ALL NOVEL Chapter 32: Chapter - 32: Room 301
The hallway stretched out before them as they walked, the silence now feeling a bit more natural. Kuro, still a few steps ahead, stopped suddenly, causing Naruto and Sasuke to halt almost on instinct.
Kuro nodded at the door directly in front of them. The numbers "301" were boldly displayed, almost glowing with anticipation. "We're here," he said casually, his voice breaking the tension.
Just as Kuro finished speaking, a familiar figure appeared, leaning against the wall beside the door. Kakashi, with his ever-present lazy expression, looked up from his book and gave them a knowing smile. "Well, well. You guys actually made it."
"Sensei!" Naruto shot forward, his grin wide and goofy, like it had been waiting to escape this whole time.
Kakashi gave him a half-hearted wave. "I see you've got that energy of yours in check. Good to see you too, Naruto," he said with his usual laid-back attitude.
Kuro nodded politely at Kakashi, not breaking stride. "Good to see you, Kakashi Sensei," he said coolly, keeping his tone casual. He was used to Kakashi's laid-back approach, but it never ceased to amuse him.
Without another word, Kuro stepped past Kakashi and pushed open the door to Room 301, the anticipation hanging in the air like it was finally about to explode. He glanced over his shoulder, giving one last look to the trio behind him.
Kuro's expression was unreadable, but the tiniest glint in his eyes said it all—he knew something they didn't, and he was ready for whatever came next.
The atmosphere in Room 301 was heavy with the kind of tension that could be cut with a kunai. Competitors from all the villages stood in tight groups, their eyes darting around, sizing up their opponents. The air was filled with sharp whispers and sidelong glances, a constant hum of chakra that rippled as some ninjas subtly prepped themselves. It was clear that everyone here was on edge, and the pressure was palpable.
Kuro stood in the middle of it all, his sharp gaze scanning the room with quiet precision. His handsome features—strong jawline, tousled black hair, and dark eyes—were impossible to ignore. He wasn't exactly the tallest in the room, but the sheer presence he carried made it hard to look away. Several girls, clearly intrigued, stole glances his way, their faces flushed with a mix of admiration and curiosity.
He was used to this, of course. The way people looked at him—whether it was with awe or envy—it didn't phase him. He didn't care about the attention. His focus was on the competition. But before he could process the crowd further, a loud voice shattered his thoughts.
"Man, what took you so long?" Xero's voice cut through the air like a wrecking ball. The boy strolled up to Kuro, his grin as wide as ever. "Did you take a dump or something? You said you were just going for a pee, but your timing says otherwise!"
Kuro blinked, caught off guard by Xero's bluntness. He opened his mouth, but no words came out at first. His mind scrambled for a response. Xero had this uncanny ability to throw him off with his crude humor.
The silence stretched for a moment, but before Kuro could recover, Xero continued, completely oblivious to the awkwardness. "Seriously, what was that? You're taking forever. I thought you were gonna bail out on the exam or something."
Kuro, still a little stunned, forced a small chuckle, trying to regain his composure. "You've got a weird way of putting things," he said with a smirk, though his eyes narrowed slightly in frustration. He hated when Xero caught him off guard.
From a few feet away, the rest of the room's students exchanged looks of exasperation, silently groaning at the sight of the two. A few of the guys rolled their eyes, some just sighed and muttered under their breath, "Here they go again, another group of ignorant rookies."
Xero, still grinning, noticed the attention and leaned in slightly closer to Kuro. "You know," he said, "if it weren't for your handsome face, maybe people wouldn't notice us so much. It's all your fault, admit it and apologise!"
Kuro's eyebrow twitched at that. As much as he was used to his own looks attracting attention, Xero's constant remarks were starting to push it. He shot a brief glance around the room, but no one seemed particularly interested in the conversation—except for maybe a couple of girls, whose eyes lingered just a moment too long. It was getting to be a little too much, even for him.
But of course, Xero wasn't done. "Look at those girls checking us out, huh? I mean, if you weren't so distractingly handsome, maybe we could blend in better." Xero waved a hand casually, pretending to adjust his nonexistent hair.
Kuro couldn't help but chuckle, but the annoyed sighs around the room were starting to get louder, the collective frustration palpable. "Maybe if you didn't talk so much, we wouldn't be standing out so much," Kuro muttered, his tone dry but with a hint of amusement. "You're really making me the distraction here."
Xero raised an eyebrow, completely unfazed. "What? I'm just saying, man. You're the one people keep staring at, I'm just here for the fun." He winked at Kuro, clearly enjoying the scene.
At this point, the boys in the room were beyond irritated. One of them even mumbled, "God, they never shut up." Another muttered, "I swear, these two are like a walking comedy show, but no one's laughing."
Kuro could hear the grumbling, but he wasn't fazed. He knew the drill by now. They are just jealous soul. He turned back to Xero, keeping his expression neutral, though there was an undeniable glint of amusement in his eyes. "Yeah, sure. Your sense of humor is definitely a crowd-pleaser."
Just as the last groan of frustration echoed around the room, the door behind them creaked open, catching everyone's attention. The room fell into an immediate hush, the tension building again. Kuro turned his head slightly to glance at the door, but his expression remained calm, still unfazed. Meanwhile, Xero didn't even notice the sudden change in atmosphere.
"Looks like the show's about to begin," Xero said, louder than necessary. "Let's just hope it's not as boring as your staring contest with the ceiling last time."
Kuro glanced at him, his lips twitching slightly. But before he could respond, someone from the group of boys nearby muttered loudly enough for everyone to hear, "Can we just put these two in their own room?"