Halt!
Are you a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf?
Yes, I'm Kakashi Hatake of Hidden Leaf Village.
Our Lady Hokage sent me here.
I have a joint letter from the Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Sand.
Then I will accept it.
No… I've been ordered to present it to your leader,
Hanzo of the Salamander himself.
Is that a part of your plan to get close to Lord Hanzo?!
Threatening me is the same as threatening the Hidden Leaf and Sand…
Is that what you really want?
All right…
I'll let them know.
The Chunin Exams Begin!
Lord Hanzo will see you now.
Surrender all of your weapons, and then enter.
As rumored, the immigration inspections are extremely strict.
So his security is airtight.
Kakashi Hatake…
Nice of you to come.
Put the message you brought over there.
The Leaf has brought an invitation to the Chunin Exams
jointly sponsored by them and the Sand.
It's probably just a ploy to gather all the villages and spy on them.
Hanzo sent many of the genin from this village for the last Chunin Exams.
Then send a few teams to keep them happy.
Let them keep believing that Hanzo is the leader of the Hidden Rain…
In the meantime, we'll gather intel about the Jinchuriki.
Understood…
Is everyone here?
A letter has arrived from Hanzo of the Salamander
from the Hidden Rain Village.
Well, well… He's sending genin to join the Hidden Leaf and Sand…
Does this repudiate the rumors surrounding the Hidden Rain then?
No…
Sending genin could simply be a ruse to hide the truth…
Then…
Keep a close watch
on the Hidden Rain genin who are sent here.
I am so bored…
Fuu! Lord Shibuki wants to see you.
Oh no! Did I do something?
WATERFALL
Lord Shibuki, I've brought Fuu.
Hey, Fuu!
What's up, Chief?!
What were you thinking?!
Requesting an application for the Chunin Exams
from the Hidden Leaf?!
Shouldn't I have?
Then can you recommend me?
What?!
And what will you do if it leaks out that you're a Jinchuriki?
Well then… I guess I'll go on my own.
Huh?!
H-Hey wait!
Wait, Fuu!
I want to see the outside world!
If you won't acknowledge me, I'll just leave the village!
A-All right!
You never give up once you make up your mind.
Will you forgive me?
Then listen to me.
The Chunin Exams aren't your run-of-the mill tests.
It's a battle where you put your life on the line
for your dreams and the pride of the village.
In the past, the Village Hidden in the Waterfalls
was nowhere near the scale of the Hidden Leaf or Sand,
but we were feared
as a shinobi village that produced skilled jonin, one after another.
That's why although we are not part of the Five Great Nations,
we are allotted a Tailed Beast.
The Chunin Exam is the ideal opportunity to make a name for us
and impress the Feudal Lords who hire Hidden Villages,
and other shinobi leaders as well.
It's our chance to restore our past glory.
As long as you're going to participate,
go out and fight to make the Hidden Waterfall known.
All right! Got it!
I'll rile up a storm!
However!
Don't let anyone find out…
…that you are a Jinchuriki…
Okay!
Kegon, Yoro…
Hide your jonin status and guard Fuu.
Right!
– Right! – Right!
He's beyond my control now.
Does this mean…
the Hidden Waterfalls will send one team of three?
It's almost terrifying in its brevity,
but it is an official application.
Let's close the application period soon!
Oh!
What is it?
W-We forgot to solicit Hidden Leaf entrants!
What?!
Are you actually going to supervise?
Yes. I'll oversee the finals of the second round.
It's so that no fatalities occur during the test.
What will you achieve by smoking out the rebels?
It's not like that…
Then what?
Why would you go so far as to face danger head on?
My feelings haven't changed from that time.
Don't tell me… you want to bond with the rebels?
That's impossible!
Even if you're up to it, they won't listen!
He is…
Naruto is working hard, to forge bonds with others…
So I won't give up either until the day comes
when I can share suffering, sadness, and happiness with others.
I consider this my first test,
as the Kazekage of the Hidden Sand.
Once he makes up his mind, he won't listen… Damn it!
The Hidden Sand will send the same as last time…
Nine teams, 27 shinobi.
The Hidden Rain will have fifteen.
And Hidden Grass is sending six.
The Hidden Waterfall sent word
that they are also sending a team of three.
The Hidden Cloud and Land of Water sent polite regrets,
but our invitation was sent back by the Land of Earth.
As the host village,
we'll have to enter the same number as the last exams.
I want all of you to list the genin under you
and turn in your recommendations.
Are you stupid?
That's barely cooked.
Meat tastes best when there's still some red left.
Hey, Asuma Sensei…
So what's going to happen to our team
in the upcoming Chunin Exams?
Considering your skills now, it's only natural I recommend you.
But Shikamaru is already a chunin, so he can't enter.
So we're one member short.
Currently, Team Asuma is captained by Shikamaru.
If I'm to find a replacement…
It's going to be difficult
to be a stand-in for only the Chunin Exams.
Umm… I have someone in mind.
Someone who rivals Shikamaru in intelligence?
CIPHER CORPS
Is there anyone like that?
She's probably not as smart as Shikamaru,
but she may just be tougher than him.
You'll be fine now.
Me? Join Team Asuma?
Both Sasuke and Naruto are missing from Team 7, right?
Y-Yeah…
So you need to join a three-man team
in order to take the Chunin Exams, right?!
Yeah…
So you'll join, right?
But…
I know your strength better than anyone.
At the last Chunin Exams…
I got a good taste of your power.
Still…I can't. Please find someone else.
Why?!
We know that you've trained hard under Lady Tsunade for two years.
You've grown so much.
If you're just going to wait for Naruto and Sasuke…
If you do that,
you'll never be able to grab opportunities that come around!
It's not that…
If you add me onto your team now, I'll probably be a nuisance.
That's not true! Please!
Cha!
Your movements are getting better!
By the way, do you remember the first thing I taught you?
Of course.
Medic Ninja must never get themselves killed.
Thus they must never force their way forward.
That is true…
However, that does not mean that you don't have
to learn jutsu necessary to fight on the frontline.
And…
What I'm teaching you now…
Keep it buried in your heart and train. Understood?
Yes!
While I'm training, I'll only be a burden to others.
But…
How did it go? What did Sakura say?
She turned us down.
Aww… We're short one, and she's short two.
I thought it would have been perfect!
What did Sakura say?
She doesn't want to be a burden on us.
What a lame excuse.
But… I haven't given up yet!
Excuse me.
Oh…sorry.
Please…
Thank you!
Excuse me.
May I ask you to take a look at these and put your seal on it?
Shizune, do you want to kill me?!
It's been a while since we had the Chunin Exams
and nothing moves forward without your seal of approval.
Damn it… I didn't expect all this work.
Oh, Sakura was here.
What?
If she needed something, why didn't she just come in?
What would Naruto do… if he were in my place?
I'm going to attack you now…
and it'll be for real.
Come at me seriously, as if I'm your enemy.
Got it!
LEAF HOSPITAL
What's wrong?
Sakura!
He got caught under a landslide during a mission.
His condition is grave.
He needs emergency surgery right away.
Take him to the ICU immediately!
Right!
ICU
I'm beginning treatment.
I can't keep running behind Naruto and Sasuke forever.
I have to surpass my limits on my own.
It's no good. I don't have enough chakra!
I need to concentrate more chakra for the surgery…
More…more chakra!
What? Sakura is?!
Yes. We just got word from Leaf Hospital…
This is not good.
What?
But Sakura is skilled enough to do a surgery like this…
If this was our usual Sakura…
We have to go.
ICU
Sakura!
The Jutsu Ritual using chakra was completed without incident.
The surgery was a success.
Leave it to your student. She did an outstanding job.
I see.
You are truly a disciple of Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin.
At this point, you should be capable
of overcoming any hardship that comes your way.
Okay, with the team of Ino, Choji and Sakura…
our participant list is complete.
It's not as many as the 29 teams we had the last time…
But it's a decent list of participants.
Yes.
The time has finally come.
The Chunin Exam!
It's been a while since they last held them!
It's been two years.
I see, so this means Big Brother Naruto's coming back!
Huh? Naruto?
He's coming back to take the Chunin Exam, right?
He's not coming.
What?
Who knows where or how he's training right now.
His whereabouts are still unknown…
Next time on Naruto Shippuden:
​In Naruto's Fuutsteps ~ The Path Traveled "The Three Questions"
Does this mean they're going to proceed without including Big Brother Naruto?
​In Naruto's Fuutsteps ~ The Path Traveled THE THREE QUESTIONS
Tune in again!