174. Fū

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The Nine-Tails rumbled in Naruto's mind, "Brat, Chōmei is nearby."

Naruto paused mid-step and asked cautiously, "You're not thinking of fighting again, are you?"

The Nine-Tails bared his teeth in a grin. "It's not out of the question. Since you can fly now, why not surprise him?"

Naruto groaned. "Flying is a trump card, you know. I can't just go flaunting it everywhere."

He didn't want to reveal his flight ability lightly. Much like the Flying Thunder God Jutsu, exposing it might make him a target. For this reason, Naruto only practised his peacock technique at Mount Myōboku.

Following the Nine-Tails' guidance, Naruto soon spotted the target in the crowd: Fū, the jinchūriki of the Seven-Tails from Takigakure. Her vibrant green hair and cheerful demeanour stood out immediately.

Sakura nudged him teasingly. "Naruto, if you keep staring at other girls like that, Hinata will be heartbroken."

Naruto waved her off defensively. "It's not like that! I just think she looks strong."

Internally, though, he couldn't help comparing Fū's liveliness to Sakura's.

"Who knows?" Sakura smirked. "I bet you're thinking something indecent."

Nearby, Sasuke's sharp gaze lingered on Fū. If Naruto thought she was strong, then there was likely merit in keeping an eye on her. "Hn. Interesting."

Suddenly, Kiba's boisterous voice broke through the chatter. "Yo, Naruto! You're here too!" Beside him, Akamaru barked excitedly.

Hinata and Shino followed close behind. "Naruto-kun," Hinata greeted shyly.

"Ah, Hinata, Shino, Akamaru... Kiba, how's everyone?" Naruto smiled warmly, noticing Kiba's expectant glare. This time, he made sure to return the greeting properly. Ignoring them would've been rude.

Squatting down, Naruto patted Akamaru affectionately. "Akamaru's grown a lot! He's heavier now, isn't he?"

Kiba beamed. "Really? I didn't notice since we're together every day!"

"Woof!" Akamaru wagged his tail, clearly pleased with the attention.

Sakura chimed in, comparing Akamaru's growth. "He used to be about the size of a dolphin. Now he's as big as two or three."

The chatter was interrupted when Ino bounded toward Sasuke with excitement. "Sasuke-kun!" But her enthusiasm quickly turned into pain as she bumped her head on something solid.

Ino looked up, only to see Sakura standing in front of her with arms crossed. Ino rubbed her forehead. "Ow! What's your problem, billboard brow?"

Sakura snapped. "What are you doing, Ino-pig? Stay away from Sasuke!"

The two bickered loudly, foreheads nearly touching as they glared daggers at one another. Strangely, during their squabble, Sasuke was entirely forgotten.

Shikamaru arrived on the scene with a sigh. "Women are such a drag..."

Naruto smirked. "Talking about Ino or Temari?"

Hinata giggled softly at the comment. Shikamaru groaned and said nothing, while Choji happily tore open a snack packet. "Want some?" he offered.

Naruto waved it off. "No thanks. Speaking of snacks..." He rummaged through his ninja pouch and pulled out a small cloth bag. "I've got some fried bug snacks from Mount Myōboku. Want to try?"

Choji hesitated for only a moment before digging in. As an Akimichi, trying new foods was a no-brainer. "Oh! These are surprisingly good!"

Naruto offered some to the others, but everyone politely declined even Hinata. Shino, meanwhile, seemed horrified.

"Insects are adorable creatures," Shino thought silently. "How can anyone eat them?"

Realizing his mistake, Naruto quickly packed away the rest, feeling a little guilty for not considering Shino's feelings.

Before long, other teams began to arrive. Team Guy and Team Kurenai joined the growing crowd.

Naruto surveyed the Konoha lineup 12 original members plus others like Kurama Yakumo, Haku, and Karin.

"This is almost overkill for a Chūnin Exam," Naruto thought. "The other villages don't stand a chance."

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The Exam Begins

Izumo and Kotetsu stood at the entrance of the academy, calling out instructions. "Candidates, form lines to draw lots for your groups!"

When it was Team 7's turn, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke each drew a slip.

Naruto glanced at his card. "Number 1."

Sasuke followed. "Number 2."

Sakura blinked at hers. "Number 3?"

The examiner nodded. "You'll go to the classrooms corresponding to your numbers."

Sakura frowned. "Wait—are we splitting up?"

"That's correct," the examiner replied curtly, ushering them forward.

Naruto entered Classroom 1 and glanced around. Familiar faces like Shikamaru, Rock Lee, and Haku were already seated.

He greeted them casually and waited. Before long, Hinata entered, beaming as she sat beside him.

"Hinata, you drew Number 1 too? What a coincidence!" Naruto exclaimed happily.

Hinata nodded, though internally she knew it wasn't a coincidence at all. Drawing the same number as Naruto had been her intention all along.

When the room filled, the doors slammed shut, and a voice came through the speakers: "Cough, cough. Candidates, I'm Nara Shikaku, your examiner for this portion. Please take a test paper from the podium and choose a seat."

The test consisted of three questions worth 30, 40, and 50 points. Each candidate had to answer just one, with the team's combined score determining their eligibility.

"A total score over 100 disqualifies you. The average score will then decide the passing teams," Shikaku explained. "You have 30 minutes. Begin!"

Naruto eyed the test and leaned back in his seat. "This'll be interesting."

Across the room, murmurs began as candidates calculated strategies. From somewhere, a loud voice declared: "I don't know any of this!"

Naruto shook his head with a grin. The Chūnin Exam was already proving to be as chaotic as ever.

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