Chapter 37

After a couple of days, Kuzo was awakened by the alarm next to his bed.

Currently, he was staying at the test center in a room. For the last few days, when the test didn't end, he'd done nothing but take a deep rest. After that night destroying the Sound Village, then shortly after fighting Orochimaru, and then moving to the Forest of Death, left him quite sleep-deprived.

Looking at the alarm, he felt tempted to skip the 3rd phase of the test. But he could not. There was money on the line to make. And how would he feed his girls if he didn't make enough living?

Not aware that he went to the test center with black suit pajamas, Kuzo followed everyone to the main hall. Below, there was a huge arena. It was wide, green, and had a screen in the middle. In the middle, there was a giant statue of two hands forming a tiger hand seal.

Kuzo found most of the teams' teachers present, except for the one from the Sound Village. He thought as he looked at three genins. The genins were still allowed to pass the test, getting the benefit of the doubt. He didn't know how to break the news to them that their village no longer existed.

Kuzo turned his head, realizing that everyone was staring at him. Their stares didn't show hostility. But more of wondering.

"Why is everyone looking at me?" he asked. Did something happen, and he arrived late? Or was something on his face?

Okay. Team seven looking at him was understandable after the humiliation he gave them. Team sand, still understandable. Tenten, still understandable after he'd ghosted her. But why the others. Even the jonins.

Kakashi approached Kuzo, and he said, "Can you lend me a kunai?"

Kuzo reached his pocket, only to realize he had forgotten them in his room. When he looked at his thigh, he realized that he came with his pajamas. He touched his forehead. Luckily, he didn't forget that as well.

His cheeks turned a bit red.

Kakashi continued, "That's why everyone was staring." He then sighed, "how are you planning to make it to the end without tools."

The Hokage was giving his speech to the young genin, and Kuzo didn't pay attention. He was here to make money and make Konoha look good.

Kuzo saw Tenten when he turned his eye to the nearest person, glaring at him.

"Hey," he said, deciding to break the awkward silence. You know what's worse than ghosting someone. Having to face them and not having an exit next to you.

Tenten crossed her arms, saying. "You're still alive, after all."

"You planned to kill me?" he asked jokingly.

"Is it a habit for you to ghost people after inviting them, and then never come by their shops?" She replied, making her intents clear.

"I did ghost you?" Kuzo took a deep breath, looked at Tenten, and decided to own up to his mistakes. "Sorry, I didn't mean that."

"And how exactly didn't you mean that?"

Kuzo took a deep breath. He didn't know what to say. He decided not to think and let his mouth work on the rest.

"I had a mission before meeting you. That day, I was on patrol. And I encountered missing nins, who kidnapped me and sealed me. But then, I was lucky to escape. I only came here one month ago."

Why did he lie?

First, the truth would be unbelievable, and it would take a long time to spill. Tenten narrowed her eyebrows, "You're for real?"

Kuzo nodded, a tear falling from his eye. He remembered the time Danzo kidnapped him. "Why would I lie about something? Ask Kakashi here; he's the one who saved me from them?"

Tenten looked behind him. Kakashi nodded at her.

That moment, Kuzo felt that Kakashi was a brother from another mother.

"I'm so sorry that it happened to you," Tenten said, patting his shoulder. Her eyes turned gentle. "But why didn't you come to my shop? We could talk about it."

"Didn't know how to explain; besides, I didn't think you'd believe me anyway." Kuzo said. Honestly, he just had forgotten she existed, and he had been super busy.

"I don't think Kakashi sensei would lie for you."

"I don't think I'd be with him every time," said Kakashi.

Kuzo nodded and turned to Kakashi, who smiled slightly at him. The smile that told him Kuzo owed him this time, and he should be prepared to pay back one day.

"So, what have you been up to?" Tenten asked Kuzo.

"Nothing much, just training and trying my luck in the Chunin exam." He replied.

Tenten looked behind him. Eyebrows lifted, she asked. "You don't seem to have a team with you, nor a sensei."

"Oh, right. I applied to pass the test on my own." Kuzo nodded. It's possible to pass the Chunin exam on your own. Itachi had done it.

She asked, eyes wide open. "How did you manage to get through the Forest of Death alone?"

Kuzo rubbed the back of his head, chuckling, "I was lucky to survive and get the scrolls."

Kakashi's team was behind their teacher, all giving him side eye. He had kicked their ass, and now he was declaring to have been lucky. What was also funny was that the jonins of Konoha knew he was a jonin as well. And here, only Guy and Kakashi knew about him.

"You're lucky for sure if that happened." She nodded.

"Guess my bad days are over." Replied Kuzo.

And so the fights progressed.

Things didn't go like canon, of course. Kabuto's team didn't make it to this stage, and Sasuke didn't get his curse mark. Sasuke, when fighting some sound nin, destroyed him. Naruto did the same as he fought Kiba. Hinata, with her luck, didn't fight Neji. Instead, she fought Sakura.

Believe him when he says. Albeit Sakura was full of confidence and Hinata acted so shyly and timed, Hinata kicked her ass. Kuzo found himself raising his arm each time Hinata gave a strike to her.

"Anyway, nice catching up with you. See you later," Tenten was called to fight Temari, Gaara's sister.

The fight went like it had been in the canon, Tenten getting her ass kicked and picked up by the doctors.

Kuzo, who had been smiling the whole time, opened his eyes widely.

He had planned to act weak during this stage, before spreading rumors of how he failed the text six times, and then bet a lot of money on himself.

But in the next fight, there was no way he could act weak.

"Next fight, Kuzo and Gaara."

Kuzo blinked twice.

How would he act weak when even the slightest strength required to beat Gaara was too much?

'Guess It's not bad to have even odds in the next fight. Maybe I should feign injury later.'

Kuzo jumped off to the arena.

'Gaara and Shikaku aren't in harmony. Maybe some Genjutsu to beat him would be nice. And the mind transfer worked on Jinchuriki in the anime, I should be fine.'

When Kuzo landed, he saw Gaara crossing his arm and looking at him with gaze full of murder intent.

"Stop this match!"

Someone yelled.

When he turned, he saw Kiba yelling.

"Kuzo! You're no match for him. He's not just a genin. You'll die in cold blood if you fight him! Give up and fight the next time."

Kuzo furrowed his eyebrows, remembering something from the original timeline. Kiba had been the first one to see how scary Gaara was when he killed someone.

Kiba's teacher, a pretty woman with black hair, a slender body, and red eyes, held his mouth.

"Kiba. It's not up to you. Whether he gives up or fights is up to him."

Wasn't she the woman who after hearing Asuma introducing Itachi Uchiha, as an Uchiha, tried to put him under Genjutsu. Kurenai 

That was the funniest shit in the show.

Kuzo shook his head and looked in front of him.

'She used a genjutsu on an Uchiha.' Kuzo chuckled. 'She tried to kill Itachi with Genjutsu.'

It was a funny memory that he couldn't help but laugh at Gaara's face, a tear dropping from his eye. 

'And they call Naruto stupid.' 

But appearently, his laugh made Gaara's body shake, his eyes turning bloody red. 

"So, you are Kuzo." Gaara said, veins appearing on his sleep-deprived eyes. "Very well. I've prepared a coffin for you."