"Alright! We just need to get one scroll!"
"With our skills, getting all of them wouldn't even be a problem!"
Suigetsu stood at the entrance of the training area, full of confidence.
"Don't talk big. There are still a lot of people to watch out for."
Kimimaro gave him a casual glance.
"Ugh—why are you saying such downer stuff before we even start? That's just mean…"
Suigetsu threw an arm around Kimimaro and pulled him a couple steps forward, loudly complaining.
Compared to those two, who didn't seem all that reliable, Haku was the only one actually checking the surroundings.
He looked around the entrance to the training field. The whole area was a big circle of forest, making it hard to tell where they were exactly.
Haku knew their limits. They had to find a river quickly and figure out where the tower was.
Otherwise, the only one who could fight at full strength would be Kimimaro.
Haku shifted his gaze slightly and looked over at Kimimaro.
Compared to Suigetsu's loud and sometimes reckless personality, Kimimaro was quieter and more serious.
Even though he and Suigetsu were the same age, it was easy to feel that Suigetsu was more childish in many ways.
Or maybe Kimimaro was just too mature—so much so that they didn't even seem like they were from the same age group.
He wasn't easy to deal with or to get along with.
Kimimaro was like his Kekkei Genkai—always growing hidden bone spikes and holding a cold attitude toward most people.
Haku could understand, at least a little, Kimimaro's obsession with proving himself to the teacher.
But unlike Haku and Zabuza, Hatake Satoru was surrounded by a bunch of students. Kimimaro just wanted to prove he was the best among them.
It was starting to feel like this exam wasn't going to be easy.
Haku took a deep breath and carefully hid the scroll labeled "Earth."
Suigetsu didn't carry one because he could turn into water during battle and was worried it might get damaged.
Kimimaro didn't take one either—he thought the scroll would get in the way of showing off his skills.
So Haku ended up being the only one carrying a scroll.
How did it come to this?
In another part of the area, three ninjas from the Grass Village sat on some rocks, looking mean.
"We just need to go after the newbies, right?"
The one in the middle, with long black hair and a straw hat, gave a creepy smile.
"Killing them later is fine too. That actually makes things easier for us."
As the time arrived, the proctor assigned to each team unlocked the gates to the testing area.
"From this moment on, the second part of the Chunin Exam begins!"
As Anko's voice rang out, everyone rushed into the forest with their own goals in mind.
"Let's hide near the tower! Someone's bound to show up with both scrolls, then we just grab them!"
Suigetsu looked around excitedly, thinking his plan was pure genius.
"The last ones to arrive will be the toughest. Fighting them for scrolls would be way harder."
Haku immediately rejected the idea. Not to mention the Jinchuriki or the Sharingan users, even that red-haired kid from the Sand Village with the gourd on his back was a real threat.
And those guys from the Grass Village—they had the vibe of people who had actually killed before.
There was no way they were just regular students. If it came down to a fight, Haku and the others might not be able to win.
Suigetsu was overconfident. He thought this was just an exam and didn't take it seriously at all.
"Whoosh!"
As the three of them were moving quickly through the trees, a kunai with explosive tags suddenly flew past in front of Kimimaro.
"Someone's here."
"Boom!"
Kimimaro's calm voice rang out just as a loud explosion sent smoke and broken branches flying everywhere.
His figure quickly vanished into the smoke.
"Ahhh—!!"
Suigetsu screamed as bright flashes reflected off a few taut wires hidden in the smoke.
Three ninjas wearing Leaf Village headbands stepped out of the smoke, looking around carefully.
"I think I heard someone scream. Someone probably got hurt."
"We can't let the Mist Village team get near any water. This is the perfect place to take them out."
One of them looked up at the steel wires around them. It did seem like a trap meant to kill, but that was allowed here.
"So full of yourselves—who exactly were you planning to kill?"
Suigetsu suddenly burst out from behind one of them, his arm strengthened with Water Arm Jutsu, muscles bulging as he locked the enemy's throat in a solid chokehold.
"Wha...?!"
Before the two could react, a bone blade and a handful of senbon were already pressed against their necks.
"If you don't know your enemy, it's better not to attack so quickly."
"If they're using such simple tricks to try and kill us, they must really be underestimating us."
Kimimaro and Haku stood coldly behind the two.
Messing with this group was clearly a mistake.
...
Hatake Satoru blinked as he looked at the seats in front of him. Most of the jonin in charge were scattered around, sitting here and there.
A few of the exam staff were already bored and had started playing cards.
He hadn't expected a scene like this, especially when the students were in there struggling like their lives depended on it.
..... ..... ....
You'd think the teachers would be a little tense about it.
But instead, everyone here was acting totally chill, which felt oddly off.
Kakashi casually found an empty seat and sat down, his tired eyes glancing to the side without much energy.
"Are you surprised by the mood here?"
"Well, there's really no point in worrying about the exam. That's why everyone's relaxed."
"This is the break room. It's close to Training Ground 44."
"Teachers who aren't busy usually hang out here. Whether someone gets knocked out or hurt, we'll hear about it right away."
"But we can't actually go in and watch the students. Only the proctors are allowed to go in and out."
"The test goes on for quite a while. After we finished setting up the next stage, there's nothing else for us to do."
Hatake Satoru nodded thoughtfully, then stepped over the chair and sat down.
Kakashi pulled a little adult book out of his gear pouch and started reading.
At first, he'd felt a bit awkward reading that kind of stuff with Hatake Satoru around, but after a few times, he realized he didn't care anymore.
As long as he didn't feel awkward, the only one who'd feel awkward was the other guy. Kakashi glanced at the book and casually said,
"Well, I'm just not too confident in those three, so I came here to check in. If you're bored, you can head back fir—"
Kakashi stopped mid-sentence, his tired eyes suddenly shifting in confusion.
Where'd he go?! Huh?
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