To Sunagakure!

Stretching his body, Suguru felt satisfied with his work the past three months. Who would've expected such a young genin to have created a Fire Release Nintaijutsu at such a young age? His ability to turn his ideas into reality was astounding, even for Hiruzen who was hailed as the Professor.

'Now, I need to spend the next three months studying the Uchiha clan's Fire Release jutsus.' Suguru cracked his knuckles and glanced at the scrolls on his desk.

After showing Hiruzen his notes on the Blaze Battle Body, Suguru was given a stack of scrolls for his perusal the following day — all rewritten by the Anbu Commander himself.

Thus, now that Suguru had the time, he began reading, day in and day out.

Despite no longer studying the Rasengan, Suguru's lifestyle didn't change much. He continued his relentless research.

However, do note that Suguru never thought of his actions as relentlessness.

To him, it was a matter of relaxation. He was at peace when he was busy absorbing knowledge and creating what had yet to exist. Moreover, this world was very different from the one he had lived in before.

Everything culminated in an addiction like no other.

It was unlike the tedious physical training he engaged in outside his lab.

Absorbing information like a sponge was Suguru's love. His passion in life. With all the Fire Release scrolls in front of him, his excitement drenched him in ecstasy.

'If only Hiruzen could give me some Kinjutsus as well...'

Suguru felt that he had to create more jutsus to trade if he wanted some of those in the future. He also needed Hiruzen's trust...

'Oh well, I'll just steal the Scroll of Seals in the future.' Suguru completed his thought and resumed his studies.

Three months later...

***

Suguru packed up his kunai, shuriken, and storage scrolls in the different pockets in his black and white ninja jacket and pants. His clothes were quite similar to the Techwear he wore back on Earth.

'I really do have so many pockets,' Suguru realized just how much gear he had inadvertently collected for himself.

The regular C-rank missions that he, Isao, and Yumiko kept taking had paid off. He had amassed a small fortune for himself since Suguru wasn't much of a spender.

His frequent trips to Ichiraku and other delectable delights around the village were his only extra expenses.

'That should be it,' Suguru thought as he headed out.

Only a few minutes were left until the designated time of departure. Suguru went to the village gate and arrived in the nick of time. The morning sun was blazing, casting long shadows throughout the Land of Fire.

Within the area were a few other of Konoha's genins, sixteen in total. Excluding Suguru himself. Everyone was armed and ready to fight at a moment's notice.

When the clock struck eight, a figure flickered in front of them. It was an unfamiliar face to Suguru. However, from the faint pressure that emanated from his very existence, Suguru could tell that the man was of jounin rank at the very least.

Furthermore, with his long hair and the shining white Byakugan in his eyes, telltale signs of an expert of Kakashi's caliber were clear.

"I'm Hyuga Kyou, and I will be your guardian throughout the chuunin exams. As long as you obey my orders, you will not die to unnatural causes."

Kyou's words lacked any softness. The Hyuga clan's strict culture was evident when he carried himself with dignity and unwavering resolve.

"Let's move out."

***

The trip to Sunagakure was uneventful, for the most part. Suguru was just jarred by the unfamiliar landscape. Gone were the trees and branches that he had been so used to jumping through. All that was left was a vast, barren wasteland of sandstorms and twisters.

Furthermore, the alternating hot days and cold nights made Suguru ever so slightly queasy.

Once the group of genins and a jounin arrived at the rocky walls of Sunagakure, the guards spotted them.

"Konoha ninjas?" A guard yelled from afar.

"We're here for the Chuunin Exam!" Hyuga Kyou replied, not stepping any closer.

Wariness flashed in his pure white eyes.

For a moment, there was silence. Suguru felt several chakra fields wash over him. Way more than he could hack. They bombarded him with their probes, trying to verify his existence in one way or another.

After a whole minute of wary scanning, a Suna-nin finally stepped forward. "I'll be guiding you in."

***

As if a mountain was hollowed out for the sake of its existence, Sunagakure found itself surrounded by towering walls of immense thickness on all sides. To enter the village on foot would require one to walk through a thin crevasse where any attack could find you in an instant.

For a moment, Suguru felt several eyes fall upon his meager form. Judging. Surveying.

—Seeing if he could threaten the village hidden within the sands.

Those gazes left just as swiftly as they came. After seeing that he was a genin whose chakra reserves were laughable, they chose to look away.

They had seen worse, after all.

The rampaging Ichibi was a threat to their everyday lives. If they were at the wrong place at the wrong time, there was a chance annihilation would come in unannounced.

The word future would no longer matter for them.

"..."

After walking through the thin crevasse, Suguru was met with a long path that led straight to the very center of the village. A highway to the village's core.

Surrounding that highway were buildings of different shapes and sizes. Although seemingly carved out of the same rock and bland in color, Sunagakure's buildings made up for it by having bizarre yet geometric constructs.

Sunagakure was akin to a giant, above-ground ant nest.

Following behind Kyou, Suguru allowed himself to take in this sight. He preemptively began taking notes — noting places where he could hide or in which direction was the most optimal way to flee.

Simple anxiety-filled stuff like that.

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Link: pa treon.com/ubemantou

(No space.)

You can read up to Chapter 82, where I update more than once a day!

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