Today, Konoha was unusually lively.
Long lines of genin stretched across the area as they queued up to receive their team number plates for the Chunin Exams.
Might Dai and his son Might Guy had arrived early, so they quickly received theirs.
But—
After getting Team No. 12, the father and son looked around in confusion.
"Wait… why does every other team have three people, but we only have two?" Guy scratched his head, puzzled.
"Well… um… is it possible your teammates abandoned you?" Dai suggested gently.
Unlike his son, Dai understood the exam rules.
All participating teams must have three members.
But since Dai himself had entered the exam, Guy's team exceeded its limit—so his original teammates wisely formed a new team elsewhere.
"…Then we're doomed," Guy said gloomily.
"How could we be doomed? The father-son combo might just clear everything!" Dai encouraged him enthusiastically.
"But Dad, we only know taijutsu! If I'd known, I would've learned some ninjutsu…" Guy regretted it.
Only knowing taijutsu had a huge weakness.
If the opponent used something like an explosive clone—
They'd fall right into a trap.
"Guy, taijutsu… is very powerful," Dai said seriously.
Unfortunately, Guy didn't look convinced.
Dai's "Memory Logic"
Seeing his son still worried, Dai pointed toward a group of Hidden Mist ninjas.
"Guy, do you recognize them?"
"Huh?"
Guy looked over, confused.
Judging by their headbands, they were from Kirigakure—but he didn't recognize them.
"Think carefully. Haven't some of them chased you before?" Dai reminded him.
"…Ah, maybe," Guy vaguely recalled.
"That's your weakness," Dai sighed.
He patted his son's head.
"With such a bad memory, even if you learn ninjutsu, what if you forget it at a critical moment?"
"Ah… that makes sense…"
Guy was ashamed.
His memory really was… slightly terrible.
Otherwise, back in the academy, he wouldn't have ended up in the same "bottom-tier group" as Drake.
"Let's Team Up with Drake!"
"Wait! Dad, we can team up with Drake!" Guy suddenly brightened.
He clearly remembered—
Drake was also technically a genin and had said he would participate.
"You want to team up with the Fourth Hokage?" Dai shook his head.
"Do you think he doesn't already have teammates?"
Not to mention Drake was Hokage—
He was also the leader of Team Nine.
If he joined, he'd obviously use his own squad.
"…Wait, Dad! Look—that's Drake!"
Guy suddenly spotted him.
Drake Appears
As the Fourth Hokage—
Drake still had to line up like everyone else to receive a team number plate.
The moment he appeared—
Everyone's attention snapped toward him.
"Drake…"
"Lord Hokage!"
"Why is the Hokage lining up?"
"Is he… actually participating?!"
Faced with the chatter, Drake smiled calmly and nodded at everyone.
Then—
He quietly took his place at the back of the line.
Ibiki's Reaction
"Wait… you're joining too?"
Ibiki Morino turned around, completely stunned.
"Is there a problem?" Drake asked.
"You're the Hokage! Why are you even here?" Ibiki said, speechless.
"That's different."
"Hokage is just a position. I'm still a genin."
His voice wasn't loud—
But almost everyone heard it.
Including genin from Konoha…
And ninjas from other villages.
Sand Village Panic
Among the Sand Village participants—
Several genin froze.
"Wait… the Fourth Hokage Drake is participating?" one of them trembled.
"He's a Hokage! Why is he here?!" another panicked.
"We're finished… I heard he wiped out our frontline army by himself…"
Hearing their despair—
Even Pakura, the strongest among them, felt her eyelids twitch.
She never expected—
A top-tier legend of the ninja world would come bully genin.
This was basically cheating.
"We Still Have Pakura-sama!"
"Wait! We have Pakura-sama!" one Sand ninja suddenly shouted.
"She's someone who escaped Drake's hands unharmed!"
"Yeah! With her here, we might have a chance!"
They all looked at Pakura—
"…Pakura-sama?"
"…Why are you sweating?"
"Wait—something's wrong!"
"Pakura-sama fainted from heatstroke!!"
"HELP!!!"
The Sand genin panicked and rushed her toward Konoha Hospital.
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