(Asuma team POV)
-That's the guy, it was really hard to beat him back then, I thought he had died.- Choji said seriously.
-Do you know him?- Ino asked, confused.
-He was the one I fought when we went after Sasuke.- Choji said, a little apprehensive. -If it weren't for my clan's pills, I would have died.
Sakura and Ino swallowed hard, but Sakura was thinking about something else.
Ever since she arrived in this village, she's been looking around, searching for Sasuke, but so far she's never seen him. She forced herself to calm down and concentrate on the exam for Ino and Choji's sake, but now, remembering that time, she couldn't help but tremble slightly.
Ino noticed something and placed her hand on Sakura's shoulder. Sakura looked up and saw a faint, compassionate smile on Ino's face.
-Everything's alright, Sakura.- Ino said softly.
Sakura gave a stiff smile, but finally took a deep breath and forced herself to concentrate, the exam was about to begin.
Ino sighed, but she had her own worries, she had been thinking about Jugo ever since she saw him a few hours earlier. The shadowy figure on the black throne still haunted her mind, she could only continue to pretend that everything was alright.
-Ino, Sakura, let me take the black plate. I have more chakra than you and I can burn fat to get more.- At that tense moment, Choji spoke, turning to them.
Ino opened her mouth to refuse, but... Choji was right, even without Shikamaru there, Ino knew that Choji would be chosen by him for the same reason.
Ino sighed and spoke. -Fine, but if you can't handle it, take the sign down, it doesn't matter, we can just give up on this year.
Sakura nodded. -That's right, Choji, even if we can't pass this year, we can try again in the next Chunin Exams.
-You can't think like that, you can do without me, just keep running.- Choji shook his head.
-No, even though the instructor didn't make it clear, this type of exam usually tests teamwork, leaving you behind will likely result in disqualification.- Sakura shook her head.
Ino agreed. -Yes, Choji, even if it isn't, either we succeed together, or we all fail.
-you... - Choji's eyes welled up with tears and he jumped on them, hugging each one with one arm.
Sakura was embarrassed and Ino had an exasperated look of "as expected."
After all, she knew perfectly well that underneath that big guy was a cute little bear.
(POV Dosu team)
Aomine Kenta seemed to jump for joy in his seat, appearing to want to start running immediately. He couldn't help himself, but instead bent down and began doing push-ups, his face covered in excitement.
He looked like a 10-12 year old boy, wearing only standard Oto clothes, typically with stained pants and a light purple tank top and short black hair with the Hitai-ate of sound tied on his forehead.
Next to him stood an older girl with blonde hair tied in a ponytail and blue eyes, wearing similar clothes, but instead of a tank top, she wore a long-sleeved purple shirt. She looked at the excited Kenta and sighed. -Kenta, stop it, we need to decide who will wear the black tag.
-I can carry it, Nanami, don't worry.- Kenta stopped and smiled at the girl with lovestruck eyes, before blushing shyly and resuming his push-ups even faster.
Midorime Nanami sighed wearily and looked at the other boy beside her, even younger than Kenta, but whose clothes mirrored Dosu's, practically the same, but in a smaller version, although instead of covering most of his face with bandages and leaving only one eye free, the boy covered his eyes with bandages, leaving his mouth uncovered.
To others, he appeared blind, but he was training, using only his hearing and chakra sense to guide himself.
He also didn't walk hunched over like Dosu, he just stood there with his arms crossed.
-Ryuta, talk to Kenta, he's wasting energy!- Nanami sighed as she spoke to Ryuta.
Ryuta's voice sounded a little milky, but he didn't mind as he spoke without even turning his face to her. - Let him take the black Tag, he has more chakra than the rest of the group anyway.
Kenta smiled and gave Ryuta a thumbs up and continued exercising, leaving Nanami frustrated with her teammates.
A serious and indifferent teacher like Dosu spoiled Ryuta, who is now always imitating him, on the other hand, Kenta was the complete opposite, always full of energy, jumping around excitedly.
Shaking her head, she glanced at another team not far away, another sound team, a redhead with her hair tied in a ponytail wearing a red Yukata, a young man with white hair and a grin full of serrated teeth with a mean look, and a young man with short purple hair and a gentle gaze.
-Karin-sama, Suigetsu-sama and Ranmaru-sama... they're really participating in this exam!- Nanami sounded excited.
The puppets that Jugo created still had their effects, as students not only of Kimimaro, but of Jugo himself, these three along with Sasuke became famous and revered for a long time, they were like a Oto version of Tsunade, Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
Ryuta and Kenta also looked in that direction, Ryuta even pulled the blindfold away from his eyes a little so he could see.
Kenta seemed to tremble with excitement, wanting to jump and greet these "Sempais", but Nanami quickly held him back. Ryuta, on the other hand, also admired them, but his greatest desire was to surpass them.
He stared intently at them, with desire clearly visible in his eyes.
(POV Kimimaro team)
That kind of look easily caught the attention of the three, but they weren't worried after seeing the Hitai-ate sound in those children, it was clear that it was just another trio of their fans, they had long since become accustomed to having "fans".
Suigetsu always complains that while Sasuke's fans are mostly women, his male fans are a bunch of brutes!
He can only sigh in annoyance at this situation.
-Let me take the black Tag.- Karin said. She had the most chakra among them, so it was an obvious choice.
But Ranmaru raised his hand. -As a werewolf, my chakra is continuously replenished, so even if you have more chakra than me, I can continue to regenerate and won't feel too tired until the end of the race.
Karin paused for a moment and agreed, it made sense.
-Well, now that you've made up your minds.- Suigetsu said, rolling his eyes, looking directly at Choujuro's team. -I really hope the second exam is a battle.
-Idiot, even if it's a battle and you take that sword, you'll be forced to return it at the end of the exam.- Karin rolled her eyes.
-What?! Why would I give it back?!- Suigetsu immediately became angry.
-You really didn't read the Chunin Exams rules, did you? It states that any item taken from competitors in a village must be properly returned to their original village.- Karin shrugged.
Suigetsu's mouth dropped open in shock. - What?!
-Idiot! - Karin scorned him directly and ignored him.
-Damn it, you fucking redhead!
-What did you say? You dried-up fish!
-Tomboy!
-Damn it, I'm going to kill you!
Splash~
Ranmaru, standing beside them, chuckled softly, watching Suigetsu's head sneeze like a punctured water balloon again, he always enjoyed spending time with Karin and Suigetsu.