"Almost an entire month had passed, since we all began working together as Team Nine. The Chūnin Exams were coming up, soon. And one day... Sakumo-sensei had rendezvoused me, Kushina and Asami to a bridge where he would give us some news."

During a peaceful morning within Konohagakure, Sakumo Hatake had summoned his Genin team to a big red bridge within Konoha. The river under the bridge flowed normally.

"Hello, everyone. I hope I didn't interrupt your beauty sleep." Sakumo said as he stood on a tall pillar on the bridge.

"Morning, Sakumo-sensei!" Otaku greeted Sakumo as he waved toward him.

"Good morning, sensei." Asami had greeted Sakumo.

"Okay, guys. Since you're all here, I have an announcement to make." Sakumo said.

"What's the announcement?" Kushina asked.

"Okay. The announcement is... that I decided to not recommend you all to take the Chūnin Exams." Sakumo said, casually.

"The Chūnin exams?" Otaku asked Sakumo.

Sakumo nodded.

A smile had grown on Otaku's face. "That sounds amazing, Sakumo-sensei!"

"Eh?" Sakumo looked at Otaku.

"I can't wait to show those losers what I'm made of!" Kushina begun to feel excited. "Let's show all of them what we're made of, Otaku!" Kushina smiled as she grabbed Otaku and playfully choked him by wrapping her arms around his neck, submissively.

"Y-yeah! Let's do that!" Otaku said, while being unintentionally strangled by Kushina. His face was turning blue and his eyes were rolling to the back of his head.

As Kushina was choking Otaku for a moment, Asami gasped, then thought of what Sakumo just said. "Excuse me, but. Did you say that you were... not recommending us?" Otaku asked.

"Eh?" Kushina paused for a second as she looked at Asami.

"That's right." Sakumo said.

"Wait, I'm confused..." Kushina asked Sakumo as she she had still choked Otaku. "Are we participating in the Chūnin Exams, or not?"

"The latter." Sakumo replied.

"The latter?" Kushina questioned.

"It means, we're not participating in the Chūnin Exams." Asami answered Kushina's question.

Kushina gasped. "But, why not?" Kushina then released Otaku from her grasp. "All our friends and other Genin in the Leaf are taking the exams, you know! So, why aren't we taking it?"

Otaku fell on his knees and gasped for air.

"Because, neither of you ready to take the Chūnin Exams, this year." Sakumo said.

Kushina gasped.

"The Chūnin Exams isn't some kid friendly contest between villages, nor is it a game. It is a huge trial where your lives will be put on the line to see which Genin is strong enough-fast enough-and smart enough to endure and be promoted from Genin to Chūnin. Every minute you spend inside of the Chūnin Exam, you will be tested. And you will be judged whether you should be promoted to Chūnin or stay as a Genin for the rest of your career." Sakumo told his three students.

Otaku panted a little bit less.

"Do you know why I've only had us take on D-Rank and C-Rank missions?"

Kushina and Asami remained speechless and shook their heads no for a moment.

"It's because you want us to start small..." Otaku asked as he slowly rose to his feet. "You're making us take smaller missions on purpose, so we can slowly work our way up as we mature. That's why not recommending us to take the Chūnin Exams this year, right, sensei?"

Both Kushina and Asami looked at Otaku as he explained.

"That's exactly right." Sakumo nodded. "I want you all to take things, slowly.

"But that's boring!" Kushina said.

"During my youth, when I was around your age... I've had comrades who rushed things-and many times, it didn't end well in their favor. I don't want any of you to make the same mistakes as they had."

Otaku, Kushina and Asami had gasped after hearing it.

"In the Shinobi World, those who rush and never slow down will always receive the short end of the stick. The Essence of being a Shinobi is "Patience." I don't want any of you to end up like my late comrades who rushed things. And if I just carelessly threw you all in the Chūnin Exams or on any random dangerous mission, then there's no telling what would happen. As your sensei, it is my job is to protect you from dangerous enemy Shinobi, until you all develop into fine Jonin." Sakumo stated.

"Sakumo-sensei, do you think that you will trust us enough to take us on mature missions anytime in the future?" Otaku asked.

"Sure. But let's say, you all mature in the next... six-to-nine months. Then I'll take you on real missions." Sakumo said.

"Sixty-nine months?" Kushina and Otaku yelled.

'But, that's almost six whole years!' Otaku thought as he felt spooked.

"No. Six," Sakumo raised six fingers. "To-nine months." Otaku had repeated and raised nine fingers. "That is all the news I have. Relax until our next assignment." Sakumo said, then used a Teleportation Jutsu to part ways from his students.

Otaku Hyuga, Kushina Uzumaki and Asami Uchiha were left standing on that bridge after their sensei had teleported off, somewhere.

'The Essence of being a Shinobi is Patience...' Otaku thought after Sakumo had departed.

"What a bummer..." Kushina pouted.

"Honestly, I felt disappointed that we weren't recommended to partake in the Chunin Exams, this year. But at the same time, I understood where Sakumo-sensei is coming from. I really don't want to rush in becoming a Chunin... nor do I want to go take the Chunin Exams, blindly."

The Next Day...

Otaku Hyuuga roamed through the streets of Konohagakure dressed in his Genin outfit. Many citizens and Konoha Shinobi were shopping in many stores and restaurants. The sun in the blue sky was shining, there were a few shite clouds in the sky and the weather was a bit breezy... but Otaku was okay with the weather. As Otaku roamed, he suddenly stopped and felt someone clinging on his red vest from behind himself. He turned back and saw Kushina Uzumaki standing before him in her yellow Genin outfit.

"Kushina?" Otaku asked.

"Hi, Otaku... Can we talk in private?" Kushina asked.

Otaku paused for a moment, then quickly nodded. "O-okay, sure! What do you want to talk about?"

"Mmph." Kushina muffled and lowered her head for a second. She then walked toward and grabbed Otaku's right hand with her left. "I said, can we talk in private."

Otaku could feel a grip onto his right hand. 'Kushina?' In the next second, Kushina begun dragging him away from the big crowd. Not catching many people's attention. Within the next two minutes, Otaku looked around and noticed he was in an alleyway between two tall buildings within Konoha. 'We're in an alleyway.' Otaku to Kushina who seemed to be quiet. "What's the matter, Kushina?"

'Good. Now no one can interrupt us.' Kushina gripped her lower yellow Genin dress as she hesitated to tell Otaku the news. She waited a minute, until she decided to open her mouth. "Otaku?"

"Yes?"

"You're my friend... right?" Kushina asked.

Otaku nodded. "Yes."

"And you know that you're the first friend I've made in the village, right?" Kushina asked.

"Right."

"And that you're my closest friend, too, right?" Kushina asked.

"Right."

Kushina smiled, then had gotten on the subject at hand. "I need you to tell you something." Kushina said.

"Tell me something? What's wrong? Is something happening?" Otaku asked, then gasped. "Is it those guys from before? Are they hurting you, again?" Otaku thought of the boys that assaulted her in the cherry blossom field. He asked in worry.

Kushina shook her head, no. "No, it's not that. I'm a lot stronger than they are." Kushina joked a bit, before coming back to the serious matter. "It's just..." Kushina's eyes looked to his feet for a few seconds before looking at him in the eyes. "I'll be going away, soon."

"Away? Like, where? Is it safe?" Otaku asked, feeling concerned.

"To be honest, I'm not allowed to talk about it. It's secret." Kushina stated.

"Oh..."

"All I can tell you is this. When you see me, again, I might be and feel a little... different." Kushina stated in the best possible way she could.

"Different?" Otaku asked as he imagined Kushina with red curly hair.

"Mm-hmm." Kushina nodded. "I'm going to miss you when I'm gone, Otaku."

"I'm going to miss you, too, Kushina." Otaku replied and smiled.

Kushina walked close toward Otaku's body so that she could be hugged. And luckily for her, Otaku was able to respond by wrapping his arms around her upper back. Kushina quietly moaned and smiled as she felt the warm embrace of Otaku's hug. "And also... Otaku?"

"Kushina?"

"Can you... promise me something?"

"Sure. What is it?" Otaku asked.

"Can you promise... that no matter what happens to me, or how I look... or what I do... that you and I will always be friends?" Kushina said in a hesitant voice and with a small blush appearing her face.

Otaku gasped, as he noticed how cute Kushina looked with a blush and adorable blue eyes. He then looked at Kushina with a confident face. "Yes. I promise." He nodded his head, then gave Kushina a strong smile and thumbs up.

Kushina gasped a bit when she saw Otaku's pure innocent smile. She then happily sighed. "Thank you so much. I feel a lot more relieved..." She said as they stopped hugging.

"That's what friends are for! To be there for others, during their time of need."

"I understand. And also, there's one more thing that I'd like to do." Kushina said.

"Hm? What's that?" Otaku asked.

Without warning, Kushina moved her body a bit closer to Otaku's, then leaned close and smooched him on his left cheek.

"Ah?" Otaku's eyes grew big and his face turned into a light pink color as he felt Kushina's lips made contact with his soft left cheek. After the kiss was broken... Otaku softly lied a hand on his left cheek. "K-Kushina?" Otaku's face remained pink as he stared at Kushina.

A red fuzz appeared on Kushina's cheeks as she stared at Otaku. "Goodbye, Otaku." Kushina then ran the opposite direction away from Otaku with her head held high.

"K-Kushina!" Otaku tried to reach out to Kushina, but had already ran away. He couldn't help but stare at the direction that Kushina had left for a moment, until he decided to leave the alleyway.

A Few Days Later...

Otaku continued roaming the Konoha streets, once more until the sun was showing signs of setting. 'I hope that Kushina's doing okay.' Otaku thought as he roamed and walked passed an Ichiraku Ramen shop.

"It's been two days, since I last saw Kushina. In my mind, I prayed that she was okay."

"Otaku?"

Otaku heard his voice be called from behind, then turned his body around to see his friend and teammate, Asami Uchiha. And he saw that she was strolling a baby around Konoha in a blue stroller. "A-Asami!" Otaku walked toward Asami, his friend and teammate. "What brings you here? Are you babysitting?"

"I'm just here, taking my baby brother out on a stroll around the village." Asami said, smiling.

"Really?" Otaku then looked down and saw a toddler, sleeping inside of a blue stroller. The baby had short black hair and light blue pajamas with an Uchiha crest on its back.

"Our grandmother has to work, so I have to continue looking out for him until he grows up." Asami said.

"Your baby brother is really cute, I'll give you that." Otaku had commented.

"Thank you for that." Asami replied.

"What's his name?" Otaku asked.

"Obito. Obito Uchiha." Asami replied.