Chapter 82: The Second Exam

Anbu Headquarters

"Good morning, Captain Itachi."

"Captain Itachi."

As Itachi made his way through the Anbu base, several shinobi greeted him. Ever since Kakashi's departure from the Anbu, Itachi had transferred out of his original squad and now served as captain of a new team.

"You're here, Itachi."

"Tenzo."

While changing into his uniform at his locker, Itachi saw a young man with a metal head protector enter the room. This was Tenzo, the current captain of Anbu Team Six.

"Your assignment is to patrol the Forest of Death, right?" Tenzo asked.

"Yes," Itachi replied with a small smile.

"The Chunin Exams, huh? Not many would dare disrupt something like that," Tenzo chuckled.

"True, but it's still a mission."

"I heard your little brother is participating too?"

"Yes, a chance for him to get some experience."

"Don't be so modest. I heard your brother was the top of his class—he's bound to make a big impression," Tenzo said, patting Itachi's shoulder before leaving.

So, Sasuke… Itachi mused, wondering if he'd get a chance to see his brother during the exam.

But whether he did or didn't didn't matter. With Sasuke's skills, he had little doubt his brother would pass.

As he thought, Itachi placed his mask over his face and exited the room.

Training Ground 44

All the genin who had passed the first written exam were gathered here, forming small groups as they listened to the proctor, Anko Mitarashi.

"Our teacher sure is something," Shikamaru muttered, hands in his pockets as he scanned the faces of the other genin, many of whom didn't look friendly at all. "He tells us not to embarrass him in the exam, then leaves us alone."

"Sensei probably has other things to do," Ino replied.

"Survival training, huh? This is such a hassle… and these people look like serious trouble."

"Shikamaru! Don't give up before we even start!" Ino scolded him. "We're going to pass this exam and make Sensei proud!"

She cheered on her teammates, while Shikamaru sighed. Guess we'll just have to target the weakest ones… like Naruto.

Still, they'd need to catch him alone first.

Shikamaru started thinking it over, while Choji munched on snacks beside him.

Meanwhile, Ino spotted Sakura and immediately went over to stir up some rivalry.

Elsewhere, Kiba and his teammates were preparing for the second exam.

In a quieter area where no one was paying attention, three genin with Grass Village headbands stood together.

"The other village teams look pretty strong."

"No matter what, we can't lose. We've got to bring honor to our village."

Two of the boys eyed the other competitors as they spoke.

"So… what should I do?" asked a small girl with bright red shoulder-length hair and glasses. She seemed a bit timid.

"Just stick with us and keep our chakra up," one of the boys said curtly.

"Come on, we're going in."

They spoke to her with clear disdain, giving orders without a hint of respect. The girl lowered her head and quietly followed them.

Central Tower, Forest of Death

"We're supposed to wait here for five days?" Kurenai asked as she surveyed the interior of the tower.

No one knew when their students might arrive, so the jonin would have to wait here. By the end of the second exam, any teams who hadn't arrived would be eliminated, and their respective jonin would leave.

"Not exactly luxurious accommodations," she muttered, frowning as she glanced at the spartan temporary quarters assigned to them.

"It's not a vacation," Ren replied.

"Are our rooms not next to each other?" Kurenai asked, a bit disappointed.

"What are you thinking? This is the tower," Ren said, glancing at her.

Kurenai's face flushed red. She punched him lightly. "Idiot! I wasn't thinking about that!"

"I didn't say anything. You're the one imagining things," he replied, making her even more flustered. She gave him a playful, exasperated punch.

As they bantered, a middle-aged man in a sand-colored uniform, with his head covered by a white turban bearing the Sand Village headband, appeared from around the corner.

Seeing him, Kurenai quickly composed herself and moved to stand next to Ren as if nothing had happened.

After the man passed by, Kurenai spoke, "A Sand shinobi…"

"They're the only shinobi from the Five Great Nations participating in this Chunin Exam hosted by us," she remarked.

"They're our allies," Ren replied coolly.

Though that alliance was a fragile one.

"I wonder how the Sand genin will fare in this exam compared to ours," Kurenai mused.

"They'll probably be the strongest," Ren said.

"What? No way!" Kurenai exclaimed, looking at Ren in surprise.

She laughed. "Kakashi's student, Uchiha Sasuke, and Gai's student, Hyuga Neji, are both prodigies and at the top of their generation. Sand may be strong, but they can't be better than them."

She was aware of her own students' limitations. While Kiba, Hinata, and Shino were talented, they couldn't quite match Sasuke and Neji.

"You'll see when you meet the Sand genin," Ren replied.

He recalled his recent encounter with Kankuro and Temari. Both had an air of bloodthirstiness that only came from surviving life-and-death battles. By comparison, the Leaf's genin were still green.

And then there was Gaara.

Kurenai still didn't seem convinced but decided to let it go. She'd know the truth once the third exam began.

They entered Ren's assigned room.

Kurenai's earlier comment was correct—the room was bare, containing only a bed and a small table with an alarm clock on it. Through the window, they could see the dense and ominous forest outside.

The tower's upper floors had a lounge area where the Jonin could socialize and do simple recreational activities to stave off boredom during the five-day wait. When their students arrived, a Chunin would notify them.

But Ren showed no intention of heading upstairs; instead, he lay down on his bed.

"Are you going to rest?" Kurenai asked. "I thought Kakashi and Gai were already in the lounge area. Don't you want to go see them?"

"No, I have other things to do later."

"What sort of things?" Kurenai asked, surprised. "The Hokage specifically told us not to leave during this period."

"I cleared it with the Hokage—it's a classified mission."

Kurenai nodded, not pressing further.

She hesitated, then closed the door and lay down beside Ren.

"I'm only staying for a little while. I'll leave when Anko comes by," she said as Ren glanced her way.

"Don't you have your own room? This bed is small—it's cramped with two people."

"Shut up!"