The Place We Return to

Chapter 22

Kakashi had prepared a big feast for his students and their mentors. He had invited the Raikage, Tsunade and Jiraiya to join team seven for the meal. The moment they laid eyes on the vast table filled with all different kinds of food, they started to drool: "This is the best reward for all the brain cells I lost solving that exam." Everyone laughed as they sat down for dinner.

After having a nice and calm dinner, they gathered in the house's main room. While they chatted and talked, things started to lean towards the chunin exams again. Kakashi mentioned how "bizarre" the proctor Anko is: "She's not your average person, she's a tad bit messed up." Tsunade scoffed at the last part: "You're underestimating her craziness, you've seen nothing yet. Just wait till the actual exam tomorrow." Jiraiya chirped in: "Oh come on Tsunade, don't be going around scaring these poor kids. It's not like they might die, get poisoned or brutally eaten alive." He smirked and shrugged but Tsunade quickly wiped that smile off his face when she elbowed his side.

The genin swallowed the lump in their throats as the nervousness started to kick in. They knew it was going to get serious moving forward. Sasuke and Naruto decided to get up and prepare some green tea while Sakura arranged the plates. Kakashi helped a little here and there but otherwise, the genin handled everything. Now that everyone is settled, they sat around and began to talk about the exams: "Gakidomo, listen here." A started: "From what Kakashi has mentioned, you've already trained in the Forest of Death before the exams, which means you've got an advantage over the other teams." Jiraiya tagged in: "Plus the fact you guys have trained with us these past couple of months, you know most people don't have three amazing sensies- no wait sorry, four amazing sensies." he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he made eye contact with Kakashi who was a bit dumbfounded at the remark.

They stayed up a little bit as they gathered a few tips here and there from each of these experienced ninjas: "One more thing before you head off to bed," Kakashi said: "Make sure you do them dishes." The three groaned in sync: "Ah, I don't want to hear it, they ain't gonna do themselves." They got up and made their way to the kitchen grabbing all the tea cups. Sakura snatched Kakashi's cup out of his hand: "Ay, I wasn't done with that shit." He said looking down at his empty hand and back up at Sakura who was already halfway across the room. The other three adults in the room stifled their laughter as they overlooked the scene that just unfolded. Sakura waved bye to Kakashi as she walked into the kitchen: "Them damn kids, I dug my own grave this is what I get for being a decent human being-" Jiraiya chirped in: "Which you don't do often." Kakashi continued: "Yeah, I taught them how to do all this shit-damn." Tsunade was laughing so hard she was crying while A stifled his laughter until he finally couldn't contain it. Jiraiya, Tsunade and A were laughing while Kakashi pouted in the corner like a kid: "ThOsE dAmN kIds" Jiraiya added in a mocking tone: "He sounds like my dad!" A said as they all kept adding things making the situation funnier until Kakashi finally cracked.

NEXT DAY$%^&*(

The genin got up early, energized and refreshed: "Listen, I am all good as long as I don't have to add and minus shit, I'm confident."To said resting his hands behind his head. Ke rolled his eyes: "Math does suck ass. What the hell is y=mx plus I don't know what. I don't know how that's going to be such a help on the battlefield."Ra scoffed a little: "Of course, that's what you dim wits care about, let's get going maybe we can catch some of our friends and chat before training starts." They decided to wake up extra early, a couple of hours before the exam so they could warm their bodies and psych themselves up. Each of their respective senseis was going to meet them at a spot for a tad bit of extra last-minute training.

On their way to the spot they had planned to meet their sensies at, they ran into Team 8 and Team 10 who were also going for a bit of training. "We've seen you guys first-hand out of that forest, can't say we aren't terrified." Ino said sheepishly: "We still don't know the details of this so-called exam, only that it's team-oriented. Whatever that forest holds can never be good." Shikamaru said resting both his hand behind his head: "It's okay guys, we've got this I am sure." Hinata said optimistically: "What would we do without your optimism?" Naruto asked smiling at her as she blushed: "Dude, come on. Flirt some other time, justice for the no pulling bitches gang." Kiba said pointing at himself: "Well considering that Akamaru is a male, you don't have a female dog." Shino said in a matter-of-fact tone. They all laughed at the interaction: "See you, sir, pull no bitches." Kiba said pointing at Shino.

After a minute or two each of the teams went their way. Team 7, later on, split up to meet their respective senseis for training. They had been in that forest before, no one knows the power it holds in the darkness that seems to grow larger as you settle in it. The forest is no joke. 

Soon they were done with individual practice, they started working on team coordination. They felt a slight hint of confidence as they remembered their chronicles in that shithole. They spent a whole month of training there which wasn't enjoyable in any way shape or form. A couple of days sounded like a piece of cake. 

"Oi, don't get cocky." A voice loomed behind them: "You were in there by yourselves not against other teams. This is a process of elimination." They turned to face the guy they knew too well: "Hai, Kakashi sensei." they said in unison. What Kakashi mentioned was true, they had the comfort of not having outside forces interrupt them but now they won't have that privilege. It's going to be much harder combined with the trouble the other genin could cause them. 

-A/N sorry abt this long overdue chapter been going through a lot of shit but I'm alr now. I hope you have/had a great day