Naruto: My Progress in Konoha.

Riiiiiing—!

A sharp, urgent bell rang out.

Uchiha Haruki jerked awake from his nap and raised his head, just in time to see a group of Konoha shinobi enter the classroom. Leading them was a Jōnin holding a sealed file folder, clearly marked with the word: "Top Secret."

What was inside didn't need to be explained.

This was it—the first part of the Chūnin Exams: the written test.

There were no elaborate gimmicks or flashy tests like in later versions. The Jōnin examiner simply rearranged everyone's seating, then unsealed the envelope and handed out the exam papers.

All he said was one thing: "No cheating."

Nothing else. No speeches. No second chances.

Haruki took the test paper and skimmed through it. The questions weren't too difficult—anyone with solid theoretical knowledge could probably pass.

But "just passing" wasn't his goal.

If I can score high, I should. No reason to settle for less.

With that thought, Haruki gathered his focus and began answering seriously.

As for cheating…

Since the test itself wasn't intentionally made difficult, the warning of "no cheating" most likely meant exactly that: don't cheat.

Sure, if someone was skilled enough to avoid detection, they might get away with it—but Haruki had no need.

His knowledge base was strong enough to score well without tricks.

No reason to create unnecessary complications.

Time ticked by.

Halfway through the exam, a sudden voice pierced the silence:

"Candidate #45, you may leave now."

Everyone turned to look.

Near the windows, one of the proctors stood up and walked toward a Genin sitting in the center of the classroom.

The candidate's face was pale. Clearly, he knew what he had done wrong. His fingers clenched the edge of his desk, struggling for a moment before silently getting up and walking out.

Once he left, the proctor returned to his seat like nothing had happened.

Haruki could feel the shift in the atmosphere. The room suddenly felt heavier, more tense.

But—

"Not my problem."

He shrugged inwardly and went back to his exam, writing steadily.

By the end of the exam, four more candidates had been caught cheating and removed from the room.

Finally, the bell rang again.

Everyone was instructed to remain in their seats. Once the Jōnin examiner collected all the papers, they were dismissed.

According to the schedule, the written results would be announced by noon.

Those who passed would move on to the second stage: a comprehensive combat evaluation.

Until then, the candidates were free to do as they pleased.

Haruki, who had pulled an all-nighter and rushed through the morning to take this test, decided it was the perfect time to catch up on sleep.

After a solid two-hour nap, Haruki returned to the ninja academy.

The exam results were already posted.

As expected—he had passed with ease.

Alongside him, fifty-nine others had made it through the written test.

Haruki did a quick mental calculation: around 50% pass rate.

Not unusually strict, but not lenient either.

Clearly, the village wasn't making the first stage too easy—

but they weren't being overly harsh, either.

That could only mean one thing:

The second stage probably wouldn't be too difficult.

Why?

Simple.

Konoha was short on manpower.

What they needed most right now were mid-level shinobi—the backbone of their forces.

If the second stage was too brutal, and only a couple of Genin made it to Chūnin each round, how would they ever fill the frontline ranks?

So, while the second stage might look intense, they probably wouldn't be too strict with who passed.

As for whether someone was actually strong enough to be a Chūnin…

Well, if they survived the battlefield, then they were clearly elite.

Whether or not they died along the way…

Wasn't something the higher-ups cared about.

From beginning to end, the only thing that mattered to Konoha's leadership was:

Winning the war.

Everything else? Irrelevant.

Haruki quietly shook his head and stopped thinking about it.

He turned and made his way toward the next venue:

Training Ground 44.

Otherwise known as—The Forest of Death.

Yes, the second stage of the Chūnin Exams would take place inside the Forest of Death.

Located within Konoha's territory, the forest spanned twenty kilometers in diameter. At the center was a tall tower, surrounded by a perimeter of barbed wire. In between was dense wilderness—rivers, lakes, thick trees, and more.

Because of its unique ecosystem, the forest was crawling with poisonous insects, wild beasts, and toxic mists.

In short, it was the perfect testing ground for a ninja's all-around skill set.

Which was why it had become Konoha's go-to location for Chūnin Exams.

This time was no exception.

Around ten minutes later, Haruki arrived at the edge of the Forest of Death.

There were still a little over two hours before the exam began, yet the place was already packed with examinees.

Some stood in groups of two or three. Others stood alone, quietly.

No one spoke.

They were all just… waiting.

Haruki understood perfectly.

Most of the Genin here had survived the battlefield.

Each of them had likely lost friends or loved ones in war.

People they once swore to become Chūnin with—now gone.

It was no wonder the air was heavy.

Even Haruki, standing here now, couldn't help but think of Mizutani Shizuko and Ryousuke.

Let alone everyone else.

After adjusting his thoughts, Haruki found a quiet spot, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes.

He began circulating chakra with the Chakra Refining Technique.

Thanks to the increase in his base stats, the physical restrictions on his chakra system had loosened.

Now, not only could Chakra Refining Technique help him recover chakra, it could also raise his maximum chakra cap.

Just as he had predicted when the technique reached Lv4.

At this level, for every hour spent refining, his max chakra increased by 16 points—double what he got back at Lv3.

That meant, with a full 8-hour training session, he could gain 128 max chakra daily.

Using his earlier estimate that his new chakra cap increase could reach around 5000 points, it would take him roughly 40 days to fully unlock that potential.

This was the benefit of a high-level technique.

The only downside?

To upgrade Chakra Refining Technique from Lv4 to Lv5, he still needed over 1,400 proficiency points.

At his current rate of accumulation, that would take about six months.

Far too long.

If it weren't for that, Chakra Refining Technique could've also been a fantastic method for internal chakra expansion.

Back when it rose from Lv3 to Lv4, the jump in effectiveness was massive.

If it ever reached Lv5, he was confident he'd be able to use at least 1,300 more chakra per day.

"What a shame..."

Sighing to himself, Haruki cleared his thoughts and focused entirely on his training.

Time slipped by.

More and more examinees began arriving at the staging area.

About an hour before the exam began, all sixty Genin who had passed the written test had gathered.

Only then did the place grow a little lively.

People began chatting, exchanging information, scouting out their competition.

Haruki overheard his name several times in the discussions and noticed a few stares his way.

He ignored them.

"What good is intel on me? In the face of overwhelming strength, all your tricks are meaningless."

Let them watch.

It didn't matter.

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