Rebuilding Uchiha By Removing Fugaku

"Welcome, everyone, to the first joint Chūnin Exam after the Third Ninja War," Toki announced with a smile, his voice amplified by the loudspeaker.

"This Chūnin Exam is proudly sponsored by Uchiha Group Co., Ltd.!"

Toki continued, "The purpose of this exam is to promote the spirit of friendship first and competition second. Regardless of whether you succeed in becoming a Chūnin, the top three participants will receive exclusive rewards: a set of scientific ninja tools, several rare ninjutsu scrolls, and, as the highlight, a magical psychic beast—a baby one!"

His words caused an uproar among the crowd. The mention of psychic beasts, especially with their association to the Uchiha clan's fearsome Pokémon-like creatures, electrified the gathered Genin. Their eyes gleamed with excitement and anticipation.

A ninja from Kumogakure couldn't help but shout, "Psychic beast? Are you talking about that Charizard from your Uchiha clan?"

Toki smiled and shook his head, and a flicker of disdain crossed the Kumogakure ninja's face. If it's not a Charizard, it's probably some weak psychic beast, they thought dismissively.

Toki's grin widened. "Although it's not a Charizard..."

Suddenly, he tossed three Poké Balls into the open space before him. A burst of red light flashed, and three psychic beasts materialized: a Jōnin-level Machamp, a Chūnin-level Fearow, and a Genin-level Onix.

"These are the prizes for the top three winners of this exam," Toki declared. "Together with the scientific ninja tools and scrolls, the winners will have the opportunity to form a contract with one of these psychic beasts!"

The Machamp roared and slammed its four fists into the ground with tremendous force, creating a massive crater on the previously flat surface.

The crowd collectively gasped. This level of strength was comparable to a taijutsu Jōnin. For a group of Genin, many of whom concealed their true strength to participate, the idea of controlling such a beast was incredibly enticing.

Even the Konoha ninjas watching from the sidelines felt a pang of jealousy. Jōnin-level psychic beasts were extremely rare and considered invaluable treasures. To give them away as prizes seemed almost reckless.

The Uchiha clan had already commercialized psychic beasts, offering them for sale to the general population. However, the price of a fully trained Jōnin-level psychic beast was an astronomical 50 million ryō—barely affordable even for those who regularly undertook S-rank missions.

Most ninja clans chose to purchase juvenile psychic beasts for about 1 million ryō and invest in their growth. According to the Uchiha clan, properly raising and training a psychic beast to Jōnin level cost approximately 10 million ryō. While this was cheaper than buying a fully grown beast, the actual expenses often skyrocketed when factoring in the costs of specialized training, medicine, evolution stones, and move tutors.

Toki had once calculated that raising a standard Charmander into a fully evolved Charizard with maximum stats, evolution items, and advanced equipment would cost about 1.3 billion ryō. Selling a psychic beast capable of delivering a single attack at Senju Hashirama or Uchiha Madara's level could easily fetch 13 billion ryō—a hefty price, but worth it for such devastating power.

---

In the Iwagakure team, a young Deidara clicked his tongue and sneered at the spectacle.

"How boring. What's so great about these things? True power lies in the beauty of explosions—that fleeting, magnificent moment!"

Meanwhile, the chubby Genin Chūtō gazed at the Onix with sparkling eyes. "I think that rock snake is so cool. It'd be awesome to ride one of those."

Next to them, a blonde Kumogakure Genin with the word "hot" tattooed on his arm scoffed. "Don't get your hopes up, Iwagakure. Now that Konoha's ninjas aren't participating, the top three spots are guaranteed to go to Kumogakure!"

Deidara glared at him. "Ha! Coming from a village that got beaten to a pulp by Konoha? You don't stand a chance!"

The Kumogakure Genin, Atsui, flushed with anger. "What did you say, brat? You're looking for a fight!"

Deidara smirked. "Bring it on!"

Despite both being only seven years old, they had been sent to participate in this Chūnin Exam, showcasing their villages' confidence in their potential.

Behind Atsui, a tall, striking girl with an air of authority smacked him on the head.

"Shut up, Atsui. Calm down," she ordered sternly.

The girl was Samui, an iceberg-like beauty who stood out in Kumogakure's team of fiery, passionate men. At just fifteen, her confidence and demeanor, along with her noticeable figure, made her a standout among the younger participants.

Behind her, a white-haired Genin sighed dramatically. "This is such a drag. Why do I have to take this troublesome exam? I thought I could finally relax."

Beside him, the stoic Mabui frowned slightly. "Stop complaining. Your whining is drawing attention."

---

From the podium, Toki observed the commotion among the candidates with interest.

Compared to other villages, Kumogakure had sent a surprisingly strong lineup this year. Future stalwarts like the Fifth Raikage Darui, the Fourth Raikage's secretary Mabui, and elite siblings Samui and Atsui had all shown up for this exam.

If not for Iwagakure's Deidara and his eventual ties to the Akatsuki, it was likely Kumogakure would have dominated the top ranks of this Chūnin Exam.