

"Yoru, that's enough. The exam is about to start; don't waste your chakra," commanded Daimaru.

Yoru's eyes returned to normal as he shook his head in disappointment. "The time was too short; some intel isn't detailed enough."

"It's already quite good. Your eyes might prove crucial in this Chunin Exam," reassured Daimaru. While Yoru's abilities couldn't match the Sharingan or Byakugan in combat enhancement, his long-distance observation skills even surpassed Shino Aburame's insect reconnaissance range, which was impressive.

Under the right conditions, Yoru could use reflections in airborne water droplets as relays to observe movements dozens of kilometers away. In theory, the entire Forest of Death was within his sight.

Even without abilities to copy, mimic, dynamically observe, or see through chakra, Yoru's talents were highly anticipated.

Compared to Yoru, Senza had a stronger overall skill set but lacked such a distinctive specialty.

"Check everything once more, rest a bit, then we'll have lunch and head out!" The Leaf Genin had a deadline of 3 PM to assemble before the exam, while other villages were to arrive by 1 PM to avoid delays during the qualification process.

"Lastly, remember what I said: in team battles, no matter what happens, don't act rashly. Follow my lead!" Daimaru stated gravely.

"Don't overestimate the participants. If we encounter an insurmountable challenge, it's likely others can't overcome it either. We don't need to be the best; just performing better than most competitors is enough."

"Got it!" Senza packed away his medicines with a smile. "Been waiting for this day; can't wait to start!"

Yoru, rubbing his tired eyes, commented nonchalantly, "I've been watching other villages' Genin these past few days. Many don't seem all that impressive..."

There were formidable opponents, of course. Just the sight of their presence demanded caution. "The Hyuga Neji you told me to watch is truly formidable. Among the Genin, only Gaara seems more fearsome. That thick-browed Rock Lee and the purple-haired one, Tenten, seem similar. They have common weaknesses—too many straightforward attacks, not enough variation..."

"A general idea is enough," Daimaru nodded.

Before Uchiha Sasuke completed Kakashi's special training to learn the Chidori, he was no match for Hyuga Neji. Naruto was similar; without Jiraiya's guidance, he was merely a brute with the Shadow Clone Technique, not a concern.

Rock Lee's ability to open the Eight Gates up to the fifth was unmatched among Genin. No one could withstand his full power at this level.

Neji and Lee were the ones Daimaru least wanted to face, with their clearly superior combat strength.

Unconcerned about Sasuke, who would be weakened after being cursed in the Forest of Death, Daimaru felt no fear.

The other Genin newcomers were clearly a step behind. Targeted strategies were in place, and Daimaru was confident in his odds.

With his plans set, Daimaru was prepared. All that remained was to see if his luck would be as bad as before.

"Daimaru, why didn't you have Yoru gather intel on the other Sand Genin? Aren't they our competition too?" Senza, who had been puzzled for days, finally voiced his question.

Daimaru chuckled, "There's no need. You'll understand soon enough."

Every Chunin Exam either showcased the Leaf's dominance or a rivalry between the Sand and Leaf. Other villages were mere spectators to the main event.

This year's spotlight was on the reigning rookie champion Hyuga Neji, the current contender Uchiha Sasuke, and the three children of the Fourth Kazekage.

The distinguished guests who came to watch were not interested in mere child's play but in the rise and fall of powerful clans.

The true goal of the Chunin Exam wasn't to select Chunin but to showcase strength to wealthy clients and secure more missions.

The timing of the Exam was strategic. When the Leaf had an abundance of talent, inviting allies for mutual admiration was customary.

"You're the team leader for a reason. As long as you understand that," Senza sighed in relief.

"I thought you might have overlooked it because of Temari."

"No way. I'm not one to let personal feelings interfere with duty." Daimaru had realized that defeating stronger opponents or even Temari could earn him more favor than targeting someone like Shikamaru Nara.

"You seem more confident than before!"

"Is it that obvious?" Daimaru stroked his chin, now sporting a stubble.

Senza just smiled, while Yoru sighed, "Sometimes I wonder, Daimaru. You don't seem to care about Kankuro and Temari's status. You became friends with them so casually. I've known Temari for years and still barely speak to her..."

Senza, a longtime friend of Temari, understood a bit more: "Thick skin can be an asset. It's certainly better than being pretentious and superficially cultured. Temari and Kankuro have very few friends in the village. Temari manages somewhat, but Kankuro, aside from occasional interactions with Daimaru, just tinkers with his puppets in his room. Without that, approaching Temari would've been even more difficult for you..."