Chapter 200: 193. Sneaking into Chunnin Exam
Scree…
Izuna raises his head and notices an eagle pecking at the window.
Whistle…
He releases an incoherent sound, and the eagle flies away.
"Looks like the second test of the chunnin exam has started. I will let Anko handle the exam."
Izuna turns towards the group of clan leaders and the Third Hokage as the meeting starts.
Hmm…
"Izuna Uchiha… the matter must be quite serious for you to summon all of us here for an emergency meeting."
Hiruzen has a frown on his face as he awaits Izuna's response.
"All of us here have interacted with Izuna one way or another. So, the matter must be quite serious for him to summon us."
Shikaku calmly stares at Izuna as he remarks.
"True… he has helped all of us considerably one way or another." Hiashi remarks as he remembers the Hyuga incident.
"Let's ask him what is the matter?"
Fugaku opens his eyes as he stares at Izuna.
'When will Fugaku learn to smile.'
Izuna takes out the information scroll from his pocket and places it on the table.
"Have a look at this. It is the information I got from one of my spies in the Sunagakure."
Hmm…
Hiruzen frowns as he reads its contents.
He places the scroll on the table as the rest of the clan leaders read its content.
All of their expression darkens as Choza remarks.
"Those Sand Bastards are doing it this time. Their guts have inflated a lot after the defeat during the Second Shinobi War."
Choza slams his palm on the table.
"Calm down, Choza! It is still a piece of intel; the real thing hasn't started yet."
Shikaku calms him down and turns towards Izuna.
"How sure are you about the validity of this intel?" He questions Izuna.
"I am a hundred percent sure. My source can't be false." Izuna assures Shikaku.
Sigh…
"Then it seems like Sunagakure is serious about this invasion. I can't even relax these old bones of mine." Hiruzen sighs as he contemplates over the intel.
"I guess you summoned us because you already have a plan in your mind." Shibi Aburame breaks the silence.
"Yes, I do." Izuna nods his head.
"And I plan to discuss it with all of you. You are the only few trustworthy people I can trust in Konoha." Izuna reveals to them.
"Well… I don't know how to feel about that statement." Inoichi scratches his head.
"Well then… let's hear your plan." Shikaku starts the discussion.
"Hokage-sama, please disclose the strategy."
Izuna signals Tsunade.
"Very Well." Tsunade places the map on the table.
--------------------
In training ground three,
Hah… Hah…
Sasuke and Naruto are engaged in a Taijutsu fight as they exchange blows. Sakura watches from the sidelines as she cheers them.
"Sasuke-kun… Naruto-kun… do you best."
'Sasuke-kun! Beat Naruto up. Shannaro!' The inner Sakura cheers for Sasuke.
Huff… huff…
Both of them breathe heavily as the spar ends with a draw.
Huff… Huff…
"Naruto… I never expected you to improve so drastically." Sasuke breathes heavily as he remarks.
"It is thanks to the secret training I did with Izuna Nii-san. I have improved a lot. Dattebyo!"
Naruto pumps his fist.
"Sasuke-kun… let me wipe your sweat." Sakura offers a towel to Sasuke.
"I will do it myself. There is no need for you to do anything." Sasuke grabs the towel and wipes his sweat.
Hai…
Sakura depressingly passes the towel to Sasuke.
"Man… I am bored." Naruto rests against the wooden pillars.
"Kakashi sensei is busy with that chunnin exam thingy. We don't have any missions these days. I am so tired of these D-Rank missions. I want to do some cool ninja missions." Naruto drinks some water as he wipes his sweat.
"So, you mean to say that you don't mind capturing that cat again?" Sasuke remarks.
"Anything but that…" Both Naruto and Sakura reply simultaneously.
"That thing is not a cat. It is even more agile than the ninja hounds of Kakashi sensei." Naruto shakes his head as the memories of the Cat Capture Mission flood his mind.
"We spent seven hours chasing after that cat, and we weren't even able to catch as much as a fur of that thing. In the end, it returned to the owner of its own free will." Naruto narrates the incident.
"But we got the full payment, right!" Sasuke remarks.
"No, don't remind me of that. Every time I hear that, I start to doubt my abilities as a Ninja. How will I become a Hokage if I can't even catch a cat?" Naruto shakes his head.
"Anyway, forget about that. Why don't we take a peek at the chunnin exam?" A wild idea pops out in Naruto's mind.
"No! Naruto. It is a bad idea." Sakura hurriedly tries to convince Naruto.
"Kakashi Sensei said we aren't ready for it yet. We have to do at least three C rank missions before even thinking about the chunnin exam." Sakura advises him against it.
"Come on, Sakura. You know of our abilities; it would be a walk-in park for us." Naruto ignores Sakura's warnings.
"Sasuke-kun… now only you can convince Naruto-kun to drop the idea." Sakura turns towards Naruto.
"Hmm… it sounds interesting. I am with Naruto on this one."
Sasuke agrees with Naruto.
"Yes… let's go. We will sneak in the chunnin exam."
Naruto jumps in excitement.
"Hold on, Naruto. Do you even know about the location of the chunnin exam?"
Sasuke calms his down.
"Err… this. I don't know… but we will be able to figure it out somehow." Naruto pumps his fists in the air.
"Chunnin exam I am coming."
"…"
Sasuke and Sakura silently stare at Naruto.
"I expected nothing less from you." Sasuke stands up as he dusts himself.
"Hey! What do you mean?" Naruto growls at Sasuke.
"Don't worry, I had already made preparations for this."
Sasuke makes some hand signs and slams his palm on the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu"
Poof…
A small puff of white smoke appears as the summoning seal is completed.
Scree…
The smoke clears out to reveal a small eagle.
Scree…
The eagle screams again as it flies and perches on Sasuke's shoulder.
Woah…
Naruto and Sakura's eyes shine brightly as they stare at the eagle.
"Hey, when did you got this?" Naruto points towards the eagle.
"You aren't the only one who is doing secret training with Izuna Nii-san," Sasuke smirks as he pats the eagle.
"Damn… I also want one of these." Naruto gnaws his teeth.
"Can I touch it?" Sakura stares at the eagle with shining eyes as her hands creep towards it.
Scree…
The eagle pecks on her hand and turns away.
"Garuda doesn't like anyone besides me and Izuna Nii-san." Sasuke takes out some food from his pocket and feeds the eagle.
"Fine, I got it." Naruto puffs his cheek as he asks Sasuke.
"So, how would we find the location of the Chunnin exam? By flying on top of this little guy?" Naruto tries to touch Garuda only to get pecked by his sharp beak.
"Aww… It hurts." He grabs his bitten thumb in pain.
"There is no need for that." Sasuke releases the Garuda as it circles above them in the air.
"Now watch carefully."
"Sharingan."
He activates his Sharingan and makes some hand signs.
"Uchiha Secret Technique: Mirrored Telescopic Vision"
He cups one of his hands around his right eye as he shares the vision with Garuda.
"This is one of the secret techniques of the Uchiha clan. It allows the user to share his vision with his summons. The visions of ordinary Hawks can spot a small rat from a mile away and Garuda is a summon, so his vision is several times better than an ordinary hawk. He would be able to spot the location of the Chunnin exam in minutes."
Sasuke nods to Garuda.
Whoosh…
Garuda flies higher in the sky and disappears from their vision.
"Wow… he is so fast." Naruto and Sakura stare at Garuda in amazement.
"Of course, he is at least three times faster than messenger eagles." Sasuke proudly raises his head.
"Damn… now I really need a summon." Naruto bites his lips.
Swoosh…
"Oh! I can see it." Sasuke focuses on the binocular vision as the village appears in his vision.
"I can see the entire Uchiha clan compound from here. Let us go to the academy. We will get some hints from there. Also, Hokage Office is there."
Whoosh…
Garuda flies higher and approaches Academy.
----------
Inside the Hokage Office,
"The meeting is finally over. My throat is dry from all that talking. I need some sake to parch it." Tsunade slumps down on the Hokage chair.
"…"
Izuna and Shizune stares at Tsunade.
"Ok, I will get some orange juice for you." Izuna opens the window as he jumps out.
Huh…
Izuna feels a gaze on him. He raises his head and notices a eagle flying far away in the sky.
"Oh!" Izuna stares at the eagle and smiles.
----------------
In the training ground.
Brrr….
A shiver runs down Sasuke's spine as Izuna's face appears in his vision.
'Did big brother notice me?'
Chapter 201: 194. I won’t fail this time
'I must avoid Izuna Nii-san at all cost.'
Sasuke commands Garuda to change the direction through his mental link.
Whoosh…
Garuda flies in the opposite direction to the Hokage's Office.
------------
Inside the Hokage Office,
Tsunade notices Izuna staring at the sky.
"What's the matter? What are you staring at?"
"Oh… Nothing. Just some playful kids with their games." He shakes his head.
"Well… peaceful times sure are great. I have to make sure it stays the same." Tsunade nods her head and continues her work.
Whoosh…
Izuna flickers out of the window.
---------------
Whew…
"I avoided it." Sasuke sighs.
"What's the matter?" Naruto and Sakura notice Sasuke's tense expression.
"Izuna Nii-san almost found us out. Thankfully, I somehow avoided him."
"That's a relief. Otherwise, he would punish us with more hellish training." Naruto sweats heavily as he remembers the punishment.
"Training?… Isn't that a good thing? Izuna-san is one of the most powerful ninjas in our village. His training would surely improve our skills by a margin." Sakura questions them.
"No… don't mention it. You won't understand our pain and sufferings." Naruto and Sasuke reply simultaneously.
"Ehh… is it that hard?" Sakura tilts her head in confusion.
"It is much… much harder." Naruto opens his arms wide open as he describes the training session.
"Kakashi Sensei's training can't even compare to Izuna Nii-san's warmup." Naruto shakes his head at the thought of hellish training.
"So hard…" Sakura's curiosity is piqued.
"Don't even think about the training?" Naruto warns her.
"Shhh… I found it." Sasuke signals them.
Naruto stops his explanation as he asks Sasuke.
"Where is it? I am excited to experience the chunnin exam." He clutches his fists.
"It is north to the Forty-Third training ground."
Sasuke notices the group of genins gathered at the gate of Forest of Death.
"It says the Forty-fourth Training ground. I never knew the village had a forty-fourth training ground."
Garuda flies over the training ground as Sasuke inspects the surrounding.
He notices a metallic fence with several gates at the perimeter of the area.
"I guess it is a restricted area of the village. It must be quite dangerous for it to not open to the public." Sasuke concludes as he notices the deathly silence of the forest.
----------------
Outside the Forest of Death,
Anko stares at the participants as she licks her lips.
"So, this is the batch of the genins eager to take on the exam to become a chunnin."
Chojuro stands with his Kiri teammates as he looks around.
'I can't find Kabuto-san anywhere. Maybe he is also preparing with his teammates.'
Slick…
The Sound Ninja licks his lips as he stares at the forest.
"I am itching for some blood. I can't wait to hear some cute screams."
"Now… now… looks like all of your quite energetic after clearing the first part of the chunnin exam. You might have cleared the first step but it still unsure whether you could do the same with the second test."
Whoosh…
Anko takes out a stack of paper from her pocket.
"Unlike the first part of the exam where there was no fighting; this round is all about survival. If you have the capabilities to survive while keeping your enemies at the bay, then you might get a shot to move to the final round."
Bam…
She slams the stack on the table as she stares at the genins with a predatory gaze.
"Before you proceed to the second test, you would have to sign this consent form. You would only be allowed to take the exam if you sign the form otherwise you are free to leave."
Gulp…
Many genins gulp their saliva as they stare at the form.
"What consent?" One of the genin questions.
Anko turns towards the genin and replies.
"Consent… that you won't return alive from the exam and thus the leaf village won't be held responsible for your decision," Anko smirks as she stares at their terrified expression.
Many genins retreat in fear as they forfeit the exam.
"Hey Sasuke, what's going on?" Naruto impatiently asks Sasuke.
Sasuke narrates the entire series of events to Naruto and Sakura.
'Thanks to my Sharingan, I can read her lips.'
"That's scary." Sakura gulps her saliva.
"Are you sure it is a good idea? What if we face something horrible in the forest? We don't even know what's in there." Sakura advises against sneaking.
"We won't back down after coming this far. I will never give up because that's my ninja way. Dattebyo!"
Naruto pumps his fist.
Sakura turns to Sasuke, only to notice a calm expression on his face.
Sigh…
She depressingly drops her head.
'At least, Sasuke-kun is there to take care of me.'
The Inner Sakura cheers up.
Hmm…
Anko looks around as she feels a gaze on her.
'Why do I feel like someone is watching me?'
She surveys her surroundings and notices nobody.
'Strange! I felt like someone was peeking at me. Anyway…'
She shakes her head and turns to the group of genins.
"So, the remaining participants move to the different gates and pick up your scroll. Once I signal, the exam would start and keep in mind many chunnins would monitor you throughout the exam so if you are caught teaming up with other teams then both of the group will be immediately disqualified."
Anko points her fingers towards her eyes and the rest of the group as a warning.
Whoosh… whoosh…
The genins start to flicker towards the allotted gates as they pick up their respective scrolls.
--------------
In training ground three,
"It has started," Sasuke recalls Garuda as he informs the group.
"Naruto, Sakura, we will meet in an hour. Make necessary preparations for the exam. I will explain the rules as we will infiltrate the Forest of Death." Sasuke orders them.
"Yay!" Naruto cheers in excitement as he flickers towards the Uzumaki compounds.
"Naruto don't bring anything unnecessary. We are participating in an exam, not in a picnic." Sasuke reminds him.
"I know," Naruto yells from a distance as he flickers away.
"Hai…" Sakura weakly walks towards her house.
Whoosh…
Sasuke flickers towards the Uchiha Clan compounds.
Rustle… rustle…
The leaves of a nearby tree rustle as a figure appears on the branch.
'These bunch of kids.' Shisui shakes his head as he stares at the back of Naruto and Sasuke.
"Izuna Nii-san informed me about their little plan and sent me to monitor them. Kakashi Senpai is busy with the chunnin exam, and Izuna Nii-san had some urgent work. With the recent purge, the Konoha police force doesn't have much work to handle, so I am free most of the time."
Shisui shakes his head as his body disperses in a bunch of crows.
----------------
In Yakiniku Q restaurant,
"It is my treat. Order anything you like; the food is really good here."
Izuna passes the menu to Mei.
"Yakiniku Q is a Gyu-Kaku Style restaurant. So, you have to cook your own meal. Don't worry about the ingredients, just order anything you like; I will cook a fine dish."
Izuna explains the details to Mei.
"Then I won't hold back."
Mei picks up the Menu and places her order.
"Three servings of Gyutan reared in Land of Rice Paddies, three servings of Welsh Onion from the Land of Medicine…"
Mei orders one premium dish after another.
Sweat appears on Izuna's face as he wipes it secretly.
'Damn… when I meant anything, she took it literally; ordering three of the most expensive dishes right off the bat. This lunch is going to cost me an S-Rank Mission at this rate.'
Mei smiles at Izuna as she orders her food.
'I must bear with it. This is my responsibility as a man.' Izuna has a bitter expression in his heart as he smiles at Mei.
"Yay! I will also take the same order as Mei Onee-san."
Ayaka also places her order.
"Ne… Ayaka… why don't you order something different? There are lots of other dishes to order from." Izuna tries to convince Ayaka.
"No… I will eat the same food as Mei Onee-san. I also want to grow up as a beauty like Mei Onee-san."
Ayaka stares at Mei's chest as she blinks cutely.
"…."
Izuna silently nods his head.
"Then why don't you follow Tsunade Onee-san. She has more growth than your Mei Onee-san." He jokes.
"No… I don't want to. I heard Tsunade Onee-san complaining about back pain because of her chest."
"…"
'Kids these days sure grow quickly.'
Izuna shakes his head in understanding.
"Customer… here is your order." The server brings their order.
"Behold my cooking skill… I will cook the most delicious meat ever."
Izuna carefully places the meat on the charcoal brazier.
"Onii-san… don't burn them like the other day."
Ayaka pours a bucket of cold water on Izuna as she innocently states the fact.
"…"
'I can never win. Can I?'
'Sharingan.'
He weakly picks up another piece of meat and cooks it.
'I won't fail this time.'
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