“Quiet down!” The Hidden Leaf tactician, Shikamaru Nara speaks into a micro; he stands on a stage overlooking the young crowd, he wears a calm yet stoic expression. “Looks like everyone is here… Alright then, we’ll now begin the 1st Chunin Exams of the 6 allied villages.”
*clap* *clap* *clap*
*clap* *clap* *clap*
It is the opening ceremony of the Chunin Exams, and the Storm Siblings are only three of many promising genin standing at the gates of the Leaf Village; although he stated he would bring honor to the Hidden Storm, Satoshi is somewhat overwhelmed and intimidated by his surroundings.
With glazed eyes, a slouched Takato whispers, “I’ve always hated these opening ceremonies, they’re so tedious. I might as well be feeling the mode.”
“Shhh…” Satoshi tells his brother to keep quiet.
“As all of you are aware, this is the 1st Chunin Exams, in history, sponsored jointly by All 5--now 6--villages. The Hidden Leaf. The Hidden Cloud. The Hidden Mist. The Hidden Stone. The Hidden Sand. And the Hidden Storm,” The head of the Nara Clan’s voice reverberates all throughout the immediate area. “Right here and now, you’ve all been given the opportunity to battle against ninja from other villages. It’s your chance to use the jutsu you’re most proud of to their fullest extent.”
“*YAWN*” Takato covers his mouth, wiping away the tears from his eyes.
Once again, the eldest tells his younger brother, “Shhh…!”
The rest of the audience is no better; just about all of them are as silent as a graveyard with most wear looks of disinterest, same as Takato. Even Mai is beginning to doze off from the sheer boredom.
*Clang* *Clang* *Clang*
To everyone’s surprise, someone walks onto the stage, it’s none other than the Storm’s robotic duplicate, Mecha-Naruto. The mechanized shinobi makes his way over to Shikamaru, he hands over a piece of paper and walks away, not uttering a single word; the Leaf strategist's eyes pop open from reading the note.
*Clang* *Clang* *Clang*
“Everyone, I’ve just received a message from Lord Onikage.”
Upon hearing this abrupt and mysterious proclamation, all the genin perk up, wide awake; they focus their collective gazes on the Nara clan member, listening intently for his next words.
What’s Dad up to this time…? Satoshi ponders what his father could be plotting.
“Regardless of whether or not they become a chunin, the winner of the final round will receive a grand prize… Lord Jin will personally teach them an S-rank jutsu!”
““““““WOOHOO!!!””””””
“““““““HOORAY!!!””””””
Among the thunderous applause stands a now horrified Satoshi with his jaw dropping; he’s so frustrated, he could yank out his own hair. What. The. SHOCK?! No, seriously, what the shock is Dad thinking…?!
“Everyone! Remember to freely demonstrate the fruits of your training!”
“Okay, NOW I’m all fired up,” Takato excitedly pounds his fists together. “This is gonna be so crash…!!”
“The 1st round will begin, promptly, at noon, over at Exam Venue A. So, until then… the time is all yours. You can use it as you see fit. *I* suggest you rest or train. Dismissed!”
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“I… …n’t… …at…” The eldest son sighs, quietly, hunched over with his head held low.
“What’s wrong, ‘Toshi? Ya don’t like burgers?” His younger brother questions before taking a bite out of his meal, jovially. “Stupid name, but they taste good.”
The Storm Siblings decided to have a quick bite to eat just before the exams start, they are seated at one of the Leaf’s many fast-food restaurants, the Lightning Burger. Enjoying her chips, Mai scans her surroundings. They are encompassed by genin from all over; Kurama and his team are situated in the booth right next to theirs. Their cousins, Boruto and Sarada are in a booth across from them. And there are cloud ninjas in one corner, grass shinobi in the other booth next to theirs, and stone ninjas on the other side of the building.
“Maybe some sweets will cheer you up.” The youngest sibling suggests to her older brother, holding out a jawbreaker.
The frustrated Satoshi sits up, massaging his temples. “I don’t need candy… What WE need is to win the Chunin Exams. We can’t let any of our jutsu fall into the hands of the other villages.”
“You worry too much…” With a reassuring tone, Takato dismisses his brother's concerns. “RELAX, we got this.”
A skeptical Satoshi teases, “A swelled head’s just about all YOU’VE got, Takato.”
*Thunk*
The siblings are alerted to the fact that a fourth tray of food was placed on their table. The one who set his tray down is a blonde cloud ninja accompanied by his team; he has a condescending grin on his face for some inexplicable reason.
“Uh… Can we help you?” Satoshi wears a bemused look on his face.
The cloud genin leans on the table, looking down on them. “Sorry~, but can you move somewhere else?”
“I’m sorry, what?” Cocking his head to the side, Takato raises an eyebrow.
“Seeing as you’re all just about done while my group has full plates. The party with more food should get to sit in the booth.” The cloud ninja sneers in a patronizing tone. “Makes sense, doesn’t it? So, now that you understand, get lost.”
On that note, none of Storm Siblings even bother to dignify that with a response. Instead, they continue eating, slowing down their pace to the point that even a snail could eat its fill faster than them, all while maintaining eye contact with the cloud shinobi; the cloud’s smirk vanishes and is replaced by a scowl due to the storm ninjas’ audacity. They start giggling when they notice the vein bulging on his forehead.
The cloud shinobi growls, “What’s with the dumb looks? Didn’t you hear me? I said "beat it–”?!”
To everyone’s shock, the cloud ninja that was pestering them has suddenly been coiled in a tendril of what appears to be some kind of metallic sand; to his chagrin, the thug is forced away from the Storm Siblings. Their eyes follow the tentacle to its source, a stoic boy about their age with red markings on his face, he too is accompanied by his teammates, his Hidden Sand headband gleams in the light.
That sand ninja must have a kekkei genkai of some kind… Mai quietly assesses him from her seat, stroking her chin.
“That’s enough. Who goes through the trouble of harassing complete strangers?” The cool sand shinobi speaks with a soft yet stern voice.
“This isn’t over.” A beat of sweat runs down the cloud ninja’s as he walks off with his squad. “See you in the exams.”
The youngest sibling bows with immense respect and gratitude. “That was unnecessary, those guys were a bunch of 2-bit thugs and 3rd-rate ninja… But thank you anyway, it was pretty schway of you.”
“Don’t worry about it. That’s just the kind of person Shinki is.” The hooded sand kunoichi responds in kind.
“Let’s go.” Shinki says.
Watching them walk away, a befuddled Takato asks, “So… Shinki? Just who is that guy?”
“I’ve heard of him,” Satoshi answers. “Apparently, he’s the adopted son of the 5th Kazekage, Gaara of the Sand.”
So, he’s like us, huh…? A cool and indifferent Mai ruminates on the sand ninja while putting a sucker in her mouth. “Keep your eyes on him, boys, he’s stronger than he lets on.”
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“Okay, everyone seems to be here,” Announces the Hidden Leaf’s Anbu Chief, Towa. “So, now I’ll explain what the 1st round of the exams entails…”
(Author’s Note: Towa is a playable character, exclusive to the Naruto: Clash of Ninja video game series.)
Just before the stroke of noon, the Storm Siblings convened at Exam Venue A, along with all the other participating genin; standing on rocky terrain, they listen, focusing intently on the proctor’s official edict.
“Round one will be… …A true or false quiz!”
Flabbergasted, the promising young shinobi go dead silent, finding the announcement to be so underwhelming that it is almost cartoonishly comedic; they were expecting something far more challenging, dangerous even.
“The question will be revealed at Exam Venue B. 20 kilometers from here…” Towa calmly and clearly continues, pulling out a silver stopwatch. “Any genin who aren’t there, after 1 hour has elapsed on this watch will be disqualified…”
Upon closer inspection, Satoshi is quick to notice that the Leaf Anbu’s watch is moving, just ticking away; the proctor’s explanation is in itself a trap.
“Takato, Mai! Time to head out!”
To everyone’s confusion, the siblings turn tail, dashing towards the other venue site; a glance to both sides tell the eldest brother that both the sand ninjas as well as their cousins from the Leaf all had the same idea. It doesn't take very long for the dozens of other genin to get the hint and hurry after them, catching up by the time they’ve entered through a forested area.
“AAAARGH??!!!”
Startled by the sudden sound of screaming, Satoshi looks to his left and instead of the other team that was next him, he finds a large hole where they were.
*KA-BOOOM!!*
“““AAAAAAAAAAAARGGH!!!””” The three stone genin--in front of them--scream as they’re sent blasting off by a paper bomb.
HUH, and here I thought things were gonna be simple… Satoshi thinks as he charges ahead of his team; his eyes turn blank white upon activating his Byakugan. “Keep at a safe pace behind me and do as I do.”
““Right!”” His younger siblings shout in unison.
With his near-360° field of vision, the eldest son spots a false floor coming up; he quickly sidesteps to the right, avoiding it entirely with his teammates following suit. Seeing a massive boulder swing at them from out of nowhere, Satoshi immediately throws a shuriken, cutting the rope tied to it; he and his sibling are all forced to jump onto nearby branches to evade it, proceeding to tree hop the rest of the way.
*THUD!*
“We could chase down some chumps--thin out the competition?” Takato suggests.
Mai shoots down that idea with, “No, that would take up too much time.”
“What Mai said. BESIDES, we don’t want to show our hand to the other teams this early into the exams now, would we?” Satoshi adds, agreeing with his sister. Hmm…?
*poof*
Just ahead, a small horde of puppets appear from a mysterious and abrupt puff of smoke, charging toward them; the one in the lead is heading right for Satoshi, winding its arm back to throw a hefty left hook, but the Storm Genin catches it and instantly uses the puppet’s own momentum against itself, sending it into a tailspin; he pulls out a paper bomb, slapping it onto the wooden foe before kicking it away.
*BOOM!*
“Remember what I said about not revealing our skills!” Satoshi orders his team.
Racing to the enemy, his young brother shouts back, “Don’t order me around!”
The puppet Takato is fighting against attempts to slam him with a lariat. However, the nimble shinobi swiftly bends over backwards, limbo-ing right under the attack; spotting an opening, he grabs his wooden opponent by its legs and drags it along, using it as a melee weapon against the other oncoming puppets; they are shattered upon impact.
“So not schway.” The youngest sibling sighs; her tone reeks of indifference.
The patient Mai waits as two puppets come at her in a pincer maneuver, she has a kunai drawn, imbued with chakra. Just as they were about to close in on her, she leaps into the air; the wooden automatons crash into each other, falling to the ground. Taking advantage of the moment, the storm kunoichi divebombs them; however, instead of targeting the puppets themselves, she uses her chakra enhanced kunai to sever the chakra strings controlling them.
“Keep going! We’ll push through!!”
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“Each team of 3 will go stand together on the side which they believe holds the banner with the correct answer on it.” Towa announces.
An hour later at Venue B, the Storm Siblings proudly stand among the genin that made it to the site on time; Satoshi puffs out his chest, Takato wears a smug grin, and Mai has her everyday aloof expression.
“So there really was a true or false quiz!” Sarada exclaims from the background.
Sarada’s older twin brother, Inojin, sighs, “They sure prepared some elaborate steps for this exam.
“Answer wrong and pay the price, NAMELY, those who turn black will fail.” The proctor continues.
“Turn black? Wha…?” A confused Takato quietly mutters to himself.
Raising one finger, Towa quizzes them with, “The question is: in Volume 5 of Shinobi Strategist Detective Story… The following passwords appear 'moon is day, mountain is river, flower is nectar.' True or false?”
As the timer starts counting down, a puzzled Takato asks, “Hey, Satoshi? Have you read that book? I’ve only touched Volume 1.”
“Nope, I’ve read up to the 4th volume. …Mai?”
His sister unwraps another lollipop. “I’m going with… false.”
The kunoichi walks over to the false banner, leaving her two brothers to chase after her.
“Are you sure it was in Volume 5?” The eldest sibling queries.
“I never said that I read that volume,” His sister explains with candy in her mouth. “I said I was choosing false.”
““What?!”” Both brothers are left perplexed and frustrated.
Unfortunately, it was too late to really do anything about it; the timer has just gone out, and they’ve already set foot onto the false banner.
“Time’s up! The answer is…!”
The screen above Towa flashes to life, displaying both an X and an O; speechless, all the genin do not understand what they are seeing. Suddenly, Satoshi feels his gut lurch when the ground vanishes out from under him, he and everyone who picked False are now falling into a pit where there seems to be some sort of black substance at the bottom; a dense singularity of shame builds up in his chest. To the left, he can see the genin who chose True are also in the process of falling.
I-I failed…? B-But the ones who pick True are falling too. That doesn’t make any sense unless… A panicked Satoshi quickly comes to an epiphany. “Mai!!”
“Way ahead of you.” The younger sister shouts while she holds onto the ledge with one arm. “Multiple Striking Shadow Snakes!”
From her free arm, numerous snakes shoot out of her sleeve, making their way to support Satoshi and Takato; they speedily coil themselves around the brothers, keeping them from touching the bottom.
*Splash!* *Splash!*
*Splash!* *Splash!* *Splash!*
*Splash!*
“Sooo… It’s safe to say there is no 5th volume?” The middle child questions, dangling upside down.
Looking down, the eldest replies with, “No. No, there never was.”
While they’re being pulled up, Satoshi can see that the substance at the bottom of both pits is a type of liquid, and everyone who fell in has now been coated black; the Storm Sibling can’t help but sigh with relief, there are no words to describe how elated he is.
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Later, on that very same night, a silent Jin sits within a well-lit train car, headed for the Village Hidden in Tree Leaves; his drawings keep the Onikage busy. Ayanami, Jaeger, and Rito are accompanying him on the long, tedious journey.
“Oh, really? I’ll be sure to tell ‘em! Alright, goodbye!” The genius dragon replies, speaking into his phone before hanging up.
“Who was that?” Ayanami curiously asks.
Proud, Rito responds by saying, “That was Itsu, she was just telling how your kids passed the 1 round.”
“Oh, how wonderful.” The head of the Hyuga Clan cheers with joy, clapping her hands.
Looking up from his sketchbook, Jin says, “What would be a good rewa–!”
Sensing the sudden emergence of disgustingly familiar chakra signature, Jin becomes silent once more, setting down his book; Ayanami’s smile fades as she detects it as well; seeing the serious looks on their faces, Jaeger and Rito infuse their chakra, readying themselves for a fight.
“I wasn’t even searching for you, but it appears that fortune has smiled upon me.” Says a sneering voice.
The reincarnations’ gazes divert to the back of the train car. It’s none other than Urashiki Otsutsuki, wearing a sinister grin; the rising tension coupled by the malicious air the new arrival exudes tells Jin’s friends all they need to know.
“There was a barrier in place.” Ayanami states.
“A flimsy thing like that couldn’t possibly stop someone of MY caliber.” The Otsutsuki speaks with a haughty tone.
“Your master only sent YOU? I’m insulted.” Jin speaks with venom in his tone.
Urashiki’s grin fades, replaced by an ice-cold glare; he rubs where his horns used to be. “Don’t even think that I’ve forgotten what you did in our last encount–”
“What happened last time will be NOTHING compared to what we have in store for you, and your owners.”
Jin’s words are like daggers, stabbing the growling alien from all sides; he grits his teeth, baring his fangs at the Onikage.
“So, I take it you're the one who attacked the 8-Tails jinchuriki?” Rito asks, keeping his cool.
“The 8-Tails? Oh, that--my superiors were behind that… What I’m after is YOU.” Urashiki explains, pointing at Jaeger. “From what I understand, you possess something akin to a tailed beast.”
Alert, Jaeger says nothing, he stands up and takes a fighting stance.
“Touch him, and it will be THE LAST mistake you ever make.” The Onikage growls.
The amused Otsutsuki sneers, “Oh, really? And how do you plan on accomplishing that?”
“Fuck around and find out.” Still seated, Jin gives a cold glare; the colors of his Rinnegan change from purple to red, and his Rinne Sharingan opens up.
Ayanami’s Tenseigan activate, crystalline dust forms in the air around Rito, and Jaeger’s body erupts with bubbles of violet chakra, cloaking him in a shroud; no more words need to be exchanged as their message has gotten across; Urashiki vanishes as soon as he came, aware of the clear disadvantage he is at.
Certain that he’s gone, the Storm Village leader breathes a sigh of relief and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Rito, you did bring the… ‘toy box’ with you, right?”
