"I actually almost lost to this kind of guy because I let my guard down." Seeing the two thick-browed bowl-cuts weeping and embracing in such a philosophical way, Sasuke felt downright exasperated.
Sigh, by the way, where are Tenten and Neji?
"Good thing Guy-sensei didn't go over there…" Having long anticipated such a scene, Neji decisively led Tenten away. Mainly because it was too embarrassing.
"Hey, you over there with the fierce eyes and the kid with the whiskers. You're Kakashi's students, right? How's your teacher Kakashi doing?" After a while, having finished discussing the matter of youth with Lee, Guy finally addressed Naruto and Sasuke.
Fierce eyes.
Whisker-faced kid…
This guy is annoying. x2
But—
"You know Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked the question in both their hearts.
"Of course." Guy pinched his chin, feigning great profundity, but even while pretending, the philosophical hug from moments ago left only a lingering chill.
"We're known as eternal rivals." Guy's voice sounded from behind the trio; no one knew when he had gotten behind them.
So fast—at least twice as fast as that Lee, maybe even above Kakashi. Sasuke squinted, thinking.
At some point, Kakashi had become Sasuke's metric for measuring a person's strength.
For example: "He's about 1.5 Kakashis strong," or "This guy's about 0.5 Kakashi."
"Fifty wins, forty-nine losses. I'm stronger than Kakashi, you know." He gave them a thumbs-up, flashing those pearly whites.
In your win–loss tally, pretty sure rock–paper–scissors is in there.
"Sorry about earlier—just forgive him on account of my refreshing face."
As for why his face is "refreshing"… let's not.
"Huh? Were you talking to us?" Ever since witnessing that, ahem, bromantic scene, Naruto's mind had gone into orbit; only now did he snap back.
"Exactly the same—worthy of being Kakashi's students," Guy muttered tearfully as he turned away.
"Sasuke… what's with that guy?" Naruto nudged Sasuke with his elbow, whispering.
"No idea. I can't understand how these weirdos think."
"…Listen up. The strongest genin in Konoha is on our team. My goal is to defeat him, and you're also one of my targets. You're strong indeed, Uchiha Sasuke. But surprisingly, you're not bad either, Uzumaki Naruto. Be ready for the exam—I'm going to beat you." Guy came suddenly and left just as suddenly, tossing out a few inexplicable lines before departing. Then came Lee's odd declaration about "you're all geniuses, so I'm going to defeat you."
"Wow, lots of people. Grass, Sand, Rain, River, Taki and… Sound? Huh? Weird—among the Five Great Villages, only Sand is here; no second big village. It's all small-village nin. Guess the chunin exam is just so-so." Arriving at Room 301 and pushing the door open, Naruto scanned the room and spoke softly.
"Mm. If the other villages' examinees are just at this level, then only that gourd-carrying guy from last time and our own village need attention."
Though Naruto was still Naruto, he was now completely different from the original—both in strength and mindset.
He really did have the right to say this now. Among all examinees present, even the strongest Gaara wouldn't be his match.
Of course, exceptions were Kabuto—who couldn't reveal his strength—and Orochimaru disguised as a candidate.
"Naruto, keep it down. These people all look pretty strong."
"Ah, it's Sasuke! Why are you so late? I really wanted to see you sooner." A girl with light blond ponytail rushed up and hugged him from behind—Ino Yamanaka.
"Yo, you idiot trio made it too, huh." Ignoring the squabble between Sakura and Ino over Sasuke's "ownership," Naruto greeted the trailing Shikamaru and Choji.
"Naruto, don't put it like that," Shikamaru groaned, listless as ever.
"Finally found you—so slow." A voice even cockier than Sasuke's.
Kiba, Shino, and a blushing Hinata when she saw Naruto.
"Hey, you guys are here too. We haven't hung out in ages—how about a get-together at Sasuke's place after the exam?" Excited to see familiar faces, Naruto suggested.
"Hey, idiot Naruto, why my place again?" Sasuke protested on principle.
"Because your place is big." Overruled. Protest denied.
"Hinata! Long time no see, I missed you!" Naruto swaggered right up to the shy Hinata.
For this shy girl who had never once shown him even a hint of malice, Naruto felt a real fondness.
"N-Naruto-kun m-missed… I-I… me too…" Only in front of Naruto did Hinata become this hopelessly shy, super-stuttering bundle.
"Idiot Naruto." Everyone was strangely unified in thought.
Hinata's feelings for Naruto were obvious to anyone—except Naruto himself.
"You rookies are too noisy." At this moment, Kabuto—multi-layered spy of no small ability—slowly stepped out from the crowd.
"Let me share some intel with you juniors."
"Rock Lee of Konoha, Gaara of Sand, and… Uzumaki Naruto of Konoha." Several names rolled off Sasuke's tongue.
"Huh? Why me? If you want to know something, just ask me."
"I only want to check the accuracy of his intel."
"Then Rock Lee's file… Gaara's file… Incredible—he's a genin who's done B-rank missions, and came out without a scratch!"
"Lastly, Uzumaki Naruto—taijutsu quite formidable, able to contend with jonin Kakashi; best at Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu; enormous chakra; and completed a C-rank mission with difficulty no less than B-rank. You guys aren't simple either." Kabuto finished and cast a meaningful glance at Naruto.
"Not comprehensive, but somewhat useful." Sasuke, arms crossed, rendered judgment. Next came Kabuto's deliberate provocation to draw the Sound genin's attack—feigning weakness to mask his true strength.
A lot of work—what a dedicated method actor.
"Shut up, you punks!" Amid the genin's bickering, Konoha's special jonin Morino Ibiki strode in with the proctors.
"Hah, finally someone decent shows up. But man, these guys are all dead weight." Naruto eyed Ibiki with interest, as the genin from all nations trembled under his pressure.
"…Hand out the papers."
"Wait… What the hell! A written test?!" Hearing Ibiki's explanation, Naruto's face soured.
As a hands-on fighter, his written-test ability could only be described as barely passing.
"Hell, I'd rather fight that scar-faced guy on stage."
Staring tearfully at the exam paper, Naruto found there wasn't a single problem he could do.
Of course it wasn't just him—Sasuke had none he could do either.
Frankly, among all examinees, probably only straight-A Sakura and Lady Hinata could say "no pressure."
And Shikamaru—smart as he is—can't do them? That's not scientific!
"Looks like I can only cheat… so… Master Kinsan, give me a hand."
"…"
"Now for the tenth question."
"Hmph, so that's it. Take it or not? Of course I'm taking it." Naruto's eyes had become bestial slits. At this point, with many wilting under pressure, only 75 remained.
"Stronger than me? What kind of bull rule is that? Cut the crap and announce the question! I'm getting impatient!" Naruto's voice deepened with impatience. Though nothing outward seemed off, sweat had already formed on Ibiki's forehead. This guy—on the verge of going berserk? Worthy of a Nine-Tails jinchuriki.
Ibiki's mental torture worked wonders on other little ninjas, but not on jinchuriki. Truth be told, Ibiki's strength should be above jonin, but due to severe injuries—especially to his hands—he was down to about 70% of his prime. Though he could head Konoha's Interrogation Department, his real combat strength was only special jonin.
"I'm the proctor for the second exam—Anko Mitarashi. The next test is waiting for you." Just as Ibiki declared the exam over and everyone exhaled, Anko blew in like a whirlwind.
"This… hotheaded, storming maniac," Ibiki muttered, head pounding at her personality.
"…No worries, I'll eliminate at least half of them." Anko said confidently.
"This is your second exam location—Training Ground 44, the Forest of Death." She led the genin to a place with abnormally tall trees—the very place Meruem once used to hatch Uchiha Suzuki and Uchiha Sasaki.
"Now sign a death waiver. Once you enter, your life and death depend on your strength."
"Simply put, the second exam tests your survival—extreme survival. Ninjutsu, ninja tools—you need to reach the central tower by any means and steal scrolls. You must collect two scrolls within five days. You lively, hot-blooded little brats—do your best."
"Of everyone here, you're the liveliest and most hot-blooded one."
(End of Chapter)
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