Naruto: I Am Uchiha Sasuke!?

"Lee, wake up!"

Tenten shook Rock Lee vigorously, and after a moment, he slowly regained consciousness.

Suddenly, Lee bolted upright.

"I... I lost!" His expression was conflicted as he looked at Sasuke.

He hadn't expected to be defeated so easily—no, instantly—by a simple genjutsu.

A wave of frustration and powerlessness surged through him. Even when facing Neji, a recognized genius, the gap never felt this insurmountable.

"Your weakness is too obvious, thick brows," Sasuke said indifferently, shaking his head.

Neji clenched his fists.

Uchiha Sasuke… is he really this strong?!

Just then, with a loud bang, a massive red tortoise appeared in the corridor.

"Lee, it seems your training is still lacking!" A familiar, energetic voice rang out.

Might Guy stood atop the tortoise, arms crossed, exuding his usual overwhelming enthusiasm.

"Guy-sensei!" Lee lowered his head in shame.

Naruto and Sakura stared at the eccentric-looking man.

The same bowl-cut hairstyle. The same green jumpsuit. The same exaggerated eyebrows… but bigger.

"Whoa!" Naruto gasped. "He's like a full-sized clone of Lee!"

Sakura shivered. "Those eyebrows… they're even scarier up close."

"You two!" Lee shouted in frustration. "Show some respect to Guy-sensei!"

Might Guy turned his gaze toward Sasuke.

"Ah, Sharingan… A talent even Kakashi acknowledges. To defeat Lee so effortlessly… impressive," he mused before shifting his focus back to his student.

"Lee, come here."

Lee approached, only to be met with a solid punch to the face, sending him sprawling across the floor.

"You idiot!" Guy scolded. "How could you fall for genjutsu so easily when facing a Sharingan user?!"

"Guy-sensei, I—" Lee clutched his bruised cheek, eyes welling up.

"No excuses!" Guy declared, before pulling Lee into a dramatic hug. "This is youth! Keep training, and one day, you'll shine brighter than any genius!"

"Yes, Guy-sensei!" Lee sniffled.

"…"

Naruto and Sakura watched in stunned silence.

Neji and Tenten covered their faces, embarrassed beyond words.

Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura soon arrived at the third floor and entered room 301.

The moment they stepped inside, dozens of eyes turned toward them.

"Whoa, there are so many people!" Naruto whispered in awe.

The room was packed with candidates, all of them looking formidable.

Sakura swallowed nervously.

"Hey, Sasuke!"

Before he could react, Ino lunged at him, wrapping her arms around him in an overly enthusiastic hug.

"It's been so long! I was so sad we didn't end up on the same team. I missed you~!"

"Hey, Ino-pig! Hands off!" Sakura snapped.

"Hmph! And who are you to tell me what to do, forehead girl?" Ino stuck her tongue out.

At that moment, Shikamaru and Chōji arrived, with Chōji munching on his usual snacks.

Shikamaru sighed. "Ugh, so troublesome. Why did we have to take this exam?"

Naruto grinned. "Come on, Shikamaru, if I can do it, you guys can too!"

Kiba and Hinata soon joined them.

"S-Sasuke… Naruto… h-hello…" Hinata greeted them shyly, her face already turning pink.

Naruto, still caught up in the excitement, turned to survey the room.

"Wait a sec… you guys are here too? Is every rookie from our year taking the exam?"

Sasuke remained quiet, scanning the crowd.

As expected, all the key figures were present.

Gaara's team from the Sand Village. The trio from the Sound Village. And standing a short distance away, wearing a Konoha headband—Yakushi Kabuto.

Kabuto adjusted his glasses, noticing Sasuke's gaze.

Uchiha Sasuke… The container that Lord Orochimaru has taken an interest in.

A smirk played on his lips as he casually approached.

"Hey, you guys must be the rookies fresh out of the Academy."

Naruto blinked in confusion. "And you are?"

"I'm Kabuto," he introduced himself with a friendly smile. "To be honest, this is my seventh time taking the Chūnin Exams."

"Seventh?!" Naruto and the others were stunned.

Kabuto scratched his head sheepishly. "Yeah, I just haven't been able to pass. Not strong enough, I guess."

"It's nice to meet you, Kabuto-senpai!" Sakura greeted politely. "Since you've taken the exam so many times, you must know a lot about it, right?"

Kabuto chuckled. "Well, the exam changes every year, so I can't predict everything. But I have gathered some useful intel. Want me to share it?"

He took out a deck of cards.

Sasuke observed quietly.

Yakushi Kabuto… A natural-born spy.

His casual demeanor and friendly approach were flawless. Not even most veteran shinobi could see through him.

Naruto, meanwhile, studied the cards in Kabuto's hand.

"Kankuro… a puppet master from the Sand Village."

Then, his gaze landed on another card.

"Whoa, look at this guy—Gaara…"

Naruto's voice trailed off as he read the stats.

"Completed multiple B-rank missions as a Genin… undefeated in all of them… never injured?"

The group fell silent.

"Seriously? That's insane…" Chōji muttered.

A heavy atmosphere filled the room.

Naruto clenched his fists. "Tch, whatever! I don't care how strong they are. I'm not gonna lose!"

His loud declaration immediately drew attention.

"Hey, Naruto, you idiot! Keep your voice down!" Sakura hissed. "Try not to paint a target on our backs, will you?"

Across the room, a group of Sound ninja turned their heads.

"Jirō, look over there…"

"Yeah. That black-haired guy… That's him."

"Uchiha Sasuke—the one Lord Orochimaru has his eyes on."

A sinister smirk spread across their faces.

"How about we give him a warm welcome?"

With that, the trio of Sound ninja started moving toward Sasuke and his team.

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(A/N: Advance Chapters Are Available On My Patreon... Please Think Of Joining It)