The morning sun bathed the village in a warm glow as Team 7 assembled in front of the first testing site. Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto, and Ella exchanged glances, a mix of nerves and determination evident in their eyes. The bustling atmosphere around them added to the air of anticipation.
Sakura adjusted her headband nervously, stealing a glance at Sasuke, who appeared stoic as ever. Naruto, on the other hand, was practically vibrating with excitement, and Ella maintained her composed demeanor, observing the surroundings with a watchful gaze.
Team 7 ventured indoors, following the directions from Kakashi's paper that led them to the third floor for the first test. Upon reaching the second story, they encountered a scene. A crowd of fellow genin gathered around a room, seemingly hindered by a genjutsu. Blocking the entrance were two figures bearing a striking resemblance to Izumo and Kotetsu.
Ella observed the situation, her eyes narrowing at the apparent weakness of the genjutsu. "We're only on the second floor, and don't those kids look like Izumo and Kotetsu?" she remarked.
"Hn. Yeah," Sasuke acknowledged, moving forward to address the group.
"Hmm, honestly, it's kind of a weak genjutsu when you think about it," Ella commented, making her observation loud enough for the other genin to hear.
"Huh? Genjutsu? What's she talking about?" one of the genin in the crowd inquired, clearly puzzled by Ella's statement.
"Excuse us, we need to pass through," TenTen pleaded.
"Hn. Do you really think we'll just let you through?" Izumo retorted, making a move to attack.
Ella's gaze intensified as she swiftly intercepted Izumo's strike, effortlessly catching his fist. "It's not very gentlemanly to hit an unarmed lady. Besides, we're trying to reach the third floor, so kindly dispel the genjutsu."
Releasing Izumo, Ella began to return to her team when he shouted, "Impressive, but you merely saw through it!"
"Ella-chan, watch out!" Naruto's warning rang out.
Ella pivoted to witness Sasuke stepping between them, prepared to counter Izumo's kick with his own. Unexpectedly, a kid with a distinctive bowl cut caught both of their legs, surprising everyone.
"What happened to the plan? Weren't we supposed to keep a low profile?" a kid with long brown hair and purple eyes questioned as he approached the bowl-cut kid.
"I know, but..." the bowl-cut kid began to explain.
Ella sighed, shaking her head, and took hold of Sasuke's arm, dragging him away towards the third floor. "That was taking too long," she remarked, with the other two trailing behind.
As they approached the entrance, a voice sliced through the air, disrupting the quiet tension. "Hey, you with the attitude!"
The quartet turned towards the source, finding a kid their age with a bowl cut, bushy eyebrows, and a vibrant green onesie. Rock Lee, as he introduced himself, exuded unbridled enthusiasm. "I'm Rock Lee! I've been hoping to have a match with you!"
Sasuke, maintaining his usual indifference, raised an eyebrow. "I'm not interested."
Rock Lee arched one of his bushy brows. "I'm sure you'll change your mind. I am the premier taijutsu user in the village. I want to see if I can beat the famous Uchiha."
Sasuke responded with a smirk, "Hn. Fine, as you wish," and confidently stepped forward to initiate the match.
The spark of enthusiasm in Rock Lee's eyes intensified as Sasuke agreed to the challenge. The two genin squared off, the atmosphere charged with electric anticipation. Sasuke, donning a self-assured smirk, readied himself for the impending clash, while Rock Lee assumed a focused stance, proudly displaying his taijutsu prowess.
As the battle unfolded, the air pulsated with intensity. Rock Lee's movements were a ballet of swiftness and precision, his kicks and punches executed with dazzling speed. Sasuke, refusing to be outpaced, leveraged his Sharingan to track Lee's every move, aiming to retaliate with his own lightning-fast strikes.
Sasuke's Sharingan whirred as he attempted to keep up with Rock Lee's rapid assault. However, despite his best efforts, the Uchiha found himself caught in Rock Lee's Lion Combo. The green-clad genin's swift kicks propelled Sasuke into the air, and in a dazzling display of acrobatics, he wrapped Sasuke in his bandages, initiating a rapid spinning descent.
The onlookers, Sakura, Naruto, and Ella, were captivated by the spectacle. Sasuke struggled against the spinning motion, but Rock Lee's technique proved too formidable. The descent concluded with a powerful crash as Sasuke slammed into the ground.
The dust settled, revealing Rock Lee standing triumphantly while Sasuke lay on the ground, momentarily stunned by the impact. Rock Lee offered a courteous bow, acknowledging Sasuke's valiant effort. "That was a splendid match! You have incredible skills, Uchiha-san."
Sasuke, still recovering, grunted in acknowledgment, silently noting the formidable strength of Rock Lee's taijutsu. The defeat served as a humbling reminder of the challenges that awaited Team 7 in the Chuunin Exams.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura's voice echoed as she rushed to his side, extending a helping hand to lift him from the ground.
Ella chuckled softly, shaking her head at Sasuke's defeat. "This is a valuable lesson, Sasuke. Underestimating your opponent can lead to unexpected outcomes."
"Hmm, that is absolutely right, my youthful flower!" Rock Lee chimed in, his eyes brimming with exuberance. His attention then shifted to Ella, and in a whirl of movement, he stood before her, holding a rose with bright, excited eyes. "My youthful flower, what is your name?"
Ella arched an eyebrow at the sudden encounter, momentarily caught off guard. "I'm Ella Sakamoto." The exchange left an air of curiosity lingering among the spectators, as Rock Lee continued to radiate boundless energy and enthusiasm.
"Ah, Ella-chan! What a beautiful and youthful name. I shall valiantly protect you with my life!" Lee exclaimed, his enthusiasm reverberating through his words.
Ella blinked in surprise at Rock Lee's sudden and dramatic declaration. "Uh, thanks, but I don't think I need protection."
Sasuke, still recovering from his defeat, shot Lee an annoyed look. "You're wasting your time, Lee."
Undeterred by Sasuke's skepticism, Lee struck a dramatic pose, emphasizing the theatrics. "I will not give up on the power of youth! Perhaps we shall engage in a spirited spar next, my radiant flower!"
Naruto chuckled, finding the entire situation quite amusing. "Good luck with that, Ella-chan."
Ella chuckled softly at Naruto and looked back at Lee. "We can spar anytime, Lee. for now though, we should all probably head inside. Plus it seems your team isn't with you."
"Ah, indeed." Lee stated sheepishly, a blush coloring his cheeks. "I sincerely hope to cross paths with you during the exams, Ella-chan." With a respectful bow, he made his exit.
"Well, he's certainly... unique," Sakura remarked.
"You could say that again." Naruto chuckled as they proceeded to enter the building. "Did you see those bushy eyebrows?"
"Yeah." Sakura shivered slightly. "They looked like oversized caterpillars."
The observation prompted Naruto to burst into a hearty laugh, clutching his stomach. "Yeah, they really did!" The odd encounter with Rock Lee added a touch of humor to the tension of the Chuunin Exams.
"Ah, you've finally arrived," Kakashi remarked, standing outside the testing room.
"Yeah, someone wanted to get into a fight with some bushy-browed kid," Ella chuckled.
Kakashi smirked softly under his mask. "That seems about right." He then turned his attention to Ella. "Did you happen to tell them yet?"
"Huh?!" Naruto exclaimed, looking between the two of them. "Tell us what?"
"Uh," Ella started, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. "No, I haven't told them yet."
"I see," Kakashi responded, crossing his arms and glancing at the other three. "Ella will be taking this exam by herself."
"What?! Ella-chan can't go in alone! We're supposed to be a team, believe it!" Naruto shouted out.
"Is that even allowed?" Sakura asked curiously.
"Hn, why is she going in alone?" Sasuke questioned.
"It was orders from the Hokage. Since we have four people on our team, one of you had to go alone, and Ella volunteered to do it," Kakashi explained.
"I see, so we were the only team with four people," Sakura started. "It would've been an unfair advantage."
"I suppose that's a good way to put it. Teams can be up to five members, but recently they've changed it to three," Kakashi added. "Now, you guys are going to do great, and remember you don't have to stay apart from each other after this first test."
"Got it!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Now good luck you guys." Kakashi smiled at them.
Team 7 then walked into the testing room looking around, noticing everyone turned to look at them. Ella was the first to react and glared at them. "Take a picture, it lasts longer."
After her statement, most turned away from them, but some were still watching them. Team 7 then made their way towards the rest of the rookie nine. Kiba stepped forward seeing them along with Shikamaru.
"What a drag, you guys are here too?" Shikamaru said with a sigh, then looked at them seeing Ella. "Whoa. You look.. older."
Ella blushed in embarrassment and looked away. "Uh, yeah. It was a mishap on one of our missions. I'd rather not speak on it."
"Ella..?" A familiar voice spoke up catching Ella's attention.
"Selene." Ella started and smiled brightly pulling her into a hug.
Selene hugged her back, before pulling away. "What happened to you? I tried to reach you but I couldn't connect with you anymore."
Ella frowned and shook her head. "On our mission to the Land of Waves something happened. I'll have to tell you about it after the exams. It's kind of a long story."
"You guys are rookies straight out of the academy, huh? You should quiet down. Look behind you." A man with glasses and silver hair pulled up into a ponytail announced, strolling up to them.
The rookies all turned around to see the rest of the teams glaring at them. Some of the rookie crew gulped in fear before turning back to the man who started to speak again.
"The name's Kabuto Yakushi," he stated, pushing his glasses up.
"Kabuto, huh? Is this your second time taking the exams?" Sakura asked.
"Hmm. No, seventh actually, since they're held twice a year," he responded.
Ella looked at him, her eyes widening in surprise, before chuckling softly and covering her mouth, earning her a nudge from Selene.
"Is something amusing?" Kabuto asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm sorry," she chuckled out, "but it's just ironic. With your experience, one would assume you've mastered the exams by now, considering your knowledge of how they operate."
"Hmm. Fair point," he conceded, scrutinizing her. "But aren't you a bit too mature for these exams...?" He trailed off, waiting for her to introduce herself.
Ella shot him a glare, crossing her arms. "Ella Sakamoto. You got an issue about my age?"
Kabuto's eyes widened slightly. "Sakamoto? I thought the entire Sakamoto clan had perished."
"Hmph. Ignorance, as usual," she retorted, earning a chuckle from Selene and Naruto.
"Ah, right. Anyways I've got some information cards here." Kabuto pulled out a set of information cards. "Any particular individuals you'd like details on?" he inquired, brushing off Ella's retort with practiced ease.
Sasuke, adopting his usual stoic demeanor, responded, "Gaara of the Sand, Rock Lee of the Leaf, and Ella Sakamoto." His gaze lingered on Ella, noting the surprise etched across her face.
Kabuto smirked and nodded, kneeling down. "Certainly, easy enough."
As he proceeded to divulge information about Rock Lee and Gaara, shock rippled through Team 7.
"So, Gaara has never been injured?" Ella mused. "Could it be the sand in that gourd on his back?"
"Hmm? The sand?" Naruto queried. "You know, that makes sense. He never made hand signs or anything when we met him that day."
"Now," Kabuto began, channeling his chakra into the final card. "Regarding Ella Sakamoto, I don't have extensive information due to the disappearance of the Sakamoto clan. It indicates one A-rank mission and a few C and D-ranks." His gaze lingered on the card, a flicker of surprise crossing his features. "That makes sense now; you're capable of altering your age. Quite intriguing and useful."
"What?! Ella-chan, that is so cool, believe it!" Naruto exclaimed.
Ella frowned, looking at Naruto, and shook her head. "It'd be cool if I knew how to control it."
Naruto attempted to respond, but a sudden attack from Sound ninja interrupted, causing Kabuto's ear to bleed and his glasses to crack. "Kabuto-san, are you okay?"
"That's enough, Sound nin," a dark, serious voice resonated at the front of the room.
The ominous voice redirected everyone's attention to its source. Standing before them was a towering figure, draped in pitch-black attire, accentuated by a lengthy cloak and a headband concealing his forehead. The most striking features were the long scars etched on either side of his face.
"My apologies. I just got... excited and couldn't resist," the Sound ninja responded.
Ibiki Morino, the imposing figure, shook his head in response and turned his gaze to the assembled genin. "I'm Ibiki Morino, and I'll be the proctor for the first exams. It seems fitting to mention this now: there will be no inter-team fighting. Any violations will result in immediate disqualification from the exams." His stern proclamation bore down on everyone in the room.
"He's definitely endured a significant amount of torture," Ella whispered to her team.
Naruto nodded silently in agreement. "Yeah, no kidding."
"Now, for the first test, it's a written examination. Line up, take a number, and proceed to your assigned seat," Ibiki instructed.
Ella's eyes widened slightly as she exchanged a knowing glance with Naruto, aware of his struggles with written exams. Team 7 queued up to receive their numbers, then took their seats, finding the test already laid out before them.
"You've got exactly one hour to complete the test. There are 9 questions to tackle, and when the hour is up, the 10th question will be revealed. Now, everyone," Ibiki paused for emphasis, "Begin."