Preparing for the first Chunin Exams in two years was not an easy feat.
No one knew what to expect, especially since Suna helped create the examination. Rumor has it part of the exam will take place in Suna, with more casualties than ever before. Everyone was stressing about making sure they were in top shape so they could perform better than their first attempt at the exam.
Hinata, on the other hand, had other things on her mind than the exams.
For the last few days, her mind had been wondering off and on to a certain blonde-hair boy with whiskers. The two year anniversary of his departure took place just some days before. From then on, Hinata kept thinking back and forth about how much stronger he must be and the memory of the last . . . gift he gave her before he left.
Hinata's cheeks would always flush at remembering the tingling sensation, prompting others to wonder why she was blushing for no particular reason. Her cheeks grew redder when someone asks why she was staring off in space with forming rosy cheeks, knowing she had been caught in the act of her daydreaming.
But now, Hinata's focus was shifted to someone with similar chakra as the missing boy of her dreams—
Or, more accurately, as the tailed beast inside of him.
After entering the examination room for the first part of the exam, separated from her teammates, Hinata sensed that familiar sensation as when she first met Naruto and Gaara. However, the hostility that was in those two was replaced with longing—
For a friend.
Scanning the room of single members from each competing squad, Hinata found the per—the girl, sitting all by herself with no one else around. She was definitely unique, with her short mint green hair and her orange eyes that matched the clip in her hair.
Ignoring the protests of her elder cousin and comrades, Hinata approached the mysterious girl. Standing next to her, Hinata waited until the girl—who flinched at her appearance—looked up at her before giving her the famous heart-melting smile.
"Hi," she greeted kindly, "I'm Hinata Hyuga from the Hidden Leaf Village. It's nice to meet you."
Once Hinata outstretched her hand, the girl perked up. Eagerly shaking the hand, the girl's wide smile stretched across her face at the interaction. "I'm Fū! From the Hidden Waterfall Village!" Fū introduced herself, adding just moments later, "You have such pretty eyes! They look like the moon!"
Hinata giggled at the comment. "My best friend used to tell me that all the time," she claimed. "You remind me a lot of him."
"You have a best friend!" Fū gasped. "Do you want to be my friend?"
"Of course!" Hinata agreed with her sugar sweet smile that caused Fū to swoon in admiration. "Maybe one day, when he's back from his training, I can introduce you to him. I know you two would get along well."
"Really?" Fū smiled eagerly. "I can't wait!"
The first part of the exam was definitely tricky, since both Shikamaru and Temari played special roles in its creation. Even if their allies or teammates are participating in the exam, they wouldn't make it easy. In fact, they would make it as hard as possible just to give them a challenge.
For the first part, it was still a written test with only three questions either worth 30, 40, or 50 points. Each team had to earn the average score of 100 points; a score over or below the average would result in immediate disqualification. The team-members couldn't interact with each other through normal means since the rooms were sound proof and the windows can only be looked out instead of in. There was only one rule that was both vague yet very specific:
No fighting.
Neji, the praised genius everyone claimed him to be, had the idea of hitting the wall a certain amount of time to indicate the question they would take. A Suna shinobi offered to strike the walls so the Konoha ninja were doing all of the work. As the shinobi landed the number of hits discussed—
He swung his leg up one last time against the wall, making it a total of five instead of four.
Before many could freak out by the unforeseen circumstances, Neji claimed five would still get the message across of what question the team-mates would choose. Two would answer the one worth 50 points while the member in the current room wouldn't answer anything.
Annoyed that he had been tricked, the Suna genin pulled out his kunai, fully ready to attack Neji—
Until the Hyuga prodigy gestured to the blackboard, where the only rule was written clearly: no fighting.
Neji claimed they could still fight, as long as the proctor would approve it. Immediately, Shikamaru's voice was projected around the room, announcing that there would be no fight and everyone should return to their seats to complete the test. As she found a seat next to her cousin, Hinata couldn't help admiring him for being so clever—
By giving the other rooms a well plotted hint.
At first quite a few people didn't touch their test papers. However, as time quickly dwindled down and those who could communicate with their team started answering a specific question, others began to cave, working a random problem without knowing if it was the right choice.
At the end of the time limit, everyone was told to flip their tests over for the second part of the first exam. Many people began to worry about what it could potentially be, but it turned out to be a scenario. Each team was asked to write one team-mate down that they would use as a decoy for the enemy. All three had to have the same answer or be disqualified from the Chunin Exams. Whoever was picked would be eliminated from participating any further.
After the tests were collected and graded, all those who passed were called out one at a time to the school yard. To the surprise of the teams with one member missing, a majority of the teams outside had all their members, because they all left the back of their tests blank.
Once all qualifying teams were out, Temari stepped forward to make the first of many announcements.
Due to the nature of the second portion of the Chunin Exams, all teams with one less members were instantly disqualified.
Once those grumbling genins were out of the way and out of the picture, Temari continued with her explanation. The second part of the exams would take place on the outskirts of Suna, which takes three full days to get there. Since there were so many still left from the first round, those who failed to arrive before the deadline would be eliminated.
As soon as the last word was out, Fū grabbed Hinata's hand and dragged her out of the area so quickly that it took their teams a moment to realize what was happening. They barely managed to catch up before the other competing teams realized the challenge had already started.
The trek to the Hidden Sand Village was more longer than it was hard. Hinata could have kept up with Fū's team if her own teammates hadn't abruptly stopped. While her friend kept going upon her request, Hinata went back a few hundred yards to see what the problem was. All Kiba and Shino wants was the location of the Konoha 11 teams so they could travel the rest of the way with them.
Admittedly, Hinata was frustrated, but didn't voice her opinion out loud. With such an important outcome at stake, they couldn't waste any time just waiting around for their comrades when they had a deadline. She wanted to get to the destination with her new friend, who she was so close to learning her Tailed Beast's name. There was also someone from Suna that she was hoping to visit with by being one of the first to arrive.
To make her irritation even worse; when Team Gai caught up with them nearly half an hour later, Kiba insisted that Hinata was the one that asked to wait because she supposedly needed a break. Instead of telling them otherwise, Hinata decided to just let it go and trek forward ahead of the group, causing a few confused and concerned glances her way. Throughout the rest of the travel, a single goal kept her going:
To see her old friend again.
By some miracle, the three teams from Konoha 11 were among those who were the first to arrive at the specific location just outside of the Hidden Sand Village. Since night was about to befall them; all of the qualifying teams were sent to a meeting room where the Kazekage of Suna would go over the sleeping arrangements and what to expect for the second exam the next morning.
After waiting somewhat impatiently for a few moments, all the teams and their squad leaders bowed respectfully as the Kazekage and his guard, his siblings and mentor, followed closely behind him.
Well . . . all except for Hinata, who smiled warmly as a certain . . . voice, greeted her just as warmly. While there were some harsh whispering scolds, she wondered curiously as he approached her, "Do I really have to bow to you?"
Much to everyone's surprise, the Kazekage chuckled, his green eyes shining with amusement as his wild red locks shook lightly. "I would be offended if you did."
"Good." Stepping forward, Hinata wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace as he cautiously hugged her back. "I've missed you, Gaara."
