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About ten minutes later, A and Kurenai Yūhi stopped in front of a quiet, out-of-the-way house.
“Oh?
So this is your place?”
“Yes.
My father’s house.”
“Ah, sorry.
I didn’t mean to bring up something painful…”
“It’s fine.
It’s been over ten years.
I’m not that little girl who used to follow him everywhere anymore.” Kurenai took out her key and turned it gently.
The lock gave a soft click.
She stepped inside first, bending gracefully at the entrance to search carefully through the shoe cabinet.
“Still…
if Jōnin Shinku could see how capable his daughter has become, I’m sure he’d be deeply comforted.”
Kurenai’s hands went still for a moment.
She lowered her head slightly.
“Thank you for that, Lord Raikage.”
A smiled and looked around.
The house was immaculate: not one unnecessary ornament, every piece of furniture placed just so.
No scent of flowers.
No perfume.
No sign of pets.
A simple one-room space with a living area, clean and quiet and cool.
“Jōnin Yūhi keeps a fine home.
Puts my pigsty to shame, heh heh…” A said with a laugh, his gaze drifting back to her.
Kurenai couldn’t help smiling at that.
Then she stood up with an apologetic look and held out a pair of small shoes.
“I’m terribly sorry, Lord Raikage.
These are the largest I have…”
[Hand ’em over!] A’s eyes lit up.
He snatched the little white sandals right out of her hands, his grin spreading wider.
“Aiyaya, Jōnin Yūhi, you’re far too thoughtful.
You brought me all the way here to protect my subordinate’s genjutsu privacy; the least I can do is wear whatever you’ve got.
I’d have to be pretty ungrateful to make a fuss over a pair of sandals.”
He paused, then asked with carefully performed nonchalance, “Oh, by the way, have you worn these before?”
Kurenai had still been smiling.
At those last words, her expression stiffened.
She looked faintly embarrassed.
“Uh…
yes.
But I don’t have athlete’s foot, and I don’t sweat much, so there’s no smell.
You can wear them without worry.”
“Is that so?
Well…
what a shame, then…” A murmured, barely above a breath.
If Kurenai hadn’t been standing so close, she’d never have caught it.
“…Huh?” Her eyes went wide.
She stared at him like she couldn’t quite believe what she’d heard. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
“Nothing.
You misheard.”
Sakura Haruno’s hand was trembling, half raised, when she stopped dead.
Ahead of her, Naruto Uzumaki, apparently unable to take it any longer, had shot his right hand straight into the air.
[Naruto’s already made his choice?
That’s fine, too.
At the very least…]
BANG —
“Don’t underestimate me — I’m not running away!” Naruto’s palm cracked against the desk.
“I’m staying in.
Even if I spend my whole life as a genin, I’ll still become Hokage through sheer willpower alone!
I’m not scared at all!”
[That guy…
heh.
He’s got guts.
Now you’ve gone and stolen every bit of the spotlight…] Sasuke’s eyes flickered.
The corner of his mouth curved into a smile that was entirely his own.
Sakura’s green eyes held helpless exasperation, and underneath it, something that felt a lot like relief.
[Naruto…
yeah.
That’s exactly the kind of big idiot you are.]
Ibiki Morino looked briefly surprised, then composed himself.
“I’ll ask one more time.” His tone was flat and hard.
“This is a choice that stakes your entire future.
Anyone who wants out, do it now.”
“Following through on your own word.
That’s my ninja way.” Naruto gritted his teeth, rose to his feet, and met Ibiki’s gaze without blinking, every word deliberate.
[This kid…
he actually made those wavering brats settle down in an instant?] Ibiki surveyed the classroom.
Every face he saw carried quiet resolve.
His expression turned strange.
“Seventy-eight remaining.
More than I expected.
We’ll leave it there.”
He looked toward the proctors stationed around the room.
“All right, that’s enough.”
“Ready to announce the results.”
Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane said it together.
“Heh heh, very good.
You have all successfully passed my test.” Ibiki’s voice filled the silent room.
“Everyone who remained, you are judged: Passed!”
The entire classroom went dead quiet.
“…What?” “Hold on, what?!” “What about the tenth question?
Isn’t there one more?!”
The room erupted.
Hot, bubbling chaos you could practically serve by the bowlful.
“Hahahaha!
The tenth question?
There was never a tenth question.
“The first nine questions existed to test your intelligence-gathering abilities, to filter out the hopeless ones.
But this tenth question?
This was the true purpose of the exam.”
“Those who won’t stake their lives when it counts.
Those who pin their hopes on next year or some uncertain future.
Those whose resolve broke and who gave up their shot.” His expression hardened.
“Spineless wastes like that have no business calling themselves chūnin.”
Then, for the first time, Ibiki Morino smiled, and it was warm.
“Those of you who chose to answer are the true solvers of that final, hardest question.
You’ll meet whatever difficulties come next head-on, won’t you?
Congratulations.
You’ve successfully cleared the first exam.
I sincerely wish you…”
CRASH,
Glass exploded inward.
A striking figure burst through the window in a spray of shattered shards, casually flinging four wire-strung kunai as she landed and yanking open a massive dark-red curtain across the front of the lectern.
“Now is not the time to be celebrating!” The newcomer turned around.
Fishnet outfit.
Bombshell figure.
A ferocious look leveled at every genin in the room.
“I’m the proctor for the second exam.
Anko Mitarashi.
Burn that name into your heads.”
Every candidate from every village thought the exact same thing: [This is so painfully awkward…]
“Read the room, you idiot.
And you actually came in through the window.
Just wait for the Hokage to send you the repair bill.” Beside her, Ibiki Morino pressed a hand to his face.
“Tch.
Save it.
Still twenty-six teams left?” Anko raised an eyebrow, her tone dripping with disdain.
(Small fry, small fry~)
“There are some genuinely strong kids this year.
Keep your opinions to yourself.” Ibiki shot back.
“Is that so…” Anko rolled up the curtain, narrowing her eyes as she swept them over the assembled genin.
Something dangerous glinted in her gaze.
“Well, my exam is going to be very interesting.
I’ll knock at least half of them out.” (All this trouble over Heaven and Earth scrolls.
What a drag.)
Sakura frowned, unease tightening in her chest.
[H-half?
This proctor is going to be a serious problem…]
Anko stretched lazily, her impressive figure on full display.
“All right.
Enough from me.
Get your assembly time and location from your jōnin instructors.
See you tomorrow, brats!”
➤ Next: Sudden Incident — The “Injured” A?
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