บท 20: Chunin Exam Begins
Naturally, the simple illusion set up by some troublemakers did not stump Team Kurenai. If it did, it would be a shame to Kurenai sensei who had been teaching them about genjutsu for so long.
Shino Aburame stood at the entrance to the exam hall, flanked by his teammates, Kiba Inuzuka and Hinata Hyuga. The atmosphere was tense as the Genin of all ages from all over the village gathered for the Chunin Exams. Not only that, Genin from other villages were also mixed in, many from unknown small hidden villages not mentioned in the anime.
They were an intimidating bunch – except, their focus just happen to intentionally or unintentionally avoid Shino… so he didn't feel intimidated at all.
Soon. Soon, they will pay attention to him. Shino had prepared extensively for this moment, and he was determined to play his cards safely, but with enough flare to gain just the proper amount of attention.
Unlike the original, their team seemed to have come a bit late, as the rest of Konoha 11 had already shown up.
In a peculiar twist of fate, their team appeared to have come later than the original, their arrival delayed amidst the swirling currents of time. The tapestry of destiny had woven a different path, one where the remaining members of the class had already congregated.
As he scanned the crowd, he noticed the usual suspects - Naruto Uzumaki, the loud-mouthed ninja with a heart of gold, who is clamouring to be Hokage, Sasuke Uchiha, the brooding prodigy with a love-hate relationship with his Oni-chan, and Sakura Haruno, the pink-haired kunoichi with the outstanding ability of being useless- until she gains the power from the blonde one punch woman later on. Now, she was on par with another blondie… at being idiots drooling over Sasuke.
Shino observed them from a distance, taking note of their body language and interactions with their own teams. He also noticed that Sasuke was a bit ruffled up, seemingly just coming out of a fight.
Suddenly, he saw a familiar figure approach - Kabuto Yakushi, Uncle Snake's spy.
Shino had encountered Kabuto before when he went to retrieve some virus strands from the Konoha hospital and knew he was a skilled ninja even though they did not interact. Just from the fact that Kabuto could notice him in a crowd proved that Kabuto was an exemplary spy.
Kabuto walked with confidence, his long silver hair tied back in a ponytail, and his glasses glinting in the sunlight. He stopped in front of the trio, his gaze swept past the aggressive-looking Kiba and fidgeting Hinata, before locking onto Shino.
"Hello, Shino Aburame," Kabuto said with a sly smile as he adjusted his glasses. "I've got some good intel on other participants. Would you be interested?"
Shino remained stoic, similarly adjusting his glasses and replied in an emotionless tone, "No, I-"
"It seems not. There is no need to be so vigilant. I'm simply here to observe. The Chunin Exams are always such a fascinating spectacle," Kabuto chuckled before walking away, looking for his next prey, which happens to be the group with the Naruto trio.
Shino followed him with his eyes, remaining wary of Kabuto's true intentions.
Kabuto then began his good performance with 'good' intentions.
"Yaho! It seems that'll be interesting, let's go join them, Shino, Hinata!" Kiba went to reunite with his classmates, joining the listening crowd.
Kabuto threw them a glance, and nonchalantly continued his performance. Seeing him pay to further heed to his group, Shino inwardly breathed a sigh of relief before refocusing his attention on the other examinees.
As for the intel of Kabuto, can he know more than him as a transmigrator? Even if he did, would he be willing to divulge it?
Channeling his attention towards other conversations, he couldn't help but overhear a nearby group of nameless Genin side characters discussing their strategies for the upcoming exams.
"I heard the first test is a written exam," one of them said.
"Easy peasy," another replied with a grin. "I've been studying non-stop for the past week. I've got this in the bag."
Shino raised an eyebrow. He had also prepared for the exam extensively, but he knew better than to underestimate the challenges that lay ahead. Although Shino knew that one could even pass with a blank paper like a certain idiot, Shino didn't want to take any chances.
It wasn't mentioned in the anime, but Naruto's endeavor was probably reported directly to the Hokage. Although the old man was about to be given a bento, he still didn't want his report ending up on his desk.
So, with the assistance of Alina, he invested a couple of weeks pouring over dusty tomes and rare manuscripts within the confines of his clan's scroll room and the public library of Konoha, archiving all sorts of books into his database.
Every word, every page, was meticulously added to his database, no matter how obscure or seemingly irrelevant. For he knew that in the game of strategy, one can never be too prepared. Even if the books may not be useful now, it may come in handy in the future.
With Alina at his side, there is no limit to the data that can be analyzed and mined for its secrets. So, no amount of data can be considered too much. The Hive's collective growth relies not only on their genetic adaptation - a vast and ever-expanding knowledge base is essential.
Final verdict - Yep, he definitely prepared extensively. Shino believes he could handle anything that is thrown his way, even without cheating.
As the conversations continued, Shino caught snippets of dialogue from the other teams.
As the sound of Choji's constant snacking set the background beat, Shino observed as the Konoha 11 and Kabuto bantered back and forth, Sasuke's competitive spirits on full display. He also saw several other familiar faces - Shikamaru Nara, and Ino Yamanaka.
As he scanned the bustling crowd, inadvertently brushing past the Sand Siblings mixed in the crowd, his eyes were drawn to a singular figure – a young girl with vividly red hair caught Shino's attention, yet her face was concealed as she huddled against her own knee, seemingly distancing herself from the world around her.
After a brief observation, Shino's eyes strayed and continued to search amidst the bustling crowd, and it didn't take long before his attention was drawn to an iconic figure - a young man with a strikingly thick eyebrow, clad in a vibrant green jumpsuit that seemed to glow in the sunlight.
This was none other than Rock Lee, a Genin renowned for his impeccable physical prowess and unyielding dedication to mastering the art of Taijutsu.
Sitting stoically beside Lee was another figure – same as Hinata, a member of the revered Hyuga clan, known for their powerful Byakugan eyes and strict adherence to tradition.
Despite his silence, the intensity emanating from this Hyuga was palpable, as if he were channeling his focus into an invisible force that surrounded him like a shroud. This was Neji Hyuga, a tragedy in the making.
The contrast between the two was striking - Lee's exuberance and energy seemed to radiate outward, while the Hyuga's quiet intensity was like a tightly coiled spring, waiting to be unleashed. It would be difficult to find a timely match to fit in with the brilliance of their team, except at the exact time of TenTen.
Together, they formed a formidable duo- ahem, trio, a testament to the diversity of talent and skill that the Genin of the Hidden Leaf Village possessed.
Peeking at Hinata besides him, Shino inwardly breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed she was focusing her attention on Naruto instead of Neji, who was still in the hating phase.
Then, he peeked at Kiba- and noticed his eyes followed Hinata's to glare at Naruto. Oh no. Shino didn't remember this happening in the anime. Was he thinking too much and making things up with his mind? Well, not his problem.
The Konoha 11 were all here, with Sasuke being excluded because he would become hot-headed loving his brother and end up running off to cry to Uncle Snake.
The atmosphere was electric as the Genin waited for the exam to begin, with Naruto spicing up the atmosphere even more through his provocative declaration. Shino could feel the excitement building within him as he prepared to watch the show – a wonderful performance between a spy and the hired actors from the Sound village.
As the 'friendly' play unfurled its intricacies, Kiba's nerves began to get the better of him. "Hey, guys," he said, turning to his teammates. "What if we don't make it through this exam?"
Hinata opened her eyes, regarding Kiba with a gentle smile. "We'll do our best," she said softly while fidgetting her fingers. "That's all we can do."
Shino nodded in agreement, his stoic expression betraying nothing of the thoughts swirling in his mind.
Shino had always admired Hinata's quiet strength and unwavering determination, despite the many obstacles she had faced in her life. Kiba, on the other hand, had always been brash and impulsive - traits that could be either an asset or a liability in the world of shinobi, but at least he had the courage and confidence.
He couldn't help but wonder why Kiba, of all people, was expressing doubts at a time like this.
Honest to goodness, Kiba. Hinata should be the one with the least confidence. Why has it suddenly turned around, and now he needed her to comfort him?
Or maybe it was to get her attention away from a certain boy in orange jumpsuit? Huh? Probably not, right?
Suddenly, a loud voice echoed through the hall, announcing the start of the first test. "Quiet down, you degenerates!"
The real performers appeared in a puff of smoke, bringing an end to the fake performance.
"All Genin, turn in your applications, and take a number card and please report to your assigned seats. Afterwards, we'll hand out the paper test..."
As the Genin filed into their assigned testing locations for the first phase of the Chunin Exams, they were met by the proctor - a tall, imposing figure with a stern expression.
The proctor's name was Ibiki Morino, a veteran of the Anbu Black Ops and a skilled interrogator. His reputation preceded him, and the Genin knew that they were in for a tough challenge.
Naturally, the cards were clearly not random - rigged to separate each team. Separating from Hinata and Kiba, Shino couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. The Chunin Exams had finally begun, and he was ready to implement some of his plans.
As for success or failure? Shino didn't consider it. He knew that doing something was better than doing nothing.
As the pressure mounts, one must weigh the cost of revealing their closely guarded secrets against the risk of being forced to spill them under duress. It's a delicate dance, and one misstep could be catastrophic. But what if the key to survival lies not in holding back, but in strategic disclosure?
If he does nothing, he might end up having to reveal secrets just to stay afloat. That would be worse than preparing 'secrets' he was willing to reveal beforehand, but just enough to keep him within the safety line. He had already discussed with Alina and arranged the optimal revelation, considering his situation.
Sweeping his eyes over the examiners appearing in their chairs one by one, Shino took a deep breath and sat steadily. With a thought, he commanded, "Alina, send out the parasitic insects that can camouflage."
[Affrimative, Overmind. Scanning - Targets acquired. Deploying Parasitic Insects (Chameleon Variant) according to pre-programmed protocol...]
Tiny bugs began to march out from Shino's sleeves, gradually turning transparent and blending into its environment.
This was his normal Aburame clan insects, but mutated through the merging with the gene of a chameleon-like creature he collected from one of the training grounds. This Chunin Exam will be the perfect place for it to shine, and it starts now.
No one said he couldn't start before the exam started right? Or maybe… the exam had already started the moment the proctor stepped into the room.
Shino's glasses glinted ominously as he watched his bugs discreetly crawl towards their targets. He knew that not all of them will succeed. He can't underestimate the other exam takers just because they were Genins.
Ibiki stood at the front of the room, his arms crossed over his chest as he surveyed the young ninjas before him, explaining the process and rules of the exam.
"...The final question won't be given out until fifteen minutes before the end of the testing period. You have one hour in total-"
His sharp eyes scanned the room, taking note of every detail - from the nervous fidgeting of some of the Genin to the confident posture of others.
There was also an exceptional few who seemed to have lost their souls ever since they saw the paper test – one of them being the orange jumpsuit Jinchuriki he was told to pay more heed to.
His eyes even seem to imperceptibly sweep over some transparent bugs discreetly crawling in the room. But he didn't say anything. After all, there had to be some leniency for his own fellow villagers, right? No – it was clear that the method was too clever, and he didn't see anything.
Finally, Ibiki's eyes fixed on the clock. Seeing the time has arrived, he announced with a loud roar.
"BEGIN!"
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