The chuunin exams Naruto remembered were held in an arena, one big enough to siteight thousand spectators or so, surrounded on three sides by rows of bleachers and open to the forest on the fourth. It had been built by the Sandaime when the Chuunin examinations were agreed upon at the end of the last war.
Iwa's chuunin exam was held in a barren field.
Konoha wanted to not only have the title of strongest of the five. They wanted to look the part too.
Iwa was a bit less extravagant in their efforts. The only people that mattered were high paying clients and those high paying clients could pay the pittance of a D rank assignment it cost gennin to raise these platforms up in a day or so.
That and because a field of nothing but dirt and rock was something of an advantage for rock ninja.
Anyone who wanted to could show up. There were no admission fees; unlike Konoha's exams.
Good luck trying to see anything if you arrived late though.
The only people with proper seats were those who had them sitting on wooden towers that had been built before the exams. In other words the nobles from around the village with a pretty penny to spend, or visiting dignitaries.
Or of course the Kage's seat.
That tower stood higher than all the others, wider too, wide enough for civilians to climb up on its support struts to find themselves a better view.
The reason for its girth became clear when, atop its plateau one could see five chairs beneath a gazebo like tarp, spread out for those that would be observing the exam from its shaded vantage point.
It was tall enough for Koutou to see as he rode out of the village, still half a mile away. "Do you think we'll feel a breeze up there?" He drawled. "It looks like the sun will be biting the flesh off your face today."
"Who can say." Orochimaru shrugged, walking alongside the man, his students trailing behind him. "You didn't bring your armor Magojiro-sama."
Koutou gave the sannin a sidelong glance. "Have you ever tried sitting for hours on end in it? Hashirama knew how to forge something to protect you, that doesn't necessarily mean it was made to be comfortable."
"It might be decidedly less comfortable to be stoned by angry civilians." The snake replied drily.
Koutou hummed. Onoki wouldn't try anything now. Too open and far too damaging to his reputation...but some of those villagers were looking more than a little miffed now that he cared to look.
"Can I trust you to guard me from thrown rocks and shuriken, courtesy of academy hopefuls Orochimaru? It would be a rather embarrassing way to die."
The Sannin chuckled. "Agreed Magojiro-dono."
By the time they arrived where the exam was to take place the Jounin were beginning to push the crowd back, forming the "ring" for the actual fight. They would create a wall of elite protectors between the gennin and the civilians to keep stray attacks from cutting the crowd to pieces.
It also gave them a front row view.
Between the press of people backpedaling and the people still pouring into the area behind them there was a sheer crush of humanity that made progress, even with the Jounin escorts opening a path for them through the crowds, a decidedly slow thing.
Still before long they had made it to the base of the burgeoning tower with Koutou dismounting easily, his men taking hold of the horse with two more flanking him. He looked at the Konoha team he had dragged himself into enemy territory to supervise and do his part to keep safe by his mere presence.
The man smiled. "You look ready." He appraised.
"Damn ri-" The silver haired girl seemed to catch herself her face turning scarlet in embarrassment. "Uhh...I mean-"
He laughed.
He didn't know the children very well, the trappings of power always prevented easy conversation. They would not know how to address him because of his station. He wouldn't know how to address them due to their differing societies and the massive age gap.
But he supposed for now he could offer one comfort.
He fell onto one knee infront of them, getting to eye level. "I met your Shodaime once. Did you know that?"
The three shook their heads.
"I was just a boy." He remembered "Eight years at most...I asked him how it was I could become as powerful as him. Do you know what he told me? Hmm?"
They shook their heads, offering each other curious looks.
"He said I was already stronger than he was. That the strength of those that came before is carried by the new generation. And so, every generation will be stronger than the last. And to date, I've never know Hashirama to have been wrong." He stood dusting off his knees before he looked down at them. "The three of you are the newest generation. So you three are the best Konoha has ever had to offer. I know you'll do us proud."
The children bowed. "Thank you Magojiro-sama." Kyofu said respectfully. "We promise to do our very best to win."
The man nodded, before looking to Orochimaru. "I'll leave you to your students. Come join me when you're done."
Just like that the man turned and began marching up the stairs that wound around the wooden tower like a serpent, winding to the top.
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