Chapter 68: Let Me Reiterate
Chapter 68: Let Me Reiterate
Itachi's Chunin Exams, even though Fugaku and Mikoto knew the outcome, they couldn't possibly miss it. They had never missed a single moment of Itachi growing up.
Fugaku, ever the calm and steady one, asked, "How were the results? Even with Kakashi Hatake proctoring, you should be able to pass, right?"
Does the Konoha Military Police Captain also think Kakashi Hatake is unreliable as a head proctor? Indeed, not very reliable. After Kakashi forcibly ended the written exam... the exam hall was about to erupt into a huge argument!
"...It was okay."
Uchiha Itachi's expression was very strange. He didn't know how he should answer. After all, being judged as "passed" by Kakashi Hatake after writing just the first character... the proctor had kind of set him up.
Mikoto put down Sasuke from her arms and gently stroked her son's head, "Itachi, it must be very hard to participate in the Chunin Exams alone, right?"
Mikoto also had a tough time during her Chunin Exams. In the Second Shinobi World War, after her teammates died in battle, Mikoto's Chunin Exam squad was a patchwork team. She barely passed that time.
The difficulty of Konoha's Chunin Exams was not low; it was an exam with a very low pass rate. The Uchiha clan was not without its failures.
Once, an old lady in the clan had nagged that her little grandson had failed the Chunin Exams several times and would be better off going home, getting married early, and having a baby or something.
Uchiha Mikoto, in her heart, subtly felt a bit of agreement with what the old lady said, it's just that her son was still too young.
"...It was okay."
Uchiha Itachi shook his head. The process of him passing the written test was so simple it was embarrassing to say out loud, but someone would help him say it.
The Genin leaving the exam hall one by one pointed at Uchiha Itachi, "It's that little brat! He was judged as passed by Kakashi Hatake before the exam even started!"
"After all, he's the Uchiha clan head's son! Even Cold-blooded Kakashi can't afford to offend him, right?"
"That's going too far. Our teacher said that Uchiha Itachi's strength is the strongest in this Chunin Exam."
"..."
Uchiha Fugaku slapped his forehead. No wonder his son's expression and words were off after coming out. What the hell was that Kakashi Hatake up to!
"Let's go home first!" Uchiha Mikoto frowned.
"Mm, on the day of the combat assessment, no one will question Itachi anymore." Fugaku nodded, then suddenly asked doubtfully, "Where's Kitahara?"
"Because Senior Kakashi proposed that summoned beasts and pets are not allowed in this Chunin Exam, Kitahara isn't very happy..."
Uchiha Itachi, thinking about the crow's whereabouts, made up a location, "Maybe it went to the mountains to relax!"
If he didn't believe Itachi, Fugaku would definitely be suspicious.
After all, it was extremely difficult for Kitahara to get out of bed in winter. When it got angry, didn't it usually fuss about wanting to eat its favorite things and then sleep all day without getting up?
Uchiha Fugaku really understood the crow especially well.
It was a little angry and went to find a punching bag.
Land of Hot Water, where it's spring all year round.
Kitahara came to such a warm place... actually mainly because Kisame Hoshigaki was carrying out a mission here.
Ever since Kitahara carved a Flying Thunder God mark on him, it would occasionally suddenly fly to Kisame Hoshigaki's location for a vacation.
Sometimes it was a restaurant, and it would freeload a meal; sometimes it was a battlefield, and it would gift a Tailed Beast Bomb.
The honest Kisame Hoshigaki thought it was not bad, feeling he wasn't so lonely anymore... Although he complained verbally, his body was very honest.
"What's going on today? Lost another argument with the little brat in Itachi's house?" Kisame Hoshigaki leaned over in the hot spring, looking doubtfully at the crow's sudden appearance.
Kitahara raised its head and glanced at him, "Caw!"
The crow fell to the ground angrily. Do I look like the type to bully children?
"Aren't you the one who gets bullied by children?" Kisame Hoshigaki's words were becoming sharper and sharper, always able to get straight to the point.
"Caw!"
"Alright, alright, please enjoy the hot spring!" When Kisame spoke, he felt like he was coaxing a child.
Recently, there was still no news of Uchiha Obito in the Hidden Mist Village, but it was an undeniable fact that the Fourth Mizukage had indeed been acting strangely lately.
The Fourth Mizukage Yagura, who originally advocated for reforming corrupt practices, had a great change in temperament and acted more and more crazily. This time, he again ordered Kisame Hoshigaki to come and deal with ninjas who had failed their missions.
"The Fourth has gone mad, issuing a completely impossible mission. A hastily assembled squad, isn't it natural that they failed to assassinate Jiraiya!"
"Caw?"
Hearing the familiar name, Kitahara suddenly looked up, looking at Kisame Hoshigaki's shark-like eyes, as if wanting to confirm this news.
"Ah, that's right, I'm talking about little Itachi's teacher!" Kisame Hoshigaki shook his head, "But he should have left by now, probably because of the attack!"
"..."
Kitahara shook its head. Uchiha Obito should have started controlling the Fourth Mizukage Yagura during this period... But it and Kisame could only passively wait for him to appear.
Being bullied by Kakashi Hatake, then coming to deal with his former best friend or something... It always felt a bit strange.
Late at night, after enjoying a warm hot spring bath and a great meal from Kisame Hoshigaki, the crow returned to Konoha via the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Watching the cub waiting for its return next to the Flying Thunder God mark, he stomped his feet from time to time; the winters in the Land of Fire were a bit damp and cold.
Kitahara flew down and landed on Itachi's head, pecking his hair. A warm and gentle stream of chakra entered his body.
The next day was the combat assessment of the Chunin Exams. The entire spectator stand was packed, a large portion of them there to watch Uchiha Itachi.
Uchiha Izumi was also among them. She pouted disapprovingly at a little girl next to her. There were always some vamps eyeing Uchiha Itachi's status and strength.
Izumi was different. Her requirements weren't that high; she just liked Itachi's delicate little face and his gentle temperament.
Inuzuka Hana, for a rare change, wasn't treating animals in the village, but was using her break time to watch this exam. She stood on a high place, continuously taking out snacks to feed the crow.
"I thought Kitahara would be competing too!" Inuzuka Hana squinted and smiled, stroking the crow's wing, "I really didn't expect the Chunin Exams would prohibit fighting alongside partners!"
"Caw~" Kitahara lowered its head, pecking at the fava beans in her palm, occasionally bad-mouthing Kakashi...
The little girl calmly soothed it, leaning her body to try and get a clear look at what the constantly bad-mouthed proctor looked like. Unexpectedly, her body leaned too far from the stands, and under inertia, she fell from them.
The crow, swaying with her movement, fell with her from the high place. It stared dumbfounded at the little girl's clumsy maneuver... What was Inuzuka Hana trying to do!
Why is every little girl curious about Kakashi Hatake!
"A little girl is falling!"
"Quick, save her!"
"Inuzuka!"
Because Inuzuka Hana's position was so high, many people saw the moment she fell from the sky...
The white-haired proctor below noticed this scene, leaped up, and attempted to catch the little girl.
Thump!
Kitahara's body suddenly enlarged, and it spread its wings to steadily catch Inuzuka Hana, bringing the little girl to a halt in mid-air.
"Caw!"
Kakashi Hatake was swatted down by the crow's wing. He got up nonchalantly and shouted loudly, "Let me reiterate, the use of summoned beasts and pets is prohibited in this Chunin Exam!"
"..."
Kitahara still looked at Kakashi innocently.