Naruto: The Hidden Protector

189: The Chunin Exams And The Jonin Instructors' Thoughts

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~A few minutes ago~

In the office of the Hokage, all the jonin instructors were gathered inside. They stood at attention, looking at Tsunade, who was sitting behind the desk and looking back at them with a serious expression. Standing next to her was Hiruzen, his pipe in his hand, looking out the window at the bustling village below.

The atmosphere in the room was quite tense. These jonin, who were part of the backbone of Konoha, knew why they were called over. The Chunin Exams were just around the corner, and this year's event was going to be completely different from anything they had experienced before.

Tsunade laced her fingers together on the desk, her sharp amber eyes scanning the faces of the jonin.

"I've called you all here because the preparations for the Chunin Exam are officially complete," Tsunade said as he looked at every single one of them. "As you all know, this year we are opening the gates to everyone. The older genin who have been held back in previous years will be participating alongside the rookies."

A few jonin who still had older genin nodded, but nobody dared to interrupt her.

"This means the competition will be much fiercer and far more dangerous than the usual exams," Tsunade continued, throwing a quick glance at Hiruzen, who simply kept smoking his pipe without a word. "The nobles and dignitaries from various countries are already arriving. They want to see Konoha's strength. I expect every single one of your teams to show the true power of our village."

She then picked up a stack of official registration forms from her desk.

"Now, let's begin the official recommendations. As jonin leaders, it is your responsibility to decide if your students are ready to face this meat grinder." Tsunade looked up, her gaze landing directly on a lazy man leaning against the back wall. "Let's start with you, Kakashi. What is the status of Team 7?"

Kakashi slowly looked up from his orange book, slipping it back into his pouch. He closed his single visible eye in a relaxed smile, but his tone was completely serious.

"Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno," Kakashi stated clearly, stepping forward. "As their sensei, I recommend all three of them for the Chunin Exams."

Tsunade nodded, not asking any further. She knew especially how strong those brats are. Especially that kid Naruto, who could practically call upon the strongest ninja village to fight with him.

Then she turned to look at the next jonin instructor, who is none other than Kakashi's best buddy, Might Guy.

Might Guy stepped forward and, with his iconic blinding smile that practically sparkled in the serious atmosphere of the office, gave Tsunade a sharp thumbs-up.

"Team 3! Rock Lee, Neji Hyuga, and Tenten!" Guy shouted with pure passion, his voice echoing loudly, "They have trained through sweat, blood, and tears! Their youthful power is at its absolute peak, Hokage-sama! I recommend all three of them without a single doubt!"