Chunin Exam Arc: Leaving Konoha

Yuina adjusted the bag straps on her shoulder as she checked out at the gate. Orochimaru was right behind her.

Mission Start.

Yuina approached the three waiting teams, rubbing the back of her head. "Sorry for making you wait."

She had the privilege of knowing who else was going to the Chunin Exams with her.

Team Kushina: Uchiha Ryuu, Hayakawa Masumi, and Aburame Nobu

Team Inoichi: Kinoko Koberi, Sarutobi Noriaki, and Hagane Hirochika

Team Hizashi: Nara Yori, Mezato Takasue, and Kamizuki Mushiro

It was surprising how young the jonin were. The youngest was Kushina at 18 years old and the oldest, not including Orochimaru, was Hizashi at 23 years old. Jonin made up the smallest ranking. Having gotten the rank of jonin and having had at least a year of experience under their belt before being allowed to have a genin team made them all quite young when they were promoted.

As far as she knew no one else was involved, though she wasn't certain whether any of the jonin knew. It might have seen like a giant oversight, but if the worst-case scenario occurred, it would be best that she didn't know. Other than that, she was surprised the Hokage's older son was going.

Kushina rushed to Yuina with rosy cheeks. "It's nice to finally meet. You I'm Kushina. I've been curious about Kakashi's sister!"

Yuina staggered a little as she greeted Kushina back.

"Wait," said Masumi. "Where's the rest of your team?"

Yori eyed the younger genin. "Iwa doesn't require to register as a team." It was a condition Konoha often utilized much to the detriment of other nations. Playing mix and match between genin and those who have received promotions was a nightmare. It was a little easier for those who didn't have a standard team as they would pair people together.

Masumi pointed at Kushina. "You lied! You told me it's all or nothing."

Kushina whistled and looked off to the side and her body turned to face back to her team. "You'll be fine."

"We should start our journey there," said Hizashi as he motioned his team to start moving.

Yori's ears perked as she took a look at the group again in disbelief. "This is it?" She wasn't terribly expressive but 10 nominations to an exam was insanely low.

Mushiro stared at Hizashi before he looked to Yori. "I'm still stuck on that we still need sensei to come with us. It'll be three years come spring. You'd think we be trusted to go alone." He tensed up as he looked to Hizashi again. "No offense! You're great sensei. Some autonomy would be nice though."

Hizashi raised a brow. "And how many of you have been to a foreign-nin village before without supervision?"

Takasue raised his hand.

Mushiro looked to Takasue in shocked. It wasn't him because Yori gave an inquisitive look too. "When?" he asked.

"At the start of the year. I was teamed up with Yumi and Jirushi for an envoy mission. Unless you count Eiichi who was the chunin in charge." He lowered his hand. "So I guess not.

"Well whatever." Mushiro's mood soured a little that he hadn't been part of that mission. "I'm passing this time and I'll get cooler missions going forward."

"You've taken the Chunin exams before?" Ryuu looked over to Team Hizashi.

Noriaki scrutinized Team Kushina. "I have too. Hiro, here, is the only one from our team who hasn't tried yet." Team Inoichi graduated in the spring of last year. It had been nearly twenty months now. They hadn't been allowed to participate the first year like Team Kushina but Noriaki and Koberi participated in the summer at Kumo.

"Ha. I'll become a chunin before you then." Ryuu found satisfaction that they were nominated so young. They were taking it again so logic was they didn't get promoted, whereas Ryuu promised himself he would.

"Don't take it lightly," scolded Yori. "Your senpai are telling you that nominations are the barrier to entry. The real challenge hasn't begun yet."

Inoichi had learned to go along with it a long time ago. His genin were rowdy and eager and it was no surprised the newest batch of genin were the same way. Though, Yuina was more chipper than he recalled. He chose to address her. "You've finally came out of your cave to join."

"You know her sensei?" asked Hiro.

"That's Yuina," said Noriaki as if it should have been the most obvious thing.

"That tells me nothing. I don't know everyone like you do."

That was a great over exaggeration but it was true he did hear more things. Not the kind of things most people thought he knew though. He was the son of the Hokage. Dad or not, he wasn't spilling village secrets to him.

"She graduated the year before us," explained Noriaki. Hiro analyzed Yuina trying to make the numbers add up. "She also joined the academy the same year as my brother."

"Isn't your brother like seven?"

"Eight."

Koberi rolled her eyes. "He's saying she graduated early, you idiot."

"I'm not an idiot!"

"You don't need to fight over this," said Yuina.

Masumi counted her fingers then gawked. She pointed at Yuina. "That can't be right. You would have been five!" It was a surprise enough when a younger boy named Gai was shoved into their graduation announcement, but Yuina would have been even younger.

"The Hatake Clan did cause a lot of commotion that year," said Nobu. He could faintly remember the adults chatting about it. It had left him curious, but it was hard to get more information than the few typical talking points. That was until his medic aunt mentioned gossip around the hospital. It was the around the same time the other Hatake was promoted to chunin, so it was more like a continuous wave of attention rather than a specific year.

Takasue looked at the youngest more warily now. His parents beat it into him to never let first impressions blind him, and this was why. He sneaked a peak at Orochimaru but quickly looked away when Orochimaru's amused grin gave away his glances were caught. He was a little frighten to what a prodigy would teach a prodigy.

Mushiro thought the opposite. Yuina may have graduated early but there had to be a reason why she hadn't tried for the chunin exam before now.

Yuina had heard these remarks a thousand times and it was getting tedious. "Putting that aside, it's a lab not a cave. And I was never cooped up there."

Inoichi wasn't convinced. With all her contributions she would have had to spend an enormous amount of time. It was more than plenty of adults contributed over their lifetime. Granted, not everyone sought to contribute in such ways. He'd really like to know how that brain of her's worked. He knew someone from the Research Centre that would want to recruit her the moment she became chunin. The only thing that held that man back was her rank due to their internal policies.

"Orochimaru-sensei? What's Iwa like?"

Mushiro coughed only realizing who Orochimaru was once he heard the name. How could he not? Orochimaru was a legend. Takasue already knew if getting elbowed by him was any indication.

Orochimaru didn't have fond memories of Iwa. The memory that stood out the most was being trapped in the cave, a moment away from killing Jiraiya so Tsunade and him had a chance to flee.

"You didn't ask before leaving?" Mushiro was now even more assured that Yuina wasn't ready.

"Nope! I was too busy training to show off that I neglected the difference in climate."

"The training better be worth it," said Ryuu.

Yuina winked. "Don't worry. It totally was."

Orochimaru didn't need to consider his words. It wasn't a personal question nor did Yuina need to know. She had never been to the Land of Earth, and he couldn't share the physical experience of being there, but she had already learned what she could of their hidden village for the mission. It was performative. "It's up in the mountains. Rock and stone as far as the eye can see. There are some abodes of fertile land, but it's little. Many restaurants will have crispy mochi, dumplings, noodles, rice, mutton. Donkey is also popular. Housing is carved into the stone. I hope you've all brought warm clothes. It will be cold this time of year. If not, they're known for their textiles. There should be something you can buy be it blankets or clothes."

Yuina shrugged with a grin. "What's a trip without some souvenirs."

Note: Sorry for all the name drops. I know it can be hard to follow but I needed to set the scene. I tried to rearrange some narrative stuff to merge it in better but it felt off to me. There is a surprise character joining next chapter though that might help balance things :)