Team 7 stood in the Chunin Exams room, the tension in the air so thick it could be cut with a kunai. The second round was about to begin, and every genin in the room could feel the pressure mounting. The teams that had passed the first round stood with their respective sensei, who were allowed to observe the second round from the stands.
Yuto's green eyes scanned the room carefully, taking in the competition. His mind quickly calculated the odds as he studied the lineup of the ten teams that had made it through.
Team Kakashi of the Leaf — Naruko, Yuto, and Hitomi stood confidently together.
Team Guy of the Leaf — Rock Lee stood with an intense gaze, his hands clenched into fists. Neji looked calm and composed as usual, and Tenten stretched her arms, warming up her muscles.
Team Zabuza of Water — Haku stood calmly, her eyes soft but hiding a deadly sharpness beneath the surface. Her two teammates stood behind her, quiet and serious.
Team Utakata of Water — Three genin stood together, their expressions hard to read, their posture disciplined.
Team Baki of the Sand — Gaara stood motionless, his cold blue-green eyes looking through everyone as if they were nothing. Kankuro adjusted the straps on his puppet while Temari smirked with her fan resting on her shoulder.
Team Han of the Stone — Kurotsuchi smirked confidently, while her teammates stood behind her, one cracking his knuckles while the other adjusted his headband.
Team Roshi of the Stone — Another trio from the Stone, standing stiffly, their eyes scanning the competition.
Team Yugito of Lightning — Toka stood calmly, her yellow eyes glinting under the light. Her teammates watched the room with quiet intensity.
Team Killer Bee of Lightning — Samui stood with her arms crossed, her expression cool and uninterested. Karui scowled at the competition, while Omoi rubbed the back of his head, already looking stressed.
Team Hebi of Sound — Kin stood with a dark expression, Zaku was grinning smugly, and Dosu's bandaged face remained unreadable.
Yuto's eyes narrowed slightly. 'Only ten teams out of a hundred made it through? Damn…'
A smirk formed on his lips. 'Well, it makes sense. Our team's strong. Unlike in the original work, Naruko and Hitomi are way ahead of where they were supposed to be thanks to me.'
His gaze flicked toward Samui, who stood with her arms crossed. He was surprised to see her here — and more importantly, that she was his age.
'Samui's supposed to be older in the anime… This AU just keeps getting weirder. But I'm not complaining. A world full of sexy ladies…'
Yuto's thoughts were cut short when the instructor appeared at the front of the room.
Taichi coughed into his hand. "Alright, listen up! The second round of the Chunin Exams will now begin."
Everyone straightened up immediately. Yuto's eyes sharpened. 'Let's see what kind of game they've got planned this time.'
"Each of you will be given three codes. Every team will have different codes." Taichi held up a small wooden block with a number etched into it. "You'll be paired off through a lottery system. Your goal is to extract the codes from your opponent. The one who manages to get all three codes from their opponent wins."
Naruko's eyes brightened. "So it's like an interrogation?"
Taichi's lips curled slightly. "Correct. No genjutsu is allowed to make someone give up their codes. This is about mental strength and strategic thinking. You can use any method to extract the codes except for genjutsu."
Yuto's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. 'So it's an interrogation test… This is similar to what the Clan leader and many of my clans people do in the T&I department.'
Kakashi, standing behind them with his ever-present book in hand, glanced at them with a lazy eye. "Well, good luck." He gave a small wave. "Try not to embarrass me too much."
Yuto smirked. "Don't worry, sensei. We've got this."
Kakashi's visible eye curved into a crescent as he gave a small smile before walking toward the exit with the other jounin as they will watch through a hidden room.
Taichi stepped forward, holding out a bowl. "Pick a chit. Your opponent will be determined by the number you draw."
Yuto reached in and pulled out a chit, opening his hand to reveal the number. Naruko and Hitomi each followed suit, as did the other genin.
"Alright!" Taichi barked. "The pairs are as follows:"
Yuto vs. a genin from the Stone Village
Naruko vs. a genin from the Water Village
Hitomi vs. Zaku
Toka vs. a genin from the Water Village
Neji vs. Kin
Kurotsuchi vs. a genin from the Lightning Village
Gaara vs. a genin from the Water Village
Haku vs. a genin from the Stone Village
Temari vs. Tenten
Lee vs. a genin from the Stone Village
Samui vs. a genin from the Stone Village
Karui vs. a genin from the Stone Village
Omoi vs. a genin from the Water Village
Kankuro vs. a genin from the Lightning Village
Dosu vs. a genin from the Water Village
Yuto scanned the list carefully. 'This is going to be interesting… I can already see who's going to make it to the finals.'
Naruko grinned, slamming her fist into her palm. "Alright! Let's crush this!"
Hitomi smirked, "Don't mess up, Naruko."
Naruko shot her a glare. "You wish, tomato face."
Yuto sighed. "Let's focus on winning first, okay?"
Hitomi and Naruko both huffed but fell silent. Yuto's eyes narrowed as he looked at the board one more time before looking at his opponent- victim -the boy looked like he will pee in his pants just from one look from Yuto.
'Yeah… This is going to be fun.'
While the second round of the Chunin Exams was unfolding, far to the south of the Land of Iron, the atmosphere darkened unnaturally. A swirling black portal, lined with jagged violet light, tore through the fabric of reality. A chilling wind swept through the desolate, snow-covered plains as the portal expanded.
A figure emerged from the portal, stepping onto the frozen ground without a sound. He was tall, his lean form concealed beneath a pristine white cloak that fluttered lightly in the cold breeze. A smooth, featureless mask covered his face, with only two thin slits for his eyes. His white boots crunched softly against the ice as he came to a halt.
The figure reached into the folds of his cloak and pulled out a strange, glowing tablet. Its sleek surface flickered with lines of light, displaying signals and coordinates that pulsed in an unnatural rhythm. The soft hum of the device stood in stark contrast to the silent, frozen wasteland around him.
The masked man's head tilted slightly. "Hmph… this is impossible." His voice was deep and calm, yet it carried a sharp edge beneath the surface. His gloved fingers slid over the tablet, swiping through layers of information.
"A dimensional breach? Here?" His tone darkened. "That's not supposed to happen. Who the hell could possibly open a space-time portal in this world?"
A sharp beep interrupted his thoughts as new data scrolled across the screen. The coordinates rapidly adjusted, the symbols shifting into recognizable patterns. His eyes narrowed beneath the mask as the tablet displayed a pinpointed location.
Konoha.
The man sighed, a frustrated growl escaping his throat. He rubbed the bridge of his nose through the mask. "Tch… Damn it, Delta." His tone sharpened with irritation. "Did that woman seriously send me to the wrong coordinates again?"
He shook his head, sliding the tablet back beneath his cloak. His gaze sharpened toward the horizon where the coordinates pointed.
"Konoha, huh?" His gloved hand flexed at his side. "This just got interesting."
Without another word, he turned, his cloak billowing behind him as the portal behind him distorted and collapsed into itself with a sharp crack. The landscape fell silent once more as the figure's silhouette vanished into the snow.