SHINOBI EXAM

["The captain is here!"]

On the projection, a colossal assembly of ninjas filled the frame. Clad in diverse attire, shinobi from every hidden village stood shoulder to shoulder. As the camera panned outward, the scene expanded into an overwhelming spectacle. Beyond the ninjas were ordinary villagers, daimyo from various countries, and even rogue ninjas watching the broadcast in stunned silence.

Describe the team! The sea of people stretched endlessly, row after row, organized into tight formations. Each unit spanned fifty columns, grouped into clusters of five, forming a powerful and imposing human phalanx that extended for miles.

The crowd in the image erupted with energy.

"That vest! It's a ninja from Konoha!"

"And that's someone from Earth Country—Iwagakure!"

"That one is from Kumogakure, the Hidden Cloud Village! I've fought him during a mission!"

"Look at them—those aren't ninjas. They're samurai!"

"Samurai? From the Land of Iron? Are they fighting alongside ninjas now?!"

As the crowd buzzed with disbelief, Temari snapped at a shinobi from Konoha. "Why are you Konoha ninjas standing in the Sand team's position?"

"Excuse me? You Sand shinobi are clearly the ones in our area!" the Konoha ninja retorted.

Temari glared, and Nara Shikamaru, watching the exchange, let out a weary sigh. "Troublesome... This is just an image. Why argue over something irrelevant?"

Hyūga Neji stepped forward, his tone calm. "The forehead protectors they're wearing have only the word 'nin.' They aren't divided by village. This is the Ninja Alliance."

Temari gave Shikamaru a pointed look before turning away with a huff.

Shikamaru muttered under his breath, "Women are so troublesome…"

From the sidelines, the resurrected Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, stood with his arms crossed, silently observing. His sharp mind quickly pieced together the timeline of the broadcast. That Nara brat will eat his words soon.

The screen shifted, zooming closer to reveal individual faces among the alliance. As the camera focused, two familiar figures came into view—older and more mature.

Temari and Nara Shikamaru.

Temari stared at the image, her face a mixture of shock and irritation. "Why are you standing next to me?!"

Shikamaru smirked lazily. "How should I know? Women are really troublesome."

The two turned away from each other with matching "tch" sounds, their irritation drawing light chuckles from the crowd.

Shikaku, Shikamaru's father, watched the exchange with a knowing smile. So troublesome, he thought. But maybe this will turn into something interesting... if Yoshino doesn't kill me for being late again.

The camera panned upward, revealing a massive platform built into the rock face of Kumogakure, the Hidden Cloud Village. The distinctive architecture confirmed the location, and from the platform, five figures emerged.

As the image zoomed in, cheers erupted from the army below. These were the leaders of the Ninja Alliance—a symbol of unity among the villages.

The first figure to appear was a strong man with the dark complexion of the Yotsuki clan, his stern gaze fixed on the massive army.

"Captain of the First Unit, Cloud Village's right-hand man, Raikage—Darui!"

Inside Kumogakure, voices rose in excitement.

"Darui! It's Darui!"

"As expected of Raikage-sama's right-hand man! Look at his aura!"

The image shifted again, this time revealing a man with a broad, square face and a thick beard. His presence exuded authority.

"Captain of the Second Unit, Iwagakure—Loess!"

In Iwagakure, the reaction was equally enthusiastic.

"Master Loess! He's the captain of the Second Unit!"

"This image must be from the near future. It's exactly how he looks now!"

"I want to join the Second Unit too! Imagine serving under Master Loess…"

In Konoha, some recognized him instantly.

"That's the son of the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki! It makes sense he'd become a captain in the Ninja Alliance!"

The murmurs of awe were accompanied by a growing realization. The masked man—identified earlier as the enemy threatening the world—had truly forced the five great nations to unite.

"Who is this masked man, anyway?"

Someone nearby muttered, "Don't forget. He has the Sharingan."

The reminder sent a chill through the group.

"Sharingan… That explains it. But does this mean Konoha is responsible again? After all, Uchiha—"

The conversation cut off as Sasuke, sitting nearby, clenched his fists. His hands trembled with anger and frustration.

Uchiha Mikoto, watching her son, sighed deeply. She felt the weight of her clan's legacy pressing heavily on her heart. Tobirama-sama's wariness toward the Uchiha, Danzo's manipulations, and even our clan's internal struggles… all of it led to this moment.

Her thoughts drifted to a time when young Minato and Obito were alive. Their presence, especially Obito's, had softened the village's perception of the Uchiha. The villagers had loved Obito.

If only things had been different.

A sudden burst of noise pulled Mikoto from her thoughts.

In the image, a silver-haired ninja appeared. His forehead protector, marked with the word "nin," covered his left eye. The lower half of his face was concealed by a familiar mask.

The crowd gasped.

"Captain of the Third Unit, Konoha Village—Hatake Kakashi!"

"Kakashi-sensei?!" Naruto's voice rang out in disbelief.

The crowd in Konoha erupted.

"It's him! Sharingan Kakashi! Of course, he'd be a captain!"

"He's still wearing the mask, even in the future. Does he ever take it off?"

Ino smirked. "Shikamaru, you might be important in the future, but Kakashi-sensei is on another level!"

Shikamaru groaned. "Please spare me… All of this is so troublesome."

Meanwhile, the image shifted to the next captain, and the cheers continued to echo throughout the alliance and the watching crowd. The broadcast of the Ninja Alliance had not only revealed the scale of the conflict but also left everyone with a lingering question:

What kind of enemy could unite such a powerful force?

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