The Aftermath

Mizuki let loose a sigh of relief feeling the large amount of heat signatures congregated around one area.

It had to be the outpost. There was simply no other justification behind such a high concentration of people.

Mizuki let loose a deep breath, one which even he did not realize that he was holding.

He expected himself to pass, that was always a given to him, but since he rejoined his friends after the intense fight with Samui, he was always on his toes about other potential spies.

However, those fears were for naught as they approached the Outpost.

By the time they had arrived, the Sun was just barely starting to set. indicating the halfway point to the duration of the exam.

As they entered, Mizuki noticed that they were the tenth team to arrive at the base, being beaten by teams that had dedicated censors and weren't slowed down by a hostage chase and fight with an enemy spy.

Mizuki quickly approached the proctor, Shikaku, in order to inform him of what had occured.

Mizuki: "Proctor?"

Shikaku: "What? *yawn* what is it kido? I'm trying to take a nap."

Mizuki: "Sir, whilst we were in the Training ground, I encountered a kumo spy."

Hearing these words, Shikaku's laziness quickly evaporated as he looked towards the genin in front of him with a gaze of surprise and seriousness.

Shikaku: "Take me to the sight of the battle. Now."

Wasting no time, Shikaku quickly demanded Mizuki to take him to where the confrontation occured.

Whilst he was normally an incredibly intelligent, yet lazy Shinobi, he knew that this sort of treatment could not be applied to matters that involve the looming threat of war.

And if it was true that Kumo had sent agents to infiltrate Konoha's Chunin Exams, there would have to be consequences.

Consequences which were made all the worse by the growing disscontent brewing among the other four nations.

The Third Great Ninja War was brewing.

And Konoha would have to stand alone.

. . . . .

Mizuki complied with the proctors instructions, and led him to the canyon where he and Samui fought.

As they advanced towards the position, Mizuki was questioned by the Nara about the circumstances behind what had occured and also how the fight had broke out.

Mizuki awnsered truthfully for the most part, telling the proctor about Raido being injured and them trying to chase him, and how the speed of the oponent and the damage that they caused earlier revealed their identity.

Although, from there on, Mizuki made up the majority of his story in order to cover for Samui's identity.

After all, he didn't want anybody to realize his true strength, nor did he want anybody to find out that they were assulted by a direct disciple to the current Raikage.

Shikaku: "Can you go more into detail about the Shinobi that you faced?"

Mizuki: "Ok sure, they kept up the transformation jutsu the entire time we faced one another, so I did not see who they really were. After a brief clash, they decided to escape."

Mizuki: "Whoever they were, I believe that they burned through all of their chakra during the infiltration and subsequent hours in the chunin exam. Otherwise, I would be a dead man."

Mizuki lied as easily as he breathed.

After carefully thinking about an excuse, this was the best on that Mizuki could think of.

It would make logical sense to think that a spy would flee first opportunity possible, especially if their true identity was never revealed.

Additionaly, their previous feets could very well have caused any average chunin to be drained of their chakra completely.

Finally, after running in the now dark canyons for half an hour, they arrived at the scene of the battle.

Mizuki's tampering with the battlefield appeared to have completed the trick, as Shikaku noticed that the battle was at high genin to low chunin level, with there being clear signs of an "escape" from the enemy shinobi which Samui had kindly set up as she left the scene after Mizuki.

Confirming that the evidence matched Mizuki's story, Shikaku took Mizuki back to the outpost whilst simultaniously creating a shadow clone which he ordered to go notify the hokage.

However, despite seeing the battlefield, there was something that just did not feel right about this situation.

Resolving himself to get to the bottom of whatever it was after the exam ended, Shikaku let his mind relax after spending the last hour on high alert.

Shikaku: {Ugh, what am I gonna do about the spy's partner though? Do I pass or fail them? Why does this have to be such a drag?}

Eventually, the duo of proctor and genin both got back to the outpost and went there own ways, with Shikaku going to file a report and Mizuki to find his friends before finding a spot to sleep for the night.

However, before Mizuki could fully leave, the jonin called out to him.

Shikaku: "Kido!"

Mizuki: "Yes, Sir?"

Shikaku: "After the second exam you are to report to the Hokage's Office Immediatly. "

Mizuki: "Understood"

Shikaku: "Ok then, get moving,"

Shikaku then turned and went back to the office, although weather to sleep or work would always remain a mystery to Mizuki.

Mizuki walked down the halls of the outpost, noting the genin that he found had passed.

Whilst he did not know most of them, Mizuki was surprised at the first one who he found.

Idate was sitting in the corner of one of the smaller rooms, all by his lonesome. His eyes which could barely be seen through the darkness peering at him with mallace.

Mizuki: "Hey, Idate, you by any chance see anybody?"

Idate: "...."

Mizuki: "Good Talk, hope we chat again more often"

Mizuki continued his search, until finally, after fifteen minutes, he found nearly everybody in one of the rooms.

Besides the four people who he had come with, Team Minato and Team Choza were also in the room.

A few of the group were playing cards in the centre of the room whilst everybody else had found spots along the edges in order to catch some sleep for the following morning.

Mizuki: "Hey"

He greeted them in a tired voice, the day's tribulations finally catching up to him as he imediatly went for a spot along the edges to sleep.

Guy: "ONE OF MY YOUTHFUL RIVALS, MIZUKI! HOW ARE YOU?"

Kakashi: "good to see you made it"

Obito: "Hey Mizuki, Is it true that you faced a Kumo Spy?"

Mizuki: "Hey Guys"

Mizuki's voice clearly conveyed his tiredness.

Mizuki: "Ya, I'll tell you guys about it after I sleep, I need some rest."

Obito: "Alright, we'll try to keep it down for you guys."

Mizuki: "Thanks"

Hearing this, Mizuki slumped down to try to get some sleep, his spot only a meter away from Anko's, who was already snoring lightly, causing Mizuki to nearly burst out loud laughing.

Mizuki: "God damn, what a day."

And, just like that. The first phase of Mizuki's chunin exam was complete.