First Day of the Chūnin Exams
As Ikki and his team made their way to the location for the written test, two genin stepped in front of them, casting a weak genjutsu to block the hallway. Hinari immediately scowled, annoyed by the interruption.
Hinari: "Seriously? This kind of nonsense?"
Ikki: "Leave it, Hinari. It's just a test. No point wasting energy."
The first guy opened his mouth to say something smart—but before he could get a word out, Hinari punched him square in the jaw, sending him flying into the wall.
Ikki: "Baka. I was trying to protect you. No one wins against an angry woman."
Hinari (glaring): "What did you say?"
Ikki: "Nothing. Nothing at all. Let's go."
They arrived at the examination hall and sat in their designated spots. As they settled in, the room took notice of them—though most people quickly dismissed Ikki. But Chikako and Hinari, being clan heirs, drew lingering gazes.
Ikki (thinking):
I love my plain looks. One glance and they move on. But Chikako and Hinari? Popular as ever. I'm definitely teasing them about this later.
As if sensing his thoughts, Hinari gave him a sharp look.
Ikki (thinking):
What is with her today?
He gave her a small apologetic nod. The moment didn't go unnoticed—his meek gesture only dropped his reputation further in the eyes of other teams.
Ikki (thinking):
Thanks a lot, Hinari...
After a while, the "Rookie Nine" (excluding Team Guy) entered the exam hall. They were talking a bit too loudly for such a tense environment.
Soon, the door opened again—and in walked a silver-haired genin with glasses.
Kabuto: "Hey, you guys. You should probably keep it down. You're the Rookie Nine, right? Fresh from the Academy? Cute kids like you shouldn't make so much noise. This isn't a field trip."
Ino: "Who do you think you are, acting all high and mighty?"
Kabuto: "Kabuto Yakushi. But more importantly—look around."
He gestured behind them. Genin from the Hidden Rain Village were already glaring.
Kabuto: "People here are on edge. You don't want to pick a fight before the exam even starts. Most of them have taken this test before… you haven't."
Kabuto (smiling): "Reminds me of myself back then."
Ikki (thinking):
Smooth. He's good at manipulating kids. Orochimaru's still targeting Sasuke even in this version of the timeline, huh? Looks like the partial Uchiha survival didn't change that much. Itachi must've still shown him his place.
As in the original timeline, the rookie teams started asking Kabuto for intel on other participants.
Sasuke: "Tell me about Gaara of the Sand, Rock Lee from the Leaf… and Ikki."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses.
Kabuto:
"Rock Lee. One year older than you. Twenty D-rank missions, eleven C-rank missions. Team leader is Might Guy. Taijutsu specialist. His strength skyrocketed in the last year. Other skills? Meh. But he's become the most talked-about rookie lately. His teammates are Hyuga Neji and Tenten. This is their first Chūnin Exam."
He flipped to the next card.
Kabuto:
"Gaara of the Desert. Eight C-rank missions, one B-rank. No known injuries. Not much intel on him—he's from another village, so info's limited."
Everyone was surprised by the mention of a rookie with a B-rank mission.
Then came the final card.
Kabuto:
"And Ikki from the Hidden Leaf. 200 missions in the past two years. 120 C-rank, 80 B-rank. Known as one of the hot favorites for this year's exam. His teammates—Chikako Nara and Hinari Hyuga—are also strong contenders."
The entire room went silent.
Gasps spread. Even the seasoned genin were caught off guard.
Not far away, Ikki watched as Naruto began trembling, barely containing his emotions.
Ikki (thinking):
Knowing Naruto, he's about to say something stupid…
Right on cue—
Naruto: "My name is Uzumaki Naruto! And I'm not gonna lose to guys like you!"
Ikki smirked, then silently walked up behind him. Naruto didn't notice until it was too late.
Ikki: "Hoh? What did you just say?"
Naruto spun around—eyes wide.
Naruto: "Big bro—!"
Two seconds of frozen panic.
"I-I mean, I'm still gonna beat you!"
Ikki gave him a playful grin.
Ikki: "Best of luck."
He glanced at the rest of the Rookie Nine. Most of them stiffened as his gaze swept across them. When his eyes met Kabuto's, he offered a small smile—but said nothing.
Just then, Chikako and Hinari walked up behind him.
Chikako (dryly): "Are you done scaring the newbies?"
Hinari: "You're acting weird today. Trying to scare children?"
Ikki: "Hey, I just heard someone talking big. Thought I'd check out who it was—and how confident they looked."
Chikako: "And now thanks to that, we're the center of attention."
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