Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 25: The exams begin

Hinata hopped down from the back of the giant swallow that had carried them until now. Soaring high above the world and feeling the wind on her face had caused a heady feeling of freedom. The flight had been simply marvelous, but now it was over. They still had some traveling to do; Naruto didn't want to make his new contract publically known at this point in time and had them land far out of sight of the village's guarded perimeter. She didn't pay much attention to Naruto's parting conversation with the swallow; she wanted to savor the feelings that the flight had caused before she had to return to the confines of the village and her clan. With a puff of smoke the swallow dispelled, leaving them alone in the clearing they had used as landing zone.

"That flight was the greatest thing I ever experienced. Thank you, Naruto." Anko said; the awe clearly audible in her voice.

"It was nothing, sensei. If you want to fly again you just have to ask. I'm sure the swallows will be happy to help." Naruto answered.

A mischievous glint entered the woman's eyes. "Ah, you say the sweetest things. You're my favorite genin." Anko proceeded to hug Naruto, not-so-coincidentally smothering his face between her breasts. "I'll even forgive you for the heart attack you almost gave me and simply signing the contract without consulting your dear old sensei."

Hinata didn't hide her giggles when Naruto tried to free himself from that position. 'In a few years I'll be able to pull that off, too.'

Choji's and Anko's first reaction had been very funny. After consulting with the contract keeper Naruto had summoned one of the bigger swallows available that specialized in transportation. Then they had flown around the mountain and appeared in Anko's back. Choji had seen them first, but they had already been directly behind Anko when she turned around. Coming face-to-beak with a house-sized giant bird had caused the jonin to let out a girlish shriek of surprise. They would be able to hold that over her forever. After they had explained things Anko had chided Naruto a bit about signing the contract immediately, but not too much. Contracts were rare, very valuable and a strategic resource. Every shinobi worth his salt would immediately go for such an opportunity. Conversely, once a person had signed a contract and had been accepted by the summons he or she was considered the rightful owner. Most summons had a very personal relationship with their summoner and it was considered beyond rude (and expressly forbidden by Konoha's laws) for superiors to demand that others be allowed to sign the contract. In general only personal apprentices or members of the same clan were allowed to sign. Other people wouldn't even think to ask.

When Anko finally let Naruto go his face was beet red. Anko had acted more open with them in the last time; the playful side of her personality shining through. With all that happened in the last months their bonds of trust had grown and the jonin did no longer feel the need to act professionally all the time.

"Are you sure about keeping the contract secret, Naruto? It would bring you a lot of recognition." Choji asked.

Naruto nodded. "For now I don't want anyone to know. First I want to get to know the summons better. I'll probably reveal it after the exams."

Anko shrugged. "That's your decision. Since the ruins we found don't belong to the old Fire Empire we don't need to report them urgently, but I'll add a remark to the report that we found an old abandoned shinobi settlement. For now we should concentrate on getting you a bit more training for the chunin exams."

"Anything you can tell us about the exams, Anko-sensei?" Choji probed.

"Nothing you don't already know, sorry. I can only advise you to be prepared for everything. There are usually some mind games involved. You'll do fine, trust me."

'Two weeks until the exams start. We don't have much time left.'

Idate Morino was not amused. There was only one week left until the exams started and Team 7 was as catastrophic as ever.

Sunshine was staring into space, probably plotting the painful murder of someone. Brainiac was looking adoringly at Sunshine, plotting the different (most likely unsuccessful) ways to get into his pants (or get him to go on a date with her; Idate wasn't completely sure about that). Captain Creepy was once again late, probably plotting incredibly stupid ways to waste their time and get the team killed at the first opportunity. Idate's brother had told him the truth about the Wave affair and he couldn't wait to get away from Kakashi. The Nara boy who had made a quick getaway back to the academy had the right idea. This team was a walking deathtrap.

Now, he was probably unfair towards the younger members of Team 7. Sunshine was actually a competent genin, but he wasn't ready for the exams yet. Idate had some doubts about his psychological state. On the other hand, everyone would have issues after several months with their so-called sensei.

Brainiac was at the absolute low end for genin. All academic knowledge, hardly any actual shinobi skills. She had no place being in the exams. Her main problems were her mindset and lack of suitable instruction. She would be a clear liability. Idate had nothing against her manner of dress or girliness. Heck, his deceased teammate Miwa had spent hours each day on her appearance and wore dozens of pink ribbons. Granted, Miwa had been able to use those ribbons to slice through practically anything short of metal. Unfortunately Sakura had no such noteworthy skills.

A (perhaps even the) major problem was Captain Creepy. There had been some unpleasantness when he discovered that Idate had told his team about the exams. Apparently Kakashi had planned to surprise them one day before the exams started. That was a completely idiotic idea, but by now he didn't expect anything else from Kakashi. Sasuke seemed eager to participate while Sakura had been hesitant at first. It was sadly the only display of sanity Idate had seen on the team.

Kakashi certainly did nothing to really train or actually prepare them for the exams. D-rank missions, light spars and ridiculous teamwork exercises were all they had done for the last two weeks. Idate simply played along, not wanting to lock horns with Kakashi. Unfortunately the genin's inexperience compounded the problem. They simply didn't make effective use of their time. If his promotion had not been at stake he would have tried to dissuade them from participating. Idate had made some careful suggestions veiled inside of stories to improve their training, but nothing lasting had really come out of it.

He had to admit to himself that he didn't try very hard or cared overly much. If Sunshine and Brainiac didn't take up his suggestions it was their loss. The shinobi world was merciless. It wasn't his job to teach them or show his hard-earned skills. Especially not with a young sharingan-wielder around who liked to copy things without permission. In about twelve days he would leave them behind anyway when the second phase of the exams ended and his already approved promotion went into effect.

Idate had informed his 'benefactress' Koharu Utatane about the problems. She didn't seem surprised and his task remained unchanged. Fortunately he had been told to expect subtle help from three ANBU squads in the second stage after she informed him about the particulars of the exam. That had been a great relief. Idate considered himself already on the level of an above average chunin in combat ability, but he wasn't sure he could take on a strong, coordinated team. At least not when Broody or Brainiac were liable to do something stupid.

About three hours after the meeting time Kakashi sauntered towards them. "Hey guys. Sorry, I got lost on the road of life. A black cat crossed my path and I had to take a detour."

"STOP LYING WITH A STRAIGHT FACE!" Sakura shouted.

Idate simply rolled his eyes. 'Jeez. By now she should have figured out that shouting is absolutely useless.' At least Sunshine stayed silent.

A miserable D-rank mission later Idate's mood was even worse. He had thought that kiddy crap was long behind him.

"Ok, that's it for today. I have to go submit this mission report." Kakashi announced before he disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

'Great. Another day wasted. No training, no advice, nothing. I wonder why the two don't seem to realize that there is a problem.'

Then he noticed Sasuke staring at him. "Can I help you, Sunshine?"

The boy growled. "Don't call me that."

Idate shrugged indifferently. Needling the two genin was one of the few avenues of amusement left to him. "I call you what I want."

"Then I'm going home." Sasuke said and turned around.

'Good. I'm sure he wanted to ask for training, but nothing I can do will make much of a difference at this point. It isn't my job to make up for Captain Creepy's failures.'

Sakura ran after Sasuke. "Hey, Sasuke-kun, wait. How about right now we work on our teamwork, just the two of us."

Naturally, Sasuke dismissed her. "You're the same as the dead last. If you have time to bother me practice a jutsu or two. Frankly, your ability is below the loser."

'Ouch. Sunshine is in an especially bad mood, but he isn't wrong.'

The girl hung her head and seemed devastated. Idate idly wondered if he should head home or find something to amuse himself when he noticed a group of two boys and one girl watching them. One of the boys seemed vaguely familiar. 'I think I remember that scarf. Isn't he the Hokage's grandson?'

Suddenly the maybe-grandson addressed him. "Hey bro, is she your girlfriend?"

Idate was bewildered. "No, she isn't. What gave you that idea?"

Instead of answering scarf boy turned to his two friends. "See, I was right. Seriously, is she even a girl? That ugly huge forehead and the flat chest are tell-tale signs, I tell you."

Suddenly Idate noticed some killing intent in the vicinity. It was pitiful by his standards, but he was surprised Sakura could even generate that much.

"I recommend you run away very quickly, kid."

Scarf boy turned back to him. "Why? I didn't do anything to you."

"That isn't about me." He pointed over his shoulder towards the location of an enraged and very quickly approaching Sakura. "It's about her. Never insult a woman inside her hearing. Good luck surviving your painful lesson, kid."

The kid's eyes widened in fear before he made a run for it; closely followed by an enraged Sakura. His two friends had escaped in another direction.

Idate chuckled. 'That was funny. I guess I should make sure nothing serious happens to the kid.'

He sauntered into the direction Sakura disappeared in. Absentmindedly he noted that Sasuke was still in the vicinity and following Sakura as well, but was keeping hidden. Apparently Sakura had passed him in the wild chase without noticing.

When he turned a corner he saw that the situation had turned more serious. A black-clad youth with a Suna headband and a bundle on his back was holding the kid with one arm in the air. Sakura stood hesitantly a short distance away.

Then he laid eyes on the most beautiful creature under the sun. When their eyes met time seemed to stand still.

Temari wandered through the streets of Konoha with her brother Kankuro at her side, looking around with interest. The Village hidden in the Leaves was clearly bigger and more prosperous than Suna. They had arrived yesterday, taken care of the formalities and rented some rooms in one of the better inns. One week was left until the chunin exams started. A good amount of time to relax a bit and gather information. She still wasn't entirely certain why their father had sent them here. Any other team could have spied as well; undercover operations weren't their specialty. Besides, there were nine other teams from Suna participating. Them being here wouldn't make a difference.

'Maybe it is as father said and he just wants to show the tree huggers which village has the superior genin. We are certainly the strongest Suna team by far. Should we win unambiguously we will get more clients.'

It was certainly logical. The Wind Daimyo was giving more and more missions to Konoha. Their so-called allies were deliberately undercutting Suna's prices in the Land of Wind. Each time Suna lowered the mission fees Konoha lowered theirs in turn. At the current rates it was impossible for Konoha or Suna to break even, let alone make a profit. That meant it was a long-term ploy to economically wreck Suna. Unfortunately Konoha had enough other sources of income that they could sustain it for years. Temari had enough knowledge of Suna's inner working to realize that the situation of her village was getting worse and worse. The situation wasn't yet critical thanks to saved wealth, but in three years at the latest the money would run out. A triumphant victory in the exams would get them more clients outside of the Land of Wind, alleviating the situation.

Still, she was sure there were more and bigger things going on than their father told them. When they left Suna there had been much more activity than normal. Increased drills, readying of supplies, more frequent sessions of the village council. All pointed towards a major operation. 'Perhaps father plans to finally crush Ishigakure? Diplomatic relations with them have deteriorated further since our encounter with that rogue Katsuo a year ago.'

The minor Village hidden in the Stones had antagonized all their neighbors in the last years, even their old ally Iwa. Ever since the old village leader had died different factions struggled for control unsuccessfully. The chaos produced a not inconsiderable number of nuke-nin, negatively affecting all surrounding countries. In short, Ishi had become a general nuisance and no one would come to their help if someone tried to solve the problem permanently.

'If we conquer them shortly after we make a good showing in the exams it will be a proof of strength. Even better, if we take over at least a part of Ishi's old clients and sphere of influence it might solve the problem completely.'

That was the most plausible scenario Temari could come up with. Unfortunately she had no idea if it was true. For now she could do little more than follow her orders.

An appreciative whistle caused her to turn her head. A small group of young workmen was looking at her. Temari winked and blew them a kiss before turning back.

"Do you have to do that?" Kankuro asked.

Temari let out a laugh. "Says the man who flirts with every girl. Don't think I didn't notice you speaking with the ramen waitress yesterday far longer than necessary. I'm just putting on a show as exotic foreigner."

Her brother began spluttering denials before he settled on glaring at her. In truth Kankuro didn't flirt much; he was mostly too concentrated on his art to take initiative or go out with girls. On the other hand, ever since he had ditched the 'war paint' and the silly headdress girls began to take notice of him. There was even a small but growing fan club back in Suna.

"By the way, where is Gaara? I didn't see him this morning." a recovered Kankuro asked.

She shrugged. "He went out as soon as there was enough light to see. I think he wanted to pay the local library a visit."

Kankuro looked thoughtful for a moment. "Do you think they'll let him in?"

Temari shrugged again. "Probably. From what he told me the civilian library is open to the public."

If not Gaara would be probably exploring the village on his own. She didn't think he would get into any trouble. He had much more self-control than before his change, but under his calm façade still lurked a cruel and merciless killer. Gaara seemed to hate nearly everyone; the sole exceptions being his siblings. Temari had received the shock of her life when she woke after their disastrous mission a year ago only to find a dozing Gaara cuddled up to her. It wasn't the last such occurrence. On each of the three or four nights around a new moon he would come to her bed, cuddle close to her and sleep. It was the only time of a month he did that. Whatever that rogue jonin from Ishi had done to him seemed to have weakened the connection to the demon inside of him a bit, enabling him to sleep occasionally for the first time in his life.

The first few nights she had lain awake the entire time, fearing to be crushed by his sand any minute. Only that hadn't happened. By day Gaara was mostly his old self, but during those precious few nights he was just a young, lonely boy who sought out one of the two persons on this world he trusted. It had taken time for her to really realize the change, but Gaara seemed to actually want to protect them. That development had been well worth the injuries all three of them had sustained on that cursed mission. Not that any scars remained; they had access to the best medics.

'Well, it was certainly a wake-up call. With Gaara training like a man possessed and forcing us to do the same we are certainly far stronger than we would have been otherwise.'

She had regained the little brother she had missed all those years, first because her father had forbidden all contact and then because Gaara had been too crazy. Granted, Gaara calling the Ichibi 'Mother' still send shivers down her spine and he was still a sadistic, psychotic killer (especially during the full moon. Even she and Kankuro avoided him during that time.), but he was their sadistic, psychotic killer.

Suddenly a young, brown-haired boy wearing a long scarf came running around a corner and ran straight into Kankuro.

"Ouch!"

Kankuro picked the kid up with one hand and held him close to his face. "That hurt, you brat."

Temari looked around. "Don't make trouble. I don't want get yelled at later."

"Don't worry. Let's play a little before the boss comes." Kankuro replied. "Don't you know you have to apologize to people when you run into them, brat?"

The boy began to struggle. "Let me down!"

A moment later a pink-haired girl wearing a leaf forehead protector came running, but managed to stop in time before she collided with them. "S-Sorry, we were just messing around." she said after a few seconds.

'Pathetic. Is she really a kunoichi?'

Then another leaf genin came around the corner, but this one had a far more sedate pace. It was a young man her age, perhaps a year older with a muscular but lean build. He immediately seized the situation up and braced himself for conflict without making it obvious. This one was far more dangerous than the girl. When her dark green eyes met his brown ones time seemed to stand still.

'He has the eyes of a killer. I like them.' were her only conscious thoughts. She could lose herself in those eyes. Some still working part of her mind noted with satisfaction that the young man had frozen and seemed to be awe-struck.

The spell was broken when a stone aimed at Kankuro came flying out of a nearby tree. He used his free hand to catch it in a fluid motion. "I hate midgets. Especially younger ones that are rude." A moment later he sent the stone back to the black-haired boy who had thrown it, knocking a second stone out of his hand. "You shouldn't throw stones at people you know nothing about. You might piss them off."

Temari spared the suddenly flustered boy only a quick glance. He might be handsome in a boyish sort of way, but he was no match for the fine example of masculinity that was now slowly approaching her. Nor posed he the same level of danger.

"Sasuke, Sakura; stand down at once." he commanded without taking his eyes off her. His awe-struck expression had disappeared behind a friendly smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"You can't tell me what to do! These bastards attacked the Hokage's grandson! They should get lost!"

"Kyaa! Sasuke-kun, you're so cool! You tell them!" shouted the pink-haired girl. Temari felt the sudden urge to silence her with a wind blade to the throat. Judging from a short twitch of his eye the man before her harbored similar sentiments.

"Hey punk, get down here. I hate showoffs like you the most." her brother said. 'Great. Now he's pissed off.'

The man before her was about to open his mouth again to speak when a flat voice cut through the air. "Kankuro, stop it." Gaara had appeared directly behind the shocked black-haired boy, hanging upside-down from a branch. "Don't lose control of yourself. We will solve this situation without resorting to violence. Why do you think we came to Konoha?"

Kankuro immediately backed down. "Sorry, Gaara."

With a swirl of sand her youngest brother appeared at her side. "My apologies to you guys."

The man in front of her began speaking. "I accept your apology and offer one of my own." He turned towards the black-haired boy, but kept them in his field of vision. "I won't repeat myself. I'm your senior and you will obey. Now stand down or face the consequences." With a sulky expression on his face the genin jumped down, taking position to the side of the pink-haired girl. Turning back towards them the brown-haired man asked a question. "Now, what is the matter with the kid?"

"He ran into me. All I want is an apology." Kankuro answered.

The brat that had hung limply in Kankuro's hand seemed to find his voice. "I'm sorry for running into you."

Kankuro carefully set him down. "Good. I might have reacted too strongly myself." He rummaged in one of his pockets before pulling out a few vouchers. "As apology I invite you to a meal at Ichiraku Ramen."

When the brat nodded hesitantly the tension lessened. "Now that this is cleared up I have a question. I assume you are here for the chunin exams?" the brown-eyed man asked.

Temari showed him the passport she had been given. "That's right. We are genin from Sunagakure."

This time the smile of the man was more genuine and reached his eyes. Temari could feel her heartbeat speeding up, but she managed to suppress a blush. "Then I wish you a good time and good luck."

Suddenly Sasuke spoke up. "What's your name?"

She gave him a disinterested glance. "You mean me? I'm…"

"No. You with the gourd."

'How rude.'

Her brother didn't even bother to look at him. His interest was clearly focused on the oldest genin. "Gaara of the Desert."

After a moment of silence Sasuke asked "Don't you want to know my name?"

Again Gaara didn't even turn his head. "Not interested."

The boy seemed ready to explode when the older genin intervened. "Sasuke, go home. I have this situation in hand. Sakura, accompany him." For a moment it seemed as if the boy was about to argue, but in the end he turned around with a huff. The girl gave them an unsure half-bow before she followed him.

"I must once again apologize for the rudeness of my… teammates. My name is Idate Morino. Might I ask for the name of the lovely lady and your other companion?" the now identified Idate asked with a charming grin.

Temari favored him with a charming smile of her own. Two could play that game. "I'm Temari and this is my brother Kankuro. You already know my other brother Gaara."

"A pleasure to meet you. Do you mind if I tag along? We should talk away from prying eyes." Idate said while motioning with his head towards a tree a bit farther away.

Temari glanced into the direction he had indicated. Three people were hiding in the tree. She had noticed them before but assumed they were additional Konoha shinobi. Apparently she was mistaken. They were keeping to the shadows and the distance was too great for her to identify their village symbol.

"Sure, you can come along." she said after a moment of thought.

If the brat was really the Hokage's grandson it was completely understandable that Idate didn't want to leave him alone with strangers from another village. Besides, she would like to talk with him and flirt a bit. Maybe he would let some information slip.

Neither they nor the Sound shinobi in the tree noticed the pale lavender eyes that observed them from two streets away.

Kankuro watched the young boy at his side with interest. He was obviously very confused. It seemed the last thing he had expected after running into the foreign genin and being roughly picked up was to be invited to free ramen. Still, he was obviously enjoying the free food.

His sister was in her element. Temari was flirting with Idate, but he was flirting right back. Kankuro wouldn't take any bets on the outcome of that particular contest. Currently she was eating a ramen noodle in a very sensual manner. Normally his money would have been on his sister to wrap the young man around her finger, but he had seen their reactions to each other. He didn't believe anything more than a fling would come out of it, but he was practically sure they would end up in bed together sooner or later. Kankuro supposed he should feel more protective of his sister. On the other hand she had made it very clear that she tolerated no interference in her enjoyments. Besides, the young man was very dangerous if you knew what to look for.

Having been in the company of a stone-cold merciless killer (his father), a cruel merciless killer (his sister) and a psychotic merciless killer (his little brother) and being a brutal merciless killer himself Kankuro could spot other killers with ease. Heck, by all accounts their mother had been a sadistic merciless killer. Idate fit right into their family if you thought about it. Even Gaara seemed to find him interesting (luckily not in a 'MOTHER WANTS HIS BLOOD'-kind of way) and was observing him silently.

With a glance at the boy sitting at his side Kankuro wondered how best to proceed. He didn't like children and had only wanted to scare the brat a bit. Him being the Hokage's grandson unfortunately turned the matter political. Perhaps he should try to smooth things over. Their father wouldn't be amused if they caused a diplomatic incident. "So, you're the Hokage's grandson, eh? What's your name?"

The boy seemed very surprised at the question. "You really want to know my name?"

Kankuro blinked. "I do. Is it unusual for people to ask for your name? How else should I know what to call you?"

Sighing, the boy looked down at the table. "Grandpa gave me the name Konohamaru. I'm named after the village. And even though everyone knows my name almost nobody ever calls me that. When someone is talking about me or calling me all they ever see is the Hokage's grandson. No one sees me as me."

Kankuro winced. That hit unexpectedly close to home. "I feel your pain, Konohamaru."

Konohamaru looked up, anger in his eyes. "How? How can you know how I feel?"

The puppeteer let out a chuckle. "Because the Kazekage is my father. Even worse, I'm the second of three children. When I was a kid no one paid attention to me. Temari is almost two years my senior and showed great skill at a young age. Gaara, well, everyone in our village knows about Gaara. I was just the forgotten middle child." That seemed to have shocked the brat into silence, so Kankuro continued speaking. "I played pranks, goofed off, was disrespectful and generally made a nuisance out of myself. Sound familiar? I thought so. But that doesn't make anything better, does it?"

Konohamaru lowered his gaze again. "No, not really. They scold me for a while, but then everything goes back to how it was before. I'm sick of it. That's why I want the title of Hokage. I will defeat my grandfather and then everyone will acknowledge me."

Kankuro shook his head. "That isn't how it works, Konohamaru. You don't become a Kage just because you can defeat the old one. Who would acknowledge a kid like you? The title of Kage isn't something a little kid can take. You must have the respect of your village and fellow shinobi first."

"But how do I do that?"

He shrugged. "I can only speak for myself. Both my sister and my brother are stronger than me. That doesn't mean I can't make a name for myself. When I realized that I stopped acting like a spoiled child and buckled down to train. I took up one of the most difficult and renowned ninja arts of Suna when I discovered I had a talent for it. Today every practitioner of the art knows my name and many others too. Who can say what will happen in ten or twenty years? Perhaps I will be even considered as the next Kazekage when my father retires."

From the kid's posture Kankuro could tell that he was making an impression. "Just remember, there aren't any shortcuts. You have to train long and hard. Become a good shinobi. Pick something you are good at. Recognition will come by itself and you'll be famous before you know it. I'm sure even now there are some people who recognize you for who you are. Don't be too proud to accept their help."

Suddenly the kid nodded, determination shining from his eyes. "You're right. Starting tomorrow I'm taking my first step as a serious shinobi. One day they'll know my name even in Suna and the other villages."

Gaara's voice interrupted their conversation. "Kankuro, it is time for us to leave."

Seeing that it was true Kankuro stood up. "I'll be looking forward to hearing it, Konohamaru. Goodbye."

Yakumo took a small sip of tea while listening to her debating friends. The chunin exams would start the day after tomorrow. This was the last meeting of the circle before the exams and they were sharing all the information about the other teams they had been able to gather in the last weeks. Incidentally today was also Naruto's birthday.

"… don't seem to have any n-noteworthy skills. That leaves the l-last team from Suna. They are the children of the Kazekage and extremely dangerous. One boy is a p-puppeteer and the girl is in all likelihood a wind-user judging from her fan." Hinata explained. "But the m-most dangerous is their youngest sibling. You have to know what exactly y-you are looking for, but from what I could see he is a jinchuuriki. He h-has a steady stream of demonic chakra coursing through his body."

"That's true." Ino chimed in. "My contacts among the merchants doing business in Suna and other people who visited there have heard horror stories about him. According to the stories he is a murderous psychotic monster. There was an incident many years ago when the Ichibi got free temporarily before the Kazekage subdued it."

Choji nodded in confirmation. "I've heard the same, but he seems to have calmed down somewhat in the last years."

"Okay, that makes the team a flee-on-sight. If you end up fighting Gaara in some sort of preliminary match forfeit immediately. One of us might be able to hurt him, but since he's psychotic we don't know if he'll set the Ichibi free if he loses it. We don't need that kind of trouble." Naruto announced.

"That is all we've been able to l-learn about the foreign teams. For most we didn't find out anything, m-meaning they aren't notorious yet. That leaves the Konoha teams." Hinata said.

Yakumo tapped on a folder. "Kabuto Yakushi. That one might be a problem. We tagged him several months earlier as a possible spy. His entire team is rather old."

"It is possible they are low-skilled genin who see this as their only chance of promotion." Shino reasoned. "Do we have any proof one way or another?"

Naruto shook his head. "None. If they aren't what they seem to be they are very careful. The jonin they have been assigned as mentor for the exams seems completely legit, though."

"Shikamaru's replacement Idate Morino on Team 7 s-seems competent. He doesn't like his new teammates. They had a run-in with the Sand s-siblings a few days ago. I would recommend staying away f-from Team 7 during the exams. Sasuke might attract more than h-his share of attention." Hinata said.

Ino consulted her list. "Most other Konoha teams seem to be small fry. The only exception is Team Gai. Didn't you meet them on your last mission?"

Yakumo listened carefully when Choji, Naruto and Hinata described their interactions with Team Gai. The point that grabbed her non-professional interest was that another kunoichi had developed a crush on herboyfriend. Sometimes she wondered what it was that caused so many competent kunoichi to develop an interest in him. Their class mates at the academy had never shown any sign of that. Hinata was deeply in love with him, even if she never gave any indication. Yakumo knew that Naruto knew about it. Sometimes she couldn't help but wonder if they did something… inappropriate together when they were away on mission. All parties denied it, and she trusted them. It still caused her to curse the fate that had placed her and her boyfriend on different teams, but she couldn't argue with the fact that Anko seemed to be an ideal teacher for Naruto and Hinata while she was better off with Kurenai. Then there was Ino. Yakumo was sure that the blond girl still harbored a crush for Naruto. She would never act on it, but it was there. And now Tenten had joined the fray.

She glanced at Naruto beside her. 'Well, if I'm attracted to him it's logical to assume others like him for similar reasons. I should probably reinforce my claim on him; I've waited far too long already. He has been very patient and never pushed me. If I don't have the courage to kiss him properly I can't really claim to be his girlfriend.' Then she had to suppress a giggle. 'It will make for a nice surprise birthday present.'

Finally they finished with the serious stuff and the party began. Naruto's sensei and Mizuki weren't present; there had already been a larger party earlier today they had organized together. Yakumo thought they had gone on another date. Not that anyone minded; the evening party was only for Naruto's closest friends and it had given them the opportunity for a circle meeting. The uninitiated members of the three teams had been present at the earlier party, as had Kurenai, Asuma and several other people Naruto had befriended. Even the Hokage had made an appearance. The high number of guests had necessitated Naruto donning his mask and playing slightly stupid and excitable. She knew how much he hated that. He was cutting back on it to simulate the effects of Anko's instruction, but it still irked him. Kurenai had given no indication that she noticed a difference and she was the only adult aside from Anko and Mizuki that had enough contact with Naruto to have glimpsed his true self.

A short-lived pulse of rage went through Yakumo when she thought of the Hokage. The lease of the Kurama council seat her uncle had negotiated had expired, but she didn't get it back. Oh no, she was too young and didn't have a high enough rank as the Hokage explained in his kindly voice. It would be too great a burden for one so young. She would have to reach special jonin or the age of twenty to be able to occupy the seat. In the meantime the civilian who had originally leased it would hold it in trust. The man was one of the Hokage's staunchest supporters, of course. For a moment she had been tempted to lash out at the old man. Illusion: Spiked Tentacles of Forced Intrusion would have seemed fitting for that opportunity. Luckily she had managed to retain her composure and friendly mask the entire time. She didn't think the old man had noticed anything. Shoving these thoughts to the side Yakumo concentrated on her friends and the party.

The party was already winding down when Yakumo gathered her courage and approached her boyfriend. "I have another present for you, Naruto-kun." Before he could say anything she crossed the distance between them and kissed him directly on the lips. She could feel his surprise, but he didn't resist and put his arms around her, pulling her closer.

'That wasn't quite right.' Yakumo thought when she broke the contact. 'Practice makes perfect.' She kissed him again. The second kiss was much better and lasted much longer. Yakumo felt very hot and flushed when it ended. 'I should have done this months ago. Why in the world did I wait so long?'

Neither Naruto nor Yakumo spoke, but she could see the emotion shining from his eyes. She could stare into Naruto's blue eyes forever, but she wanted to see the reactions of their friends and turned her head. Ino mouthed something like 'about time!', Shino inclined his head slightly in a supportive gesture and Choji and Hinata were smiling. She detected just a faint hint of sadness in Hinata's expression. It was so faint and fleeting that she wasn't sure it was really there.

Naruto speaking caused her to turn back to him. "Thank you, Yakumo-chan."

In response she kissed him again. "My pleasure."

It wasn't all that late when the group broke up. Tomorrow would be a free day, but none of them wanted to put any strain on themselves. They already knew the first stage of the exam would take place in the academy and would be some sort of written test, but the second stage was more ambiguous. It would most likely be a survival exercise, but things like duration or location were still secret. Oh, they had kept track of the various preparations going on in the village, but someone high in the hierarchy had taken espionage in account and simply ordered five different sites prepared at different times.

Yakumo gave Naruto a last kiss when he was about to leave her house, having stayed behind after the others had left. "Goodnight, Naruto-kun."

"Sleep well, Yakumo-chan. Sweet dreams."

She slept very well that night, but 'sweet' was a decidedly inappropriate description of her dreams.

Choji was feeling nervous. Things were going far too easy. The three teams with circle members had met before noon, eaten together at one of his family's restaurants and then made their way to the academy. The start of the exams was the late afternoon, but it always paid to be early. There had already been some genin milling around, but the group had simply taken one of the back entrances of the academy and found the assigned room without problems. A few unknowns had already been present. The group had taken seats in one corner and made light conversation to pass time and mask their observation of the other participants. More and more genin were trickling in. Somehow he just had expected a few more obstacles and was now wracking his brain in search of something they could have overlooked.

"A pair of chunin just arrived and s-set up a genjutsu on the second floor. From where the chakra is l-located I think they made themselves younger and created a fake room." Hinata suddenly announced, veins bulging around her eyes. She was shielded from view by the others. "They are barring entry to all. A crowd is already gathering."

Kiba let out a laugh. "Can't they count? How stupid can they be to not realize that they're on the wrong floor? Right, Akamaru?"

The dog let out an affirmative woof before it got back to enjoying the ministrations of Ino. The girls of the group had taken turns in petting him. He probably thought he was in heaven.

Asuka harrumphed. "Such easily deceived trash has no place in the exams. I'm glad they're weeding out the riffraff early. Even you're smarter than that, dog brain."

"You're one to talk, spitfire."

"Hairball."

"Harpy."

Choji ignored the banter. Shino's two teammates were always squabbling good-naturedly and trying to one-up each other. If it got out of hand Shino would intervene.

"The Sand team just arrived. They're taking a look at the situation." Hinata relayed her observations. "Now they're unobtrusively making their w-way to another stairway."

Two minutes later the doors of the rooms opened and the Sand Siblings entered. They surveyed the room for a moment before choosing a place. The gaze of the red-haired boy with the gourd on his back lingered a few seconds on them before he proceeded to scrutinize the other genin in the room. 'I don't like his eyes. There is madness in there. Hinata and Naruto were right to warn us about him.'

The next team to arrive was the single participating team from the Village hidden in the Sound. None of them had been able to find out much about the new village that had revealed its existence only around two years ago. No one even knew where the village was located.

Suddenly Akamaru perked up and Naruto as well as Shino stiffened. For most other occupants of the room it would have been undetectable, but he knew his friends of many years very well. It was almost as if they listened to something only they could hear. Naruto gave Shino a nod. A few seconds later Akamaru settled back down. Then Shino jerked so strongly as if someone had shocked him with a lightning jutsu, his head swiveling to a specific location in the room before he stopped abruptly and returned to his original pose. He breathed deeply before calming down almost immediately.

"Are you alright, bug man?" Asuka asked. "If you are too nervous you can always give team leadership to me. The exams are just the right place for my debut as leader."

Shino cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses. "I assure you I am fully capable of performing my role, Asuka. My reaction was due to an unexpected discovery. It was very surprising. The matter will be taken care of."

That answer was completely unsatisfactory, but Shino didn't react to any further questioning. He seemed to be deep in thought. Choji could see a pair of unusually large kikaichu leaving from Shino's sleeve, but he lost them when they took to air. 'I wonder what this was about.'

"Team Gai has now arrived at the f-fake room. They are trying to get in, but it seems as if they're only p-putting up a show. Oh, and Team 7 has entered the building." Hinata announced.

A glint entered Asuka's eyes. It seemed she still suffered of some amount of adoration for Sasuke. She seemed about to pester Hinata for more details or swoon over the last Uchiiha.

In the next moment a groan escaped Hinata's mouth. "Sasuke just b-blew the genjutsu. The entire crowd is now heading here."

Ino facepalmed, Yakumo shook her head sadly and Asuka looked as if she had swallowed something disgusting, her words of praise stuck in her throat. A short snort of laughter escaped Kiba. "There you have your precious rookie of the year, Asuka. I guess he would feel lonely without the failures to accompany him."

"Shut up, idiot!"

Hinata's voice prevented things from getting out of hand. "Lee has just challenged Sasuke to a f-fight. He accepted. The young man with Team 7 is currently bashing his own head against the wall in frustration."

"Why would Lee do that? You can be disqualified for fighting." Choji wondered.

No one answered him. It wasn't as if he had expected an answer. The only reason to fight before the exams and risk unnecessary injury was boundless overconfidence and arrogance. 'It seems we were right about Lee. He might worship hard work and his sensei, but he lacks self-control and is very arrogant in his own way.'

"Who is winning?" Shinji asked suddenly. The boy had been silent the entire time; Choji had almost forgotten his presence.

The Hyuuga girl sighed. "Lee just w-won. I think Sasuke used his sharingan, but the w-wall blurs my view enough that I can't be sure."

"Sasuke-kun… lost?" Asuka asked aghast.

Hinata nodded. "Lee is much f-faster and stronger. Sasuke couldn't keep up." Her expression changed into a scowl. "That last attack c-could have really hurt Sasuke; maybe even killed him. Lee's sensei intervened before he could c-complete it, but without Idate c-catching him in time he would have s-suffered at least some injuries. The man chastised Lee a bit, but they are all now heading here."

That was the last bit of information necessary for Choji to categorize Lee as dangerous for his allies and not to be trusted. His respect for Gai and Lee hit rock bottom. Who in his right mind used such an attack against a fellow Leaf shinobi, in an unauthorized fight no less? That should have been grounds to disqualify Lee (and Sasuke for accepting), but it seemed Gai was even more irresponsible than his pupil in allowing such excesses. It seemed both of them would stop at nothing to prove the superiority of hard work and taijutsu no matter what rules they had to bend and break or who got hurt in the process. The rivalry between Gai and Kakashi might contribute, too. It was another sign for the rot that had spread through the village that men like Kakashi and Gai were allowed to teach impressionable genin.

Hinata visibly deactivated her byakugan. "That's all I'm going to g-get. It growing too crowded in here. Others might overhear me."

That was true. More and more people entered the room. In his estimate the number of participants had already crossed one hundred and was nearing one hundred and fifty. 'Without Sasuke's need to show off there would have been a third less.'

The door opening again caught his attention. Team 7 had entered the room. Briefly he saw Kakashi standing outside before the door closed again. Idate kept his expression unreadable but Sasuke and Sakura seemed surprised at the numbers of participants. 'Idiots. There are only two chunin exams per year, and not every village sends teams to each exam. It's only natural there will be many participants. Heck, even if all the Leaf genin in this room would attain promotion it wouldn't be enough to satisfy the need for chunin of Konoha alone.'

Not that there were many promotions purely because of the exams anyway. They were more for showing off a village's prowess than a process to choose worthy chunin. To even have a chance to attain promotion one had to reach the third stage. Choji had looked it up and there had seldom been more than a dozen finalists; the numbers had been in the single digits more often than not. Even fewer were promoted. The genin in the room here were either ignorant of that fact, desperate for promotion or had been specifically sent to represent the strength of their home village.

Suddenly he became aware that Asuka had left them and was approaching the still shocked Sasuke from behind. Then she pounced on him. "Sasuke-kun! You're late! I haven't seen you for while so I've been waiting in excitement."

Judging from Sasuke's face he wasn't especially happy about the reunion. Naruto stood up with a sigh. "I guess we should go and greet them. It's unlikely we'll be allowed to retain our seats anyway."

"Get away from Sasuke-kun, you red devil!" Sakura screeched.

"Why, if it isn't Sakura. Big ugly forehead as always."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

Choji winced at the volume. Akamaru let out a yowl and hid in Kiba's jacket while Naruto seemed unfazed. 'Lucky bastard has probably tuned out the shriller frequencies. I wish I could control my hearing.'

Naruto addressed Idate while the two girls bickered with Sasuke in the middle. "You must be the replacement for Shikamaru. My condolences. I'm Naruto Uzumaki, what's your name?"

Choji observed brown eyes focusing on Naruto. "I'm Idate Morino. Nice to meet you."

'He's not a pushover. Might have been assigned to keep Sasuke alive during the exams.'

Introductions were quickly made and the two squabbling girls were separated to the relief of everyone in hearing range.

"I see… All twelve of this year's rookie genin are taking the exams. You seem confident, Kiba." Sasuke said with a smirk.

"We did a lot of training. We won't lose to you." Kiba replied self-assuredly.

Unexpectedly a voice interrupted their conversation. "Hey, you guys should be quieter."

'White hair and glasses. That has to be Kabuto.'

Choji didn't give any outward sign, but he became more watchful in an instant. If their suspicions were correct and Kabuto was a spy of some sort he could be very dangerous. Not so much physically but in an information security sense.

The rotund Akimichi remained at the edge of the group while Kabuto tried to get into their good graces. He had to suppress a snort when Kabuto mentioned that this was his seventh chunin exam. Granted, there were cases of bad luck, but almost nobody made more than four attempts before giving up and seeking more conventional (and more likely to succeed) ways of promotion. His eyes narrowed when Kabuto produced his info cards and revealed information about Rock Lee and Gaara. At least the detailed information about Lee's skills should not have been easily accessible for a genin. Sure, it was possible to get at that information (the circle had it too), but it wasn't something you should show around. From the corner of his eye he saw that Idate frowned too before his face smoothed back into polite interest.

'Kabuto is far too helpful. There's definitely something wrong with him.'

Naruto dispassionately looked down at the retching Kabuto. Sakura was fussing over him. The attack by the Sound shinobi had seemed a spur of the moment thing at first glance because Kabuto had said something that could be construed as an insult, but some very tiny signs indicated that Kabuto had expected it. It seemed rehearsed. Naruto had actually been able to hear the sound waves produced by the hunchback's strange device that had destroyed Kabuto's glasses and caused him to throw up. They had a rather unpleasant frequency, but as long as he kept a reasonable distance there shouldn't be any negative effects.

More importantly was his observation that Kabuto had held back a great deal. There was a difference if one fought at his best or at an artificially lowered level and Kabuto was nowhere near actually exerting himself. If that wasn't enough Naruto knew from the vision's of his father that Kabuto inevitably was a highly competent and extremely dangerous spy for someone. Who exactly that someone was changed from timeline to timeline. Judging from the fact that the white-haired man had tried to get close to Sasuke's team in particular by telling them knowledge that every serious contender should have learned on his own meant Orochimaru was a reasonable guess.

'Better keep my distance and avoid rousing suspicion. I don't want a confrontation with him or Orochimaru at the current time. None of us is strong enough yet; at least not without involving mom and dad.'

"Write that down in your cards. The three Hidden Sound shinobi, definite future chunin." one of the Oto shinobi boasted.

Naruto had trouble to avoid rolling his eyes. If one unexpected issue hadn't come up he would have made a point to off those idiots at first opportunity. As it was it was up to Shino to deal with the matter. That was if none of the other people that had been watching the display took care of the Oto idiots first.

An explosion of smoke at the front of the room caught his attention. "Quiet down you worthless bastards!" a deep voice said with authority.

When the smoke cleared Naruto saw Ibiki Morino accompanied by a number of shinobi. After warning against fighting he proceeded with explaining the exam. The man certainly had the intimidation routine down. It was a paper test consisting of ten questions with random seating arrangements. Naruto ended up seated between Asuka and Shinji. Points were subtracted for failed questions. Each discovered attempt at cheating would cost two points from an initial total of ten. The entire team had to pass. In short cheating was encouraged, but they could have at least demanded more correct answers than a single question. Although that might be alleviated by not knowing how many attempts at cheating were discovered. Sakura made a spectacle of herself when she tried to ask a question when Ibiki had expressly said none would be answered.

When Naruto finally read the questions he felt somehow betrayed. He wouldn't even have to cheat. Five of the questions were high genin level and four low chunin level. The last one would be announced after 45 minutes. Anyone who wasn't a total moron and had some experience should have been able to answer those. Frankly it was insulting.

'One would think people who want to become chunin are already in the necessary skill range. On the other hand most shinobi seem to neglect the theoretical side at first. We are an exception because we couldn't do that much practical work at the academy without being discovered.'

He quickly answered the questions and amused himself by watching the other genin in the room he could see from his place. None of his friends had to cheat, but most others did. Shino sent a few of his bugs to Asuka's sheet forming letters so that she could copy the answers. Kiba's dog was seated on his head and relaying the answers of others to him. Shinji stiffened for a moment before he furiously wrote the answers down. Then he slumped for a second. There was puzzlement visible on his face before realization hit and he relaxed.

'I guess Ino took care of her teammate.'

Next he noticed Sasuke using his sharingan and Neji his byakugan. Tenten had apparently somehow placed mirrors at the ceiling. He spotted several other blatant attempts at cheating.

'They don't exactly enforce stringent rules. I guess they just want to sort out the complete failures.'

It was logical in a way. Not all shinobi specialized in or were good at information gathering. Only a single question needed to be answered and four attempts at cheating per genin could be discovered before a team failed. You had to be a complete failure at being a shinobi to mess this up. Even Sakura was scribbling furiously.

'Well, I guess she has to be good at something.'

In that moment a kunai hit the sheet of the genin seated directly behind him. "What was that for?" the genin in question shouted.

"You messed up five times. You fail. The two on his team get out of here. Now." one of the proctors said.

The three genin left the room with slumped shoulders.

'Ok, there have to be some idiots in such a large group.'

Then the next one was called… and the third right after that. The room was emptying quickly.

'What the hell is wrong with these idiots? It isn't that difficult. Maybe the pressure gets to some of them, but this is ridiculous. Not that the pressure is that much in comparison with a life and death fight. Why are those wimps allowed to graduate let alone enter in the chunin exams?'

Naruto didn't know if he should be amused at the inept attempts at cheating or saddened about the general state of genin. If he had needed any additional proof of the pathetic education and state of the village this was it. Not that other villages seemed that much better from the look of things. Finally it was time for the tenth question.

"Now, before we come to the tenth question I'd like to go over some additional rules for this question." Ibiki announced. The shock and uncertainty spreading through the remaining genin were quite amusing to watch. "I'll now explain the rules of desperation. First, for this tenth question you must decide whether you will take it or not. If you choose not to your points will be reduced to zero. That means you fail along with your teammates."

"Then of course we will decide to take the question!" some unknown genin shouted.

Unperturbed by the outburst Ibiki continued speaking. "If you choose to take at and answer incorrectly that person will lose the right to take the chunin selection exam again."

"What kind of stupid rule is that? There are guys who have taken the exam before." another genin declared loudly.

Ibiki laughed in a decidedly sinister manner. "You guys were unlucky. This year it's my rules, but I'm giving you a way out. Those that aren't confident enough can choose not to take it and try again next time." He waited a moment to let it sink in. "Those that do not wish to take it raise your hand. Once your number is confirmed, leave."

Naruto had to admit it was a convincing show. Ibiki certainly pulled it off realistically, but anyone with a shred of knowledge about the regulations should be able to…

"I won't take it." came the voice of the first genin who gave up. He wasn't the last.

Had the blond boy not possessed long years of training to keep his mask in place he would have goggled incredulously at the number of people who gave up in quick succession. It was simply fucking unbelievable. Did nobody ever read the regulations and laws? Ibiki simply didn't have that authority. Naruto supposed the first to give up could have been a plant, but not all the others. 'How many clueless idiots are there? Ones that try to become chunin no less?'

A quick glance over the room showed him that none of his friends even considered giving up. Kiba and Asuka would never give up, but Shinji and Sakura seemed a bit hesitant. Luckily they didn't seem quite ready to cut and run. In the end there were only a little more than seventy people left, less than half of the original number of participants.

When it didn't seem any more would give up Ibiki spoke up again. "Good decision. Now to everyone still remaining: I congratulate you to passing the first test."

Sakura broke the shocked (or in some cases not so shocked) silence. "Wait… What do you mean? We already pass? What about the tenth question?"

Ibiki grinned widely. "There never was such a thing." He proceeded to explain the purpose of the different parts of the first test, like that cheating was expected and a primary purpose of the test was to build pressure on the genin. When he spoke about the importance of information he took off his head scarf to show off an impressive collection of burn marks, screw wounds and slash marks.

'I guess now I know why Anko likes him. When he isn't using his professional personality he seems rather friendly. Still, that test was far too easy. Most of the people here have already several years as genin under their belts. How is it possible that they can't deal with such little pressure?'

"You made it through the entrance. The first stage of the chunin exam is now finished. I wish you guys luck." Ibiki ended his speech.

Suddenly Naruto felt an expertly woven area genjutsu snap into place. The first effects were rather subtle; light inside the room seem to darken and the atmosphere became oppressive. Then all the windows opened without anyone touching them. In the next second an untold number of crows were streaming into the room, swiping through the ranks . The buffeting of dark wings and loud cawing filled the air, easily drowning out every other sound. An especially large congregation of the birds formed a swirling vortex at the front of the room. From one moment to the next most crows disappeared, but there were still a lot of birds scattered through the room sitting on desks and genin. Many beaks seemed to be smeared with blood and the occasional chewed finger was visible.

Sakura looked ready to faint when the crow sitting on her desk let a torn off nose drop only to pick it up again and gulp it down before her eyes. The vortex at the side of Ibiki had disappeared, leaving a man with dark spiky hair and sunglasses behind. A crow was sitting on his shoulder, an authentic-looking eyeball complete with optic nerve in its beak.

For a moment the man scrutinized them. "I am Aoba Yamashiro, examiner for the second test. You will serve well to feed my little black-feathered friends." He turned to Ibiki. "Seventy two seem such a large number, Ibiki. The test was too easy this time." He chuckled darkly and stroked the feather of the crow on his shoulder. "No matter. The more the merrier. I'll at least cut you in half in the second test. My little pets will clean up everything just fine. I'll explain everything once we've changed places. Follow me."

The crows followed them the entire way, forming a loudly cawing murder above their heads. Some of the genin seemed a little green. Naruto had to give the man props; he certainly knew how to evoke a suitable oppressive aura. When they left the city zone behind and approached a particular area Naruto felt the corners of his mouth twitching upwards. He knew this place.

It was the Forest of Death.

The large room was full of whispers. Goro was as curious as all his fellow believers about the reason they had been called together, but he stayed silent. Years spent as a household servant had taught him to keep his tongue in check. His erstwhile master had been cruel and quick to punish when one of the servants spoke when silence was required. Goro's wife had learnt that lesson when their master had her tongue ripped out for speaking out of turn. She hadn't survived the following infection of the wound.

Goro had been filled with helpless rage for years, unable to do anything. Until the glorious day when he was shown the way of Jashin. At first it had been only whispers exchanged with one of the peddlers visiting his master's mansion. Soon after he had been introduced to a priest. His initiation into the local cult had only required the poisoning of the guards' food and the opening of a postern gate for his new friends. The few remaining conscious guards had been no obstacle for the battle-trained acolytes.

He had been allowed to personally kill his old master oh so slowly. For that privilege he would serve Jashin faithfully for all eternity. He knew he wasn't made to be a warrior, scholar or priest, but the faith needed normal servants as well. Servants taking care of the mundane aspects freed the others to concentrate on their important work. Together they would change the world in Jashin's image.

His thoughts ended when the head priest arrived and began to speak. "Jashin-sama has spoken to me, my children. An enemy of the faith has risen and it is our task to smite him down."

Angry cries rose and fists were shaken. No one could be allowed to stand against Jashin-sama.

The priest motioned for silence. "Calm your righteous anger. Our lord requires subtlety. Our enemy is too strong to attack openly. I and five others will travel to Konoha in the Land of Fire and fulfill his divine will. In his endless benevolence Jashin-sama has granted us a holy talisman. With its help we will stamp out the white-eyed spawn of a false god. They can be no longer allowed to blight Jashin-sama's world. None shall escape his wrath. Who among you is ready for this task?"

The following shouts were deafening. In the end Goro was one of the chosen. The other four were warriors. He would have to take care of their needs until they reached their destination. They would need around four weeks of hard travel and it was unlikely they would return. Goro didn't care.

His life belonged to Jashin.

Author's notes: Thank you for all the reviews. Glad to hear my choice of summons was well-received.

This chapter followed canon relatively closely. There won't be that much divergences in the second stage either. The real fun begins with the finals.

So long.