Chapter Three

Chūnin – Part One

Hanabi – 12
Konohamaru – 13


No one knew how difficult it was for Hatake Kakashi to demand the first chūnin exams since the war be held in the Leaf. Weeks of diplomatic back and forth, letters sent and received, even travelling to a few nations. It was all so tiresome. But finally, the four of the five nations agreed to allow Konoha to hold the chūnin exams and to send some of their prospects, only the Stone stubbornly holding out. Kakashi was a distrusting man, and so soon after the war had ended, he certainly did not trust any of the other nations to conduct a fair examination.

So, none of the current senseis were surprised when he called them in to announce the date of the first exam to be held in their very own village.

Ebisu and Tora met with a few other sensei to discuss at their favorite Izakaya.

"I'm not recommending my team," one of them had announced, "they're still too green. They haven't completed enough missions outside of the village."

"Yeah, the war effort really took away my opportunity to get them out there more," another reasoned.

"I think I'm going to recommend my kids." Ebisu sounded uncertain. "I worry about them, but I think they're ready, after all they've been through."

"I'm recommending mine," Tora said, lazily as she plucked a piece of karaage off her plate and popped it in her mouth. "They're ready."

"You sound so sure." Ebisu perked an eyebrow, sipping from his glass. Tora shrugged. "What about Jun?"

"Aah." Tora waved as she reached for her ochoko and downed a shot of sake. "He'll be alright with Hanabi and Eiji by his side. He's a smart kid, balances 'em out."

"You two are ones to talk, you both got kids from high-ranking clans," another sensei said, bitterly. Tora simply chuckled without paying a glance.

Ebisu furrowed his eyebrows with a disapproving frown. "Hey, Konohamaru might be the third's grandson, but he's a handful—more than a handful—he's a damn monster sometimes!" He slammed his fist, then shot Tora a look for her to add her response.

"Eh, what can I say. I got lucky with mine." She smirked over her glass. Ebisu rolled his eyes before returning to his food, giving an annoyed snicker. She squinted at him. "Hey, I didn't even wanna do this, you know. I did it as a favor to Tsunade, because we had a shortage of jōnin applicants. Now she's stepped down and I'm still stuck with the brats."

"Brats you're fond of," another chimed in with a sly smile. Tora rolled her eyes, looking down to conceal the sight of the corners of her lips upturning.

Yes, Tora was confident in her team.


"YEEEESSSS!"

Both Hanabi and Jun clasped their hands over their ears to suppress Eiji's cheering, both with different reactions to the news of their recommendation for the exams: Hanabi looked quite cheerful, whilst Jun looked like he had just seen a ghost.

"The best advice I can give you is on the intelligence exam." Tora settled down on her heels, forearms on her knees as she came face to face with the three genin plus Yorimaru. "Nothing is ever as it seems. They will try to trick you." She lowered her eyes. "Parse out the information that matters."

"D-do you think we're really ready, sensei?" Jun asked with a gulp, earning a glare from Eiji.

"Why, of course." Tora sat back on her behind, propping her knees up in front of her. She clasped her hands together. "I wouldn't have recommended you if I didn't, would I?"

"Right." Hanabi nodded, reaching out to pat Jun on the shoulder. "We got this. We've been at it for almost two years, we're ready!"

"Mm." Tora nodded in agreement. "Questions?"

"Could we really die?" Jun asked, lips pursing. Tora chuckled, shaking her head.

"That rule was changed under Lady Tsunade," Tora answered, waving her hand, "but you could be beaten to a pulp, I suppose. Next."

"Is there for sure gonna be an intelligence exam?" Eiji asked, for the first time a nervous tone faltering her.

Tora smirked. "Undoubtedly. Next."

"Did Ebisu-sensei recommend his team for the exams?"

Everyone stopped to look at Hanabi, causing her cheeks to heat up with the attention. Jun offered a smile. "Hoping to promote with your friends, huh?"

"Well—I mean, you guys are my friends, too, I don't mean it like that—" Hanabi shook her head, biting her lips together before Eiji interrupted her.

"No, you mean you're hoping to promote with Ko-no-ha-ma-ru~" she sang, to which Yorimaru hummed along. Tora watched her students with amusement. She did enjoy watching the youth. Sometimes.

"Eiji!" Hanabi snapped, shoving the girl's shoulder as she broke into laughter. "I haven't even seen him in…months, it's not that…"

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Tora inquired mildly, looking off towards the village. "We're going to Moto's to have dinner with a few teams tonight. Including Ebisu's."

"Your treat, right?" Eiji sat forward on her knees and palms, looking hopefully up at the woman.

"Yeah, yeah." Tora waved her hand again, shaking her head with a small smile. "Right," she continued as she lifted to her feet, brushing at her thighs, "let's get some training in. Exams start next week."

"NEXT WEEK?!"


Konohamaru…it had been a while since she'd seen him.

And Moegi. And Udon. Of course. Her friends.

She was excited, she had to admit. Being around everyone. Even the people from the academy that she wasn't particularly fond of. They were about to take the exams together, they must have grown, right?

Plus, she always looked forward to the opportunity to get out of the Hyūga compound just to relax, without the expectation of training or going on missions. Not that she didn't enjoy those things. But going to a restaurant with her peers was so novel to her, she relished the opportunity.

It would be a good night, despite her nervousness about the exams.

She pulled on a fresh robe and secured her obi before fretting with her hair. Natsu, who was watching over her, came up behind her and offered a hand. She reluctantly let her take over.

"How about something a little more…fashionable?" Natsu asked with a devious smile as she combed her fingers through Hanabi's hair.

"Fashionable?" Hanabi repeated with a frown as she looked at the woman in the mirror. "What do you mean?"

"Can I try something?" she asked, innocently.

"Oh, alright…" she sighed defeatedly as she instantly got to work.

A few moments later and she turned Hanabi to the mirror. Her hair was gathered into a large, gem encrusted clip. The tail hung delicately to the side and a few locks of hair framed her face. She bit her lips together as she stared at herself. It was something similar to what she might wear on a diplomatic mission, but a little freer looking. Not quite so high and tight, instead a bit looser, and more open. She turned her head to look at the clip once more. This particular clip was a gift was from her sister when she graduated, and she did quite like it. It had their clan symbol on either side, surrounded by varying shades of red and orange gems.

Hesitantly, she nodded. Natsu clapped her hands, singing her praises as she often did.

"Ah, thank you, Natsu." Hanabi sighed, smiling weakly at her before getting up and strapping a satchel to her thigh, to which Natsu frowned. She offered a bigger smile now. "Gotta stay armed. I'm a shinobi, right?"

"Mm, indeed you are, Lady Hanabi." She bowed deeply before stepping out of her way. "Tadashi, she's ready."

"Tadashi?!" Hanabi turned sharply to look on Natsu with fierce eyes, ones that made even her cringe slightly.

"Truly, you believed your father would allow you to go by yourself?" Tadashi stepped in front of the doorway, expectant eyebrows raised. Hanabi turned to him and frowned deeply. He waved his hand. "Relax a bit, Lady Hanabi. I won't intrude on your…fun."

"Let's just go." Hanabi sighed, pushing past him like a bratty child. Perhaps because she was a bratty child.

But she was a bratty child who was also a shinobi! A genin of the Leaf, which she confidently believed would soon become chūnin! Truly, she resented how little her father trusted her. She had been on many missions by now, she could more than handle a dinner with other shinobi.

Then it dawned on her.

It wasn't danger her father was sending Tadashi to protect her from. It was from being a delinquent.

She let out an annoyed puff of air at the thought. Of course, she couldn't be allowed to act like the soon to be teenager she was.

She practically stomped towards the shoe rack where her sandals were laid out, then fell on her bottom as she pulled them on. "Ugh!" she whined as she struggled to pull them on, finding her feet were coming dangerously close to outgrowing them. Finally, with effort, she got them both on and huffed as she stood.

"Acting like a child doesn't instill confidence."

Oops.

Immediately, she whirled around to lock eyes with her father. She bowed quickly, nodding. "I understand, father. I just wasn't expecting to need…protection."

"Not from others." Her father's cool voice washed over her. "From yourself."

"Of course," Hanabi replied simply, knowing it was futile to tempt an argument. Not tonight, a moment so precious to her she was willing to let her father continue his controlling nature. She had been speaking up for herself a bit more lately, but tonight was not the night.

"See to it you are in my study in two hours," he said, shortly, looking up at Tadashi before returning to her. He paused before he finished, "and have fun, Hanabi."

Hanabi froze at the gesture, staring at her father as he turned away from her, exiting. "Thank you, father."


The smell of barbeque filled her senses as she drew nearer to the restaurant, and she felt the butterflies rousing in her stomach. Subconsciously, she reached up behind her head to brush against her clipped hair, suddenly wondering if it was too much. She forced the thought down as she brought her hands together, entering through the front as Tadashi held open the door for her. Immediately, she heard Eiji calling for her from a corner of the restaurant. With a broad smile, she nearly skipped over to where they were all gathered, split between multiple long tables.

With the seconds she had before she would sit, she scanned the tables: her team sat across from Ebisu's team, where she noted an empty seat next to Eiji at the end, directly across from Konohamaru. She wondered if that was an intentional move on Eiji's part. To the left were two other teams sitting across from one another with various students she recognized from the academy.

"Wow, you like nice!" Moegi commented as she situated herself next to Eiji, smiling widely.

"Oh, thank you," Hanabi breathed, feeling her cheeks heat up as she received praise.

"Yes, you do. That's quite a beautiful clip," Jun commented as he gently poked at the clip behind her head. Hanabi gave him a smile as well and hesitantly looked up towards Konohamaru who's eyes she had been feeling on her the entire time. He was looking at her with slightly widened eyes and parted lips, and it was hard to read his expression—did she look like an alien to him or something? It made her nervously fidget with the clip. After a few beats, Moegi was smacking him upside the head.

"It's rude to stare!"

"Ah!" Konohamaru yelped, broken from his trance. He batted at her hands before shaking his head. He returned his eyes to Hanabi and offered that wide, toothy smile once more. "You got dressed up for us?"

"No!" Hanabi immediately retorted, the pink in her cheeks reddening. She did the only thing she could think of: smack him with her foot under the table. He yelped again, pulling his shin into his hands. "I just put my hair up is all. Jeeze."

With a labored sigh, Moegi rested her chin on her palm and rolled her eyes. "What an idiot…"

"Ready to order?" Tora called over as the last of the group filed in.

After ordering, the two teams fell into natural conversation.

"So, you guys are going to take the chūnin exams, too?"

"Not just take, pass."

"Aha, confident, huh?"

"Why shouldn't I be?"

"Because confidence slips you up," Tora added to the genin's conversation before taking a long pull from her beer. The six snapped their gazes up at her and she shrugged. "Just a word to the wise."

The two teams continued to debate what the exam would be like, relaying some of the experiences they've learned about from older family members. Udon theorized that they might throw them through a loop with an actual written exam, to which Eiji responded with a threat not to jinx it. Jun expressed his worry over the battle part of the exam, which Hanabi tried to comfort him on, assuring him he was more than ready to take anyone on.

Then the food was brought out and conversation naturally died down to some extent, and Hanabi couldn't help but keep stealing glances at Konohamaru. The entire night, he had been seemingly doing the same. He was uncharacteristically quiet and seemed to be looking at her quite a bit, then sub sequentially avoiding eye contact when she caught him. It bothered her because he didn't seem like himself. The tease he gave her was more or less to be expected, but after that, nothing. Had she kicked him too hard? She nudged the thought away as she slurped up her soba.

"We failed that mission because YOU fell into that ravine!"

Everyone immediately halted their eating to look at the two sensei locked in a heated argument. Tora had shoved her chair back, palms on the table. Ebisu matched her stance.

"Because you PUSHED ME!"

"You still gonna stick to that story?"

"It's not a story, it's true!" Ebisu retorted. "You were mad I figured out where the supply was stashed before you, the genius Nara!"

Silence fell over the two tables, until Tora fell back into her chair with a snort and began bellowing out laughter, louder than they'd ever heard before. Confusion swept over the genin when Ebisu mimicked the action, both seemingly rolling in laughter. Eiji rolled her eyes before returning to her meat dish. "They're drunk."

"Right." Udon shrugged and the rest of the teams grumbled as the senseis began bickering light heartedly back and forth. Hanabi couldn't help but watch them—it wasn't often she got to see her sensei…outwardly showing emotion. It was nice to see she had a light side, and that there wasn't as much animosity as she thought between her and Ebisu.

Eventually, the night wound down and the end of the second hour was approaching, with some of the genin's already taking off, including Udon, Eiji, and Jun. It seemed their senseis were going to hang around for longer, so when Tadashi came up behind her with a little tap on the shoulder, she knew it was time.

"I should go, too." Moegi got up with her. "I'll see you next week, Hanabi! Good luck!"

"You, too." Hanabi gave a little wave as she pushed her chair in, watching Moegi leave. She glanced up at Tadashi before looking back down at Konohamaru, the last of their two teams left. "Uhm, I'll see you—"

"Can I walk with you guys? To the compound?" Konohamaru suddenly blurted out in Tadashi's direction. Hanabi raised her eyebrows, bouncing her eyes between the two. Tadashi squinted slightly before nodding. Konohamaru scrambled to get up, clumsily pushing his chair in before waving at their sensei's. "See you tomorrow, Ebisu-sensei, and nice to see you, Tora-sensei."

"Later, kiddos." Tora saw them off with a two-finger salute before returning to her debate with Ebisu. Quickly, Konohamaru circled around to meet Hanabi at the other side, gesturing for them to walk out of the restaurant.

"Can't believe you had to be escorted." He leaned in towards her to whisper with a little smile. She rolled her eyes.

"I know." Hanabi sighed, allowing him to hold the door open for her as they exited, Tadashi trailing behind. He seemed to be giving a respectable distance, however, which she had to appreciate. "Father doesn't trust me."

"Oh, like you're gonna go out partying?" Konohamaru snickered, still leaning his head towards her. She couldn't help but observe him, finding it a little amusing that she was just about as tall as him now.

"Yeah, right. Little 12-year-old me. I don't know." Hanabi shook her head with a little laugh. They continued to walk in comfortable silence for a little while, Konohamaru with a contemplative look on his face. She tilted her head at him before inquiring. "Something on your mind?"

At this, he blinked his eyes a couple of times before that grin fell on his lips again. "How could you tell?" She shrugged, clasping her hands behind her back. "Nothing, really. Don't worry about it."

She frowned at this response. How ominous. Still, she nodded and continued their walk. Once they were just about in front of the gates of the compound, they stopped and turned to each other. That contemplative look was still on his face as he reached his hand up to rub at the back of his head. She crossed her arms, rubbing her upper arms with her thumbs nervously. Why was she nervous? "I'll see you next week, then."

"Yeah." Konohamaru nodded, snapping from his thoughts to look directly at her. For some reason, she had never realized how deep the blue of his eyes were. In fact, she had never really paid attention to the color of his eyes before, because why would she? It surprised her to find they were an oceanic shade of blue, with just a couple of tiny whitish flecks across the irises. His voice drew her from her thoughts, "uhm—you did look nice—do like nice, tonight. Sorry I said something stupid."

"Oh." That damn heat in her cheeks! "It's fine, I don't take what you say seriously."

"You don't?" The weakness in his voice made her feel a little guilty.

"Not like that—just, when you tease me, I mean." A sigh of relief.

"Right. But I think your hair looks…really pretty."

"Th-thanks?" It came out in a questioning tone even though she didn't mean it.

"Yes, thanks is the correct response." This drew a laugh from her, and his serious expression finally turned to a playful one. "Night, Hanabi."

"Goodnight, Konohamaru."


Konohamaru watched as Hanabi disappeared behind the gates, the last whisp of her hair curling around the frame. He balled his fists and willed himself to move but was interrupted by the sound of a deep voice behind him.

"Be careful, Honorable Grandson."

"Huh?" He spun around, looking up at the older Hyūga he had become so familiar with. "What do you mean?"

"Lord Hiashi has no patience for those who play games," Tadashi continued, vaguely.

"What?" he asked again, nearly following him as he proceeded into the gates.

"Goodnight." With that, the gates closed on him before he could get his answers.

Damn these Hyūga. Always so cryptic.

He turned on his heel and began his trek home with his fists shoved in his pocket, analyzing the night. It was true, he was an idiot. He was an idiot when it came to tact, he had known that for some time now, Moegi never let him forget it. When Hanabi walked in with her hair tied up in that clip, it roused something in him. Something in him that his mom liked to tease him about.

"Soon you'll be looking at girls with a different eye." She had teased over dinner one night when he was talking about Moegi's crush on some guy from a different team.

Is this what she meant? When she walked in, all he could focus on was her ears and her neck. Was that weird? It's just ears and a neck! What's so great about them? Maybe it was because he had never really seen them so…exposed? It incapacitated him at first, and he was almost thankful for the hit Moegi gave him. Then he said something stupid, asked her if she dressed up for them, and earned another hit from Hanabi herself.

Konohamaru never thought himself a coward, not once in his life, until now. When he couldn't find the words to add to the conversation between the two teams, he felt stupid. It must have been cowardice, the idea that he might say something wrong keeping him from speaking. He had been quiet most of the night and could tell it concerned Hanabi from the way she kept looking at him. Truth was, he desperately wanted to be in the conversation. He wanted to say smart things, impressive things, flex knowledge and confidence. But his own tongue felt heavy in his mouth.

The chūnin exams didn't make him nervous. Hanabi did.

So, when everyone for the most part had left, leaving him and Hanabi, he pinched his own thigh to the point of pain until he blurted out his request to walk her home. Relieved by Tadashi's approval, he relaxed finally. Once they arrived, he took his chance to lessen some of his idiotic moves of the night by giving her a genuine compliment. One that he really believed, because he really thought she looked nice, and he wanted her to know.

Without realizing it, he had arrived in front of a large door adorning the Sarutobi clan symbol. He stared at it, long and hard, as if it could provide him with some sort of guidance. When it in fact did not, he shook his head and pushed the door open, shoving these weird thoughts down in the process.


Hanabi couldn't imagine how riddled her nerves would be the night she went to lay to sleep before the day of the exams. Tora ordered the team to take the day to relax. Her sister had spent the day pampering her, taking her to a spa, going to lunch with her, she even took her to go get sweets. The expression on her face when she ordered a chocolate covered banana dango was too good. The dango shop they went to hadn't even heard of it but obliged her request anyway.

"Where did you hear about this secret combination, dear sister?"

Despite it, it couldn't quell the nervousness that the knowledge of the first exam was looming over her. When she woke up, the knots in her stomach had tightened considerably. Checking her clock, she was up five minutes before the maids would come knocking, so she threw her legs over the bed and got up. She decided to savor this brief moment of peace before they would come flying in, fretting over every last part of her. Quickly, she rummaged through her personal tools and plucked a few favorites to lay out on her bed, the last of which being her obsidian kunai.

Carefully, she laid it at the end, brushing her fingertips over the ring at the end of the handle, and she thought of Konohamaru, and their walk home from dinner. He seemed so lost in thought, she wondered what was bugging him. Then he complimented her hair, and it sent the butterflies in her stomach into a frenzy. Why was such a simple compliment from such a simple boy enough to get her acting foolish?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the light knocking at her door, followed by nearly a dozen maids flowing in. She sighed and sat on her bed next to her tools, allowing them to work.

After receiving the usual lecture from her father about Hyūga skill, Hanabi exited the compound gates to find Eiji and Jun waiting for her.

"Oh, you guys came to get me?" Hanabi asked, an appreciative smile on her expression.

"Of course." Jun nodded.

"We're going in as a team, leaving as a team!" Eiji declared, earning a yip of agreement from Yorimaru.

The three (four) made their way to the building the chūnin exams were to be held in, and quickly joined up with Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon. Again, they spent the time they were waiting by speculating on the first part of examination, as well as commenting on the various genin they saw that weren't Leaf shinobi. Hanabi wasn't sure she'd ever seen so many different people from different villages all together. Everyone seemed to be accounted for. Within moments, Shikamaru Nara emerged from a far doorway, followed by Kurenai Yūhi, and the room fell silent.

"Welcome to the first and second part of the examination," Shikamaru started, folding his arms as hushed whispers whisked over the room.

"First and second?" Eiji whispered between Jun and Hanabi.

"This year, these two parts with be merged," he continued, stepping closer to the crowd. "The goal is to find your target. In the next hour, you'll be receiving a scroll with all the information you'll need." Two chūnin wheeled out a cart containing piles of scrolls. "Do not open them until it is time to begin."

"What are you doing here, aunt Kurenai?" Konohamaru called out, earning a glare from the two chūnin. Kurenai offered a smile.

"If you think about it, you'll figure it out." She winked at him, causing a look of confusion over his features.

Kurenai was elder sister's sensei…she's a master of genjutsu. Will we be put under genjutsu?

"We'll begin passing out scrolls. When you receive your scroll, please exit out the backdoor and wait. No talking between teams."

As each team began receiving their scrolls, teams huddled together. Hanabi bit her lips together before making a quick decision. She immediately grabbed Konohamaru's elbow and brought him close to her, causing a little gasp from him. "Konohamaru," she whispered with a serious expression, which he understood to mean to be listen quietly, "Kurenai-sensei is a master of genjutsu."

"Oh, right," he whispered back, raising his eyebrows as he glanced at Shikamaru. "You think we'll be placed under a genjutsu?"

"Sure of it," she said, confidently before releasing his elbow. "Goodluck."

"You, too." He flashed her a grin before rejoining his team, acting casual.

"What was that about?" Eiji whispered, furrowing her eyebrows at her.

"Kurenai-sensei was my sister's sensei…she's a master of genjutsu, so I'm pretty certain we'll be put under genjutsu." Eiji and Jun leaned in close as she spoke quietly.

"And you're just giving the enemy intel?!" Eiji whispered loudly.

"They're not the enemy, Eiji." Jun sighed, shaking his head. "Good thinking, Hanabi, you're probably right." He looked up in thought briefly, yellow eyes glimmering under the fluorescent lights. "I bet when we walk out that door, we'll be under genjutsu."

"Makes sense." Eiji nodded along, looking relieved that her teammates had more know how on this kind of thing. "Do you think we'll have to release it?"

"I doubt we could if we wanted to." Hanabi twisted her lips for a moment. "It's probably how they'll set up the targets."

"I really thought we wouldn't be facing combat today…" Jun mumbled, shoulders falling.

"Hey, we'll be alright." Hanabi set a hand on his shoulder. "You got us, we got you, right? Besides, we may not even battle."

"Yeah right." Eiji snorted, causing the other two to shush her. She cringed slightly before nodding her head towards a team in the middle of the room. "Look at those guys from the Mist. They look just about ready to devour anyone they see."

"Yeah…and them, from the Sand look pretty mean." Jun frowned, looking over Eiji's shoulder at a genin team in typical Sand attire. He immediately ducked his head when they shot him a look.

"Just—" Hanabi was interrupted at one of the chūnin shoving a scroll towards them.

"Exit," she said, simply, gesturing to the backdoor. The three shared a look for a brief moment before slowly making their way to the door. She looked back to see Konohamaru watching after her. For whatever reason, she found comfort in that silly grin and his two thumbs up. She nodded before shoving the door open, revealing…night.

It was nighttime. It had just been daytime.

Genjutsu.

And it wasn't the Leaf village. It was an entirely different village, one she had never seen before. It was far, far bigger. In fact, she might even call it an industrial city, similar to the ones she went to when meeting with feudal lords. It had many buildings, like other modern villages, and was along the coast. What coast, she couldn't tell. The lights were off on most of the buildings, only a few lit. There were a few ordinary people walking around the village, quiet chatter creating a sense of normalcy. She even saw a cat run by.

"This is spooky," Eiji whispered, unsure of whether to speak at full volume.

"No kidding," Jun added with his back turned, causing the two girls to turn as well, finding the building they had just exited no longer there. Just the ocean.

"Well, should we get started?" Eiji asked, attempting to snatch the scroll from Hanabi's hands. Hanabi immediately ripped it away from her, holding it up.

"Eiji!" Jun said incredulously, "you're trying to fail us before we've begun?"

"The proctor said to wait," Hanabi said, patiently, tucking the scroll into her robes. Eiji grimaced.

"Shit, sorry, forgot." She rubbed her upper arm shyly, Yorimaru giving an annoyed growl to his master.

"Remember what Tora-sensei said," Jun began, quietly, "parse out what's useful."

With that, the voice of Shikamaru rang through the village.

"Your time matters. Those who find and deliver the correct targets before the threshold will pass."

All three shuddered at the faceless voice. Hanabi glanced at the people who were out and about and found it quite eerie how they didn't react in the slightest to the sudden god-like voice booming over their village.

"What's the threshold?" someone called from a distance, which is when Hanabi realized they were all under the same genjutsu but entered from different points.

"You'll find out after the exam." Angry gasps filled the air now. "You are allowed to try to slow down or stop other teams. Once you have who you believe is your target, you are required to escort them to the checkpoint, located at the light tower."

All three looked up at a bright light tower at the far edge of the coast. Hanabi glanced at Jun who was furiously wringing his hands together, and she reached out to delicately grasp them to prevent him from rubbing them raw. When he looked up at her, she tried to offer a reassuring smile. He gave a meek smile back, clearly fake, before returning his eyes out across the village.

"If your target becomes aware of your presence and escapes, that is an automatic failure."

So…they can be notified of us…

"You may open your scrolls. Goodluck."

"That's it?!" Eiji asked, loudly.

"SHHH!" Both Jun and Hanabi reached out their hands to cover her mouth, causing her to cringe away.

"Damnit, Eiji." Hanabi rubbed her forehead. "He just said if they're aware of our presence they might escape. We have to act with discretion. Like shinobi."

"Right." Jun nodded as Hanabi pulled out the scroll and carefully unraveled it. She quietly read it aloud.

Drawn by the water
Carried by the wind
I will not falter
I will not rescind

Both Jun and Hanabi immediately slapped their hands over Eiji's mouth, anticipating her outburst. Jun allowed Hanabi to hold Eiji's mouth shut as he took the scroll, analyzing it. When Hanabi was satisfied that Eiji was calm, she released her, putting her index finger to her lips.

"A poem, you gotta be freaking kidding me…" Eiji grumbled irritably.

Then they heard an explosion in the far distance, very far distance. They saw smoke crop up above a building.

"Looks like people are already fighting." Hanabi frowned, staring at the plume of smoke.

"We gotta hurry then. You heard him, time matters!" Eiji whisper-yelled, the only way she was able to remain halfway quiet.

"And where do you recommend looking?" Jun asked in an annoyed voice without looking up, analyzing the scroll.

"Anywhere, it's better than standing here," Eiji pointed out, and Hanabi couldn't help but agree to some extent.

"You keep analyzing it, Jun, just hold onto me, okay?" Hanabi offered, causing Jun to perk an eyebrow without pulling his eyes away.

"Fine. Just don't be hasty, please," he said, coolly. Hanabi smiled and hooked her elbow into his.

"If you can be quiet, Eiji, go on ahead and try to use your nose to see if you can find any irregularities," Hanabi reasoned to Eiji's delight. "Come find us in ten, okay?"

Eiji nodded fervently before grabbing Hanabi's shoulders, and to her horror, stuck her nose right in the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply. Quickly, she repeated the action on Jun, causing him to gasp loudly and stumble backwards. Eiji beamed down at them. "Gotta make sure I have your scents." She tapped her nose before patting Yorimaru's head in her jacket, then leapt away.

"She's too much sometimes…" Jun muttered, righting himself with the scroll in hand.

"Any ideas? Spitball with me," Hanabi offered, glancing at the scroll again.

"I have…a feeling the last two lines are useless…" Jun reasoned. "Something with wind and water…what's related to wind and water?"

"Uhm…boats?" Hanabi thought, quickly. Jun titled his head and nodded a bit.

"Sailing…ugh!" Jun huffed, clenching the scroll. "It's not that, though. There's no boats out there."

"Okay, okay." Hanabi took several deep breaths as if to impart calm. Suddenly, Jun's arm around hers tightened and he went stiff, causing her to look down at him with concern.

"Someone…" Jun started, eyes darting back and forth. Instantly, Hanabi activated her byakugan and scanned before quickly finding three chakra signatures behind her, and she stopped as well. They were approaching with intention, and she could only assume it was bad intention.

"We have to be quiet…" Hanabi whispered, receiving a strained nod from Jun.

This would be difficult. Hyūga techniques didn't tend to be quiet.

She looked down as Jun removed his arm from hers and weaved several signs, ending with one of the snake, and shoved his hands to the ground, whispering, "earth-style mud wall." Hanabi gasped quietly as she whirled around, finding a large wall shoot from the ground, cracking the ground beneath them. "C'mon" Jun grabbed her hand, bolting further into the village. He was faster than she had realized, never seeing him at such speed. She kept her byakugan activated, ensuring there were no other chakra signatures appearing. When she did detect several signatures, her stomach dropped at the recognition of three, and lack of recognition of the another three.

"Konohamaru…" she whispered, frowning. Jun looked over his shoulder at her as they continued running, hand in hand. He looked forward, squinting.

"I sense him, too. And those guys from the Mist," Jun said through gritted teeth. "You want to help him, don't you?"

"I…" Hanabi's breathing quickened as she watched the chakra signatures clash into each other. "We…I don't…"

"Let's go." Jun turned their course towards the chakra signatures and Hanabi pursed her lips together, feeling guilty. She knew Jun was doing this for her.

As they closed in, they began hearing that familiar sound of metal on metal, fists connecting with bone, the earth being crushed beneath them.

"You Leaf idiots really think you're better than us huh?"

"You're the idiot! You're going to scare away both our targets!" She recognized Moegi's voice.

Jun and Hanabi hopped to a rooftop to look down at the genin battling, and Hanabi's heart, already racing, began thumping harder at the sight of her friends beaten bloody. Konohamaru laid on the ground, attempting to pull himself up, but not before one of the Mist team launched towards him with a sword drawn. Focusing chakra in the soles of her feet, Hanabi launched herself forward as quickly as she ever had, all the while focusing more chakra in her palms before targeting the chakra point closest to the boy's heart. In one swift motion, right before the sword could make contact with Konohamaru's shoulder, a bright, white flash of chakra hit the side of the boy's chest and knocked him several meters away into a nearby building.

"Ha-Hanabi?" Konohamaru choked out, eyes blown wide at the sight of her. She heaved a few deep breaths as she looked around, finding all eyes on her.

"Who's this brat?" one of them commented, turning their attention towards her. Quickly, she raised her palms and lowered her stance, readying. Before anyone could act, the earth around them began rising, and abruptly, a dirt dome encompassed the two remaining Mist genin. Hanabi looked up to find Jun in the distance, hands clasped.

"It won't hold for long—at all, let's go!" Jun waved them over before taking off himself. Hanabi looked down at Konohamaru and quickly grabbed his forearms, yanking him up. In a swift motion, she grabbed his hand and pulled him behind her, following after Jun. Her eyes were beginning to feel tired, but she knew she had to hold out as long as she could, at least until Eiji caught back up with them.

"Where'd you come from?" Konohamaru questioned behind her.

"We were running from another team and…and I sensed you," she said quietly without looking at him. His grip on her hand tightened. "And Moegi and Udon…of course."

"Of course," he repeated, no amusement in his voice at this moment.

Soon, Eiji had caught up to them, commenting on how far off they had gotten and how far she had to go to find them. Jun filled her in on what had just transpired. Shortly after, they found an area where neither Hanabi nor Jun could sense foreign chakra. Once they stopped to rest, all six exhaling labored breaths, Hanabi finally relaxed her eyes. Of course, Eiji would find it the perfect time to point out Hanabi and Konohamaru holding hands, for which they tore apart from each other immediately, red faces. "I—I was just—"

"There's no time for that," Udon snapped, Jun nodding in agreement. The rest looked on in surprise at the boy's uncharacteristically brash tone. "We're safe for now, so we should use this time to try to find our targets. Hanabi, Jun, thank you, and I will be sure to treat you to dango later, but right now, we have to get back to work."

"Completely agree." Jun nodded, looking back at his teammates.

"Yeah, thanks," Konohamaru huffed, his face flushed. Hanabi nodded, stealing a glance at them before waving. The two teams said brief goodbyes before parting.

"Find anything, Eiji?" Hanabi asked between breaths. Eiji nodded.

"The villagers all smell like regular human civilians," she said, which caused the other two to raise their eyebrows.

"So…?" Jun leaned in expectantly.

"But not all of the animals smell like animals," she continued, mindlessly patting Yorimaru's head.

"To the point, Eiji," Hanabi asked impatiently.

"Some of them smell human," Eiji finished to their relief.

"Some of them smell human…" Jun pondered, walking forward as he pulled the scroll back out. He stared at it for several moments. "Damn it…water…wind…"

"I could try scanning for small chakra network?" Hanabi asked, weakly. "If some of the animals smell human, maybe they have strong chakra networks?"

"Couldn't hurt." Eiji shrugged and Hanabi nodded, scanning her surroundings.

She tilted her head thoughtfully at the tiny chakra network of what looked to be a cat. "A cat?" She squinted her eyes.

"That has nothing to do with wind or water!" Jun snapped, causing both girls to look at him with wide eyes. "That endeavor ate up an hour and a half! We don't have time for this."

"Jun…" Hanabi said quietly, frowning at the boy as she considered her words. "I'm sorry we stopped for Konohamaru's team…"

"No." Jun sighed, waving his hand as he took a few deep breaths. "Sorry, it's not that. It was the right thing to do."

"I agree." Eiji nodded, folding her arms over Yorimaru. "We'll figure it out. Water, wind, animals. Think, think, think."

The trio wandered the village quietly, peaking inside windows and pondering as their feet carried them. Yorimaru let out a tiny whine and Eiji whispered agreement with whatever the dog was conveying.

"I hate the smell of the ocean…" Eiji mumbled, scrunching her nose. "All I can smell is the bird poop."

Hanabi giggled quietly at her teammate. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Jun stiffen up and eyes widen. Hanabi stopped and turned to him, leaning towards him suspiciously.

"Eiji…" Jun whispered, turning his head towards her. He looked almost frightening with those large, bright yellow eyes staring directly at her. Then he lunged at her, grabbing her forearms and began jumping up and down, a show of excitement neither girl had ever seen from him. "Eiji! My gods you're a genius! A beautiful genius!" He took her by the cheeks and planted a kiss on her forehead before turning on his heel to begin bolting out of the village. Hanabi looked at Eiji who was completely frozen, cheeks turning such a deep crimson that her red fang markings almost disappeared from sight. Yorimaru licked at her chin while whining.

"Where are you—" Hanabi began, turning back to find Jun's pink hair turning into a dot as he got further and further away. Quickly, she activated her byakugan and grabbed Eiji's wrist, yanking her out of her trance behind her. "Come on!"

"What the hell was that?" Eiji hissed as she came back to reality, following Hanabi closely.

"I think you helped him figure it out." Hanabi giggled, looking over her shoulder to find the red slowly receding Eiji's cheeks.

After a few minutes of running, they finally caught up to Jun who was nearing the coastline.

"Care to tell what makes Eiji such a beautiful genius?" Hanabi called behind him.

"Birds," Jun said, simply. "There was a flock of grey herons on the shore."

"Grey herons?" Hanabi questioned, rolling the idea in her head.

Carried by the wind, drawn to the water. Some of them smelled human.

"Oh!" Hanabi gasped, and Jun nodded, beaming her way. "Transformation jutsu?"

Within moments, they arrived near the shore, and strategically perched themselves on top of a nearby shack rather than charging in, like Eiji was about to do.

"Do they all smell like birds, Eiji?" Jun asked, and Eiji's nostrils flared as she took a long whiff. She shook her head. "And I can sense foreign chakra. Hanabi, see if you can pick out any with chakra signatures."

Hanabi nodded, activating her byakugan and scanning the birds. Her heart fluttered as she spotted one with an incredibly strong chakra network, shining brightly. "There," she whispered, pointing towards a heron in the middle of two others. "The one that's not moving much…in the middle of two others."

"Got it. We have to be quick. Can you capture it, Eiji?" Jun looked at the girl who took a deep breath before nodding decisively.

Hanabi and Jun watched anxiously as Eiji quietly hopped to a shack closer to the herons, then in one quick movement, was on top of the heron Hanabi had pointed out. A cloud of smoke appeared around her, and Hanabi and Jun immediately bolted towards her, securing rope around the individual. Hanabi tilted her head as the smoke cleared and was met with a faceless figure. It made her stomach turn, but she shook it off quickly.

"Creepy," Eiji grumbled, pushing the subject forward.

"To the lighthouse!" Jun seemed unphased, excited even, nearly skipping along the coast.

They took turns carrying the target on their backs as they ran for the lighthouse, wishing not to waste any more time than they had to. When they finally reached the lighthouse, they shoved their way in and dropped the target in front of the two chūnin that had passed out the scrolls.

"Scroll." One of them held out his hand, and Jun fished it out from his satchel, placing it in his palm.

"Are you turning this in as your target?" the other asked, and before they could answer, added, "if you're incorrect, you will fail and not be allowed to retake the exam for two years. If you would like to forfeit, you may try again in six months."

"Nope, we're sure." Hanabi and Eiji looked at Jun with wide eyes, both gulping audibly.

"Alright then." With a snap, the target and scroll disappeared. Then one of them locked their fingers together. "Release."

Instantly, the world around them melted into a bright, white room. Disoriented, all three looked around, blinking their eyes to readjust to the light. Hanabi rested her eyes on a whiteboard, written with large letters "EXIT TO RIGHT" and an arrow pointing at a door.

"You could have consulted us, Jun." Hanabi sighed as they made their way.

"Yeah, what the hell, dude?" Eiji snapped, glaring at the boy.

"Don't worry. I'm 100% sure we got the right target." Jun shrugged, trailing behind them.

As they exited, they found several teams already in the room, and it made Hanabi's stomach sink. Had they all completed the task before them? She wondered if their time was slow compared to the others. She noted a large, black screen in the middle of the room.

"Hey, Hanabi!" She whipped around at Udon's voice, finding the three approaching. "Did you guys get it?"

"I—I think so." Hanabi nodded. "Did…all of these people finish?"

"Nah." Moegi shook her head. "Some of them were disqualified. Some of their targets ran, some forfeited, and some of them opened their scrolls too early." Hanabi shot Eiji a look. "Hey, thanks again back there. You saved our asses."

"Aah." Hanabi waved her hands, shaking her head. "You guys would have done the same, I'm sure."

"Damn right," Konohamaru piped up, beaming at her.

"Screw those guys," Eiji mumbled, eyeing the Mist genin Jun had pointed out as the culprits, confirming Eiji's earlier suspicions.

"Did you guys finish much sooner than us?" Jun asked, nervously. Konohamaru shook his head.

"Nah, you guys got here like, 10 minutes after us, I reckon," Konohamaru responded as he rubbed at his eyes. "No idea what time it is though."

Udon let out a loud yawn, stretching his arms upwards. Directly after, both Eiji and Yorimaru let out a yawn, and then Moegi, and then Jun.

"D-Damnit, Udon," Moegi groaned with her yawn as Konohamaru and Hanabi succumbed to the contagious yawn.

"What? I'm tired." Udon crossed his arms, choosing to sit down. Hanabi shrugged and joined him, sitting lotus, and the rest followed suit.

They chit chatted as they watched more and more teams emerge from the other side, some of them looking sour, and Hanabi hoped it just meant they had been disqualified. Nearly an hour and a half later, and the screen in the middle of the room lit up, reading "RESULTS". Once one person pointed it out, a hush fell over the room, and all eyes were on the screen.

CLOUD
TEAM 2
THRESHOLD: MET
TARGET: CORRECT
GRADE: PASS

A cheer from a corner of the room was heard and the six genin exchanged glances. The lines appeared one by one, leaving the reader guessing until the grade. Several more teams appeared, until one threw them through a loop.

SAND
TEAM 40
THRESHOLD: MET
TARGET: CORRECT

Cheering could be heard from another team, until—

GRADE: FAIL

"THE HELL?!"

Again, the six genin looked at one another.

"So, you can still fail…" Jun mumbled, frowning. Hanabi wondered what this could mean for their team.

They continued watching until finally, the Leaf started appearing, starting with team 9. After one more team…

LEAF

TEAM 12

"Look, look."

THRESHOLD: MET

"Yes!" Konohamaru fist pumped, and Hanabi's heart lifted. They had only gotten there ten minutes before them, that had to be a good sign.

TARGET: CORRECT

"Yes, yes, yes!" Konohamaru continued boasting, earning a smack from Moegi.

GRADE: PASS

"YES!" Konohamaru hopped to his feet, punching both of his fists into the air. Hanabi couldn't help but smile up at him.

"I'm happy, too, Konohamaru, but you're being super rude," Moegi snapped quietly, yanking him by the sleeve downward.

LEAF
TEAM 15

"Shut up, shut up," Moegi whispered urgently, causing all of them to look up. Hanabi's heart felt like it would beat straight out of her chest.

THRESHOLD: UNMET

And it sank straight down

They didn't make it in time.

Her vision threatened to go blurry with tears, but she shoved them back.

"Oh no…" She heard Udon whisper.

TARGET: CORRECT

"Knew it…" Jun mumbled, albeit without any cheer.

"Hanabi—shit!" Konohamaru's voice sounded panicked. "I'm so sorry, if you hadn't stopped for us—"

GRADE: PASS

"PASS!" Eiji screamed, grabbing Hanabi's and Jun's shoulders.

Hanabi shook her head, looking back up at the screen.

Pass.

"How?" Hanabi whispered, being shaken back and forth by Eiji. She found herself being gathered into a group hug by the girl but was still stunned to silence. As she was released from the embrace, her eyes were still trained on the screen, despite it moving on to other teams.

"Hanabi?" Konohamaru tapped her shoulder gently. "Hanabi, you passed anyway. You…you guys must have impressed them."

"Impressed them?" She looked up at Konohamaru with concerned eyes. "But we didn't make it in time…"

"Sometimes they do that," Udon offered. "Like, if you did such a great job but didn't meet all the parameters, they pass you through."

"I have heard of that," Jun added.

"Which means we made it by the skin of our teeth," Moegi pointed out, eyeing her teammates, "since someone likes to pick fights."

"That guy was an asshole, he started i,." Konohamaru huffed, folding his arms, eyeing the group from the Mist.

Hanabi felt thrown by the sudden change in emotion, finding it hard to bring herself back.

"We passed, Hanabi," Eiji whispered to her, grasping her hand. Gently, she spoke words that would resonate with Hanabi for some time, "it's okay to be happy."

Okay to be happy…

MIST
TEAM 11
THRESHOLD: UNMET
TARGET: INCORRECT
GRADE: FAIL

"BULLSHIT!"

The six genin looked up to see that same team from the Mist on their feet, yelling at the screen. At this, Hanabi let a smile slip.

"Ha-ha," Konohamaru mocked a bit too loudly, but Hanabi had to figure it was intentional. This earned glares from the group, and Moegi could only sigh as they marched up to them. Suddenly, Jun was plucked by the collar of his shirt and being held up.

"HEY!" Eiji shouted, shooting to her feet, Yorimaru barking along. Jun winced between the two, his hands gripping the assaulter's wrist.

"If it weren't for your stupid little dome, we would have made it!" the boy spat, lifting Jun higher. The other four were on their feet in moments, surrounding him.

"You weren't going to make it anyway, loser!" Konohamaru shouted.

"Put him down!" Hanabi demanded, activating her byakugan, Konohamaru reeling back his elbow with a fist clenched. Before they could do anything further, Yorimaru was attacking the boy's face and Eiji was on his back, throwing him to the ground and forcing him to release Jun.

"Oh!" Moegi gasped, watching as Jun fell to the ground on his hands and knees. Udon crouched down to check on him.

"What the—get off me, bitch!" the boy yelped, trying to roll out of her grasp.

"Bitch, huh?" Eiji taunted, wrapping her arms and legs around him to incapacitate him, "I only see one bitch here."

"NO FIGHTING IN THE RESULTS ROOM."

The entire room went still at Shikamaru's voice booming over the intercom.

"Eiji, c'mon." Jun slid his hand around her wrist which was around the boy's neck and tugged. Carefully, he used his other hand to peel the pup off his face. "Thanks, boy."

As the Mist genin was released from Eiji's death grip, he scrambled to his feet and stomped away with a red, scratched face, muttering under his breath, "psychos…"

"What right does that guy have?" Eiji huffed as Jun plopped Yorimaru on top of her head. Yorimaru growled with angry agreement.

"It's fine. Thank you, Eiji." Jun smiled at her as he adjusted his collar.

She rolled her eyes. "What, you gonna kiss me again?" she mocked, turning away from him. Jun chuckled nervously, and Hanabi noted the pink on his cheeks. It matched his hair.

Soon, after the last team, the screen went black, and the room was a mix of emotions. The door flung open to reveal Shikamaru and Kurenai stepping in.

"That's it," Shikamaru said, simply. "Those of you who passed, we'll see you in the arena in exactly three weeks. Those that failed will receive the full report from their Kage or equivalent village leader." Groans were heard across the room. "And I'm exhausted. Goodnight."

"He's exhausted?" Udon rolled his eyes as everyone began shuffling out of the room.

"Konohamaru." They turned to find Kurenai calling after him. "Walk an old woman home, won't you?"

"Tch." Konohamaru chuckled, glancing at the teams before looking back. "You can't be older than 20, how is that old?"

"Smooth," Moegi mumbled.

Hanabi watched as Konohamaru waved and settled next to Kurenai, and found herself wishing to go with them, though was unsure if it was appropriate. "Uhm, could I maybe join you?" she asked nervously.

Kurenai tilted her head. "Of course, dear. I'm always pleased to see you."

"See you, Hanabi," Jun called as the rest left. Hanabi waved, then joined Konohamaru and Kurenai.

"Did you see us?" Konohamaru asked excitedly.

Kurenai giggled. "I really shouldn't reveal any details…" she said with a sly smile.

"C'mon! Mirai's big bro deserves to know, doesn't he?" he pleaded, earning a smirk from the older woman.

Hanabi watched their dynamic with interest. She hadn't seen Konohamaru interact with Kurenai before, so it piqued her curiosity. The most she saw of Kurenai was when she was with her sister. Kurenai shrugged a shoulder before continuing. "Yes, it was my genjutsu after all. I saw you. All of you." She winked at Hanabi. "You all did quite well. Your sister would be proud."

"Oh." Hanabi flushed, biting her lip. "But…we didn't make the threshold."

"Mm, true," Kurenai conceded but continued, "however, we did see you and your teammates display bravery and loyalty when you aided Konohamaru and his team." Hanabi tilted her head attentively. "If you hadn't helped them, you would have certainly made it in time."

"Exactly," Konohamaru agreed enthusiastically. Hanabi considered her words.

Maybe that was fair…she supposed.

"The purpose of the test was to get the information, figure out the target, and take it back. Simple when you put it that way." Kurenai chuckled. "But of course, bringing up the idea that you can fight other teams will always weed out those who don't understand the true purpose of a mission. So those who sought out fights were less likely to pass. And those who had to defend themselves were given a chance to prove their strategic skills. That's Shikamaru for you, I suppose."

"Ooooh!" Konohamaru gasped, and Hanabi had to concede it was a…creative way, to test them. It made sense.

"You did well, too, Kono," Kurenai spoke affectionately, patting the top of his head. Hanabi watched as his face paled, and her eyes blew wide, a big smile spreading over her face.

She leaned towards his ear and whispered, teasingly, "Konoooo~"

"Shut up," he whispered back through gritted teeth, shrugging his shoulder at her. She giggled, clasping her hands behind her back. She returned her attention to Kurenai, missing the red creeping over his cheek at her closeness.

Once they reached Kurenai's home, Hanabi awkwardly gave a wave. "Guess I should be going."

"Oh, Kono, why don't you walk her home?" Kurenai offered, nudging his upper arm before pushing her door open.

"Oh, I think I'm fine—"

"Yeah, alright," Konohamaru interrupted, glancing from Kurenai to her. Hanabi bit her lips, bouncing on the heels of her feet.

"Well done, you two." Kurenai gave them both a wide, close eyed smile as she patted both of their heads. "I better go make sure Mirai hasn't driven Shino crazy."

"Goodnight, Kurenai-sensei." Hanabi bowed, and Konohamaru gave her a quick hug before bidding her goodnight as well. Then they were off, and Hanabi found herself in a somewhat familiar position, struggling to find her words as she walked with him.

"You obliterated that guy." Konohamaru finally broke the dead air. Hanabi chuckled, shaking her head. "Seriously. You saw him in the results room, right?"

"Aah…yeah, I did," she admitted, smiling to herself. While his other two teammates came to start a fight with Jun, the one she had attacked had his entire torso bandaged, sporting a neck brace. She felt a little satisfaction from it. "But you guys did great, too. You made it in time, unlike us."

"Yeah, well, if you hadn't stopped for us, you guys would've blown us out of the water." He shrugged.

"Maybe." She nodded, twisting her lips side to side. "But I couldn't leave you guys."

"Yeah." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know."

"Udon figured out the clue, didn't he?" she asked, playfully.

"And Jun did, huh?" he retorted, finally looking at her with that boyish smile. She laughed and nodded.

"Not the brains, I guess." She kicked her foot forward slightly.

"Nope, just the heart." His words gave her pause.

The heart? Me?

As the Hyūga compound came into view, she felt a silly sense of disappointment. She always felt like her time with him was too short, no matter how long it was. Why she enjoyed his company so much, she wasn't quite sure. All she knew was that she was comfortable with him. And that was special to her.

"I guess I won't be seeing you for three weeks," she started as they halted in front of the gates.

"Probably not…" he conceded quietly, averting his eyes. A moment of silence passed before he looked back at her, finding her eyes on him already. He drew a breath before continuing. "Thanks again, Hanabi."

Her breath hitched at his unrelenting stare. She nodded a bit. "I'm just glad you're alright."

"I'm just fine." He offered a smile, though it was clear something was on his mind, and she wondered what it was. For whatever reason, they seemed locked in a game of chicken, who would bid who farewell first. Seemed neither wanted to. Then, he caught her off guard. Quickly, he leaned over and gave her a lightning-fast peck on the cheek, immobilizing her. Within the second, he awkwardly stepped backwards and muttered, "see you in three weeks." And he was gone, having leapt onto a nearby rooftop, then another, and another until his figure was gone.

"Did that boy just assault you?"

"What?!" Hanabi was torn from her paralysis and whipped around to glower at one of the guards who had been watching. "No! He—he fell. It was nothing! Nothing!" Her defensive shouting caused the Hyūga guard to recoil and go quiet. Her embarrassment was quickly replaced with worry about whether they would report this to her father. Urgently, she stomped through the gates and made way to her bedroom, ignoring all of the glances everyone was throwing her.

It was late. She was exhausted. Father could wait. It was time to rest.