Chapter 56: Chunin Exams.

Author Note: Nothing of importance, just enjoy the chapter, and if you have any questions, make sure to comment!

And like always, remember if you want to read up to 18-22 chapters ahead go to https://www.patreón.com/cornbringer

I'm currently updating the novel 2-8 chapters a day in patreeeeon. On chapter 71 so far, though by the end of today it will be chapter 73-75

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Enjoy you sexy bastards.

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[Arata Takeshi - POV]

Before I knew it, three months had passed, and the exams were just around the corner.

Calmly, I sat sharpening my Claymore, getting my weapon ready. As I did so, I could feel the weight of my training in my muscles and bones. Teresa had truly worked me to the bone—no pun intended—pushing me harder than ever before.

As I continued performing the usual maintenance on my Claymore, Tsuki purred happily beside me, her soft fur brushing against my leg.

"Don't worry, girl, I'll be back before you know it," I said, using that tone of voice reserved for pets or babies, making Tsuki purr even louder.

The past few months had been intense, but I had grown stronger—much stronger, if I do say so myself. Now all that was left to do was test my progress in the exams. Only then would I know if I had prepared enough.

Speaking of the exams, in the past few days, I had sensed the presence of multiple foreign ninjas constantly entering the village. Their chakra signatures were different from those in Konoha, each one carrying a unique energy, one they shared with their comrades. So far, I had managed to sense ninjas from Kiri, Kumo, and Suna.

This excited me, and understandably so. I mean, this would be my first time fighting ninjas from outside Konoha, so yeah, I admit it—I could hardly wait to see what the other villages were made of. Even if their performance were to disappoint, I would still have a lot of fun.

Smiling at the thought, I glanced down at Tsuki, who looked up at me with her bright, inquisitive eyes. "Ready for the exams, Tsuki?" I asked, using the same baby/pet voice. She responded with a contented purr, nuzzling closer to me.

I resumed sharpening my Claymore, the rhythmic scraping of the blade against the stone calming my nerves.

These past three months, my entire training had revolved around one technique: The Quicksword. A technique that I had to admit was quite challenging to learn, even at its most basic level, but with Teresa's guidance, I had managed. I was far from calling myself a master with it, but I could use it.

Though I had to say… as high as my expectations for all of this were, I seriously doubted anyone in the exams would force me to use the technique. Then again… maybe I would get my chance to use it against Shisui, so who knows?

As I continued tending to my blade, my mind wandered to Itachi and Shisui. If things went the way I imagined they would, I would end up facing my teammates at the end of the exams. And I had to say… the thought of facing them in the final stage of the exam was more than exhilarating.

I really hoped I would be the one to face Shisui, because this time, I wanted to make him work for his victory. If you asked me, I wasn't sure if I had a winning chance against him or how much stronger than me he was for that matter. It was hard to know such things for sure when I had never seen him fight seriously before, so all I could do was speculate, and that wasn't useful.

Though… who knows? Maybe I'm already stronger than him and haven't figured it out yet, and the chunin exams will be my first victory over him.

"Oh god, please let it be… If I win, I'm never letting him forget it," I smiled at the thought. What better place to get my first victory than the one that will have a massive audience? A victory like that is worth… fifty victories at least.

The exams were just around the corner, two days from now, and I was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. Promotion or not, victory against Shisui or not, I was going to enjoy this, and I was going to make this exam a much harder endeavor than it should've been for the other competitors.

"Time to go, Tsuki. I'll be back in no time," I said, scooping her up into my arms while putting my Claymore aside. Tsuki meowed in protest but settled comfortably against my chest, as if saying: I'll allow it this time. "I know you don't like it when I leave, but I have to, so protect my clothes while I'm gone."

I had a little bed for her in my closet, custom-made, a soft, comfy bed from where she could protect my pajamas by completely ignoring said bed and using my clothes to the side as her resting place instead. I was starting to think it was a waste of money buying her things, but I… suppose I enjoyed spending money on her.

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[Third Person POV - Training Grounds]

Mr. Yamato stood at the usual training ground where he would take his Genins, watching the horizon as the first light of dawn began to break through the darkness. He had told his team yesterday to meet with him here before the exam. The man was happy—he knew his students had what it took to take the exam, even if the entire team hadn't been with him that long.

He knew better than anyone that his team was younger than most, with Itachi and Takeshi being prime examples of this, but he also knew that age and skill didn't necessarily go hand in hand, and he was certain that they were ready to take the exam. Even if they were to fail, he knew the exams would prove to be highly beneficial for them.

It would give them experience and a better understanding of where they stand in the Shinobi world.

Smiling, he crossed his arms, feeling a sense of pride and anticipation. His kids were geniuses, talented little monsters who had learned more than anyone twice their age. Now, it was time for them to put everything they had learned to the test.

As the sun began to rise, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. He turned to see Takeshi, Itachi, and Shisui walking together, their expressions determined and focused. Mr. Yamato could see his Genins had gotten stronger, some more than others.

"Good morning, Sensei," Takeshi greeted, a faint smile on his face as usual.

Itachi and Shisui echoed the greeting, their eyes reflecting a mix of excitement and resolve, with Shisui being 90% of the excitement in that mix.

Mr. Yamato smiled, nodding at them. "Good morning, team. Today is the day you've all been preparing for these last three months. You've trained hard for this. All you need to do is give it your all, and you will do great, no matter the result."

Shisui grinned. "Don't worry, Sensei, I will keep an eye on these two. As their big brother, it is my duty to protect them! Not traumatize them—that's a big no-no."

Mr. Yamato raised an eyebrow at that. Shisui had been… different ever since he spent that week with Lady Mikoto, and part of Yamato, the part that was their sensei, wanted to know what exactly had happened. The other part knew that whatever had happened, Shisui probably deserved it, and he wasn't going to complain about this welcome change in his student.

"We will strive to do our best, Sensei," Itachi added.

Takeshi nodded, looking at Shisui. "And don't worry, if something bad happens, we will sacrifice Shisui without hesitation, so everything's good."

"I find that plan acceptable," Itachi nodded.

Shisui pouted, crossing his arms in indignation.

Mr. Yamato looked at each of them, feeling a swell of pride. They had come so far, and with so little help. "Using Shisui as a sacrifice? That's something I'm willing to live with. Anyway, before we go, remember, this is not just about winning or losing, or even about the promotion. The Chunin exams are all about showing what you're capable of. It's all about marketing, about showing off how much more talented our newest generation of shinobi is compared to theirs."

"What do you mean that's a sacrifice you're willing to live with?!" Shisui asked, sounding rather insulted.

"Alright, let's head to the testing center," Mr. Yamato said, leading the way as he ignored Shisui's question, making the latter feel even more insulted.

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[Arata Takeshi - POV]

Walking into the testing center alongside Itachi and Shisui, I could immediately feel the tension in the air. Not because I was tense, but because everyone else was… hell, you could probably cut the tension with a butter knife.

I could almost taste the anxiety.

Pushing through the crowd, we moved through the entrance, and as we did, I felt a subtle shift in the air, a slight distortion that made my senses prick up. It didn't take me long to realize what was happening: genjutsu. Someone, probably a proctor, had put multiple layers of genjutsu around the building, one on top of the other, their intention clear as day—to confuse and disorient the participants, weeding out those who couldn't see through them from taking the exams.

I glanced at Itachi and Shisui, both of whom seemed equally unfazed. Itachi's eyes scanned the room with the same calm demeanor he always had, while Shisui simply grinned, looking around completely unbothered.

"It seems they're trying to thin the herd," Shisui commented, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Simple illusions," Itachi replied quietly, closing his eyes. "Not much of a challenge."

I nodded in agreement. "Let's not waste any time then."

Without another word, we continued moving forward, ignoring the pathetic attempt at genjutsu behind us. Around us, I could see some participants struggling, their expressions ranging from confusion to frustration as they tried to navigate what I imagine was a maze of illusions. Some walked in circles, others bumped into invisible walls, their senses completely fooled by the genjutsu.

What a disappointment…

I was starting to feel a sense of déjà vu about this entire thing. So far, this was reminding me of the placement test at the academy and the graduation exam—both a complete disappointment. Hopefully, not everything would be like that.

There were three phases ahead of us, so I had hopes. And if not, I suppose there's always Itachi and Shisui to make the last part of the exam interesting.

Ignoring the alarmingly large number of contestants trapped in the illusions, we moved steadily, sidestepping a few other traps, which I imagined were the last line of defense between us and the testing room. As we did, I noticed a few other teams managing to break through the illusions, though not as effortlessly as we did. To be fair, we hadn't even been affected by the illusions, so we didn't have to break through them. Regardless, the fact that some were pushing through the illusions, despite falling for them in the first place, was increasing my hopes for this entire thing.

As we reached the end of the hall, a large set of double doors came into view. I could feel the faint trace of chakra emanating from them—another trick, making it seem like there was nothing there but a wall.

"Ready?" I asked, glancing at Itachi and Shisui. They both nodded, and without another word, we pushed through the doors, walking through the illusion as we entered the testing center behind the hidden doors.

The room inside was large, like a college classroom, filled with rows of desks and chairs, some of which were already occupied by those who had managed to make it this far. Which, so far, only seemed to be… around five teams. One from Konoha, one from Kiri, one from Suna, and two from Kumo.

Smiling at the teams inside, who looked at us like we were aliens, probably due to our age, we walked to our assigned seats, which spread us across the room, separating us. Something I had no doubt was intentional to make this stage harder.

I could hardly wait for it to actually begin.

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[Two Hours Later]

I was bored. By now, it had been two hours since we arrived, and nothing had happened. Counting the seconds, I couldn't help but observe the other participants as they trickled in, one by one, as the minutes passed. Some wore the familiar headbands of Konoha, while others bore the insignias of Kiri, Kumo, and Suna.

I was honestly surprised they were giving everyone so much time to get here, which wasn't even a part of the test—not really. If it were up to me, I would've taken their inability to reach the room within an acceptable timeframe as a clear sign they weren't ready for the exams.

Anyway, after two hours of waiting, the room was about halfway full. And so far, I had to say that I wasn't impressed with what the other villages had to offer. Most of the contestants were much older than us, as I had expected, their ages ranging from 12-19 years old, but they… looked average at best. I imagine some would say that their age gave them more experience to draw upon under their belt, making them a bigger threat, but if you asked me, I found some of their ages to be a bit… sad.

You can't be close to your twenties and expect not to look a bit… sad, taking the exams.

Turning to Itachi, I could almost hear the gears in his mind turning. He was analyzing every person in the room, probably already formulating strategies and counter-strategies for the battles to come.

Shisui, on the other hand, was chilling—lounging in his chair, leaning back, a playful smirk dancing on his lips as he occasionally made a comment that only seemed to piss off some of the other participants. In fact, I think a team from Kiri will probably target our team because of Shisui. Why? Well, after they had approached him, trying to intimidate him, he basically told them that being older didn't mean they were better. On the contrary, it just meant they were mediocre.

Hurtful, but accurate.

I wasn't worried though, as Shisui had said, they were at best, mediocre, so if they wanted to come for us, they were welcome to try. Though if they did, I really hope they have whatever it is that we are supposed to look for in the second stage—it would certainly save us a lot of time. I mean, just because they are mediocre doesn't mean they have to be useless.