?￢ﾜ ? ~ Chapter Eighteen — The Chunin Exams ~ ?￢ﾜ ?ￂﾠ

Scarlet eyes, they shone like stained glass under the morning light. They were the first thing Shinrai saw when he opened his own. He couldn't hold back his smile. "Good morning!"

"Good morning, Shinrai," Yora greeted in kind. Her hands were gently placed on the wound in his chest, glowing that medical green. A calming aura, everything just felt… so good under her hands.

Neither of them spoke for a while… the awkward silence made Yora cleared her throat. "What do you want to do? What's your goal…"

"To help my brother become Hokage!" he answered without missing a beat. There isn't a damned thing I'd do to help him! I'd even cut my own dick off!"

"Oh—" Yora sputtered, her pale skin flushed the color of her eyes. "I… really do respect the loyalty… it's nice."

Shinrai laughed. "Yeah, I really do love him…" Love, his other goal. The flutter of his heart made his chest tingle. He wanted to look into her eyes, he didn't have the guts to. Instead, he looked at her thin pink lips… it felt weird to stare so he just drifted his gaze over her black top, the pale skin of her neck, her sharp jawline, the way her cheeks still flushed.

Every detail of her was the best thing ever.

Especially her smile.

Oh, he loved her smile.

"Yeah, I can tell…" Yora said, finally answering his question. He wondered what she was thinking about. With a sigh, she leaned forward, pressing her hands onto his chest just a bit harder.

"Do you have a goal?"

"Yes!" she answered excitedly with a breath. Her smile grew into a grin and Shinrai reciprocated on instinct. "I want to… heal the world. My mom… died because she got sick…" Her smile faded. "It was something that could've been prevented. So, it's my goal to make sure nobody ever gets sick…"

Yora sighed. "I know, it's dumb, it's not going—"

"Don't say that, it's a beautiful goal," assured Shinrai, keeping his smile. "Naruto is the most hated person in the village, and he wants to become Hokage… I've been rejected by almost thirty girls, and I still think one is going to love me some day.

"Just keep working at it… you'll succeed because it's right. It just seems wrong for you not to, you know?"

Yora looked at him blankly… before shifting her head down and smiling. "Thanks…" She chuckled. "You're… you're the first person to say that I could do it…"

"Because you can, duh."

Yora laughed and shook her head. "Shut up…" She let out a sigh. "I wish I could give you a hug."

Shinrai's eyes lit up. "What's stopping you?"

"Your chest…"

"A hug will be worth begin bedridden a couple more days."

She blinked, then shook her head and laughed again. "You're… so…"

"Shinrai," he answered with a laugh. "I'm just Shinrai."

Her smile grew. "Alright… Shinrai," she said.

He smiled back.

"Shinrai," he said.

Nothing.

"Shinrai," he said once again.

Once again, nothing.

He sighed, caressing the metal of the ivory blade in his grasp. "Why isn't this working…?" His world bled to scarlet as he looked at the blade. Chakra was forced through the metal, following the lines of intricate seals.

"Shinrai," he tried for a third.

The third time was not the charm.

He groaned, unsheathing the midnight blade from his waist. "Yora," he said.

The chakra in the blade danced, flowing freely out of the restraints from any seals. His eyes narrowed. A knock at the door drew his attention. "Come in, Naruto."

The door flung open and Naruto looked in. "Still trying to frankenstein those blades?"

Shinrai let out a sigh. "Yeah, it's not working, though."

"Maybe I can help…?" suggested Naruto.

"Nah," refused Shinrai.

"Yeah, it's not like we have time here, anyway. The Chunin Exams start today!"

Shinrai paled. "Shit—"

He leapt to his feet and took in the absolute mess that was his room. Ink splattered, papers scattered. It pained him to leave it like this. But he needed to. He grabbed his blades and ran out of his apartment with Naruto in tow.

The moment he was outside, he felt something. With a furrowed brow, he pulled his left sleeve back and looked at his wrist. A small seal on it glowed. Lord Danzo…?

"Hey Shinrai!" called Naruto, about a dozen feet ahead of him.

He pulled at his sleeve and concealed it. "I have to go… It's important."

"Oh come on!" drawled Naruto. "You're gonna be late, y'know!"

"I'll catch up with you! Don't worry!" yelled Shinrai as he ran into a nearby alleyway. He was alone, and it didn't take long at all for him to be knocked unconscious. Painlessly, he woke up underground, among the roots which supported the leaves.

"I appreciate your punctuality, Shinrai," said Danzo, who stood beside him, as still as a corpse.

Shinrai quickly stood up to bow. "I try my best, Lord Danzo."

Danzo looked forward, into the darkness which shrouded the system of roots. The strength of the wood single handedly held up the expanse of dirt and rock above. "I have an important objective for you."

He nodded.

"Pass the Chunin exams."

"Yeah… that was my plan."

"Good. I know of many Genin who only take the Exams to gain experience. Not that it is a faulty mindset. However, it cannot be yours."

"And why is that?" asked Shinrai, looking Danzo in the eye.

He didn't look back. "You've agreed to help me whenever I need in exchange for the information on your past and parents. As a Genin, it is difficult for you to hold up your end of the bargain. You lack freedom."

Shinrai frowned in agreement. "Yeah…"

"Passing the exams and being promoted to Chunin will grant you that freedom."

Danzo looked Shinrai in the eyes and the boy couldn't contain his shiver. "Under any circumstance, you cannot fail the Chunin Exams. Am I understood?"

Shinrai hummed. "I understand… but what happens if I do fail?"

"Then I will take back the scroll I gave you about your parents." Danzo snapped his fingers, and in a puff of smoke said scroll was in his hand. Shinrai paled. "I will next erase all memory of everything you've learned from that scroll.

"You will remember the scroll, and that I was the one that gave it to you, and that I was the one who erased your memory." Danzo looked Shinrai directly in the eyes. "I will ask again, am I understood?"

With gritted teeth, he nodded stiffly. "Yeah, you don't need to worry about a thing, Lord Danzo."

Danzo nodded in kind. "Good. I wish you luck, Shinrai."

Before he could thank him, Shinrai was knocked unconscious once again. He awoke on a rooftop, the Academy in sight. Where the Chunin Exams would take place. In a flicker, he vanished toward the location.

I cannot fail these exams… Shinrai thought with a shiver. All he knew about his parents… would be gone. He couldn't bear the thought—Shinrai ceased his flicker. There was no way could or could not guarantee his passing… and he was strong, he found himself more likely to pass than fail.

But… just in case…

He pulled out a sheet of folded paper and spread it out on the ground, secluded in a different alleyway, close to the Academy. It was there… he wrote.

Hajime Uzumaki, my father. From there, he wrote down what he remembered off the top of his head. Born in The Land of Whirlpools, one of the last products of the Uzumaki/Senju marriage alliance… Shinrai paused at that. He never quite told Gosei that they kinda shared a clan lineage. It felt weird, and he wasn't too sure if he appreciated it all that much. There wasn't anything he could do about it, it didn't matter.

Was one of the few to escape Uzu's eradication during the second war, also one of the few Uzumaki to escape that didn't have the special chakra. After that, he noted down all of the Jutsu that was in the scroll; they were all burned into his brain, thanks to the Sharingan.

Next… his mother. Shizu Uzumaki, my mother. He smiled a bit more when he wrote his mother's name. Born outside of The Land of Whirlpools, place unknown. Nomadic traveller with her family. After that, he wrote down all of her jutsu. They were quite unique, a lot of Genjutsu… because of her special chakra ability.

Her Special Chakra ability created an force and well of Yin Chakra equally powerful to her natural Yang as an Uzumaki, she was known for her Yin variant of the Adamantine Chains… He wondered if he could obtain them somehow. Her chakra was inside of him.

After Uzu's slaughter, Shizu met with Hajime, became close, they were never officially married. They had a child… me. After two years of living happily, Shizu, her family, and Hajime were all killed by Orochimaru.

Shinrai shivered as he wrote down that name. With a sigh, he folded the paper once again, then pocketed it. A contingency plan, on the off chance that he failed the Chunin Exams. He leapt up and flickered to the Academy, he was already late enough.

—⊱✿⊰—

"Mother…"

She sighed. "I'm sorry it's been so long since I've last spoken with you. Life took me by storm, I must say."

It was overcast—had been for months—so, there was no light to shimmer on the woman's portrait. "I'll be taking the Chunin Exams today, Neji as well. I've trained very hard, but not for the exams, necessarily."

Her Byakugan came to life. As she expected, nobody but her brother was in or near her home. "I vow to free the Branch Family. The Main Branch has bastardized fate for far too long. I refuse to let it stand. Not a second longer than I can help it. Because of my goal… Neji's training has been quite harsh. It has done nothing but benefit me."

Fists clenched with determination as her eyes shut. "I was almost sent to see you. Twice since I last talked to you. Your sacrifice would've been wasted because I was too weak to use it. Never again! I will use the gift of life you gave to me to free us all. Your sacrifice not only gave me life, but it will save the lives of every Branch Member alive now, and the lives of all the children that will be born."

She bowed. "Thank you! Thank you… Thank you so much, mother. For giving me everything."

When the door opened, Neji bowed toward the shrine of his mother, then looked toward his sister. "Kusari, it is time we go."

"It is," she agreed with a breath as she stood up straight.

Neji tilted his head. "Is something the matter?"

"No, I am okay," answered Kusari. She stood straight, and placed the fallen white streak of her hair back into place. "What was it like when you took the exams last year?"

"It was… difficult."

"Even for you?" asked Kusari with a raised brow.

Neji nodded, walking out of the room with Kusari following. "There is a reason why I am still a Genin, Kusari. Most of the challenges involved teamwork, so my team held me back."

"I see…"

"I have since learned to work with them, and they have since become more competent."

"I'm aware…" she murmured, holding her jaw as the phantom ache of a kick entered her mind.

Neji chuckled. "If it makes you feel any better, Lee was very happy to have beaten you."

"I am aware," she reiterated.

This time, Neji laughed.

—⊱✿⊰—

Preparing the night before was a good idea. Because of that, he had the whole morning to meditate. It took him a lot not to image train the whole time, but that would drain his chakra. He needed all of the chakra he could muster to crush the competition as intended. The Chunin Exams were a simple stepping stone on his journey to greatness. His path to Hokage.

That was all it was.

However, he did have an unexpected visitor on his path. It did not take him long to notice that Natsuyo silently joined him in his meditation. She also planned to take the Chunin Exams, despite not even being a Genin for half a year. She had the strength for it for sure, but he wasn't sure about her experience.

It was lucky that he had the experience of his mission in the Land of Grass. That gave him yet another advantage over his competition. He doubted most Genin were in a position where they had to fight for their lives. Natsuyo was one of them.

He didn't think that she would get promoted, not at all. It was a miracle she made Genin so early, but lightning does not strike the same place twice. The experience would make her a better Shinobi, and he was glad she was taking it.

Even with the sun hidden by the clouds, he knew it was time to go. Natsuyo did as well, it seemed. She opened her eyes at the near exact same time as him. Gosei smiled down at her. "Are you ready, sister?"

"Yeah, I do think I'm ready to get promoted to Chunin after this," she said before leaping to her feet with a grin. "Man, I am pumped!"

"If there's one thing you have over me, it's spirit."

"And academy graduation age."

Gosei shook his head and laughed. "Let us go, we cannot be late to the exams."

"Yeah, I'd hate to miss out because my elder brother was too slow to keep up!" she yelled before sprinting across the water.

"Hey!" yelled Gosei back as he ran after her.

—⊱✿⊰—

He sat with his legs crossed in his chair. The little kids were growing up so fast… it felt like it was only yesterday that his little Genin were ganging up on him in insubordination. If they tried that now, he might actually have to try a bit. Only a bit, though…

What was crazier to him, was that he was different from when he met Team 5 as well. Aiko was back in Konoha, that was a plus. He could see and talk to Naruto again—finally. Miya and he… were talking again. He even managed to get back into training again and knocked the rust off of himself.

Ryujin let out an uneasy sigh. Life is actually… looking up. This is too good to be true.

"I know that face, Ryu," said a voice through the open window.

He groaned. "Can you not keep showing up at my house unannounced, please."

"You taught me how to walk up walls and you're going to deal with the consequences," countered Aiko as she climbed into the window.

Ryujin sighed and Aiko walked over to pat him on his head. "If you're happy, then just be happy!"

"Last time things looked this good, the Kyuubi attacked."

Aiko paused, then pursed her lips in contemplation. "Well… if you think this feeling is so fleeting, then enjoy it while it lasts…?"

Ryujin chuckled at the attempt. "If there's something bad on the horizon, then I need to prepare."

"I'm sure you can take over the village by force if you want to—you'll be fine."

"I definitely cannot do that, and if my Genin are taking the Chunin Exams, I can't be outdone by them, am I right?" Ryujin stood and stretched. "I need to do… something. At least until the end of the Forest of Death, which I'll enter in a day or two from now. That's when I expect them to pass it, anyway."

"Uh huh…" A flash of guilt seemed to narrow Aiko's eyes. "Speaking of them… How's Shinrai?"

"He seems fine," answered Ryujin.

She frowned. "Seems or is?"

"I haven't sensed anything off, if that's what you're asking."

AIko rolled her eyes. "You barely know how your own students are doing!"

"I'm his sensei, not his therapist."

"Ryujin."

He let out a breath. "He'll be fine, Aiko. I've lost people at his age, hell, even younger than him!"

"You're not exactly a prime example for positive mental health."

"Tis a part of being a Shinobi," said Ryujin with a dismissive sigh.

Aiko shook her head. "You can at least try, y'know…"

"I have, didn't exactly work out." With that, Ryujin waved back at Aiko and flickered out the window she came in through. Okay, what am I going to do? His eyes narrowed. Am I truly ready for that? To take the next step in the Kyuubi's chakra…?

He couldn't hold back his shudder. No, not yet. I'm not ready.

—⊱✿⊰—

Her little Genin grew up, and it was the most terrifying thing to her. They could die in these exams, Shinrai, Naruto, Hinata, Kiba, Shino… they were all rookies and some more experienced Genin were ruthless. Well, Shinrai was equally ruthless if she was being honest with herself. But—the others.

Were they ready? The moment Team 8 found out about the exams, they pestered her non-stop—especially Hinata. She wouldn't have been surprised if the girl impersonated her to get herself in the exams with how determined she was. It felt wrong to deny her team the possibility of a promotion. With the tiny Uzumaki, it was out of her hands.

Kakashi and Ryu sent Team 7 and 5 in the exams with a smile on their faces. I guess I understand… The Chunin Exams were as good an experience as any mission. They'd be better for it—that's why she agreed to send them in there but—

Miya groaned. Then, she yelped as a finger flicked her cheek. She glared at Kakashi, who sat next to her with his signature eye smile. "Your children are going to fineee." he assured.

"I know! But… they're not me. So I'm scared for them."

"Well, isn't that the arrogant thing to say," he commented off-handedly. "This generation may not be as fast on the come-up as us… but they have even more potential. You know this always happens during peace-time."

"I know! I know—"

"—If you know, then why are you worrying?"

Miya gave him an unamused look. "You know bad things can happen regardless. I know that bad things can still happen so I'm worrying."

"You really have no faith in your Genin. You must be a terrible sensei."

"Hey! I trained them into the dirt every chance I got. My team would beat your team had I not trained Naruto the same way!"

"Uh huh…" said Kakashi as he nodded along. "So, if Team 8 has a good chance against Team 7, and I think that Team 7 has a chance for at least one of them to be promoted to Chunin… why are you worried again?"

Miya went silent. "I hate you so much."

"So… this is what happens when a woman meets facts and logic…"

"Excuse me?!"

"What? I didn't say anything~"

Kakashi then pulled out his copy of Icha Icha and began reading. It was snatched out of his hands then quite literally sealed shut. "Now, why would you do that? I'm going to be bored now."

"Good," huffed Miya.

Kakashi hummed. "I guess I'll keep bothering you then!" he cheerfully suggested before poking her in the shoulder. Then her neck. Then her cheek. Miya flicked his next finger away and swatted the one after that.

She drawled an unamused look his way. All he responded with was his signature eye smile, another finger slowly making its way toward her face. She grabbed it between two of her own and drove it away.

"Aw, that one was going to be my favorite."

Miya managed to chuckle and shake her head… barely noticing that Kakashi's non-stop irritation overtook the anxiety at the forefront of her mind. Said irritation flared as Kakashi poked her shoulder once again. If she had a minute to think… all the worry would come back.

Unfortunately, Miya removed herself from his presence after another five minutes of little-sibling like annoyance. What was even worse for him, was that she never unsealed his book.

—⊱✿⊰—

He didn't feel ready. He was with his team in the waiting room for the exams; they seemed ready. Of course, he made it look like he was ready! He was Naruto freaking Uzumaki; everyone needed to know that he meant business! But… he also didn't feel that way. The training he put himself through, as well as Kakashi-sensei, Papa Ryu, and Ms. Miya was hard. If he and himself from before the training were to fight, he'd beat his past self up easily!

But… he couldn't shake the fact that he needed to be stronger. Shinrai was way farther along with his seals than he was. Papa Ryu never taught him how to use the Kyuubi's chakra, only how to control it. To make sure that he wouldn't rampage again. He couldn't summon it at will or use it to power up.

Shinrai and he were always equals, but now it was looking like his brother had the edge. He had the Sharingan and sealing jutsu. Not that Shinrai was good at seals, but Naruto was just worse. The only thing he really had over him was the Shadow Clone Jutsu. He could make a thousand… and Shinrai could only make fifteen.

Wait… Naruto snickered. If he could make a thousand clones, then he'd beat up anyone here. He just needed to make sure he had the motivation to do it… he hadn't made that many since he was really mad at Mizuki.

Naruto let out a sigh. It didn't matter how strong he thought he was, or how strong he thought he needed to be. He was Naruto freaking Uzumaki. He'd pass these exams, become Chunin, then Jonin, then the Hokage.

However, something ahead of him caught his attention.

He, Sakura, and Sasuke looked forward. A boy who looked kind of similar to Shinrai but definitely wasn't grinned at him. He had the same dark skin and crimson hair. But the boy here was more muscular, taller, and had some weird face paint… It looked like a cat. He also had a very black Katana strapped to his side, it didn't have a sheath.

"Hello, Kyuubi," he greeted with a giddy grin.

Naruto stepped back. "What the hell—? You can't go around saying that! How do you even know?!" His eyes darted to the boy's headband. He was from Kumo…

The boy paused. "Oh—is it a secret here in Konoha or something?!"

Naruto nodded incredulously and tilted his head toward his teammates. "Let's take this somewhere else…"

"Oh… Sure!" He huffed out blue fire and followed Naruto to a more discrete location. "Anyway~" he continued, before pointing to himself. "Nibi."

Chills crawled over Naruto's spine as the chill of death enveloped him. "Oh, so you have one too."

"Yup!" exclaimed the boy with an excited laugh. "The Kyuubi is the strongest Bijuu! So, I was really excited to meet you! And the other Kyuubi Jinchuriki? I still don't know how that works—"

He suddenly stopped, as if he was listening intently. "Ohhh! Thanks Nibi! Now I'm not confused anymore."

"Are you okay?!" sputtered Naruto.

He laughed. "Yeah! Nibi told me what she thought was going on, so yeah…"

"It talks to you, eh?" Naruto chuckled. "Must be scary."

"Yeah, sometimes, but Nibi's nicer than you think once you get to know her!"

Naruto's brows furrowed. "You're talking about a Bijuu like it's a human being."

"Well, because they kind of are? What's that word again? Sent… Sin…?"

Naruto watched on in confused silence. What is he talking about?

"Yes! Sentient!" He thanked someone under his breath. "They have names, personalities, and everything else that we have!"

"You're lying!" accused Naruto with a pointed finger.

The Nibi boy tilted his head. "I'm not…? Why would I lie?"

"I don't know," admitted Naruto as he huff. "Just seems… wrong. The other Jinchuriki always told me it was an irredeemable monster."

"He," corrected the Nibi boy. "Kyuubi's a he. Also, the Bijuu aren't monsters. They're just mad at humanity since we kind of enslaved them all… and destroyed the natural order of the world and stuff…"

"What?" asked Naruto, even more confused.

He pointed to the sky. "Y'know how it's been cloudy for months straight?"

"Yeah…?"

"That's because the weather got fucked up, and the Nanabi's unable to fix it because she's trapped in a Jinchuriki."

"Oh." For once, Naruto was silent. Is this really all true? He shook his head. "I don't know… it just seems like a lot to take in…"

"It is?" questioned the Nibi boy.

Naruto nodded slowly. "Yeah… what's your name?"

"Oh I never told you—" he spattered. "Ka'rai! Ka'rai Uzumaki!"

I knew he was an UzumakI! Naruto grinned and puffed out his chest. "Naruto Uzumaki!"

Naruto and Ka'rai stared into each other's eyes, giddy with shared excitement. As Naruto looked, however, he couldn't help but feel there was something off with him. Guilt squeezed the joy Ka'rai felt, and it was as clear as day to Naruto.

He ignored it for now.

"So…" started Ka'rai with a smirk. "How much of the Kyuubi's power can you use?"

Insecurity slammed its fist into Naruto's gut. "Only a bit… when I'm really mad."

"Damn…" he muttered. "So, you can't basically…"

"No…"

"Well, that's disappointing."

Naruto couldn't hold back his frown. "Sorry."

"Eh, it's fine." Dismissively, Ka'rai waved his hand. "There are other Jinchuriki I can fight."

"There are?!"

"Yeah!" Ka'rai pointed his thumb back. "Redhead from Suna, Shukaku—or the Ichibi. He's… weird. Blue-haired girl from Taki, Nanabi! She's sad."

"How do you know?" asked Naruto… the insecurity clawed at him as he shifted his hand into his hair. There has to be something I have over him…

"Nibi tells me!"

Of course… "How good are you at sealing jutsu?"

"Uh…" This time it was Ka'rai looking a little off. "I can only mess with the Nibi's seal, making it looser or tighter." Then he pointed to his Katana. "My sword has seals on it too! I can mess with those a bit."

"HA!" shouted Naruto triumphantly. "I'm better than you at seals! I can blow shit up."

"Oh! I can too!" Ka'rai grinned his eyes shut, unbeknownst to Naruto's cracking smile. "My chakra is unstable! So it just… wants to blow up all the time."

"Cool… How many clones can you make?" asked Naruto with a desperate glint in his eyes. Say none! Say none—please say none!"

"Oh, I don't know any clone jutsu," said Ka'rai. "I can barely control my own chakra because it explodes whenever I use it."

"AHA! I can make a thousand clones!"

"Oh shit—" Ka'rai sputtered. "How much chakra do you have?!"

"A whole lot! Plus, it's orange and really really strong!" He stuck out his palm and raw orange chakra spewed from his hand.

Ka'rai beamed. "Woah! Cool! You're really cool, Naruto!"

"So are you! My brother's really cool too!" Naruto surveyed the room for him. "Where… is he?"

"You have a brother?!" Ka'rai crossed his arms and huffed. "Lucky…"

Naruto smirked. "Yeah… He's the best."

"I bet you don't have a girlfriend, though!"

"..."

Ka'rai smirked triumphantly.

"Fuck you."

—⊱✿⊰—

"You're late," growled Gosei with a glare.

Kusari shared his glare. "Care to explain why?"

"I signed an NDA," said Shinrai nonchalantly. "It was important, if I missed out on it I'd be as good as dead."

"Is that an exaggeration?" asked Kusari.

Shinrai shrugged. "I honestly do not know."

"It's an exaggeration," Gosei answered for Shinrai. "Now hurry up and c'mon!"

"We are right in front of the academy—we're fine," assured Shinrai as Gosei walked forward ahead of him. Kusari did the same, pulling Shinrai along by the wrist.

As she did, she leaned back to whisper, "Is it an exaggeration? Truthfully."

"I said I don't know!" he answered, louder than Kusari would've liked. She sighed as she continued to pull him along. Gosei verbally rushed them through the doors, through the sign in—he rushed the people checking them, as well—and into the second floor. Shinrai saved them some time by immediately noticing the Genjutsu. They went to the correct floor and checked in.

They entered the waiting rooms for the Chunin Exams. Immediately, Kusari's eyes focused in on the headbands of six contestants. The metal was engraved with three clouds. She couldn't stop the clenching of her fists—nor the boiling of her anger.

"Kumo…" she sneered.

Shinrai's brow raised. "Yeah? What about Kumo?"

"That village is just as responsible for my father's death as the Main Branch." She took a deep breath and allowed her rage to quell.

Shinrai smirked. "Ooo! So we'll kill them all in the name of vengeance!"

Kusari simply shrugged at the prospect. However, Gosei didn't involve himself with the conversation. He instead scanned the room, sizing up each and every contestant there. His lips curled into a smirk as he concluded that, "None of them hold a candle to me."

"Hey, don't count out my brother like that!" shouted Shinrai.

"Or mine…" added Kusari.

Gosei shrugged. "Unless Naruto can harness that chakra inside, then he cannot beat me. As for Neji…" He looked to Kusari's brother, who sat with his own team. There wasn't a glance he didn't spare toward the Kumo Genin.

"He'll be a worthy opponent," concluded Gosei.

Kusari tilted her head then activated her Byakugan. Immediately, a bright blue light stuck out at her, one of red right next to it—Naruto—and then one of gold and a final one the color of sand. The lights were concentrated on one part of their body, yet drawn to each other.

"There are four Jinchuriki here, including Naruto," she told her team.

Shinrai coughed. "Oh shit—"

"One of them is talking to Naruto," she added.

"Oh shit!" he stammered before locating his brother and jogging over to him. Gosei stayed, his eyes narrowed.

"Who?" he asked.

Kusari pointed to the Kumo Genin talking to Naruto. "I'd guess that he's an Uzumaki as well, his chakra is similar to Naruto's and Shinrai's." Her finger drifted to another redhead, his skin was pale and the sandy chakra radiated from the love Kanji on his forehead. "Him as well." Lastly, Kusari pointed to a tanned girl from Taki. "And her."

"Hmmm…" Gosei's eyes narrowed. "Depending how much control they have over their Bijuu, they could be a threat."

"Shinrai's talking to one of them right now…" murmured Kusari. "He should have intel for us."

"Didn't Shinrai just indirectly threaten his life?" Gosei questioned.

Kusari shrugged. "That was probably before he learned they were clansmen. There aren't many Uzumaki left, it's only natural that he'd want to be on good terms with any that he'd find. Even if they're from… Kumo."

"You truly do despise that village."

"With every fiber of my being."

Kusari's eyes drifted to the gaze she felt on her. What she saw was the only thing she hated just as much as Kumo. The heiress. They made eye contact, Kusari could barely hold back her glare. The heiress as always, kept her composure and nodded to her. Kusari couldn't stand to look at her for a second longer.

"Let's go somewhere else," suggested—or rather commanded—Kusari.

Gosei raised his brow. "Where?"

"Not here," was her answer as she walked off. With a sigh, Gosei followed.

—⊱✿⊰—

Meanwhile, Shinrai made his way toward Naruto and that other Jinchuriki. He looked a bit like himself, down to having a blade on his side. But, he had two blades. That other Jinchuriki has been out sworded by him.

"You're a fucking Jinchuriki!" exclaimed Shinrai, pointing at the Jinchuriki that wasn't Naruto.

The Jinchuriki that was Naruto, huffed out an exasperated breath. "Where the hell have you been, Shinrai?! The exams have to start pretty soon!"

"I told you I can't say, Naruto," he said with a huff. Then he set his eyes on the boy. "Who are you?"

"Ka'rai! Uzumaki!"

Shinrai laughed. "Oh shit! Nice! I barely see any other Uzumaki besides Naruto and Ms. Miya…" Not at all, actually.

Ka'rai didn't seem to register Shinrai's words. Instead, deep in thought and listening. Then, he cleared his throat. "Yo, Shinrai! In your sword, the black one, there's a soul in there."

A cold like no other washed over him—his hand instinctively moved by her hilt. It took too much out of him to quell the panic. "What—?" he managed to say.

"Yeah! Nibi wants me to release it because things like that aren't supposed to happen." Ka'rai reached his hand out to grab Yora. His freezing panic spiked as he slapped Ka'rai's hand away. Next, he shot a venomous glare at Ka'rai.

He quickly smiled—it was fake, but he was good at faking smiles. "Touch her and I'll fucking kill you."

Ka'rai chuckled. "But… she's not supposed to be there."

"She chose to be there," he said, his smirk contorting and his glare intensifying as the conversation dragged on. "She stays."

Ka'rai pulled at the collar of the white armor he wore. "But, it goes against the rules of nature. And Nibi doesn't like it—"

"Well, Nibi and the rules of nature can both kiss my fucking ass."

The temperature rose at the same time chills went down Shinrai's spine. Ka'rai seemed more uncomfortable. "You made Nibi mad."

"I already said it can kiss my ass," Shinrai reiterated, stepping back and placing his hand on Yora's hilt. "She stays."

Shinrai's eyes darted toward Naruto, his panic rose again. He quickly made sure nothing but his eyes conveyed any emotion. He wasn't shaking, sweating, yeah his heart was racing, but Naruto couldn't tell. His breathing was controlled as well. Naruto was obviously confused, made clear by the questioning look he gave Shinrai.

He pretended not to see it, instead looking back toward Ka'rai, who was quite exasperated. With a shaking of his head, he declared, "She, by the way! Nibi's a she!"

Shinrai titled his head bemusedly. "Odd… never heard of that before."

"Well, ask your brother about it because I've had to explain this like a hundred times today and I don't feel like doing it again."

Shinrai shrugged. "Fair enough. So she like… talks to you in your head or something?"

"Yeah exactly!" confirmed Ka'rai. "She also likes to keep the souls of her past Jinchuriki with her! So I have the one before me talking to me in my head! So there are like, two girls inside me all the time! You'd think it'd be the opposite!"

Shinrai laughed while the joke went over Naruto's head.

Shinrai then placed a hand on his chin. "I wonder if the Kyuubi ever talks to Ryu…?"

"Ryu? Is he the other one?" asked Ka'rai.

Shinrai opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself. "I feel like I'm not supposed to say that. Since you're from…" Shinrai looked at his headband. "Kumo, and all." He chuckled. "Y'know, Kusari probably really doesn't like us talking to you…"

Naruto hummed. "Oh yeah! You're probably right—"

"I mean, she's part of a clan too, so she'd understand, right?!"

Naruto shrugged.

Shinrai looked back, looking for Kusari's gaze in the crowd. It didn't take her long to notice him, and not much longer for her to decode the meaning behind the look. With a sigh, she nodded at him to go ahead. Yes! He celebrated before wrapping his arms around both his brother and Ka'rai. "Kusari said it's fine! Let's fuck around until the exams start!"

"Great idea!" agreed Naruto.

Ka'rai let out a guilty sounding chuckle. "Yeah…!"

It was odd, for sure. But, Shinrai paid it no mind. Some Uzumaki needed to cause some chaos.

—⊱✿⊰—

Some time later, in rows of desks the Genin sat. Dozens of three-man teams all randomly spread out from each other. In front of them all, was a pen and paper. On the paper was a test with nine questions, which they had one hour before the tenth question would be revealed to them.

Shinrai skimmed the test with a near-dozing nod. He smirked as he read over all nine questions. Easy, he noted. Before he started, he made sure to clasp his hands together in gratitude. Thank you so much, Ms. Miya. Without you, I'd be neck deep in hot shit because of this.

From then on, he answered the questions with ease. He had forty-five minutes before the exam was finished… so he decided to nap. First, he elbowed the boy next to him. He was from Kumo, his hair was blond and shaggy, it covered his eyes. "Hey, wake me up when the tenth question is revealed."

"Alright?" The boy sighed afterward.

The moment Shinrai leaned back in his chair, he heard a curse from the row in front of him. A curse from the second voice he ever cared to hear in his life. He opened his eyes to look at his brother. His Sharingan wasn't needed to see that he was struggling.

"Fuck…" murmured Shinrai. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. Naruto was always slow when it came to academic studies. There were a few questions he thought his brother could answer, but the vast majority of them he could not.

Naruto was not going to fail, not at all. Especially if he had any say. But… how was he supposed to help him? Yeah, they were kinda close, but how the hell was he going to forward the answers he had to him?!

First, Shinrai veiled himself in a Genjutsu. Once he was under, he allowed the scarlet of his Sharingan to bleed freely. The world slowed, and every miniscule detail popped out to him. He was used to the eyes now… even still… he saw her corpse every damned time he activated them.

It hurt how used to the sight he was.

But no, that wasn't important right now. What was, was making sure that Naruto passed this exam. Even if he had to cheat. If he was caught, it'd deduct points off of his own test. If he reached zero, then he'd fail. The rest of Team 5 as well.

Shinrai hesitated. Gosei would be pissed at him… nothing new. Kusari would be irritated for sure, but it'd pass soon enough. They would be able to take the next Chunin Exams in six months, not that big of a deal. But, if he failed, then he'd face the wrath of Lord Danzo. Everything he ever knew about his parents would be gone, but… he did have his contingency…

Discreetly, he reached into his pouch for the paper… he pulled it out. It was smaller, not folded. With furrowed brows, he looked at it. All it said was, nice try. His heart sank. FUCK! It'd only been about an hour and his contingency failed. So, if he failed, then everything about his parents would be gone…

Shinrai clenched his fists. To push Naruto forward on his path on Hokage, it was a sacrifice he was willing to risk. Immediately, his eyes darted left and right to the proctors. Their positions and lines of sight were memorized and seared into Shinrai's brain.

I have something for this, I'm sure! He racked his brain on what to do. There were a couple seals that he knew… they were all focused on connection—physical connection. Merging two chakras. It was multiplication in math.

He knew a bit about locating seals, sonar, graphs, things of that nature. Identifying location on a plane. Naruto and he were on the same plane, the same room. If he could somehow find Naruto's location on the plane, and then combine it with a connection-type formula… Then he could connect his chakra with Naruto's and do something from there.

First, he needed Naruto's chakra. No… he didn't need Naruto's chakra. He needed to program its signature into the seal. With his Sharingan, he could see that perfectly. Discreetly, he slid a tag out of his pouch and onto the desk. His eyes darted, no points were deducted from him.

He let out a sigh of relief as he copied down a formula he remembered in ink. Jutsu Formula was damned complicated, but he managed. It took him fifteen minutes to copy down the basic formula for noting a plane. It took him another five to copy Naruto's chakra signature. Luckily, its orange made it unique amongst all the other signatures in the room.

The seal was made with his own chakra, so he didn't need to copy down his own. What he needed to do now was make the connection formula and somehow combine it with the formula for the plane. Much easier said than done. He eyed the clock. Thirty-five minutes until the tenth question… damn.

Connection seals were what he was trying to specialize in, one as basic as this took no time at all for him to note down. Now… the hard part. Fusing the two formulas into something cohesive. Shinrai sighed. If graphing was anything to go by, then Plane seals were not his strong suit at all.

He gulped and attempted to frankenstein the two together. If he messed up even once, then the seal would fail. Luckily it wasn't an explosive tag or anything… so it wouldn't blow up in his face or anything. But, it would definitely fuck with he and Naruto's chakra system. This indeed may not end well.

Shinrai shrugged, he was smart, he would figure this out. He retained that mindset even as there was five minutes left on the clock.

Fuck, fuck, fuuuuuuck. His Sharingan eyes stared at the seal he put together. It was sloppy… but he could see the chakra inside moving smoothly. Shinrai took a deep, long, breath.

With a finger, Shinrai activated the seal. The Sharingan picked up on the wave of his chakra that coated the entire room. Any other Dojutsu users or competent sensors would pick up on it. Once the wave subsided, Naruto's chakra flared—Shinrai's flared as well.

Immediately, he relayed the answers to Naruto, flaring his chakra slightly with code. Naruto looked back at his brother. The blond was drenched with nervous sweat, yet a grateful grin was plastered over his face.

It fucking worked! Shinrai grinned back, and Naruto quickly wrote down what his brother relayed to him. Afterward, he checked for his teammates. Both of them were seated behind him… A shame, he couldn't help them out. So, he decided to relax for the next two minutes.

—⊱✿⊰—

Back at the beginning of the test, on the other side of the room in the back corner, Kusari read over her test. A drop of sweat rolled down her face. This is difficult… I wasn't anticipating a written test. I can answer some of these, but not all. I refuse to let a single question remain unanswered. Determination hardened her face. And every single question will be correct.

As quick as she could, she answered as many questions as she could. Exactly five, half of the total test. She was fairly confident in her answers. But… she didn't have the same confidence for the other four—she didn't even want to answer them. A stressed sigh ragged out from Kusari's throat.

She was going to get every single question right. No matter what she had to do… Simply, she activated her Byakugan. Even If I need to take them. With her eyes she saw every single paper, every single answer, and every physical detail of those who took them.

Immediately, her brows furrowed. Three of those who took the test matched the level of refinery the Chunin proctors had to a T. That meant… they're Chunin as well. Her eyes widened in realization. The purpose of this test is to cheat, to gather intel without being caught… of course.

Kusari smirked. Well, that only means I'm fated to succeed here. With her Byakugan, she copied the answers of the Chunin closest to her. Of the five questions she answered, she only got two correct. If she were to get caught once… then her and the entirety of Team 5 would fail.

None of the proctors caught her, not yet. Quickly, she covered the veins of her Byakugan with her hair and lowered her head. She let out a breath of relief. Now she could continue. It didn't take her long to fill in all of the answers and change the ones she got incorrect. Twenty minutes were left on the clock.

She decided to check on her teammates. Shinrai was done with his test with every question correct, and doing something with a seal. She paid no mind and set her sights on Gosei next… and Gosei… he had not a single question on his test filled in.

Oh no.

—⊱✿⊰—

My road to Hokage will not be delayed by a simple exam! declared Gosei. His pen touched the markless exam paper. He darted over each question and neither an answer or a way to find one entered his head. "Dammit!" he cursed, drawing the attention of those sitting next to him.

"Quiet!" commanded a proctor to his left.

Gosei sneered as he glared at his empty paper. Damn these mathematics! If it were history, or politics, or geography I'd complete this exam under a minute blind. But NO! He decided to take a breath. Trying to use his brain amongst the fury would not work at all.

Another deep breath, like he was meditating. His body calmed, so did his mind. Once again, he stared at his exam. Once again, he found himself incapable of answering a damned thing. He stared at the clock, and only five minutes remained. He would've looked back toward Kusari, but that would make it look like he was cheating.

Instead, he looked forward to Shinrai. He was calm, idly looking around the room with a presumably completed test. Gosei sighed, before thinking. The tests are graded collectively. As long as one of us answered at least one question right and didn't get caught cheating, then we will all pass.

He clenched his fists. As much as I hate it, I need to put my faith in them. If I can't answer the first nine, then it's stupid to think that I'll be able to answer the tenth. Tension kept his body and breathing stiff as he waited down the clock.

Five minutes felt like five years. But no matter how slowly the time seemed to pass, it passed nonetheless. The head proctor of the exams—Ibiki Morino—cleared his throat loudly. In the quiet room, it was as loud as a bomb.

"Ok, and now… we will begin the tenth question," he announced.

Gosei sighed, leaning forward to pay attention.

"Now, before we get to it, I'd like to add some additional rules for this question."

Gosei's brows furrowed. "Additional rules?" he murmured to himself. If this is a different type of question, then maybe I have hope of answering it. His confused and thoughtful expression turned into a determined smirk. I got this.

"These are the rules of desperation," Ibiki continued. "You decide whether you want to answer this question or not. If you decide not to, then your points will be reduced to zero, and you will fail the exams alongside your teammates."

Gosei's eyes widened as outrage rose amongst the Genin. His teammates remained silent. Bah, I have no choice but to take it now.

"If you decide to take it, and you get the question wrong…" Ibiki paused to allow the weight of silence to crush the Genin. "Then you and only you will fail, and you forfeit the right to ever take the Chunin Exams again. As far as you're concerned, you'll be a Genin for life."

The previous outrage was nothing compared to the one now. Even Gosei stood with determination in his green eyes. "How dare you propose such a ridiculous scenario!" There was an uncharacteristic waver in his tone—fear shook his tone. The cold in his veins boiled, masking the fear with his anger—his righteous rage.

"It is despicably unfair for you to end a Shinobi's career over a simple question!" he declared, with roars of agreement from Genin before. "There are countless Genin in this room who've taken the exams many times before this?! What is so special about this time to where it shall end that streak permanently?!"

"First of all, sit down, Senju," commanded Ibiki with narrowed eyes.

Gosei glared in return. "Not until you give us a sufficient answer."

"Sit down before I bar you from taking the exams ever again, no matter your decision to take the tenth question or not."

Gosei's glare raged. Then he slowly did as Ibiki commanded. From there, Ibiki continued. "What gives me the right to do this is simply my right as a proctor of the Chunin Exams. I've been given the authority to put in place any punishment I deem necessary for failure on any test. What's so special about this exam is that I'm in charge. You all were just down on luck this year… You may call it unfair, I call it life as a Shinobi."

With clenched teeth and fists, Gosei growled. "You bastard…"

"Once everyone has made their decision, I shall reveal the tenth question."

Tense mumbling overtook the room. A large mass of the Genin left the room. Gosei trembled with dread but his angry face masked it. Dammit, dammit, dammit, damn it all! How the hell am I supposed to become the Hokage if I'm just a Genin?! If I can't lead a squad or show my abilities on a high ranked mission…

If I fail this question, then it's all over—

—Sudden laughter filled the tense room. Gosei's eyes darted toward the source ahead of him. Naruto Uzumaki. "If you think I'm gonna run away like some bitch, then you're dead wrong! I'm gonna take this tenth question, and even if I'm a Genin forever, I'll will myself to becoming Hokage! No matter what happens!"

That fool! Gosei yelled. He slammed his fist on the table. But, I'll be damned if I let him out do me! "The same goes for me, Ibiki Morino! If you think something as trivial and inconsequential as a question on a test will stop me from becoming Hokage, then you're a fool like no other!"

"Hey!" shouted Naruto. "Don't go and try to steal my thunder, Gosei!"

"I'm not a thief! I'm simply claiming what is mine! I will be Hokage! Not you!"

"Nuh uh!"

"What do you mean, 'Nuh uh?!'"

"Okay!" Interrupted Ibiki. "Both of you quiet down before I disqualify both of you!"

Silence ensued.

"Alright… has everybody decided?!"

The remaining Genin stared at Ibiki with determined looks.

He smirked. "Then… I congratulate all of you for passing the first section of the Chunin Exams!"

?￢ﾜ ? ~ Chapter End ~ ?￢ﾜ ?