42 Chuunin Exam: First Test 1 (1/2)
Even though the civilians in Konoha were having a normal, mundane day, the same thing couldn't be said for the shinobi.
After all, it was the first day of Chuunin selection exam.
Kiba had left the house at dawn. Yesterday, Kurenai had handed his team the form of application for the exam. While she didn't force them to attend if they didn't want to, Kiba definitely wouldn't miss this chance. His hot-blooded spirit wouldn't let him.
”He should be taking the first exam around this time,” Hana murmured out loud while feeding treats to Haimaru brothers.
”Heheh, I got hearsay that the first examiner is going to be that sadistic bandana guy. Let's see if that idiot can pass his test. This gonna be fun! Bet he gonna get home crying,” Tsume chuckled.
Hana just smiled at her remark.
”Don't say that, Mom. I know you're worried about Kiba, too.”
”Tch, worrying about him is just a waste of time!”
Yet she still tapped her feet to the ground from time to time, clearly being anxious. Hana just shook her head helplessly.
Like mother like son...
”Lady Tsume? Big sister?”
Hikari sheepishly entered the kitchen.
”Hm? What is it? Looks like you want to ask me something,” Tsume raised an eyebrow.
”Well... I'm asking your permission to leave Konoha for a while...”
As planned beforehand, she gave them a fake sob story about wanting to find out about her past. The journey was supposedly to find a trace of her long-lost family.
'Long-lost family... yeah, right, it was four-thousands years too late for that.'
Tsume's frown only got deeper the longer she listened.
”You crazy, girl? I know you're stronger than Kiba in taijutsu, but do you think that's enough? Little kids should stay home! Also, that geezer won't approve no matter what.”
”Actually, he did.”
”Huuuh?” ”Eh?”
Tsume and Hana gave her a questioning glance. Not long after, the former shot her gaze toward the corner of their kitchen. Chakra burst out of her body, causing her fangs and nails to grow out.
”You dare to enter my house unannounced? Show yourself!”
A poof of smoke burst out. In its place stood a man in gray flak jacket and bear-faced mask. His smell was quite familiar for Tsume.
This person... if she remembered correctly, he was a member of Anbu division directly under supervision of the Hokage.
”Rest assured. The Third had agreed for miss Hikari's request. He had sent me to guard her during the journey.”
'Guard', huh? If it was an Anbu, 'keeping her under watch' would describe the situation better.
She glared at the Anbu for a full minute before retracting back her chakra, her appearance returning back to normal.
”Good, very good. Now that you're older, you learned to plan behind my back, eh?”
”Ah, I...”
”I bet you've already packed up everything. Just scram! Get out of my sight!”
Tsume pointed at the door. Her stern expression didn't leave any chance to make excuses. In the end, Hikari could only timidly walked out.
”Oi.”
Before her feet left the front door, Tsume's voice called out to her.
”I'm going to punish you later. So, be sure to come back alive.”
Those words prompted a huge grin on the girl's face.
---
As they left the walls of Konoha, Hikari and Youen gave the village one last look before continuing their journey.
”Well, that was easy,” she laughed.
What permission from the Hokage? It was all bull crap. Thankfully, Youen had a quite prestigious position within his organization, making the explanation even smoother than they had initially expected.
For the journey, Youen had forgone his Anbu attire, opting for a light blue robe instead. He also put down his bear mask, showing his handsome jade face to the world. Women who saw him on the road would turn their head in awe, unable to peel off their gaze from that worldly perfection.
”Someone is popular,” Hikari giggled.
”Stop it, big brother... it's not like I wanted it in the first place!”
He was born like this, alright? What could he do?
”Yeah, yeah. So, little Mei, where should we go now?”
Getting out of Konoha was one thing. Actually finding a reincarnator was another problem altogether. The world was vastly large, and they were merely two poor cultivators who hadn't gotten past Qi Condensation stage. It would take years to cover all the grounds!
”Let's go south,” Youen suggested.
”Reason?”
”During my mission in the north, I had spent quite a while going around towns and villages. I hadn't found any people from our realm as of yet. Perhaps we would be more lucky if we search the other way around.”
Makes sense.
”Let's go south, then!”
She was about to walk away when she noticed that Youen was still staring at her.
”What is it?”
”Nothing. Just... you've gotten yourself a nice place, huh...”
She frowned.
”What's this all of the sudden?”
”No, it's just... those Inuzuka people seems kind. They're looking out for you, you know? Did you feel it?”
Of course she did. She wasn't a fool.
Hana was a gentle and kind person. Tsume, although rough and foul-mouthed, was a caring person who only wanted for her and Kiba to be safe. Even though she was basically a stranger, they had let her come into their life.
Like a family.
While she was enjoying it still, that warm feeling also made her afraid.
”Hehe... it seems that big brother finally has people to protect him. I'm glad,” he said with a teasing smile. ”Especially miss Tsume, she's like a mother to you, you know? That's how I see it.”
”How should I know?” She harrumphed. ”I grew up without anyone by my side. If anything, you should understand it better than me. At least you had parents-”
Damnit!
Hikari immediately shut her mouth. She knew she had messed up.
Youen's glare was filled with suffocating killing intent, replacing his beautiful, fairy-like appearance with that of a war god. His fists were clenching tighter and tighter to the point that his nails had begun to draw blood.
”Mei Mei!”
She clapped right in front of his face, waking him up from his stupor.
”Ah...”
He covered his face, feeling disappointed with himself. Thousands years of living as an immortal still wasn't able to clear her heart from those treacherous memories.
How shameful.
”Sorry...”
”Nevermind. It was my fault,” Hikari sighed. ”Though, I'm surprised that you managed to live normally in this new body.”
”This man is an orphan. His parents died during a war a few years ago.”
Youen showed a self-mocking smile.
”Is it bad that I feel relieved about it? I don't think I can control myself if I'm forced to call other people as my parents...”