Konoha Drunkard

"How can that be the same? You are the rightful heir. You are the only one in your generation who can represent Konoha. Don't worry, I've made all the arrangements. You just need to go in and pretend to take the written exam!" Shanks comforted him. He knew his own family best. People like Garp, who rose to power through brute force like himself, had limited education. It was a matter of talent, and it couldn't be forced. Besides, he knew what kind of exam it was. Although Minato was the current Hokage, it was just a change of name. The written exam scores were all fake. Moreover, even if the proctors found out that Garp, the crown prince, was cheating, they wouldn't dare to say a word. Weren't they afraid of being beaten up?

"Grand Uncle, you have to protect me. Not only will you embarrass your two great-grandfathers, but you will also lose face." Garp said with teary eyes, still worried about Shanks.

"Alright, alright, I've already spoken to Yamashiro. He's the examiner for the first round, so don't worry." Shanks waved his hand impatiently.

"The exam time is up. Everyone may enter the examination room." At this moment, a Jonin appeared in front of the examination room and announced the start of the written exam.

"The one in front of Shanks and Tsunade is the young patriarch of the Senju clan. Be careful in the second match, and don't go up against him." A Mist Ninja wearing a Mist Ninja headband and partially blindfolded instructed several Mist Ninja in front of him from a distance.

"Hi! Professor Qing."

The few Mist Ninja in front of him glanced at Garp and responded.

"Lord Ao, is this young Senju clan leader very strong?" a fellow Kirigakure ninja asked. It's no wonder he was curious, because the current Senju clan leader, Nawaki, was indeed rather disappointing in terms of strength. He lacked the domineering presence and talent of Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama. Nawaki's reputation in the ninja world was always that of a master of underhanded tactics, only able to use a few divine weapons to slice through chickens on the battlefield and rack up stats. No one would think he was that strong, so it's not surprising that his son, Garp, was also doubted.

482. Always the center of attention.

"...I'm not entirely sure either. I only learned about this young Senju clan leader after coming to Konoha. I don't know how strong he is, but our Kirigakure is currently severely weakened and can't withstand another attack from Konoha's Shanks. Let's avoid it if possible." Ao, who was blindfolded, shook his head and sighed. Back then, it was because the Three-Tails Jinchuriki killed the Senju clan leader that Konoha's Shanks came to their village to kill the Tailed Beast and attack the village. If one of their people were to kill this young clan leader instantly, who knows if Konoha's Shanks would go crazy and come to Kirigakure to attack again.

"Oh! Is that the young head of the Senju clan of Konoha? Why is he here to take the exam too?" The grass ninja in the distance saw Garp, who was standing in front of Shanks and Tsunade and had the Senju clan crest on his clothes, whispering among themselves.

"So what if they're from the Senju clan? In the face of death, everyone is equal. Their current clan leader isn't very capable, and as his son, I reckon he'll be just as mediocre." A ninja from the Grass Kingdom, who had a profound understanding of the true meaning of life, said with a pout.

"No matter who he is, try to avoid conflict with Konoha ninjas in the second round. We'll just go through the motions; this is their territory," Kusakage said to the henchmen taking the exam. They all had basic salaries from the Daimyo, and they had no intention of flexing their muscles. They were only here because they were afraid Konoha would say they weren't giving them face, so they just came to participate as bystanders.

"Lord Mabui, the man in front of Shanks and Tsunade is the young head of the Senju clan. He's very strong, especially his monstrous strength, which might even surpass that of Tsunade at the same age," a former subordinate of the Third Raikage, who was now retired in Konoha, told Mabui from the Cloud Ninja side.

"Oh? It seems Konoha actually intends for him to represent Konoha. Who else is in his group?" Mabui asked, looking at Garp.

“There’s another one, Shanks’ disciple, who is also the young head of the Uchiha clan, but he hasn’t arrived yet. The other one is from the Hyuga clan, but I don’t know who he is. The Hyuga clan probably doesn’t have any geniuses this generation, so he might just be here to make up the numbers,” said one of the Third Raikage’s old subordinates.

"Hehe, this combination is really interesting, Senju, Uchiha, and Hyuga." Mabui laughed. People usually think of Uchiha and Senju, and Hyuga has never been very harmonious. Now Konoha has actually put these three clans together as a group.

"Haha, yeah, the Senju and Hyuga clans are alright. Last time, the young head of the Senju clan even got engaged to a girl from the Hyuga clan. But the Uchiha clan's relationship with Konoha isn't so good." The Third Raikage's old subordinate also laughed.

The whispers around him didn't escape Shanks's Observation Haki. The Senju clan, after all! Hashirama Senju was so formidable back then, it wasn't surprising that his descendants were the center of attention. He did find that Byakugan youth from Kirigakure quite audacious, daring to roam freely in Konoha's Hyuga clan territory with only one eye covered. Wasn't he afraid Hiashi Hyuga would use his head as a drinking snack? Did he really think that covering one eye made him like Kakashi or Danzo?

"Teacher, Haruko-sama, Tsunade-sama." After the examinees began entering the examination hall, Itachi finally arrived. It wasn't that he didn't want to come early, but he had to go to work at the Anbu, so he could only arrive just in time. Although Minato had sent him and Kappu to participate in the Chunin Exams, Kappu was actually a Special Jonin, so even though he had to take the exam, he still had to go to work. Unlike Kappu, who had started to repeat Tsunade's lifestyle back then. When he was short of money, he would do missions, and after receiving the bounty, he would spend it at the casino. He did this every day, making many Konoha ninja extremely envious. But they could only be envious. Who could blame him for being born into the Senju clan? He was born into the Senju clan and was currently the only heir. Even if it were Minato, he wouldn't allow it. If something happened to this only heir, he couldn't afford to compensate the Senju clan for a grown man.

"Sakumo too, you still have exams to take, and he won't give you a break. I'll go ask him to help you apply for overtime pay later," Shanks said, patting Itachi's head.

"Grand Uncle, do I also get overtime pay and pay for staying up all night?!" Karp's eyes lit up at the mention of money, and he forgot all about his fear of written tests.

"Go away and stop drawing circles. He's spending money to buy things for his younger brother. When have you ever spent money to buy things for your sister?" Shanks gave him a loving flick on the head. He needed to use his brain for the exam later, so he couldn't hit him.

"Karin is still too young, she wouldn't be able to handle it." Garp rubbed his forehead, which had a small bump, and pouted.

"Whether you can play or not is another matter, whether you buy or not is a matter of attitude. Alright, stop babbling and go inside, don't embarrass me, there are a lot of people who want to see me make a fool of myself!" Shanks waved his hand at him disdainfully.

"Oh right, Itachi. Aren't we in a three-person team? Where's our other member?" Garp and Itachi had just entered the exam hall when he remembered something very important; he had forgotten about his teammate again.

"...Sigh! There's also Hyuga Tsuruhime, she should already be inside." Itachi sighed. This guy is hopeless, he doesn't even know his teammate is his girlfriend.

"What? What's Minato up to? Sending that deadpan girl? She's so weak, we'll have to take care of her." Garp looked up at the sky speechlessly. Garp had never agreed to the marriage between him and the Hyuga clan, but since the marriage contract had already been signed, he could only accept it with tears in his eyes. However, from then on, he kept his distance from the Hyuga clan. Even if he had to pass through the Hyuga clan to do something, he would take a long detour to completely avoid them. When he was engaged to Hyuga Tsuruhime, he saw the girl who had tricked him again, but she still had that cold, deadpan face, which made him completely uninterested.

"...Take care of yourself first." A cold, emotionless voice came from Garp's depths.

"......"

Garp remained silent, feeling guilty upon seeing that emotionless gaze. After all, it was he who had caused the trouble of their marriage by stealing a monster.

........

All the candidates arrived at a super large examination room. Because there were so many people, the examination room for the written test was temporarily created using earth magic. It was more than enough to accommodate several hundred people.

There were more than twenty ninjas supervising the exam in the exam hall. Each seat had a name on it. Garp walked into the exam hall, found the seat with his name on it, and had just sat down when a ninja wearing a ninja vest walked in.

"Ahem! I am Yamashiro Chiba, the Konoha Jonin for your first exam. As you all know, this first exam is a written test. To prevent cheating, we have broken up your teams and assigned you to different seats. The exam lasts one hour, and you need to complete all the questions within that hour. If even one person in your team fails, the entire team will be eliminated. The exam will now officially begin."

483. There aren't that many tricks.

After Yamashiro Chiba finished speaking, the twenty-odd proctors began distributing the exam papers. Garp glanced at his paper, and what he saw made his teeth ache. There were a whopping 300 questions, all text! Wasn't it supposed to be just ten questions, as his aunt had told him? One hour for 300 questions—he couldn't even finish reading them!

Garp looked at the questions and felt dizzy. They were even more complicated than his great-great-grandfather's ninjutsu manuscript. What was the point of writing them? He simply covered the exam paper with his head and buried his face in it. He was too lazy to even go through the motions. He simply said, "Sleep!" Anyway, his great-uncle was the examiner. What was there to panic about?

Standing above, Yamashiro Chiba, who had been greeted by Shanks, watched Garp's actions and sighed inwardly. He had originally arranged for this young master to sit among the four people who knew the answers, with his men at the top, middle, and bottom. He thought that even if the young master couldn't write it, he could at least glance at the answers. Even if the proctors knew, they would pretend not to see it. But this young master, on the other hand, glanced at the questions and then fell asleep. Wasn't this making him do useless work? At least show some respect, okay?

As the examiner for the first round, he had spent a month working through the night to come up with the questions, having read through a series of great works such as "The Complete Guide to Ninjutsu Knowledge," "Brain Teasers," and "Unsolved Mysteries of the Ninja World." He had put so much effort into creating the questions, only to have them ignored. At this moment, Yamashiro Chiba was utterly exhausted.

However, since the boss had already given instructions, he couldn't refuse. Fortunately, he had prepared two plans in case of any unexpected situations. He gave a wink to a ninja disguised as a test taker sitting next to Garp.

"Execute Plan B!"

"Roger that!"

Garp's behavior wasn't just noticed by Yamashiro Chiba. As the sole heir of the Senju clan, he was the center of attention wherever he went. Many people were heartbroken to see Garp fall asleep immediately after receiving the exam paper, not taking the exam seriously at all. This backdoor was too obvious! Did this bastard wake up to find his paper already finished? They've all gotten used to this trick.

But there's nothing we can do. Konoha is their territory, and the examiners are from Konoha. If this happened in their own village, they would dare to do the same, but unfortunately, we're in Konoha now, so we can only suppress our bitterness and answer the questions seriously.

But just seeing this exam paper covered in dense writing makes my head spin!

"The two sides are facing off at a distance of 20 meters, with a wind speed of up to level 4. How many times does a shuriken need to spin to hit its target?"

How many words are in "The Complete Guide to Basic Ninjutsu Knowledge"?

"When A uses a C-rank Fire Release technique on B, and D blocks it with a C-rank Water Release technique, what is B doing at this moment?"

"........."

Itachi, a model student, stared at the questions, clutching his head and looking up at the sky. What kind of questions were these? They had a strong Shanks vibe to them. Could these be from his unreliable teacher? Was this a ninjutsu knowledge test or a brain teaser? And there were 300 of these questions! Only his boring teacher would come up with such pointless questions.

Itachi really misunderstood Shanks. If Shanks had seen the question, he probably would have pulled out his sword and chopped Yamashiro Chiba down. Is this an exam? This is damn bad! It's amazing that Yamashiro Chiba could even come up with this.

"Swipe!"

The sound of writing gradually rose in the examination room, drawing scornful glances from the crowd. Different strokes for different folks, and it's not surprising that there are always a few show-offs. The crowd watched as several ninjas dressed as examinees kept writing.

What the hell? Who the hell could write a question like this? They'd be begging to kneel down and call him daddy...

Time ticked by as everyone racked their brains. The ninja who had received the glance earlier was extremely anxious. The exam time was approaching, and his task as the implementer of Plan B was still unfinished. His task was actually quite simple: write Senju Garp's name on his completed exam paper, then switch it with Garp's seat. However, neither he nor Yamashiro Chiba had anticipated the Senju clan's immense fame. Even as the sole heir of the Senju clan, he was constantly being watched, as if people could see something in him. Garp was always admired, and he couldn't openly switch exam papers. It was alright to do it secretly, even if a few people discovered it, but if he switched papers in front of a large group of people, the examinees would probably riot. It was indeed a bit too much, but ignoring it was not an option. This written exam was a real test, without the usual tests of human nature like those of Hiruzen Sarutobi. It was just a test of these people's intelligence gathering skills. After all, the examiner, Yamashiro Chiba, was such a straightforward person.

Yamashiro Chiba looked quite anxious. If this young master were awake, it would be fine, but damn it, the time was almost up and he was still asleep. He wondered what he was dreaming about. He could vaguely see a trace of water on the corner of the young master's mouth.

Not long after the exam began, Itachi noticed something different about the actor playing the role of a test taker sitting behind Garp. Normally, when people see an exam paper, they would glance at the questions. This actor, perhaps dissatisfied with his pay, started writing as soon as he received the paper, without showing any surprise on his face, as if he already knew the answers. Itachi activated his Sharingan after a while and copied the actor's writing motions.

Hinata Tsuruhime also discovered the anomaly halfway through the exam and started cheating by activating her Byakugan. She wanted to answer honestly, but the questions were too difficult for a human to answer.

After finishing her writing, Hyuga Tsuruhime saw that she still had ten minutes left. She put down her pen and glanced at the man who had become her future man because he stole her monster. She was so angry that she almost awakened her Tenseigan. This bastard was still sleeping soundly. Wasn't he nervous at all? They were Konoha's seed team. If they were eliminated in the first round, Konoha would really lose face. This bastard was still sleeping.

As time was running out, Yamashiro Chiba realized that if he didn't act soon, it would be too late. Suddenly, he saw a candidate wearing a Takigakure headband looking around furtively. It was like a savior had appeared out of nowhere! He had been worried about how to distract the candidates who were focused on Garp!

"Number 156! Cheating on the exam! All candidates in his team, leave the exam room!" Yamashiro Chiba's shout startled the candidates in the exam room, who all turned to look at him. At that moment, the actor playing the role next to him seized the opportunity and switched the exam paper with him in an instant, his speed was nothing short of divine.

484. This deserves full marks.

After exchanging the exam papers, the actor playing Garp's neighbor breathed a sigh of relief. This mission was even more difficult than his A-rank mission. Little did he know that his every move had been watched by more than a dozen pairs of eyes. Because everyone's attention was drawn to Yamashiro Chiba, only one pair of Byakugan saw it. Hyuga Tsuruhime was speechless at this move. Could it get any more outrageous?

Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi's crystal ball also displayed this scene. How could Hiruzen not care about such a major event as the Joint Chunin Exams? Besides, Garp's team was Konoha's seed team. Of the three, the Konoha high-ranking officials in the office were most worried about Garp. Itachi Uchiha and Tsuruhime Hyuga both had strong family traditions in literature and, based on their past experience with written exams, wouldn't have any problems. But Garp was different. Although the Senju clan also had a strong family tradition in literature, the problem was that if the head of the clan was corrupt, how could the children be upright? Even Shanks, the patriarch, was illiterate. He could make things up, but when it came to serious exams, he knew nothing. Look at the Senju clan since Tsunade's generation; not a single cultured person had emerged. The Nawaki clan's culture was all focused on human body art; asking them to write anything would be utter nonsense. Garp was even worse. If Shanks hadn't forced him to learn to read, he probably wouldn't even be able to write his own name now, only knowing size.

When the crystal ball first showed the test questions, everyone turned to look at Shanks. It was a Shanks-esque operation that made it hard for them not to be suspicious. Only this bastard would do something so outrageous.

"Why are you all staring at me? I didn't do this. I haven't even written my speech yet. Why would I bother with such a bizarre topic? I never knew Shanks had such talent." Shanks said speechlessly. He found that people's misunderstanding of him was getting deeper and deeper. Whenever there was something trivial, he was the first person they thought of, which made him feel very tired.

"Why did Shancheng put up so many questions? It's just an intelligence gathering test, but these hundreds of questions are enough to kill someone!" Rope Tree was also tingling as he looked at these questions. Even he, a graduate student, couldn't understand them, let alone his son who was a complete idiot. Unless his great-grandfather possessed him, he could forget about it.

When the screen appeared, Garp glanced at the questions and then buried his head in sleep. The people in the Hokage's office didn't react much. This was all Garp's usual routine. Sleeping was better than getting angry and affecting the exam. They hadn't even considered that Garp could answer the questions on the test. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi, the ninjutsu expert, would have a headache looking at it.

The scene then shifts to a variety of outrageous cheating methods, seemingly endless, leaving even Shanks in awe. Indeed, new talents emerge in every generation. Having roamed the ninja world for decades, he's still no match for these people. His Sharingan and Byakugan are unremarkable techniques, barely enough to pass. Look at the Mist Ninja! They secretly gather a tiny drop of water on the examinee's headband, then project another drop from the ceiling, allowing the water droplet to refract and project onto his exam paper. An illiterate person couldn't have come up with such a method.

The Cloud Ninja's method completely redefines Shanks' understanding of their "barbarity." While they might not be able to come up with a legitimate way to cheat, they cleverly devised a scheme: using an excuse to leave the exam hall, they knocked out the proctor following them and impersonated him. They then handed a kunai (a type of ninja) with a small note attached. Although the note's contents weren't shown, the proctor's trembling and sweating profusely upon receiving it clearly indicated Shanks was under threat. This Cloud Ninja, disguised as the proctor, then acted as a conduit, constantly relaying answers to other Cloud Ninjas as they escaped. Shanks was thoroughly impressed by this move. Who says that physical strength equates to intelligence? Look at them, they've brought the art of using weapons to the exam hall! What more can be said? This deserves full marks.

The crystal ball then focused on Garp's sleeping posture. Everyone sighed as they watched Garp, who was having a sweet dream and whose saliva was constantly dripping down his face. He was such a great genius, why did he have to give up being the second Hokage and insist on being the first Hokage? Didn't he know that times have changed and that being the Hokage requires culture?

The three leaders of Konoha had hoped to train Garp to be Hokage since he was a child. After all, such a genius was so powerful that with proper guidance, Konoha wouldn't have to worry about who would be Hokage after Minato for decades to come. They were also at ease knowing that Garp had Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin, to teach him. After all, of Hiruzen Sarutobi's three disciples, the most reliable one was Orochimaru and Tsunade. Didn't you see how she beat up her own brother Nawaki back then?

Unfortunately, Tsunade treated her nephew Garp completely differently than she treated Nawaki, spoiling him rotten. The result was predictable: he didn't inherit any of the First or Second Hokage's traits, but he inherited Tsunade's qualities perfectly, showing a tendency to surpass his mother. And Tsunade is a medical genius with impeccable cultural knowledge! Although she has a fiery temper, the Naruto world loves these hot-tempered girls. She's a bit of a gambler, but she's rich!

But things are different for Garp. In the Naruto world, not many girls like men with bad tempers, let alone men who are addicted to gambling and uncultured. If it weren't for the fact that he stole a monster and found love, he probably would have had Jiraiya by his side afterward.

Just as the exam time was about to begin, and everyone was still considering what Garp should do, the scene of exchanging papers unfolded. The person playing the role was fast enough, and regardless of who was in front of the crystal ball, their eyes were sharp. Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi was speechless. Damn it, there were his own people all around him. He could have answered the questions with just a quick glance. This bastard had to play this dangerous game. If a bunch of people saw this, Konoha's reputation would be ruined. It was too obvious!

"Haha! This mountain town is really talented, he even knows to hold back a trick up his sleeve." Shanks laughed heartily at this move.

"........Luckily, no one found out, otherwise it would have been troublesome if it caused a scene." Koharu rolled her eyes at Shanks.

"As long as the result is right, don't focus so much on the process! You big leaders always only look at the results and not the process, don't you?" Shanks shrugged.

485. Superstar Combination

"...We always teach our children to focus on the process. Sakumo, how's Kakashi doing?" Hiruzen Sarutobi insisted on refuting Shanks before asking his right-hand man.

The second exam is about to begin. Because there are too many people, the venue for the second exam must be thoroughly inspected for safety hazards. It's normal for a few people to die in a ninja duel, but they should die knowing why. If they die or go missing for no reason, it's fine if they have some kind of extraordinary encounter, but I'm afraid they might be taken down by some red-nosed dwarf or the Akatsuki from the Land of Rain whose background is unknown. That would be a big problem.

"The Death Forest is no longer a problem; we are currently investigating the area surrounding it," said Sakumo Hatake.

"These are extraordinary times, let's hope no one comes to cause trouble," said Mitokado Yan, a soy sauce customer.

"What are you panicking for? Look at Konoha's current roster! So many superstars teaming up! Even if Madara were to resurrect, he could still take on a whole bunch of opponents." Shanks looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi and Homura Mitokado with exasperated expressions, then glanced at Koharu Utatane, who remained completely calm and composed. With Konoha's current lineup, if Minato had any ambition, he could have unified the ninja world. The Akatsuki wouldn't stand a chance.

........

The first written exam was over. Yamashiro Chiba, being a truly honest person, graded the papers on the spot, eliminating anyone who didn't even complete half of the questions. Just as the other candidates were preparing to watch Garp's performance, Garp pulled out his paper in a daze. Those who were expecting a good show were also dumbfounded. What the hell was going on? They had watched the entire Senju clan exam from beginning to end. He had fallen asleep as soon as the exam started, and no one had helped him cheat or switched his paper. How did this suddenly happen?

Not to mention them, even Garp was dumbfounded. Although his great-uncle had said he would protect him, he originally thought that the examiner would pass him directly after he handed in the paper. Who knew that when he woke up and opened his eyes, good heavens, all 300 questions were answered! Otherwise, he really couldn't have written such beautiful handwriting. He even wondered if he had written it in his dream. This operation was too smooth. Having someone to protect you is really reliable!

"Sigh! Only being born good is truly good!" A Kirigakure ninja who was eliminated sullenly voiced everyone's thoughts. He had trained day and night to stand out in this Chunin Exams, almost crippling himself. But when he arrived in Konoha, he found out there was a written exam. With so little time, cramming at the last minute wouldn't make much difference. Accumulating knowledge takes years. He really regretted focusing on practicing his swordplay back in school and neglecting all the academic subjects. Now, thinking back to the disappointed look in his homeroom teacher's eyes... it's all tears.

Why wasn't I born into the Senju clan? Look at them, they're not here to take the exam, they're here to sleep.

"boom!"

"Kids, stop wasting your time sighing here. I am Sarutobi Jinko, the Konoha Jonin who will be the examiner for the second exam. Those of you who passed the first exam, come with me." The exam hall door was kicked open, and Sarutobi Jinko walked in and said to the group of examinees.

The Sarutobi clan's genes are just that strong. Sarutobi Sinto's hair is getting thicker and thicker, and he's even picked up his uncle's habit of not shaving. A promising young man in his early twenties, almost thirty, has somehow become like Sarutobi Hiruzen's younger brother. After suffering from illness for several years, his father finally passed away, and Sarutobi Sinto inherited his father's position as head of the Sarutobi clan. After that, Sarutobi Sinto started to live life to the fullest, indulging in whatever way was allowed. Seeing his classmates getting married and having children, he's still all alone. Even Minato's disciple, the Anbu prince Kakashi, is engaged. It's truly feared that he might end up alone, just as his former homeroom teacher predicted...

"The second test will be held in the Forest of Death, a famous scenic spot in Konoha. I won't explain why it's called the Forest of Death. Every year, at least 800 to 1,000 people die there. The content of this test is also very simple. You will be randomly assigned a scroll later. The scrolls are divided into the Scroll of Heaven and the Scroll of Earth. If a team gets the Scroll of Heaven, they must get the Scroll of Earth and reach the central tower alive in order to pass the second test."

After Sarutobi Sumikko led the examinees to the entrance of the Forest of Death, he said to them, "Only people from Konoha know that this guy is bragging, but others don't." Coupled with Sarutobi Sumikko's sinister tone, it really did sound convincing.

"So, what if someone dies during the exam, examiner?" asked Taki, a ninja who looked like he had just graduated from school.