Chūnin Exam: the Second Stage

10 advanced chapters on my Patreon: Fiction Haven

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Shatter!

"It is I, the sexy Kunoichi, Mitarashi Anko!"

The said Kunoichi crashed through the window and landed spectacularly in front of the room. I would rate it 8 out of 10 for its sheer absurdity.

"I am going to be your proctor for your next exam. Don't die on me, brats!"

Ibiki sighed in defeat as he nursed his throbbing forehead. Anko remained looking confident until Ibiki reminded her that the second stage of the exam would be held the next day. Her smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly laughed it out. She told us that the next exam would be held in the Forty-Fourth Training Ground, also known as, the Forest of Death; and then disappeared from the room.

The dumbfounded Genin only stood up from their seats after I got out of the room. My teammates scrambled after me, following me like lost puppies. They asked me to hang out and I accepted their invitation since I had nothing to do. Honestly, I had something to do, but I had decided to rest today.

"Naruto-kun! Do you mind hanging out with us? We are going to eat Yakiniku."

It was quite unfortunate that I met with the blonde menace I wished to not meet.

"Unfortunately, I already—"

Ino didn't let me finish my sentence. She immediately grabbed my hand and then dragged me to her teammates. My teammates looked at each other before eventually following after me. I was quite disappointed with their decision. I had expected them to argue that Ino couldn't just snatch me from them. I guessed I was not that loved by my teammates.

Well, not that I care.

With a shrug, I let Ino drag me with her. Shikamaru sent me a sympathizing look but did nothing. Sakura didn't look happy with what Ino was doing but kept quiet. These guys needed to learn to take action.

"Sensei!"

"Yo, brats. Congratulations on passing the written exam."

We encountered Asuma, Kurenai, and Kakashi outside. Asuma greeted us verbally whereas Kurenai and Kakashi merely nodded their heads at us. Kurenai and Asuma looked at me differently. As expected, my true rank had been revealed to every Konoha Jōnin. I nodded at them in acknowledgment, returning their greeting.

"We are going to eat Yakiniku. Are you going to join us, Sensei?" Ino asked Asuma.

"My student is offering to treat me. Of course, I can't refuse!" Asuma said brightly.

"No one is treating you. We are just inviting you!"

"What…? My students don't love me."

Ino scoffed as Asuma deflated. Shikamaru and Choji merely smiled at the scene. They were close to each other. No wonder they took it hard when Asuma died in the anime.

"Well, what about you guys?" Asuma asked as he turned to his colleagues.

"My students will be going with yours, so I am also joining," Kakashi answered casually.

"I am still waiting for Hinata and the rest, but I will join you guys," Kurenai explained.

"Well, let's wait for Hinata and the rest then," I remarked, earning a nod from everyone.

Hinata and her teammates arrived in less than three minutes. Kiba couldn't contain his excitement, bragging about how he could have succeeded even if Ibiki had been serious with what he said. While some of the Genin dissed him, the Jōnin only smiled faintly at what he said. I bet they found it as amusing as I did.

When we arrived at the Yakiniku restaurant, we ordered a big room since we wouldn't fit in a small booth. Everyone sat across from the other in the room. I wanted to sit beside Kakashi but ended up getting sandwiched between Kurenai and Ino since Asuma occupied the spot. Much to my dread, I couldn't avoid Ino's incessant nagging.

"Are you bothered by my action?" Ino asked after some time. She sounded subdued.

"Do you want an honest answer?" I asked.

"Well, I feel I will be hurt, but I will hear it."

"I am not bothered but annoyed. You could go easy with the conversation and we will be good."

"That's it?"

"That's everything."

Ino looked baffled. What a menace. I couldn't believe she didn't know how important the peace of mind was. Despite what they were capable of, these Ninjas were still kids, weren't they?

"You don't mind with my holding your hands, leaning on your body, and feeding you?" Ino asked in anticipation.

"Those are sometimes annoying, but you know when not to invade my personal space so far. I am cool with that," I explained with a shrug.

"All right, I will talk less."

She did talk less ever since, but she kept hugging my arm. It was not half bad, though, as she fed me the Yakiniku. I could converse with the Jōnin without any disturbance. I also didn't have to worry about not getting meat thanks to her.

We decided to go home when the sun was about to set. The Jōnin Sensei took the initiative to take their students home except for ours. Kakashi just said goodbye and then disappeared with Shunshin. I bade farewell and followed Kakashi's example. A few consecutive uses of Shunshin later, I arrived at the Senju Compound.

No one was home since Tsunade and Shizune were busy at the hospital. Not that the two were annoying, but the silence felt very comforting. I went to the backyard and resumed my research on Hiraishin. I hoped I could finish it before Orochimaru attacked.

…

The next day came as quickly as any other day. I was so caught up on my Hiraishin Seal research that I ended up sleeping only for three hours. I remembered Tsunade calling my name and telling me it was time to rest, but I just ignored her. She didn't sound too happy but left me alone anyway.

"Good morning."

Tsunade was already before the counter, cooking something when I went to the kitchen. She always woke up early, but she had never been this early.

"Good morning," I greeted her back. quirking an eyebrow, I sat down and asked, "What is with the occasion? You have an early shift today?"

Tsunade walked to the table and put a glass of milk on the table. "I want to make sure I see you before you depart for your exam."

"Thank you," I muttered before drinking the milk. "Do you have something to talk about?" I asked curiously, not seeing where this was going.

"I just want to congratulate you." Tsunade smiled and raised her hand when I opened my mouth. "I know you're on a mission, but you still need a congratulation. You are getting closer to finishing your mission, after all."

"Well, thank you…"

Tsunade's words reminded me of what might happen today. If my presence didn't drastically change the timeline, Orochimaru would try to get Sasuke today. In other words, I would face him in the Forest of Death. While I was sure Orochimaru wouldn't be able to kill me, my fight with him would be painful.

That was not my concern, though. I was still mulling over what I should do. If I let the canon event occur, Sasuke would have to get bitten. He then might or might not defect to Orochimaru and we would have to chase after him. That wouldn't be hard and I was sure I could retrieve him without problems.

Carefully thinking about it, whatever I let happen to Sasuke wouldn't change anything but his fate. However, I couldn't let Orochimaru bite him. Sasuke was no longer hell-bent on revenge. I was not sure if his will would be strong enough to overpower the Cursed Seal's corruption. I couldn't risk getting him to fall into Orochimaru's hand. Who knew what that perverted snake would do with Sasuke's body?

"Naruto! Are you all right?"

Tsunade's call pulled me out of my musing. I turned to the left and found her worried face a few centimeters from my face.

"In case you can't tell, yes, I am fine," I answered with a smile.

"You ignored my calls two times," she said doubtfully. "Do you have something in your mind?"

"Well let me see." I tapped my cheek while thinking before flashing her a grin. "I have you in my mind."

Tsunade remained silent for a few seconds. Her cheeks lit up lightly as she averted her eyes bashfully.

"Geez, here I was worrying about you," she muttered as she shook her head. "Seriously, though, you have me if you need to share a piece of your mind."

"I know. Don't worry about me."

Nodding her head, Tsunade resumed cooking. Shizune joined me at the table a few minutes later. When Tsunade finished cooking, we helped her bring the food to the table. We had breakfast together. Shizune volunteered to wash the dishes, leaving me along with Tsunade at the table. We talked for a few minutes before I bade farewell and left for the Forest of Death.

It was still early, but it wouldn't hurt to scout my opponent, Orochimaru. When I arrived there, a few Genin were already there. I sat under a tree nearby and entertained myself with Minato's notes on Fūinjutsu to kill time. Time passed quickly and I was joined by my teammates who silently sat on my sides.

Unfortunately, I saw no signs of Orochimaru.