Chapter 38: Do You Remember the Root Ninja You Defeated?
As the crowd eagerly awaited, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally appeared at the exam venue.
His presence immediately drew a wave of cheers.
Even though he was getting old, he was still extremely popular in Konoha.
After all, he loved giving motivational speeches at the Ninja Academy…
And he especially enjoyed personally handing out headbands to new graduates.
"It's finally starting."
Fugaku Uchiha straightened his posture as he watched the Third Hokage step forward.
His feelings toward Hiruzen were… complicated.
Back then, he had high hopes for the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
Minato had a good relationship with him, and Fugaku believed that under his leadership, the rift between Konoha and the Uchiha could have been healed.
But fate was cruel.
The Fourth Hokage died too soon.
And despite Hiruzen's efforts, the way he handled the Nine-Tails Incident and its aftermath…
Made it clear he didn't trust the Uchiha the way Minato did.
But there's still hope.
Shisui is our future, and maybe… Itachi too.
As Fugaku pondered, Hiruzen finally spoke.
"Since everyone is here, let's begin the final exam."
Since the participants were all experienced ninja, Hiruzen didn't waste time and directly explained the rules.
The Chūnin Exam wasn't too complicated.
The previous assessments had already eliminated the weak.
This final test was primarily a combat evaluation—but it wasn't necessarily about winning.
As long as a participant demonstrated the qualities of a Chūnin, they could still pass.
Soon, the match order was drawn.
And the first competitor…
Was Uchiha Itachi!
"Well, that saves me some trouble."
Standing beside Hiruzen, Haruta smirked.
Without hesitation, he stepped into the training ground.
"The first match: Uchiha Itachi, please enter."
The moment Haruta appeared, whispers erupted in the crowd.
"That's the proctor?"
"He looks so young!"
"Wait… did they pick him just to give the Uchiha an easy opponent?"
Although ninja strength wasn't solely determined by age, older shinobi generally had more experience.
Even if their raw power was lower, their battle knowledge should still be an advantage… right?
"These people really underestimate Haruta."
In the audience, Yūgao's expression soured.
She knew exactly how strong Haruta was.
"Haruta is incredibly skilled. They just don't know it yet."
Tenzo nodded in agreement.
After leaving Root, he was adjusting to his new life—and he needed more friends.
Haruta, another "former Root member," naturally seemed like a great friend to have.
"I heard Haruta has already—"
"Ahem!"
Before Tenzo could finish, Kakashi cut him off.
"Let's not discuss mission details in public.
And we're Anbu—it's normal that people don't know about us."
Kakashi had come to watch the match, partly to avoid running into Might Guy.
And now, he was glad he came—otherwise, Tenzo might have blurted out something dangerous.
"Nii-san! You got this!"
"Itachi, do your best!"
Sasuke and Izumi cheered excitedly.
Noticing their enthusiasm, Itachi smiled and nodded before stepping onto the battlefield.
But the moment he reached the center of the arena, his smile vanished.
His expression became calm and focused—far beyond his years.
"Senpai, please guide me."
He bowed deeply, speaking with utmost respect.
Haruta raised an eyebrow.
Despite looking only slightly older than Itachi, he could tell…
This kid really wants to win.
"Hmm. Pretty polite, huh?"
Haruta grinned.
"But from the way you're looking at me… you're planning to defeat me, aren't you?"
"Yes, senpai."
Itachi didn't deny it.
His gaze briefly flickered toward his cheering family members, and his voice grew firm.
"I have a reason not to lose.
And this is an exam—I must give it my all."
To Itachi, his brother was everything.
His parents, his best friend Shisui, even Izumi—they were all watching.
He refused to let them down.
If Haruta could hear Itachi's inner thoughts, he probably would have laughed and asked:
"Oh? So this is why you massacred them later?"
"Huh. Looks like you have a close-knit family."
Haruta suddenly smirked mischievously.
Before Itachi could respond, Haruta continued—
"Giving it your all is important in an exam.
Honestly, I'd like to do the same.
But… Shisui won't stop nagging me to go easy on you.
Tch. Oh well… you're just a kid anyway.
And I'm the proctor—it's normal for you to go all out."
"..."
Itachi was silent for a moment.
Wait… aren't you only a few years older than me?
"The proctor and the challenger are in position."
At that moment, Hiruzen raised his hand.
As his voice rang out, the entire arena erupted into cheers.
"The match begins!"
"Senpai, please guide me."
In an instant, Itachi's eyes turned crimson—his Sharingan activating.
The three tomoe spun rapidly, and he formed the "Seal of Confrontation."
"Let's get started, then."
Haruta casually pulled out a kunai.
He already had a plan to complete both missions—even if they contradicted each other.
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, Haruta vanished!
Like a phantom, he reappeared right in front of Itachi!
"—!!"
Itachi's face shifted instantly.
Shisui had warned him that Haruta was fast.
But this wasn't just fast.
This was so fast that his Sharingan could barely keep up, and his body couldn't react in time!
This speed… is insane!
Haruta's fist shot forward, the sheer force of the punch making the air tremble.
Even before impact, Itachi's face burned from the wind pressure.
But his reflexes were impeccable—just as the punch was about to connect, he twisted his body and barely dodged.
"Nii-san!"
From the stands, Sasuke shouted in alarm.
He hadn't expected the fight to be so intense right from the start!
But Itachi couldn't hear him.
His entire focus was on Haruta, who had suddenly leaned in close—
And whispered into his ear.
"Do you remember… the Root ninja you once defeated?"
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