Naruto: Unlocking Kaido Template

Chunin Exam Preparations

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a long puff from his pipe, tapping it lightly with his index finger to flick away the ashes. He stretched his aged body, letting out a quiet sigh of relief.

"The Chunin Exam is approaching... This new generation, having never truly experienced the battlefield like we did, may struggle to adapt," Hiruzen mused, his gaze distant. Even though he had rarely set foot on the battlefield himself in recent years, he understood that these young shinobi needed to witness the harsh realities of war firsthand.

Before that, an internal evaluation was necessary—to weed out those too weak to represent the village. The Chunin Exam wasn't just a promotion test; it was a show of strength, a way for allied nations to assess each other's military power. Konoha couldn't afford to embarrass itself.

"Let's arrange the details in advance. We need to tighten security... And as for the clues we've lost, we must continue investigating. Impure World Reincarnation (Edo Tensei)... I truly hope it's not you..." A trace of sadness flickered across Hiruzen's deeply wrinkled face. After a long moment of contemplation, he rubbed his temples and drifted into a light sleep.

---

Yamato had taken some time off today, knowing that the Third Hokage would be overseeing an internal test for the village. He figured it would be a good opportunity to introduce his students to their fellow Konoha shinobi.

"This is just an internal exam—a preliminary screening, really," Yamato explained as he walked ahead. "The real test will be when shinobi from other villages arrive. No need to get nervous, though. You guys should pass easily. Right now, the focus is on meeting your potential teammates and rivals."

He wasn't worried about his squad at all. More than their individual skills, he had faith in the powerful clans backing them.

Aburame Hatsuizumi came from the renowned Aburame clan, a lineage deeply embedded in both Anbu and Root. With Sarutobi Hiruzen leading the Anbu and Shimura Danzo overseeing Root, the Aburame had strong connections on both sides. That influence alone ensured Hatsuizumi's place in this exam.

Then there was Hyuga Chinano, a member of the Hyuga Branch Family. Even though the Main Family overshadowed her, she was still a Hyuga. While Hiruzen harbored concerns about the Hyuga Clan's growing power, he knew now wasn't the time to make a move against them. For now, maintaining good relations was essential.

Uzumaki Zixu, on the other hand, would have been treated the same way if the Uzumaki Clan had survived. But even without his clan, his own strength was enough to earn respect.

"So basically, you're just here to introduce us to the other students," Chinano remarked casually, unimpressed by the so-called internal test.

Hatsuizumi, however, looked visibly frustrated. She had been trying to combine her Green Silkworm with her Moonlight Worm, but from the look on her face, it clearly hadn't worked. The idea of wasting time socializing when she could be perfecting her techniques only made her mood worse.

Zixu, meanwhile, stayed silent, his thoughts elsewhere. He was looking forward to meeting Might Guy and Rock Lee—he wanted to ask them about the proper way to open the Eight Gates (Hachimon).

As they walked, they noticed an increase in the number of shinobi around them. Many of them were parents from the ninja clans, taking advantage of the gathering to socialize while sending their children off to the exam. Surprisingly, civilian parents acted much the same way.

"Hey, isn't that Shanshan's father? I heard your kid did pretty well in the last test."

"Oh, no, that's just a rumor. He only got 90 points in the last physical exam. He's not diligent enough. I keep telling him to work harder, but he doesn't listen. Your Ibaraki did much better—92 points on the last written test. I wish my kid had that kind of discipline..."

Conversations like these filled the air. It was an unspoken rule: when parents gathered, they had to compare their children's achievements.

With Yamato leading them, Zixu and his group managed to slip into the classroom with little trouble. As the door shut behind them, the noise from outside disappeared, leaving only Yamato's relieved exhale.

Zixu scanned the room carefully. It was filled with young shinobi—some their age, some noticeably older. After all, the Chunin Exam allowed multiple attempts. Failing wasn't a big deal; many simply took it again the next year. Some were even on their third or fourth attempt.

It was similar to the CET-4 or CET-6 exams—even if you weren't sure you'd pass, you signed up anyway. Failing was just part of the process. Eventually, even the instructors would get used to seeing the same faces.

In the shinobi world, Chunin were the backbone of every village. While Jonin were the elites, and Genin were still developing, it was the Chunin who made up the bulk of any shinobi force. With enough of them, even Jonin could be overwhelmed through sheer numbers.

Zixu's eyes settled on a familiar trio.

One of them had bright blond hair, sky-blue eyes, and three whisker-like marks on his cheeks, making him look as if a cat had scratched his face. Beside him stood a young man with his hands stuffed into his pockets, an arrogant smirk plastered across his face. He reminded Zixu of Chinano—something about his expression made Zixu want to punch him. Lastly, there was a pink-haired girl standing between them, though Zixu didn't pay her any attention.

What caught his interest was the ominous chakra surrounding the blond-haired boy. Even natural energy seemed reluctant to get near him.

"Tch." The cocky-looking boy noticed Zixu staring and clicked his tongue before turning away. The pink-haired girl immediately started scolding him, while the blond one joined the argument. Zixu, however, had no interest in their drama.

Meanwhile, Chinano was glaring at another group, her emotions flaring. Hatsuizumi tapped her shoulder, signaling her to calm down.

Zixu followed her gaze and saw a girl with snow-white skin, her head bowed shyly. She was a Hyuga, no doubt part of the Main Family. Next to her, a strange-looking boy was clad in a light green jacket and sunglasses. His chakra felt oddly familiar—similar to Hatsuizumi's. A quick inquiry confirmed that he was also from the Aburame clan.

"Hey! Zixu! Long time no see! You're here too!"

A familiar voice rang out from the corner. That youthful enthusiasm was unmistakable—it had to be Rock Lee.

Lee's team was also a three-man squad, and among them was another member of the Hyuga Clan.

"Chinano?"

"Neji?"

It turned out the two knew each other. Taking the hint, Zixu stepped aside with Lee, leaving Chinano and Neji to talk.

After Lee's introductions, Zixu gained a better understanding of the people around him. But one thing still puzzled him.

"Huh... Out of all these teams, Lee's is the only one made entirely of civilians?"

Of course, there were other civilian-born shinobi here. But among the teams that Lee had specifically pointed out, his was the only one without a single clan member.

Chunin Exam Preparations

Zixu wondered if Rock Lee and his group had somehow offended the higher-ups, but when he thought about Guy-sensei's training methods, he felt there was nothing wrong with dividing the classes this way.

"That blond kid... Uzumaki Naruto? Is he from the same clan as me? Why is he blond, though? And that arrogant one must be Uchiha Sasuke... Makes sense."

Just as Zixu was processing his thoughts, his mind suddenly blanked out, as if a critical keyword had been triggered.

It was the same feeling as someone seeing an old class photo from junior high after years of college—a strong impression of a particular face, but completely forgetting the name.

"Naruto... Something about that name feels important. Sasuke? Tch, doesn't matter. So what if he's the protagonist? If he doesn't get in my way, we'll keep our distance. If he does... well, we'll fight."

Zixu didn't care much about Sasuke's identity. He wasn't the same as before, when he feared stepping on certain toes. He was interested, though, in how Sasuke had survived the Uchiha Clan Massacre. There had to be a reason.

But even if Sasuke was the so-called protagonist, Zixu wasn't afraid. He refused to believe he would lose to someone just because they were the main character. This was his confidence. If they weren't enemies, fine. But if they were...

Zixu's eyes darkened slightly. Either you don't make an enemy at all, or if you do—make sure there's nothing left to burn.

"Oh, right, the Eight Gates (Hachimon)..."

Just as he was about to focus on that thought, the classroom door swung open.

"Creak~"

A strong, broad-shouldered figure entered, his posture still as straight as it had been three years ago.

"Alright, let's get started. Draw lots for the battle matchups. Your performance will be evaluated based on your fights," the man announced.

The one who entered was Gouda Takeshi. He wasted no time, getting straight to the point and instructing everyone to step forward in an orderly manner.

When Zixu walked up to draw his lot, he exchanged glances with Gouda Takeshi. The look in Takeshi's eyes was clear: "Let's see how much you've improved."

The matchups were decided. Zixu barely registered the names of their opponents—random nobodies whose names might as well have been Ouyang Goudan, Shangguan Cuihua, or Zhuge Tiezhu if translated into Chinese.

As expected, he didn't even need to make a move. Hyuga Chinano and Aburame Hatsuizumi handled them effortlessly.

One thing Zixu did notice, though, was the absence of Uchiha Gen's team. They had once been part of the assessment group but seemed to have disappeared after the Uchiha Massacre. Back then, Hatsuizumi had been upset for a long time—one of his insects had been killed by Gen.

Zixu only realized their absence now. He hadn't paid attention to them after that night.

Takeshi watched as the battles ended quickly. Most were completely one-sided. This was intentional—there was no point in strong teams eliminating each other in the preliminaries while weaker teams advanced through luck.

Once the matches concluded, Takeshi read the names of those who had passed. As expected, Zixu's name was on the list.

He did, however, feel slightly bad for his son Gouda Nobita, who had failed the test. But he quickly adjusted his mindset—no use dwelling on it.

"Those who pass this test qualify for the Chunin Exam. Keep in mind, it's not just about combat. There's also a written test," Takeshi reminded them.

Although every team already had their own instructors, his habit of advising young shinobi was hard to shake. Occupational hazard, maybe.

Once the announcements were over, the successful candidates were kicked out of the room. The teachers stayed behind to discuss something in private.

---

The Chunin Exam—A Perfect Opportunity?

As they walked away, Zixu mulled over the upcoming Chunin Exam.

"Will all the major villages participate? If so... this could be a great opportunity," he thought.

However, the Caged Bird Seal (Juinjutsu: Caged Bird) still posed a problem. He had to be careful about that.

The main issue, though, was time. He hadn't mastered Armament Haki yet, let alone the advanced form, Ryuo.

Just as he was strategizing, he heard the unmistakable sound of fists colliding.

"Huh? Who's fighting?"

Ahead, a group of students had gathered in a circle, watching two figures exchanging blows.

Zixu pushed through the crowd and saw that it was Rock Lee and Uchiha Sasuke.

His expression became amused.

"Testing your Taijutsu? That sounds familiar."

Zixu had a good guess about what was happening—Lee probably wanted to test his strength against someone considered "strong."

But what surprised him was Sasuke's lack of response.

"He's getting beat up. Why is Sasuke's Taijutsu so bad? He can't even react properly?"

Zixu found it strange. Why was the last Uchiha this weak? His reaction time and physical abilities weren't at the level they should be. Yet, he acted so arrogantly?

Zixu initially wanted to stand back and watch for a while, but then he realized something—beating up the only Uchiha left in the village might have political consequences.

The higher-ups had practically wiped out the Uchiha themselves, but they still claimed they had "failed to protect them." If Sasuke got beaten too badly here, Konoha's leadership might not sit idly by.

Unless, of course, they wanted to contradict themselves.

Understanding this, Zixu moved. He didn't want Lee to get caught up in Konoha's politics.

Lee was someone Zixu genuinely liked. Unlike himself, Lee couldn't afford to be targeted by Konoha's higher-ups.

Just as Lee was about to wrap Sasuke in his bandages, preparing for a finishing move, Zixu stepped in.

With one hand, he pushed Sasuke out of Lee's grasp. With the other, he pulled Lee down before he could execute the move.

A cloud of dust exploded from the impact.

Sasuke, thrown to the side, was helped up by a pink-haired girl—Haruno Sakura. But he barely reacted to her, his eyes locked on the two figures in the dust cloud.

As the dust settled, Zixu and Rock Lee stood side by side.

Lee's weights had fallen to the ground, kicking up even more debris.

"...Tch..."

Sasuke clenched his fists. His so-called genius status was a joke.

The two people in front of him could dominate him with Taijutsu alone. And yet, he thought he had the strength to seek revenge?

Zixu observed Sasuke carefully. Was this really the protagonist?

Something felt wrong. Why did Sasuke feel even weaker than Aburame Hatsuizumi?

Zixu's thoughts shifted.

"Maybe I remembered it wrong. Yeah, that's it. The real protagonist isn't Sasuke. It's Black Zetsu. Sasuke's way too weak to be the main character."

"You two... at the Chunin Exam..." Sasuke gritted his teeth.

He had to surpass these two.

If he couldn't even defeat them, then revenge was meaningless. He might as well just give up and die.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do you want to read Advanced Chapters?

Visit this link:

Påtreon.com/Fanficlord03