Naruto: Martial God Art

"What? A Genin completing a B-rank mission and coming back unharmed?" Shikamaru muttered, eyes wide with disbelief.

"What kind of monster is this Gaara guy?" Naruto, usually fearless, looked genuinely shocked.

Sasuke didn't say anything, but his serious expression showed he was deeply affected by what he'd heard. The rest of the group was also visibly shaken.

Kabuto continued calmly, "Yes, there are many skilled Genin from various villages this year: Konoha, Sand, Rain, Grass, Waterfall, and Sound. By the way, Sound Village is a small, new ninja village, so I don't have much information on them."

As he spoke, three intense stares pierced through the crowd. The stares came from two men and one woman, each wearing headbands from the newly formed Sound Village.

Is this the current layout of the ninja world? Lee thought, standing nearby and catching every word Kabuto said. He could sense that Kabuto's strength was impressive—possibly not far from that of Kakashi or Might Guy. Why would someone this strong be mingling with Genin at the Chūnin Exam? he wondered, suspicious of Kabuto's true intentions.

Kabuto's friendly attitude and deep knowledge made Lee wonder if his goal was actually to keep an eye on certain newcomers. After all, Naruto had something incredibly powerful within him, and Sasuke carried the rare Sharingan. Either of them could be potential targets.

Hinata, looking worried, whispered, "This is... intimidating. I don't feel ready at all."

"What's the point of talking like this now?" Ino muttered, feeling uneasy.

Sakura nodded, summing it up in a tense tone. "So, all the Genin here are the top picks from each village."

Most of the group fell silent, absorbing the information. Naruto, however, was trembling—but not from fear. Sakura assumed he was nervous, but when she stepped closer, she saw his face was full of excitement.

"Naruto… are you okay?" she asked, placing a hand on his shoulder to reassure him.

But before she could say more, Naruto stepped forward, pointing a finger at the entire room. "Listen up!" he shouted, his voice ringing out. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm not going to lose to any of you! Got it?"

In an instant, every Genin in the room turned to glare at Naruto. Sharp eyes stared at him, and a tense, hostile energy filled the air. Many looked like predators sizing up their next meal.

Gaara, Kankuro, and other powerful Genin smirked, some even laughing at Naruto's boldness, as if watching a clueless kid.

Lee sighed. If the Fourth Hokage could see his son now, he'd probably want to knock some sense into him.

"What's his deal?" Ino fumed, turning to Sakura. "He's putting a target on all of us!"

"This idiot," Sakura muttered, clearly exasperated.

Despite the complaints, Sasuke and the others remained focused. They knew that in the Chūnin Exam, everyone was competition, whether they were friends or not.

Kankuro sneered, muttering, "Isn't he the loudmouth we met earlier?"

"Yeah, but he's just all bark and no bite," Temari, his sister, added with a smirk.

"Is he... clueless?" Tenten shook her head in disbelief.

Neji, watching with a slight smile, said, "He's got spirit, though. What do you think, Lee?"

"Full of youthful energy," Lee replied with a smile.

"It's clear he hasn't faced enough challenges," Neji continued.

"Or maybe he's got a strong heart," Lee answered, his voice soft but resolute.

Meanwhile, in a dark corner of the room, three ninja from Sound Village were watching with narrowed eyes.

"Did you hear him call us a 'small village'?" growled a sturdy man, glaring at Kabuto.

"He's asking for trouble," replied a second man, with a hunched posture and a face wrapped in bandages, leaving only one eye exposed. His voice was cold and menacing.

The only woman among them smirked. "Let's teach him a lesson."

In an instant, the three Sound ninja moved like shadows, swiftly closing in on Kabuto from three directions.

Lee's eyes narrowed as he noticed their movement. So, they're finally making a move. Let's see what Kabuto is really capable of.

"Bang!"

One of the Sound ninja launched himself onto a table, then sprang into the air, two kunai appearing in his hands as he hurled them directly at Kabuto.

Kabuto reacted instantly, pushing off with his feet to dodge the attack. But just as he landed, the hunched Sound ninja charged at him, forming hand seals with one hand while swinging a punch with the other.

"You're from Sound Village, aren't you?" Kabuto asked, dodging the punch with ease. Despite being outnumbered, he remained calm and avoided each strike with precision.

The three Sound ninja regrouped, glaring at Kabuto with annoyance. "Your teamwork isn't bad," he commented, "but you're still too slow."

"Is that so?" one of the Sound ninja sneered.

"Crack!"

Suddenly, Kabuto's glasses split silently, cracks appearing on the lenses as if from an invisible impact.