Chakra Wizard
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Alright, this chapter should add a little change-of-pace from what the canon Chūnin Exams were like. And I didn’t really anticipate using flashbacks when this first started, so I’ll just add this to that little font legend back in Chapter 001:
Italics name: Italics dialogue - Flashbacks
Here’s my previous chapters, for those who missed any:
Chapter 010: First Challenge of the Exam
Shino: Alright, there are a few additional rules that must be explained before I can give you the tenth question, so pay close attention.
While several genin around the room began to show signs of worry, Naruto’s grandchildren simply smiled in response to Shino’s statements, having already been informed of the nature of the tenth question. Minto, Nakama, and Taigen, being Airon’s closest friends, were also lucky enough to receive this information and, thus, gave the same feedback.
Kei: (Heh, this here’s gonna be the easiest part of the whole thing!)
Inase: (Hmhm, well, I wouldn’t be so quick to say that, Kei.)
Airon: (It does involve not saying a word, after all.)
The other three who were “listening in” on this exchange were forced to cover their faces to hide their reactions to this humorous retort. Kei was also compelled to do so, though in his case, it was to hide his anger rather than his amusement.
Kei: (Airon, you’re such a jerk, man!)
Airon: (Kei, I’m joking, come on! …Heh, for someone who jokes around all the time, you certainly don’t know how to take one.)
Taigen: (Hehehehe, guys, we should probably pay attention to the proctor.)
Minto: (How come? We already know what he’s gonna ask us.)
Nakama: (It’s just common courtesy, Minto.)
Airon: (Hmm, exactly.)
Inase: (Airoonnn?)
Airon: (Dang it, Inase! I was about to say that, but Nakama beat me to it!)
Kei: (Ha! And you just said I couldn’t take a joke!?)
Nakama: (Hmhmhm, okay, guys. Can we stop arguing for now and listen to the proctor speak?)
Submitting to Nakama’s peacemaking ways, the five of them immediately ended their pointless bickering, something which brought an amused expression to Airon’s face, …as it proved that he wasn’t the only one who was quick to agree with her. He didn’t reminisce on the short episode but a few seconds longer, though, before following through on the second half of her request, his mind now musing over what Naruto had told him about the tenth question.
Naruto: Now, what he’s gonna do is ask everyone whether they wanna stay and answer the question or just quit and go home. There’s no actual question, though. This is just a test to see if you’re willing to take big risks.
Kei: Huh? Big risks?
Airon: What do you mean?
Naruto: Well, he’s gonna to tell you that if you stay and get the question wrong, then you won’t be able to take the Chūnin Exams ever again. But-
Kei: Never AGAIN!? Wait a sec, that’s not big! That’s a HUGE risk-
Inase: Kei, chill out. If you were really listening, you’d know that’s not actually gonna happen.
Naruto: Hmhm, exactly, Inase. Now, like I said, he’s gonna SAY that that’s gonna happen, but just remember that there isn’t really a question. You’ve just gotta not say anything and when it’s all said and done, everyone who decides not to walk out passes. Got it?
Airon, Kei, and Inase: Got it!
…However, things weren’t going to turn out quite the way that Naruto had anticipated when he told them this.
Shino: Now then, the first of these new rules is that you’ll be given the choice of whether or not you want to take the tenth question at all. …However, should you choose not to, …you fail immediately, along with the rest of your team. …But, here’s the catch. If you DO decide to stay and answer the tenth question, …you’ll risk the possibility of ever taking this exam again.
Almost immediately, several genin around the room began expressing their concerns to one another, though a select few, namely Team Naruto and Team Suzaku, remained incredulous, already aware that he was lying. Airon simply smirked and leaned back in his chair before charismatically urging Shino to continue speaking, certain that he already knew what he would say next.
Airon: We’re listening.
Shino: …Once all of you have answered the tenth question, your scores will be compared with those of your teammates. …Only the member of your team with the highest score will move on, …while the one with the lowest will be forced to remain a genin…forever!
Airon’s confident expression quickly faded from his face, the same reaction coming over both his siblings and Minto’s team, as well. …Needless to say, these weren’t the conditions they were anticipating.
Airon: (Well, …that’s rather unexpected.)
Kei: (Hey, what’s the deal!? That’s not the choice Gramps said we’d be asked to make!)
Airon: (He answered his brother in as polite a manner as he could, …though he was rapidly becoming frustrated in light of this unexpected turn of events.) (I realize that, Kei. Now, start trying to figure out what the correct choice is.)
Taigen: (But, how do we do that?)
Airon: (…Well, first, we need to treat this predicament as though there was actually another question for us to answer. That’ll keep our judgments level as we go over our options.)
Inase: (That’s true. …But, then again, the way things are now, we’d all have the same score after answering the question, so it would hardly be a risk for us to make the attempt.)
Minto: (Yeah, so if we treated it in that respect, it’s obvious that we should decide to stay.)
Nakama: (I’m pretty certain that he was referring only to the worst possible outcomes, guys. Not the best.)
Taigen: (Yeah, that would make the choice TOO obvious if we looked at it from that angle.)
Inase: (So, in that case, we look at it from the viewpoint of a team whose NOT guaranteed to have the same answers.)
Kei: (Man, this is so complicated! Why couldn’t they just use the same question that Gramps had to answer!?)
Minto: (They probably change it every so often in case someone decides to share their experience with someone new going into the exams.)
Inase: (…Well, they certainly picked the right year to do it. …This is unbelievable. The decision isn’t really that different, yet it still changes everything.)
Nakama: (Airon, do you have any thoughts on this so far? …Airon?)
Suddenly realizing that their brother hadn’t given any feedback in the last minute, both Kei and Inase looked at him from across the room to find he had removed the tag on the back of his hand, thus disabling any…“connection” he had to the five of them, Minto’s team noticing this shortly afterwards. His eyes closed and his hands clasped in front of him, Airon was deep in thought, trying on his own to figure out what choice would send them all to the second stage of the exams.
Airon: (Finally, some peace and quiet for a change. …Now, there’s only two options to choose between. One, that this is a test of determination and we’re supposed to stay and face the risk of never becoming a chūnin, …or two, that this is a test of loyalty to our teammates and we’re supposed to leave rather than risk one of them having to remain a genin. …Man, and the odds of either one allowing us to move on are pretty even, …but, in the end, only one can be the right answer.)
Opening his eyes for a moment to look around, he noticed that his siblings were now looking incessantly at him, as were Minto, Taigen, and Nakama. Scanning the room a moment longer, he realized that they weren’t the only ones doing so. Manako, Shikaru, Hitomi, and Irezumi were also looking to him to see what he would decide, and while he was certain their teammates were doing the same, he didn’t bother to certify it before closing his eyes again.
Airon: Huhhhh… (Great. Now, everybody’s looking to me to figure out what to do. …Certainly takes away some of the pressure, guys, …jerks.)
Over the next six minutes, Airon continued to go over every factor, positive or negative, involved with either the decision to stay or to leave, though the fact that most of, if not all, his friends were looking to him for guidance had placed a significant determent on his intellectual performance. Even more so, this made him incapable of completely detaching himself from the outside world, something he was normally good at, and rendered it impossible for him to cancel out any distractions that would also affect his performance, …though later on, he would prove rather grateful for this. On the verge of giving up and simply winging it, he was forced to open his eyes as the sounds of a moving chair and a feeble, young voice broke his concentration.
????: I-I’m sorry, guys. I’m not really willing to take that kind of risk. …Sorry.
Surprise visible in the young genin’s face, since neither of his teammates seemed to disapprove of his decision, the trio quietly exited the room as Airon reminisced on the boy’s resolve.
Airon: (Hey, it’s an honorable choice. …I wouldn’t risk one of my teammates’ chances of being chūnin, either, …even if they weren’t my siblings. …Wait a second…)
His mind returned once again to the time when Naruto explained the situation he was forced to undergo during his exams, …only this time, in a different light.
Airon: (Grandpa said that he was told if he got the tenth question wrong, he’d had to stay a genin forever…HE’d have to stay a genin forever. That’s the difference. The consequences of this decision affect the entire team, not just the individual. …Now, that does change a few things.)
His mind made up, he quickly rose up from his seat and looked over at Shino, who was now returning his gaze.
Airon: That’s it, I’m out. …I’m not risking one of my siblings’ dreams…just to accomplish mine.
While both Kei and Inase were visibly surprised by his actions, they remained fully confident that Airon had found and made the correct decision and simply rose from their seats. As the three began walking towards the back of the room, Airon shot a quick glance at Manako to ensure that he would do the same. Locking eyes for a brief moment, the latter eventually nodded and stood up to leave, not saying a word as he did. His cousins quickly understood…or, at least, Akame did.
Katsuto: Hey, Manako! What the heck are you doing, man!?
Almost immediately, Manako stopped and turned to look at his cousin, a devilish look in his eye as he did. He continued to leer at him for almost ten seconds on end, finally turning away when he saw Katsuto swallow all the air that was in his mouth at the time.
Manako: Let’s go, Katsuto.
Aggravated, though persuaded, Katsuto did as he was told and got up to follow Manako and his sister. Mere seconds after the three had left the room, Minto stood up from his chair, as well.
Minto: Sorry, guys. I can’t do it. There’s too much riding on this.
Nakama and Taigen simply smiled humorously in response before getting up and following him outside the room. One by one, other teams began to follow their example, …perhaps intrigued by the fact that the Leaf’s two strongest genin had decided to drop out, until finally, only a handful of, presumably thick-headed, teams remained in the room. In the hallways of the Academy, those who had chosen to withdraw continued towards the front door of the building with Airon and Manako at the head of the pack, the former with his hands in his pockets.
Manako: I certainly hope you were thorough when you were going over this in your head, Airon.
Airon: (Finding Manako’s uncertainty humorous, as he did most things, he turned around to meet his gaze as a smile appeared on his face.) You doubt my logic, Manako?
Manako: (He looked coldly into Airon’s confident eyes a brief moment before looking away with a smirk.) Hmph, I guess I should’ve known better.
The duo continued to lead the group through the halls of the building until, at last, they turned one last corner and found themselves at the main entrance of the Academy. Possessing very acute sensory abilities, Manako quickly slowed down upon realizing that a large supply of powerful chakra was standing nearby.
Manako: …Someone else is on the other side of this door.
Airon: (Aware of the fact that Manako’s abilities were most formidable when his Sharingan was active, which it wasn’t, it didn’t take long for him to narrow down the identity of this unknown shinobi, …since only two in the entire village had chakra that powerful.) Your grandfather…or mine?
Manako: (Finding some humor in the fact that Airon felt the need to ask him this, he replied to him with a smirk stretched across his face.) …Why not head outside and find out?
Seeing no reason to debate the matter, Airon merely returned the gesture and stepped forward to pull open the right side of the door, while his sister, who was standing behind him this entire time, moved forward to open the left. The two hardly managed to get a glimpse of who was standing outside as they pulled the doors wide enough for everyone to walk through them, though their brother was kind enough to let them know, …in his typical loud manner, of course.
Kei: Gramps!!
His siblings pleased to hear this, they looked out from behind the doors just in time to see Kei leap into Naruto’s arms in the most childish manner he could manage. His prior outburst, however, did not reveal to Airon and Inase the fact that a large number of Naruto’s fellow jōnin, including Sakura and Sasuke, were also awaiting their arrival, along with what was presumably a clone of their proctor Shino. Running past the doors and back to the front of the group alongside his sister, Airon found himself greeted upon his return by a friendly nudge from Minto.
Minto: Nice call, man.
Airon: (Feeling somewhat proud of himself, he returned the motion and looked back to the group of jonin in front of them.) Hmhmhm, nothing to it.
A certain number of other genin present, however, were not so well educated on what was happening.
????: Hey, what the heck’s going on!?
????: And how’d the proctor get out here!?
????: Psst, it’s probably just a clone, dude. Come on, seriously?
Shino: (Having been partaking in a friendly conversation with Naruto up until this point, he didn’t hear the remark from this highly misinformed genin and simply carried on with his address.) It’s good to see you all have arrived…and it pleases me even more to inform you all that you have officially passed the first stage of the Chūnin Exams.
Although both relief and delight followed this announcement for some, confusion was still present for most.
????: Wait a second, how did we pass!? We didn’t even answer the tenth question!
Shikaru: (Having been standing beside this genin at the time, his aggravation forced him to intervene and enlighten him.) There was no tenth question. It was just a test.
????: What?
Naruto: (Briefly exchanging looks with Shino, he proceeded to continue on where he had left off.) Exactly right, Shikaru. …The tenth question is used to test a genin’s dedication to their team, rather than the completion of a mission. Instead of choosing to answer the question and guaranteeing that someone on your team will have to stay a genin forever, the RIGHT choice was to drop out of the exam and keep the chance of trying out again another time, which all of you did.
Kei: (Confused as to how his grandfather knew of this, he quickly realized that he had lied to them earlier and moved forward to protest.) Wait a sec, you said…ow!
He was immediately stopped in his tracks by Inase, who reached over and pinched his arm to keep him silent.
Inase: (Keep it down, Kei! Grandpa wasn’t really supposed to tell us all those things, so don’t go and tell all the other instructors that he did it, anyways. …Besides, he probably did it just to lead us on. …Hmhm, he WAS a prankster, after all.)
Having “overheard” this, Airon chuckled softly before redirecting his attention back towards his grandfather.
Naruto: Look at the question from this point of view. Say that you were given a mission, …a very dangerous mission. You were tasked with invading an enemy hideout and, say, …finding out what they’re up to. Sounds easy enough, but the only problem is…they know you’re on the way, and you know for a FACT that only one of you will be able to get back alive.
The thought alone was enough to make several of the genin present temporarily forget their need to breathe.
Naruto: Back in the old days, most shinobi would’ve considered the success of a mission to be priority number one, no matter what the risks, and that anyone who couldn’t live up to those expectations was trash. …But, nowadays, we have a different way of thinking, …and that’s that anyone who would place their teammates in danger when it’s not absolutely necessary is worse than trash. …You knew that only one member of your team would get to move on if you chose to stick around, and that one of them would have to pay the ultimate price, but instead, you chose to back out and try again another time…and that’s why you’re the ones that are passing today, instead of the genin that are still sitting in that room.
Almost immediately, any sense of anxiety or confusion the genin were feeling was depleted or, at the very least, set aside, in exchange for gratification. …Even after thirty-eight years, Naruto still hadn’t lost his ability to do that to people.
????: …Sooo, we just move on, just like that? What about the rest of the exam?
Shino: The first nine questions of the written exam were used to test your ability to gather information under dangerous circumstances.
He looked at Naruto and smiled before continuing, …having remembered that what he was about to say next didn’t apply to him.
Shino: As most of you probably noticed, the questions on the exam were very difficult, far too difficult for the average genin to answer on his own. For that reason, two chūnin were disguised and placed in the room with you, in order to give each of you a reliable source of information to cheat off of.
????: …Wait, so you actually WANTED us to cheat?
Shino: Exactly. …A great shinobi from this village once told us that the ability to gather information during a mission can often decide the outcome of that mission, …as well as any loss of life that might follow its completion. …By standing here in front of both me and the Sixth Hokage now, you’ve proven to us that you have all these abilities, and that the only thing I have left to say to you is…the first stage of the Chūnin Exams is officially complete…and good luck on the other two stages.
Naruto: Now, go home and get some rest. Tomorrow, you start the second stage…hehehehe, and let me tell you, you’ve got your word cut out for you.
With that said, the crowd of competitors quickly began to disperse. Meanwhile, Airon, Kei, and Inase ran up to their grandfather and sensei to receive his personal congratulations…and a hug.
Naruto: Great job, guys. …Hehe, I hope you three did better than I did.
Airon: Hmhmhm, without question.
Naruto: (He reached out his hand and rubbed Airon’s hair in reply to this good news, much to his dismay.) Hmhm, there you go.
Kei: Hey, and what was the big idea leading us on like that!? You said you were given a different question!
Naruto: (Feeling almost sly as Kei told him this, he just barely managed to hold back his snickering.) The proctors are the ones that make the rules, Kei. I had a different proctor than you, so I had a different question. And, just between you and me, …that was really just a ways of giving you three a heads-up.
Kei immediately looked back at his brother in confusion. Airon, on the other hand, merely let out his usual chuckle upon realizing what Naruto was referring to.
Airon: Heh, and it definitely helped, Grandpa. I admit, we probably would’ve stuck around if you hadn’t told us about the question earlier.
Naruto: Hmhm, well, I’m glad I could’ve helped. Now, you three probably should go tell your parents how well you did and get ready for tomorrow. …I’ve got to go meet someone pretty soon.
This knowledge in mind, the triplets didn’t delay the matter any longer and returned home, while Naruto turned back to Shino, who was having a short conversation with Sasuke and Sakura. A short farewell later, the clone quickly vanished, leaving a swarm of beetles in its stead, while Naruto turned to his old teammates.
Naruto: I guess I shouldn’t have to tell you guys how huge that group was.
Sakura: (Nodding in agreement, she looked off in the direction of the departing group before responding verbally.) I’ll say. There had to be at least fifty teams standing out here.
Sasuke: Hmm, fifty-two…out of an original seventy-nine.
Sakura: That’s just unreal. …You don’t suppose our generation’s gotten soft, do you?
Naruto: Hehehe, …more likely, the new one’s just getting stronger.
Sakura: Hmhm, well, I don’t think we can determine that just from a written test, Naruto.
Sasuke: Hm, well then, we’ll just have to wait and find out when they enter the Forest of Death, won’t we?
Naruto: Heh, it looks like it. …Right now, though, we’ve gotta head over to the gate, so we can meet the Kages when they show up.
The Kage are soon to arrive in the Leaf village…and the new generation is one step closer to becoming chūnin!!!
The End
Italics name: Italics dialogue - Flashbacks
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Chapter 010: First Challenge of the Exam
Shino: Alright, there are a few additional rules that must be explained before I can give you the tenth question, so pay close attention.
While several genin around the room began to show signs of worry, Naruto’s grandchildren simply smiled in response to Shino’s statements, having already been informed of the nature of the tenth question. Minto, Nakama, and Taigen, being Airon’s closest friends, were also lucky enough to receive this information and, thus, gave the same feedback.
Kei: (Heh, this here’s gonna be the easiest part of the whole thing!)
Inase: (Hmhm, well, I wouldn’t be so quick to say that, Kei.)
Airon: (It does involve not saying a word, after all.)
The other three who were “listening in” on this exchange were forced to cover their faces to hide their reactions to this humorous retort. Kei was also compelled to do so, though in his case, it was to hide his anger rather than his amusement.
Kei: (Airon, you’re such a jerk, man!)
Airon: (Kei, I’m joking, come on! …Heh, for someone who jokes around all the time, you certainly don’t know how to take one.)
Taigen: (Hehehehe, guys, we should probably pay attention to the proctor.)
Minto: (How come? We already know what he’s gonna ask us.)
Nakama: (It’s just common courtesy, Minto.)
Airon: (Hmm, exactly.)
Inase: (Airoonnn?)
Airon: (Dang it, Inase! I was about to say that, but Nakama beat me to it!)
Kei: (Ha! And you just said I couldn’t take a joke!?)
Nakama: (Hmhmhm, okay, guys. Can we stop arguing for now and listen to the proctor speak?)
Submitting to Nakama’s peacemaking ways, the five of them immediately ended their pointless bickering, something which brought an amused expression to Airon’s face, …as it proved that he wasn’t the only one who was quick to agree with her. He didn’t reminisce on the short episode but a few seconds longer, though, before following through on the second half of her request, his mind now musing over what Naruto had told him about the tenth question.
- Four day prior -
Naruto: Now, what he’s gonna do is ask everyone whether they wanna stay and answer the question or just quit and go home. There’s no actual question, though. This is just a test to see if you’re willing to take big risks.
Kei: Huh? Big risks?
Airon: What do you mean?
Naruto: Well, he’s gonna to tell you that if you stay and get the question wrong, then you won’t be able to take the Chūnin Exams ever again. But-
Kei: Never AGAIN!? Wait a sec, that’s not big! That’s a HUGE risk-
Inase: Kei, chill out. If you were really listening, you’d know that’s not actually gonna happen.
Naruto: Hmhm, exactly, Inase. Now, like I said, he’s gonna SAY that that’s gonna happen, but just remember that there isn’t really a question. You’ve just gotta not say anything and when it’s all said and done, everyone who decides not to walk out passes. Got it?
Airon, Kei, and Inase: Got it!
- Present-day -
…However, things weren’t going to turn out quite the way that Naruto had anticipated when he told them this.
Shino: Now then, the first of these new rules is that you’ll be given the choice of whether or not you want to take the tenth question at all. …However, should you choose not to, …you fail immediately, along with the rest of your team. …But, here’s the catch. If you DO decide to stay and answer the tenth question, …you’ll risk the possibility of ever taking this exam again.
Almost immediately, several genin around the room began expressing their concerns to one another, though a select few, namely Team Naruto and Team Suzaku, remained incredulous, already aware that he was lying. Airon simply smirked and leaned back in his chair before charismatically urging Shino to continue speaking, certain that he already knew what he would say next.
Airon: We’re listening.
Shino: …Once all of you have answered the tenth question, your scores will be compared with those of your teammates. …Only the member of your team with the highest score will move on, …while the one with the lowest will be forced to remain a genin…forever!
Airon’s confident expression quickly faded from his face, the same reaction coming over both his siblings and Minto’s team, as well. …Needless to say, these weren’t the conditions they were anticipating.
Airon: (Well, …that’s rather unexpected.)
Kei: (Hey, what’s the deal!? That’s not the choice Gramps said we’d be asked to make!)
Airon: (He answered his brother in as polite a manner as he could, …though he was rapidly becoming frustrated in light of this unexpected turn of events.) (I realize that, Kei. Now, start trying to figure out what the correct choice is.)
Taigen: (But, how do we do that?)
Airon: (…Well, first, we need to treat this predicament as though there was actually another question for us to answer. That’ll keep our judgments level as we go over our options.)
Inase: (That’s true. …But, then again, the way things are now, we’d all have the same score after answering the question, so it would hardly be a risk for us to make the attempt.)
Minto: (Yeah, so if we treated it in that respect, it’s obvious that we should decide to stay.)
Nakama: (I’m pretty certain that he was referring only to the worst possible outcomes, guys. Not the best.)
Taigen: (Yeah, that would make the choice TOO obvious if we looked at it from that angle.)
Inase: (So, in that case, we look at it from the viewpoint of a team whose NOT guaranteed to have the same answers.)
Kei: (Man, this is so complicated! Why couldn’t they just use the same question that Gramps had to answer!?)
Minto: (They probably change it every so often in case someone decides to share their experience with someone new going into the exams.)
Inase: (…Well, they certainly picked the right year to do it. …This is unbelievable. The decision isn’t really that different, yet it still changes everything.)
Nakama: (Airon, do you have any thoughts on this so far? …Airon?)
Suddenly realizing that their brother hadn’t given any feedback in the last minute, both Kei and Inase looked at him from across the room to find he had removed the tag on the back of his hand, thus disabling any…“connection” he had to the five of them, Minto’s team noticing this shortly afterwards. His eyes closed and his hands clasped in front of him, Airon was deep in thought, trying on his own to figure out what choice would send them all to the second stage of the exams.
Airon: (Finally, some peace and quiet for a change. …Now, there’s only two options to choose between. One, that this is a test of determination and we’re supposed to stay and face the risk of never becoming a chūnin, …or two, that this is a test of loyalty to our teammates and we’re supposed to leave rather than risk one of them having to remain a genin. …Man, and the odds of either one allowing us to move on are pretty even, …but, in the end, only one can be the right answer.)
Opening his eyes for a moment to look around, he noticed that his siblings were now looking incessantly at him, as were Minto, Taigen, and Nakama. Scanning the room a moment longer, he realized that they weren’t the only ones doing so. Manako, Shikaru, Hitomi, and Irezumi were also looking to him to see what he would decide, and while he was certain their teammates were doing the same, he didn’t bother to certify it before closing his eyes again.
Airon: Huhhhh… (Great. Now, everybody’s looking to me to figure out what to do. …Certainly takes away some of the pressure, guys, …jerks.)
Over the next six minutes, Airon continued to go over every factor, positive or negative, involved with either the decision to stay or to leave, though the fact that most of, if not all, his friends were looking to him for guidance had placed a significant determent on his intellectual performance. Even more so, this made him incapable of completely detaching himself from the outside world, something he was normally good at, and rendered it impossible for him to cancel out any distractions that would also affect his performance, …though later on, he would prove rather grateful for this. On the verge of giving up and simply winging it, he was forced to open his eyes as the sounds of a moving chair and a feeble, young voice broke his concentration.
????: I-I’m sorry, guys. I’m not really willing to take that kind of risk. …Sorry.
Surprise visible in the young genin’s face, since neither of his teammates seemed to disapprove of his decision, the trio quietly exited the room as Airon reminisced on the boy’s resolve.
Airon: (Hey, it’s an honorable choice. …I wouldn’t risk one of my teammates’ chances of being chūnin, either, …even if they weren’t my siblings. …Wait a second…)
His mind returned once again to the time when Naruto explained the situation he was forced to undergo during his exams, …only this time, in a different light.
Airon: (Grandpa said that he was told if he got the tenth question wrong, he’d had to stay a genin forever…HE’d have to stay a genin forever. That’s the difference. The consequences of this decision affect the entire team, not just the individual. …Now, that does change a few things.)
His mind made up, he quickly rose up from his seat and looked over at Shino, who was now returning his gaze.
Airon: That’s it, I’m out. …I’m not risking one of my siblings’ dreams…just to accomplish mine.
While both Kei and Inase were visibly surprised by his actions, they remained fully confident that Airon had found and made the correct decision and simply rose from their seats. As the three began walking towards the back of the room, Airon shot a quick glance at Manako to ensure that he would do the same. Locking eyes for a brief moment, the latter eventually nodded and stood up to leave, not saying a word as he did. His cousins quickly understood…or, at least, Akame did.
Katsuto: Hey, Manako! What the heck are you doing, man!?
Almost immediately, Manako stopped and turned to look at his cousin, a devilish look in his eye as he did. He continued to leer at him for almost ten seconds on end, finally turning away when he saw Katsuto swallow all the air that was in his mouth at the time.
Manako: Let’s go, Katsuto.
Aggravated, though persuaded, Katsuto did as he was told and got up to follow Manako and his sister. Mere seconds after the three had left the room, Minto stood up from his chair, as well.
Minto: Sorry, guys. I can’t do it. There’s too much riding on this.
Nakama and Taigen simply smiled humorously in response before getting up and following him outside the room. One by one, other teams began to follow their example, …perhaps intrigued by the fact that the Leaf’s two strongest genin had decided to drop out, until finally, only a handful of, presumably thick-headed, teams remained in the room. In the hallways of the Academy, those who had chosen to withdraw continued towards the front door of the building with Airon and Manako at the head of the pack, the former with his hands in his pockets.
Manako: I certainly hope you were thorough when you were going over this in your head, Airon.
Airon: (Finding Manako’s uncertainty humorous, as he did most things, he turned around to meet his gaze as a smile appeared on his face.) You doubt my logic, Manako?
Manako: (He looked coldly into Airon’s confident eyes a brief moment before looking away with a smirk.) Hmph, I guess I should’ve known better.
The duo continued to lead the group through the halls of the building until, at last, they turned one last corner and found themselves at the main entrance of the Academy. Possessing very acute sensory abilities, Manako quickly slowed down upon realizing that a large supply of powerful chakra was standing nearby.
Manako: …Someone else is on the other side of this door.
Airon: (Aware of the fact that Manako’s abilities were most formidable when his Sharingan was active, which it wasn’t, it didn’t take long for him to narrow down the identity of this unknown shinobi, …since only two in the entire village had chakra that powerful.) Your grandfather…or mine?
Manako: (Finding some humor in the fact that Airon felt the need to ask him this, he replied to him with a smirk stretched across his face.) …Why not head outside and find out?
Seeing no reason to debate the matter, Airon merely returned the gesture and stepped forward to pull open the right side of the door, while his sister, who was standing behind him this entire time, moved forward to open the left. The two hardly managed to get a glimpse of who was standing outside as they pulled the doors wide enough for everyone to walk through them, though their brother was kind enough to let them know, …in his typical loud manner, of course.
Kei: Gramps!!
His siblings pleased to hear this, they looked out from behind the doors just in time to see Kei leap into Naruto’s arms in the most childish manner he could manage. His prior outburst, however, did not reveal to Airon and Inase the fact that a large number of Naruto’s fellow jōnin, including Sakura and Sasuke, were also awaiting their arrival, along with what was presumably a clone of their proctor Shino. Running past the doors and back to the front of the group alongside his sister, Airon found himself greeted upon his return by a friendly nudge from Minto.
Minto: Nice call, man.
Airon: (Feeling somewhat proud of himself, he returned the motion and looked back to the group of jonin in front of them.) Hmhmhm, nothing to it.
A certain number of other genin present, however, were not so well educated on what was happening.
????: Hey, what the heck’s going on!?
????: And how’d the proctor get out here!?
????: Psst, it’s probably just a clone, dude. Come on, seriously?
Shino: (Having been partaking in a friendly conversation with Naruto up until this point, he didn’t hear the remark from this highly misinformed genin and simply carried on with his address.) It’s good to see you all have arrived…and it pleases me even more to inform you all that you have officially passed the first stage of the Chūnin Exams.
Although both relief and delight followed this announcement for some, confusion was still present for most.
????: Wait a second, how did we pass!? We didn’t even answer the tenth question!
Shikaru: (Having been standing beside this genin at the time, his aggravation forced him to intervene and enlighten him.) There was no tenth question. It was just a test.
????: What?
Naruto: (Briefly exchanging looks with Shino, he proceeded to continue on where he had left off.) Exactly right, Shikaru. …The tenth question is used to test a genin’s dedication to their team, rather than the completion of a mission. Instead of choosing to answer the question and guaranteeing that someone on your team will have to stay a genin forever, the RIGHT choice was to drop out of the exam and keep the chance of trying out again another time, which all of you did.
Kei: (Confused as to how his grandfather knew of this, he quickly realized that he had lied to them earlier and moved forward to protest.) Wait a sec, you said…ow!
He was immediately stopped in his tracks by Inase, who reached over and pinched his arm to keep him silent.
Inase: (Keep it down, Kei! Grandpa wasn’t really supposed to tell us all those things, so don’t go and tell all the other instructors that he did it, anyways. …Besides, he probably did it just to lead us on. …Hmhm, he WAS a prankster, after all.)
Having “overheard” this, Airon chuckled softly before redirecting his attention back towards his grandfather.
Naruto: Look at the question from this point of view. Say that you were given a mission, …a very dangerous mission. You were tasked with invading an enemy hideout and, say, …finding out what they’re up to. Sounds easy enough, but the only problem is…they know you’re on the way, and you know for a FACT that only one of you will be able to get back alive.
The thought alone was enough to make several of the genin present temporarily forget their need to breathe.
Naruto: Back in the old days, most shinobi would’ve considered the success of a mission to be priority number one, no matter what the risks, and that anyone who couldn’t live up to those expectations was trash. …But, nowadays, we have a different way of thinking, …and that’s that anyone who would place their teammates in danger when it’s not absolutely necessary is worse than trash. …You knew that only one member of your team would get to move on if you chose to stick around, and that one of them would have to pay the ultimate price, but instead, you chose to back out and try again another time…and that’s why you’re the ones that are passing today, instead of the genin that are still sitting in that room.
Almost immediately, any sense of anxiety or confusion the genin were feeling was depleted or, at the very least, set aside, in exchange for gratification. …Even after thirty-eight years, Naruto still hadn’t lost his ability to do that to people.
????: …Sooo, we just move on, just like that? What about the rest of the exam?
Shino: The first nine questions of the written exam were used to test your ability to gather information under dangerous circumstances.
He looked at Naruto and smiled before continuing, …having remembered that what he was about to say next didn’t apply to him.
Shino: As most of you probably noticed, the questions on the exam were very difficult, far too difficult for the average genin to answer on his own. For that reason, two chūnin were disguised and placed in the room with you, in order to give each of you a reliable source of information to cheat off of.
????: …Wait, so you actually WANTED us to cheat?
Shino: Exactly. …A great shinobi from this village once told us that the ability to gather information during a mission can often decide the outcome of that mission, …as well as any loss of life that might follow its completion. …By standing here in front of both me and the Sixth Hokage now, you’ve proven to us that you have all these abilities, and that the only thing I have left to say to you is…the first stage of the Chūnin Exams is officially complete…and good luck on the other two stages.
Naruto: Now, go home and get some rest. Tomorrow, you start the second stage…hehehehe, and let me tell you, you’ve got your word cut out for you.
With that said, the crowd of competitors quickly began to disperse. Meanwhile, Airon, Kei, and Inase ran up to their grandfather and sensei to receive his personal congratulations…and a hug.
Naruto: Great job, guys. …Hehe, I hope you three did better than I did.
Airon: Hmhmhm, without question.
Naruto: (He reached out his hand and rubbed Airon’s hair in reply to this good news, much to his dismay.) Hmhm, there you go.
Kei: Hey, and what was the big idea leading us on like that!? You said you were given a different question!
Naruto: (Feeling almost sly as Kei told him this, he just barely managed to hold back his snickering.) The proctors are the ones that make the rules, Kei. I had a different proctor than you, so I had a different question. And, just between you and me, …that was really just a ways of giving you three a heads-up.
Kei immediately looked back at his brother in confusion. Airon, on the other hand, merely let out his usual chuckle upon realizing what Naruto was referring to.
Airon: Heh, and it definitely helped, Grandpa. I admit, we probably would’ve stuck around if you hadn’t told us about the question earlier.
Naruto: Hmhm, well, I’m glad I could’ve helped. Now, you three probably should go tell your parents how well you did and get ready for tomorrow. …I’ve got to go meet someone pretty soon.
This knowledge in mind, the triplets didn’t delay the matter any longer and returned home, while Naruto turned back to Shino, who was having a short conversation with Sasuke and Sakura. A short farewell later, the clone quickly vanished, leaving a swarm of beetles in its stead, while Naruto turned to his old teammates.
Naruto: I guess I shouldn’t have to tell you guys how huge that group was.
Sakura: (Nodding in agreement, she looked off in the direction of the departing group before responding verbally.) I’ll say. There had to be at least fifty teams standing out here.
Sasuke: Hmm, fifty-two…out of an original seventy-nine.
Sakura: That’s just unreal. …You don’t suppose our generation’s gotten soft, do you?
Naruto: Hehehe, …more likely, the new one’s just getting stronger.
Sakura: Hmhm, well, I don’t think we can determine that just from a written test, Naruto.
Sasuke: Hm, well then, we’ll just have to wait and find out when they enter the Forest of Death, won’t we?
Naruto: Heh, it looks like it. …Right now, though, we’ve gotta head over to the gate, so we can meet the Kages when they show up.
The Kage are soon to arrive in the Leaf village…and the new generation is one step closer to becoming chūnin!!!
The End
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