Aiya's Pov
"Ugh, why why why is it always the same thing with him!" Sakura screamed out which startled me for a moment. "He sets the time and then we have to wait hours for him, it's just not fair!"
"It's not fair!" Naruto said now matching her energy.
"What about my feelings?! I had to rush here so fast I didn't even have time to blow-dry my hair!"
"And I didn't even have time to brush my teeth or change my underwear!"
We all stopped to look at him in disgust.
"You didn't, that's disgusting Naruto," Sakura said blatantly.
"Naruto, we don't need to know about your poor hygiene first thing in the morning. I don't even understand how you guys can have so much energy at this time of day," I said leaning against the other side of the bridge. I turn my head to look at Sasuke who had a mirror image of my exact expression on his face.
"Well at least I'm not the only non-morning person here, I want to go back to sleep"
"Good morning everyone, sorry I'm late, I just got lost on the path of life," Kakashi said just now appearing.
"You liar," Naruto and Sakura screamed out.
"Anyways, I have something for you guys," he says while holding up the papers. "These are chunin exam application forms. I recommend all of you guys for this."
"Even Sakura? Wowzers"
"This is all voluntary though, it's up to each of you if you think you are ready enough. But you could always take it next year"
"All right!" Naruto praised and jumped to thank Kakashi.
"Don't slobber on my vest!" Kakashi told him. He then went on about the details for the exams, but I couldn't help the feeling that he left something out. Something very important towards the exam. As we were walking back on the bridge, I couldn't help but go over his words in my head.
"Voluntary? How could this test be voluntary? Are the chunin exams supposed to be taken separately or something? But if so, why would they force the idea of teamwork on the genin so hard?"
"Earth to Aiya-chan," Naruto said waving his hand in my face. I wake up from my trance to notice them looking at me. "Why do you look so deep in thought," he asked.
Before I could answer, he says, "Oh I know! You must be thinking about our soon-to-be opponents too right!"
"Not exactly," I said and sighed.
"Then what's wrong, don't tell me your scared! Don't worry Aiya-chan ill protect you," he grinned.
"Don't worry im not scared, it's just this exam so far is already suspicious despite it not even starting yet," I say trying to find a clear answer in my head.
"What do you mean by that," Sasuke asked me.
I stay quiet not knowing how to respond to his question. Out of a whim I turn to Sakura who looks a little depressed. Soon later, the realization hits me like a brick to the face. They must have noticed my face because they all waited for me to say something.
"So that's it," I mumbled quietly.
"Huh? What's it?"
"It's nothing, don't worry about it," I say with a small smirk.
"Wait! You can't just get us all curious and not say anything after!" Sakura yelled out.
"Trust me it's better that way, just focus on whether or not you want to take the exams," and with that, I left the scene to go train.
~
I was busy training by myself when I felt someone in the area. Turning around to see a ninja wearing a mask and a black cloak over him.
"So little girl, I heard you wanted to take the chunin exams. Let me show you just how unqualified you are to compete," he said maliciously.
"What are you doing Iruka sensei? Are you trying to scare people out of the exams?" I asked and he froze.
"W-what are you talking about, who is Iruka sensei," he said trying to keep up the criminal act.
"Did you forget im and sensor ninja, stuff like that won't work on me anymore"
Iruka sighed and transformed back to his original self.
"I guess you passed, well done Aiya," he said proudly.
"Passed what?
"Passed my test to let you in the chunin exams. I was scared of the fact that ten rookie genin would take the exam but it seems your sensei made the right call. All of you guys are qualified so good luck on the exams," he said and bowed.
"Trust me Iruka sensei, I'll make sure to pass," I say determinedly.
"I'll believe it when I see it," he said and shunshined away.
~
Walking home from a long day of training, I enter a dango shop and buy a few. It's been a while since I had one and I was craving it for a while. I took one stick out of the bag and began eating while walking home. Just when I turn the corner I bump into someone and we both stumble back a bit.
"Watch where your going-" he stops mid-sentence when he realizes it's me.
"Sasuke? What are you doing out so late?"
"I could ask you the same thing," he returned.
"Training," I rolled my eyes.
"Hn same," he said and turned his gaze to the side.
I was about to walk away when I remembered something.
"So, were you tested by Iruka too?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Were you randomly attacked by someone today?"
"Yeah," he said slowly and then his eyes lit up in realization. "So that was Iruka then, he tested us to see if we were ready for the chunin exams."
"Yep," I say now about to walk away.
"Wait," he calls out and I turn back around.
"Uhh yes," I say confused.
"About before, you realized something about the exam and then said it didn't matter. I want to pass the exam so tell me what you know so I can decide if it matters or not," he said seriously.
"I didn't hear a please so no," I smirked.
"Just tell me," he said impatiently.
"Then what's the key word," I replied smugly.
"Hn please," he mumbled. I didn't push it farther because I know that all I could get out of him.
"Fine, the chunin exam sets a major condition before you can even enter. If you don't meet that condition, you can't take the exam.
"What's the condition," he says quickly.
"A team of 3," I say and his expression turns to confusion.
"But Kakashi said this was all voluntary, you mean if one person on a team doesn't want to take the exam the others can't take it"
"Exactly, Kakashi left that part out for the sake of everyone not being peer-pressured into taking the test. In this case we are a team of 4 but the same rules apply. He said this for the sake of Sakura mostly"
"Damnit, so if she doesn't want to take the exam then we all can't go"
"That's right, and the exams are tomorrow so I guess we will see what's happens"
"Are you sure, I mean how exactly do you know this is true?"
"Well it just made no sense for the exams to be individual because genin are pushed on the idea of teamwork, but I'm sure they are going to pin us against each other later in the competition considering we make it that far"
"We will, or at least I will make sure to pass," he said coldly.
"It's unlikely considering we are rookies you know"
"Then we just have to turn the odds in our favor. Just because they have more experience doesn't mean they are all that good. Repeating the chunin exam just means they already failed once before"
"Careful, don't get to ahead of yourself, some people are recommended but still don't take it just to hone their skills. People like them usually pass on their first time"
"Then, are you going to take it?"
"Of course, even if I fail I can still gain experience and learn what not to do next time. Plus there are some really interesting people in the exam this year," I said smirking to myself.
"Yeah, I want to fight that Gaara guy, he has blood lust written all over him," Sasuke said smirking with me.
"What about Naruto?"
"Huh? What about him?"
"Do you want to fight Naruto?" I ask and his expression turns shocked.
"Why the hell would I want to fight him?! There's no way he could ever beat me, I'd just be wasting my time!" he yells out.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, you have to admit that out of all of us he made the most progress. In the Academy he couldn't even make a clone but now look at him"
Sasuke stays quiet giving himself time to digest my words. He knows I'm right, that's why he was so adamant about beating him during training. He knows Naruto is approaching his level and fast.
"Alright then, let me ask you question"
"Go on," I say curiously.
"Out of everyone on Team 7, who do you want to fight the most"
"Oh well that's easy," I say.
"Who then?"
"Sakura"
"...Sakura?"
"Yeah"
"Why her?" he asks me like I'm out of my mind.
"Because she annoys me, I wanna shut her up but I can't unfortunately since I would get in trouble," I say with a sigh.
"But Sakura can't even hold a candle to you"
I look at him in shock. Apparently he realized the words that came out of his mouth as well and turned his head to the side.
"Wow, I never thought I'd hear such a compliment from the stone-cold Uchiha," I mocked.
"Shut up, Sakura can't even hold a candle to Naruto let alone you"
"So if you and I were to fight who would win," I say.
"Hn that's obvious, the winner would be me," he says looking at me with his arrogant cocky bastard grin.
"You're funny, hilarious even," I laugh out.
"Then we should fight to see who would win," he started crossing his arms.
"I'm good, trust me I have nothing to prove," I say walking away.
"Or is that you are scared of facing me," he called out making me stop in my tracks.
I didn't like it. I didn't like the tone he was making. The tone that he could drop me like I was nothing. I put my bag of dangos on the ground next to me while feeling his curious gaze on my back. Next, I shunshined behind him and before he had a chance to react, I pinned him down on the floor so he couldn't move.
"Trust me, I'm not scared of you Uchiha. I simply just don't like getting into meaningless fights. I don't obsess over it as you do. It's not my thing so get over yourself"
"I think it's you who is way above their head," he says and poofs into a log.
He comes up behind me and I react immediately. Both of us hold our kunai next to each other's throats. We give a murderous gaze in each other eyes for quite some time before we lower the kunai.
"Whatever, it's getting late so im going home, night"
"Hn night," he says and we both walk home, me not forgetting my dango of course.
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