Chunin Exams Begin

In Konoha, the day of the Chunin Exams has arrived. Genin from smaller villages, as well as ninja from the Sand Village and Konoha of various ages, have gathered in a room, waiting for the exams to begin. Among them were ninjas from the lands of Hot Water, Steam, Sound, Waterfall, Rain, Wind, and Shigaraki.

Notably, Konoha's strongest team at the time was Team Two, consisting of Tenma Izumo, Shinko Inari, and Itachi Uchiha. Despite being the youngest at ten while his teammates were both thirteen, Itachi was the most powerful and highly skilled in the use of the Uchiha doujutsu, the Sharingan.

As the Chunin Exams loomed, Itachi found himself reminiscing about a conversation he had with the Hokage the day before. He had been summoned to the Hokage's office and felt a mixture of honor and nerves. He wondered why he was being called, especially with the exams approaching.

Approaching the Hokage Tower, Itachi encountered the secretary who instructed him to enter since the Hokage was expecting him. He knocked on the door and soon heard a commanding voice granting him permission to come in.

Itachi opened the door and respectfully knelt down to greet the Hokage, who he regarded as the most powerful ninja in the village, despite feeling cautious due to his father's warnings about the villages attitude towards the Uchiha.

"Lord Hokage, I have come as you summoned me," Itachi humbly stated as he knelt down before the esteemed leader of Konoha.

The Third Hokage acknowledged Itachi's arrival and thanked him for coming so promptly. He cut to the chase, informing Itachi that their meeting was indeed about the upcoming Chunin Exams, his gaze fixed on the young and anxious Uchiha.

"Itachi, as the strongest Genin in the exams, I have a mission for you during the upcoming Chunin Exams, if you are willing," the Third Hokage addressed the young Uchiha. Deep down, Itachi desired to improve the image of his clan in the eyes of the village, so he knew he had to accept this mission without hesitation.

"Yes, Lord Hokage, I am willing," Itachi replied, still maintaining his kneeling position and not daring to lift his head.

"You may rise, my boy. The mission I am assigning you is to keep a watchful eye on the Shigaraki team whenever possible," the Hokage explained, hoping to ease Itachi's nerves as he detailed the mission.

"In addition, I must inform you that members of the other Konoha teams have had their weakest member replaced with an undercover Chunin," the Hokage continued, revealing another layer of complexity to the exams.

Hearing this unexpected information, Itachi concealed his surprise, choosing to respond instead. "I understand, Lord Hokage. I will fulfill this mission to the best of my ability," he declared with a resolved look in his eyes. Itachi believed that if he could complete this mission well, it might help bridge the gap between his clan and the village.

The Third Hokage could sense Itachi's intentions, for no matter how well the young Uchiha believed he hid his emotions, the Hokage was already aware. The Third knew that there was a palpable divide between the Uchiha and the village, primarily due to the Nine-Tails attack. However, with new threats looming on the horizon, the Third desired to utilize all available forces, including the Uchiha, to protect Konoha.

 Snapping back to reality, Itachi shifted his attention towards the three teams of Shigaraki ninja standing together in the corner of the room. There was an eerie stillness about them—no movement, no conversation, just an unsettling sense of waiting. Itachi couldn't help but notice their unusual behavior, as they had been standing there for the past ten minutes without even flinching or acknowledging the presence of others in the room.

The entire room seemed to be captivated by the mysterious Shigaraki teams, their gaze fixated on the enigmatic group. Itachi's analytical mind couldn't help but wonder about their intentions and what could possibly be going on. However, before he could delve deeper into his thoughts, a sudden movement caught his attention, followed by a burst of smoke that emerged at the front of the room.

Emerging from the dissipating smoke was a man wearing dark shades, a gray coat with a hood, and a black hair. He carried a large beige gourd on his back, and the Konoha headband hung around his neck. This man introduced himself as Daichi Aburame, the person in charge of overseeing the first exams for the Chunin Exams. With a stern voice, he instructed the genin to follow him into the next room and find their assigned seats.

Itachi obediently trailed behind, entering a massive classroom filled with rows of seats and a long gray table stretching across the room. As he quickly located his designated seat, he realized that his two teammates were scattered throughout the room. To his surprise, he found himself seated next to one of the Shigaraki ninja.

As all the participants settled into their seats, Daichi took a moment to observe them, his attention particularly focused on the Shigaraki ninja. Itachi noted this, aware that his task was to closely observe the performance of the Shigaraki team during the exam.

"Now that everyone is in their seats, I will explain the rules for this exam," Daichi announced, capturing the attention of the genin. "The exam consists of ten questions, each worth one point. In order to pass, each team member must score a minimum of seven points, resulting in a combined score of twenty-four points for the team."

As Daichi continued his explanation, he keenly observed the reactions of the genin, especially those belonging to the Shigaraki team, who seemed oddly unresponsive.

"Anyone caught cheating will have a point deducted, and upon the third instance, the entire team will be disqualified," Daichi declared, expecting to see some reaction from the Shigaraki ninja. Yet, to his surprise and growing concern, they remained as unresponsive as before, offering no insight into their thoughts.

Itachi, sitting beside one of them, felt equally taken aback by their lack of reaction. The same distant expression seemed to be shared among the other eight members of the Shigaraki team.

This unusual behavior unsettled Daichi, particularly as a member of the Aburame Clan known for their emotional detachment. He signaled to the other exam proctors to distribute the test papers and refocused his attention on the upcoming exams.

"You have sixty minutes to complete this test, and your time starts now," Daichi announced, observing as the last genin received their exams. Itachi, following the instructions, redirected his attention to the exam paper and began reading the questions.

However, as he delved into the challenging questions, Itachi quickly realized that this test was not your average genin-level assessment. The true test appeared to be centered around cheating without getting caught.

As Itachi continued to observe the room, he couldn't help but notice the signs of struggle on the frustrated faces of some of the genin around him. Their brows furrowed in concentration as they wrestled with the difficult questions. However, when his gaze shifted towards the Shigaraki ninja, he was taken aback.

One of them was already halfway through the test, effortlessly answering each question without any signs of difficulty. Itachi was impressed by the ninja's intelligence and quick thinking. Curiosity piqued, he discreetly glanced at the other Shigaraki team members, secretly hoping that the exceptional performance was limited to just one of them. To his surprise, the rest of the Shigaraki ninja appeared to be equally skilled and composed, effortlessly navigating through the exam.

Itachi wasn't the only one who noticed this exceptional performance from the Shigaraki team. Whispers spread through the room, with other genin and proctors casting intrigued glances at the seemingly flawless execution of their answers. Itachi couldn't help but wonder what secret abilities or tactics were behind their remarkable performance, as it was far beyond what was expected of typical genin.

Daichi, just like everyone else in the room, was astounded by the seemingly flawless performance of the nine Shigaraki ninja. He knew well that the test had been designed for chunin and special jonin, and yet, they had effortlessly completed it within a remarkably short time. Turning their papers over, they sat with emotionless faces, staring straight ahead.

Itachi focused his attention back on his own test, finding the questions relatively easy and answering them with confidence. He also kept an eye on his teammates, ensuring they were progressing smoothly through the exam.

After thirty minutes, Itachi finished his own test, though he had intentionally taken a bit longer to ensure accuracy. He then observed the expressionless Shigaraki ninja who had remained motionless since completing their tests. Additionally, he noticed a few genin being eliminated from the exam during the remaining ten minutes.

Daichi called an end to the exam, instructing everyone to put down their pencils, turn their tests over, and return to the previous room. He emphasized that failure to follow these instructions would lead to automatic failure.

As the genin left the room, the proctors collected the exams to begin the grading process, with the exception of the Shigaraki ninja. Daichi personally graded their tests and was taken aback not only by their perfect scores but also by the fact that every answer matched with no deviation, even down to their writing style.

Meanwhile, in the room where the results were to be announced, Itachi waited anxiously with his teammates. He consulted with them to gauge their thoughts on the test, reaffirming that they hadn't struggled with it. However, as they conversed, Itachi couldn't help but keep a cautious eye on the Shigaraki ninja in the corner, growing increasingly concerned that their behavior remained unchanged from before.

After waiting for an hour, the results of the Chunin exams were finally posted in the form of team scores. Itachi felt a mix of relief and surprise as he saw that his team had achieved a score of twenty-six.

However, his attention was caught by the scores of the Shigaraki teams, which were a perfect thirty each. Itachi couldn't help but be astonished by their exceptional performance.

Daichi, the proctor, was also taken aback by the results, especially when he realized that the Shigaraki teams had achieved identical scores. He felt an urgency to report these findings to the Hokage.

Stepping up to address the genin, Daichi announced, "Alright, that concludes the Chunin exams for today. Tomorrow morning, you will meet your new proctor at Training Ground 44 at eight in the morning."

With the announcement made, Daichi headed towards the Hokage tower to share the results and the surprising performance of the Shigaraki teams. Having entered the Hokage Tower and promptly knocked on the door to the Hokage's office, Daichi received an immediate response from within. He entered, knelt down, and began reporting to the Third Hokage.

"Lord Hokage, the first exams have concluded, and the results are as follows: out of twenty-four teams, eighteen have passed. Five teams are from Konoha, three from the Sand Village, three from Shigaraki, two from the Waterfall, two from the Rain, and one each from the Sound, Steam, and Hot Water," Daichi informed, his tone respectful and focused.

Exhaling a cloud of smoke from his pipe, the Third Hokage gazed at Daichi and inquired about the teams with the best scores and his observations of the Shigaraki ninja. Daichi paused briefly, collecting his thoughts, before responding, "Lord Hokage, all three Shigaraki teams achieved a perfect score. However, in regards to my observation, their test papers were strikingly identical. Not only did they have the same answers for each question, but their handwriting was also indistinguishable. Furthermore, throughout the exam, they maintained an expressionless face, like masks seen on ANBU operatives."

The Hokage exhaled, recognizing the significance of the report and the unsettling behavior of the Shigaraki team. Curiosity and concern flashed in his eyes as he probed further. "What is it, Daichi? Why do you hesitate to speak?" he inquired, sensing the jonin's hesitancy.

"Lord Hokage, not only were they expressionless, but I didn't even hear them speak once," Daichi replied, recalling the peculiar observations of the Shigaraki team. The Hokage's contemplative expression deepened, as it seemed the report coincided with the observations made by other jonins who were monitoring the Shigaraki Jonin. The unsettling behavior and lack of reaction from the Shigaraki ninja were becoming more concerning with each passing moment.