Half a month flew by, and the day of the Chunin Exams had finally arrived.

In the Land of Fire, before the great gates of Konoha Village, Madara, Shiro, Sasuke, and Izumi stood, their steps heavy with the weight of their return.

"Konoha," Izumi whispered, her expression a complex mixture of nostalgia and pain. "The Uchiha have come home."

Beside her, Sasuke's dark eyes burned with a deep, simmering hatred for the village that had cast them out. Madara's own expression was unreadable, as if the village he had helped build was now nothing more than a passing memory, an indifferent obstacle on his path.

"Stop standing there in a daze," Madara said, his voice cutting through the heavy silence. "Let's go."

Uchiha Madara led the three Genin through the gate. Without waiting for the guards to speak, Izumi tossed their invitation onto the desk.

The Konoha shinobi examined the scroll, their expressions tense.

"Madara-gakure," one muttered to his partner. "Could they be the Uchi—?"

"Quiet!" his companion hissed under his breath. He then turned to the arrivals, a painfully bright, false smile plastered on his face. "Welcome to Konoha. Your examination hall is the large building straight ahead. We have arranged accommodations for you during your stay. We hope you have a good time."

Faced with the guards' feigned enthusiasm, the four said nothing, walking into Konoha with blank, emotionless faces.

After Madara and the others were out of earshot, the guard's smile instantly vanished. "Hmph, a bunch of traitors," he cursed in a low voice. "They're so used to running wild that they've forgotten even the most basic courtesy."

The other guard shrugged. "Don't waste your anger on a dying clan. They won't live long."

"That's right," the first guard chuckled darkly. "After these exams, there won't be an Uchiha clan left in this world."

There was no conversation along the way as the four of them arrived at the designated building. This was the site of the first exam, and according to the rules, the supervising jonin were not allowed to enter.

Shiro looked up at the imposing structure and said with a smile, "Dad, it seems you have to wait for us outside."

"Fine," Madara replied. "In that case, I think I'll go and visit an old friend." As soon as he finished speaking, he vanished in a flicker of movement.

Following the corridor, Shiro, Sasuke, and Izumi slowly walked into the examination room. It was already filled with Genin from various nations, each team sizing up the competition, their expressions ferocious. The room was not a place for the weak.

When the trio from Madara-gakure entered, the noisy crowd suddenly fell silent. Whispers immediately began to ripple through the room.

"Look, that girl… is that Uchiha Izumi?"

"It is! The Uchiha clan really showed up! They've got some nerve!"

"Hmph, traitors. Just don't let me get matched up against them."

"And the two boys with her… they're so handsome!"

"The one on the right… could that be Sasuke? Oh my god, he's even more handsome than he was as a kid!"

"Sasuke is handsome, I guess, but look at the one in the middle! Now he's something special. I'm jealous…"

"What's there to be jealous of? They're traitors! My dad said that the second the Uchiha set foot in Konoha, they were already dead men walking. You fangirls need to calm down!"

"Shh, keep your voice down! Don't let them hear you, or they might get desperate!"

"Hehe, this is an opportunity! I wonder who'll be lucky enough to fight them. As Genin, if we defeat them and win face for Konoha, we might even get promoted to Chunin on the spot!"

"Oh? Is that how it works? Well, that certainly wakes me up."

"You idiot! Figure it out for yourself!"

While the room buzzed with hushed insults and ambitious schemes, a boy with spiky yellow hair suddenly rushed in and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Listen up, everyone! My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm not gonna lose to any of you!"

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