Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

I just want to thank everyone who added this story to their favorites and follows. I also want to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter.

Naru clasped her hands behind her head and watched as Shikamaru handed the book to Choji. The boy flipped to the next chapter, his brown eyes glowing with curiosity, and the 12-year-old girl kicked her legs on the table. It would be a long time before it would be her turn to read the book, a long time before they could implement changes from the book.

She tilted her head to the side when her eyes caught sight of a door being formed on top of them. It wasn't there when she checked the ceiling of the wall. A frown crept up to her lips, and the girl nudged Sasuke. Her friend blinked, and she pointed to the ceiling. The door rattled, and the 12-year-old girl blinked when Raiden dropped down alongside Hinata, Kiba, Team Gai and Might Gai as well.

"How are you doing this?" Ino demanded, looking at Raiden with disbelief.

Raiden cocked his head to the side. "It won't be fun if I tell you about my ability."

There was a tint of humor in his voice, and Naru watched as the man turned to the group of confused children and Gai. He gestured for them to come closer, and her friend, Kiba alongside Team Gai did as they were told. She could tell from the way Hinata's eyes blew wide opened that she was taken aback by whatever the man had said.

Finally, Kiba yelled. "How the hell is this possible? How can a book tell Naru's possible future?"

This seemed to be a typical response by everyone, who knew the contents of the book. She glanced at Sasuke and Sakura, who both had looks of pity at the boy's scream. They released a couple of synthesized sighs; a feat that had been achieved whenever they argued with her over her childish actions during their missions.

"There's no way I'll tell you," Raiden replied. "Be glad I chose to recap what has been happening for the past couple of chapters to you."

Neji eyed the man. "I don't understand why we have to read the book when we weren't mentioned all that much in the book."

"Naru affected all of you, didn't she?" Raiden asked. The children exchanged glances and bobbed their heads while Gai didn't seem to be all bothered by what happened. It wasn't long before her former classmates and seniors nodded. "Then, don't you want to know what she would be up to when Sasuke over there acts like an impulsive idiot?"

Sakura scowled. "Hey, don't call Sasuke an idiot!"

"You don't find his impulsive, short-term decision of joining Orochimaru to be stupid?" Raiden questioned.

Her pink-haired friend kept quiet, but the silence was all they needed to confirm her teammate's thought. She chuckled and gestured for Sakura to scoot away from her. If they were going to continue the reading, then she wanted Hinata to sit beside her. While it was nice that she was bonding with Sakura-chan and Sasuke, it would be a good idea for her to bond with Hinata over something else.

"Can we go back to reading the book?" Ino demanded.

With a tired sigh, Raiden shrugged his shoulders and looked at the new group of people. "I already caught them up on what happened in the book so yeah, you can resume the book."

"Why didn't you bring Gon, Kurapika and Leorio with you?" Hinata asked.

Raiden slid his hands into his pocket and made his way to the end of the room. A door suddenly materialized, and the man turned his head around to look at them. "I consider bringing them here since they are in the book, and Naru is very close to them."

He didn't elaborate further, and the 12-year-old girl watched as the man walked away from them. He really doesn't tell us anything, does he? Naru mused as Hinata took the offered seat beside her. Why didn't the man tell them anything? How could they even trust him if he didn't reveal anything to them? God, she should have said it earlier.

Choji cleared his throat. "Can I continue with the story?"

"Go ahead, Choji!" Gai cried.

I'm bored.

Naru sat on the floor and darted her eyes around the tunnel before tilting her head up. Had it been 30 minutes since they entered the exam site? Or had it been over an hour? It was just so difficult for her to tell. Even if she couldn't tell the time, it would be better for her to stand up. The exam could start at any moment when she thought about it.

"How hard are these exams?" Lee asked, cocking his head to the side. "Raiden-san only told us of what happened in the story so far."

Sakura grimaced. "It's a lot harder than we initially thought. Just getting to those exams is going to be difficult."

With a sigh, she pushed herself up and stared at Gon. He looked at their fellow participants with awe and wonder from the moment Tonpa left them alone. Not like she could blame him. This was his first time doing this exam and he had a good reason for doing these exams.

"Do you have any idea what we're going to be doing for the first phase?" Gon asked her with a smile.

"No clue," she shook her head and darted her eyes around the tunnel. "And I'm not going to think about the possible things that they will ask us to do, because it won't be any fun."

Kiba swirled his head at Naru. "You're thinking of having fun despite what happened to you?"

"I went through hell, but it doesn't mean that I can't have fun," Naru replied. Kiba looked at her with this disbelief while Neji pinched his nose as if he couldn't believe for a moment that would be her response. She huffed and narrowed her eyes at them. "Don't give me that expression! If I focus on what happened Kiba, then I won't be me."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and stared at the newcomers. "Just don't bother reasoning with her about her logic on the whole thing."

It was ridiculous but she did want to have some fun in these exams. She did not have the same reasons when it came to the others, but she wanted her heart to race like it had never done before. Wanted to experience the thrill that could only come from these kinds of exams. Naru exhaled and quirked her lips into a smile.

The ground quivered and the walls around them began to shake when the wall in front of them opened. Excitement bubbled in her blood at what she saw in front of the crowd. The examiner stood there with blank eyes. The exam is finally going to start. Just the knowledge made her bounce in her spot.

Hinata smiled. "You must be really excited to do the exam. I-I think that's the first time you are excited to do the exam."

"I must have been waiting for a long time," Naru confessed. She stared at the screen and looked at Sasuke and Sakura. They shook their heads and pressed their lips into a thin line as if they were worried about her doing the exam by herself. To be honest, she trembled at the idea of doing the exam without the help of her friend.

"I apologize for the delay," the man announced, and she blinked when she saw the strange creature in his hand. "Thank you all for waiting. As of now, the entry period for Hunter applicants is officially closed and the Hunter Exam will now begin."

The moment that their examiner declared those words, any chatter in the tunnel died down. Naru felt her lips twitched as the air around them began to thicken with anticipation. Now the real fun could begin. This was when the official first steps of her journey would begin. The true beginning of the story on how she decided to find a way back home.

"You're definitely being overdramatic," Ino commented, folding her arms against her chest. She eyed the screen with a tiny frown on her lips, and the girl turned away to focus on Naru. "Seriously, your official first steps? Can you be anymore corny, Naru?"

"But Naru-san isn't wrong," Lee pointed out.

Gai nodded. "She is being youthful by saying these words."

"Just so that everyone is aware, I will make you aware of the dangers of these exams," their examiner declared. He began to walk away from them and headed deeper into the tunnel. Naru blinked when the others began to follow him and without a second thought, she followed suit. "The Hunter Exam is very rigorous and if you lack the necessary ability then too bad. If you're unlucky—again, too bad."

Sakura shivered and rubbed her shoulders before flickering her eyes at the other members of their group. "He really knows how to terrify people, but what about the first exam?"

"Maybe, he is taking them to the exam?" Tenten suggested.

Shikamaru raised his eyebrows at the girl. "Wouldn't he have mentioned that he was taking them to the first exam? He is only reminding them of the danger of these exams."

Is he trying to scare us because he ain't doing a good job! Determination lit up inside of her and she quickened her pace. It took a lot for her to be petrified. The only things that terrified her now (other than the creepy clown) was the idea that she could never find a way back home. That she couldn't admit to Tsunade that she really messed things up.

That she couldn't do what she promised to Sakura and herself.

"Seriously?" Ino demanded. "You're scared of Sakura? You can break her bones!"

Naru raised her eyebrows at her childhood classmate. "Yeah, but Sakura is scary when someone makes her angry. Have you seen her when she doesn't get enough sleep? Or whenever Kakashi-sensei is late to a meeting? And don't get me started how she reacts whenever she finds out that Sasuke and me went too far in our training."

"You skip meals and the both of you won't sleep!" Sakura barked. "You two will always go too far!"

"Some of your fellow examinees won't be afraid to sabotage your chances of passing these exams," the man reminded. He didn't stop walking when he turned his head around to meet their eyes. "If you still have no problems then you are free to continue on."

Shikamaru sighed. "At least they warned you about the dangers in these exams."

If you came all this way and decide to give up now, then you really shouldn't become a Hunter. She clenched her hands into a fist and proceeded to quicken her steps when the man in front of her began to do it. Footsteps became louder, almost like an animal stampede. Naru licked her chapped lips and grinned.

This was going to be fun.

Sasuke sighed. "Fun? You're going to witness a lot of deaths."

"If it was safe, then it would be boring," Naru retorted. "Why do you think I hate written exams? And don't say it's because I never study for my exams. It's because I don't feel any thrill whenever I do exams."

Sakura sighed. "Sasuke-kun, we need to accept that Naru doesn't see things the same way as we do."

The air around them buzzed with excitement. Naru unclenched her fist and sweat dripped down from the palm of her fist, staining the ground below her. Some more words were spoken but they were muffled against her ear. Only the rapid, thundering beat of her heart was what she heard. Only the harsh breaths of the people behind her made its way to her ear.

"I was hoping that some people would chicken out," Leorio whined from beside her.

Shikamaru scoffed. "Would anyone drop out when they went through the troublesome job of getting there?"

"Even a Nara thinks that they have to continue," Kakashi replied.

She snorted. "You think anyone will chicken out when getting here was a challenge by itself?"

"It's worrying how you and Shikamaru have a similar thought process," Ino observed. Sakura bobbed, and the platinum-haired girl eyed the two preteens with eyes filled with a familiar emotion that Naru knew all too well from her friend. "Maybe the two of you might—"

"Not happening," Naru announced as Shikamaru gaggled. "He's too unmotivated for my taste."

Neji eyed her. "You have a type?"

There was something weird about Neji's tone if you asked her. Naru tilted her head to the side while Sakura shook her head as if amused by the strange tone by her friend's cousin. She glanced at Hinata. The former Hyuga Heiress had a faint, sad smile on her face, and the blue-haired girl shook her head.

No answer and that was all Naru needed to know that the man had gotten the point. It would have been easier if someone dropped out, but no one was going to do it. They got here when so many people failed to do so. For them to just give up because of some warning, would make all that effort meaningless.

Kurapika kept his head focused on the people in front of them and observed, "Something seems to be rather odd."

Realization struck her like a kunai piercing through her. The people around them were beginning to run and that was what the older boy meant by the word odd. No, it was the fact that the examiner was now increasing his pace to match a fast rabbit. If we don't run, then we can't keep up with him. A laugh threatened to escape, and she greedily swallowed it down.

"Is he going to explain the first exam or not?" Ino demanded.

Choji skimmed the next couple of lines and stated. "He didn't mention it explicity, but it'll be obvious in the next couple of lines."

"Why is everyone beginning to run?" Leorio demanded from behind her.

Without turning her head, she explained. "Because the examiner had quickened his pace!"

"Is that why you're running, Naru?" Gon asked.

She bobbed her head and glanced at Kurapika, who now matched her pace. Determination lit up in his eyes and his eyebrows furrowed together into a single neat line. She expected him to have that look. When the threat of his revenge being taken away from him was there, guys like him would do whatever it took to reach their goal.

Kakashi looked at Sasuke. "Do you see what your revenge did to Naru? Now she thinks every person is like you."

"Shouldn't you scold her?" Sasuke retorted. "She's the one generalizing him."

Sakura snorted and threw a frustrated look at the dark-haired boy. "She wouldn't think like that if your future self hadn't tried to kill her."

The boy scowled, and looked away from them. Naru shook her head and stared down at her feet. As much as she wanted to agree with Sakura and Kakashi, Sasuke was right. It was her fault for grouping Kurapika and Sasuke together. Their circumstances were different, so she shouldn't judge people in the future.

A small curse muttered under her breath and Naru slightly increased her pace. Harsh breath rubbed her ear. From a small distance ahead of her, there was a person, who wore an old-fashioned shinobi outfit. Maybe, I should ask that guy if he knew how I can get back home. Of course, only when she was done with this exam.

Lee blinked. "I don't see any Hitai-ate on him."

"He might be from Jappon," Gai explained. "Their shinobi don't use Hitai-ate."

Sakura blinked. "Where's Jappon?"

Kakashi shook his head. There was subtle conflict in his eyes, and it was not long before the man released a tired sigh. "If we answer every question, then we'll never finish the chapter on time."

"I'm Satotz," the examiner said and his pace quickened just a little bit more. "I'm the examiner for the first phase of the exam as well as your guide to the second phase."

Shikamaru blinked and stared at the screen with disbelief. "The First Phase of the exam is to follow him? That shouldn't be too difficult for Naru."

"It should be easy for her if that's the case," Sakura commented. Her green eyes shifted towards her while everyone else bobbed their heads at her. Out of everyone from their graduating year, she was the one with the most stamina. "Naru has more stamina than anyone I know, but this exam is going to be really difficult."

Kiba frowned. "What do you mean?"

"They don't know where they're going," Kakashi replied. "That can lead to a psychological strain."

Guide? So we must follow you? That made things easier. But was there going to be a written portion for these exams? Because if there was then she had to find a way to cheat. A way that didn't involve her getting caught because she certainly didn't want to get into trouble for doing it.

"What about the first phase?"

"I did tell you that the exam had begun, did I not? You're now taking it," Satotz explained, almost amused and he turned his head to look at them. "All you have to do is keep up with me, simple, isn't it?"

Ino grimaced. "If Shikamaru and Sakura are right, then this first phase isn't easy at all."

"At least we know what to expect in the future," Sasuke stated.

It sounded easy, but the subtle amusement in his tone told her that it would be anything but easy. Just the knowledge made her grimace and Naru eyed the various people around them. What would be the most difficult aspect? The distance? Because she could go on for days if that was needed.

Though they had no idea on the distance needed to get there.

"Then it is a simple endurance test," Leorio said, looking almost relieved.

"Is it just a simple endurance test? With everything that has happened, you would think that there might be something else to it." Naru fiddled with her jacket zipper and pulled it down. Cold wind brushed against her shirt and her whole body shuddered and quivered with relief. If she was going to run, then she would need to make sure that heat wouldn't be a big deal.

Kiba eyed the image on the screen before he swirled his head at her. "Why the hell do you wear a jacket?"

Sasuke twitched and shared an annoyed look with Sakura. Naru tilted her head at her teammates. Why did her teammates share that kind of look? Was it because Kiba seemed intent on staring at her chest? That would make sense if you asked her. The older boy was well-known for being the pervert in their year group.

Removing her jacket, the girl tied the sleeves of her jacket on her waist and sped up. The people in front of her weren't slowing down, only increasing their speed as the examiner did the same thing. Unless they have the same stamina as me, I really don't think that it is a good idea. The journey could be days after all.

"If I think like you then I'm going to have doubts," Leorio declared as he and the others began to match her pace. "And I'm not going to allow myself develop those doubts, so I'm going to follow him wherever he goes."

"Wow, I took you as a man that loves women. But if you swing that way, then I'll support you in your endeavors," she teased, and the man blinked before jerking his head at her. She paused and then added. "Actually, when I think about the way you and Kurapika argued on the first day—"

"—I like women!" Leorio barked. "Not just any women but women with big chests."

Ino and Sakura scowled. They glanced at each other before they snuck a glance at her and Hinata, and then looked at Sasuke. The dark-haired boy had a blank expression, but Naru could see a growing blush on her friend's cheeks. It seemed like her friend was actually aware of girls, despite the fact that almost every girl from their year tried to flirt with him.

"He really shouldn't have said that," Choji commented, glancing at Naru. "Naru is really temperamental whenever someone acts like a pervert."

She scowled. "I can control myself."

She twitched. The vein on her forehead threatened to explode at the comment but she held herself back from hurting the man in front of her. Though the same couldn't be said for Kurapika because he whacked the man on the upper side of his head and pointed at her and Gon.

The black-haired boy blinked. "Why? What does their chest have to do with anything?"

"It just means Leorio is a pervert," Naru grumbled.

Sakura nodded. "I'm surprised that you controlled yourself."

"I'm surprised as well," Naru agreed. "I don't like perverts."

From behind them, wheels rolled against the pavement, and it wasn't long before a white-haired boy went past them. In the dark shadows of the tunnel and the dull colors of their fellow participants, he stood out. Silver hair gleamed from the faint lights on the tunnel, skin paler than snow and she knew from her brief glimpse that he had electric blue eyes.

Hinata smiled faintly. "That's nicest description you have ever given someone."

"You know what it means when Naru gives someone a nice description, don't you?" Sakura asked Hinata. Ino furrowed her eyebrows while Naru felt a sense of dread creeping up inside of her. She knew the glint in Sakura's eyes meant that the girl was getting ready to tease her. "It means she likes him."

Naru huffed. "You don't know if I like him!"

"I've never seen you described someone like that," Sakura retorted.

But what stood out about him was the transport that he was currently using if you asked her. Not once in her life, did she ever see something like that. It looked fun but what was the function? Maybe it was just a simple tool to help him through the whole thing and if that was the case then…it was a smart idea.

"A skateboard!" the oldest member of their group screamed, pointing at the boy. "That's cheating!"

Kurapika groaned while Gon looked at them with confusion. Naru slid her hands into her pocket and kept her expression blank when the boy turned around to look at them. Confused blue eyes met their own. He cocked his head to the side but did not stop riding the skateboard.

"It looks fun," Kiba cried. "Why don't we have that in Konoha?"

"No idea," Naru answered.

"How so?" he enquired, frowning.

"Because this is a test of endurance!" Leorio barked and Naru found herself twitching just a little bit. She was going to hold herself back because she already said her piece. Besides, it would be a waste of energy if they got into an argument over the wording of the examiner. Wording that was just vague if you asked her.

Sasuke stared at the screen for the longest time and then flickered his eyes at her. "You're really holding yourself back from making one of your usual comments."

"I'm not stupid enough to argue when I'm running," Naru retorted. She knew when to argue and when not to argue with someone. As her future self stated, it would be a waste of energy for her to argue with someone.

Gon shook his head. "But you're wrong! He isn't cheating."

The dark-haired boy didn't look one bit sweaty, seemingly unbothered by the distance that they had run. His eyes darted to her and subtly, he pointed from her to Leorio. While she didn't completely understand what the boy was trying to ask of her, she had an idea on what he wanted her to do.

"He wants you to reason with that hot-head, doesn't he?" Hinata asked, shaking her head.

Naru nodded. "Looks like it, doesn't it?"

"The examiner only mentioned we had to follow him," she spoke up and Leorio slacked his jaw at her. "In terms of loophole, that guy can just simply say that he never mentioned not using items to help him. So that is why Gon says that kid isn't cheating."

Tenten blinked and looked at her. "You really know how to use a person's wording against them, don't you?"

"How do you think she got herself out of trouble with some of the teachers?" Ino asked, shaking her head. Naru curved her lips into a smile and tilted her head upwards to look at the roof. "Whenever Iruka-sensei tried to scold her, she would find some way of twisting his words and pointing out some kind of loophole that he didn't realize."

"She's the reason that Iruka-sensei is careful in his wording," Sakura commented. "When he scolded her for using her stupid Sexy Jutsu, she pointed out that he asked her to do a Henge Jutsu."

Everyone shook their head.

Leorio scowled. "I thought you two would be on my side."

"It's hard to be on your side when there's a loophole which can be used against you," she retorted.

Kurapika sighed and bobbed his head. "This is why you need to think before you say anything, Leorio."

Sasuke snorted. "You and Kurapika are similar."

"He didn't think before he talked," she stated.

The tall man stumbled and scowled before turning his head away from them. Naru shook her head and slipped her hands into her track pants' pocket. The people in front of her weren't slowing down but they weren't increasing in their pace. The loud stampede noise didn't seem to have faded but it didn't grate on her nerves anymore.

"How old are you?" the silver-haired boy asked Gon.

"12, nearly 13!" Gon announced.

She tuned them out, rested her eyes on the passing walls. It didn't seem to change all that much when they ran, the pipes continued to run across the tunnel. It looked almost never ending…and that was almost terrifying if someone really thought about it. If it was never-ending then when did they know when to stop?

"That's a scary thought," Kakashi commented. "The exam is definitely going to test your mental strain."

The thought brought an ache inside of her head. I have been using my head too much these last few days. She wasn't used to it. In Konoha, it had been easier to just pretend that she was a complete idiot. People were less terrified of her when they thought that she didn't understand it.

"Oi, how old are you?" Naru blinked when the silver-haired boy matched her pace and she glanced at Gon, who offered her an encouraging smile. "And what is your name?"

"Uzumaki Naru but you can call me Naru," she answered, slowing down to meet Gon's pace. "And I'm 12."

He blinked. "Really? You're short for a 12-year-old."

"I'm not that short!"

Everyone turned around to look at her, and Naru balled her hands into a fist. The vein on her forehead twitched as everyone looked at her like she was a fool for denying the fact that she was short. It wasn't her fault that she was short. Nutrients were needed for someone to grow taller, and unfortunately she didn't have the required nutrients.

Gon whistled and Naru shot him a dirty look before scowling at the two boys. She might not be the same height as those two boys but she wasn't that short for a 12-year-old. It just not my fault I can't afford to get good-quality ingredients and that vegetables makes me want to vomit. But if she said that then it sounded like she was whining.

"It isn't whining if you admit that you're struggling," Sakura commented. "But you never like admitting that you need help."

She huffed. "I can handle my problems just fine."

"If you are going to remind me that I'm a midget then why did you ask me for my name?" she turned her head up and stared up at the dark ceiling.

The silver-haired boy hummed. "Out of curiosity."

"Curiosity? What is there to be curious about?" she frowned and turned her head to stare at him. He curved his lips into a childish smile and Naru regarded him for the longest time. He wasn't someone that screamed that shouldn't be trusted. Those electric blue eyes didn't give the vibes that he wanted to eliminate them.

Really, he seemed like he wasn't out to get them but his childish smile…felt insincere.

"How can you tell the difference between an insincere smile from a real smile?" Lee asked, tilting his head to the side. He darted his eyes to the sides and tilted his head to the side. "His smile looks sincere enough to me."

Gai nodded and looked at the boy on the screen. "Naru must have noticed something that we didn't notice."

"Out of all the members of Team Seven, Naru is actually the most observant member of the team," Kakashi stated. Sakura and Sasuke opened their mouths to protest, and the silver-haired man shook his head. "Just because Naru acts childish, doesn't mean she can't be observant or how else would she know whenever Sasuke had a bad day?"

Sakura blinked. "I just thought that they spent too much time together for her not to know the tell-signs."

"Please, Sasuke hides his feelings," Naru snorted. "I have to find other signs to know what is actually going through his mind."

"You and Gon are the only kids doing these exams beside me," he replied like it was a simple explanation.

She nodded. "Well I didn't think that there were other kids doing this besides us, but if you wanna make friends then you should ask Leorio and Kurapika about their ages. Kurapika seems to be near our age while Leorio is that nice, fun Uncle."

Killua blinked and just stared at her like he found her words to be weird. Like he hadn't considered the idea of making friends and that brought an uncomfortable feeling inside of her stomach. The confusion faded from his eyes as quickly as it formed but she couldn't forget it. Could never forget it because it seemed like he was lonely.

"Someone is interested in him," Sakura commented.

Naru eyed her teammate. "I just met the guy, Sakura-chan."

"You seem to notice him," Sakura smiled. "And you never notice anyone."

Sasuke nodded. "Sakura is right."

"Sorry Naru but we can't play with you! We have enough players."

Everyone winced at the reminder and looked at Naru. The girl rolled her eyes and stared at the ceiling. Why were they wincing? If they were apologetic, then they were being stupid. They couldn't change the past, and if they were regretful, then they should change their own behaviour towards her.

"Hearing it from your perspective, I look like—"

"—a Jerk?" Naru finished, staring at Kiba.

He flinched and bobbed his head.

Her throat tightened.

"I'm not an Uncle," Leorio snarled and she turned her head to look at him. "I'm not even 20!"

There was a long moment of silence before everyone screamed. "Leorio is younger than Kakashi!"

The whole group turned silent. Her mind went completely and utterly blank, while both Gon and Kurapika jerked their heads at the man. The silver-haired boy only slacked his jaw at the male. Leorio scowled and trembled as if he couldn't believe for one moment that they believed he was younger than 20.

"No way!" Killua, Gon and her screamed in unison.

Tenten grimaced. "What happened to him?"

"He must have had a difficult life," Hinata suggested with a frown.

Leorio glared at her and Gon. "That's it! Our friendship is over!"

Disappointment filled her but there was a teasing glint in his eyes. Oh, he wasn't being serious. She smiled and slid her hands into her pocket. As long as the man continued to be her friend then everything was going to be fine. There was still a huge chance for her to make some friends during this journey of hers.

It was funny how she still wanted to make friends.

"Even after all what happened, you still have that desire to have friends," Sasuke observed. "You really aren't afraid of anything."

Naru smiled faintly. "I can't give up on hope, can I? If I did, then I would be like you."

"He failed, guys!"

It must have been three hours into the exam when the silver-haired boy made that comment. Naru frowned and flickered her eyes to Leorio, who panted and looked just ready to fall down. She glanced at Gon and quirked her lips into a slight smile when she saw the fire of determination in his eyes.

"He can't abandon a friend, can he?" Kakashi mused.

Gai nodded. "He's the epitome of youth."

"We should move ahead and let Gon deal with it," she suggested and Gon bobbed his head. The blue-eyed boy blinked as if he hadn't expected her to make that comment. For a brief moment, he hesitated and then proceeded to run ahead of her. She shook her head before glancing at Gon. "I'm guessing you have an idea to make him get back on his feet."

He grinned. "No idea."

Sakura stumbled. "Seriously? And why would you let him do it?"

"Because I believe him."

Then…what the hell are you thinking of doing? Those words wanted to come out but she decided against it. Instead, she stretched a smile across her lips and Naru dashed away from the boy. She chased after the straight shoulders of the silver-haired boy, not daring to look back. Light almost bounced off of the silver-haired boy's hair, offering a faint glow to his hair.

She clasped her hands behind her head and charged towards the boy, hair flying against the cool wind. Her jacket almost slipped down, ready to fall down but she only tightened the loop before darting her eyes to the boy. He was more interested to talk to Gon, which was fine. Perfectly fine because they were boys.

"Y'know you asked me for my name and age but you never told me what is your name," she pointed out. The boy jerked his head at her and she hummed. "So until you tell me what is your name, you have been gifted with the nickname of Old Man."

Ino sighed. "Old Man? Oh Naru, you're terrible at this."

"I want to be his friend," Naru said calmly. She was not going to get flustered by the knowing looks of her female teammate, Hinata and Ino. "And I give nicknames for everyone that I meet, so you shouldn't look too deeply into things."

Sasuke snorted. "You have never been so eager to talk to a boy."

"Are you actually thinking in the same lines as Ino and Sakura?" Naru demanded. "Has the world ended?"

He whacked her on the top of her head. "I don't focus on relationships, but I'm not stupid, Naru."

"I'm the same age as you," he retorted.

Naru scrutinized her eyes and pretended to inspect him. "Then why is your hair the same colour as an old man?"

Really, it was fun teasing him like this. He had the best reactions because he looked torn between strangling or screaming at her. Besides, his hair doesn't really make him look old. It had a shine that would even make Sakura and Ino jealous of him. It was that shiny and pretty if you asked her.

"You really like him," Sasuke stated, clasping his hands behind his head. Naru gawked at the boy while Sakura bobbed her head in agreement. What the hell? Were her own teammates turning against her? It looked like it because even Kakashi-sensei nodded in agreement with those comment. "When should I prepare for your wedding?"

Naru twitched. "Are you really talking about my love life? You don't even know the guy! I might hate him for all you know."

"Please, I know your tone," he said flatly. "And you like him."

Lee just stared at them. "Is Sasuke…teasing Naru?"

"This is their usual behaviour," Sakura sighed.

"First off, my hair doesn't make me look like an old man," he retorted. "And my name is Killua."

Killua. She repeated the name again and again in her head as her eyes rested on the scowling boy. Shadows decorated him, brought out almost a sad glow to him. A tickle crept up on her, an uncomfortable one at that as her mind tried to think of a nickname for him. But her mind drew a blank and her throat tightened just a little bit.

"You've got a really strange name," she declared, forcing a smile and a laugh out of her throat. "It almost sounds like your parents wants you to be a killer."

Neji frowned and regarded the boy. "His name would be a suitable name for a killer."

"But it isn't a youthful name to give a child," Gai commented, shaking his head.

He grinned. "And if they did? How would you react?"

It was almost teasing but the desire for her to laugh didn't come. Her heart only tightened like someone compressed it into a tiny ball and all she could do was stare at him. A smile played on his lips but the subtle tightness in his shoulders told her a whole different story. He is being serious. Just the knowledge made her drop her smile.

Naru grimaced and gazed at the screen. While she might not know Killua, she didn't like what was going on. What kind of parents would give her future friend that kind of name? She looked at the others and noticed that the other kids had a similar expression to her current feelings. None of them liked what was coming out of his mouth.

"You have weird taste in boys," Sakura commented.

The blond-haired girl maintained a blank expression. "Should you really be the one to say it? At least, he smiles."

"Point for Naru," Kiba retorted.

"It's sad they gave you that name if it is true. It sounds like…they don't think you can be anything but a killer," she confessed and he slowed down in his pace. Almost stopped and Naru tore her eyes away from him. "I would also say that if you even think of killing Gon, Kurapika or Leorio then I'll kill you."

He snorted. "You're confident that you can kill me."

"I'll do anything to protect the people I care about," she answered, shrugging her shoulders. "So if you actually do try and kill them then I'll kill you."

Hinata eyed Neji and then shifted her gaze to Naru. "You will do anything to protect the people you love, even if it costed your chance of a promotion."

"Your cousin was being a jerk, and someone needed to knock some sense into him," she pointed out. Honestly if she thought words were enough to convince Neji, then she would have done it. Oh well. There was no point of her crying over spilt milk because she could always do the chunin exam, next year.

There was only silence between them as Killua processed what she said. His eyes looked almost blank and he turned his head away from her. She licked her lips, heart racing against her chest as she waited for him to say something. Anything really. The lack of answers made her sweat and made her want to look anywhere but at him.

"You are a weirdo," Killua announced and Naru twitched. "Who tells their potential victim that they will kill them?"

Kakashi sighed. "Only Naru would do this."

She curved her lips into a tiny smile, turned her head around to find Gon rushing towards them, and then looked back at the smiling boy. "I'm not a weirdo and I will only tell my potential victim if I want to be friends with them. I really can't accept anyone that hurts my friends."

"You accepted Neji," Hinata pointed out.

Naru huffed. "Because you love him, and he's being nice to you again. If he was still a full-blown jerk to you, then I wouldn't ever consider him as a friend."

"Anyone tell you that you shouldn't be naïve? You can't simply trust your potential victim."

Shikamaru sighed. "Even if you tell Naru that, it doesn't mean she is going to listen to you."

I think I can trust you because you seem just as lonely as me. The words rested on the tip of her tongue but the amused glow in his eyes and that childish smile made her swallow it down. No point. There was just absolutely no point for her to confess to him, not when it could potentially make him sad.

Her heart always twisted whenever she saw a sad expression.

"I think we're going to finally see our resident tomboy show her soft side to people," Kakashi teased.

"But…I trust my friends and I wanna be your friend, Killua."

The words lingered in the air like an afterthought. Killua's lips parted and his eyes widened for a fraction of second before it reverted into its original shape. He turned his head away from her, never met her eyes and Naru quirked her lips into a grin before dashing away from him. Laughter rang in the air and her heart fluttered with freedom.

Sakura stared at the screen and swirled her head at her. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but Naru: teach me your ways."

"Are you seriously asking Naru for advice on boys?" Ino demanded, looking offended. All the boys knitted their eyebrows together while Hinata giggled at the interaction. Naru just stared at them with confusion, and then realized what was going on. We need to make her focus on her training instead of romance because…he doesn't like me! She exhaled.

The pink-haired girl snorted. "She's doing better than the both of us when it comes to getting a boy to like her."

"Naru! Wait for Killua and me!"

The words rang in the air and Naru continued to charge to front, her laughter ringing in the air. The cold wind did this to her. Adrenaline made her act like this. There were so many reasons for the subtle joy inside of her, but the main one was the screams of Gon and Killua for her to wait up.

I'm not alone.

It was the first time since she started this journey that she acknowledged it.

Everyone smiled. It was a relief to know that Naru was accepting the fact that she wasn't alone in her journey.

How many hours had it been since they started?

Five hours. Naru bobbed her head and stared at the participants in front of her. Yeah, it felt like it had been five, long hours since their examiner began the exam and with each passing hour, more and more participants collapsed. Their bodies drenched with sweat and the brightness of their eyes faded as if they had given up on life.

Sakura gulped. "I wouldn't be able to run that far and not be exhausted."

Another participant collapsed, body smacked right on the staircase. Some blood dripped down the side of the man's face, stained the stair and Naru jumped over him. This was probably the most difficult part so far. The stairs were never-ending, almost like a never-ending ladder and if one lacked the stamina…

Well, they ended like that poor sucker that collapsed.

"You're really fast, Naru!" Gon wheezed and there was a smile stretched across his face. Right beside him was Killua, who eyed her with some suspicion as if he couldn't believe for one moment she could run that fast.

She shrugged her shoulders and kept her eyes on Satotz. "If you think I'm fast then you should meet Lee. Now that guy was fast and Sasuke was even…"

"Thank you for the compliment, Naru-san!" Lee beamed.

Sasuke smirked. "So you admit that I'm faster than you."

"I've no choice now that is out in the air," Naru grumbled. "And it's obvious, don't you think?"

Words died down as furious black eyes came to her mind. For a brief second, her mind went blank. Her heart leapt up to her throat and Naru shook her head. Don't remember. This was definitely not the time for her to remember. One wrong misstep and she would just fall back from being near the head of the pack.

That could not be allowed to happen!

"Who is Lee and Sasuke?" Gon tilted his head.

"Lee is technically my senpai and friend. He's an amazing when it comes to unarmed combat, but he has the worse timing," she answered with a wince as the memory of his confession to Sakura came to her mind. "Sasuke was my…teammate."

Ino snorted and stared at Sakura. "You haven't told me about Lee's confession."

"He confessed to her while challenging Sasuke," Naru commented. "What kind of confession is that?"

Lee flinched.

Best-friend was what she wanted to say, but that word brought a sense of hesitation for her. Were they really friends? He tried to kill her and friends didn't do that. Yet they had been through so much together. He…nearly gave his life away in order to protect her, and that alone should mean something.

The members of Team Seven flinched at the reminder, and Naru turned her head away from Sasuke. They weren't going to have another discussion over the fact that he nearly sacrificed his dreams in order to make sure that she lived.

Killua blinked. "Teammate?"

"Naru didn't tell you? She is a shinobi!" Gon announced.

She pressed her lips into a thin line and corrected. "The right term is kunoichi since I'm a girl."

Silence settled upon them like an uncomfortable blanket. The silver-haired boy inspected her, probably searched for any clues on what gave her a way, and his eyes landed on the Hitai-ate on her forehead. The one item on her that she would protect with her life, the one item she couldn't afford to lose because of what it represented to her.

Congratulations Naru, you're now a kunoichi of Konoha.

It represented her first steps to her very first dream. Represented the first time that her whole body hummed with happiness as she looked down at Iruka-sensei's Hitai-ate that he gifted her. It reminded her that there was someone out there that saw her as Uzumaki Naru. Someone who acknowledged that she was a person.

Naru frowned when she noticed that Kakashi had grip the end of the couch. His chakra seemed to be coiled up as if he was ready to lash out at the sudden comment. That was strange if you asked her. She exhaled and glanced at her teammates, noticing the way that they eyed her Hitai-ate with sadness.

Kiba cleared his throat. "Who knew Naru can be so…deep?"

"Not us," Ino replied.

"Then what made a kunoichi decide to become a Hunter?" Killua rested his gaze at Satotz. "Got a job that needs you to have a Hunter License?"

Naru shook her head. "I'm looking for a way back home."

This was the safest answer she could give them. The simplest answer too because it could grow to become complicated. Because if the Hunter Association had information then maybe they knew where Orochimaru might be. They could know something about the Akatsuki because she wasn't safe from them.

"Itachi and his partner had been after you because of the Kyuubi."

Sasuke balled his hands into a fist and eyed her. "That's why my brother went after you? Because of the beast inside of you? Why didn't you tell me this, Naru? I thought we were friends."

"If I told you, then you would have hovered over me like an overprotective mother hen," she replied. Everyone darted their eyes between the two friends, and the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki focused her eyes on Sasuke. "You think I want to tell you that I'm a jinchuuriki? And that people are after me? This was my way of protecting you because I know if you knew Itachi was after me, then you would be more reckless going after him."

Sasuke snorted. "I'm not that reckless!"

"Your brother is way too strong and you decided it was a smart plan to attack him!"

No, she wasn't safe from them.

"How can you not know a way back home?" he asked, raising his eyebrows up till his hairline. "You got here, didn't you? So why don't you know a way back?"

I didn't choose to come here. To inform Killua and Gon about how she got here was not one that she wanted to tell them. It was too…personal and they hadn't known each other for a long time for her to tell them. There was also no way either of them could understand what happened. Neither of them could make sense of how the collision of two powerful jutsu had gotten her into this mess.

I don't even understand how it happened.

It bothered her that she lacked the knowledge to understand how this could have happened to each other.

"No one understands what happened," Kakashi said, shaking his head.

"It's a very…complicated story," she replied, keeping her eyes fixed on the man in front of them. Their examiner hadn't turned around but there was a lingering sense that he was hearing the story or maybe it was her being paranoid. "And we aren't close enough for me to tell you the story."

They just stared at her and then exchanged glances with each other before bobbing their heads. That was good. She was glad that they didn't try and push her to tell them about what happened with Sasuke. Just the idea of telling them about what happened made her throat tightened and that lingering ache in her heart just intensified.

With a deep breath, Naru turned to Killua. "So why do you want to be a Hunter?"

"I actually don't want to be a Hunter," he confessed. A large smirk began to form across his face and there was a confident glint in his eyes as they began to slow down their pace. "I'm just interested in the exam because I heard that it was really tough, but so far it hasn't been that tough."

Choji blinked wolfishly. "He's taking a dangerous exam because he wants a challenge?"

"He's insane," Shikamaru declared.

It sounds like you're doing this because you are bored. The words wanted to come out but she shook her head and focused on the examiner. If he really wanted some kind of challenge then he should have done the Chunin Exams. Now that had been a real challenge; the first test had been an absolute nightmare for her. The fact that she gambled on the last question was one that she was forever grateful.

The silver-haired boy turned to Gon. "Since the Shrimp and I explained why we are doing the exams, then you should tell us your reasons for doing this exam."

"Well Naru knows since we came here together but I guess I wanna be a Hunter because my Dad is a Hunter," Gon explained, tightening his grip on the fishing rod. A bright, cheerful smile lit up his face. "And I want to be just like him."

Killua blinked. "What's he like?"

"Don't know."

Those two words hovered between them and Naru stared at Satotz's back. Gon's tone was upbeat and there was a smile on his face, but it befuddled her on how he could be happy. Wasn't he furious? Upset that his father didn't raise him? He had a choice to raise him but it seemed like he loved his job more than his son.

It was selfish. Absolutely selfish if you asked her because how could someone do that? Bile burned her throat and she clenched her jaw. She didn't get how he wanted to understand his father's love for this job. I became a Kunoichi, not because of my parents but because I wanted a good salary and because I wanted respect. It wasn't good reasons but better than the one Gon gave.

"Huh? I always thought that you wanted to be a kunoichi because it's a cool job," Kiba said with raised eyebrows.

Shikamaru nodded. "Naru is more practical than we realized."

"You're really weird, Gon!" Killua laughed and shook his head. Naru just stared at him and released a shaky breath before looking down at her own feet. There was no denying that the boy was right about it, but he was wrong as well. It wasn't completely weird. The desire to understand a parent's decision was great, though it wasn't right to make a career because of a parent.

You…just wouldn't be happy.

"Am I weird?" Gon asked, still smiling. "I was raised by my Aunt since I was a baby. All I ever saw of my Dad was a picture but a few years ago, I met a man named Kite. He knew my Dad and told me lots of stories about him."

Kakashi blinked. "Wait, Gon's Father is Ging? I…can see the resemblance between them."

"You know who Gon's Dad is?" Sakura asked.

The silver-haired man didn't look pleased. "He helped the Hokage once, and he was probably the Fourth Hokage's dearest friend. Although, I don't understand how Minato-sensei could be friends with an ass."

It was wrong of her but she envied Gon. He knew his Dad, knew his name and what he even looked like while she didn't even have that. Her parents were nothing but blanks for her. Only people that she could imagine and sketch in her free time. Did she look like her Mom? Or did she take after her Dad? How did they meet? What were they like? She didn't know.

She…really had no clue about her parents and she hated the Third Hokage for denying her the right to know them.

I will never know who they are, now that he is dead.

He really shouldn't have made her believe that he would stick around till she was 16.

Kakashi grimaced and looked at Naru. "Naru, if the book doesn't reveal who your parents are, then I'll tell you."

"You know who they are?" Naru demanded.

The man nodded, and the 12-year-old girl bit her tongue. She waved her hand at Choji. If it wasn't for the fact that she wanted the book to be done, she would have pressed the man for more answers. How could the man know who her parents were and not tell her? She had been in his team for a couple of months now.

Faint light began to tickled through, almost threatened to burn her eyes and Naru exchanged glances with the two other boys. Grins lit up their faces and their eyes sparkled with joy and cold winds brushed against them. They were close now. A couple more steps and they would be out of this dark tunnel. Just a couple more of steps and they were done with the staircase.

"The first person to get through the exit will win," she declared, speeding up. "Loser has to buy dinner!"

Choji's stomach rumbled, and the round boy moaned. "Why did you say that? Now I'm hungry."

Killua twitched.

"You're cheating, Blonde!"

"Catch me if you can, boys!"

A thick fog enveloped the swamp in front of them. In the distance, faint figures of what could only be trees littered the swamp. From above them, vultures croaked. Naru rubbed her calves as cold winds nipped her skin. From behind her, two light footsteps crunched against the gravel and a warm hand grabbed her arm.

She twisted her head around and grinned when cheerful blue eyes met her own. "Finally caught me! You and Gon owe me dinner."

Kakashi shook his head. "His money is going to go down on the drain."

"On the bright side, we found out that Naru can get a date without any effort," Sakura commented with a snort.

Naru sighed and shook her head.

"You cheated!" he retorted, dropping his skateboard on the ground and then he folded his arms against his chest. "You ran before you finished that sentence."

She should take him seriously but it was difficult to take him seriously when he made that expression. Naru beamed and whistled, turning her head away from the scowling boy. He wasn't wrong because she had the advantage but they could have run faster. It wasn't like they were slower than her and it wasn't like she used that much chakra to enhance her speed.

"I didn't hear you say no when I declared our little race, Slowpoke!"

Sakura giggled. "That's a cute nickname for him."

He opened and closed his mouth before throwing his arms up in the arm. Naru giggled and glanced at Gon, who kept flickering his eyes between them. The boy hadn't made any comment about the unfairness over what she had done. Looked almost content on what was happening and it brought a single question for her to ponder.

Does he have no opinion over what I did?

It certainly looked like he wasn't going to say anything to them.

Ino blinked and shook his head. "He's aware of what's going on between you guys."

"There's nothing going on between us," Naru argued.

Sasuke snorted. "It's so obvious that you like his company."

She was going to tease him and Sakura as soon as they were done with this chapter.

"Have we finally reached our destination?" Kurapika asked once he and Leorio reached them. Both males panted and looked almost on the verge of collapsing with the way their legs trembled. That might have been her fault. The examiner had increased his pace at one point when he saw that she was going to overtake him.

Lee sat up straight. "I've decided! I'll do the Hunter Exams alongside Naru-san!"

"We're going in a different route from Lee," Sasuke hissed in her ears. Normally, she would tell him that he didn't order her around, but she didn't like the idea of dealing with Lee for a long period of time. She had her own limits after all.

She glanced at the examiner and then to the tunnel before looking back at her fellow blond. "No, Satotz told me that we had a long way to go when I cheered about being the first to arrive to the second phase."

"We're changing the rules of that race—"

"You will still lose, Whitey."

Killua stumbled and then glared at her. "Does my hair look white? And I wasn't even trying the last time, Blondie!"

"Someone is a sore loser and to answer your question— yes, your hair does look white."

"His hair is a very faint shade of my hair color," Kakashi said slowly.

She smiled. "It's fun to tease him."

The last bit was a lie because his hair was just a very light shade of Kakashi-sensei's hair. If her teacher's hair was a dark silver colour that resembled more grey, then Killua had hair that leaned closer to white. It shouldn't make her eyes stare at him but there was something about his hair that she wanted to touch.

"It does look fluffy," Hinata agreed.

Leorio stared at her and laid on the concrete floor. "How are you not sweating, Naru?"

"Shinobis don't use cars or other form of transports when we do our missions," she explained, shrugging. "So this whole thing felt like I was just doing some light exercise."

Well light exercise might be an exaggeration because this was more of a moderate exercise for her. The pace had been a little bit faster than what she was used to doing, but then again their single client did not have the same stamina as them. Then there was the fact that Sakura doesn't have the same stamina as Sasuke and me. Her female teammate would always remind her of that.

Sakura scowled. "It's hard to remember that Iruka-sensei paired me with two people who have an insane amount of chakra. You guys always seemed to forget this during training."

Naru shook her head and glanced down at Leorio before looking at Gon and Killua. They seemed intent on chatting with each other, gave her the occasional glance and she locked her eyes on their examiner. For the first time since he began the exam, he finally turned his whole body around to meet them.

A shiver struck her spine, alarm bells rang in her head and the girl turned her head around to find the source of the alarm bells. The murderous clown, from earlier, had his eyes fixed on her. A faint smile plastered on his lips but if he wanted to try the friendly angle with her, then he was doing a terrible job. Those eyes just leaked with murderous intent and that life energy of his seemed ready to explode.

Agitated.

"He is ready to kill someone," the Kyuubi observed.

Everyone trembled at the comment. The air thickened as they exchanged glances. Naru didn't know about the others, but it was never a good thing when a psychopath wanted to murder someone. Once she enrolled for the Hunter Exam, she was going to keep Sasuke and herself away from that insane clown.

If the Kyuubi was making that comment then she was really underestimating the man and his desire to kill.

"This is the Milsy Wetlands, also known as the Swindler's Swamp," Satotz announced when the final participant came out of the tunnel. The ground rumbled and a quick glance told her that the tunnel was beginning to close. "In order to reach the second phase, we will need to cross this swamp. There are many crafty and voracious creatures, who are unique to this land. If you aren't careful then they will deceive you in a blink of an eye and eat you with relish."

Ino quivered and turned to Naru and Sasuke. "Do you guys still want to do the exam, despite knowing this? You guys can die."

"Yup," Naru replied.

As tempted as she was to scoff at his words, it was better for her not to tempt her luck. She already had one close brush against death; there was no need for a second one. Grimacing, Naru stared down at her feet and touched her chest before looking straight at the thick fog that surrounded them. Death at this point…was unacceptable.

Sakura nodded. "If you die, I'll find a way to bring you back to life and knock some sense into you."

I still have so much to do.

Flames of desire lit up inside of her and the girl clenched her jaw while the people around her broke into whispers. The goal for her was to keep close to the man. Nothing was going to make her change her mind. In this portion of the exam, I…will have to help myself first. Going home was always going to be her priority.

Always.

"Naru-chan, just be careful out there."

Hinata's concerned face came to her mind and Naru exhaled. They might have officially became friends during the Chunin Exams but her friend had shown a lot of concern for her. She…might be worried sick for me. Yeah, she would be. The girl had always been the sweet type even when they had been in the Academy, always worrying about other people.

Hinata smiled and flushed a faint shade of pink. "I-I would be worried sick if something happens to you, Naru."

"Thank you, Hinata-chan."

"Don't let them fool you!"

A person staggered out from behind the walls of the tunnels. There was a limp in his steps and as he walked closer to them, Naru noticed that his face was decorated with bruises. His shirt had little tears, almost like he had been in a scruffle. Anger radiated from his eyes but what interested her was how recent the wounds were.

There was still some blood dribbling down his leg.

"He's lying to you!" the man declared, pointing an accusatory finger at their examiner. "He's an imposter! I'm the real examiner!"

Kiba slacked his jaw. "What the hell is happening? How can there be an imposter?"

"Let Choji read and we'll find out!"

So you want me to believe that the examiner over there, beats you up and you magically just appear? The vein on her forehead twitched as the people around her began to mumble. A part of her wanted to point this out but if she told them, then they would be more examinees. For the sake of her own personal interest, she would keep quiet.

"Does he expect us to believe that bullshit?" Killua grumbled.

She snorted. "Beats me. Apparently, he thinks we are that dumb."

"C'mon anyone could fall for that trick," Kiba complained. "You aren't dumb to fall for it."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You are because it makes no sense."

The silver-haired boy snorted. She blinked and they exchanged glances before turning their heads away from each other. It was just coincidence that they came from the same thought and it didn't mean that they were getting along now. You can laugh even if you find your friend annoying. She used to laugh even when Sakura grated her nerves.

"If you don't believe me then look at this!" screamed the real examiner. From behind the wall, he pulled out a creature. Naru raised an eyebrow when it became clear that the creature had Satotz's face. The only difference between those two was the hair that covered the creature's body. "This creature is the man-faced Ape and they love the taste of human flesh…"

She began to tune the creature out and glanced at Gon. The boy had a frown playing on his face, eyebrows furrowed together and it wasn't long before a tiny explosion sliced through the air. His brain exploded from overthinking. Sighing, she patted the boy's back and stared at the real examiner. He was still prattling on like it was going to help him.

"Gon really isn't a…thinker, is he?" Tenten muttered.

Naru shook her head.

The wind whistled. A card crept closer to her and Naru tilted her head to the side. A sharp pain erupted from her cheek, blood dribbled down the side of her face. Slowly, she turned her head around and froze at the blood-thirsty eyes of Hisoka. His eyes barely drifted towards her but there seemed to be some interest in his eyes.

It had to be because of her cut.

Sakura quivered. "Why do you always attract weirdo?"

"I blame Sasuke."

The clown kept on smiling as he shuffled the cards. Amusement coloured his features and Naru followed his line of sight. The human appearance of their real examiner had faded, replaced with the features of the man-faced Ape from earlier. Well, that confirms that he was a fake. A hunter should have been able to catch those cards.

"I see," Hisoka smiled. "That settles it, doesn't it? You're the real one."

The creature trembled and dashed away from them, leaving behind its dead companion. Naru slid her hands into her pocket and eyed the deceased creature. Even in nature, teammates will abandon each other when given the opportunity. Disgust crept up like a monster and she squeezed it back into the bottle of negative emotions.

Kakashi grimaced, and Naru waited for the man to make some comment about teammates. But the man made no comment, instead he waved his hands at Choji as if to signal for him to continue on with the story.

This was not the time to be bitter.

"I wonder if he used his life energy to do that trick," Naru mused. It would be the only plausible explanation for what he did. Nothing else could explain his actions because that man didn't have chakra. He lacked the capability to use the energy to make those cards that sharp. Yet, he somehow managed to do the impossible.

The urge to question him had never been greater than ever before.

Killua blinked. "Life energy?"

"You can't sense it?" she asked. The boy shook his head and Naru felt her lips turned downward at this knowledge. Why couldn't he sense it? Now that she thought about it, there was something strange about the people here. There was something different about the energy emitted by the people around her, and the energy emitted by Hisoka. Almost everyone's energy seemed stifled like someone squeezed it into a bottle.

Lee blinked and looked at them. "Can we use one component of our chakra?"

"Apparently, it's possible," she confirmed because it seemed like Raiden didn't explain everything to the newcomers. "The Fourth Hokage could use it."

The clown's energy poured out like an overflowing river.

"How can you sense it?"

Is it because of my chakra? Tilting her head, Naru inspected the man. That would be the explanation because this was the difference between them. She had always been a good sensor, not the best like Kiba, but better than Sakura. Chakra was made up of two components: physical energy and life energy. So, it was entirely possible for a sensor to sense either components.

But the only way she could confirm her suspicion if she had a chakra user with her.

"It's a secret."

Tenten nodded. "Playing the mystery card on him? That's a good idea."

Unless she had some explanation on what the hell was going on, chakra had to be her little secret. It was difficult to explain without having all the facts. Although Kurapika knew about her village. He probably had some clue about chakra but she would have to have him confirm it. This place has gotten a lot more interesting. She grinned and looked at the fallen cards on the ground.

It would be interesting to double check if something had been done to it.

"And then what would you do to it?" Sakura huffed.

Naru shrugged. "Study it, probably? And maybe play poker."

"You can't lose sight of me," their examiner reminded them. He twisted the curl of his beard with his finger and studied them for a brief moment. Once the brief moment was over, the man turned away from them and began to walk away. "If you lose sight of me in the swamp, you will never reach the Second Phase of the Exam."

"That's one way to scare a group of participants," Ino muttered. She really didn't like nor fully understand how both Naru and Sasuke seemed eager to do the exams despite the dangers that was being posed in the exam. While the benefit of being rich was great, she was not going to lose her life to do the exam.

If he was warning them to keep an eye on him, then he didn't need to worry about her. That had always been her plan; another close brush with death was definitely not what she wanted. The last thing she needed because she had to go back home.

Kakashi sighed and shook his head. "I just hope that you won't lose sight of yourself, Naru."

"I'm going to be the same Naru," she reassured him.

Her teacher accepted her response and looked at Choji. "Let's continue with the next chapter. It's my turn to read."

So that is the end of the reading.

I was actually considering of having Killua and Gon in here instead of Team Gai, but I had no idea of which arc I should take them from or if I should go for the whole future adult version of themselves. Here are a few questions to consider, but you don't have to answer them if you don't feel like it.

Q1: How do you feel about the interactions between Sasuke and Naru?

Q2: Currently, which chapter are you looking forward to see their reactions?

Thank you for reading, and please let me know of your thoughts about the chapter.