Chakra Wizard
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Alright, I’ll just tell ya right now that I did not enjoy writing this chapter, but given what went on in the canon exams, it was essential, so what can you do? So, if it ends up feeling a bit below par compared to past chapters, that’s the reason, cause I didn’t enjoy writing it as muchxd Anyways, please enjoy
Here’s my previous chapters, for those who missed any:
Chapter 024: Congratulations
Roughly three hours had passed since their arrival at the tower, but the “celebration” which Airon so aptly suggested hardly became anything more than the six genin just sitting around, waiting patiently for any other surviving contestants to appear. During this time, however, not a single team managed to find their way to the tower, which surprisingly included the relatively close Manako and his cousins. Their boredom stacking up ever higher with passing second, Kei had subjected himself to a mid-afternoon snooze as a means to escape it, while Inase sat beside him with her legs crossed and her back against the wall, keeping her Byakugan active in order to be alert to any other genin that might arrive. Around the same time, Airon had taken to the balcony overlooking the arena they would soon be fighting in, standing there motionless as he stared down at the concrete flooring below him, which had no doubt seen much blood spilled upon it over the course of its history. Standing close beside him was Nakama, not uttering a word, while Minto sat at the base of the staircase from which they reached the balcony, Taigen resting at his feet. The six remained in these positions for the longest time, until finally, Minto’s boredom brought him across a small piece of information which had long since slipped his mind.
Minto: Hey, Airon!
Airon: Hm?
Minto: Wasn’t there something we needed to do once we got here!?
Airon: (Having also forgotten about their secondary duty in this stage of the exam, his eyes widened slightly in revelation, exchanging surprised looks with Nakama before redirecting his gaze downstairs.) Oh yeah, I almost forgot. …Hey, Kei, Inase, where were you on that one!?
Kei: (The shouting between those at ground level and those on the balcony having awoken him from his slumber, he wasn’t in the most cheerful of moods, to say the least.) Cloud Nine! Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got another four-and-a-half days ahead of me and I’m not gonna spend them wide awake!
Inase: (In the process of standing up herself, she took the opportunity to smack her partially closed fist against Kei’s head as he tried closing his eyes again.) It’s still the middle of the afternoon, lazy head. Now get up, so we can open these scrolls.
Mumbling incoherently as he rubbed the spot where she hit him, Kei gave up on the endeavor for now and lifted himself off the floor as Inase reached into her credentials for the heaven scroll their team was given at the start of the exam, while Airon pulled out the earth scroll he acquired a short while ago. Minto and Nakama did the same as the latter followed Airon down the steps to the ground floor, lining up with their respective teammates as they prepared to open the scrolls, Kei and Taigen standing close behind them.
Kei: Any idea what’s gonna happen when they open?
Airon: …I have one or two.
Intending to get it over with, the four quickly and simultaneously unfurled the two pairs of scrolls, at which point they suddenly flew from their hands, their paths intersecting as they rolled out across the floor. At the points where they overlapped emerged two small clouds of smoke which, after a few passing seconds, revealed the sensei of the two teams.
Minto: Dad!
Nakama and Taigen: Suzaku-sensei!
Airon, Kei, and Inase: Grand…pa.
While Suzaku appeared as professional as ever, his mentor, on the other hand, was laid out across the floor in his pajamas, having obviously been fast asleep until now. Looking beside him, curious to know what the six genin were staring so blankly at, Suzaku quickly assumed a slightly horrified expression upon seeing the former Hokage sprawled out across the floor, drool dangling from his gaping mouth. Hoping to save his old teacher from the embarrassment of it all, he opened his mouth to speak, only to be stopped suddenly by Naruto’s oldest grandchild.
Airon: Wait, wait, wait! That’s no way to wake him up.
Suzaku: Uhhh, what?
Looking over at Airon in confusion, the devious grin on his face caused him to look back at Naruto in worry, his gaze rapidly shifting between the two as he pondered whether or not to wake him before his grandson could follow through on his scheme. Airon, meanwhile, reached behind him and nudged his brother on the shoulder, much to the latter’s protest.
Kei: Me!? Wait, why do I gotta do it!?
Airon: Well, there’s no way I’M touching him, now hurry up and do it before he realizes his pillow’s gone.
Mumbling under his breath in irritation, Kei walked up to his grandfather and knelt down beside him, hesitating a moment before placing his finger in his mouth in order to coat it with plenty of saliva, much to both Suzaku’s horror and the bewilderment of everyone else.
Inase: Oh, for heaven’s sake.
Minto: Airon, that’s just low, man. Seriously.
Suzaku: Uhhh-uh, Naruto-sensei!?
Before his words had time to carry over, Kei had already drilled his finger into Naruto’s ear, sending the latter several feet into the air as the former dashed over to hide behind Airon, who was trying desperately not to laugh.
Naruto: WAAAAAA!!! Hey, what the hell was that, eh-
Looking around frantically for the culprit, his eyes eventually settled upon Suzaku, who was sporting a face of sheer panic.
Naruto: Rrrrrgghhh, SUZAKU!! You got some big ideas screwin’ around with me while I’m asleep! And to think you were the composed one on your team! I should make you do one thousand push-ups for that-
Suzaku: Uhh, it wasn’t me, Sensei! I swear! Stop jumping to conclusions already, will ya!?
Naruto: Don’t gimme that crap! Airon and Kei are standing all the way over there, so who else could’ve done it!?
Inase: (He certainly has a knack for jumping right to the source of it all, doesn’t he?)
Airon: (Hmhmhm, well, we don’t exactly have the best reputations in the world when it comes to trickery.)
Naruto: (Growing tired of the yelling, he set his aggravation aside for now and began looking around in confusion.) Uggghh, screw it. …What the hell are we doing here, anyways? This isn’t the tower, is it?
It took him a few seconds to recognize the arena which he had fought in over four decades ago, much to the bafflement of those around him, but the moment he did, his eyes lit up with joy as he turned to face his grandchildren.
Naruto: Wait…no way! You mean you three actually made it here in just a few hours!?
Kei: (Feeling awfully proud of himself in that moment, he crossed his arms and adopted a confident expression that made all five genin around him cringe in amusement.) Just over ninety minutes, actually.
Naruto: (Although pleased to hear this, the present time still caused him to look on in confusion.) Really? Then what are we just getting here now for?
Airon: (Rather embarrassed by the ordeal himself, he answered only after those around him hesitated to do so.) Took us a while to remember we still had scrolls that needed opening, …embarrassingly enough.
Naruto: Wow…Kei, I would expect that from, but you and Inase, Airon? How-
Kei: Oh, come on, Gramps! You, too!? Seriously, you have any idea how old that joke’s getting!? It’s not even funny anymore!
Following this humorous little spell, everyone present fell into a two-minute period of nonstop laughter, with Kei eventually joining them in spite of himself. When their hilarity finally ceased, it was Minto who asked the lingering question.
Minto: So, what are you two doing here, anyways? All we did was open the scrolls.
Airon: True, but that makes sense, doesn’t it?
Minto: Huh?
Inase: Think about it, Minto. We were told that we weren’t allowed to open those scrolls under any circumstances, and yet we were in the middle of a giant forest with absolutely no supervision at all. …How were they supposed to know if we opened the scrolls?
It took him a moment to figure it out, but Minto’s curious expression was eventually replaced by one of realization. Nakama and Taigen followed up on this shortly afterwards, but they required Suzaku’s intervention before Kei could partake in their understanding.
Suzaku: Hmhmhm, very sharp, Inase. Yes, every scroll handed out to the contestants contained a Reverse Summoning jutsu linked to one of the instructors. We were tasked with knocking out the contestants who opened it if they were either still wandering through the forest or they didn’t have a second scroll with them. …Heh, I’ll be honest, I was fully prepared to do so myself before I noticed that we were inside the tower.
Airon: Hmhm, well, ninety minutes does raise a few suspicions, especially given the difficulty of this challenge.
Naruto: Hm, I expected nothing less from you three.
Pleased to hear such appraisal from both their grandfather and a former Hokage, the triplets smiled gleefully, as did the three genin standing with them.
Naruto: You’ve officially completed the second stage of the Chūnin Exams. I’m very proud of you all.
The six said not another word, instead keeping their own personal celebrations within, something even Kei was inclined to do. Once the moment had passed however, the elder of Airon’s siblings quickly began looking around in confusion.
Kei: Soooo, what do we do now?
Suzaku: (Not expecting a question like this to surface, he rubbed the back of his head in contemplation.) Uhhh, well, …the second stage isn’t over until a full five days have passed, so I guess you’ve just gotta wait here.
Any lingering sounds that might’ve filled the immediate vicinity until now quickly disappeared, the truth of Suzaku’s words dawning on the genin one after another, until finally, the impending complaints began springing forth.
Minto: Say what!?
Kei: Oh, come on! Do you really expect us to wait here for five days while the other slowpokes drag their hind ends over here!?
Naruto: (His playful smirk was still present, but the tone of his voice was surprisingly serious.) Well, that’s the price you pay for trying to be a badass, Kei.
Not expecting such a tone from their grandfather, Airon and his siblings stood there in silence for almost a minute on end, almost forgetting for a moment that the old man was still in his pajamas.
Suzaku: …Kind of harsh, sensei.
Naruto: What? It’s the truth. These three wanna show off whenever they-
Inase: Wait, three!?
Naruto: Yes, Inase, you’re just as guilty of it as they are. And this is the price you have to pay for taking every chance you get to blow away your competition. You don’t have to beat every record you hear about, you know.
Knowing full well that he was right, the younger of the triplets lowered their heads slightly in minor regret. Their older brother, on the other hand, was analyzing what their grandfather had just said, …specifically how he knew that they had heard about Gaara’s record when he wasn’t even there to hear Tenten’s monologue.
Airon: Wait a second, …did YOU have something to do with all this, Grandpa?
Silence overcame the spacious arena once again, every set of eyes in the room now fixed on the former Hokage. A mixture of surprise and anger befell the faces of the five genin who hadn’t realized this fact, which Naruto was quick to justify.
Naruto: What, you’re surprised? Look, I learned the hard way that you’re better off not showing off every chance you get, alright? That’s why I asked Tenten to mention Gaara’s record, cause I knew that if ANY genin wanted to try and beat it, it would be you three.
He received no immediate response from the six genin before him, who were exchanging looks of aggravation and minor embarrassment, with Airon’s sole exception. The small flicker out of the corner of his mouth let everyone around him know that he was about to start laughing, Naruto included.
Naruto: And now you know.
Airon: Hehehahahahaha!! Oohhhh, man. HOW did I not see this?
Inase: (Not nearly as amused as her brother, her reaction to this news was much more analytical, holding her hand up to her chin as she reminisced on Tenten’s speech from just a few hours ago.) I should’ve known that comment was a bit out of place for an instructor to make.
Kei: Hold on a sec! You just said that you knew we would try and get here in under ninety minutes, right!?
Naruto: …Yeah?
Kei: Then why the heck were you sleeping up until now!?
More silence befell the arena. Only this time, it was Naruto who was left without a viable response.
Naruto: Uhhhhh, …huh. I just forgot all about it, I guess.
On the verge of passing out, Airon fell to his knees as his cackling pursued, his fellow genin now unable to keep themselves from laughing along with him. Even Suzaku was unable to suppress a small chuckle in light of this. Somewhat embarrassed by this, but nonetheless pleased to see his grandchildren in such a cheerful mood, Naruto let the whole ordeal slide and spoke up to address them.
Naruto: Alright, alright. Now, bring it in, you six. I got one more thing I gotta tell you, okay?
The two teams quickly did as they were asked, Naruto and Suzaku locking eyes before the former began speaking.
Naruto: We’ve never once doubted just how talented you all are. You know that, right?
He waited until he had counted six nods before continuing.
Naruto: Well, that’s what we’re concerned about. The life of a shinobi has plenty of rewards for those who decide to undertake it, but one thing it doesn’t have is mercy. This exam might’ve been nothing more than a contest to you, but do not think that it’ll be like this from here on out. …I want you six to promise me that you’ll always take your duties seriously. Once you become chūnin, it won’t just be your lives you risk by fooling around on a mission, but everyone on your team, as well. …You understand?
The six genin reminisced on his words for a brief moment, exchanging silent looks with one another before turning back to Naruto and nodding simultaneously.
Airon: We promise, …sensei.
Naruto: (Flashing a brief smile in light of their agreement, he took a moment to look around before forming a hand sign.) …Good. Now, I should probably get changed into something more Hokage-appropriate. I’ll see you again in a few days, alright?
Airon, Kei, and Inase: …Right.
And with that, Naruto vanished in a cloud of smoke, no doubt intent on returning to his slumber, despite his last words to them. Seeing no reason for him to stick around four more days, either, Suzaku turned to his team as he formed a hand sign of his own.
Suzaku: Well, I guess I’ll be going, too, then. …You three take care now, alright?
Taigen and Nakama: Yes, sensei.
Minto: We will, …sensei.
Flashing one last proud smile to his students, he followed his sensei’s actions, vanishing in the same manner he had arrived. As the resulting smoke finally faded away, a loud creak was heard from the other end of the room and the six genin turned towards the doorway, eager to see who else had survived the second phase of the exams.
What’s to become of the teams who manage to survive!!?
The End
Here’s my previous chapters, for those who missed any:
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Chapter 024: Congratulations
Roughly three hours had passed since their arrival at the tower, but the “celebration” which Airon so aptly suggested hardly became anything more than the six genin just sitting around, waiting patiently for any other surviving contestants to appear. During this time, however, not a single team managed to find their way to the tower, which surprisingly included the relatively close Manako and his cousins. Their boredom stacking up ever higher with passing second, Kei had subjected himself to a mid-afternoon snooze as a means to escape it, while Inase sat beside him with her legs crossed and her back against the wall, keeping her Byakugan active in order to be alert to any other genin that might arrive. Around the same time, Airon had taken to the balcony overlooking the arena they would soon be fighting in, standing there motionless as he stared down at the concrete flooring below him, which had no doubt seen much blood spilled upon it over the course of its history. Standing close beside him was Nakama, not uttering a word, while Minto sat at the base of the staircase from which they reached the balcony, Taigen resting at his feet. The six remained in these positions for the longest time, until finally, Minto’s boredom brought him across a small piece of information which had long since slipped his mind.
Minto: Hey, Airon!
Airon: Hm?
Minto: Wasn’t there something we needed to do once we got here!?
Airon: (Having also forgotten about their secondary duty in this stage of the exam, his eyes widened slightly in revelation, exchanging surprised looks with Nakama before redirecting his gaze downstairs.) Oh yeah, I almost forgot. …Hey, Kei, Inase, where were you on that one!?
Kei: (The shouting between those at ground level and those on the balcony having awoken him from his slumber, he wasn’t in the most cheerful of moods, to say the least.) Cloud Nine! Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got another four-and-a-half days ahead of me and I’m not gonna spend them wide awake!
Inase: (In the process of standing up herself, she took the opportunity to smack her partially closed fist against Kei’s head as he tried closing his eyes again.) It’s still the middle of the afternoon, lazy head. Now get up, so we can open these scrolls.
Mumbling incoherently as he rubbed the spot where she hit him, Kei gave up on the endeavor for now and lifted himself off the floor as Inase reached into her credentials for the heaven scroll their team was given at the start of the exam, while Airon pulled out the earth scroll he acquired a short while ago. Minto and Nakama did the same as the latter followed Airon down the steps to the ground floor, lining up with their respective teammates as they prepared to open the scrolls, Kei and Taigen standing close behind them.
Kei: Any idea what’s gonna happen when they open?
Airon: …I have one or two.
Intending to get it over with, the four quickly and simultaneously unfurled the two pairs of scrolls, at which point they suddenly flew from their hands, their paths intersecting as they rolled out across the floor. At the points where they overlapped emerged two small clouds of smoke which, after a few passing seconds, revealed the sensei of the two teams.
Minto: Dad!
Nakama and Taigen: Suzaku-sensei!
Airon, Kei, and Inase: Grand…pa.
While Suzaku appeared as professional as ever, his mentor, on the other hand, was laid out across the floor in his pajamas, having obviously been fast asleep until now. Looking beside him, curious to know what the six genin were staring so blankly at, Suzaku quickly assumed a slightly horrified expression upon seeing the former Hokage sprawled out across the floor, drool dangling from his gaping mouth. Hoping to save his old teacher from the embarrassment of it all, he opened his mouth to speak, only to be stopped suddenly by Naruto’s oldest grandchild.
Airon: Wait, wait, wait! That’s no way to wake him up.
Suzaku: Uhhh, what?
Looking over at Airon in confusion, the devious grin on his face caused him to look back at Naruto in worry, his gaze rapidly shifting between the two as he pondered whether or not to wake him before his grandson could follow through on his scheme. Airon, meanwhile, reached behind him and nudged his brother on the shoulder, much to the latter’s protest.
Kei: Me!? Wait, why do I gotta do it!?
Airon: Well, there’s no way I’M touching him, now hurry up and do it before he realizes his pillow’s gone.
Mumbling under his breath in irritation, Kei walked up to his grandfather and knelt down beside him, hesitating a moment before placing his finger in his mouth in order to coat it with plenty of saliva, much to both Suzaku’s horror and the bewilderment of everyone else.
Inase: Oh, for heaven’s sake.
Minto: Airon, that’s just low, man. Seriously.
Suzaku: Uhhh-uh, Naruto-sensei!?
Before his words had time to carry over, Kei had already drilled his finger into Naruto’s ear, sending the latter several feet into the air as the former dashed over to hide behind Airon, who was trying desperately not to laugh.
Naruto: WAAAAAA!!! Hey, what the hell was that, eh-
Looking around frantically for the culprit, his eyes eventually settled upon Suzaku, who was sporting a face of sheer panic.
Naruto: Rrrrrgghhh, SUZAKU!! You got some big ideas screwin’ around with me while I’m asleep! And to think you were the composed one on your team! I should make you do one thousand push-ups for that-
Suzaku: Uhh, it wasn’t me, Sensei! I swear! Stop jumping to conclusions already, will ya!?
Naruto: Don’t gimme that crap! Airon and Kei are standing all the way over there, so who else could’ve done it!?
Inase: (He certainly has a knack for jumping right to the source of it all, doesn’t he?)
Airon: (Hmhmhm, well, we don’t exactly have the best reputations in the world when it comes to trickery.)
Naruto: (Growing tired of the yelling, he set his aggravation aside for now and began looking around in confusion.) Uggghh, screw it. …What the hell are we doing here, anyways? This isn’t the tower, is it?
It took him a few seconds to recognize the arena which he had fought in over four decades ago, much to the bafflement of those around him, but the moment he did, his eyes lit up with joy as he turned to face his grandchildren.
Naruto: Wait…no way! You mean you three actually made it here in just a few hours!?
Kei: (Feeling awfully proud of himself in that moment, he crossed his arms and adopted a confident expression that made all five genin around him cringe in amusement.) Just over ninety minutes, actually.
Naruto: (Although pleased to hear this, the present time still caused him to look on in confusion.) Really? Then what are we just getting here now for?
Airon: (Rather embarrassed by the ordeal himself, he answered only after those around him hesitated to do so.) Took us a while to remember we still had scrolls that needed opening, …embarrassingly enough.
Naruto: Wow…Kei, I would expect that from, but you and Inase, Airon? How-
Kei: Oh, come on, Gramps! You, too!? Seriously, you have any idea how old that joke’s getting!? It’s not even funny anymore!
Following this humorous little spell, everyone present fell into a two-minute period of nonstop laughter, with Kei eventually joining them in spite of himself. When their hilarity finally ceased, it was Minto who asked the lingering question.
Minto: So, what are you two doing here, anyways? All we did was open the scrolls.
Airon: True, but that makes sense, doesn’t it?
Minto: Huh?
Inase: Think about it, Minto. We were told that we weren’t allowed to open those scrolls under any circumstances, and yet we were in the middle of a giant forest with absolutely no supervision at all. …How were they supposed to know if we opened the scrolls?
It took him a moment to figure it out, but Minto’s curious expression was eventually replaced by one of realization. Nakama and Taigen followed up on this shortly afterwards, but they required Suzaku’s intervention before Kei could partake in their understanding.
Suzaku: Hmhmhm, very sharp, Inase. Yes, every scroll handed out to the contestants contained a Reverse Summoning jutsu linked to one of the instructors. We were tasked with knocking out the contestants who opened it if they were either still wandering through the forest or they didn’t have a second scroll with them. …Heh, I’ll be honest, I was fully prepared to do so myself before I noticed that we were inside the tower.
Airon: Hmhm, well, ninety minutes does raise a few suspicions, especially given the difficulty of this challenge.
Naruto: Hm, I expected nothing less from you three.
Pleased to hear such appraisal from both their grandfather and a former Hokage, the triplets smiled gleefully, as did the three genin standing with them.
Naruto: You’ve officially completed the second stage of the Chūnin Exams. I’m very proud of you all.
The six said not another word, instead keeping their own personal celebrations within, something even Kei was inclined to do. Once the moment had passed however, the elder of Airon’s siblings quickly began looking around in confusion.
Kei: Soooo, what do we do now?
Suzaku: (Not expecting a question like this to surface, he rubbed the back of his head in contemplation.) Uhhh, well, …the second stage isn’t over until a full five days have passed, so I guess you’ve just gotta wait here.
Any lingering sounds that might’ve filled the immediate vicinity until now quickly disappeared, the truth of Suzaku’s words dawning on the genin one after another, until finally, the impending complaints began springing forth.
Minto: Say what!?
Kei: Oh, come on! Do you really expect us to wait here for five days while the other slowpokes drag their hind ends over here!?
Naruto: (His playful smirk was still present, but the tone of his voice was surprisingly serious.) Well, that’s the price you pay for trying to be a badass, Kei.
Not expecting such a tone from their grandfather, Airon and his siblings stood there in silence for almost a minute on end, almost forgetting for a moment that the old man was still in his pajamas.
Suzaku: …Kind of harsh, sensei.
Naruto: What? It’s the truth. These three wanna show off whenever they-
Inase: Wait, three!?
Naruto: Yes, Inase, you’re just as guilty of it as they are. And this is the price you have to pay for taking every chance you get to blow away your competition. You don’t have to beat every record you hear about, you know.
Knowing full well that he was right, the younger of the triplets lowered their heads slightly in minor regret. Their older brother, on the other hand, was analyzing what their grandfather had just said, …specifically how he knew that they had heard about Gaara’s record when he wasn’t even there to hear Tenten’s monologue.
Airon: Wait a second, …did YOU have something to do with all this, Grandpa?
Silence overcame the spacious arena once again, every set of eyes in the room now fixed on the former Hokage. A mixture of surprise and anger befell the faces of the five genin who hadn’t realized this fact, which Naruto was quick to justify.
Naruto: What, you’re surprised? Look, I learned the hard way that you’re better off not showing off every chance you get, alright? That’s why I asked Tenten to mention Gaara’s record, cause I knew that if ANY genin wanted to try and beat it, it would be you three.
He received no immediate response from the six genin before him, who were exchanging looks of aggravation and minor embarrassment, with Airon’s sole exception. The small flicker out of the corner of his mouth let everyone around him know that he was about to start laughing, Naruto included.
Naruto: And now you know.
Airon: Hehehahahahaha!! Oohhhh, man. HOW did I not see this?
Inase: (Not nearly as amused as her brother, her reaction to this news was much more analytical, holding her hand up to her chin as she reminisced on Tenten’s speech from just a few hours ago.) I should’ve known that comment was a bit out of place for an instructor to make.
Kei: Hold on a sec! You just said that you knew we would try and get here in under ninety minutes, right!?
Naruto: …Yeah?
Kei: Then why the heck were you sleeping up until now!?
More silence befell the arena. Only this time, it was Naruto who was left without a viable response.
Naruto: Uhhhhh, …huh. I just forgot all about it, I guess.
On the verge of passing out, Airon fell to his knees as his cackling pursued, his fellow genin now unable to keep themselves from laughing along with him. Even Suzaku was unable to suppress a small chuckle in light of this. Somewhat embarrassed by this, but nonetheless pleased to see his grandchildren in such a cheerful mood, Naruto let the whole ordeal slide and spoke up to address them.
Naruto: Alright, alright. Now, bring it in, you six. I got one more thing I gotta tell you, okay?
The two teams quickly did as they were asked, Naruto and Suzaku locking eyes before the former began speaking.
Naruto: We’ve never once doubted just how talented you all are. You know that, right?
He waited until he had counted six nods before continuing.
Naruto: Well, that’s what we’re concerned about. The life of a shinobi has plenty of rewards for those who decide to undertake it, but one thing it doesn’t have is mercy. This exam might’ve been nothing more than a contest to you, but do not think that it’ll be like this from here on out. …I want you six to promise me that you’ll always take your duties seriously. Once you become chūnin, it won’t just be your lives you risk by fooling around on a mission, but everyone on your team, as well. …You understand?
The six genin reminisced on his words for a brief moment, exchanging silent looks with one another before turning back to Naruto and nodding simultaneously.
Airon: We promise, …sensei.
Naruto: (Flashing a brief smile in light of their agreement, he took a moment to look around before forming a hand sign.) …Good. Now, I should probably get changed into something more Hokage-appropriate. I’ll see you again in a few days, alright?
Airon, Kei, and Inase: …Right.
And with that, Naruto vanished in a cloud of smoke, no doubt intent on returning to his slumber, despite his last words to them. Seeing no reason for him to stick around four more days, either, Suzaku turned to his team as he formed a hand sign of his own.
Suzaku: Well, I guess I’ll be going, too, then. …You three take care now, alright?
Taigen and Nakama: Yes, sensei.
Minto: We will, …sensei.
Flashing one last proud smile to his students, he followed his sensei’s actions, vanishing in the same manner he had arrived. As the resulting smoke finally faded away, a loud creak was heard from the other end of the room and the six genin turned towards the doorway, eager to see who else had survived the second phase of the exams.
What’s to become of the teams who manage to survive!!?
The End
