Naruto took the steps two at a time. Sakura, Hinata, Ino, and Tenten followed close behind. The sound of dozens of feet hitting the stone steps filled the stairwell, bouncing off the walls in a constant rhythm.
"Why do they have to hold the exam on the top floor?" Naruto complained. He jumped over another pair of steps without slowing down. "Couldn't they just do it on the ground floor like normal people? My legs are going to be dead before the first test even starts."
"Stop whining, Naruto," Ino said from behind, trying to keep up. "It is probably part of the test. They want to tire us out to see who has enough physical stamina before putting us through a mental exam."
"Or they just want to filter out anyone who shows up late," Sakura added, adjusting her headband. "Cutting the unpunctual ones is the easiest way to trim the numbers from the start."
"That would be playing dirty," Naruto muttered.
"Welcome to the Chunin Exams," Sakura replied with a frown. "Nobody is going to be nice to us here."
Tenten moved in silence. Her eyes shifted from side to side, scanning every corner with the caution of someone used to looking for tripwires or hidden mechanisms. Her hand rested near her weapons pouch, though she noticed it felt unusually light.
They reached the second floor and the crowd came to a sudden halt. There was an odd bottleneck near a door marked with the number 301. Genin were piled on top of each other, pushing and shoving to see what was happening at the front.
"What is all the commotion?" Naruto stood on his tiptoes, trying to see over the heads of the others.
Two Chunin were blocking the entrance. One was tall and bulky, with a scar running across his right eye that gave him a mean look. The other was thinner but wore an expression of boredom that was just as intimidating.
"Sorry, runts," the bulky Chunin said, crossing his arms. "This area is closed by higher orders. If you want to take the exam, you will have to come back next year."
A genin from the Hidden Rain, wearing his protector on his arm, stepped forward with a scowl. "What are you talking about? The official notice said the exam was today and in this room!"
"And why should I care?" The Chunin pushed him back with one arm, making him stumble. "Get out of here before I decide to personally kick you out of the building."
The crowd began to whisper nervously. Some teams were already turning back, their shoulders slumped in defeat.
Sakura narrowed her eyes as she watched the scene. "This makes no sense. They wouldn't cancel an international exam like this without a formal notice."
"It makes no sense because it is fake," Hinata said in a low voice. The veins around her eyes were already bulging as she activated her Byakugan, though she kept her head down to avoid drawing attention. "We are on the second floor. Room 301 should be on the third. The number on that door is an illusion."
"So it is a genjutsu?" Ino stepped a bit closer, squinting to try and see through the trick.
"Yes," Hinata nodded. "The real number under the layer of chakra is 201. And those Chunin... their behavior is too over the top. They are acting just to scare those who lack confidence."
"Cheap theater," Tenten muttered with disdain. "How many teams have already fallen for such a basic trick?"
"Several," Hinata replied after a quick glance. "I saw at least three groups walk away from the building completely convinced the exam was canceled."
"They are filtering out those who can't see the obvious," Sakura crossed her arms. "It is an efficient way to get rid of anyone without perception skills or those who give up at the first sign of trouble."
Just then, the bulky Chunin grabbed another genin by the collar and lifted him several inches off the ground. The boy, who wore glasses, began to kick his legs in the air in a panic.
"You got a problem with my orders, brat?" the guard growled.
"N-no, sir! I am sorry!" the boy shrieked. The Chunin dropped him roughly, letting him hit the wooden floor hard.
Naruto clenched his fists and took a step forward. "Hey! That is enough! You don't have to treat people like that."
Sakura grabbed his arm firmly before he could move any further. "Don't get involved, Naruto. It isn't real. If you fight them, you are just giving them what they want and an excuse to throw us out."
"But he is bullying that kid..."
"Naruto-kun," Hinata interrupted gently, touching his shoulder. "The real room is upstairs. If we stay here to argue, we really will be late. Ignore them."
"Hinata is right," Ino added, looking toward the stairs. "By the way, I should go find Shikamaru and Choji. If we all show up as one big group, we will look suspicious to the examiners."
"Why suspicious?" Tenten asked.
"Different teams moving as a single unit," Ino explained. "They will think we are colluding to cheat or that we are too dependent on each other. Better to keep up the appearance of rivalry."
"Makes sense," Sakura nodded. "Go find your team. We will see you inside."
"See you later," Ino waved and vanished into the crowd, looking for her teammates.
Naruto, Sakura, Hinata, and Tenten resumed their climb to the third floor, completely ignoring the fake guards who were still shouting at the other genin.
"Hey, Hinata-chan," Naruto looked at her as they climbed the last flight. "How did you notice the genjutsu so fast? I didn't even feel anything weird in the air."
Hinata blushed slightly, looking down at her feet as she walked. "My Byakugan lets me see the flow of chakra directly. A genjutsu looks like a break in the normal flow of reality. It is like seeing an oil stain on water. It stands out if you know what to look for."
"Your Byakugan is a massive advantage," Tenten commented with admiration. "It must be great for spotting traps before they go off."
"It is," Hinata smiled. "Though sometimes the amount of information can be a bit draining. You have to learn to filter what you see."
They finally reached the third floor. The atmosphere here was different. There were no shouts or shoves, only a tense silence and groups of ninjas leaning against the walls, waiting. The door with the number 301 was at the end of the hall, with no guards blocking it.
Kiba and Shino were standing near the entrance. Akamaru sat on Kiba's head, twitching his ears at every sound.
"Hinata!" Kiba called out when he saw them. "I thought you got stuck downstairs with the idiots who can't count."
"We were just observing the procedure," Hinata explained calmly.
Soon after, Ino appeared with Shikamaru, who was yawning non-stop, and Choji, who was already finishing a bag of potato chips.
"Wow, you guys took a while," Ino said quietly. "I thought you stayed behind to argue with the guards."
"Not all of us are that slow," Sakura retorted. "Hinata got us out of there fast."
"Expected," Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck. "Using a visual genjutsu against a Hyuga is like trying to hide a bone from a dog. A total waste of time."
"But it was a good way to see who is nervous," Choji added as he wiped crumbs off his clothes.
The classroom door suddenly swung open and a genin came running out, pale and looking like he wanted to throw up. Other participants began to file in.
"Where is Sasuke?" Naruto looked around. "I thought he would be here by now, acting like he owns the place."
"He will probably show up alone," Sakura replied. "He likes making entrances when no one expects him."
As if summoned by her words, Sasuke appeared from the opposite stairs. He walked with a steady pace, hands in his pockets and that look of boredom he always wore. He stopped in front of the group.
"You are late," Naruto greeted him.
"I am on time," Sasuke replied curtly. He looked at the group one by one. "Did you have trouble with the illusion on the second floor?"
"What do you think?" Sakura asked.
"It was pathetic. A low-level genjutsu that any third-year student should notice. The Chunin they put as guards were too loud to be real."
"Wow, you are so observant," Ino commented sarcastically.
Sasuke ignored her completely and focused on the door. "Are we going in, or are you going to keep talking in the hallway?"
"Ready when you are," Naruto smiled with total confidence. "This is going to be a piece of cake."
"Don't be an idiot, Naruto. Don't get cocky before you even see the exam," Sasuke warned him.
Neji and Lee appeared at the end of the hall a moment later. Neji walked with perfect posture, while Lee was practically bouncing, his eyes shining with excitement.
"Tenten!" Lee called out, waving an arm. "It is so good to see you here! I feel like my youth is overflowing right now!"
"Hi, Lee," Tenten smiled a bit. "Ready for whatever comes?"
"Absolutely! I have trained my muscles and my mind for this day!"
Neji simply nodded toward the group, fixing his eyes on his cousin. "Lady Hinata."
"Neji," she replied with a neutral tone, showing no emotion.
Naruto noticed the air get stiff between them, but he decided not to ask. He knew things in the Hyuga house were not simple.
"Let's go," Sasuke said, pushing open the classroom door.
The room was massive, much larger than any classroom at the Academy. There were endless rows of individual desks, each with a number taped to the corner. The windows were covered by thick curtains that blocked the sunlight, leaving the place lit only by yellow lamps hanging from the ceiling.
And it was full of people. Ninjas from every known village were there, some standing in groups and others sitting in silence, sharpening weapons or just staring at the floor.
Naruto felt a chill run down his spine. There was a feeling in the air that made him get on guard instinctively.
That feeling again, he thought, moving his eyes across the room.
"Naruto-kun?" Hinata noticed he had stopped moving. "What is wrong?"
"It is the same feeling from the alley two days ago," Naruto whispered. "Someone is watching me in a way I don't like at all."
"Wow! You guys must be the rookies everyone is talking about!"
A friendly, cheerful voice sounded right behind them. Naruto turned quickly and found a boy with silver-gray hair tied in a low ponytail and round glasses that caught the light. His smile seemed too relaxed for the place they were in.
"I am Kabuto Yakushi," the boy said, adjusting his glasses with a finger. "Sorry if I startled you. I just recognize new faces when I see them and I like to be friendly."
Naruto's chill intensified. It is him. I am sure.
"And why do you care if we are new?" Sasuke asked with a hostile tone.
"Well, this is my seventh try at this exam," Kabuto replied without losing his smile, scratching his head. "After failing six times, you learn to identify who has a chance and who doesn't. I thought I would offer some help to the rookies so you don't die in the first hour."
"Seventh try," Sakura repeated, looking at him with skepticism. "That is a lot of wasted time, don't you think?"
"I am a bit of a slow learner, I guess," Kabuto laughed with false modesty. "But at least I can be useful by sharing information. I see you are from different teams but seem to get along well."
"We train together sometimes," Ino replied quickly. "It is a way to improve faster."
"Smart," Kabuto nodded. "Collaboration is a tool many people here forget. In fact, I have information on almost every team in this room. It is part of my prep so I don't fail again."
"Information?" Kiba stepped closer with curiosity. Akamaru began to growl softly from his head. "What kind of information?"
"Nothing illegal," Kabuto pulled a deck of small cards from his pocket. "These are info cards encoded with chakra. I gather data all year round. Names, skills they have shown in public, number of completed missions... things like that."
"That makes you sound like a spy," Shino observed in his monotone voice.
"I prefer to call it being cautious," Kabuto corrected. "I can show you an example if you want. Is there anyone who catches your eye?"
Hinata activated her Byakugan very discreetly, pretending to fix her hair to hide the veins at her temples. She looked inside Kabuto, and what she saw made her catch her breath. His chakra flow did not move naturally. There was something in the boy's energy network that felt forced, as if he were hiding his true strength under layers of manipulation.
"What do you know about Gaara of the Desert?" Naruto asked suddenly.
Kabuto's smile stopped for a fraction of a second. It was an almost invisible detail, but Naruto, who was focused on him, noticed.
"Gaara of the Desert," Kabuto pulled a card and placed it on the floor. He put a finger on it and channeled a bit of chakra. A thin smoke began to rise from the card, forming words and numbers in the air. "Thirty-seven completed missions. Zero failed missions. Eight C-rank, nineteen B-rank... and surprisingly, one A-rank mission completed successfully."
"An A-rank mission as a genin?" Sakura leaned in to read the floating info. "That shouldn't be possible at our age."
"It isn't for most," Kabuto nodded. "But the most unsettling part is this. In none of those missions has he ever suffered a single scratch. Not one small wound, nothing."
"How can you fight in thirty missions and not get hurt?" Ino asked with disbelief.
"Rumors say his sand protects him automatically, without him having to do a thing," Kabuto put the card away. "My personal advice is stay far away from him if you value your lives. That boy is not normal at all."
"Nobody here is normal," Tenten muttered. "That is why we are at this exam."
Kabuto laughed again. "You are right. But there are levels of weird, and Gaara is in a category of his own."
He showed them a few more cards about teams from the Rain and the Grass. Everything he said sounded useful and reasonable, but Naruto couldn't shake the cold feeling coming off the boy.
"Naruto-kun," Hinata leaned in and touched his arm gently to get his attention. "He is very suspicious."
"I know," Naruto whispered. "I can feel it on the back of my neck."
"His chakra is wrong. It feels like something that has been damaged or altered on purpose to deceive people," she confirmed in a very low voice.
Sakura leaned in too, keeping her eyes forward so Kabuto wouldn't notice they were talking about him. "Are you sure he is dangerous?"
"Absolutely," Hinata said.
Ino joined the small circle. "Then we need to watch him closely, but without letting him know we are onto him."
Kabuto finished explaining things to some other genin who had approached and returned to the Konoha group.
"Well, that is all I can give you for now. The exam is about to start," he said, adjusting his glasses. "Good luck, everyone. I truly hope at least some of you make it to the next round."
That last sentence sounded loaded, as if it had a double meaning he didn't want to explain.
"Thanks for the help," Naruto said, forcing a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
Kabuto walked away with a steady pace, disappearing into the crowd of ninjas finding their seats. As soon as he was gone, Sasuke finally spoke.
"That guy is a fraud."
"Very suspicious," Sakura agreed. "No one who has failed six times has that kind of confidence and that much intelligence data."
"And his chakra isn't that of a common genin," Hinata added.
"Then he is hiding something big," Kiba growled. "Akamaru hasn't stopped baring his teeth since he showed up."
"We need to watch him, but be discreet," Shikamaru decided. "If he knows he is being watched, he could become a problem too soon."
"Or he could vanish before we find out who he is working for," Sakura suggested.
Tenten nodded. "Having access to that much data on the participants takes a massive spy network. He isn't doing this alone."
The classroom door suddenly slammed open.
An imposing man walked into the room, followed by a dozen Chunin who quickly lined the walls. The man was tall and wore the standard uniform, but what caught everyone's eye were the deep scars running across his face and his bald head. His mere presence made the noise in the room vanish in a second.
"Sit down right now," he ordered in a deep voice that seemed to vibrate in the air. "Find your numbered seats."
The silence was absolute. The ninety genin rushed to occupy their spots. Naruto found his in the center area. Sasuke was several rows behind him. Sakura was to his left, separated by a couple of people. Hinata was in the far corner of the room, and Ino was near the window.
And Kabuto sat directly behind Naruto.
What a coincidence, Naruto thought, feeling the boy's gaze on the back of his neck.
The scarred man stood at the front, next to a large chalkboard.
"My name is Ibiki Morino," he announced, scanning the room with cold eyes. "I am the examiner for the first phase. And I want to make something very clear from the start."
He paused for a moment, letting the tension build.
"Many of you will not leave here today as ninjas. Some will lose their careers right here. And if you are stupid enough to ignore my warnings, some might not leave at all."
The threat felt real in the classroom silence.
"The rules are simple. This is a written exam of ten questions. You have forty-five minutes to answer the first nine. The tenth question will be given at the end."
Ibiki began to walk between the rows, hands behind his back.
"If any of my assistants catch you cheating, you will lose two points for each offense. If a team is caught five times, the member who cheated and their two teammates will be removed from the building immediately and disqualified from the exam."
Several genin turned pale hearing that one person's mistake affected everyone.
"Each of you starts with ten points. The questions are designed to be difficult, so think carefully before you write."
No one dared to raise their hand to ask anything.
"Fine. Begin now."
The assistants handed out the papers. Naruto took his, flipped it over, and read the first question. He felt his stomach drop instantly.
He didn't understand a single word.
The first question was about projectile trajectory calculations considering air friction and gravity at different altitudes. The second was an intelligence code encryption problem. The third was about military siege tactics in mountainous terrain.
This is insane, Naruto thought in a panic. Nobody at the academy taught us any of this.
He glanced at the others. Most of the genin were breaking out in a cold sweat. Others stared at the paper as if it were a dead language.
And then, he felt a familiar touch in his mind. A voice that didn't come through his ears, but from inside.
"Can you all hear me?" it was Ino's voice.
Naruto clenched his teeth to keep from shouting in surprise. The Mind Transfer Jutsu. Ino was connecting their minds.
I hear you, Ino, Naruto thought hard, hoping she caught it.
Good. Sakura, can you solve these things? I barely understand half of it.
Give me a second to read them all, Sakura replied through the link. They are designed to be impossible for a normal genin, but I think I can handle most of them. The third question is solved by applying the inverse parabola formula. The answer is...
Naruto began to write what Sakura dictated mentally. The connection was a bit fuzzy, but clear enough to understand.
How long can you hold this, Ino? Hinata asked mentally.
Fifteen or twenty minutes at most, Ino replied. It takes a lot of chakra to keep this many people connected, and the examiners might notice the energy fluctuation if I push too hard.
It is enough to get us the basics, Shikamaru added. Just make sure you don't all write the exact same thing word for word. Change the order a bit so we don't look suspicious.
Tenten, are you there? Naruto asked.
Yes, writing, she replied. This is an incredible advantage, Ino. Thanks.
Don't thank me yet, finish copying. Moving to the fifth question...
Naruto wrote fast, trying to keep a normal focused expression on his face. He couldn't look sideways or smile.
Ten minutes passed, then twenty. The examiners patrolled the aisles with eyes fixed on every hand movement.
"Number forty-three, out!" one of the assistants shouted, pointing at a ninja from the Grass. "We caught you using a hidden mirror in your sleeve. Your whole team is disqualified. Get out now."
Three boys stood up with looks of total defeat and were escorted out. The atmosphere got even more tense.
"Number sixty-two, disqualified!" another guard shouted. "Fifth warning for looking at your neighbor's paper. Out."
The number of people in the room began to drop sharply.
Kabuto, sitting behind Naruto, was writing with amazing speed. He didn't seem to be making any special effort. He just filled the page as if he knew the answers by heart.
Or he has taken this exam before and knows them by heart, Naruto thought, feeling Kabuto's presence bother him more and more.
Hinata, from her corner, activated her Byakugan for very short bursts to see how others were cheating. Gaara of the Desert was using a floating sand eye, a tiny sphere moving across the ceiling to see everyone else's papers. Neji was using his own Byakugan openly, reading the papers of the smartest genin.
The exam isn't about knowledge, Hinata thought. It is about our ability to get information without being detected by the enemy.
Ino, how are you doing? Sakura asked mentally.
Getting tired... five more minutes and I am cutting the connection.
Cut it now, Shikamaru said. We have what we need. We can wing the rest.
Ino's mental presence faded, leaving Naruto with a slight headache.
Thirty minutes had passed already. The wall clock moved forward relentlessly. The room, once full, now had many empty spots.
Finally, Ibiki stood up and walked to the center of the front.
"Time is up for the nine questions," he announced in a firm voice. "Now, it is time for question number ten."
The whole room froze.
"The tenth question has special rules," Ibiki continued, and his smile turned much darker. "And these rules are final."
He began to walk between the desks, the sound of his boots being the only thing heard.
"First, you can choose not to answer it. If you decide not to take the risk, you will receive a zero on this question. That means you and your entire team are disqualified today. But you will be able to try the exam again in the next session, six months from now."
He took a long pause, letting the ninjas process the safety option.
"However," his voice dropped, becoming cold as steel. "If you choose to answer question number ten and you fail... you will be marked as failing genin for life. You will never be allowed to take the Chunin Exams again. You will never rise in rank. You will stay as genin for the rest of your pathetic lives."
Several genin let out gasps of horror. Some began to sweat visibly.
"How is that fair!?" a girl shouted from the back.
"It isn't," Ibiki replied without hesitation. "But the ninja world isn't fair. The missions you will face out there are not fair. If you can't handle the pressure of a tough choice here in a safe classroom, you will die in your first real fight."
He returned to the front and crossed his arms.
"You have one minute to decide. Those who quit, raise your hand now. You will be escorted out without permanent penalty. You can try again when you are ready."
The clock's second hand began to tick loudly in the silence.
Thirty seconds.
A hand went up with great hesitation. It was a genin from the Rain who was shaking.
"Number fifty, withdrawn. Team out."
As if in a chain reaction, more hands began to go up. Fear was spreading through the room.
Naruto gripped his pencil so hard the wood creaked. His hands were damp.
This is a mind trap, Naruto thought. It has to be. But what if this man is telling the truth?
He looked toward Sakura. She was looking back at him, her eyes full of resolve hiding a bit of fear. Then he looked at Hinata, who had her hands clasped on the table, waiting.
Nobody quits, Ino's voice sounded in his head again, very weak now. This is pure theater. A test of will.
I agree, Shikamaru's voice added. It is too extreme a punishment to be real.
What if it isn't? Tenten asked with a faint mental voice.
Then we go down together, Sakura decided. I am not going home because I am scared of an examiner.
Naruto felt something warm fill his chest. He was proud of them. If they were willing to risk it, he couldn't be the one to step back.
Ten seconds.
Naruto made his choice instantly.
He slammed his hand up.
Ibiki looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Number...?"
"Naruto Uzumaki," the blonde interrupted, jumping to his feet. His chair scraped against the floor with a sharp noise. "And I am not raising my hand to quit!"
"Oh? Then what for?"
"To tell you I don't care about your stupid question!" Naruto shouted in a voice that filled the room. "I don't care if I fail! I don't care if I stay a genin forever! Because I am going to be Hokage anyway and no written exam is going to stop me! No threat is going to make me back down!"
Many genin looked at him with open mouths. Others with absolute disbelief. The atmosphere of fear that had formed broke completely with that shout.
Ibiki stared at Naruto for what felt like an eternity. His face was a mask that gave nothing away.
And suddenly, the examiner actually smiled. A smile that wasn't mocking.
"Interesting. Sit down, brat."
Naruto sat, his heart beating a thousand miles an hour.
A few more minutes passed in a tense silence. Three more teams quit and left the room with their heads down.
When the clock hit the final mark, Ibiki cleared his throat.
"Fine," he said, looking at those still in their seats. "To all of you still here..."
He took a dramatic pause to build suspense.
"...congratulations. You have passed the first phase of the exam."
The room was silent for a second and then chaos broke out.
"WHAT!?" several shouted at the same time.
"What do you mean we passed?" a boy asked, standing up. "You didn't even give us the tenth question!"
"That was the tenth question," Ibiki explained, relaxing his stance. "It wasn't an academic test. It was a test of resolve. I wanted to know if you had the courage to risk everything for a mission, even when the odds were against you."
He walked to the chalkboard.
"As Chunin-rank ninjas, you will have to lead teams on missions where information will be scarce and the consequences of a mistake will be death. If you give in to a psychological threat like this, you aren't fit to be leaders."
Ibiki took off his headband for a moment, revealing his scalp. It was full of burn scars, screw marks, and deep cuts.
"I have been tortured many times to try and get info out of me. I never broke. You chose to trust your team and yourselves today. That is what we look for."
He put the headband back on.
"Those who quit today can try again, but you... you are ready for what is next."
Naruto let out a sigh of relief so big he felt like he deflated in the seat. They had made it.
Yes! Ino's voice shouted in his mind before cutting off for good.
"Don't celebrate yet," Ibiki warned. "The first phase is just the initial filter. What comes next will be much more physical and dangerous."
In that instant, the back window shattered.
Glass flew across the room and the ninjas ducked instinctively. A figure landed in the middle of the classroom wrapped in a cloud of smoke and cloth.
It was a young woman with purple hair tied in a high ponytail, a mesh coat that showed a lot of skin, and an open trench coat. She had a wild smile that made it clear she enjoyed the chaos.
"Anko Mitarashi, examiner for the second phase, reporting!" she shouted with over-the-top energy. Behind her, a banner unfurled that said: "Second Phase!". "I hope you are ready, runts, because now we are really going to have some fun!"
Ibiki sighed deeply and rubbed his temples. "Anko, I have told you a thousand times to use the door like a normal person."
"Doors are for boring people, Ibiki," she replied without looking at him. Her eyes scanned the room quickly. "Sixty participants? You are getting soft in your old age. Usually you let through less than half."
"This group has something special."
"We will see if that 'something' helps them survive," Anko smiled in a way that showed her teeth. She spotted Naruto and winked at him before continuing her inspection.
Suddenly, her gaze crossed with Kabuto's. The boy with glasses was still sitting with his friendly smile, but Anko felt a sting of pain in her neck. Her curse mark pulsed once, almost imperceptibly.
That chakra trail... Anko thought, and her smile got a bit stiffer. I know it from somewhere.
Kabuto stared at her, adjusting his glasses with a calculated move that Anko didn't like at all.
"Alright, listen up!" Anko shouted, returning to her role. "The second phase starts tomorrow at eight sharp. The meeting place is Gate 44, better known as the Forest of Death."
"Forest of Death?" someone whispered with fear.
"Exactly. And I assure you the name isn't just for poetic decoration," Anko walked between the desks, giving off a very aggressive presence. "You have the rest of the day to buy gear, rest, or write your wills if you feel like it. Because once you cross that gate..."
She stopped and looked at them with absolute seriousness.
"...many of you are not coming out on your own feet."
The silence that followed was thick and real. No one asked a single question. The message had landed perfectly.
"Perfect. See you tomorrow. And do me a favor..." Anko smiled with pure malice. "Don't die before you get there. It would be a waste of my time."
She vanished in a whirlwind of smoke before anyone could answer.
Ibiki began to gather his papers. "Dismissed. Leave in order and rest. You earned it."
The genin began to stand up little by little. Relief for passing was now mixed with uncertainty about what waited for them in that forest.
Naruto stood up, noticing his legs were still shaking a bit from the residual adrenaline. He looked toward Sakura and Hinata. Sakura gave him a wide smile and a thumbs-up. Hinata nodded, her eyes shining with contained pride.
Ino, from her spot, gave him a peace sign.
We made it together, Naruto thought with satisfaction.
Kabuto passed by him on his way to the door. He stopped for a second.
"Well done, Uzumaki-kun," he said in that soft voice. "Your little speech was very motivating for everyone."
"Thanks," Naruto replied dryly. His whole body told him to stay away from this guy.
"See you in the forest," Kabuto adjusted his glasses once more. "I hope you last long enough so we can chat more calmly."
He walked away and was lost in the crowd of ninjas heading down the stairs.
Sakura reached Naruto's side. "Are you okay? You were staring at him for a long time."
"Yeah. It is just that guy gives me a really bad feeling."
"To all of us," Hinata added, joining them. "His energy is very strange, Naruto-kun."
Ino arrived shortly after, rubbing her temples. "That mind link left my head feeling like someone hit it with a hammer. I need food fast."
"Ramen," Naruto suggested immediately. "Ichiraku. My treat."
"Are you really paying?" Ino looked at him with surprise.
"Sure. We passed the first test together. We have to celebrate properly."
"Naruto paying a full bill," Sakura smiled. "Today is a day of miracles, definitely."
"Hey! I always pay!"
"Yeah, right, in your dreams."
As they left the building, mixing with the other Konoha teams, none of them noticed someone watching them from a nearby roof.
******
In another part of the village, Anko Mitarashi sat on a ledge, smoking a cigarette. She had her right hand pressed against the mark on her neck, which was still stinging a bit.
"Kabuto Yakushi," she whispered, releasing the smoke slowly. "Seventh try. War orphan. Medical ninja in training."
The boy's technical file was perfect. Too perfect.
Anko had spent years under Orochimaru's orders and had learned to recognize the snake's trail anywhere. And Kabuto smelled like a lie from a mile away.
"I have to talk to Tsunade-sama," she decided, crushing the cigarette against the stone. "If that boy has anything to do with Orochimaru, this exam is going to turn into a slaughter."
She stood up and prepared to jump toward the administrative tower. Before leaving, she looked down at the street where Naruto's group was walking happily toward the ramen stand.
"Be careful, runts," she whispered. "Something is moving in the shadows and it doesn't have a friendly face."
She jumped and vanished between the Konoha buildings as the sun began to set, painting the sky a deep red that looked like a warning of what was to come.
*****
In the streets, the group walked toward Ichiraku with their spirits high, joking and laughing to let go of the exam tension.
"I can't believe we made it," Tenten said, letting out a long sigh of relief. "When Ibiki started that speech about the tenth question, I really thought our careers were over right there."
"We lost about thirty genin in that last minute," Shikamaru pointed out in his usual tone. "Ten full teams gave up out of fear of a word."
"But we stayed," Choji added between bites of his chips. "That is what counts."
Kiba was almost jumping with excitement next to Akamaru. "The second phase is going to be the best! A whole forest to hunt in! Akamaru and I are going to be the kings of that place!"
"You shouldn't be so cocky," Shino warned calmly. "If they call it the Forest of Death, it isn't exactly because it is a place for a walk."
"You are always so optimistic, Shino," Ino retorted sarcastically.
"I am just being realistic."
Hinata walked next to Naruto, following his pace naturally.
"Naruto-kun," she said in a low voice. "What you did was very brave."
"Brave or a bit dumb?" Naruto laughed, scratching the back of his neck. "For a second I thought Ibiki was going to kick me out for shouting at him."
"It was brave," Hinata insisted, looking him in the eyes. "You showed that your dreams are bigger than your fear. That gave us all the strength to stay."
Her cheeks turned a bit red as she finished.
Naruto felt a nice warmth in his chest. "Thanks, Hinata-chan. But we were all great today. Ino's trick to connect us, Sakura's brains, your way of seeing the genjutsu... we worked like a perfect team."
"Like a family," Sakura added, moving to Naruto's other side. "That is what we are now, right?"
"Family," Naruto repeated with a grin from ear to ear. "Yeah. Exactly that."
They reached Ichiraku Ramen and the smell of the broth greeted them like a warm welcome.
"Teuchi-jiji!" Naruto shouted as they walked in. "We need ten large bowls of ramen! We are celebrating!"
"Naruto!" the stall owner greeted him with his usual smile. "And what are we celebrating today?"
"We passed the first phase of the Chunin Exams!"
"That is fantastic! In that case, the first round is on the house," Teuchi announced.
"Really!?" Naruto almost jumped for joy. "You are the best in the whole village!"
They settled onto the stools, cramped but happy. The conversation flowed with laughs, exam stories, and plans for the next day's training.
But in the back of their minds, Anko's phrase kept ringing:
Many of you are not coming out alive.
******
If we hit 300 Power Stones this week, I will immediately release 3 bonus chapters this Sunday to kick off the new week!
Want to read ahead? You can find advanced chapters at: patreon.com/shurazero
Thank you all for the incredible support. Let's hit that goal!