Chapter 45 : Konoha 13

"Hello, you must be Kabuto Yakushi. I'm Shika Nara, your teammate for the exam," I introduced myself as soon as I approached him.

The boy with glasses, who didn't look as old as he should, smiled upon hearing me. It was a charming smile; for those who didn't know what kind of spy and later troublemaker this boy would become, it would certainly seem innocent.

"Nice to meet you, Nara-san. I've been expecting you. I hope we get along well," Kabuto replied with a smile on his face.

I nodded, maintaining a similar smile.

"This is our teammate, Misumi Tsurugi," Kabuto continued. Compared to him, the other spy, Misumi, wasn't as skilled in acting. It was probably why he and Yoroi covered their faces.

When I turned to him, he simply nodded. I nodded back and said, "Nice to meet you, too, Misumi-san."

"It's good that you're here, Nara-san. We were actually worried you might be late," Kabuto continued. I responded politely.

"Is this your first time participating in the Chunin Exams?" Kabuto asked, to which I nodded.

"I see. In that case, I would advise you to be vigilant and not take the proctor's words at face value. There are always hidden meanings in them. Try to look beneath the surface," Kabuto's advice left me a bit confused.

Was he so invested in passing this first test that he was even willing to help me? Now that I think about it, he gathers information about Sasuke and Team 7 in the Forest of Death. Honestly, I'm tempted to just forfeit the test to disrupt his plans, but I also want to advance in the Chunin Exams.

"Thank you. I'll keep that in mind," I replied with a slight smile. There was no point in discussing much with them; most of what Kabuto said was likely misleading.

"So, tell us about yourself, Nara-san. What kind of shinobi are you? Knowing each other's abilities will help us survive what comes after this test," Kabuto asked, while Misumi, on the other hand, didn't seem interested in the conversation.

"I know Nara Clan Shadow Possession Jutsu and have done training in Taijutsu and Genjutsu. Both are at a beginner's level," I replied, concealing many of my abilities.

Kabuto nodded. He had probably investigated me beforehand, and if his information came from mission reports (though I'm not sure how he obtained that info in the anime), my statements aligned with what he might have on record.

Other details are either hidden by the Hokage or unknown to anyone else.

"Good, then you can be our support from behind. Misumi here is a close-combat fighter, and I know a bit of medical jutsu myself. This should balance the team and allow us to formulate strategies," Kabuto said, adjusting his glasses, giving a vibe similar to Kuro from One Piece.

I agreed with his plan. His efforts to pass the exam were clear, which reassured me slightly that he wouldn't backstab me immediately. Still, I needed to stay vigilant around these two.

As we continued talking, the so-called Konoha 9 united, making enough noise to attract our attention.

Should it be Konoha 10 now that I'm here as well?

A smile appeared on my face as I decided to approach them and say hello. Earlier, while Lee and Sasuke were fighting, I watched from afar, but now I had to at least greet them.

"Hey Naruto, Shikamaru, Hinata, Kiba, Shino, how are you?" I greeted them with a genuine smile.

"Shika-kun!" Hinata was the first to brighten up with a smile and wave back. She seemed much more confident now. Though she was still the Hinata I remembered, she was noticeably better, if that's even possible.

She now carried herself with more confidence, and her hair was slightly longer than it was in the anime at this time.

"Ah, you're here too. You never told us you were taking the Chunin Exams, Shika," Shikamaru said, looking the most surprised.

"Yeah, it was news to me as well. Hokage-sama offered me a chance to participate just yesterday, and I decided to take it. Sorry I didn't tell you. I was too rushed to prepare and forgot," I explained.

"Save the apologies for someone else, not me," Shikamaru said with a slight smile before returning to his usual aloof demeanor. But then he suddenly looked at me with a surprised expression.

"Wait! You had a choice?" Shikamaru asked with a familiar expression that conveyed both 'This isn't fair' and 'What were you thinking agreeing to participate in the exam?'

I just smiled at Shikamaru's reaction, sighing at how his character never seemed to change. What he said before would be a hassle to explain to Aunty...

Kiba and Shino nodded towards me, while Shika's team was mostly indifferent.

"Shika, what are you doing here?" Naruto, being the loudmouth he is, asked. I didn't bother replying, just smiled back as if that was an answer.

Sasuke glanced at me for a second before turning away. It seemed that beating from Lee hadn't done his ego any favors.

"Shika."

While talking with the others, I heard a familiar voice and smiled.

"Tenten, how are you?" I asked, turning to see a smiling girl with a bun on her head approaching me.

Next to her were her teammates, Lee and Neji.

"So is this the Shika you were talking about all this time, Tenten?" Neji looked at me with an arrogant expression before looking away.

"Geez, it's nice to finally meet you, Shika-san. I'm Rock Lee, Tenten's teammate. Tenten talks a lot about you. Glad to meet you," Lee said.

"Likewise, Lee-san. Tenten talks a lot about you guys as well," I replied, looking at both Lee and Neji.

"Hmm, you guys are making too much noise. Tone it down a little," a voice suddenly came, causing all the troublemakers to quiet down.

xxx

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