One Month Ago
The Land of Lightning, Cloud Mountains
At the peak of the towering mountains, the Hidden Cloud Village sat under a sky perpetually shrouded in dark, ominous clouds. Every now and then, blue-purple lightning crackled through them.
Crack!
A massive bolt of lightning tore across the sky, striking the sturdy lightning rod atop the Raikage's building, sparking wildly.
The ferocious current flowed down the rod, channeling into countless blue crystals embedded throughout the village. Once stabilized, it powered the entire Raikage building. Living off the land—or in this case, the storms—the Hidden Cloud had turned its harsh environment into an endless energy source.
Of course, this was only possible thanks to the thunderstones.
Bang!
Inside the Raikage's office, the Fourth Raikage, Ai, slammed his fist on the desk, making it quake. The more he thought about the destroyed thunder crystal mine, the stolen Black Lightning technique, and the death of Yozuki Takeshi and others, the angrier he got. Fury burned in his chest.
The Hidden Cloud was used to taking advantage of others—when had they ever taken such a massive loss?
Boom!
At that moment, the office door was kicked open.
"Yo, big bro, what's up? Dummy! Jerk!"
A dark-skinned man in sunglasses, radiating rapper vibes, strutted in. His rhythmic speech and wild hand gestures only soured Ai's already bad mood.
"Bee, you idiot! Who told you to kick the door down?!"
"Sorry, big bro! Dummy! Jerk!"
Even Killer Bee's apology had a weird musical cadence, his "jerk" not an insult but part of his rap-style catchphrase.
"Ugh!"
Ai sighed, exasperated by his brother's antics. If this mission wasn't so critical, he wouldn't have called him.
Strong as hell, but embarrassing to take anywhere!
"Konoha and Suna are holding a joint Chunin Exam, and Cloud's joining in. I'm bringing you along. Be sharp and don't embarrass us, got it?" Ai's voice boomed, his sideburns standing stiff like yellow razors.
"Why're we joining Konoha and Suna's exam? Dummy—"
Zzap!
Seeing the crackling electricity surging around Ai's hand, Killer Bee raised an eyebrow and wisely swallowed the rest of his catchphrase.
"Hmph!"
Ai shot him a glare, canceling his charged-up Lightning Plow Hot Knife. Too annoyed to explain, he tossed a scroll from the desk into Bee's arms.
Killer Bee fumbled to catch it, then unrolled it. The more he read, the graver his expression became, a hint of the Hidden Cloud's second-strongest ninja's aura slipping through.
"Big bro, we really diving into this mess?"
His eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses, his tone serious.
The mention of Konoha brought back memories of the Third War's Yellow Flash. Back when the AB combo was at its peak, that man had nearly crushed them.
"Konoha's tough to deal with!"
"The Senju and Uchiha are gone, Hiruzen Sarutobi's an old fossil, and the Yellow Flash is history! Konoha's not what it used to be!" Ai sneered, though a flicker of regret crossed his face when mentioning the Yellow Flash.
His proudest Lightning Speed had been outdone by Minato Namikaze's Flying Thunder God. After that, Ai had trained in seclusion for years, but before he could settle the score, Minato died in the Nine-Tails incident. What a shame!
Minato Namikaze, this time, you can't stop the AB combo!
Seeing Ai's resolute gaze, Killer Bee nodded, dropping his objections.
The Hidden Cloud's strength came from its ninjas' fierce unity. They had the fewest defectors of any village.
The reason? Simple.
Every Cloud ninja, civilian or clan-born, trained in the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, the village's ultimate secret technique, with no distinction of bloodline or status.
Same training, same rules: the strong rise, the weak follow.
Everyone could see the clear gap in talent. The weak naturally deferred to the strong.
With enough talent and strength, anyone could inherit the Raikage title, regardless of lineage or clan. Everyone accepted this without question.
Cloud's fairness bred unity, unity bred sharpness, and sharpness bred power!
They were like a focused bolt of lightning, Ai's will embodying the village's Thunder Will, and that will united every Cloud ninja.
"Big bro, who're we sending to the Chunin Exams?"
Ai rubbed his chin with his rolling-pin-sized fingers, thinking for a moment before finalizing the team.
"You're coming with me as a guard. For the advance team, Darui will lead Omoi, Karui, and Atsui!"
Killer Bee's mind stirred.
Darui was a no-brainer—top-tier elite Jonin, master of the Third Raikage's Black Lightning and Storm Release bloodline. His calm demeanor made him perfect for leading negotiations with Konoha.
As for the three Genin, Bee knew them well.
Omoi and Karui, his students, had trained under him for years. Fresh out of the academy, they were already Chunin-level, only held back by their age and physical development. Otherwise, they'd be Special Jonin material.
Atsui, Karui's younger brother, was also Chunin-level. Sending these overpowered prodigies to Konoha was Ai's way of flexing Cloud's strength.
"Oh! Let's show Konoha what Cloud's made of! Dummy! Jerk!" Killer Bee grinned, one hand over his mouth, the other over his crotch, back in his artistic groove.
Ai closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and a faint "#" appeared on his reddish-brown forehead.
Half a second later—
"Lightning Plow Hot Knife!!!"
"Aaaagh! Big bro!" Killer Bee's scream echoed pitifully.
---
Land of Water, Hidden Mist
Endless fog cloaked the city nestled in the mountains.
Three figures, once plotting in a dark basement, now sat in the bright Mizukage's office, discussing the Chunin Exams.
Mei Terumi, wearing the Mizukage hat, had shed her youthful inexperience. Her sexy blue dress hugged her curves as she studied a scroll from the Anbu. After reading it several times, she looked at Genshi.
"Mist has been isolated for years, barely interacting with the outside world. We get pitifully few missions. Clients from the Land of Water would rather sail to Konoha than come to the mysterious, dangerous Blood Mist. Our growth is stunted.
I think this joint Chunin Exam with Konoha, Cloud, and Suna is our chance to put Mist back in the spotlight. I want our ninjas to join and show their strength!"
Mei's eyes were resolute, her mind made up.
As the new Fifth Mizukage, her biggest goal was reforming the Blood Mist system, but progress was slow. Mist's problems ran deep, far beyond the Fourth Mizukage's reign.
The elite-soldier policy fueled internal strife. Mei believed that instead of fighting among themselves in this tiny island, Mist ninjas should face other villages' shinobi. The blood in the Blood Mist shouldn't all come from their own!
"This old sinner dares not speak. Mizukage, decide as you see fit," Genshi said, eyes half-closed as if dozing, though a sharp glint flickered in the slits.
His words put Mei in an awkward spot.
Days after the Fourth Mizukage was revived, a hidden seal in his abdomen—left by some mysterious figure—broke, releasing the Three-Tails, which vanished into the deep sea.
The Fourth died instantly.
Mei, still green, should've been passed over for Genshi to act as interim Mizukage.
But with the Mizukage and the Kurisu siblings missing, civilian factions accused Genshi of murder. An Anbu elite Jonin's bizarre, gruesome death in the hospital fueled rumors of Genshi's human experiments, spreading like wildfire.
Genshi lost any chance at interim Mizukage, paving the way for Mei—the biggest beneficiary.
"Don't say that! It's all the Kurisu remnants' schemes!" Ao, quick to read the room, stepped in to ease Mei's discomfort.
Genshi, realizing his words sounded off, clarified, "I meant no offense. As Mizukage, you don't need to consult me on everything. Decide for yourself."
Mei smiled, touching her red lips. "Since you have no objections, Mist will join the joint Chunin Exams. Please handle things while I'm gone."
"Of course," Genshi nodded.
With Genshi managing Mist, Mei felt at ease. She turned to Ao. "You'll lead the team to Konoha—"
"Wait, Mizukage, that's… not ideal!" Ao gave a wry smile, pointing to his eyes. Showing up in Konoha with a stolen Byakugan was provocative, to say the least.
"Don't worry. With so many villages at the exams, Konoha won't dare touch you, no matter how upset they are!" Mei's sea-green eyes gleamed with confidence.
Mist had been through too much—tailed beasts gone, bloodline clans nearly extinct, factions tearing each other apart. They barely had any decent elite Jonin left. Sending Ao was a last resort.
Luckily, the new generation was brimming with talent, ready to dominate the exams.
"Ao, take Ringo Yuri, Suigetsu Hozuki, and Chojuro to Konoha for the exams!"
The names made Genshi and Ao frown.
These were Mist's most renowned prodigies, the weakest already Special Jonin-level. They could probably pass a Jonin exam, let alone Chunin.
"Isn't this lineup a bit too strong?" Ao worried. These were the village's future pillars—what if Konoha targeted them for their talent?
"This is Mist's big chance. We've gotta hit hard!" Mei was resolute, determined to make a mark.
No risk, no reward!
If they could shine in front of other villages, Mist's mission count would be secure for a decade. Plus, it was a chance to build ties. Sending weaklings wouldn't earn respect.
---
Hidden Stone Village, Phosphorus Echo Mountains
Onoki clutched the intel scroll, his ruddy nose practically glowing. "A Chunin Exam with all four major villages and tons of smaller ones? Stone's gotta join!"
"Father, we have to go," Loess said, scratching his scalp, clearly annoyed.
He didn't want to, but there was no choice.
If the five major villages all attended except Stone, they risked being isolated or ganged up on.
Onoki knew Stone couldn't skip it. After mulling it over, he gave orders.
"Loess, you stay and guard the village. I'll take Han and lead the team to the exams!"
"Got it, Father!" Loess nodded quickly.
Onoki trusted his son to hold the fort. Loess might look chubby and unassuming, but his strength was immense. His earth-release could suppress tailed beasts, making him one of Stone's top fighters.
Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, was a walking wrecking ball. If Konoha tried anything, Onoki would let Han transform, bringing the pain of a tailed beast attack back to the Leaf.
"Father, got any picks for the Genin?"
Loess scratched his head. The escort and village guard were set, but he couldn't think of any standout Genin for the exams. This batch was painfully average.
Onoki was stumped too. Stone's talent pipeline was drying up worse than the other villages.
"Let's send Kurotsuchi… and Akatsuchi," Onoki said after a long pause.
Loess shook his head. "Kurotsuchi was promoted to Chunin last year and is prepping for Special Jonin. Akatsuchi's already training for the Jonin exam."
Onoki's mouth twisted. "It's a Chunin Exam—why's it a problem to send Chunin? What's wrong with that?"
"Well—"
Loess's brain was as stubborn as a rock. If not for that, Onoki would've retired and passed the Tsuchikage title to him long ago.
Sighing at his son's density, Onoki's small frame floated up from his seat, gazing out the window.
The barren, rocky landscape of Stone, with its steep cliffs and desolate expanse, was as harsh as Suna or Cloud.
"Mark my words, every ninja from the five nations at this exam will be at least as strong as Kurotsuchi!" Onoki said, his hunched frame heavy with age.
He didn't know how many fights he had left.
But for now, he wanted Stone's future to venture out and see how vast the world was.
---
"And that's the situation!
First, the Land of Lightning inexplicably joined the joint Chunin Exams. Then Mist and Stone jumped in. Finally, smaller villages like Sound and Grass piled on, making this an unprecedented, all-ninja-world Chunin Exam hosted in Konoha!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi, face etched with worry, recounted the recent events to Hikari, the Root leader.
The thought of the upcoming exams kept him up at night.
All five Kage would gather in Konoha, along with their escorts, team leaders, elite Jonin, and Kage-level ninjas—too many to count on two hands.
If a brawl broke out, the village could be destroyed. But if he backed out now, Konoha's credibility would collapse.
This Chunin Exam was a real headache!