A/N: Yo! I'm back with another update. Quick, right? I know. But don't get used to this. Can't promise such fast updates every time. I was just in the mood, I guess. Anyway. I wanted to thank everyone who supported this story through favs, follows and especially reviews. I also want to take a moment to address some of the issues raised in the reviews.
1) Zetsway: What you call plotholes are just unexplained reveals. Some things did happen for which I didn't provide a proper explanation but for good reasons. But I still don't think I have more plotholes than the original. Anyway, thanks for your concern :)
2) BlueMapple: I think you got confused or was the 1st chapter not clear enough? Kyuubi was sealed inside Shizuka from the beginning. Naruto was in Uchiha compound during the attack. I'd suggest glancing over the last part of the 1st chapter again. But please let me know if you're unconvinced or think that explanation wasn't clear enough.
3) WindyCitySlayer1, Raven097, JustaJoe, UrdnotTony, WeberCode, Ky111, Spaded Ace18, masterchief1229, NarutoManiac2400, TampaBayMike95, Phsycres Wolf-Brother, BJJF691 and Blizzardfang, thank you for the great supportive reviews. Your words really encourage me to materialize my vision for this story. I'm glad you liked what I wrote. Forever grateful.
The chunin selection exams are an opportunity for the genin to be promoted to chunin. The exam structure and evaluation processes differ from one exam to the next so that the genin cannot come prepared. Villages originally held their own individual exams. Following the third great shinobi War, exams that are open to all villages started being held bi-annually, with villages taking turns for hosting responsibilities. These shared exams improve relations between the villages, present up-and-coming ninja to clients, and create a gambling opportunity.
Although the exams, specifically the final round matches, are designed for there to be an ultimate "winner", success does not guarantee promotion nor does failure preclude it. If the observing ninja and the daimyo feel a genin displays the necessary qualities for a chunin, that genin will be promoted regardless of how they place in the exams. For this reason, it is possible for as many as all of the finalists to pass, or even for none of them to. Being victorious simply expands the participant's chances of demonstrating their qualities in the next match.
Konohagakure is hosting the 1st of the year's two chunin exams this time, following the traditional three-stage structure. A total of 153 participants were registered with 90 of them being from Konoha and 12 of them being rookies while the remaining 78 varied across different age groups. The only other major village participating in this competition, Sunagakure had 30 representatives. Amegakure was leading the smaller nation's count with 21 candidates with Kusagakure and Takigakure having 6 candidates each.
Proctored by Ibiki Morino, the first stage was, at a glance, an hour-long written test of ten questions. However, the first nine questions were too difficult for an average genin to be able to answer. The real objective, therefore, was to cheat. Either copy from one of the few genin that can answer the questions which included the likes of Uchiha Naruto, Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino, Shino Aburame; or from one of the chunin embedded with the examinees. If the genin was caught cheating five times, they and the rest of their team were disqualified. The goal was also to force the genin to apply critical thinking. In most cases, being caught cheating means instant failure, but the two-point reduction was meant to give them a chance instead of trying again without being caught and make them realise they have to cheat. Getting the correct answer to the first nine questions was not ultimately important, as it was possible to pass without answering any of them at all.
Forty-five minutes into the first stage, genin were given the opportunity to answer the tenth question. They were first warned that, if they answer the question incorrectly, they will not be allowed to take the exams ever again. If they forfeit, which also disqualifies the rest of their team, before hearing the question, they will be allowed to retake the exams another time. This option itself was the tenth question. If a genin was willing to face the unknown of the tenth question, they were deemed ready to be a chunin and whoever was present in the hall were allowed to enter the second stage. All of the rookie 12 along with team Gai were among the 27 teams that successfully, albeit stressfully managed to move ahead.
Proctored by Anko Mitarashi, the second stage was taking place in the 'Forest of Death'. The three-man teams are given either a Heaven Scroll or an Earth Scroll before entering the forest. They have five days for the entire team to reach the building in the centre of the forest with one of each scroll in their possession. How they acquire the other scroll is up to them, by force or by trade being the most common options. Because of the natural hazards of the forest, the absence of services or outside assistance, and the likely conflict with other teams, genin must sign liability waivers before entering to release Konoha from responsibility for any injuries or deaths.
If a team loses their starting scroll, they are not automatically disqualified, as they may use the remaining time to acquire another copy of the scroll they've lost. By the same extension, acquiring both scrolls does not guarantee completion of the second stage, as they still must reach the centre building in time. Genin are forbidden from opening either scroll until they have reached the central building. If they follow this instruction, the scroll will summon a higher-ranked ninja to grant them advancement to the next stage. If they do not follow this instruction, the ninja will render them and everyone else in the area unconscious for the duration of the second stage. But they didn't know that yet. Team Baki from Sunagakure, or the 'Three Sand Siblings' as they are more commonly referred to as, who managed to breeze through the exam in a record-breaking 47 minutes. But the same cannot be said about others though.
Day 2, 12:44 PM
"Ino! Watch out!" Shikamaru yelled as he saw the unrestrained Amegakure shinobi flank her from one of her blindspots as she supported Choji. The Akimichi of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio was subduing the muscle of the Ame team while Ino was to use her Shintenshin no Jutsu to take over the unnamed bulkhead and retrieve the scroll which he dumbly waved to the Konoha trio before burying it in his pants. She took her stance to perform the body-switching which left her open to attacks from multiple directions.
The long black-haired Ame ninja, who was a girl from the rather pronounced bulge on her chest, looked to slice off Ino's jugular, which she would've, had it not been for the pineapple-haired boy's warning. Ino could see a figure approaching at her with good speed from her peripheral vision after heeding Shikamaru's warning and swiftly proceeded to duck down and avoid the stab aimed at her neck but in turn, compromised the opportunity to take hold of the scroll from the brawny guy who was giving Choji a run for his money.
"You're tough kiddo. But make no mistake. I will break your body apart soon." The beefy guy jeered while trying to overpower the slightly worn-out Choji.
Shikamaru was struggling to hold off his older opponent with his Kagemane no Jutsu, the rebreather masked man certainly proving his worth as the team leader. 'Damn it. It's almost been 4 minutes and my jutsu will break in 1 minute. Tch. Oyaji's Kuro Higanbana would've been more useful in this scenario. If I could've restrained all three even for 1 minute, we'd have obtained the scroll and be on our way towards the tower by now. How troublesome.' Shikamaru thought as he steeled himself to restrain the biggest threat present in the vicinity.
"Tch. You're one pesky little bitch. Just die already." Ino's attacker growled in frustration at missing her target. "You should've given us the scroll when asked gently. But now that it has come to this, none of you brats will leave this place alive." She said in her wheezy voice.
Ino huffed a little as she rolled over before regaining her footing and face her opponent who she thought incapacitated enough to steal the earth scroll from the opposition. 'This woman...she's more tenacious than I first thought she'd be.' Ino continued to assess her team's current situation while being on guard. One wrong move and the stalemate they're at will end with them losing the advantage and pushing them into a corner. 'Shikamaru looks like he's at his limit. Choji can't hold off that musclehead for much longer either. There's gotta be some way to break this deadlock. We can't afford a war of attrition at this point.'
"Shikamaru! Do something. I can't go on much longer without risking some serious injury man." Choji yelled in pain while his wrists were being bent backwards.
Shikamaru and Ino had worried looks on their faces realising they were risking Choji too much. Shikamaru momentarily thought of extending his shadow towards Choji's opponent. There were enough shadows in the forest for him to allow such a manoeuvre but that would make it easier for both of them break out of it, considering how little time he had before even a single person can break free. 'If I do that, Choji can retreat and corner that woman even if he can't fight temporarily. But Ino and Choji will have to deal with her quickly and gather the scroll from that huge bastard before they break free. By my estimation, they'll have less than 45 seconds to do that. Ino by herself can't take out that woman with enough time to spare to retrieve the scroll. Even retreating now won't help us. They'll just chase us down and in our worn-out condition while we can't run at full speed either.'
Choji's wrists were on the verge of snapping when a kick connected to bald mammoth's head, hard enough to send a few teeth flying and leave permanent damage to the ear. The brute let go of Choji's arms in pain, clutching his face in agony over the nasty kick he received. Choji took a few steps backwards and held his throbbing arms to subdue the pain, not aware enough of the surroundings to notice his rescuer. Ino, Shikamaru and the 2 other Ame shinobi watched slack-jawed as Shizuka was dusting her pants after delivering what can be called a bone-shattering kick. All 4 of them had the same thought. 'If it was somebody else, their face would be a mush.'
In a mix of shock and fatigue, Shikamaru's shadow binding came undone temporarily before he was made aware of his slip-up but that momentary lapse was enough for the Ame squad leader to leap towards Shikamaru and ready his shuriken to fire them off at a point-blank range when he's close enough.
Ino, who saw that, got distracted and let her guard down which her opponent seized. She launched 3 Kunai aiming at Ino's vitals only for them to clash with another set of 3 Kunai halfway through, expertly guiding the 6 Kunai in 3 different directions, 2 towards each of the Ame squad members while also amplifying their speeds. 6 quick stabs to each of the members' tendons brought them onto their knees in their places while facing a very confused and dazed team 10 members.
"Doton: Ganban Kyu"
Multiple slabs of combined rock and mud rose up from the ground and converged around all three members of the Amegakure squad, effectively imprisoning them inside the rock domes. Nao and Naruto dropped down from the trees and landed on the dwindled battlefield, exchanging approving looks while Shizuka who just flipped her long red hair and turned away, folding her arms over her chest.
"Thank you, guys. You are the best." Choji proclaimed as he slumped onto his back on the ground, still continuing to holding his wrists tight.
"Yeah. Thanks for bailing us out. I know it must be troublesome for you." Shikamaru added, gathering around the newcomers, showing a bit of relief on his face after the exhausting scuffle.
"Naruto..." Ino chimed, looking alleviated and dejected at the Uchiha's appearance. Alleviated that he cared enough to help them(her) but dejected to be seen as weak and helpless like that. The Amegakure squad by no means was lacking in strength, discipline or tactical prowess. They efficiently countered Shikamaru's plan, although, in his defence, he had no time to come up with something solid after their ambush. The experience they had, which was obvious by their movements and age was the key and had as good teamwork as the generational trio themselves.
'But Naruto's squad quelled them so easily. Granted they had the element of surprise but, it's almost insulting how far ahead they seem compared to us.' Ino thought with a forlorn expression.
"Ino," Naruto affirmed, staring blankly at her. "Is everyone alright?" he inquired, showing no signs of any misgivings. It sounded too apathetic for her liking as if he was asking as a formality rather than concern. She just forced a small smile and nodded in return, slightly disappointed by indifference.
But she knew better. It wasn't always like this. When she first joined the academy and fell for Naruto, she boldly proclaimed her earnest feelings to him. She was furious and thrilled with the way Naruto replied.
"Eh? But why?"
Furious because it was such a strange response to a confession but thrilled to realize she was not being straight up rejected. It was stupid but it was 5 years ago. She was 8 and had her first crush. She was allowed to be stupid. So she did. She stupidly kept cheering him whenever she could. Stupidly kept chasing him after classes. Stupidly kept chasing away other girls. Stupidly yet earnestly made him a part of her life. The best thing is that Naruto never rejected or pushed her away. He didn't reciprocate it either but it was better than being shot down in the face. He sometimes went along with her requests to pair up in some classes as well. Sure it seemed like he just agreed because it was harmless at best and would shut her up at worst but he never showed any aversion towards her. He never smiled with his lips but his eyes looked happy. Those deep cerulean orbs of his seemed like a calm ocean free of waves. Deep and void of any disturbances, serene and contented. She loved that look on him. It made her weirdly relaxed to look at him just do his everyday work with that look on his face. Those little things kept her wanting to be stupid. That stupidity kept her happy.
But things changed after the incident. He changed. After hearing the news of the Uchiha massacre, she wanted to console him and be there for him but one look at him a week after the incident in class, she changed her mind. Naruto didn't seem like himself. He acted different. He was more proactive while interacting with anyone who bothered to talk to him but his eyes never beamed like they used to. In all 4 years, not one single day has gone by when she didn't stare at him in the class and not a single time did he have that look on his face. Not even while he was around Sasuke. Not that he was around much either. She knew he never paid attention to the classes but he was at least present in the class, in body if not mind, before the massacre.
Little by little, everything she liked about Naruto kept fading away. The more Naruto kept fading, the more it hurt her seeing him like that. His cerulean eyes were meant to shine and usher in tranquillity. Not wallow in anguish and stare back in solitude. His smile was meant to be faint but spirited. Not broad and fake, null of life and zest. She liked Naruto. She still did. But the difference was, she knew why she liked Naruto back then. But now, she didn't.
"Thank my sister, not us. She was the one who barged into your fight abruptly while we were heading back to the tower. We only followed her." Nao said, pointing towards the redhead who just finished bandaging Choji's wrist despite his complaints about pain while mumbling incoherently. Something definitely not constructive if her face was anything to go by. Nao felt like face faulting but decided to restrict himself to a sweat drop.
"Don't thank me. I didn't do it because I like you guys or something. I just did it to save our village from embarrassment. Many Konoha teams have failed in the 1st two stages of the competition itself and we're not even 2 days into this stage." Shizuka huffed haughtily, refusing to look anyone in the eye.
"Hehehe." Nao sheepishly smiled as the Ino-Shika-Cho trio had a look of barely restrained frown on their faces. "We'll take our leave then. Hope to see you guys at the tower."
"Yeah. Hopefully." Shikamaru replied flatly, grateful for the dysfunctional team's help despite the backhanded slap they received from the redhead.
The other rookie teams faced similar challenges. Team Gai, who had a well-balanced team in terms of combat ability with Hyuga Neji and Rock Lee being the primary attacking duo with their flawless close combat abilities and Tenten providing the long-range support. They also had an extra year of field experience which theoretically should've been a major advantage. But most of their opportunities were wasted because of the internal disputes they had, especially Neji and Lee who always had fundamentally different approaches in dealing with the opponents.
Neji would always layout a plan which involved tactics like the element of surprise, stealth and clandestineness. One of his best-strategized plans was the use of hit and run tactics to wear down the opponent team throughout the day and ambush them in the middle of the night to steal the stroll avoiding any direct combat. A very deliberate process which had very low risk in terms of exposure but heavily relied on the effectiveness of its implementation.
Lee would blatantly refuse to follow the plans saying face to face confrontation and following the courtesy of alerting your enemies before attacking is the essence of youthfulness that their spandex-clad sensei dearly imparted to them. Tenten would end being the collateral damage since she was always the tiebreaker and whenever she chose Neji's tactically brilliant and efficient plan, she would get a big lecture on morality of being a human from Lee. On the one-off chance she voted for Lee, she received a cold shoulder treatment from Neji which Lee was totally oblivious too. All in all, their non-existent teamwork was proving to be the real hurdle than the forest of death itself.
Team 8, with Shino assuming the team leader role temporarily kept their approach simple and clean. A three-pronged attack. Shino wanted to maximize their team's uniqueness as the tracker specialists to the fullest extent in a complicated terrain like this. Marking their path so they don't get lost, constant surveillance to scout out opponents and be mindful of their own surroundings. A rather defensive but safe and rational approach to successfully clearing this stage.
Everything was being done exceptionally well except for 1 thing. Their attack plan. Every move on their opponents remained more or less the same. Scope out the enemy. Shino's insects who had the highest range among the three would do that. Hinata would verify what kind of scroll they had using her Byakugan and if it was an earth scroll, the target was set. The attack strategy would be very straightforward. They would attack in waves.
1st wave would be Shino engulfing the enemy territory with his insects, confusing and scattering their formation. 2nd wave would be Kiba taking advantage of the distraction and attack them. Hinata would be the 3rd wave, where she comes in and incapacitates their opponents using her gentle fist from their blind spots. All in all, a solid plan if executed well, guaranteed an easy victory. But the devil lies in the details. Their attempts would've worked if not for Kiba's eagerness in jumping into the fray ahead of his turn only to get surrounded by the enemies which turned the ambush into a rescue mission almost every time.
Team 7 was a whole different story. Sai wouldn't take things seriously and Sasuke's and Sakura's beratement for it only encouraged him further. Sasuke's tactic to give Sakura the scroll backfired too. His line of thinking was nobody would believe the weakest member of the team would have the scroll which Sakura clearly was. Sakura would try and prove herself as someone strong and worthy to Sasuke to impress him only for it be backfired too which resulted in not only losing the scroll but also getting both Sasuke and Sai injured, hindering the only possible advantage they had, combat prowess.
The discord among team 7 was evident now more than ever to all three members. Even the land of waves mission wasn't this bad in their opinion. Possibly because Kakashi was leading the team with the intent to complete the mission without any casualties or even major injuries while Sasuke had a more self-serving goal in his mind. Not that he would push his comrades into danger but his priorities weren't exactly surrounded around them either. Sai, in his capacity, would provide enough support to Sasuke to fend off any and all attacks but didn't cooperate in accomplishing the goals to clear this stage.
Sakura on her part tried her best although the motives weren't exactly ideal. She came to the conclusion that Sasuke only respects power and would see her in a different light if she could prove herself to be a strong, competent kunoichi. But her lack of effort and determination in the academy came back to haunt her. She lacked the basic skills required and although improving, it wasn't enough to make much of difference either. And her over-eagerness to be considered seriously and not as some rabid fangirl only caused more problems to the team. Sheer bad luck had only crippled her attempts to move forward in a good direction.
Day 2, 9:40 PM
Nao finally sighed out of relief for the 1st time in 2 days as he slumped onto a wooden bench inside the central tower. Team 6 managed to reach their destination just before dusk fell on the 2nd day of the current stage of the chunin exams. All three members were relatively unscathed save for a few minor scrapes here and there.
"Finally! I can rest for a while in peace. Without any gnawing feelings in the back of my mind." Nao said closing his eyes while curling into himself and making himself comfortable on the bench.
"We still have to open the scrolls and decipher what's in them to pass the stage," Naruto said retrieving both the heaven and earth scroll from his pouch.
"Let's just get this over with. I can't bear the stink on you guys anymore." Shizuka shot while tapping her foot on the ground impatiently with a miffed look.
"You were with us the whole time. You're probably stinking as well." Naruto replied offhandedly as he unfurled the scrolls in his hand.
Nao snickered at Naruto's comment but one glare from Shizuka had him ramrod straight and sweating. The first thing all three of them noticed was that the scroll didn't contain any cryptic message like they had discussed and assumed it would have. It was a very elaborate yet unfinished seal that both the scrolls had.
'This is...' Naruto thought before,
"A summoning seal! Get back!" Nao yelled while pulling both Naruto and Shizuka back by their collars and jumping back.
A puff of smoke started rising from both scrolls once they were completely opened. All three fresh genin got into defensive positions while staring at the cloud of smoke, expecting whatever was summoned wasn't going to friendly. The smoke slowly cleared to reveal a man with bandana clad brown hair with a senbon in his mouth.
"Genma-san?!" Nao and Shizuka drawled in a stupor.
"Heh. Congratulations brats. You passed the 2nd stage." Genma spoke with a proud smirk on face.
"But why were you in there?" Shizuka exclaimed.
"Yeah. I thought we'd have to fight you or something for a moment there." Nao added.
"As if. To clarify your concerns, we have markers present on us and whenever any combination of the provided earth and heaven scrolls are opened, the marker activates and summons us to the scrolls from wherever we are. It's like a very elaborate but slow teleportation jutsu. You'd think people would just agree to hide inside a scroll for 5 days without food, water and sake?"
Nao and Shizuka sweatdropped at the laid back explanation Genma provided. "You could've just said teams with both the scrolls pass after entering this building. Why go through all this trouble?" Nao added while Shizuka was already starting to leave the hallway in vexation.
"To restrain us if we opened the scroll before reaching here, isn't it?"
Genma smirked at Naruto's response. "You catch on quick, boy. Precisely. You were forbidden from opening either scroll until reaching the central building, remember? This stage isn't just about survival. It also checks a shinobi's discretion towards the explicit orders. Some missions require the shinobi to carry confidential information which they aren't privy to see. A chunin should also possess the discretion of not sniffing his nose where it doesn't belong. If any team opens the scrolls before reaching here, we'd have incapacitated them in the middle of the forest until the end of the exam."
Nao nodded sagely, pretending he and Shizuka didn't try opening the scroll the night before, only to be stopped by an ambush attack. 'Shit! We would've not only be disqualified but also be left in the middle of that dangerous forest? We could be dead by the end of the exam.' Nao's mind screamed internally while he managed to maintain his poise outside.
"Oi! Look who's here!" Shizuka yelled from the corner of the hallway pointing towards the entrance beside her. Nao, Naruto and Genma turned to face her and entrance she was pointing at. A fair-skinned, short auburn-haired boy entered the hallway.
"Gaara!" Nao cheered instantly brightening up from the gloomy thoughts he was having earlier. He ran towards him and 2 other people, a sandy blonde-haired girl with 4 pigtails and another person in a black hood with cat-like ears and triangular face paint, sporting Sunagakure headbands entered the hallway.
"Temari-san! Kankuro-san! You're in taking part in these exams too? Awesome!" Nao continued before his voice dampened in the distance from where Naruto was standing. He watched as Nao and Shizuka animatedly interacted with the composed trio of the newcomers. He turned his head towards the Tokubetsu jonin in front of him.
"Genma-san, was it?" He asked, ensuring he got the name right. An approving head nod from the said person encouraged him to continue. "You seem to know Nao and Shizuka well."
"Heh. I'm a Tokubetsu jonin and a part of Hokage's elite bodyguard duty. So yeah, I've known them for the majority of their lives. Why do you ask?"
"Who are they?" The Uchiha continued his questions glancing at Sunagakure trio.
"Oh! They are the Yondaime Kazekage's kids. The five are good friends since the strong diplomatic ties require both the Kages to travel frequently between the nations and their families accompany them on more occasions than not."
Naruto nodded as Genma continued to explain how their friendship began and evolved over the years in great details, recounting some of the incidents he witnessed while he was on guard duty during these diplomatic tours. Naruto kept stealing glances at the laughing and smiling bunch of genin all the while before Genma ended the briefing.
"Oh. How are they like? The Suna siblings."
"Nice try kiddo. I'm not gonna blab about your future opponents. That would be an unfair advantage for you." Genma quipped with a knowing smirk, seemingly impressed with Naruto's attempt to coax information from him while keeping the conversation seem a casual inquiry. Naruto just smiled and nodded as if to say 'I tried'.
Day 5, 5: 14 PM
"I was worried."
"I would too if I were in your position. Imagining your brother fighting for his life in a training ground nicknamed 'Forest of death' with an emotionally stunted nutcase and an obsessive deadweight can be worrying." Sasuke replied not withholding the snarkiness. He looked in a really bad state, puffed eyes, muddied face, torn clothes and scrapes and bruises all over his body and quite clearly, exhausted by the way he sighed every couple of minutes.
Naruto rolled his eyes, not impressed by Sasuke's style of humour. "It's unbecoming of you to bitch about silly struggles Sasuke."
Naruto didn't have the greatest time waiting for the 2nd stage to finish. Stuck within the tower until the end of the stage and no way to train or enjoy some peaceful environment, he shut himself inside the dorm room which he thankfully didn't have to share with anyone else provided how they had a bunker bed in place. He was left alone with his thoughts and nothing but the canopy of trees to peer out of his window. He would've been happy to be left alone with his thoughts, 4 years ago. Simpler times. Times when he wasn't haunted by the memory his older brother murdering his family in cold blood. Times when Sasuke wasn't tormented psychologically while he slept soundly in a hospital bed, few streets away. Times when he didn't feel restless unless he exhausted all the energy out of his system. Times when letting his thoughts take him wherever they wanted wasn't a trip straight to his personal mental hell. To struggle through these 3 excruciating days with his sanity intact, all the while fretting over when his brother would return safely only to be greeted with a scowl and snarkiness didn't ease his current condition.
Sasuke smirked at Naruto's bizarre temper and the rare use of such crude language. He cocked his eyebrow questioningly at his brother. "Who'd you kiss with that mouth? That redhead Senju or Inuzuka Kiba?"
"What?"
"Those are the only 2 people I could think of who'd use the word 'bitch' as a verb in their diction. I'd personally think the mutt is better. He's loud and too eager for his own good but he at least has a good head on his shoulders."
Sasuke was almost grinning. Almost. At least to the outside world. But Naruto knew it was Sasuke's worst smile. The devious grin he had when he was enjoying something he knows he really shouldn't. His guilty pleasure smile. A sadistic smile but with no real malice behind it. Something he didn't appreciate before or now. Naruto just closed his eyes before responding, holding back the urge to snag his brother's beaten form.
"Why? He was that good of a kisser that you're recommending him to others now?" Naruto shot back, knowing Sasuke wouldn't take this lightly. If Sasuke wanted a war, he'd give one. He was frustrated enough to forget the niceties for once.
Both the Uchihas shot daggers at each other with their eyes before breaking into a fit of laughter. Good thing they decided to move away from the crowd of genin who were gathered for the announcement to be made. They can't be seen laughing in public. They were Uchihas for god's sake.
Sasuke regained his composure and returned his normal self. "So, is there any reason you're upset or..."
Naruto narrowed his eyes at Sasuke's question, looking a little impressed and hesitant at the same time. He just shook and sighed before talking. "Three days. It's been three days since my own teammates so much as showed me their faces."
"And that upsets you why?" Sasuke asked, the confusion on his face mighty clear. As far as Sasuke knew, Naruto did beat some sense into Nao for questioning the former's abilities but they weren't close or anything. And he knew for a fact that Shizuka hated Naruto, and him and every other person in their class. That's just who she was and he didn't mind it at all. He'd take a hater over an addition to the existing annoying fangirl club. So there was no reason for Naruto to be upset over some teammates who didn't mean squat.
"Because we're teammates. And they'd rather hang out with some foreign friends in the middle of competition rather than discuss strategy for the upcoming event." Naruto replied, widening his eyes a little more than usual to imply his perplexion at their actions.
Sasuke's confusion didn't cease one bit. If anything, Naruto was acting weird. Agitated. Then a ridiculous assumption invaded his mind. The most ludicrous notion he could ever think of. He knew it was impossible but it was so outrageous that if there's even the slightest, tiniest possibility it was true, he couldn't risk it. He had to know. He had to ask.
"Naruto...are you...jealous?" Sasuke asked, carefully yet derisively.
Naruto eyed Sasuke carefully, searching for any hints of sarcasm but found none. All he could see was a stubborn hope and a hint of fear. But he wasn't sure what Sasuke was afraid of though. "Stop talking nonsense Sasuke. Did you hit your head or something?"
"I'm serious Naruto." Sasuke scowled, his patience wearing thin. The apprehension that was gripping him right now didn't appreciate any humour. Mirthless or otherwise.
"I'm serious too. I'm just worried I might be stuck with teammates who are just playing ninja instead of taking things seriously. And where would the aspect of jealously even come out of?"
That answer should've relieved Sasuke. It should've chased his concerns away. 'But why didn't they? Naruto is being awfully chatty these days. It's not bad but it's not him. He never talks more than what's required and he always has his emotions under control. Cool as a cucumber. But this...' Sasuke thought, seeing Naruto talk and express his emotions without restraint, it slightly bothered him. But he didn't want to delve too much into this either. 'I might be overthinking this. Maybe my nerves are getting to me. Damn it. I need to relax and focus. Shouldn't jump to absurd conclusions on an exhausted mind.'
The murmurings of the nearby crowd increased, indicating something was happening or about to happen.
"Let's go. I don't think we should be missing whatever announcement Hokage-sama is about to make." Naruto said, tapping Sasuke's back.
"Yeah..." Sasuke drawled, the exhaustion still wearing him down a little.
The Uchiha brothers joined the crowd and split up halfway to join their respective squads. Sakura beamed at Sasuke's appearance while Sai delivered his trademark fake smile. Naruto avoided eye contact with his team upon rejoining them, noticing how the sand siblings were right beside them. Nao's chattering came to halt when he saw his father accompanied by his mother on the stage with a huge stone statue of a Ram hand seal in the background. There was also another shinobi a few paces behind the Hokage with dark and pronounced markings under his eyes with a bandana for the Hitai-ate, just like Genma did. Naruto noticed that all the senseis of the respective genin teams present in the hall right now were watching them from the porch on the upper level. The pale blue-haired man cleared his throat loudly to catch everyone's attention.
"Congratulations young ones on clearing the second stage of the chunin exams successfully. You did well to reach this far. The third and final round will be held 1 month from today at the exhibition arena. Participants will be matched up against each other by drawing lots which will be done today. But before we do, there's something else. Since we have more than double the number of expected finalists, we will be holding a preliminary tournament right here, right now."
The murmurings grew louder after the announcement. Some of them sported worried looks, some just shook their heads in resignation while others seemed excited at the prospect of fighting others.
'Alright. I can finally get some much-needed action.' Shizuka thought, cracking her knuckles.
'Leave it up to Tou-san to come up with something crazy. No complaints here. But I don't want to fight Naruto now. Not here. I want to beat him in the finals.' Nao thought, firing himself up for the soon to begin matches.
'Shit. This is the worst possible time for this. I'm almost out of chakra and the exhaustion won't wear off anytime soon. Damn it.' Sasuke thought, cursing his luck.
Naruto glanced at Sasuke while having similar thoughts. He had enough rest and had no qualms with this arrangement whatsoever but he saw how drained Sasuke was just a few minutes ago. He wasn't sure he was in any state to enter a fight, let alone win but he can attest for his brother's stubbornness better than any. 'There's no way he's gonna stay out of this.'
Temari and Kankuro seemed more than pleased with the announcement, while Gaara showed neither interest nor the lack of it. Sitting ducks for almost 5 days in a row wasn't the most pleasant thing for young and ambitious shinobi and kunoichi. So the news came to them as a breath of fresh air.
"I know some of you had to deal with an excruciating 5 days facing life-threatening situations on 1 or more occasions but that's just how it is. The lifestyle of a shinobi is anything but fair. It is ruthless and bleak but overcoming them is what makes up a shinobi's character." Dan Continued, trying to sound encouraging despite the daunting words.
Sakura gulped listening to him describe how the matches will be conducted. Her team faced seemingly insurmountable odds in the past 5 days to survive and successfully to make it to this point. They were physically and mentally drained and it was taking their last bit of strength to stand properly instead of collapsing on the ground. Now they're supposed to fight again? How can they? How can she?
'I was no help to Sasuke and Sai these past 5 days. All I did was push us into more trouble. I even lost our scroll that Sasuke entrusted me with. If only I could've held on it, we would've reached the tower sooner. Sasuke could've had some rest before having to fight again. It will be my fault if Sasuke loses today. But Sasuke can't lose, can he? He's the rookie of the year. He is the best among us. Even if he's exhausted, he can win, right?'
Sakura glanced towards Sasuke, while her thoughts roller coasted within her. She gazed up and down his beaten and slouched form and snapped her head back with a frightened look. The sickly looking Jonin with a bandana took the Hokage's spot on the stage and started speaking but she couldn't hear a word he said. Fear gripped her entire body. Her spine stiffened and lips pursed in extreme tension.
'But what if he loses? He's the one who pushed our team to victory. He burdened the team throughout that hell of 5 days only to be defeated here today? It is my fault. I was weak. My weakness is the reason he's in this situation today. If I could've helped him even a little instead of being an anchor, he wouldn't be so exhausted and burnt now. He's gonna hate me now. Hate me for being weak. Hate me for holding him back. Wait, why are Sai and Chouji walking up to the porch? Sai is limping. Chouji seems to have an injured arm. Did the injured candidates get a free pass or something? Or maybe they weren't allowed to participate? Shit. I should've listened to the proctor. What's that on the board? I'm up first? What the hell? When did that happen? Who's Temari? Shit. Shit. Shit. Sai is gone. Sasuke is in no condition. And I'm a weakling who's sure to lose. Our whole team will be eliminated by end of the day. We let Kakashi-sensei down. I let him down. I let the whole team down.'
The preliminary round proctor's announcements went unheard by her. She was reeling in a loop of same thoughts, breaking and bashing her spirit further and further. The crowd around her cleared in a daze. Minutes seemed to move quicker and quicker. She could use some time. Time uninterrupted by her currents thoughts. Time to figure something out.
'Is she Temari? So she's from Sunagakure huh? What's that giant black thing strapped to her back? Is that a weapon? She looks older than me. And stronger than me too. She's smiling. She's confident.' Sakura thought, looking at her opponent who stood a few paces in front of her, on the other side of the large battle atrium they were in. Her whole body trembled. In fear. In panic. She retrieved a Kunai from her pouch, slowly and shakily and bringing it forward to guard herself. An act which only caused her opponent to smirk wider.
"You know, you should just give up if you're this scared. There's no point in fighting and defeating an already beaten opponent. I take no pleasure in claiming a victory against the weak." Temari said, half tauntingly while also showing some sort of sympathy towards the girl who's nerves betrayed her hopes.
That taunt impaled Sakura's mind like a bolt of lightning. 'Weak? She arrived at the conclusion that I'm weak without even fighting me? Am I that pitiful? Pitiful enough to receive mercy before even the fight starts?' Sakura thought, her guard coming undone. She stood straight and hung her head low. Her breathing becoming more erratic than it was before. Emotions flooded and welled up within her. Anger, impatience, disgust, ruth. All aimed onto herself.
Temari tapped her feet impatiently. She was itching for a good fight ever since the preliminary round was announced. But her luck just had to bad enough to be paired against a frail kunoichi. The only thing she hated more than a cocky ninja and shitty old farts is frail kunoichi. She could've finished the match in a single move but she'd rather avoid coming out as a bully if she could. She wanted to beat some cocky dude and show them she was not someone to be trifled with. Or have a good contest against a strong and brave kunoichi. Not what's she given now. But her patience and mercy weren't unlimited either.
"Shut up," Sakura mumbled, barely audible to others.
"What? Speak louder, weakling." Temari said, the last part much duller but laced with a hint of scorn.
"I said SHUT UP!" Sakura roared, facing Temari. 'Why did I say that? Why am I provoking her?' The former thought, standing tall and brave in front of her opponent who looked shaken for a brief moment by such a display of fortitude. 'No. I can't doubt myself now. I won't...let fear guide my actions. I can't.'
Coming from a civilian background, Haruno Sakura didn't have many references as to what constitutes the life of a ninja before joining the academy. As the years progressed, she understood the workings of the shinobi world better. D-rank missions are assigned to genin fresh from the academy. They pose almost no risk to the ninja's life and usually consist of odd jobs like farming and babysitting work.
C-rank missions are assigned to more experienced genin or chunin. They are missions with little to no chance of combat against other ninjas like guarding people against bandits or highwaymen, background investigations, eliminating or capturing bandits or thieves, and capturing or suppressing wild animals. B-rank missions are assigned to experienced chunin. They are missions anticipated to involve combat with other ninjas. Some examples are guarding people, espionage, or killing people, both civilians and shinobi alike.
A-ranks are assigned to jonin, concerning, among other things, village-or state-level matters and trends like guarding VIPs or suppressing ninja forces. At last, the most glorious and dangerous of them all, the S-rank. Assigned to experienced jonin and concern state-level confidential matters like assassinating VIPs, and transporting highly classified documents.
Sakura on her part never aimed for the peak. She didn't join the academy to become the Hokage. No. But she had ambitions. She didn't want to remain a civilian girl all her life, leading a boring life before being married off to some balding trader and bear his children. She wanted some excitement. Achieve something that could make her own identity. She wanted to become a well known Kunoichi. Earn some good ryō. Successfully finish at least one A-rank mission. Become a respected chunin or jonin before getting married and settling down. That was the plan.
Until she saw Uchiha Sasuke. When the raven-haired Uchiha entered her life, the plan changed. She started straying further and further from her ambitions in an attempt to get closer to him. She craved his attention, his affection and before she knew it, her dreams changed. She wanted to be Sasuke's wife. She kept day-dreaming in the classes about them getting married and leading a happy life. She didn't care if she didn't become a respected Kunoichi or finish the A-rank mission successfully or earn a good load of money. Sasuke dominated her thoughts and conquered her heart and mind. Even after facing multiple rejections, she kept clinging onto her flimsy desire to be an Uchiha matriarch. A pipe dream she held together with the help of false hopes.
That was until today. Many things changed within very few moments. She experienced shame, guilt, panic, fear, rage and scorn in a couple of minutes. She went from fearing being shunned for her weakness to loathing herself for remaining weak. Weak enough to be offered mercy amid a battle. Throughout the waves of emotions and thoughts crashing against her spirit, she realised one thing. 'She can't bear being weak anymore. She can't tolerate the feeling of helplessness she felt in the forest of death. She can't stand the look of sympathy in her opponent's eyes. She can't live with the guilt of letting her team down to this level.
"I may be weak but there's no way I'm giving up. I'm either walking out a winner or dead." Tears welled in her eyes but there was a newfound grit within them. Her voice wasn't just loud and choked but also daring. Her form wasn't just shaky but also unyielding.
'Sai is a talented ninja, well versed in shinobi arts despite his emotional handicap. Sasuke's perseverance, wit and talent were the decisive factors before. Kakashi-sensei is a well respected and feared shinobi among the elemental nations. And I'm a weakling who let them all down. But I'm tired of it. Tired of being seen as someone weak. Tired of being weak. I won't let them down any further.' She thought, her grip on the Kunai handle getting firm.
E/N: Please leave a review if you liked the chapter. Reviews are a writer's encouragement. Seeing people enjoy our works only makes us want to improve what we do. Thanks for the patience and have a good day. Until next time.