The trio finally arrived on the third floor—just as Kakashi had instructed. This was the venue for the real Chunin Selection Exam.
Kakashi stood at the door, waiting for them.
"Mr. Kakashi!"
"Mr. Kakashi!"
"Mr. Kakashi!"
The three greeted in unison.
"You're all here. Now you can officially apply for the Chunin Exam," Kakashi said.
Sakura asked suspiciously, "What do you mean?"
Kakashi explained, "This exam requires a three-person team. Only a full team of three can participate."
His words shocked the trio—none of them expected that rule.
Sakura immediately asked, "But Sensei, didn't you say it was up to us individually whether we wanted to take the exam or not?"
"I did," Kakashi replied. "But if I said that up front, Sasuke and Naruto would've pressured you into it. Even if you didn't want to participate, you might've gone along with it—for Sasuke, or for Naruto."
Kakashi saw through their dynamic with ease—he really was a fan of Jiraiya's books.
Sakura then asked, "What if only Sasuke and Naruto had shown up?"
"Then I wouldn't have let them take the exam. I wouldn't have let them enter at all. But you all came here willingly."
Hearing this, Sasuke and Naruto patted their chests in relief. If Sakura hadn't joined...
"Thank you, Sakura," Naruto said.
"Thank you, Sakura," Sasuke echoed.
Sakura blushed: (ω) Sasuke thanked me? What day is it today?! This has to be the day we finally made progress!
Kakashi smiled. "Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke—welcome. You're a team I'm proud of. Alright, go on in."
He stepped aside. Naruto eagerly pushed the door open and entered, followed by Sakura and Sasuke.
As he watched them walk in, Kakashi smiled gently. But then a thought struck him, and he sighed.
"Menma... that guy's always causing trouble."
As soon as they stepped inside, the trio found the hall packed with people.
"What the—! Why are there so many people? Are they all here for the exam?" Sakura was visibly startled. (ΩДΩ)
Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke looked fired up—rubbing their fists, ready for a brawl.
Suddenly, a blonde girl rushed toward Sasuke.
"Sasuke! You're so slow!" she cried, leaping onto him.
It was Ino Yamanaka, one of their classmates—and one of Sasuke's many fangirls.
"I was looking forward to seeing you again. I've been waiting so long!" Ino said excitedly, clinging to him.
Sasuke: "..." Can you get off me?
Sakura: (へ╬) Does she think I don't exist?
She glared at Ino and shouted, "Back off from Sasuke, you fat pig!"
Ino immediately fired back, "Oh, if it isn't Sakura! Still got that same huge forehead. So ugly."
"What did you just say?!" Sakura growled, ready to fight Ino for a hundred rounds.
Meanwhile, Naruto spotted Shikamaru and Choji walking by. He shot Sasuke a look.
Good luck with those two, he seemed to say. I'm outta here.
Sasuke: (ω)! Naruto, get back here!
Too late. Sasuke was stuck between two raging girls.
"Shikamaru, Choji—you're here for the Chunin Exam too?" Naruto asked.
Shikamaru groaned, "Ugh… I didn't want to take this troublesome exam. But Asuma-sensei signed us up anyway."
Choji offered Naruto a bag of chips. "Want some?"
Naruto shook his head. "No thanks, Choji." My brother's here—I wouldn't dare snack around now.
He was just about to ask them if they'd seen Menma when three more familiar faces appeared.
"Oh, there you are!" said an energetic voice. "It's rare to see everyone together!"
It was Inuzuka Kiba, Shino Aburame, and Hyuga Hinata.
Ever since the teams had been split up and assigned different missions, they hadn't seen each other much. If it weren't for the Chunin Exam, this reunion wouldn't have happened.
"Hinata! It's been so long!" Naruto said, hugging her enthusiastically.
(Sasuke: Aren't I your best friend?)
Hinata's face turned bright red.
Kiba saw this and laughed, "Already spreading PDA the second you meet? Right, Akamaru?"
"Woof woof!" barked Akamaru in agreement.
Naruto let go of Hinata and asked, "By the way—have any of you seen my brother?"
Everyone froze. Nani (ω)!
Menma Uzumaki?!
Boss Menma is here too?!
No way!
w(Д)w
"Stop joking," Kiba said nervously. "Someone like your brother wouldn't need to take the Chunin Exam!"
Everyone exhaled in relief. Yeah, that made sense. With his strength, why would Boss Menma need to take the Chunin Exam?
"A joke? I'm serious!" Naruto said. "My brother told me himself that he's participating. I even saw him earlier! If you don't believe me, ask Sasuke and Sakura."
Everyone turned to Sasuke and Sakura.
They both nodded.
Shikamaru: (ΩДΩ)
Kiba: (ω)!
Choji: ￣□￣｜｜
Ino: o((⊙﹏⊙))o
Shino: "..."
Kiba looked at Shino. "Shino… should we withdraw?"
Shino nodded.
"Count me in," said Shikamaru instantly. He didn't want to take the exam in the first place. Now, hearing that Menma Uzumaki was competing? He was even more discouraged. He usually avoided Menma because he lost every time they played shogi.
Just then, a silver-haired man with glasses walked over and said, "Hey, you guys should really keep it down. You're the nine fresh graduates from the academy, huh? All so new and loud. How cute. Really, this isn't the Warring States Era."
Everyone: "..."
Ino glared at him. "Who are you, and why do you talk so weirdly?"
"I'm Kabuto Yakushi. But anyway, let's take a look around—"
Suddenly, he froze.
"Get out!" a voice growled from behind.
Nani?!
When had someone appeared behind him?!
Kabuto turned around and saw a man with red hair standing right there.
(End Of Chapter)
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