Chapter 40: A Solo Path
In front of the real Classroom 301, Team 8 found their sensei waiting for them.
"You're very punctual," Kurenai said, a warm, approving smile on her beautiful face. Dressed in her signature red, she exuded a confident, mature charm that set her apart from the anxious genin crowding the halls.
"Kurenai-sensei! You're actually here before us for once!" Kiba joked, a wide grin on his face as Akamaru yipped in agreement.
"Hehe, I didn't expect you to find the real location so quickly," Kurenai replied, her smile faltering slightly. She paused, her expression turning more serious. "While that's commendable, I'm afraid I have some... unfortunate news for you."
"Unfortunate news?" Kiba's grin vanished, replaced by alarm. "Did they cancel our exam qualifications?"
"Nothing that severe," Kurenai assured him, though her tone was heavy. "But this news will be particularly difficult for one of you."
"Just what is it, Kurenai-sensei? You're worrying us," Kiba pressed, his heart pounding. The others grew tense. Aizen's mind, however, was already racing, calculating contingencies. If he were disqualified, his entire timetable for infiltration would need to be accelerated.
"According to the rules of this Chunin Exam," Kurenai explained, "all participants must enter as three-person teams. Our team has four members. This means one of you must compete alone, to maintain a sense of fairness for the other teams."
She turned her gaze directly to Aizen, her eyes filled with genuine regret. "Aizen, I'm sorry. The Third Hokage has made the decision. You will be participating as a one-man team. Hinata, Kiba, and Shino will form the other team from our group."
"What? Why!" Kiba burst out. "We're Team 8! We're supposed to be together!"
Both Shino and Hinata looked equally distressed. They had trained together for so long, their teamwork becoming a seamless extension of their individual skills, with Aizen as their unspoken core. To be separated now felt like having a limb torn off. Worse, Aizen would be alone, an easy target for coordinated attacks from full teams.
"Please, try to understand," Kurenai said, her voice soft with apology. "I argued for you, but the rules are clear. A four-person team would be inherently unfair to everyone else. Fairness, in this context, is relative."
"It's quite alright," Aizen said, his gentle smile returning, and this time, it was completely genuine. "There's no need for pessimism. I am confident that even separated, every member of Team 8 will reach the final stage."
For him, this was not a setback; it was a blessing. Concepts of 'fairness' were irrelevant to one who planned to stand above all. Being separated from his team meant he was free from the need to moderate his actions for their sake. He could move, plan, and reveal his power with absolute freedom. Being a one-man team was the perfect cover.
"Your attitude is a credit to you, Aizen," Kurenai said, visibly relieved by his response. She stepped closer to him, looking into his face with a fondness that held a trace of something more personal. "I believe you will shine brighter than anyone."
From the corner, Hinata watched the exchange. Seeing the affectionate look in her sensei's eyes and the easy smile on Aizen's face, she felt a strange, sharp pang in her chest. She bit her lower lip and clenched her fists at her sides, a wave of confusing sorrow washing over her.
"Alright," Kurenai said, stepping aside to clear the doorway. "You may go in. The moment you cross this threshold, a new challenge begins."
The four of them shared one last look, a silent promise passing between them, and then stepped into Classroom 301 with confident strides.
The noise that hit them was a physical force. The massive classroom was packed wall-to-wall with genin, a seething mass of over a hundred young shinobi from every corner of the map. The air was thick with tension, competition, and the raw, unfiltered ambition of youth.
"There are so many of them," Hinata whispered, her Byakugan instinctively wanting to activate to take in the overwhelming number of potential threats.
The room was a sea of unfamiliar, often hostile faces, each one giving off an aura of practiced skill. Among them, they spotted familiar figures: the cold Gaara and his siblings, the Ino-Shika-Chō trio, and other Konoha genin. Soon after, Team 7 arrived, squeezing into the crowded space, until the classroom felt like a powder keg ready to explode.
Suddenly, a stern, powerful voice cut through the din, silencing the room in an instant.
BANG!
The door at the front of the classroom slammed open. Several figures stood there, but the one who commanded all attention was a massive, terrifying man with a face covered in scars and a ruthless glare that promised no mercy.
Morino Ibiki, Konoha's Special Jōnin and the chief examiner for the first test, had arrived. The exam was about to begin.