Naruto narrowed his eyes at the three-ninja standing across the room.
They looked familiar, but he couldn't quite remember their names.
Then, it hit him.
'Oh… right. These guys are from Otogakure. The ones Orochimaru threw away like garbage.'
If things went according to the original timeline, these three would be dead by the end of the Chunin Exams.
How… unfortunate.
But hey, not his problem.
Dosu Attacks
SWOOSH!
SWOOSH!
Before Naruto could even blink, Dosu shot forward, his figure a blur of movement.
He weaved between desks with unnatural speed, heading straight for Naruto.
Three meters.
Two meters.
One—
With a sharp jump, Dosu rolled up his sleeve.
Underneath, his right arm was not human flesh, but a grotesque silver-white metal limb covered in circular holes.
Naruto instantly recognized it.
'Right… this guy uses sound-based attacks.'
"Go to hell, brat!!"
Dosu roared and swung his metal fist toward Naruto's face.
But Naruto didn't flinch.
Instead, he calmly lifted his right hand.
A blue vortex of chakra swirled in his palm, spinning faster and faster—
Until—
"Rasengan!"
BOOM!
The metallic fist collided with the Rasengan.
For a split second, nothing happened.
Then—
CRACK!
Dosu's metal arm shattered into countless pieces.
Shards of metal and flesh blasted in all directions.
"AAAAAHHHH!!"
Dosu screamed as he was launched backward, spinning like a ragdoll before slamming into a row of desks.
CRASH!
He didn't stop until he destroyed six or seven desks, finally coming to a motionless stop.
Blood gushed from his mangled arm, soaking into the wooden floor.
Naruto's system notification popped up:
[Dosu Kinuta's Anger Value +49]
'Hah, not bad.'
"Did You See That?"
For a moment, there was absolute silence.
Then—
"Did you see that?!"
"That power… that's not normal!"
"There's no way he's just a Genin!"
The room, which had been buzzing with hostility, was now filled with disbelief and fear.
Many foreign ninjas, who had been so eager to fight, now looked at Naruto with hesitation—some even averting their eyes completely.
The Sound Team's Fury
"Dosu!! Are you okay?!"
A worried voice came from the only girl in the Sound trio. She rushed over, crouching beside Dosu.
His pale face was covered in sweat, his eyes rolling back from the pain.
The remaining teammate, Zaku, clenched his fists, his body trembling with anger.
"You bastards!" Zaku roared, glaring at Naruto.
He turned toward the Konoha guards.
"Are you just gonna stand there?! He destroyed Dosu's arm!"
Zaku raised his hands, revealing dark holes in his palms.
Naruto recognized them instantly.
'Oh yeah, this guy shoots pressurized air blasts.'
Naruto sighed.
'These guys really don't know when to quit.'
"Oi, aren't you forgetting something?" Naruto smirked.
He crossed his arms, his voice dripping with mockery.
"It was your teammate who attacked me first. I just defended myself."
Zaku's eye twitched.
"That wasn't self-defense! You—!"
Naruto tilted his head.
"Oh? So, you're saying Dosu should've been allowed to punch me, and I should've just stood there like an idiot?"
Zaku's fury skyrocketed.
Konoha Guards Step In
Before Zaku could explode, the Konoha guards stepped in.
One of them, a tall man carrying two massive kunai, crouched beside Dosu and checked his condition.
After a quick assessment, he shook his head.
"The kid's right. This was self-defense."
Zaku's fists tightened.
"That's bullshit!" he snapped.
The guard ignored him and turned to the rest of the Sound team.
"This guy won't be waking up anytime soon. He needs immediate treatment at Konoha's hospital."
Then came the worst news for them.
"If your team doesn't have a replacement member, you will be disqualified from the Chunin Exams."
Zaku's face twisted with anger.
"This is ridiculous!"
"Is this how Konoha treats outsiders?!"
Murmurs spread across the room.
"That's so unfair…"
"Konoha always favors their own."
"Smaller villages never stand a chance…"
A wave of discontent began to rise.
BANG!
Suddenly, the exam room door was kicked open.
A tall, intimidating man strode in.
He wore a black trench coat.
Two long scars ran down his cheeks.
A Konoha forehead protector was tied tightly around his head.
The entire room fell silent.
"I'm Your Proctor—Morino Ibiki."
Ibiki scanned the room, his gaze cold and unforgiving.
"Enough whining," he said, his deep voice booming across the room.
"I am Morino Ibiki. I'll be your proctor for the first round of the Chunin Exams."
His mere presence sent chills down everyone's spines.
"I saw what happened outside," he continued.
"And I don't care who was right or wrong."
His next words sealed the deal.
"The Chunin Exam rules are simple. Each team must have three members. No exceptions."
"If Sound doesn't have a replacement, they are automatically disqualified."
Silence.
No one dared to challenge him.
Ibiki crossed his arms.
"And one more thing—"
His voice grew even colder.
"There will be no more fighting in my exam room."
"If you attack another person without permission, you'll be immediately expelled."
He locked eyes with the remaining Sound members.
"Understand?"
Zaku and his teammate nodded stiffly.
"Good. Take your injured friend and leave."
The Konoha guards escorted the Sound team out.
Ibiki turned to the rest of the room.
"Now," he announced, "let's begin."
The Exam Begins
With the troublemakers removed, the real test started.
Candidates quickly found their assigned seats.
A team of proctors walked in, handing out stacks of test papers.
Naruto's fingers drummed against the desk.
He already knew exactly what this test was about.
It wasn't about answering questions.
It was about cheating without getting caught.
A grin spread across his face.
'Heh… this is gonna be fun.'
(End of Chapter 39)