Super Ninja

The tasks proved to be quite challenging, though still manageable. However, we ran into a snag with the cipher—no key was provided to deduce the answers. Solving the code associatively seemed possible, but I couldn't make any meaningful connections.

I glanced at Shiko, who looked nervous. It seemed Yamanaka hadn't expected the questions to be this difficult. Ayamane wasn't in the best state to handle the task either. Sure, she's smart, but was that enough?

I couldn't find a solution to the cipher, which worried me slightly, though I tried not to let it show. None of the standard decryption methods seemed applicable or yielded reasonable results. I began carefully reviewing the other questions, hoping the answers might be encoded there.

Despite my scrutiny, I couldn't spot any significant patterns. Just because I didn't see them didn't mean they weren't there, though. Likely, I'd grown so accustomed to the text that I was overlooking them. I wondered if others were struggling as much—or was it just me?

A quick glance at the other genin taking the exam didn't reveal much. The Sand shinobi had their faces concealed under layers of makeup—an effective way to mask emotions.

Kabuto's team didn't appear to be faring well either, suggesting we weren't the only ones struggling. Meanwhile, another team entered and quietly sat at their assigned tables, opening their scrolls to start tackling the questions.

"Hm," one of them murmured softly, examining the tasks. It seemed they had just begun.

I leaned back in my chair, tapping my pen against the desk. No ideas were coming to mind. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Shiko trying to get my attention. She was subtle but not subtle enough to avoid the examiners' notice. The proctors hadn't intervened yet, though.

She gestured a question I interpreted as, "Do you know the answer?"

I shook my head slightly, signaling that I didn't. She responded with a dissatisfied shake of her own.

Feigning indifference, I refocused on the exam. If I couldn't solve the cipher because I lacked the tools, maybe I could obtain those tools by... force? But overpowering a chunin to extract answers was out of the question. The proctors wouldn't allow it, and fighting five chunin and a jonin simultaneously was a battle I couldn't win. Such an approach was futile.

If I didn't know the answer, I could leave the question blank. Making up an answer or attempting wordplay would only work if I understood the cipher's encryption, which I didn't. There was no point in stressing over what I couldn't solve. It was better to relax and let it go.

Other teams started arriving for the second part of the theoretical test. Many didn't look unharmed—some were injured, and others seemed to have narrowly survived poisoning or similar threats.

Shiko and Ayamane were clearly stressed, still unable to crack the cipher despite their efforts. I, on the other hand, chose to relax. If the question couldn't be answered with the provided tools, there was no use in worrying. I decided to sit back and wait.

After hours of this meditative patience, a small gong sounded, marking the end of the exam. We were instructed to submit our test papers. Since everyone arrived at different times, the allotted durations varied. Some had barely a few dozen minutes to complete the exam.

"Place your test papers into the scroll cases," instructed the jonin examiner. "Right now!"

The instructions didn't need repeating. We quickly secured our exams and waited for further directions.

"You may now submit them."

We lined up at the jonin examiner's desk. The number of participants had dwindled to less than half, a testament to the difficulty of the chunin exam. Honestly, they could have made it even harder—it would have culled even more participants.

"How was the test?" Kabuto asked, standing behind us with his team.

"Well…" I began, drawing out the word.

"Interesting," Shiko interrupted before I could continue.

I simply shrugged. Kabuto nodded but didn't pursue the conversation. It was clear he wasn't in the mood to talk, especially not with us. His teammates remained silent, not uttering a single word.

"And what about you?" Shiko asked him.

"It was fine," he replied curtly, though not unkindly.

His lack of interest in talking to her was as obvious as a sunny day. Yet Shiko either didn't notice or chose to ignore it. Her behavior was odd—maybe she deliberately acted oblivious. I didn't bother to ask. Frankly, I just wanted to distance myself from their team as quickly as possible.

After submitting our scrolls, we made our way to the exit, where the team leaders were waiting for their students. Captain Kiochi's satisfaction was unmistakable; his expression lit up the moment he saw us.

"Team Thirteen," he said as he approached. "Congratulations on completing the first stage of the chunin exams."

"Thank you, Captain," we replied in unison, our joy genuine.

"You've done an excellent job," he said with pride. "Let's head back to the hotel and discuss the next steps."

"Understood," we replied.

We returned to the hotel. The atmosphere there was far from cheerful; only about a quarter of the teams that had entered the exams managed to pass the first stage.

"Not many made it," I remarked as our team regrouped in our room. The captain had already settled into a chair, one leg crossed over the other.

"You're right, Suzuki," the captain nodded. "For many, the middle portion of the theoretical exam proved too difficult. Some didn't even make it back."

"Hm, I see," I replied. "Well, it happens."

"Indeed," he agreed. "But let's move on to what's next. I've received some information and can now share it with you."

We prepared to listen to the captain, though I couldn't deny that my desire to clean up was stronger. All I wanted was to wash off the day, eat something warm, and collapse into bed. The past few sleepless nights had taken their toll. My eyes weren't closing just yet, but I was sure that once I bathed and ate, sleep would claim me with a vengeance.

"So," the captain began, "you'll face two more tests. They should be manageable for you. The first is team-on-team battles. Each team will face one match, with opponents determined by drawing lots. The final test will be an individual evaluation—a royal battle. There will be three of these to ensure members of the same team don't face each other. Additionally, there will be a three-week interval between the battles because the locals want to turn it into a bit of a spectacle."

It sounded both interesting and logical. They likely already had a rough idea of each team's level but wanted to confirm it. I was even a little curious to find out who our opponent would be in the team-versus-team match.

"When will we learn who our opponents are?" I asked.

"In two days," he replied calmly. "The test itself will take place on the third day. You'll have some time to rest and prepare. I'm sure that will be very beneficial for you."

"Agreed, Captain," I said, stifling a yawn threatening to escape.

"All right," he said. "Any more questions?"

No one had any questions. Everything seemed clear enough, though I was tempted to ask where the team battle would take place, as our tactics would heavily depend on the terrain. Still, I let it go. Perhaps that information was classified—or I could always ask tomorrow after getting some rest.

"I see there are no questions. Take some time to relax," he said, rising from his chair. "Also, I advise you not to leave the hotel. Other teams might try to eliminate you as potential opponents. I trust you won't do anything foolish."

"You don't need to worry, Sensei," I assured him. "I'm confident none of us are reckless enough to get into that kind of trouble."

Personally, I had no intention of going anywhere. My plan was to rest and work on my chakra control a bit—something you can never have too much of. As for Shiko and Ayamane, I couldn't speak for them. I wasn't sure what they'd decide to do, but they weren't kids anymore. I wasn't going to babysit them or argue about their choices.

"Good," he said with a satisfied nod. "Then rest well."

"Suzuki, we're first for the shower," Shiko declared as soon as she saw me reaching for my things to clean up. She'd been lounging around, doing nothing, but the moment I moved, she sprang to life. Grabbing her belongings, she added, "I'll go first, then Ayamane."

"Uh…" I began, about to protest.

"Hope that's settled," she cut me off, darting into the bathroom, slamming the door, and locking it behind her.

Honestly, I didn't care enough to argue. I had no desire to compete over shower turns. The sooner we got back to Konoha and went our separate ways, the better. They acted as though the team dynamic didn't matter at all.

While Shiko took her time in the bathroom, I decided to head to the hotel restaurant for something good to eat. By the time I returned, I figured they'd be done with their showers.

Oh, how wrong I was.

After enjoying a decent bowl of ramen, I returned to find that Shiko was still in the bathroom. Ayamane was sitting in a chair, waiting for her turn.

"When's she planning to come out?" I asked Ayamane.

"In about half an hour," she replied with a shrug.

"Ugh," I groaned. "And how long do you plan to take after that?"

"Not long," she said, shrugging again. "Definitely not as long as Shiko."

"Well, fine," I muttered. "Alright then."

In the end, I waited not just one or two hours but a full four hours to get my turn. After Shiko finally finished, Ayamane went in, and somehow, she managed to take even more time than Shiko. All I could do was sit there, waiting for my chance to clean up. When it was finally my turn, I scrubbed myself clean in just over half an hour and started feeling pleasantly sleepy.

Afterward, I collapsed onto the bed, sleeping deeply for several hours. My rest was incredibly restorative. Of course, that didn't mean I was completely unaware of my surroundings. Staying alert enough to avoid waking up to an intruder sneaking into my room was second nature by now—such a situation would have been unpleasant, to say the least.

The next morning, I was jolted awake by the sound of Shiko and Ayamane stomping around the room like a herd of elephants.

"Could you keep it down?" I groaned, pulling the blanket over my head. "I'd like to sleep a bit longer!"

"Oh, come on, Suzuki, we're as quiet as feathers," Shiko replied cheerfully, though her stomping continued unabated.

"Ugh!" I growled, glaring at her. "Shiko!"

"Ha-ha-ha!" she laughed, continuing to stomp noisily around the room. Eventually, she and Ayamane left, leaving me in blessed solitude. I wondered whether they'd gone for a stroll around the village or decided to train. As they say, "a question for the ages."

The answer turned out to be quite simple: they went for a walk around the Hidden Village, disregarding the captain's warning. Or perhaps they thought nothing could possibly happen to them. I, on the other hand, decided to stay in the building and focus on some light training.

I spent the first half of the day on physical exercises and the second half on chakra control. No one disturbed me or approached to talk—at least, that's what I thought initially. Later, I noticed Hatake Kakashi and a few other jonin, who were acting as guards, observing me from a distance. They didn't interfere, but their presence was a subtle reminder of the ever-present watchful eyes.

By the time I wrapped up my training, which was near evening, Shiko and Ayamane returned from their walk laden with shopping bags. I simply nodded at them and quickly claimed the bathroom to freshen up. After a relaxing soak in hot water, I resumed meditating and practicing chakra control.

While my progress was modest, it was progress nonetheless, and that alone made me happy. The key was to keep moving forward, even incrementally, rather than stagnating after training.

The night passed peacefully again, and the next morning started much the same as the last. At six a.m., Shiko and Ayamane woke me up with their loud chatter as they decided to play cards. I refused to join them, rolling over in bed to attempt sleep again, but it was futile. Sleep wouldn't come. Reluctantly, I got up, had a light breakfast, and returned to training—both physical exercises and chakra control.

Once again, no one joined me, though I noticed a few more observers, curious about what I was doing. Shiko and Ayamane, however, were not among them. Instead, they went out to explore the village again. They returned in the evening, just in time to learn the identity of our opponents.

The team captains had left earlier, ordering us to stay in our rooms. Since it was a direct order, no one dared disobey. I didn't feel like wandering around the Hidden Village anyway, so I stuck to meditating and training my chakra control.

About an hour later, our captain returned, looking somewhat displeased.

"Well, genin," he began, "I've found out who your opponents will be."

"Who?" Shiko asked eagerly.

"Another team from Konoha," he replied. "You could say your luck isn't great. If it had been a team from another village, it would have been much easier. But fighting your own during an exam… that's far from ideal."

"So who's our opponent?" Ayamane asked.

"Team 113," he said. "Their members are Yakushi Kabuto, Yoroi Akado, and Misumi Tsurugi."

"Hmm…" was all I managed to say in response.

"Exactly," Captain Kiochi nodded. "According to the exam rules, I'm forbidden from giving you any advice or help in preparation. However... what do you know about this team?"

"Kabuto is a medical-nin, and a pretty skilled one, I think," I answered. "His chakra control is likely at a high level. On top of that, he probably knows some interesting and unusual medical techniques. It's possible he's proficient in genjutsu as well. His teammates are likely combat specialists. They're older than us and more experienced."

"Excellent," the captain nodded again. "Very good, Suzuki. You know more about this team than I expected."

"I've just spoken with them before," I shrugged.

"Exactly," he said. "So, you need to prepare for a fight with them…"

Knock, knock, knock!

Someone knocked on the door.

"Were you expecting anyone?" Captain Kiochi asked, surprised.

"No," I said, shaking my head before glancing at the girls. They shook their heads as well.

"Hmm," the captain mused. "I'll answer it."

He opened the door to reveal a local chunin standing there. The chunin gave a small, respectful bow and asked, "Is this Team Thirteen from Konoha?"

"Yes," the captain replied.

"I have news for you," the chunin continued. "Team 113 from Konoha has forfeited. They've been disqualified from the exam. Please wait for further updates regarding the third stage. Best regards!"

With that, the messenger bowed again and left quickly. The captain closed the door, looking thoughtful. We stared at him, silently asking the same question: "Wait, you can do that?"

"Well," the captain said after a pause, "it seems you won't have to fight tomorrow. Your opponents have decided to withdraw from the exam, which means you'll have extra time to prepare for the individual assessment."

Honestly, I was surprised that Kabuto and his team decided to drop out of the exam. I had assumed they were ready to move up to the next rank instead of staying genin. I'll need to speak with Kabuto to find out why they made that decision.