Quickly, Dazen returned to his training routine, and two weeks after coming back, he managed to master the jutsu Lightning Speed.
At the training field, two people were fighting at high speed, disappearing and reappearing rapidly as they exchanged blows that were barely visible. Soon, Kenji stepped back slightly and said, "Alright, that's enough for today."
Dazen immediately released the jutsu and collapsed to the ground, exhausted.
Kenji approached and said, "You're doing well. You can finally use that jutsu in a prolonged battle. Tomorrow we'll start training the Instant Reaction jutsu. If you master it and learn to use both techniques together, you'll become a formidable ninja on the battlefield."
Dazen nodded, panting from fatigue. Seeing this, Kenji smiled and thought, 'He's progressed more than expected in just a few days. Maybe by the end of the Chuunin Exams, he'll be able to use both jutsus.'
Dazen recovered a little and then asked, "Kenji-sensei, I have a question about the Chuunin Exams. From what I've heard, there are usually some ninjas from other villages participating. Is that true?"
Kenji nodded and replied, "Yes, but only during times of peace. The Chuunin Exams are always a big event, so many people watch them. It's a way to show your power and talent to the other villages. However, this time it will be impossible for ninjas from other villages to participate."
Dazen nodded, already expecting that to be the case.
Kenji continued, "Even without the participation of other villages, many people from Konoha will watch the exam to see how the new generation performs. That includes the Third Hokage, so give it your all during the exam."
Dazen smiled and replied, "That won't be a problem."
As the Chuunin Exams approached, Dazen's training became increasingly intense. When there was only one month left before the exam, Ayume and Hideki informed Kenji that they would be training under the supervision of their parents, who wanted to train them in their respective clan techniques.
Of course, Kenji had no objections to their request, and so Dazen became the sole focus of Kenji's training. Finally, the day of the exam arrived.
Dazen, Hideki, and Ayume stood in front of the building where the exam would be held. Some genins could be seen entering the building with their teammates.
Dazen then said as he walked toward the building, "Let's go in too."
The other two nodded and followed him. It was clear that the three of them were nervous as they entered the building and headed toward the room where the exam would begin.
They didn't have to wait long. After a few minutes, the examiner entered the room. Dazen looked at him and didn't recognize him. The examiner was tall, had black hair, and some scars on his face, giving him an intimidating appearance.
The examiner stopped in front of the room, analyzing the genins present, and everyone watched in silence, waiting for him to speak. His expression didn't change as he began to talk: "Looks like everyone is here. That's good. Let's begin. My name is Haruki Fujinami and I'm the examiner for the first phase of the Chuunin Exams."
He paused and continued: "The first phase is quite simple: it will be a ten-question test that will evaluate your knowledge in various areas. You'll have one hour to complete it."
"Of course, if any of you are caught cheating, you'll be immediately disqualified. To pass, every member of your team must score at least 70% on the test. Any questions?"
The examiner waited a few seconds, but no one said anything. Then he continued: "Well, since you have no questions…"
The examiner looked at the clock, which read 8:17, and said, "Then you may begin. You have until 10:17 to finish the test. You may start now."
The examiner's words surprised the genins, and one of them quickly asked, "Excuse me, but aren't you going to hand out the tests?"
The genin's question brought a terrifying smile to the examiner's face: "Good question. I'll hand them out, but first, you have to find the test room."
To everyone's surprise, the examiner's body began to fade as he spoke.
"It's on the second floor, in room 202. I'll be waiting for you there." When he finished speaking, his body disappeared completely.
The examiner's disappearance caught the genins off guard, and chaos quickly followed in the room, with genins running in search of room 202.
Dazen was also surprised: 'Genjutsu. I had no idea.'
He then turned and asked, "Hideki, did you notice anything strange?"
Hideki shook his head, "No, I only realized we were in a genjutsu when he started to disappear."
Dazen and Ayume nodded; it had been the same for them. Dazen remained silent and looked at the clock, which read 8:18, while thinking: 'To fool Hideki like that, the examiner must be a genjutsu specialist.'
Ayume then said, "We're not going to gain anything by just standing here. Let's find the room, we can't waste time."
Hideki agreed and said, "Yes, but we need to be careful. It's likely that the examiner will try to interfere, putting us into other genjutsus."
Ayume nodded but then replied with a carefree expression, "That's true, but he's just one person and will be busy with several participants. So I don't think it'll be too much of a problem."
Dazen thought for a moment and remembered the Chuunin Exams from the anime, then said, "I think we have to watch out for the genins participating. I'm pretty sure some of them are examiners in disguise, ready to trap us in genjutsus."
This idea surprised Hideki and Ayume. Ayume's expression grew serious, and she said in an irritated tone, "Damn, I didn't think of that. I hate this! These older ninjas are all the same, always with some kind of scheme."
Dazen agreed and laughed as he stood up: "Well, like you said, there's no point in standing around thinking. Let's find the room. Stay close to each other and be careful with anyone who approaches."
The two nodded and followed Dazen. The three of them left the room and were immediately met with a big surprise.
Dazen looked at the corridor and then at the entire structure of the building, now unrecognizable and much larger than before, with multiple staircases that seemed to shift constantly, and different paths.
The three looked at the various teams testing different routes, seemingly completely lost. Dazen's gaze focused on one team on the ground, seemingly in great agony.
A smile appeared at the corner of Dazen's lips: 'What a terrifying application of genjutsu. Not even three minutes had passed, and one team was already practically disqualified.'