Written Exam (4)

"Shinji Ikari – graduated the academy the same year as you guys, Rookie of the Year. His mission experience, twenty eight D-ranks and three C-ranks. Jounin squad leader is Sarutobi Asuma, teammates are Hyuuga Hinata and Aburame Shino. His skills are… impressively balanced. Ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, kenjutsu, and even medical ninjutsu, wow! He has consistently received high praise from his squad leader, and even his mission reports record impressive achievements. For example, he even took down an elite chuunin rogue shinobi from Tanigakure in single combat during a C-ranked mission."

Kabuto looked up, staring at Shinji with an expression of awe, "Looks like you're someone we definitely need to look out for."

Their conversation was definitely overheard by many of the foreign genin gathered in the room because they all had similar reactions of incredulity and doubt.

"So Konoha is sending in a ringer to their own chuunin exams. Tsk, hypocrites."

"Nah, there's no fucking way that's true. It's just mind games man, they're trying to psych us out. If you ask me, that punk brat might be the weakest one of them all if he needs to pull something like this."

"An elite chuunin? Bull-fucking-shit!"

Shinji heard a couple of them curse out loud but ignored it. A lion need not concern himself with the opinions of sheep. But standing out like this was so far away from his original plan on staying low key that he wanted to knock out one of Kiba's teeth for putting him in this position.

"A rookie genin who has the potential to be one of the contenders to win it all. It just goes to show that you can't underestimate anyone who have come to take the chuunin exams. Every genin here are exceptional, the best of the best in their village. Well, maybe except the Hidden Sound village. It's just a village of a small nation that sprang up in recent years, so there isn't much information on them."

Sasuke snorted, "I don't care if they are exceptional or whatever, they still can't compare to an Uchiha." What others might misconstrue as arrogance and self-centeredness was actually pride that Sasuke felt for Shinji. Because Shinji was an Uchiha, so his achievements were also the achievements of the clan. Or so he believed.

Similarly, in his own way, Naruto jumped up and loudly proclaimed, "That's right! I mean, not the Uchiha part. But it doesn't matter if they are the top elite, because my name is Uzumaki Naruto! And I won't lose to any of you! Got it!?"

In response to his declaration, the room full of hostile shinobi glared back quietly and menacingly.

Shikamaru put an exasperated hand on his forehead, "This idiot really just made enemies with everyone in the room. You guys see what I have to deal with every day?"

At that moment, someone from the crowd of genin jumped high up into the air and launched two kunai towards Shinji. The boy, who had already perceived the Oto genin moving through the crowd was shocked that their target was not Kabuto as he had initially thought. Rather, it was himself!

Instinctively, Shinji deflected the two kunai with his [Shinkyoken] enhanced knifehand. Since graduating from the Academy, his [Shinkyoken] skill had levelled up considerably, to the point where he could clash with metallic weapons just with his fingers alone.

The projectiles were followed up with another figure, a heavily bandaged individual who he identified as Dosu, dashing in with one hand holding a handseal while the other forming a fist that swung towards Shinji.

Shinji was well aware of Dosu's abilities which revolved around his ability to manipulate sound waves. The amplifier strapped to his arm utilized these soundwaves that could inflict genjutsu-like effects on his target. As such, the transmigrator had no inclination to test out the effects of Dosu's abilities with his own body.

His leg snapped up, striking Dosu's right bicep, which prevented the fist from achieving its full motion, and thus not letting the soundwaves reach his body. Shinji then twisted his body and landed a spinning back kick on Dosu's bandaged face which sent him flying and crashing to the ground.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?", Shinji shouted, 'You're targeting the wrong guy!' He wanted to add.

Hinata and Shino immediately ran to back Shinji up, the Hyuuga's Byakuugan activated as she channelled chakra into her finger tips – an indication of her Gentle Fist technique. Whereas Shino's Kikaichuu buzzed restlessly within him, though the Aburame had little facial expressions in response to the unwarranted and sudden attack, unlike Hinata who was glaring murderously.

Dosu picked himself up, joined by his two teammates who stood next to him defensively. Their faces were distorted with shame, frustration and anger. Clearly, the outcome was not what they had been expecting. Next to him, his teammate Zaku tensed both his arms, as though intending to utilize the body modifications implanted in his palms.

As Shinji glared at the trio, he casted [Observe] to take a good look at his opponents. Zaku and Kin were hardly worth mentioning, their levels only slightly above the average genin. Rather, it was Dosu that drew his attention, possessing clear chuunin-level strength.

[Dosu Kinuta Lv 40]

HP: 9600/9600

CP:6350/6350

Dosu is innately cautious, logical and intelligent. He had a rough childhood, being beaten and abused as an orphan living on the streets in the Land of Rice Fields. He was recruited by Orochimaru's organization when he was witnessed fighting back and eventually killing his oppressors. Because of that, he has a deep loyalty towards his master and the Hidden Sound Village. Furthermore, with his innate talent in the shinobi arts, he excelled as a ninja and was thus appointed as the leader of Team Dosu.

He is disdainful of you, and thought that you were a weak, feeble Konoha genin, though that assumption has changed now.

Dosu is weaker than you.

Dosu tilted his head and cracked his neck, "Heh, seems like you do have some skills after all. Not bad, Konoha nin."

Though Dosu put up a tough front, inwardly he was quite glad his face was bandaged up. Otherwise, everyone could see through his act from the cold sweat forming on his face. 'Fast. I couldn't react even if I tried. They say he killed defeated an elite chuunin by himself? Yeah, that seems about right. Shit, I wanted to teach that cocky brat a lesson, make him an example to serve as a warning but what the hell is this situation!'

The leader of Team Dosu was not an impulsive person. He was the opposite, in fact. This attack was not recklessly planned, but one carefully designed to serve a specific purpose. He was fully aware that with their team being the only one from Oto surrounded by dozens of different teams from other villages, it was likely that they would be targeted. Though he himself had chuunin level strength, his teammates did not.

As a result, their pre-emptive strike was meant to serve as a warning and a deterrence to the other shinobi. One that said 'Don't fuck with us'. But he didn't think that it would have backfired to this extent. Shinji was young, just a rookie genin who apparently graduated from the Academy just a few months back. Even if he did have some skills, Dosu didn't think it would amount to much, much less compare to his own. But he was wrong, and that mistake led his team to a dangerous possibility of being humiliated. Not only would they then be targeted even more, worst was their village's reputation was being besmirched.

"Hey, bastards, you really went crazy huh? Attacking a Konoha shinobi in the middle of our village before the exam has even started… you think Konoha is so easily stepped on!?" Shinji immediately invoked his village's name to incite the other Konoha shinobi to get involved. After all, their fellow comrade just got attacked by some foreign ninja from a minor village. If they let that slide, wouldn't other villages just think that they were easy to bully?

"Fucking sound ninja, where do you think you are?"

"Oto? What the fuck is Oto. I have never even heard of it!"

"Pretty ballsy for some country bumpkins from who the fuck cares where."

The incited Konoha genin followed Shinji's lead and immediately started cursing at the trio, the only team from Otogakure who were now facing the angry glares from a hundred Konoha genin.

Dosu growled, mentally taking note of the ones who were making the most noise, 'You punks better pray you don't encounter me outside your shitty village. I will definitely kill you.'

But contrary to his violent thoughts, he did not display any outward aggression. Dosu was rational, calculating and logical, almost like an Aburame except for his more sadistic tendencies. He knew when to advance and more importantly, he knew when to back down when it was needed.

"Hey calm down, friend. It was just a joke. What, Konoha doesn't have a sense of humour?" Dosu chuckled placatively, forcing an expression of joviality that was contradictory to his real feelings.

"What are you saying, Dosu, we-" Zaku interjected furiously, but quieted down upon receiving Dosu's murderous glare to keep his mouth shut. Kin wisely didn't say a word throughout the entire exchange. She was generally smarter than Zaku and could read the atmosphere well enough without being reminded by their team leader.

'Shut the fuck up you moron! You think I would have to endure this humiliation if not for you two burdens holding me down!?' Dosu venomously cursed at his weaker teammate inwardly before turning back to Shinji with a smile, though that expression could only be seen from his one exposed eye.

Shinji scoffed mentally, seeing through the farce easily. But his initial plan to keeping a low profile had not changed, so similar to Dosu, he supressed his true feelings and returned a smile to the Sound nin.

"Ah, so it was a joke. I see, I see. Seems like Oto's sense of humour is quite different from ours. Well, it's alright. Konoha has always being known for our magnanimity, so I will forgive you. Isn't that right, fellas?" Shinji gestured to the other Konoha genin in the room who looked at each other awkwardly before laughing off the perceived offense. Since the one who was attacked was not holding on to any grudges, why should they?

"No hard feelings, right?" Shinji continued, holding a hand out to Dosu.

The Sound genin who was actually quite a distance away from the Konoha genin looked between the two of them, noting the distance and Shinji's disinclination to walk to him.

'This bitch, he wants me to walk to him and shake his hand? Oh just you wait… You are going to regret crossing me when Oto stands victorious upon the bloody ruins of your village!' Dosu violently suppressed every instinct in his body that called for the blood of this cocky prick.

He could feel his face heat up in shame, rage and indignity as he endured the mortifying experience of walking over to the Konoha genin and taking his hand in an apparent show of submission.

"No hard feelings." Dosu answered. 'Shinji Ikari! I will not forget this enmity for the rest of my life!'

"Good." Shinji responded, firmly gripping Dosu's hand. 'Yep, I can tell he hates me with every fibre of his being. That's just great. But I shouldn't forget the reason why all this happened was because of Kiba's big fucking mouth!'

As Shinji and Dosu exchanged smiling faces while metaphorically hiding a dagger behind their back a big plume of smoke appeared at the front of the room while a loud booming voice thundered, "Silence, you degenerates!"

As the smoke cleared, a heavily scarred man in a dark trench coat and bandana with a Konoha forehead protector as well as wearing thick gloves appeared with the rest of his proctor team.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I am Morino Ibiki, proctor for the first stage of the chuunin exams."

He then looked to the back of the room where Dosu and Shinji were still clasping their hands together and grinned, though it probably looked a lot more feral than he intended it to be what with all the scars on his face which added to the intimidation factor, "Oh, I am heartened to see you genin in the spirit of fostering inter-village cooperation… Now sit your asses down before I kick you out of the room! You punks think this is a place for you to make friends and chit chat!?"

Dosu and Shinji released their grasp on each other and backed off. The Sound genin nodded at Ibiki, "Sorry. It's our first time seeing so many genin from other villages gathered in one place, so we were excited."

"Hmph." Ibiki huffed, "This is a good opportunity, so let me tell you something. In here, I am the only ruler that matters. Anyone who disobeys my words will be immediately disqualified. Got it!?"

"Now then, we will start the first test. The first stage of the chuunin exam will be… a written test!"