ALL NOVEL Chapter 50: Chunin exam starts
Next day,
As we left the house, Mom's encouragement still echoed in my ears. "Do your best in the Chunin Exams, Naruto, Sasuke," she had said, her smile full of love and care.
"Don't worry, Mom. We'll tackle the exam easily, right, Sasuke?" I replied with confidence, glancing at my teammate.
Sasuke gave a simple nod, still as distant as ever. Even after all these years, he hadn't changed much. But I had a feeling things would shift soon—especially after this Chunin Exam. With the plan already set in motion and Fugaku-ojisan's infiltration team preparing to act, all that remained was waiting for the right moment to take what was ours.
On our way, we ran into Sakura, who greeted me with a warm hug and a kiss—something that had become customary with all my girlfriends. As we continued walking towards the academy, where the written exam for the Chunin Exams would take place, Sakura and I strolled hand in hand. There was a comforting sense of familiarity in the gesture, and it made the anticipation of the exam feel a little less daunting as we approached our destination together.
As we walked toward the academy, Sakura's hand in mine felt warm and reassuring. The streets were filled with other genin teams heading in the same direction, their chatter and laughter adding to the buzz of anticipation. It was clear that today was the beginning of something big, not just for us, but for everyone participating in the Chunin Exams.
With Sakura beside me and Sasuke a few steps ahead, we made our way toward the academy, ready to face whatever awaited us inside.
As we entered the academy, we noticed several shinobi from other villages gathered for the upcoming exam, creating a tense yet exciting atmosphere. I soon spotted Hinata, Ino, Tenten, and their respective groups, and we exchanged greetings. It was clear that everyone had grown stronger, having dedicated the past month to intensive training in preparation for the exams.
I offered some words of encouragement, saying, "Good luck to all of you, Hinata, Ino, and Tenten," and sealed my encouragement with a kiss for each of them. I caught a hint of jealousy in Sakura's eyes as she observed the exchange, but it quickly faded. She seemed to realize that, as her teammate, I would always be by her side during our shared missions and training, whereas my interactions with the others were less frequent, often depending on the chance of being in the village at the same time.
I made sure to extend my encouragement beyond just my girlfriends, addressing their teammates as well. "Good luck to all of you," I said, offering a supportive smile. In response, they replied in unison, "Good luck to you too, Naruto." It was a small but uplifting moment, reinforcing the camaraderie between us despite the upcoming competition.
However, the atmosphere in the room where all the shinobi had gathered was tense and somewhat unwelcoming, especially for us from Konoha. The presence of so many participants from different villages added a layer of rivalry to the air, reminding us that we were all here to prove our strength and earn our rank as chunin, regardless of where we came from.
I spotted Temari and her group among the crowd and greeted them. Temari responded with a polite reply, though her teammates remained distant, keeping their focus on the task ahead. The diversity of the shinobi present was striking; they varied widely in age and experience. Some were around 30 years old, having spent decades as genin without advancing to higher ranks. In the shinobi world, those who remained genin past the age of 30 were often referred to as "eternal genin," destined to stay at that level indefinitely.
As I scanned the room, my gaze landed on a shinobi with a Konoha forehead protector, glasses, and white hair. I recognized him immediately—Kabuto Yakushi, Orochimaru's assistant and a skilled information gatherer known for his extensive knowledge about other shinobi.
Approaching him, I said, "I didn't realize there were other teams from Konoha participating in the exam."
Kabuto responded with a calm smile, "Yes, it's an honor to be in the same exam as the son of the late Fourth Hokage and the last member of the Uchiha clan. I'm Kabuto, and these are my teammates," he added, introducing the other members of his team.
"I see you have quite the reputation for gathering intel," I noted, "so you must know a lot about everyone here."
Kabuto nodded confidently. "Yes, I do. It would be my pleasure to share some of that information with you."
As Kabuto explained the Chunin Exam's layout to the participants, the atmosphere in the room was tense, and Naruto could sense the competitive energy from the many gathered shinobi. Kabuto was calmly providing insights about various ninja and their skills, sharing information that could give the rookies an advantage or make them targets. Naruto noticed Sasuke paying particular attention to the details about stronger teams from other villages.
Just as Kabuto finished speaking, a group of Sound shinobi caught everyone's attention. The leader, a tall and menacing figure, sneered at the crowd before locking eyes with Kabuto. "You think you know everything about us? You Leaf ninjas think you're so smart, don't you?" he taunted, his voice dripping with malice.
Without warning, one of the Sound shinobi moved to strike Kabuto with a swift and vicious blow, aiming for his chest. Kabuto managed to evade the assault, stumbling back as the force grazed him.
As the tension in the hall escalated with each passing moment, the instructor finally entered. He commanded attention with his presence, announcing, "Good morning, everyone. I will be overseeing the written portion of the Chunin Exams. My name is Ibiki Morino." His loud, authoritative voice silenced the murmurs in the room, drawing all eyes to him.
"Now, please proceed to your exam rooms," he instructed, and one by one, we began to file into the designated rooms. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation and anxiety, each of us acutely aware of the significance of this moment in our shinobi careers. As I took my place in line, I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness, knowing that the challenges ahead would test not only our knowledge but also our resolve.