'This can't be...'
My fingers came together almost on instinct for a second time, and I disturbed my chakra coils.
[Cancel]
The world around me snapped like glass again. In front of me was a proctor holding a clipboard with a raised eyebrow. Writing something that seemed to be assessing me.
I turned just in time to see Tsunade and Orochimaru reaching out toward me. Both froze halfway, hands still raised. Guess they'd been about to help me break out of the Genjutsu.
The proctor standing in front of us is finishing his notes, voice flat but approving. "Two and a half seconds. Not bad. Take a seat wherever you want; you will partake in a written exam."
Two and a half, huh? I'll take that.
"What was that Genjutsu?" Tsunade's voice asks curiously. Hearing this, I was also a little curious; a double-layer Genjutsu seemed useful.
But maybe changing the last layer to be different would have been bad.
Even then, two and a half seconds of downtime in a battle would mean death in most cases.
"It was the [Demonic Illusion: Double False Surroundings Technique]. I saw it in the C-rank section, but I spent all my money on elemental ninjutsu." Orochimaru informs, a little down. Hearing his tone, I pat his back which seems to do the trick.
"You'll be able to afford it in the future, either way you can ask sensei..." My words put some ideas in his head to cheer him up.
"Yeah! Sensei definitely would never refuse his favourite student."
Hearing Tsunade backing me up, we both were smirking. Can he really say no to Orochimaru earnestly asking for some techniques?
Probably not.
"Okay!" He says with an extra hop in his step. His voice carried a sort of innocence which made me wanna cry out.
We walked through a narrow hallway that opened into a massive classroom lined with neat rows of desks. Maybe thirty other kids already filled the room, most looking either pissed off, nervous, or locked in.
One thing that was easy to see was their heights, though.
Doubling my team's height.
'How tall does Jiraiya become?' A random thought hit my head.
"Eleven seconds... Fail." The same proctor, but now with a stern tone, down the hallway.
Ignoring that.
We sat down together near the center of the room. I leaned back slightly in my chair, letting my eyes wander. The room had this thick tension to it, that mix of sweat, nerves, and pencil scratches.
With a lot of stares coming our way initially, my mind ignored the stares. Looking up at the ceiling, I start to remember the original Naruto and what could be the play for these exams.
Thankfully, an idea hit my head.
Putting my hands over Orochimaru and Tsunade's shoulders, I get us three into a small huddle.
"If we need to, I have my shadow clone technique and transparent technique to cheat up some answers."
"I also have a few snake summons to help us out," Orochimaru answers back with a serious look, which looked a bit funny with his kid face. The Senju in our team cheekily grins. With this type of support, she definitely didn't really have to do too much.
With our backup plans now all being said, ten minutes passed as it was now time to start the exam.
The proctor from before stood at the front of the class, expression unreadable. "Remember, a shinobi who panics doesn't live long. Think carefully and do your best to answer all the questions. The rules are that by the end of the exam, all your members must get over 80% on the test. If caught cheating, you will be disqualified..."
If you're "caught," eh.
A few murmurs ran through the room as teams whispered.
The proctor clapped once, silencing the room.
A sudden aura hit me, making my heart stop for a second as I shook a little. The image of my head being cut off was there for a moment before vanishing.
Like a dream.
Grabbing my neck in a panic, it was still there.
'Genjutsu? No, is that killing intent?' Before my thoughts could wander further, his voice hit my ears.
"The written portion begins now."
A stack of test sheets started making its way down the rows. The soft thud of paper hitting desks filled the air.
I straightened in my seat, now tense, hands on the table.
The test paper landed in front of me, and I glanced down and immediately scanned the questions.
Geography, tactics, chakra theory. I recognised the words, sure, but answering them to a satisfactory detail? Maybe not..
'Who the hell remembers which three countries are between Suna and Iwa...'
[Explain how Yin and Yang release interact and is used in medical ninjutsu]
Yeah.
Maybe not.
In my peripheral vision, Orochimaru was already scribbling answers at a steady rhythm, his eyes never leaving the paper. To my right, Tsunade had her tongue stuck out slightly as she wrote slower, but still confident.
I exhaled quietly and formed a single hand sign under the table.
Tiger
[Shadow Clone Jutsu]
Seeing the clone appear under the hidden desk, it immediately used the transparent technique and left. My teammates obviously could see the clone at the start, but someone else did.
A kid next to Tsunade was staring at me.
"Proctor, this kid just used a te-" My heart skipped a beat at his words.
"Shut up! Before I fail you!"
"But-"
Watching this interaction out of the corner of my eye, a small smirk crawls up my face.
The room filled with the sound of pencils scratching paper and the occasional throat clearing. The pressure was thick; every now and then, a proctor would call out a person who they failed the test.
"Team 2 fails!"
A few minutes passed until a faint whisper brushed against my ear.
"Some guy already has his paper done and wasn't moving, so I took his answers. All multiple choice questions, one through eight in order. B, A, C, A, A, A, A, and A."
I blinked once, then smirked slightly.
Nice.
Whoever made the test and made the letter A the answer four times is evil...
Although I might need to send the clone back out in case they are wrong.
I wrote and highlighted the answers naturally, glancing at Tsunade and Orochimaru. Both noticed, faintly. Shifting my foot a bit, and tapped Tsunade's ankle twice. Her brows furrowed, but she listened.
Another whisper came through to her, which made her smirk.
The same happened to Orochimaru later on, but he didn't change any answers; of course, he didn't need any help.
'Well, if he isn't saying anything, it must be right.' I wanted to sigh in relief at his careful nods.
"Team 8 fails!"
Three more Genin were dragged out of their seats because of one teammate. Hearing the seat shuffling from where the snitch was, a slight glance showed that it was that bastard.
'Deserved...'
The clone presumably drifted around the room like a ghost, occasionally brushing by desks and peeking at papers to see if there was anything different. The proctors didn't even flinch, probably ignoring it.
In all fairness, Tenten somehow got multiple mirrors on the ceiling; the proctors can at least let me have this.
As the time stretched on, eventually the words of the proctor could be heard loud and clear throughout the room.
"Pencils down." The proctor clapped his hands for a second time. Making multiple students flinch a little.
This time, though, that aura wasn't there.
Phew.
I exhaled slowly, leaning back in my chair. Tsunade let out a sigh of relief beside me, and Orochimaru just stared in confidence.
...
The sound of dozens of pencils clattering against desks filled the room like a single, heavy exhale. Everyone froze. Some glanced up nervously at the line of proctors watching from the front, while others slumped over in defeat.
Watching the proctors starting to gather papers from team to team. His eyes flicked up occasionally, scanning the room like a hawk.
Each of the proctors who were off to the side now started to mark papers in record speeds. Flipping through sheets, marking symbols, muttering among themselves.
Every now and then, a team was called. Which was followed by either a relieved sigh or a groan as they were escorted out.
"Team Ten. Fail."
"Team Four. Pass."
"Team Thirteen. Fail."
It was like watching a slow execution line.
Tsunade's knee bounced under the table, and even Orochimaru had stopped his idle tapping.
Then, finally.
"Team Seven. Pass."
Those words made me sigh in relief, holding my chest. Tsunade's eyes widened, and Orochimaru gave a small nod.
"Let's go, guys!" Tsunade says in excitement, hugging both Orochimaru and me.
I couldn't stop the grin tugging at my face.
The proctor continued reading out the results until the last team's fate was sealed. Half the room emptied out, silent, bitter, defeated. The remaining Genin straightened up, the reality setting in that they'd survived another round.
Once the noise faded, the head proctor stepped forward again. His gaze swept across the remaining teams like he was memorizing faces. "Congratulations. You've all passed the first part of the Chunin Exams."
A faint smile crept across his face, the kind that never meant good news. "Because next, you'll be heading to the Forest of Death."[1]
The murmurs started immediately. Even Orochimaru's brow furrowed slightly. Tsunade looked between us, curious..
"Forest of Death? Isn't that the forbidden training ground?" She whispered.
Orochimaru glanced at her and nodded. "Training grounds forty-four. Restricted area. Full of gigantic, venomous creatures and traps. I've read about it."
I hummed in amusement, "Gamabunta will be able to eat his fill..."
The proctor spoke again, his voice loud and steady. "In five hours' time, you'll all assemble at the entrance to the Forest of Death. You will be briefed further then."
With that, he turned sharply, signaling the other proctors to escort everyone out.
...
By the time we stepped outside, the morning cold had started to leave. The sun, painting Konoha in soft orange light.
We didn't head straight to the training ground. Instead, we decided to grab something to eat. Partly to celebrate, partly because none of us had eaten since dawn. The exam building wasn't far from a cluster of small food stalls, and before long, we found ourselves at a quiet noodle shop tucked beside the main street.
It wasn't fancy, but it was warm, smelled of soy broth, and most importantly, empty.
Unfortunately, Teuchi hasn't opened up shop.
Probably because he's too young, but eh.
I ordered three bowls of ramen before either of them could object.
"Shouldn't we eat something healthier for the exams?" Tsunade questions seeing the hot bowl in front of her.
"Can't hate it until you try it," I respond. "If you want, just order extra meat."
'Not like you have any.' I thought my mind was in the gutter. My mind was still a little fucked up from all the weird stuff my old self did. Being a little corny and a tad bit dirty-minded isn't too bad if it's kept to myself.
She huffed, but when the steaming bowls arrived, even she didn't complain.
The three of us sat there for a moment, just eating quietly, the noise of the village fading around us. After the chaos of the exams, the calm was almost strange.
"So," I said between slurps, "who's leading the next test?"
Orochimaru looked up first. "If we do it by order, it would be my turn."
I blinked. "I have no problems."
"Mh mh!" Our teammate with noodles still in her mouth grunted in agreement. The sight was a bit amusing.
"You know, after this exam, we should start thinking long-term. What type of fighters or shinobi will we be.."
Tsunade, finishing up the noodles in her mouth, raised a brow. "You sound like Sensei."
"Maybe he's rubbing off on me," I contemplate. "So? What do you two want to focus on?"
Orochimaru didn't hesitate and talked with clear interest.
"Ninjutsu. I want to master every ninjutsu and element like sensei did. But something else did interest me." His last words got my full attention. "Mythical weapons. Like the Sword of the Thunder God from lord second."
Now that's interesting.
In canon, he did collect a select few tools, such as the Kusanagi, so it makes sense.
"Some villages have their own mythical weapons. Maybe we can steal them." I think out loud, which got his attention.
"The hidden mist has its seven legendary blades. I only remember the shark sword one, apparently it can take the chakra of its enemies and give it to the user. It seems really useful if I ever need to grow my reserves." I rant a little bit.
But it seems like the little Orochimaru didn't care about my rant but was absorbing my words. His big eyes stared into mine as if trying to pry out more information. Will this information cause a huge ripple effect?
Maybe, but I being here already changed the dynamic of the sannin.
Tsunade stared into her bowl for a moment.
"I… don't know yet. Maybe ninjutsu? I just started to use taijutsu more to protect myself if an enemy gets too close."
"Medical ninjutsu," I said before I could stop myself.
She just blinked, confused.
"You'd be incredible at it. You've got the chakra control, the talent, and a lot of reserves. I'm willing to bet my life you could be the best healer this world has ever seen!" I rant for the second time. My words were full of conviction, which had a good reason; the future here was proof of it.
Creating S-rank techniques, which were honestly pretty amazing. Learning a few of them doesn't sound too bad, but dipping my toe in medical ninjutsu seemed iffy.
Tsunade's cheeks flushed faintly at my words. "That was out of nowhere?"
"Just give it a try!" I insist. The conversation honestly felt forced, but there was no other way to convince her to do Medical Ninjutsu.
Maybe I should do something about that?
For a moment, she didn't speak. Then she nodded softly. "Then… I'll give it a shot."
"I'm sure a medical ninja probably is more valuable than a normal shinobi. Earns a lot more too..." Orochimaru cheekily adds in the end.
Tsunade, who heard this, whipped her head at him with stars in her eyes.
'Orochimaru with the assist!'
"Really now, hehe." Her greed is showing a little.
Orochimaru smirked faintly. "Seems our team's specialties are forming. But what about you, Jiraiya?"
Hearing this, I pause for a little bit.
My choice of what to focus on was honestly confusing due to the power scaling of the series. Focusing my whole arsenal on ninjutsu seemed extremely stupid unless I had a tailed beast inside of me.
Especially since ninjutsu just becomes useless endgame, but learning it to clear extras is important.
'Most likely Senjutsu, Taijutsu/Nintaijutsu and the Summoning Technique?' I thought to myself, and I'm not too sure.
Things such as the Rasengan and Chidori are too valuable to just ignore.
"I'll focus on taijutsu and summoning. But I'm still honing my ninjutsu to be a decent all-rounder." My answer satisfies their curiosity.
Orochimaru, the mid-long range, Tsunade, the support and long range, and me close-mid range. Not too bad a lineup, all things considered, for the future.
A few more hours pass as we now make our way to training ground forty-four.
[1] There's a filler episode where it shows the "old" chunin exam second round area. But I cbf tbh fr lol.