Kumo's Preparation
Meanwhile, in Kumogakure, the Raikage had taken matters into his own hands. He had personally chosen to train the six genin selected to participate in the Chunin Exams, thanks to the increased free time granted by his efficient secretary.
Unlike Iwagakure, where the Tsuchikage chose the best team of genin to participate in the exams, the Raikage's approach was different. In Kumo, he handpicked the six strongest genin in the village, focusing solely on their individual strength.
The advantage of the Tsuchikage's method was that the genin in a team were already familiar with each other, making teamwork and communication smoother. However, it came with its own downsides — some members of the team were stronger, some faster, and some weaker. To counteract this, the Tsuchikage had given each member of Team E a scroll of their choosing to make them even stronger.
In contrast, the Raikage's strategy had its own strengths and weaknesses.The benefit was simple: each of the selected genin would be stronger than the average genin.However, the drawback was that since the genin were not familiar with one another, trust and teamwork would be harder to build.
To make sure the six genin were well-prepared for the exams, the Raikage had taken it upon himself to personally train them. Even though his schedule was packed, he believed that a few weeks of training would make them stronger and ultimately make Kumogakure stronger as a whole.
To further strengthen their bonds, the Raikage ordered that the genin complete missions together as a newly formed squad. This would help them get accustomed to working as a team before the exams.
Konoha's Preparations
Back in Konoha, the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat thoughtfully behind his desk.It had been several months since he proposed that each Hidden Village participate in the Chunin Exams, and after much deliberation, it was decided that the exams would be held in the Land of Fire.
To prepare for the event, Hiruzen appointed three Jonin to manage the exam's administration. They were tasked with organizing everything, from selecting the location to coordinating the testing schedules. He had also given them the authority to promote Jonin or Chunin if needed.
With a few months left before the exams, the Jonin administration team began brainstorming what tests to conduct. Eventually, they decided to send out a letter to the other Kage, asking if they wanted to propose any special challenges for the exam. They had plenty of time to prepare, and with a generous budget allocated by the Hokage, they were in good hands.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi was carefully considering which genin from Konoha should participate in the exams. It was a crucial decision, as the genin would represent Konoha's strength. If they performed poorly, it would damage the village's reputation.
Though Hiruzen sought peace, he knew he could not afford to show weakness to the other villages.So, he decided to handpick the genin himself. Afterward, the chosen ninja would undergo intensive training in preparation for the exams. They would need to be ready to face any challenge that came their way.
Suna's Struggles
In the desert village of Suna, things were much quieter. Suna had suffered the most during the Second Great Ninja War, primarily due to its harsh environment. Although things had improved slightly after the war, food shortages were still a major problem.
The Kazekage had reluctantly agreed to send his village's genin to the Chunin Exams, but he cared little for the event itself. There were far more pressing issues on his mind, so he delegated the preparation of the exam to one of his advisors.
His primary concern was rebuilding Suna. The first step was strengthening the village's army after losing so many powerful shinobi during the war. The second step was addressing the food shortage. In a letter to the Hokage, the Kazekage asked if Suna could purchase food from Konoha, to which the Hokage agreed, with the negotiations to be handled by their respective advisors.
Apart from these efforts, the Kazekage had other goals in mind — he wanted a reliable source of water, to alter the landscape of the village into a more sustainable environment, and eventually, to have powerful jinchuriki.
However, while the last goal was important, it wasn't urgent. The Kazekage knew that having a strong jinchuriki would be critical for Suna's future defense, but stabilizing the village's economy and infrastructure came first.
The Kazekage was aware that he wasn't the most powerful of the Kage, but he believed that in a one-on-one battle in the desert, he could force any other Kage to withdraw — or perhaps even win. For now, his strength was enough to protect his village.