"It's confirmed. We had a ninja from the Yamanaka clan use their mind techniques to check. More than one eliminated team was certain that a considerable number of fake scrolls are circulating in the Forest of Death."
"Excellent!" Anko pressed a hand to the Cursed Seal on the back of her neck, fighting through a wave of pain. She took the fake scroll from the proctor and examined it closely. "The outside is a perfect imitation, but they didn't even bother faking the inside. This clearly wasn't meant to trick the proctors. It was meant to make the candidates paranoid and indecisive."
"You're sharp as ever..."
"Cut the flattery!" Anko slammed the fake scroll onto the ground.
"Get a tally of the teams that have already passed and how many are still in the forest with a chance of qualifying. If anyone is caught breaking the rules, I authorize the proctors to intervene directly."
"Understood!"
"I hope it's not too late," Anko said, pushing open a window and gazing out at the endless primeval forest. "Of all the times for something like this to happen!"
Before long, the investigation results came in.
"One Scroll of Heaven and one Scroll of Earth are completely missing, likely destroyed. Another Scroll of Heaven was opened by a candidate and is now void. The theoretical maximum of qualifying teams is eleven. Four have already passed... Wait, news just in. Hyuga Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten have officially passed. The current total is three teams from the Sand and two from the Leaf. The other villages have nothing."
"The Sand?" Anko's lip twitched as she instantly thought of that unremarkable Sand Ninja puppet master, Daigan. "It was probably him. What a troublesome bastard..."
The emotional turmoil caused the Cursed Seal on her neck to flare up again, making her cry out in pain.
***
Back in the Central Tower, Konoha Genin Team 8 was having the hardest time. Being the only Konoha team, isolated amidst a sea of Sand Ninja, had already been stressful for two days. They had finally waited for fellow Konoha ninja to qualify, only for it to be Hyuga Neji's team, with whom they weren't familiar.
It was natural for rookies like Team 8 to have few connections among the Konoha ninja. The self-proclaimed "strongest Genin in Konoha" certainly wasn't about to make small talk with a few rookie Genin he didn't know. The proud Aburame Shino and Inuzuka Kiba weren't about to go out of their way to curry favor with a senior, either.
With more people passing, the atmosphere had only grown more awkward. Even the Sand Ninja, having spent days together, had run out of things to say. All that remained was a silent, oppressive stuffiness. Everyone stuck to their own teams, occupying separate corners, conserving their energy while secretly observing their future competitors.
"Daigan, that Hyuga Neji qualified. He's been giving us dirty looks for a while now!"
In such a small space, Yome, who could see every pore on a person's skin, hadn't missed the hostile glare from across the room.
"Hn. Don't worry about it. The second test is over for us. Fighting here is strictly forbidden. We'd be disqualified."
"That's not what I mean. Daigan, aren't you afraid they'll retaliate in the third test?"
"Retaliate?" Daigan said dismissively. "You think I came to this joint Chunin Exam with the attitude of a student, here to witness the grandeur of so-called geniuses?"
Daigan shot a look at Rock Lee, who was glaring at them.
"The written test and the survival trial were just child's play, pulling a few little tricks. Fun, sure, but hardly refined. The real test begins now. With all the fodder who were just going through the motions gone, the clash between elites is the main event. You two remember this: everyone who walked into this tower is a rival you must defeat. Even your own teammates..."
"So... Yome and I, and you, Daigan... we're rivals right now?"
"Of course!" Daigan affirmed. "Why do you think I told you all that before? Being on the same team means you're comrades who share hardships, but you're also rivals on the path of a ninja. Supporting each other, competing with each other, motivating each other—that's what drives you to walk this path together for the long haul. Those who can't keep up get left behind, and they have no one to blame but themselves."
"You... you really don't mince your words, do you, Daigan!" Chi said with a wry smile after hearing his heartfelt speech. "A sense of camaraderie born from charity is the most unreliable thing. We understand that."
Having been shuffled around before landing in Team Otokaze, Chi and Yome knew exactly what he meant. That was the way of the Sand Ninja. The Will of Fire that Konoha ninja prized—teamwork, friendship, sacrifice—simply didn't take root in the harsh environment of Sunagakure.
After a moment of silence, Yome asked curiously, "Daigan, is there anyone you want to challenge right now?"
"Yes."
"Who is it? It's not that 'strongest Konoha Genin,' is it? Or that handsome Sasuke Uchiha... Neither of them? Don't tell me it's that green jumpsuit, thick-eyebrowed guy over there?"
"Stop guessing," Daigan said, glancing over at Temari, who was talking quietly with Kankuro.
Noticing his gaze, Chi asked, "Is it Kankuro? You want to defeat him, declare yourself the strongest puppet master in the village, and impress Temari?"
"No. Compared to Kankuro, or being a puppet master, I'd much rather fight Temari..."
"Huh? That's a strange thing to want." Chi studied Daigan's expression. He didn't seem to be lying. "So you like her, and your plan is to bully her? Aren't you a little old for that? So childish. Besides, you can't even beat Temari..."
"You never know until you try."
"Why do you want to challenge Temari?" Yome asked, confused. "If you want to show off how strong you are, there are plenty of famous ninja here. Wouldn't it be better to defeat them?"
"You wouldn't understand," Daigan said, shaking his head and refusing to elaborate.
*If I could face Temari in the preliminaries for the third test, that would be for the best. What better way to protect her than to eliminate her and send her back to Sunagakure? It wouldn't affect the grand plan for the Jinchuriki of the One-Tail, Gaara, to unleash Shukaku, and it would get the girl I love out of harm's way. The only one who might have a hard, dangerous time would be me, the unexpected variable.*
"Tch, fine, don't tell us. So you see Temari as a rival to be defeated. No wonder you act differently around her. I thought you were playing hard to get, but it turns out you're still the same dumb Daigan. How disappointing. So boring!" Chi yawned as she spoke, leaning against Yome to rest for a moment.
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