The fragrance spread quickly. Soon several delicate dishes appeared, and the two sat opposite each other.
"Who's your team's Jōnin instructor?" Mamoru speared a golden omelet and asked casually.
"Some guy named Hatake Kakashi. Looks weak, he got caught by that idiot Naruto's trap." Sasuke curled his lip.
"Never heard of him." Mamoru chewed calmly.
Team 7's roster hadn't changed. He knew their test by heart, but he kept quiet. Even without his meddling, the three of them would pass Kakashi's exam.
Still, he flashed a teasing grin. "I'd advise you… don't underestimate him."
"I don't need you to tell me that." Sasuke replied coolly, though his eyes flickered—he'd taken note.
Mamoru leaned in, smug and greasy. "You saw her, right? My Jōnin instructor's a real beauty."
"So?" Sasuke kept eating, expressionless.
"Such a romantic." Mamoru sighed in mock sorrow.
"Think about it. Missions are boring, but sneaking a peek at a pretty face beats staring at some geezer."
"…"
Sasuke offered no reply, he never knew how to answer when Mamoru's middle-aged humor surfaced.
After a pause he asked, "Did your teacher say anything else?"
"Yup." Mamoru drew the word out. "Likes, dislikes, dreams, the whole deal…"
"Get to the point!" Sasuke cut in, he wanted intel, not small talk.
"Meet at Training Ground Five tomorrow morning."
Sasuke pressed, "Same for us, but it's Training Ground Three. Anything more?"
Mamoru's chopsticks stilled. "The final exam's brutal. Fail and you're back to the Academy."
Sasuke's grip tightened on his chopsticks. "That's what Kakashi said too."
Mamoru shrugged, trying to lighten the mood. "Relax, just don't fail."
"You've got nerves of rubber." Sasuke studied him, then proposed, "Fight me after dinner."
"Ugh…" Mamoru stopped mid-bite.
"Pass. You'll be sore tomorrow."
"Won't matter."
"Will matter."
"Keep whining and you're cooking every night from now on."
"…"
Mamoru paused, then grinned. "Fine. Bedtime story for you, coming right up."
—
At dawn, the eastern sky was just blushing pale. Moist chill hung in the air, dewdrops clung to grass blades, and birds chirped now and then.
Mamoru strolled out empty-handed, hands in pockets. Beside him, Sasuke carried a heavy satchel packed with ninja gear.
On the way to the training ground, the brothers kept a companionable silence, the only sound being gravel crunching beneath their feet.
At the fork their eyes met briefly and then one turned east toward Training Ground Five, the other west toward Training Ground Three without looking back.
Alone on the forest path, Mamoru's footsteps rang loud in the hush of morning.
Rounding a mossy bend, he saw Hinata and Shino already ahead.
"Morning." Shino greeted, voice as calm as ever.
"G-good morning, Mamoru-kun." Hinata whispered, flustered.
"Yo." Mamoru answered offhandedly.
The three entered Training Ground Five.
Mamoru glanced around, chose a dry stump and sat. Hinata hesitated, then settled timidly just behind him, hugging her knees. Shino melted into the shadows at the edge, back to a trunk, instantly half-invisible.
About ten minutes later, Kurenai appeared at the far side of the field.
She said, surveying them, "All present. Before we begin, let me explain the test."
She flashed through hand seals and with a soft pop, two Shadow Clones stood beside her.
Kurenai said, "Two clones, plus me—three targets. Your job: find each of me and capture us."
She paused and said, "Of course, I won't make it easy. Traps and genjutsu as needed."
Mamoru blinked.
As expected, it differed from Team 7's bell exercise. Team 8 specialized in tracking, the exam would test exactly that.
"Time limit?" Shino adjusted his glasses.
"Sunset." Kurenai answered, looking skyward. "If you haven't succeeded by then, you're headed back to the Academy."
Hinata's hands tightened and Shino's posture sharpened.
"Range?" Mamoru asked.
"All of Training Ground Five." Kurenai replied.
"The whole ground?" Shino echoed, surprised. "How big is it, exactly?"
"The maximum distance is roughly eight kilometers."
Kurenai elaborated. "The terrain covers forests, hills, plains, rivers—diverse landscapes that will test how well you adapt in the wild."
Mamoru silently compared: this training ground was more than twice the size of the Third Training Ground where Sasuke's team trained. A perfect stage for an exploration exam.
"Ready?" Kurenai asked for the last time.
Seeing no objections, she and her two Shadow Clones stepped back in unison.
"Begin!"
Before the word faded, the three Kurenais blurred into after-images, each darting into the dense forest and vanishing in an instant.
"So, next…"
Mamoru turned to his two teammates, his gaze sweeping across their faces. "Separate, or stick together?"
Shino analyzed coolly, expression stern behind his shades, "The objective is to catch the instructor. To succeed, I recommend we move as a unit."
"Mm… I agree." Hinata whispered, sneaking a glance at Mamoru.
"Together it is." Mamoru nodded.
"Since we're a team, we should outline our skills for future coordination." Shino suggested.
Mamoru and Hinata simply looked at him, silent assent.
"We of the Aburame Clan command insects."
A faint rustle followed as tiny black bugs surfaced on his skin, crawling out through his pores.
"Eek—" Hinata shivered and instinctively edged closer to Mamoru, face pale.
"Enough, I get it." Mamoru said, feeling his trypophobia spike at the swarming insects.
He lifted a hand to stop the demonstration. "So you gather intel through your bugs?"
Shino nodded. The insects slipped back beneath his skin as if they'd never appeared. Only then did Mamoru and Hinata exhale in relief.
Mamoru rubbed his chin absently. "My turn. My abilities are complicated, so I'll keep it brief. Besides taijutsu, these eyes of mine can see the flow of Chakra."
"Your eyes?" Hinata and Shino blurted in unison, surprise written across their faces.
Especially Hinata. As heiress of the Hyuga Main Family, she knew ocular Kekkei Genkais better than anyone. Her pale Byakugan eyes widened in astonishment as she waited for an explanation.
"The Uchiha clan's Kekkei Genkai—the Sharingan." Mamoru answered without hesitation.
He didn't show his 'Sharingan,' nor did he elaborate, because his eyes were never a Sharingan to begin with.
After a brief silence, it was Hinata's turn. She drew a soft breath and spoke in her gentle, clear voice, "The Hyuga Kekkei Genkai, Byakugan, lets me see objects a kilometer away clearly."
"All eyes… only I'm different." Shino muttered, feeling oddly left out.
"Though both are ocular Kekkei Genkais, their functions differ."
Mamoru said with a smile, steering the topic back. "Next move—Hinata, use your Byakugan to search, traps and the target are yours. Combat and support, Shino and I will handle."
Hinata inhaled, clasped her hands in front of her chest, then gave a firm nod. "Understood."
Shino inclined his head. "No problem."
Neither of them objected to Mamoru naturally taking command and assigning roles.