Inside the Hokage Tower.
In the hallway.
Just as Kaede stepped out of the office, he happened to run into Hinata.
"…That's the general situation. I've already asked Kakashi to add your name to the participant list for the Chunin Exams. You'll be entering as a solo candidate," he said with a gentle smile.
At this point, even elite jonin in the village would have a hard time dealing with Hinata. If they couldn't win quickly, the longer the battle dragged on, the more likely it was she'd come out on top. Her strength easily qualified her to compete alone.
Kakashi had entered the Chunin Exams alone. So had Kaede himself. Uchiha Itachi, his student, had also taken it solo. Naturally, Hinata, as his student, was no exception.
In fact,
Hinata's current strength exceeded all of theirs at the time of their respective exams. She was stronger than Kakashi, stronger than Itachi, and even stronger than Kaede was back then.
That didn't mean she could sweep through the exam easily, though. This year's Chunin Exam was practically an elite free-for-all.
Naruto and Sasuke were both near jonin level now. If they teamed up, and especially if Sasuke suddenly unlocked a new stage of the Sharingan, they could even take down an elite jonin.
On top of that,
Orochimaru had also sent a team to compete, consisting of his own child Mitsuki, along with Karin Uzumaki and Haku. Mitsuki and Karin were strong, but Haku was already easily at jonin level.
Then there was Lee, who had opened up to the Fifth Gate of the Eight Gates technique. While his individual strength might not yet match a jonin, his team's coordination could definitely pose a serious challenge.
"I'll do my best," Hinata said earnestly, a slight flush coloring her cheeks. Compared to her timid self from years ago, she now carried herself with much more confidence. Her strength had brought her real growth.
That little bit of firm resolve made her even more charming.
Kaede smiled, reached out to pat her gently on the head, then turned to head upstairs toward his home.
When he noticed Hinata had quietly followed him all the way up, he couldn't help but laugh. As he opened the door, he glanced back and teased, "What? Want to have dinner at my place?"
Boom! Boom!!
The moment his words fell and the door swung open, there was a sudden burst of popping sounds. A spray of colorful streamers and confetti exploded from behind the door.
Lights flared on in the once-dark room.
"Happy birthday, Hokage-sama~!" Rin stood beside the door holding a confetti popper, smiling brightly. Next to her was Shizune, also smiling and holding another popper.
The living room had been transformed into a full-blown party scene, with a long table full of delicious dishes. Someone could be heard bustling around in the kitchen.
"H-Happy birthday, sensei," Hinata said, blushing as she pulled out a small gift bag from somewhere.
"You guys…"
Kaede chuckled and shook his head in amusement.
As he stepped into the living room, he took in the festive decorations, colorful paper flowers strung around the walls. One corner still seemed unfinished, where Konan was quietly making more flowers.
Mei Terumi stood near the table. Tilting her head toward Kaede, she said, "You came back too early. We weren't ready yet! Hinata, couldn't you have stalled him a little?"
"I… I didn't know…" Hinata murmured.
"It's fine!" Rin beamed. "Surprises are meant to be unexpected anyway~"
She leaned closer, eyes twinkling mischievously. "Anyone else you'd like to invite? I heard the Queen of Roran and that Snow Princess are both on very good terms with you. Might be a good time to round out your little harem."
Kaede rolled his eyes. "What, you want to organize a second table for mahjong?"
Rin had grown out of her sunny childhood personality. Though she still smiled brightly, she'd clearly developed a sly streak. Thankfully, Kurenai hadn't been too influenced by her, but then again, Kurenai had been a little corrupted by Anko instead. On the surface, Kurenai was the classic cool and dignified beauty, but sometimes she'd pull stunts that were downright outrageous.
That kind of contradiction made her all the more alluring.
"Exactly. You'll always be short one player otherwise," Kurenai chimed in as she walked out from the kitchen with two freshly made dishes. She smiled softly, clearly enjoying watching Kaede squirm.
Kaede sat down on the couch, but instead of flustering, he chuckled.
"You're all remarkably coordinated today."
"Well, of course. It's your birthday," Rin said sweetly as she sat down beside him. "So, if you weren't going to have a harem… who would you choose?"
Everyone in the room, Kurenai, Shizune, and even Hinata, who was blushing again, turned to look at him.
Even Hinata couldn't resist sneaking a curious glance. She knew many people admired her teacher, and she couldn't help but want to know his answer.
Under all their gazes, Kaede simply smiled and looked at Rin.
"You tell me."
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The Chunin Exams began on schedule in Konoha.
This was the first time since the unification of the ninja world, when the Four Great Ninja Villages were merged into Konoha, that Genin from outside the village were allowed to participate.
Allowing these former foreign Genin into the exams marked a major milestone in unifying the shinobi world. It symbolized that even ninja from the former great villages would now gradually be accepted as part of Konoha.
Decades from now,
There might no longer be any distinction at all.
Because of the expanded eligibility, the number of participants in this year's Chunin Exams was enormous. The first written exam alone filled three full testing halls, with over 400 candidates.
Among them were recent graduates, Genin like Naruto and Sasuke from earlier years, and many ninja from the former great villages.
Due to the exam's symbolic importance, it represented the ideals of future equality and peace, Kakashi personally took on the role of chief examiner.
Inside the proctor's room,
Kaede picked up a test paper and glanced over it, chuckling. "So these are all your own questions, huh?"
The exam format hadn't changed much from his own Chunin Exam. The first stage was still a written test where cheating was allowed. This time, Naruto quickly picked up on that and used underhanded methods to pass, syncing up well with Sasuke.
As for Sakura, she solved the entire exam on her own.
"She should've gone to a regular school," Kakashi sighed. "She might've become a top-tier scientist."
To force her way through ten full questions, and get them all right, was basically unheard of. Back during his own exam, Kakashi hadn't solved a single one. Honestly, even now, he couldn't answer most of them.
Kaede smiled and set her test paper down. "For the second stage, let's limit the number of passers. Keep it under fifty. Then filter again in the third round. Try to end with no more than twenty for the final stage."
"Got it," Kakashi nodded.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria