Here you go, a new chapter. I hope you all enjoy it.
(A\N; Uploading schedule is now changed to Saturday or Sunday)
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Early in the morning of the Chunin exams, in the inn's dining area;
Kakashi sat still with a bowl of rice and chopsticks in his hands. His face shed a big sweatdrop as he examined the situation in front of him.
Naruto sat eating quietly, he had a traditional breakfast spread on the tray in front of him. The meal consists of cooked white rice, grilled fish, miso soup, pickled vegetables, Natto (fermented soy bean), Nori (Seasoned Dried Seaweed), and other vegetable side dishes. There are three sets of this meal, as three people are sitting together at the table.
But that wasn't what earned Kakashi's bewilderment.
What earned it was the chained Guy sitting beside Naruto. He was wrapped from neck to toe with a golden chain made purely out of chakra coming out of Naruto's back.
"Can you let me go now, Naruto-kun?" Guy asked in a surprisingly timid tone.
"Are you going to sit properly while eating?" Naruto asked as he continued to eat his food
"But…" Guy said, but was quickly shut up when Naruto looked at him with a smile
The smile may seem calm, but it made a shiver crawl up Guy's and Kakashi's spines. They can sense a quiet promise of pain radiating from that smile.
"Fine, I will." Guy muttered with an unconvincing tone, making Naruto's eyes narrow.
"I know that you want to work out, but there is a time and place. We are here as guests, so we need to act with decency. Eating while doing handstand push-ups on the table isn't decent at all. You can work out as much as you want after eating. If you do anything like that again while eating, I won't tell you to stop. But your next meal will be through a straw. Are we clear?" Naruto said with the same calm tone as his smile widened, especially with the threat at the end. Guy just nodded vigorously as he knew that Naruto would do that.
"Good." Naruto said as he returned to his food while retracting his chains.
'I never saw someone deal with Guy like that.' Kakashi thought as he continued to eat while looking with amazement at the quiet and still Guy as he ate his meal properly.
Usually, Guy is so free-spirited that no one could control him or tell him what to do. They just deal with his antics and move on.
Naruto has never had a problem with Guy's behavior. Everyone has their quirks, and Naruto respects that. But the looks and feelings he got and sensed towards them when Guy started eating while doing handstand push-ups on the table were too much. They aren't home in Konoha. They are in Kumo, so the feeling of embarrassment was greater.
"Well, if it isn't our sleeping beauty?" Kakashi said sarcastically as he saw Anko take a seat with them at the table with her tray of food.
"Just shut up." Anko huffed as she started to eat.
"You ok now, Anko?" Naruto asked
"Yeah, I'm fine now. I can't believe my stomach got upset from eating the lovely Dango." Anko said with a tone full of disbelief.
"Anko, you ate 11 servings of Dango." Naruto said with a blank face and tone.
"So? It is my favorite food." Anko replied with a shrug.
"Anko, that is 11 servings, which is 99 individual Dango balls. I am surprised that you only got a stomach ache." Naruto said, He knows that most normal people's bodies would crash out from this severe influx of sugar into the body and bloodstream. A lot of people will argue that a Shinobi's body has more resistance, but this?
"I would do it again. All for the sweet Dango." Anko said with determination
"Suit yourself. Just remember that if you don't monitor your Dango intake and it happens again, I will have no choice but to recommend banning you from getting Dango to the Hokage. It is my duty as the team's medic after all." Naruto said with a smirk, making Anko go pale.
"You wouldn't dare." Anko growled at Naruto.
"Try me, snake girl." Naruto said as his smirk turned savage, making Anko huff in resignation.
"You two should finish soon. The exams will start in less than an hour." Kakashi said.
"Where is it held?" Anko asked as she ate.
"You will go to Kumo's Ninja academy, and you will know what happens after that from there." Kakashi said which got him a nod from the two genin.
Kakahi looked at Guy only to see his seat empty and his plates empty.
"Where did Guy go?" Kakashi said, confused. Usually, Guy is a person who makes a lot of noise, so him being so quiet that he was able to sneak out is a first.
"He is currently running around outside." Naruto said simply as he put down his chopsticks, having finished eating
'Well, that is Guy for you.' Kakashi thought to himself as he shook his head.
Time-skip, about half a day later, outside the Kumo academy;
"Well, that was easy." Naruto said as he walked out of the academy grounds with Guy and Kakashi following behind him.
"For you, you stamina freak." Anko replied heatedly as she took in deep breaths of air, trying to calm her severely aching muscles
The first phase of the exams wasn't anything extraordinary. It was a purely physical exam.
Whoever said that Kumo is filled with muscle heads has some merit to his claim.
When Naruto and Anko went to the academy, they were met with a lot of looks of intimidation and threats from the many teams that were attending the exams. The looks were more concentrated on them purely for being from Konoha. A lot of the other villages hate Konoha for different reasons, their genin won't be any different.
At that time, Naruto spotted Yugito and her team through the crowd. When their eyes met, Naruto gave them a small nod of greeting before standing quietly in a corner of the room with Anko, who was busy returning the glares with her own.
As Naruto waited for the exam to start. He looked at the participants and found that none of them was noteworthy to him right now. That was purely his estimation from feeling their chakra. None of them had anywhere near Yugito's chakra reserves. Yugito herself is nowhere near Naruto's own reserves. So that is saying something.
When the examiners entered, they explained that the exam is an endurance exam. They gave everyone a set of similar weights and ordered that the weights be worn and to follow a group of Chunin on a pre-designated path through and out of Kumo that would take slightly less than half a day to complete.
The rules were simple:
1. Follow the leading Chunin group at all times
2. The weights are to be worn on the person at all times and to be taken off when told to by the organizers.
3. No use of chakra for muscle assistance.
4. The team must reach the end complete and together. You can assist your teammates as long as it doesn't violate the previous rules.
5. If any of the previous rules are broken by an individual, their whole team is disqualified.
The rules seem simple and easy, right?
Let's just say that this phase was an absolute torture to most of the participating Genin teams. The organisers and Chunin watched the genin like hawks, mercilessly disqualifying those who broke any of the rules.
The initial 60 teams that participated in the Chunin exams were reduced to only 20 in the first phase.
Phase one came to an end hours after sunset. The Chunin supervisors told the genin who made it to rest and eat well because the day after tomorrow was the second phase, which made some of the genin groan.
Naruto found the first phase to be a breeze purely because his usual physical training alone was ten times worse. Let alone his training sessions with Guy. Naruto's natural stamina and endurance are already monstrous considering that he is a Senju and an Uzumaki.
"Anko, when we return to the inn, take a warm bath to relax your muscles. I will prepare something for us to eat to help you recover for the day after tomorrow." Naruto said as they neared the inn
"You can cook?" Anko said with a surprised tone.
"Yeah, it is a hobby I picked up. I was told that I am very good at." Naruto said
"Doesn't the inn already make meals for us?" Anko asked as they reached the inn's entrance.
"While they do make some decent meals, they lack the amount of protein that you would need to help you recover in time for the second phase. I will have to make our meals for this time, so I will have to make a quick trip to the market. Let's go, Hatake-san" Naruto said as he left Anko in front of the inn.
"Wait, what are you going to cook?" Anko said as she took a step to follow Naruto. But that sudden movement made her wince at the sudden pain that jolted in her body from her spent muscles.
"Go to your room and take a warm bath like I said. And you will eat whatever I make you without question." Naruto said as he continued walking without looking back, with a silent Kakashi following him.
"I am older than you. You should respect me a little." Anko said with irritation
"And I am the responsible one, Miss Dango addict." Naruto said, making Kakashi snort.
"Hey, don't shame me with my favorite food." Anko yelled
"Do as I told you, Anko. Your doctor's orders." Naruto said as he disappeared past a corner along with Kakashi.
"Don't worry, Anko. This is nothing some rest won't fix." Guy said with enthusiasm.
Anko huffed as she tried not to groan in pain as she dragged her aching body to her room.
Two hours later, in the inn, Anko's room;
"That was some of the best food I have ever tasted." Anko said with a satisfied sigh. She is wearing something comfortable while lying in her bed as Naruto's hand hovered over her body while emitting soothing green chakra.
Naruto had made some steaks for her. But the way they were prepared made the already premium lean cut shine more. He cooked them till medium rare, finishing them with butter, salt, pepper, herbs, and other seasonings.
"I never thought that beef could be so delicious." Anko said as she tried not to moan in delight from remembering the tasty meal and the current comfortable feeling coming from whatever Naruto is doing to help her recover faster.
"You can make a woman comfortable and cook some delicious food. Whoever marries you is going to be a lucky girl." Anko said absent-mindedly from comfort.
Her mind soon realized what she said making her face flame up in a red color as she looked at Naruto who gave her a blank look with a raised eyebrow.
"I…I… I mean." She sputtered but couldn't make a complete sentence.
From embarrassment, she pulled a pillow from near her and put her face in it.
'What the hell did I just say?' She thought to herself
She felt Naruto leave her alone in the room and close the door behind him.
'What is going to think of me now?' She thought with a worry filling her.
She got her answer when she heard Naruto chuckle in amusement as he walked to his room, much to her relief and increasing embarrassment.
End the Chapter.
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**Important** Please vote. Go to the chapter named 'vote relocation'. It will take you to my Patreon page and Poll links. Please find the two polls posted there, read them, and vote on what you prefer. All your opinions matter to me.
'100 power stones if you want an additional chapter with next week's release.'
I hope you all enjoyed the chapter.
I would appreciate feedback, comments, and power stones from you guys. I would like to read all of your comments, I would like to know if I am doing well and if you enjoy what I write.
Thank you all for your support.
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