Naruto: Konoha’s Trickster, Starting as the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki-Chapter 710 - 710: The First Exam Ends

Minato Namikaze and Rasa both nodded after hearing this.
The former understood well how dangerous the enemy was. In the last battle with the Uchiha, they had seized numerous Sharingan eyes—and if they could truly create those inhuman entities, it would spell disaster for any village.
The latter's reasoning was simpler. If the enemy's strength was really as described in the s, there was no choice but to unite for survival. This was no longer an ordinary war. As Sunagakure's sole Tailed Beast, Shukaku could never be handed over to anyone.
"Kazuyama—"
"Stop."
The moment Minato began speaking, Kazuyama Gekkō raised a hand.
Don't even say it. He already knew exactly what Minato was thinking.
"I'm not going. The Land of Water and I don't get along. If you want to go, go yourself."
"Besides, the Chūnin Exams are still in progress. We'll talk about it after this is over."
Kazuyama turned his gaze out the window.
Minato and Rasa exchanged glances, both nodding slightly.
Their own children were taking the exam too. They couldn't help but wonder how they were doing.
Indeed, the Chūnin Exams were still underway. This joint event among multiple villages had become a major occasion for Konoha.
In the first examination hall, all the candidates were diligently "answering questions."
This first round didn't test actual knowledge—it measured how well the genin could gather information.
For some, it was brutal. Especially for Naruto Uzumaki, who was still hopelessly bad at studying.
No, it wasn't just him. For most of them, the questions were nearly impossible. The exam paper was clearly designed beyond a normal genin's level. Of course, there were exceptions—like Sakura Haruno, the model student.
And worth noting: the moment Michihito Gekkō entered the room, he dropped onto his desk and went straight to sleep.
So fast that no one even had time to react.
The observing instructors all twitched at the corners of their mouths.
"Kakashi, what do you think? Is Michihito Gekkō just overly confident, or does he know nothing and gave up right away?"
"If the sensei finds out he fell asleep the second he sat down, won't he blow a fuse?"
Obito Uchiha smirked as he teased his sensei's son, elbowing his friend beside him.
"If you put that much effort into Rin, you two would've been together by now."
"All you ever do is spy on other people."
Before Kakashi could respond, Kurenai Yūhi sighed and cut in.
"Enough. Michihito probably already figured out the purpose of this exam."
"When he walked in, he scanned every single proctor in the room. That kind of observation means he's already spotted something off."
"The teacher's kid really doesn't follow normal logic."
Kakashi stood with his arms crossed in front of the window, still as a tower. But his eyes weren't on Michihito—they were on Senko Gekkō.
Compared to Michihito's blatant nap, Senko's behavior drew even more of his attention.
"The entire classroom's covered in crystal. The speed of that technique—no genin could pull that off."
"And that's not her real body, is it?"
Might Guy stood beside him. Normally he looked imposing, but next to the towering Kakashi, even he seemed smaller.
"No. That's a Shadow Clone. As for where the real one is… no idea."
"Seriously? She used a Shadow Clone for the exam? That's—"
"It's normal," Kakashi interrupted calmly. "I heard from some of the older shinobi that when sensei took the Chūnin Exams, no one in the venue ever found him."
Kakashi chuckled as he recalled it. He'd looked into it out of curiosity—and the truth had left him speechless.
"That exam was supposed to test adaptability. It wasn't even hard."
"But as soon as sensei entered the room, he activated his Transparent Escape Technique, hid himself, and went to sleep. He stayed that way until the exam ended. The proctors only realized afterward that one participant was missing."
"In the end, sensei himself dispelled the technique and revealed that he'd been sleeping there the entire time—invisible in plain sight."
Hearing that, everyone instantly pictured Kazuyama Gekkō's smug grin.
They all shook their heads helplessly. Well, that kind of stunt was perfectly normal for him. There was no using common sense with that man.
Time passed quickly. Just like in the original story, every candidate resorted to every trick they could think of.
When Ibiki finally reentered the hall, everyone still in their seats was declared to have passed.
The next instant, Kazuyama Gekkō appeared in the exam hall. The moment he landed, every passing candidate's eyes turned toward him.
"Hey, Ibiki, not bad. Quite a few passed this time."
"Hm?"
"You little bastard! Wake up!"
Kazuyama's good mood vanished the instant he saw Michihito still snoring away.
His thunderous roar shook the entire classroom, jolting the boy awake.
"Huh? The exam's over already?"
"Dad, you're here? Great, can I go now?"
Kazuyama: …
Everyone else: …
"You little brat! Just wait till we get home!"
"Ahem. The second exam won't be held here. Everyone, gather at the entrance of the Forest of Death tomorrow morning!"
"Alright, dismissed."
After issuing the command, Kazuyama vanished again—gone as suddenly as he appeared.
When he reappeared, he was already inside the Forest of Death. Someone was waiting there for him.
"Heh, Kazuyama-kun. Calling me out here from so far away—what's this about?"
That familiar tone—Orochimaru was still the same as ever.
No, he actually looked younger.
"Sensei, plans have changed. Minato's preparing to send a team to Kirigakure to discuss joining forces against Akatsuki."
"You should make your preparations too. Jiraiya's still looking for you—it's about time to reveal yourself."
Orochimaru nodded. His experiments had advanced greatly. Both the cursed seals and his various forbidden techniques were now complete. He was more than ready to return to the public eye.
"What about Iwa and Kumo?"
"Three villages alone won't meet your expectations, will they?"
Kazuyama nodded. What he wanted was for all five great nations to stand united at the frontlines—so that he, the ghost behind the scenes, could act freely from the shadows.
"They'll definitely go after the Eight-Tails. Knowing that reckless Fourth Raikage, once the Eight-Tails is attacked, he'll lose his temper immediately."
"So Kumo isn't a concern. The real problem is Iwa."
"That old man Ōnoki… he's far too cautious."