Ben-10: The One True Monster

Warning: today, we will have a little more of a "First person perspective" style narration of the protagonist, Benji Tenzaki. I am just testing if it works. Please do send comments on it.

— — — —


It was a large lab facility with a large number of semi-transparent monitors showing graphs and information written in alien languages, working perfectly fine. On the wall stuck a large Omnitrix symbol, glowing a dim green light.

In front of the screens, fancy gadgets, and overcomplicated devices stood a galvan about 7 inches tall, his eyes set on the monitors as his fingers moved on a device that looked like a keyboard.

Suddenly, with a flash of green light, someone else appeared right behind him.

"Oh, Azmuth, that was quick," the galvan at the computer said. "Welcome back. I just finished adapting the Pete-Griffin Equation."

"Thanks for the good work, Albedo," said Azmuth, immediately walking over to the computer.

Albedo blinked upon hearing his response.

"What?" Azmuth questioned, noticing his colleague's weird silence.

"It is just you never…"

Indeed, Azmuth is usually a bit arrogant and paranoid, maybe even impolite at times. It wouldn't be wrong to assume it's uncharacteristic of him to thank someone like that.

But Albedo didn't dare point it out. "Nothing, sir."

Albedo is Azmuth's loyal student. The two worked together on the official version of the Omnitrix, which would eventually be used by the famous Hero of Heroes from Planet Terra, Ben Tennyson.

"The funeral on earth was unironically big," Azmuth suddenly said. "At least he died a hero. Magister Tennyson… I believe he will be remembered as one of the greatest plumbers of all time."

Albedo paused his work, just to listen to Azmuth's almost uncharacteristic words.

"... And the fall of his grandson was also partly my fault. Only if the failsafes worked better."

"Azmuth," the coworker couldn't resist.

"Speak."

"Are you feeling guilty for Ben Tennyson's incident?"

Azmuth widened his eyes, snapping out of his thoughts. But he didn't answer the question. Yeah, he is too arrogant to be honest sometimes.

"Ben Tennyson was a fool," Azmuth said in a cold voice. "He lost his friends and family because he thought the world was worth saving. He lost himself for the same reason."

"Compared to us, maybe they are fools," Albedo had no hint of hesitation in his voice. "But all he did was never for nothing. And you know that."

"..."

Albedo felt a little, maybe a little bad to admit galvans are one of the smartest species out there. He didn't want to belittle other species but that's an undeniable fact.

"We don't have a hero anymore and we feel powerless, right?"

"Thus, we must find another fool naive enough to take the risk and fight for world peace?" Azmuth nodded. "Sounds fair."

"But…"

Meanwhile, the double doors of the facility slid to the sides to open, revealing the visitor, who was a bulky humanoid taller than an average human.

"He became a hero at 10," Albedo argued. "He just listened to his grandpa. Didn't turn evil. Fought for the weak. He did make mistakes. But above all, he managed to change you, the most stubborn organism in the galaxy."

"Was the last part necessary?" The visitor said, gaining the two galvans' attention. "Sorry, I didn't hear everything. I mean, I…"

"Tetrax," Azmuth said. "What's the matter?"

Tetrax Shard is a petrosapien, thus with bluish-green skin. He wore a black full-body suit and lacked the shards Diamondhead had on his back.

"Uh, the plumber headquarters have a request for you, Azmuth," Tetrax said. "They want you to have a peace talk on the "Zogblatia-9, the Quibbering Nexus of Blibber-Blobs" planet."

Albedo got up from his seat. "Um, I need to go to the bathroom."

Azmuth gave Tetrax a stern look. "Since when did I turn into a peacemaker? And seriously, what's up with that planet's name!?"

Albedo figured Azmuth became some sort of respected middleman in the galaxy because Ben Tennyson was gone, and people regarded Azmuth as the brains behind Ben. That still makes sense though. A part of Albedo wanted to envy his master. But Azmuth was whom he respected the most.

— — — —


Chapter 5: The Chuunin Exams

"Congratulations, Benji," Naruto's cheer rang out. "I heard you've become now a genin. I will treat you to ramen someday, too."

I arrived a bit later than Iruka-sensei and Naruto who were already sitting at the Ichiraku Shop. I took a seat next to Sensei who was positioned between me and Naruto.

"That's alright, you don't need to," I responded. "Besides, I didn't even get to congratulate you when you graduated."

"Don't sweat it, you were in the hospital back then."

"Guys, let's order first," Sensei chimed in. "Uncle, three bowls please."

"Hold on," Teuchi said, tending to the noodles.

These guys waited for me to arrive before making an order.

"Have you been assigned a team?" Naruto inquired.

Come to think of it, his team consists of Jonin Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura. Sasuke is a pretty boy so it makes sense Sakura is one of the girls crushing on him. And Naruto, isn't he chasing after Sakura? That's a difficult situation, huh?

"No, not yet, I think," I mentioned, drawing the ramen bowl closer.

"It would be nice if you could go without a team," Naruto mused. "For me, it's a pain to work with Sasuke. Teaming up with Sakura-chan is alright though."

"Naruto, don't talk like that," Sensei intervened. "Teamwork is a crucial skill for us ninjas."

"Hai… maybe they should replace Sasuke with you, Benji. Now that you are a genin."

"You still can't make out with him? It's been months since you became a team."

"Well, he's difficult. Sometimes, I can't figure out what's up with him. Damn, he's always looking down on me."

"If you work together, maybe things will work out themselves," Iruka-sensei said. "Let's not talk about work. We are here to share a meal together and to congratulate Benji."

"Hai! Wait, does that mean… I am your senpai, Benji? Speaking of which, I heard you learned some amazing jutsu, Benji! Can you show me?"

"Let's not cause a scene, Naruto," Sensei reminded us with a smile before looking up at Teuchi-san. "Sorry for the noise."

"It's okay, sensei."

It's quite impressive how Iruka-sensei can settle Naruto down like that. Well, never mind. Naruto is a handful on his own, but without a doubt, Sasuke is a bigger pain. I can't quite grasp what's going on with that kid.

I quickly downed the broth in one gulp. The flavor was so delicious that I didn't even realize I had devoured the entire bowl of ramen without pausing. When I finally looked down, my bowl was completely empty with nothing left.

"Seconds, please," I raised my bowls, surprising the teacher and his pupils.

"So fast!" Sensei commented.

"It's not good, Benji," Naruto complained. "You need to consume it feeling and tasting every strand of noodles! And drink the broth more carefully. Savor the taste and consume the nutrients more sufficiently."

I gave a questioning gaze to Iruka-sensei, who shrugged his shoulders. "He's just promoting ramen."

- (Transition) -

"Chuunin, isn't it a level above genin?"

One morning a few days later, Masato-nii told me that Hokage-sama had prepared to let me participate in the next chuunin exam.

"Yeah, personally I think it's still too early for you," Masato-nii said. "Chuunin exams are, you know, they are dangerous and rough. I can't help but be worried."

"You are a Jonin yourself," I joked, pouring milk into my glass.

"I am three times your age."

I don't feel like it's not a problem for me, but if Masato-nii is worried, I should do something to reassure him.

"... do you know how to wear the forehead protector?"

"Of course, I do. Forget that, tell me about the exams," I asked. "Maybe I can prepare myself."

"Well, can't tell you much about the first exam. But I think it has something to do with ninjas."

Of course, it does! It's a freaking ninja promotion exam.

"How many parts are there?"

"Three," he answered calmly. "First, you have a written test. Then in the second one, you go into the exam area with your team. If you pass the second stage, you take part in the third stage."

"That says nothing," I deadpanned. "I don't have a team, either."

"I don't know what Third Hokage is thinking… Wait, don't tell me you have to take the exam alone!?"

I gulped down all the milk in the glass.

"It should be fine even if I am alone."

"What's with that lonely, grim attitude? You need to make friends and comrades."

"I don't mean that way…" I brought the glass to the basin. "You worry too much, Masato-nii. I am not a kid anymore."

"You are not an adult either."

Should I make smoothies to drink, instead of milk?

"... Are you really taking the exam?"

"Of course," I confidently replied. "This kind of opportunity doesn't always come by."

"But don't rush it yet, Benji," he grinned. "You haven't even accomplished any mission."

"Huh?" I was confused.

"I don't know if Hokage-sama will just make you an exception. But genins normally need mission experience before taking the exam. You are freshly a genin and haven't done any mission yet."

Oh, yes, now that I remember, ninjas aren't always about fighting and information gathering. People request assistance from ninjas for various things. According to difficulty and risk, there are five known types of quests: D, C, B, A, and S.

"S-so then where can I do those missions?!"

"Relax," Masato-nii laughed. "You told me not to worry about you yet you are too enthusiastic yourself. It's just at the Hokage office—"

I stood up from my seat and rushed into the bathroom to brush my teeth.

"... Wait, don't get ahead of yourself!" He sighed. "We still have time. Take it easy. Also, bring your shinobi ID—"

I didn't really hear what he said anymore. I grabbed my jacket and the forehead protector from my room and activated the Omnitrix.

About a few more days later…

"I am starving…"

It was on my way back home after accomplishing another D-rank mission. My alien forms are really handy, allowing me to finish missions quicker than normal. I feel like I'm cheating but for the time being, I just need some accomplishments.

Wait a minute, by this way, I am earning a lot of pocket money, which means I don't need to ask Masato-nii for allowance anymore! I mean, my income is now higher than my allowance for sure! Hoo-ray, that's nice.

I sat down on a branch of a tree near a road and reverted to my human form, to open my wallet and check how many ryos I had saved up. Hold on, this is… How many bowls of ramen can I eat with these? No, not just ramen. I can buy equipment to make drinks and chili fries. Be wise, Benji. Ichiraku Ramen or Smoothies and Chili Fries?

Why not both?

But on second thought, I should pay back Masato-nii with some of this money I earned. This would help our household budgets and living expenses. But at the same time, his income is a lot higher than me. If I help him financially, which he doesn't need anyway, he will spend more money on sake and women (?).

This is not a good idea, either. I may have to confront him if he spends my money on women. I wonder why he isn't married though he is over 30.

At that moment, I noticed Naruto, Sakura, and three kids in the street. Naruto and that kid named Konohamaru were receiving a few punches from Sakura. She is scary.

Hmm… Konohamaru is wearing those goggles. Is he imitating Naruto's style? He's been calling him Big Bro too?

I decided to take a rest and watch them in secret before visiting the ramen shop. Masato-nii is lately getting busier so I don't get to see him during dinner. Well, I am not sure if he's busy with work or… never mind.

There she goes, chasing after kids. Until that Konohamaru kid bumped into a tall, broad-shouldered man in a weird black costume with cat-like ears. He also carried something on his back, fully bandaged with a hair-like dark brown bush sticking out in a creepy way. He even wore makeup and paints?

Well, some ninjas like to be more unique and creepier than others. I should try out new styles sometimes. Yes.

"That hurt, man," the man said, looking down at Konohamaru who fell on his back.

Wait, don't tell me he's a murderer who carries the corpse he killed on his back?!

"Konohamaru!"

Naruto cried out as the man lifted the kid by his shirt.

Oh, I just realized, that guy was accompanied by a woman. Compared to him, she wasn't that grim. Her hair was sandy blonde and she wasn't wearing cat ears, at least. Her light-purple costume had a red sash around her waist. She had something behind her back, but it was definitely not a corpse. It looked like a foldable fan. At the same time, it's too big to be a normal fan.

Must be a custom-made fan for a giant. Humungousaur would love it.

"That hurt, you little piece of shit, " the cat-ears whined.

Jokes aside, that guy must be one bully who likes to pick on the weak. That's still a kid, you know!? I guess I will have to intervene—

Wait, that symbol… The badge on their headband suggested they weren't from Konohagakure. If they were from Konoha, I could display my abilities to scare them off without worries. But revealing them to outsiders isn't wise, especially since I'm now an official Leaf shinobi.

Damn.

"Stop that," the woman checked around with a cautious look in her eyes. "You'll get yelled at later."

Her eyes met mine for a split second but she didn't really care about my presence. Well, I wasn't really helpful.

"Let go of him right now, f*****!" Naruto yelled fiercely. That's so him.

The cat-ears smirked. "Let's play with them a little before the boss comes around."

Playing with children, are you a kid, too?

"Let me go," Konohamaru struggled in the air.

"You're pretty lively, huh, you little punk."

"You might want to stop that, outsider," I said with a voice loud and clear enough.

The two outsiders and the Naruto gang looked up at me. Sakura's expression turned grim upon remembering I was useless back in the Academy.

"Wha, are you threatening me, punk?"

"No, I am warning you," I kind of bluffed. "I am not sure it will work on you, though. If you are brainless enough to pick on a child…"

"Benji…" Sakura and Naruto gasped at my ruthlessness.

That was one quiet atmosphere, almost like the silence before a storm. Until…

"Tsk," the cat-ears threw the kid whom Naruto caught in time. "Do you want to pick a fight with me, punk?"

What is this? Did I just successfully persuade him to release the hostage? Words are that effective, huh? Should be called "Talk no Jutsu."

No, forget it. He removed the bandaged thing from his back in a pretty aggressive manner. It could be a weapon.

"Hey, are you even going to use Karasu!?" The woman said.

"You're the one picking a fight with us, outsider," I replied calmly. "You are not from this village, right? Why are you here?"

"Unfortunately, we are allowed here for a purpose," answered the woman showing some form of registry card, which I didn't care enough to check. "We are genins from Sunagakure who have come here to take the Chuunin Selection Exam."

Hmm, the exam is drawing nearer, huh…

"Chuunin Selection Exam?" Naruto was as clueless as ever.

"Jeez, you really don't know anything," the woman said in annoyance but started explaining anyway. "Chuunin Exams are where outstanding genin from Suna, Konoha, and other neighboring villages take an exam to become a chuunin…"

So it seems it is a joint exam.

"Konohamaru, should I take the Chuunin exam!?" Naruto didn't listen to it to the end.

"Oi, you brat—"

"Whatever. Just don't pick fights with locals," I intervened. "Know your manners. Or I…"

"What are you—"

"Stop with that behavior, Kankuro."

A new male voice entered the affair, causing the two outsiders to shrink in response. Above all, the source of that voice was just next to me. He was so fast and stealthy that I didn't notice how he got there.

Another dangerous guy. They really like to sneak up on people. Oh, I mean, they are ninjas.

"You are an embarrassment to our village," the voice said.

This new guy stood upside-down as his feet stayed stuck on a branch. That was the same technique Naruto and his teammates had to practice back in the Land of Waves.

He had unkempt spiky auburn hair, wore a black bodysuit, and carried a large heavy-looking gourd on his back. His distinct features that stood out were black rings around his eyes and the kanji "愛" carved on the left side of his forehead. What made it more interesting was that kanji meant "love," despite his intimidating look.

"G-Gaara…" Kankuro the cat-eared guy quickly became tamed before the boss, Gaara. "Listen, they started it."

"Rumbles…" My stomach chose that moment to growl.

That was awkward. I didn't want to say anything. But thankfully, Gaara didn't say anything about it either.

"Shut up, Kankuro," he just threatened the cat-ears. "I will kill you."

Kankuro was visibly trembling.

"I-I am sorry," he said in a soft voice.

"I'm also sorry. Really sorry," the woman apologized too.

Gaara shot a glance at me before looking back at the people down there.

"Sorry to you guys," he was then engulfed in sand before vanishing from my sight and reappearing down there. "It looks like we got here too early, but we didn't come here to play around."

"I-I know that," Kankuro said, flinching.

"Let's go," Gaara commanded.

"Wait," I halted them. "Please. Since you guys are taking the exam, I guess we will be rivals there."

"You're taking the exam, too, Benji?" Naruto said with a confused face.

"Is it really okay?" Sakura said.

"... You guys… I am talking to them," I replied.

"Uh, sorry," the two said.

"... So isn't it right to properly introduce ourselves to each other?" I said to the Hidden Sand group.

Kankuro raised his fist. "What are you saying, punk—"

"Kankuro, settle down," Gaara immediately calmed him down. "I'm Gaara of the Desert. But is your name worth remembering?"

I chuckled. "I am Benji Tenzaki. You may forget it if you want. You'll remember it after the exam though."

We maintained eye contact for a moment, like a dramatic scene from a film. Then Gaara of the Desert turned around and walked away, followed by his two partners.

That was close. I didn't need to use my transformations— hold up.

"What are you doing down there?" I muttered, seeing Sasuke right under this tree.

"I missed the chance to enter the scene," he answered with a disappointed tone. "Your stomach growl disturbed me."

"... Sorry," my voice deflated.

"Were you trying to intimidate them? You don't even have the ability to fight them. You shouldn't bluff too much."

Sasuke was quite frank with it, except he was confidently wrong.

"Sasuke…"

"What?"

I grinned. "Take a look at my forehead protector."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "So you graduated."

"Don't you want to say "congratulations"?" I jokingly said.

Sasuke walked away with an annoyed expression.

Man, Naruto was right. Or maybe I am too much for him to handle.

"Thanks, Benji," Naruto said. "You didn't fight but… That helped, I think."

"It did," I said, preparing to jump down the tree. "Then I am going to Ichiraku Ramen. See you."

As I fell down, I transformed into Big Chill and immediately turned invisible, promptly leaving for dinner. But I noticed someone else at that moment.

On a tree some meters away unbeknownst to the bunch was another bunch of outsiders, this time wearing a different badge on their headbands. The symbol on their badge looked like the signature of a musical note. Three people. It seemed they were also here to take the exam

Three people — two men and one woman. They looked older than me. The first guy had spik, black hair, wearing a beige shirt with three prints of the kanji for death (死, shi) down the front. What a crazy guy. His headband was attached to a metal protector that covered his cheeks.

The second guy was sitting on the branch, with his legs hanging, a little hunched back. Bandages covered most of his face and hair, except for his left eye. He wore a costume with long sleeves covering the entirety of his arms, and a straw raincoat on his back. The woman had long, black hair and wore a pale green vest and snake-patterned skirt and pants.

"What do you think?" The bandage-face said, looking in Naruto's direction.

"I don't think they're anything special," the "shi" guy commented.

"But that gourd kid from the Sand Village… that one needs to be checked."

Why are outsider ninjas always so shady?

"What about me?" I spoke up, standing next to them in my human form.

"You… how did you get here!?" The woman exclaimed in surprise. "You are that kid."

"I see, it wasn't just a bluff?" The bandage-face said. "Who are you?"

With a flash of green light, I vanished from their sight before promptly reappearing on the tree in front of them. A cool move, right?

"Omunitorikkusu no Ben-Ten," I answered with a grin. "I'd rather you don't remember it, but you will see me again at the exam. Now then…"

I am starving, seriously.

"... see yah."

I did that vanishing trick again to take my leave in a cool style.

"That cheeky kid, too…" the "Shi" guy muttered. "Write it down."

Well, this is the result of practice in the last few weeks. I've been practicing to instantaneously transform and detransform so I can be less conspicuous when I use the Omnitrix. The first time I unlocked this trick back during the bridge battle in the Land of Waves: I transformed into Chromastone and instantaneously reactivated my senses to move roughly at the speed of light.

By combining that trick with Big Chill, it would seem like I am teleporting to people. Simply, a body flicker technique with extra steps. Plus I can spam it as much as possible. On the flip side, it takes more energy than normal. Transformation takes more energy than form maintenance, after all, so I must utilize this ability wisely.

I should've used this trick to save Konohamaru. Silly me.

- (Transition) -

At the Hokage office, Hiruzen sent a call to all jonins leading the genin teams and organized a meeting, all after getting a message from the Kages of the other shinobi villages.

"Now then, in conjunction with the beginning of the Chuunin Exam," Hiruzen said. "Let us first have those in charge of the Rookie Genin come forward."

Three jonins, including Kakashi, came forward from the crowd.

"Kakashi, Kurenai…"

Kurenai Yūhi is a female jonin who specializes in Genjutsu. She has fair skin, long, black hair, and red eyes. Her uniform consists of an armor blouse resembling a dress made of wider bandages, with only a visible red right sleeve. She is the leader of Team 8.

"And Asuma..."

Asuma is a male jonin leading Team 10. He is a tall man with brown eyes, short black spiky hair, and a beard. He wears the standard Konoha ninja uniform with the sleeves rolled up halfway and bandages wrapped around their arms.

"So," Hiruzen inquired. "Are there any genin from your squads you wish to recommend for these exams?"

The three Jonins recommended all three of each of their teams without a hint of hesitation.

Oi, are these guys real? Masato sweatdropped. Here I am worried about my kid. These guys are recommending everyone on their team. This hasn't happened in years.

It was Iruka-sensei who panicked upon hearing it, immediately objecting to the idea.

"Wait a minute!" The sensei said.

"What is it, Iruka?" Hiruzen said.

"Hokage-sama, please let me say one thing. This may be presumptuous, but as for the nine names that were given, I was in charge of them at the Academy. Admittedly, they were all students with ability, but it's too soon!"

The three Jonin leaders silently listened to the teacher. Masato agreed with the teacher but Benji's situation was worse than those nine. But… on the flip side, Kakashi of the Sharingan acknowledged his kid's strength. Tenzaki Masato was still indecisive about it, though he knew both Third Hokage and Benji himself would be stubborn about it.

"They should be tested after having gained more experience!" Iruka proposed.

"I became a Chunin when I was six years younger than Naruto is now," Kakashi said with his usual indifferent expression.

"Naruto is different from you!" Iruka argued, almost yelling. "Is it your intent to crush Naruto!?"

"They always do nothing but complain about important missions," Kakashi said. "Teaching them a lesson once would be fun. Trying to crush them would be interesting, too."

It was hard for Iruka to guess whether Kakashi was being serious.

"W-what did you say?!"

"Well, joking aside," replied Kakashi. "Iruka-sensei, I understand what you want to say. It's aggravating, I know. However…"

"Kakashi, don't do that," Kurenai attempted to stop her co-worker.

"Stay out of this!" Kakashi stated coldly. "They're not your students anymore. Now they're my subordinates!"

"B-but the Chuunin Exam is also known as—"

"Iruka," Hiruzen finally intervened. "I understand your point. Therefore, I have decided to conduct a special preliminary exam for these rookie Genins."

"Preliminary exam!?"

"Explanation can wait," the old man said, shooting a glance at Masato. "Now I will personally recommend another rookie candidate, Tenzaki Benji."

"Even Benji!?" Iruka spoke up. "Hokage-sama, it's not even been a week since he became a Genin! He hasn't even assigned a team."

"I know, Iruka. But I recommend him because I believe in his abilities. As for his team, hmm, Jonin Masato, you take up on it as his temporary instructor."

Masato wanted to facepalm. He didn't see that coming.

"But Hokage-sama," Masato stepped forward. "I already have my team."

"Yeah, that's why you are his temporary instructor," Hiruzen answered with a smile. "Don't worry. For now, you just need to train him in the remaining six days."

Kakashi of the Sharingan and Third Hokage both acknowledged Benji!? Apparently, Masato had no escape.

"I understand."

"Thanks," replied Hiruzen. "Oh, also, tell him that he doesn't need to do missions anymore until the exam is finished."

"Why?"

Hiruzen made a quiet laugh. "He finished too many missions in a short time. They are only D-ranks, but it's terrifying. At this rate, we will run out of missions for other genins."

Masato went pale.

- (Transition) -

I think I arrived at the exam place really late. But I was greeted by a fight between Team Naruto and a guy with a bowl-cut hairstyle and really thick brows, wearing a green jumpsuit. Wha, has the exam already started?

I turned back into human form and walked up to Naruto who was knocked out near a wall.

"Just what happened here…"

Sasuke and that bowl-cut guy were having a hand-to-hand fight. But Sasuke was completely in the bowl cut's hands. How troublesome, the exam registration is in about 20 minutes.

"Do you know?" The bowl-cut said, still in a ready stance. "There are two types of strong people, genius types and effort types."

"I guess I shouldn't interfere with the fight between men, Haruna-san," I gave a thumbs-up to Sakura and took my leave.

"Hey, wait, help me stop–"

I did the vanishing trick again and flew to the designated classroom on the third floor. I thought I would just go straight into the room but Masato-nii and Kakashi-san were found waiting in front of the door. The two jonins stood next to each other in awkward silence, with their hands in their pants pockets.

"He sure is taking his sweet time…" Masato-nii broke the silence. "I wonder if he gave up mid-way and turned back."

"Hm," Kakashi-san responded with an uninterested expression.

I revealed myself in front of them after a flash of green light.

"Who do you think I am…" I mumbled. "I am not giving up."

"Is he really taking the exam alone?" Kakashi-san questioned.

"Oh, yeah, that was what Hokage-sama said," Masato-nii whined. "I personally don't like it but…"

"If Third Hokage thinks he's qualified to take the exam alone, it shouldn't be a problem," Kakashi-san replied. "Well, he also looks all determined to take the exam."

Except, Third Hokage had faith in me because of Kakashi-san's analysis…

"Can't be helped, huh," the two jonins stepped aside. "Go on, do your best."

"Thanks for encouraging me," I said and pushed the double door open into the room.

Welcoming me in the classroom were a large number of shinobi from Konoha and other villages. Without a doubt, they all are genin, right? Some of them look double my age. Some shinobis look like thugs.

The door slowly closed behind my back.

"Oh, Benji, how did you graduate?" A familiar female voice greeted me.

"Yamanaka-san?"

It was my classmate, Ino Yamanaka, and her teammates: Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi. Ino is a pretty kunoichi with light-blue eyes and short platinum-blonde hair. Her uniform of choice is a purple outfit, wearing the Konoha badge on her waist.

"You're here taking the exam, too?" Shikamaru said, looking as unmotivated as ever. "What a pain."

"You are talking about the exam, right? I am not a pain, right?!"

Shikamaru is a young, handsome man with shoulder-length black hair tied in a spiky ponytail. He wears a short-sleeved grey jacket with green-edged sleeves, under which is a green-lined mesh armor T-shirt. If I remember right, this guy is the heir to the Nara Clan, one of the shinobi clans of Konohagakure.

"..." Choji was just eating chips.

This guy has a rotund build and markings on his cheeks in the form of swirls. He has spiky, light brown hair that sticks upward, thanks to the custom-made headband he wears. He also wears a green, short-sleeved haori with a long, white scarf over a white shirt.

"Naruto and his team are also joining the exam, by the way," I informed them.

"Huh, what a drag, those guys, too?" Shikamaru murmured.

"N-Naruto-kun is also coming?"

Another female voice? Oh, it's Hinata Hyuga, a kunoichi with strange, white eyes. Masato-nii once said those white eyes are unique to the Hyuga clan. Maybe they have unique abilities like Kakashi-san's Sharingan.

Hinata's uniform of choice wasn't that special. It was a white think hooded jacket and navy blue pants. She had her dark-blue hair kept in a bowl-cut like hairstyle.

I'm pretty sure she has a crush on Naruto, but I don't know if others know about it. Well, she is a shy and timid girl so it's better left that way.

"Yeah, I saw them on the way. He was knocked out though."

Oops, should I really have said that to a girl who has a crush on him!?

"K-knocked out!?" What happened!"

"I don't know, haha," I let out a dry laugh to ease the tone of the situation. "Maybe they are playing dead."

There come Hinata's teammates— Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame.

"Yo," greeted Kiba. He had messier hair than mine. He wore a grey hooded fur-lined coat and had red fang-like markings on his cheeks.

As always, he brought his ninja dog, Akamaru, which was a white small dog, sitting atop his head. It is rare to see them separately.

Out of them, Shino was the most interesting guy. He looked mysterious, hiding most of his face behind dark round sunglasses and the sea-green jacket with a high, upturned collar. His hair was dark-brown and bushy.

"..."

Well, he stayed quiet in this frame to look more mysterious.

"Is N-naruto-kun really okay?" Hinata quietly asked me without her teammates hearing.

"Yeah, he will be," I whispered back. "Don't worry."

"So this makes it ten rookies taking the exam this year," Shikamaru commented.

"Hold on, where is your team?" Ino pointed out.

"I am taking the exam alone, Yamanaka-san," I replied. "This and that happened so."

"Things would be hard for you, Benji," Kiba said with a grin, followed by his Akamaru's woof. "But we won't lose."

Are you threatening a guy without teammates? You are making me tear up.

"Hai, hai, you guys, have a nice chat," I said, walking away. "I wanna take a seat and rest."

"Okay…" Ino said.

This room was just a waiting hall, but the examinees were awfully quiet. Most of them were silently observing us "rookies." Well, I quickly blended into the crowd, knowing this, because I hated to be the center of attention. I took a seat near two leaf shinobi I found in the back of the crowd.

"Oh, hello," I took a chance and greeted to show my manners.

"..." they didn't say anything back. At least not immediately.

One of them was a young man with long dark-brown hair and white eyes like Hinata's, which was why I assumed he was also a Hyuga. He looked intense…

The other was a girl with black hair kept in two Chinese-style buns on her head. Her outfit consists of a pink sleeveless shirt that seems to be a Chinese-style fashion.

"... Are you really alone?" The girl asked, lowering her voice.

"Yeah, I am."

Given my situation, everyone who heard about me was bound to be curious. I am eager to take the exam but I seriously want to know Hokage's plans about me.

"You must be strong," the Hyuga boy said. "But the Chuunin exam is brutal. I don't think it's possible to pass it alone."

"Everyone says that," I leaned my back against the backrest. "But have you taken the exam before?"

"No, we've not," the guy replied with an irritated expression.

"You are also a three-man team, right? Where is your—"

"There you are, Neji, Tenten," another voice arrived. "Sorry, I was sparring with Sasuke-kun."

Ugh, what a coincidence! This is the bowl-cut guy who knocked out Naruto and was fighting Sasuke when I arrived at the exam hall.

"Lee, you really shouldn't have done that," Tenten, the girl of the team, scolded the bowl-cut, whose name turned out to be Lee.

"Sorry, guys, I couldn't help it," Lee apologized before noticing me. "Um, who are you, by the way?"

I first moved out of the way to let him reach his team.

"I am Benji Tenzaki, a rookie."

"Listen, Lee, he says he's taking the exam alone," Tenten whispered.

"I am Rock Lee. You must be strong even though you are a rookie!" Lee immediately challenged me. "Do you want to spar with me?!"

"We are already in the classroom, you know," Tenten reminded.

"You should keep it down," Neji said.

"I am alone because I didn't get in a team," I explained half-assedly. "Not because I am impressive."

Rock Lee leaned toward me with his hand on his chin. "If you say so."

He might have noticed me when I "teleported" to the second floor. But for the time being, I shouldn't just assume I am strong, because I've not seen how strong other genins are.

Soon, Team Naruto arrived in the room and yes, started a ruckus.

"Sasuke-kun! You're late," Ino Yamanaka threw herself and clung to the black-haired kid.

He was visibly annoyed but didn't really make an attempt to shake off the girl. That brat…

"Get away from Sasuke-kun, Ino-pig!" Sakura yelled.

Everyone else in the room silently watched the commotion of the rookies. A leaf shinobi with ash-grey hair and round glasses came to talk to the gang. I am not sure what they were talking about, but I guess they were collecting intel or something. Oh, he did say he had taken the exam four times.

Naruto suddenly turned to us and declared fearlessly.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I won't lose to you guys!"

There he goes again.

"Hey! What is he doing!?" Ino exploded.

"He's very spirited," Neji remarked. "I guess you didn't beat him enough, Lee."

"No, you could never beat him enough," I said with a grin. "Naruto is the type of guy who never gives up. He won't be down just because he gets beaten by someone."

"So you know him, Benji-kun?" Rock Lee said.

"... He's too stupid to know when to give up."

"He's your friend, right?" Tenten said with a worried face. "Why are you insulting him?"

"..."

I thought it'd be cool to toss out slick lines like those enigmatic background characters you see in movies.

Suddenly, some people jumped out of the crowd and charged toward the rookies in the front. One of them leaped quite high close to the ceilings and threw kunai at the ash-gray-haired shinobi who backflipped to dodge them.

"They are fast," I muttered and looked back at Rock Lee and friends. "Should I stop them?"

"Why are you asking us?" Neji said, irritated. "We are not your team."

"Oh…"

Hmm, those guys are… If I recall correctly, they are those musical ninjas I found in the village a week ago.

I particularly remembered that straw-raincoat guy. He threw a punch at the ash-gray-haired shinobi who nearly dodged it. But his glasses shattered anyway and he threw up, without visually receiving the punch.

What is going on?

"He threw up!?" "Kabuto-san!?"

"Heh," the three musical ninjas now stood before the rookies who quickly tended to the injured Kabuto.

"Kabuto! Are you all right?!"

"Yeah, I'm fine," answered the ash-gray-haired Kabuto.

"How pathetic," the straw-raincoat musical ninja mocked. "Especially, aren't you a 4-year veteran?"

"Write this down on your cards," the second guy said cheekily. "The three Otogakure ninjas, definite chuunins."

"Lee, how about that attack?" Neji asked.

Rock Lee fixed his gaze on the three Otogakure ninjas. "No problem in seeing the speed. There must be some trick."

Impressive. I didn't see that attack.

"Quiet down, you worthless bastards!" Another masculine voice.

As the saying goes, examinees are heroes and examiners are villains. Now the examiners made a villainous entrance, with a smoke bomb explosion in front of the crowd.

The tall, muscular man in the middle seemed to be leading the examiners. His outfit stood out compared to other proctors, consisting of a dark long coat, in addition to the gray uniform they wore. He bore scars on his face and covered his head with a custom-made forehead protector.

And each of the other proctors behind him also had a unique appearance. Ninjas…

"Thanks for waiting…" the long-coat examiner said. "I am Morino Ibiki, the head examiner for the first part of the Chuunin Selection Exam."

Now some peace and quiet.

"Hidden Sound (Otogakure) guys," Ibiki-san intimidated them. "Stop doing as you please before the exam. Do you want to fail already?"

"I apologize…" the straw-raincoat said. "This is our first time so we got a bit carried away."

"Here's a good opportunity to say this," Ibiki-san declared. "No fighting without the permission of the examiner. Even if the permission is granted, killing your opponent will not be tolerated. Those pigs that disobey me will fail immediately. Do I make myself clear?"

The examiners all looked villainous. Are we really okay?

Anyway, the exam had begun like this. I had to take a new seat based on a random number I'd got. The first part was a written test.

And I am in the back of the class now…

"Do not turn your tests over," Ibiki-san said. "Listen closely to what I'm about to say."

To summarize, the test has ten questions and each participant is given ten points. It goes by the "point-reduction" method where your points are reduced for incorrect answers. But you get your points reduced by 2 for each time you are caught cheating. On top of that, this is going to be a team-based test, which doesn't concern me since I am alone.

But teams start with 30 points initially, while I only have 10. I'm not sure how I'll fit in considering that. Well, it's somewhat advantageous since I am my whole team, right?

Looking at the test, it wasn't too difficult. I managed to figure out the answers somehow. Chakra wasn't my strong suit, so I focused on weapon skills and strategy. Also, not to boast, but I did pretty well in my studies.

However, the final question... It will be given 45 minutes after the test starts. I can handle the nine points for now.

Omnitrix, you're up. Solve these questions for me.

I did research about Chakra control for years despite the fact that I couldn't utilize it myself. But the real reason behind it was my defective body — which is why my research is still true for an average human with an average-sized chakra pool.

That is why I could answer the questions even though I couldn't use the jutsu myself.

I can pretty much answer the questions but I do have an issue. I hate paper tests. I wish it were all multiple-choice questions. It was a damn bother to write long-ass answers.

I had a sudden feeling that I might have overlooked something. There was something... Oh, right! It struck me that we, the test-takers, were encircled by proctors who held boards and pens. The proctors numbered about half of the examinees in the room. Here's the theory: if they were genuinely keeping an eye on cheaters, each proctor would need to watch over two examinees.

Hmm, yes, quite intriguing. I have this sense that I accomplished nothing but okay.

A few minutes into the test, I noticed the proctors writing down on their boards so some examinees here and there got caught cheating. Then some examinees were caught five times, resulting in their failure.

This is weird.

Ibiki-san made it clear that one would fail the exam if they cheated five times. Yet… Uh, hold on, these questions are solvable for me but they might not be for others. So it will inevitably force them to cheat since it's do or die.

AHHHH, just what the heck is going on?

"Now that forty-five minutes have passed…" Ibiki-san broke the silence. "We will begin the tenth question. Before we get to it, I'd like to go over the additional rules for this question."

Additional rules? This is a ninja exam so unpredictable things can happen. I see. But the examinees were awfully anxious to hear it.

Coincidentally at that moment, that cat-eared Sand ninja and a proctor returned from a restroom break.

"Heh, nice timing," said Ibiki. "Was your doll playing beneficial?"

What is he talking about?

"Just sit down and listen…" Ibiki let the sand guy take a seat. "These are the rules of desperation."

What a dangerous name.

"For the tenth question, you must decide whether you will take it or not."

"Choose!?" The big-fan kunoichi from Sunagakure spoke up. "What if we choose not to!?"

"… if you choose not to, your points will be reduced to zero and you fail along with your teammates," Ibiki-san answered.

"What does that mean!?" "Then of course, we will take the question!"

So the silence was officially broken. But they were right: I would take it, too.

"And now, the other rule…"

Please get it over with! I am running out of patience.

"If you choose to take it and answer incorrectly, that person will lose the right to ever take the Chuunin Exam again."

To be honest, I wasn't expecting that. It was without a doubt a cruel choice. For me of course, that influences my choice by a bit. I didn't have a team to share it with. If I went and answered it wrong, only I would lose. No one else would be affected by my choice.

I wonder what is going on in Naruto's, Sakura's, and Sasuke's minds right now.

"What kind of stupid rule is that!?" Kiba complained. "There are guys here who have taken the exam before!"

"Heh, you are unlucky," Ibiki-san said with an evil grin. "This year, it's my rules."

I see. This is why the examiners are deemed evil, yes.

"But I'm giving a way out. Those that aren't confident can choose not to take it and try again next year."

The atmosphere in the exam room became intense as the examinees visually grew more anxious and pressured.

"Those who do not wish to take it, raise your hand."

Many began to give up and quit. It was awfully quiet again. Some more raised their hands and exited the room with their teammates. Then silence fell again.

Hmm… Naruto, he raised his hand!

Is he giving up!?

If he got the answer wrong, he would never be able to take the exam again. So giving up sounds like a better option.

But it means your team is also…

"Don't underestimate me!" He fiercely cried out and slammed his hand on the table. "I'll take it!"

Naruto… he's really the type of person I thought he was.

"I'll take it!" He yelled. "Even if I'm a genin forever! I'll will to becoming Hokage anyway so I don't care! I am not afraid!"

He's too stupid to know when to give up, huh? Maybe only he knows when he gives up.

That sure shook the people remaining in the room. T was quite a scene to view from the back of the class.

"I'll ask you again," Ibiki-san said with a serious face. "Your life is riding on this decision. This is your last chance to quit."

"I follow my unbending words…" Naruto answered, unfazed. "That's my ninja way…"

Ok, why do I feel like he's the protagonist and I'm just a side character?

Ibiki-san took a glance at everyone in the room.

"Good decisions," he declared. "Now, to the 82 still remaining, I congratulate you on passing the first test!"

Great. What? Did I hear it right!?

"What do you mean?" Sakura questioned. "We already pass? What about the tenth question?"

Ibiki-san had such a child-like smile this time. Looks genuine, almost punchable.

"There was never such a thing," he said. "Or you could say those two choices were the tenth question."

"What about the first nine questions!?" The big-fan Sunagakure woman asked. "Were they pointless!?"

"They served their intended purpose," Ibiki calmly answered. "To test your individual information gathering ability."

Oh, what a surprise. Here I utilized 20% of my braincells.

"... Basically the premise of the test is to cheat."

Nice. Go on.

"But those that cheat poorly fail, of course," Ibiki-san undid his headband and removed it to reveal the top of his head.

"... Because in times, information is more important than life. And on missions and battlefields, people risk their lives to get their hands on it."

Some scary scars you've got on your head, Ibiki-san…

"If the enemy or 3rd party notices you, there is no guarantee the info will be accurate. Remember, important information in your hands can be a powerful weapon for your comrades and for the village…"

In the more realistic sense, I have some transformations more suitable for information gathering. So it's not a problem that I missed the hidden purpose in the test.

"... However, the final question is the true purpose of this test," Ibiki-san continued his explanation. "Take it or not take it… Obviously, these were painful choices. Choose the latter and you fail alongside your teammates who want to take it. Choose the former and you might lose the right to take the exam forever… Say you guys become Chuunins."

The exam hall fell silent.

"... Your mission is to steal a secret document. You don't know the amount of enemies and dangers. Now do you accept it or not? Because you don't want to risk your life or your comrades'... Can you avoid the dangerous mission? The answer is no!"

Being a ninja is tough, huh…

"No matter what the danger, there are missions you can't avoid," Ibiki-san continued. "The ability to be courageous and survive any hardship. It's the ability to become a Chuunin captain. Those who chose to take it answered the final question correctly, which means you'll be able to survive any trouble you face in the future."

That was one long speech, Ibiki-san.

"... The first test of the Chuunin Selection Exam is now finished. I wish you guys Good Luck."

I guess I will relax for a while. They are celebrating their—

CRAAASSH.

With a sudden crash, a foreign object shattered the classroom window and burst in. Reacting instinctively, my hand went to the Omnitrix, ready for anything. The intruder, standing before the entire class, threw kunai at the ceiling and unfurled a sizable curtain adorned with white-printed words. Ibiki-san unfortunately left seperated behind the curtain.

The prints on the curtain suggested the intruder must be the organizer for the second part of the exam.

"It's not the time to be celebrating, you guys!" She announced fiercely. "I'm the examiner of the second part of the Chuunin Exam! Name is Anko Mitarashi!"

Another hyperactive individual? Anko Mitarashi-san was a woman seemingly in her 20s, with dark brown hair tied in a spiky ponytail similar to Shikamaru's hairstyle. She wore a light-beige-colored trench coat, underneath which was mesh armor.

"Let's move on to the next stage! Right away! Follow me!"

Apparently, we got no break. But all the examinees were stunned by Anko-san's actions.

Ibiki-san came out from behind the curtain.

"Read the atmosphere," he reminded the new proctor.

The two examiners fell silent before recovering from awkwardness.

Anko-san took a good look at the exam room.

"82? Ibiki, you let 27 teams— wait, how is it 27 teams and one individual?"

"Well, one examinee is taking the exam alone," Ibiki said. "You remember that kid Hokage-sama talked about?"

"Oh, okay, that's rare…" Anko-san noted. "Even then, Ibiki, 28 teams passed. Was the first exam this time too easy?"

Ibiki-san smiled. "Apparently, this time we've got a lot of excellent candidates."

"Huh, well, alright… I'll drop more than half of them in the second exam."

The atmosphere became intense again.

"I'm getting excited," she said. "I'll give you details tomorrow. We'll be changing locations so get your info from your Jonin leader about location and time! That's it, you're dismissed!"

- Time Break! -

When I left the building, Masato-nii was found sitting on a swing in the park.

"What are you doing, Masato-nii?"

"Oh, you've finished? Did you pass!?"

"I did," I replied and sat down on another swing next to his.

Masato-nii let out a sigh in relief. "Great, you did great."

Imagine sitting a test about "comrades" and "team effort" without a team. And I missed another major point of the exam, too. It doesn't matter anymore but I don't feel like I did great.

"The second part is tomorrow, right?" He said. "You should take a rest. Uh, I have already made dinner so you should hurry home now."

"What about you?"

"I have to report to Hokage and prepare for tomorrow."

Next day…

"Welcome to the second stage of the exam," Proctor Anko Mitarashi-san declared.

With the instructions relayed by my Jonin leader, Masato-nii, I had to go to an area called the Practice Arena 44, which was a large forest filled with extra large trees.

"... This place is also known as the "Forest of Death"..."

What a clichéd, dangerous name.

"This place is creepy," Sakura groaned.

Well, compared to some of the planets I visited in my past life, this place didn't look as intimidating. At least it wasn't a place filled with small volcanoes and lava.

"You'll soon find out why it's called so," Anko-san said with a grin.

"You think that scares me!?" Naruto exploded. "That's nothing! I'm not afraid!"

"You're spirited…"

Proctor-san trying to threaten her examinee. Sometimes I need to remind myself I'm in a world of shinobi. Heh…

"Kids like you are quickly killed… hehehe…" She scratched Naruto's cheek with her kunai in no time. "Spraying that red blood I love…"

Ah, yea, another creepy shinobi. AHHHH, what did I do to deserve to behold this!?

And in another split second, a female ninja (a kunoichi) wearing a straw hat appeared behind Anko-san and Naruto, with her extra long tongue sticking out to hand a kunai back to the proctor.

"Here's… Your kunai," the kunoichi said.

"Why, thank you," Anko-san said, taking back the kunai. "But you know, don't sneak up behind me unless you wish to die."

"Proctor-san," I spoke up, feeling irritated. "Are you a pedophile?"

"Huh!?" She immediately released Naruto. "What are you talking about?"

"Nah, it was just a strategy to make you let him go," I replied.

"You are a smart one, aren't you?"

"..."

AGHHH, smart one!? I couldn't figure out the hidden intention behind the first test!

"Before we start the second test," she announced, holding up a pack of paper. "There's something I have to pass out. You must sign these agreement forms."

Hmm?

"There will be deaths in this one," she said. "If I don't have you sign these, it will all be my responsibility."

Don't talk about killing people with a smile!

And so we had to sign those agreements so our lives would solely be our responsibility in this test. Sounds kinda harsh, but this is the reality of this world.

Kids being trained and sent to such a deadly trial.

Anyway, according to Proctor Anko-san's explanation, the test is a survival type. Each of the two types of scroll, Heaven (天) and Earth (土), is given to half of these participating teams.

"Since there are 82 examinees here, hmm," she said. "Who's taking the exam alone?"

"Me," I answered in a low voice, raising my hand.

"Smart kid," she mumbled. "You are Benji Tenzaki, right?"

"Yes…"

"Hmm, alright, whatever."

"Taking the exam alone… Oi, oi, is he serious?" I could hear the gossip among the other shinobi.

"That kid is bound to fail."

She then showed us a map of the Forest of Death. There are 44 entrance gates around the forest, each gate 10 kilometers away from the tower in the center, which is the destination of this test. A team has to possess both types of scrolls and reach that place to pass the second part of the exam.

The given duration is 5 days (120 hours).

There are 28 teams, 14 of which will originally have a heaven scroll and the other 14 will have an earth scroll. So only 14 maximum teams will pass the test.

"Five days?!" Ino Yamanaka exclaimed.

"What about dinner!?" Choji said.

"You're on your own," Anko-san answered. "The forest is full of food. Just watch out for man-eating beasts, poisonous insects, poisonous plants…"

Well, it shouldn't be an issue for me. I can escape any time to have a bowl of Ichiraku Ramen. Wait, should I ask Naruto if he wants to have ramen, too?

"... 13 teams passing is unlikely," she continued. "As the days go on, the distance to the goal will become further. And the time to rest will become shorter. And in the area crawling with enemies, you won't get much sleep."

In other words, the five days of hell, that is.

"... So not only will some fail by losing the scroll, but some will die from the harshness of the course. Now I'll talk about what will disqualify you. First, those who don't make it to the tower with both scrolls within the time limit… Second, those who lose a teammate or have a teammate killed…"

Basically, I am immune to the second point.

"... One more rule, you must not look inside the scroll until you make it to the tower. It has a surprise for anyone who looks inside it. A Chuunin will be asked to handle classified info. This is to test your trustworthiness. That's it for the explanation."

Some minutes later…

Now I am in front of Gate Number 10, alone with a proctor waiting for the exam time to begin. The gate was locked with multiple chain-locks.

Also, is that supposed to be a pun? I don't know if it was intentional, but I was given a Heaven (Ten) scroll. "Ten" in my family name "Tenzaki" is spelled the same as Heaven (天).

"Oh, it's time," the proctor muttered, looking at his watch. He then opened the lock and pushed the door in.

I quickly did a stretch before calmly walking into the forest, just after which the proctor would lock the door with chains again.

"Should I finish this in one day…"

I rolled back the left sleeve to see the Omnitrix.

"Big Chill…"

"Hmm?" Upon hearing my creepy cry, the proctor glanced around, but I turned myself invisible in time and swiftly ascended into the sky.

This is no joke. It's even hard to find a tower in the forest filled with extra tall trees. Alright, that can wait. Let me find other teams first to collect an Earth scroll.

Killing other examinees isn't restricted but it isn't a good reason to go for the kills.

Finding other teams is already a tough job. According to the map Anko-san showed us, the area is circular-shaped, the diameter being roughly twenty kilometers. Ninjas are supposed to be sneaky and stealthy so it is indeed no easy job to search for them.

Ten minutes had passed. No luck finding the teams.

"So basically everyone is headed to the tower, right?"

This voice. It's somewhat familiar.

"... then setting traps near there would be best."

Hmm, it's Hinata, Kiba, and Shino. What the heck are they thinking?! Standing out in the open…

"They're already here?" Kiba looked around, sensing someone. "Where are they?"

He wasn't looking for me, I guess, since I was floating just next to them.

I don't see anyone though—

In the next moments, three shinobi in black bodysuits dropped from the trees to the ground, with large fist-sized creatures attacking them.

"Damn it…" they groaned.

Kiba smirked in satisfaction. "Konoha's flying leeches will sense lifeforms and attack in groups. Five minutes of sucking and you'll be in the next world. Realizing that and setting traps where enemies might escape to."

What a dangerous animal.

"UWAHHH!" The trap was triggered, the net rising from the ground, capturing the three shinobi.

"Now we've beaten a team."

"Uh, how cruel of you," I said, looking down at the gang as I sat on a tree with my legs hanging.

"Benji." "Benji-kun…"

"Are you picking a fight with us, too?" Kiba growled.

"Calm down, dude, I'm not," I held both hands up in the air. "Also, sh, keep it down. You don't want to attract attention."

"You would want to get away from there," Shino advised in a monotone. "Leeches will get you."

I looked up above my head and saw the leeches jumping down at me. I smirked and mentally commanded the Omnitrix to transform me into Big Chill, promptly disappearing from the gang's sight.

"That guy…" Kiba murmured. "I thought he couldn't use any jutsu."

"Best if we don't underestimate anyone, Kiba," Shino advised in a low voice.

"Leeches…" Hinata gasped, seeing a few of them fall to the ground.

"What, Hinata?" (Kiba)

"... they are frozen," she said, seeing the creatures encased in ice.

With a flash of green light, I appeared behind them in human form.

"Benji!—"

"Sh, keep it down," I whispered. "I am not ready to fight anyone."

"Did you do that, Benji-kun?" Hinata questioned in her usual timid voice.

"Yeah, I couldn't help it," I replied with a reassuring smile.

"Are you taking the scroll from us?" Shino said.

"No, I'm not," I shrugged. "You guys have the same scroll as mine so don't worry. Also, you guys are the first team I've come across."

"How did you know…" Kiba and Hinata panicked and started looking for their scroll. Shino seemingly stared into my eyes. I am not sure because he's been wearing shades.

"It's still in there, Kiba-kun…" "..."

"Stay alive, people, see ya," I ended the exchange and gracefully vanished from their sight.

"You too—" Hinata didn't finish it.

"So he just disappears," Kiba noted. "Hinata, scan the surroundings."

"Byakugan!" Hinata activated her white eyes and looked around. "No, he's not here anymore."

That was close. It seems her eyes, Byakugan, can sense the invisible. But I was both invisible and intangible, plus hiding underground. I don't know exactly how it works, but I should avoid Hyuga people until I find further info on it.

Alright, enough with Team Kiba. Let's look for another team. Since I have a Heaven scroll, I need to find a team with an Earth Scroll. I won't get it from them for free though.

I will have to either fight it out or steal the scroll somehow. Dang, would be nice if I had some X-ray abilities.

Oh, I think I've found a team near the river.

"Should we really be doing this, Hanzo-kun?"

A team of three: two male shinobi and one kunochi.

"Don't worry," whoever named Hanzo replied as he continued grilling a fish. "You have Dragon Brothers of the Mist. We are actually luring some enemies with this smoke, right, brother?"

Hanzo was a shinobi in his late teens, wearing a dark brown kimono that exposed the right half of his chest down from his right shoulder. He had short dark brown hair, a thin beard on his face and a bow on his back.

His headband had a symbol I didn't know of. Definitely wasn't Konoha, Suna or Kiri's.

"Of course, brother," Hanzo's brother said as he continued catching fish in the river. "Here comes another one, catch!"

Hanzo caught the fish mid-air that his brother threw to him.

The brother was wearing a black kimino with red lining, and a metallic mask that covered the lower half of his face. He wore the headband badge on his left upper arm. He also had the same hair color as his brother. He also had two sheathed swords on his back.

"Mou, you guys are so lax," the kunoichi said in annoyance, pouting. "You heard the instructor, right? This is a dangerous exam. Don't just sit and do nothing!"

The kunoichi looked pretty cute, with a white fox-style cap on her head. She wore her village badge around her neck and a black outfit consisting a skirt that reached her thighs, underneath which was bandages that were wrapped around her thighs. Her hair was black and long, tied in a high ponytail behind her head.

Hmm, also I could see a white and red undergarment covering her cleavage— hold up. Enough.

"You're just way too serious, Kiriko," Hanzo complained.

"Don't talk with food in your mouth!" Kiriko the kunoichi quietly exploded her anger.

"She's right," I said. "You shouldn't let your guard down."

"!"

Their expressions dramatically changed. The three glared at me with hostile looks in their eyes.

"Coming at us alone?" Hanzo grinned, grabbing his bow. "Who is the one letting his guard down?"

"I just want to fight fair and square," I replied, my hands still in my pants pockets.

"Wait, that is…" Kiriko narrowed her eyes. "That kid who's taking the exam alone."

"... are you challenging us?" Hanzo's brother questioned, holding shurikens in his hand. "We are three and you are one. Above all, we are Dragon Brothers of the Mist."

"Dragon brothers?" Another crazy bunch?! Give me a break.

"Hanzo of the Dragonstrike…" Hanzo said, drawing his bow and aiming at me.

"Genji of the Dragonblade…" Hanzo's brother prepared the shurikens.

"There they go again," Kiriko took out the kunai, spinning it in her hand. "Take this seriously you guys. Keep your cringe nicknames out of this!"

"Kiriko-chan, here we are trying to intimidate him," Genji said in a disappointed tone.

"Then please take it seriously."

These guys talk too much right in front of me. They are really underestimating me, or else they must be people who came out of anime.

I rolled my eyes and crossed my wrists. "Let's not waste any time, gentlemen."

"Wait, are we fighting three versus one?" Genji said to Hanzo. "Is that ethically acceptable?"

"But it is," Hanzo replied. "Uh, maybe not ethically."

"That's alright," I said. "Come at me at the same time.

Henge no Jutsu! Fasttrack!"

"Nani!?"

Enveloped by a flash of emerald green light, I took the form of a citrakayah— Fasttrack.

Fasttrack is a feline-like bipedal alien with a black and blue color scheme. It has a black mask-like fins around his eyes, and spikes and blades on his limbs. He wears the Omnitrix on his chest.

"Where is he!?" "Stick together, Hanzo, Kiriko!"

Taking advantage of my speed, I turned into a black blur running to and fro around their team. Charging at Hanzo, I took out a kunai and swung it at him, who somehow managed to block my attack with his bow.

"Brother!"

"I can see you," Hanzo exhaled and jumped back before swinging his bow like a sword.

This time, it was me who needed to dodge, but simultaneously sensed shurikens flying at me. I dashed to the side, avoiding those shurikens that turned out to be Genji's. Without a second wasted, a number of kunai flew in my direction, from Kiriko who displayed such a pinpoint accuracy. Yet again I dashed in another direction and dodged them all.

What an impressive, synchronized teamwork. But it's just I'm too fast that I could sense all of their movements.

"... it's a honor to fight someone as skillful as you," Hanzo said, still holding his bow like a melee weapon. "Could you please introduce yourself again?

"Benji Tenzaki… Omunitorikkusu no Ben-Ten."

"Let's have a good battle, Benji," said Hanzo, doing a hand seal and casted a jutsu.

"Hijutsu: Nomikomu Ryuu!"

Secret Technique: Devouring Dragon.

What is this, a Kekkei Genkai?

He fired an arrow at me— which I would have easily dodged. But before the arrow reached me, it unleashed a couple of glowing blue webs, promptly forming a distinct shape of a creature.

Which resembled a freaking Dragon! Not one but two freaking Chinese Dragons. Their heads alone were roughly the size of my torso.

What the heck.

But I was given no time to appreciate it. The two dragons seemingly formed purely of Chakra and energy started chasing after me, dancing like the Chinese Dragon dance I've seen on the tv. Of course, as fast as Fasttrack was, not only could I easily evade those dragons, was I able to attempt to assess their jutsu.

Hanzo didn't pull a punch: he started shooting a series of arrows in different directions. Hmm, so he calculated the potential escape routes I might use and decided to fire strikes in those direction. The only issue was, I was faster than arrows and dragons.

But it was a team battle through and through.

Genji drew one of his swords and dashed at me like a real ninja would. I sidestepped to the side, before avoiding Hanzo's arrows and stepped back to where Genji was. The latter spun on his feet and swiped his sword like a small tornado but I was able to dodge by crouching. Then as he brought down the sword at me, I jumped upward, the blade dramatically cutting one of Hanzo's flying arrows into two.

You know what is the best? I could clearly witness how beautifully his sword cut through the arrow. It was a scene straight out of anime.

"Sorry pal!" I said and kicked the dude in the face, sending him flying.

"Got you!" Hanzo slowly grinned.

"Wha—" I was suddenly overrun by the two dragons that phased through my body. I felt like my very life energy was drawn out by the dragons.

Just what kind of attack is this…

"This is Shimada Clan's Secret Jutsu," he said as I was brought to my knees. "Not many people see it with their own eyes and survive."

"... such a powerful jutsu, I see," I groaned, violently working my alien lungs to take in a breath.

"Now give us your scroll and we will let you live," Hanzo threatened.

With a flash of green light, I transformed back, then stayed on my four, panting.

The dragons finally got absorbed into Hanzo's body and dispersed, as if giving my chakra back to its user.

"What I have is a Heaven scroll," I said, panting. "Is that ok with you?"

"... Heaven is okay," he replied.

I glanced around and saw Kiriko was tending to Genji. Man, I didn't even kick him that hard.

"Sorry, dude," I made a fake handsign and grinned. "Had to deceive you. Yuki Mahoutsukai."

From his reaction, there was a higher chance that they had an Earth scroll. I didn't know who out of the three kept it.

I transformed into Big Chill and unfolded my wings.

"What's going on?" Hanzo said, drawing his bow and aiming at me. "The dragons should have devoured most of your chakra."

"I have no idea," I lied. "Anyway, round 2?"

The real reason behind it was simple. Transforming doesn't spend Chakra.

"Hanzo!" Kiriko called out, supporting Genji.

"Dang, Scattered Arrows Technique!"

Hanzo rapidly drew and released a series of arrows in several directions, ensuring I wouldn't escape. Logically, I wasn't in a condition to avoid those arrows.

While transforming and shape-maintaining process doesn't consume Chakra, my body still uses its own life energy to move and act. So in other words, I had been pushed to my limits, having exhausted physically.

That's why I chose Big Chill anyway.

I didn't dodge. Instead, I allowed the arrows to pass through my intangible body.

"How?" Frustrated, Hanzo fired a few more arrows in a rapid rate, again failing to hit because I was literally cheating. "How!?"

"Sorry, buddy, you have to take a rest for now," I unleashed a cloud of ice breath, encasing his bow in ice, which he immediately dropped. "Don't worry. This won't be life-threatening, I swear."

"Damn it!"

I phased through the helpless Hanzo and imprisoned him in a block of ice.

"This should do it…" I turned back toward the other two. "You don't stand a chance. Now give me your scroll. It's an Earth, right?"

Kiriko scowled at me but brought out their scroll anyway. It was really an Earth scroll.

"I'm really sorry," I took the scroll and bowed at them as an apology. "The ice will… melt soon, so don't worry about him. See you."

And I turned invisible to take my leave.

"Grrr!" Kiriko exploded her anger at Genji, slamming the poor young man with the ground. "He totally… humiliated us!"

"Um," Genji wasn't bothered. "I don't know, he humiliated me and my brother for sure. I don't think he humiliated you—"

"Grr!" The mad kunoichi grabbed his neck.

Well… now I've got my hands on both scrolls. But I feel like I caused a civil war between them. Please forgive me, the Hanzo bunch.

Now time to get to the tower. I have no energy to spare. I must arrive at the final destination and take a rest already!

"Jetray, you're up for the task!" I slammed the Omnitrix symbol, transforming into an aerophibian.

A few mere seconds wandering up in the air, the tower of destination was quickly spotted. I descended near the tower and turned back to human.

I wanted to crawl into the tower. I was barely able to walk.

"Heh…" I looked up at the surprised proctors, showing them my scrolls. "... do I pass?"

They exchanged glances. "Yeah, you do. Go into the tower."

I dragged my body into the building. I could still feel the two sets of gazes on my back.

I took a breath and halted.

"... where can I find some drinking water?"

- (Transition) -

Damn, I wasn't this exhausted when I used Hyakuken (A Hundred Hydro Fists) against Zabuza-san. That Hanzo really got me good. What if he drained all my chakra? Would I die?

Hold on. What happens if I die again? Do I die for real or resurrect like the last time?

While I was still resting in the lobby, Gaara of the Desert and his gang arrived at the tower. I assumed they finished the exam about half an hour later than me. Well, there wasn't anyone before me anyway. I don't think these rankings matter though.

"Yo. Nice to see you passed the exam," I greeted them.

"..." Gaara stared at a moment without a walk and then walked away without a valid response.

The sandy blonde woman and cat-eared guy behind him didn't respond to me either. But they weren't particularly ignoring me: rather they had fearful expressions on their faces.

The woman gave me a brief irritated look that screamed "SHUT UP," though. The two quietly followed Gaara into another room.

"What's up with these guys…" I swallowed the rant and leaned back on the bench.

Later, that night…

I decided to take a leisurely look at the Forest of Death from the veranda I found on the tower. It was awfully quiet at night, but still could often hear hisses and noises of the beasts crawling around in the forest.

Kiba, Hinata, and Shino also finished the exam earlier. Good for them. But I couldn't tell what was going on at the time in the forest just by gazing at it from here.

"Hello, Young Master Benjamin…"

I blinked and looked around upon hearing that British male voice.

A voice I haven't heard in more than a decade…

"... I've been searching for you for decades and now I've finally found you," he said.

"... Professor Paradox?"

And with the clash of swords echoing through the ancient forest, this chapter's tale reaches its final page.

Sorry, I mean, this chapter has reached its end.

This chapter covered the Chuunin Exam first, and second parts. The first part was mostly filled with monologues so it's not that important. Don't regret it if you skipped that. Today's chapter is long, but has fewer fighting scenes than previous chapters.

Shimada Dragon Brothers and Kiriko of the Fox Spirit will be given a backstory and subplot in the future. BUT they won't contribute much to the main story.

1. Devouring Dragon Jutsu uses large amount of user's Chakra. When the Dragons are retrieved however, the user regained the remaining unused Chakra (similar to Shadow Clone) and absorbed Chakra back. So while this jutsu is powerful, it's a double-edged sword for the user if they can't control the dragons effectively.

2. Today's opening scene features Azmuth, Albedo, and Tetrax Shard. Like I've said before, this is the way I will slowly introduce Ben's past life, piece by piece, like backstory-revealing flashbacks in Naruto canon. Also, "don't explain everything to readers. Let their imagination work too."

3. Regarding a review from the previous chapter, while in alien form, Benji hit the Omnitrix symbol to transform back, which is an old habit. Ben Tennyson has a tendency to forget some functions of the Omnitrix. Moreover, Benji isn't aware of most functions of the Omnitrix— even his past self wasn't.

4. I considered an alternative route where Benji cheats. In this route, he will use Big Chill or Ghostfreak to gather information somehow, like taking a toilet break or straight-up turning invisible midway into the exam. Another alternative involves a non-canon alien created by Tom Perkins, namely Jak the Freeze. As his name suggests, Jak can stop time in his proximity.

5. You would notice that Benji addressed strangers by nicknames in his inner monologues. Benji is also probably the only character who often addresses others by their family name. No one except Lee is called by their family name in the series.

Thanks for reading and your reviews!

Sincerely,

Chris Chronos.