"The first joint exam of the Ninja Academies in Grass Village officially begins!" The announcement echoed through the air. Given that this was the children's graduation exam, there had been minimal fanfare, just enough to maintain a clean, focused atmosphere for the students. Banners adorned the venue, while sponsor logos discreetly marked other areas.
As the screen lit up, the crowd's attention shifted to the giant display, while reporters from the Shinobi Times provided live coverage of the event.
Inside an abandoned factory, the students stood in neat rows, their posture straight and disciplined. Surrounding them were enigmatic ninjas in black cloaks, their faces concealed behind masks. What was happening? Was the exam beginning?
Parents, despite their confusion, eagerly scanned the screen for their children. As soon as they spotted them, cheers erupted, though their voices couldn't reach their kids, the support was undeniable. It was their way of sending encouragement, no matter the distance.
Kushina and Mikoto were among the first to spot Naruto and Sasuke on the screen. Their faces lit up with warmth.
"There they are! That's Naruto! And Sasuke's right beside him!" Kushina beamed, unable to hide her excitement.
As she took in the sight of all the children standing together, a sudden realization hit her. Had she not noticed before? Seeing them like this, standing tall among their peers, she finally understood. "They've really grown up…" she murmured, a touch of emotion in her voice.
Beside her, Mikoto smiled softly. She nodded in quiet agreement before lowering her gaze to her belly, gently resting a hand on it. "They really have," she whispered to herself, a hint of nostalgia in her tone.
She never would have imagined how things would turn out between her and Akihiko. When had it all begun? Oh, right, that night in the office…
Before she could dwell on the thought any further, Kushina's voice broke through her reverie. Frowning slightly, Kushina turned toward Akihiko, her expression puzzled.
"What's going on here?" Kushina asked, her brows furrowing in confusion. "Weren't we told the battle was supposed to happen in the Kannabi Forest? So why are they just standing there?"
Hearing her question, the others turned to Akihiko, their expressions equally puzzled.
Akihiko, however, simply gave them a knowing smirk and a playful wink. "Just watch," he said cryptically. "You'll see soon enough."
As soon as the masked figure finished speaking, the screen suddenly flickered and shifted. The camera zoomed in on the front of the group, where a lone figure stood, clad in black and wearing a mask unlike the others. His mask was uniquely spiral-shaped.
With a deep, resonant voice that echoed throughout the area, the figure spoke: "Next, you will participate in a live combat exam, lasting for three days. During this exam, you're free to use any jutsu or knowledge you've acquired, but remember, no personal grudges. Now…"
He gestured toward a table piled with small ninja tool bags. "Each of you will pick up a bag. Inside, you'll find various pills. I'm sure you all know their purpose by now." His voice dropped slightly as he continued, "There's also a signal device in each bag. If you wish to end the exam early, activate the signal. However…"
He paused, the tension thick in the air. "Remember, the longer you survive, the higher your score. Now… go ahead, take your bags."
The children immediately responded, each stepping forward to claim their tool bags. After they had all returned to their spots, the masked figure spoke once more. "Well then, I wish you all… a pleasant exam. See you next time!"
Before any of the children could react, a thick cloud of smoke suddenly erupted around them, engulfing the entire area. One by one, they collapsed to the ground, succumbing to the effects of the gas.
The masked figure with the spiral mask observed the scene with satisfaction. Nodding approvingly, he turned to the other masked ninjas standing by and instructed, "You can send them into the exam now."
However...cough cough, a sudden voice interrupted.
"Report, Master…" One of the masked ninjas hesitated, coughing slightly before continuing, "There's one person who hasn't passed out!"
A flicker of surprise crossed the spiral-masked ninja's face. Someone resisted the drug?
This wasn't an ordinary sedative, it was a special sleep-inducing compound crafted by Consultant Chiyo, potent enough to knock out almost anyone with just a small dose. For a group of children, it should have been an instant knockout.
His gaze snapped back to the room. Sure enough… all the children lay unconscious, except for one. A small, shadowy figure remained standing amid the sea of collapsed bodies, looking utterly confused.
The masked ninja paused before realization struck him. Oh right… Black Zetsu. He had almost forgotten about that special life form.
Black Zetsu stood there, looking completely bewildered. As he noticed the masked ninjas staring at him, he hesitated before awkwardly suggesting, "Uh… how about I just lie down now?"
The spiral-masked ninja scoffed. "Oh, trying to cheat your way through? Pretending to be unconscious? Not happening!" He waved his hand dismissively. "Knock him out!"
One of the masked ninjas hesitated before speaking up. "Uh… Black Zetsu can't be knocked out."
The spiral-masked ninja paused. "...Then put him in a sack. Don't let him see anything!" He waved again, signaling for them to proceed.
"Got it, Leader!" one of the ninjas responded immediately.
"Idiot!" the spiral-masked ninja snapped. "Don't expose my identity. Just call me Instructor. Cut that part out of the broadcast!"
The bizarre scene left Black Zetsu frozen in place. He stared at the group, a strange feeling of déjà vu creeping up on him. After a brief pause, he mumbled, "White Zetsu and...?" He glanced at the spiral-masked ninja. "Leader…"
But before he could finish his thought, everything went pitch black. It was as if some invisible force had wrapped itself around him. What the hell was happening?!
These guys, definitely White Zetsu and that damn Grass leader, what was the Grass leader up to this time?
But before he could process any further, he suddenly felt his body being lifted, as if something, or someone, was carrying him off to some unknown place.
…
On the other side, as the children collapsed into unconsciousness, the masked ninjas quickly transported them underground. The screen went black.
A heavy silence settled over the crowd. Everyone glanced at each other before their eyes all inevitably turned to Akihiko, the leader of Grass. Suspicion was thick in the air. After a moment, someone finally spoke up. "…Is it you?"
Even Pakura, the academy principal, looked at Akihiko with uncertainty. They knew he had designed the second round of the exam, but no one expected him to knock all the students out so abruptly. What exactly was his plan?
Akihiko quickly shook his head, raising his hands defensively. "What? It wasn't me! I've been right here the whole time. There's no way."
However, the crowd remained unconvinced. And the doubt was only growing.
Nagato, who'd been tricked in the past, especially during the incident in the Land of Rain, narrowed his eyes at Akihiko. After a pause, he said firmly, "The exam is still going on. Don't do anything reckless."
Akihiko grinned reassuringly, though the look in his eyes was a little too casual. "Relax, Nagato. No one's going to do anything stupid."
Nagato shot him a suspicious glance. "I'm worried it'll be you who does something stupid."
Akihiko chuckled, unbothered by the accusation. "I'm sitting right here! How could I cause any trouble?" He then casually pointed to the screen. "Look, the feed's back on!"
The group looked up at the screens again, and what they saw left them stunned.
Each screen now displayed the current situation of the children. They were scattered in different locations, some up in trees, others hidden beneath rocks, a few resting inside caves, and some even buried in the ground. Yet, they were all unconscious, and the masked ninjas had disappeared. What was going on?
Kushina, Mikoto, and the others quickly searched for Naruto and Sasuke on the screens. Both of them were still unconscious. Naruto had been left up in a tree, and Sasuke was deep inside a cave.
As time passed, anxiety started to settle over the group. Thirty minutes went by, and just as tension was beginning to rise, they noticed movement. "He's awake! Sasuke's awake first!"
On the screen, Sasuke slowly regained consciousness, furrowing his brows as he surveyed his surroundings. When he realized he was in a tree, it seemed like he understood what had happened. He grabbed his ninja tool pack, jumped down, and immediately began heading in a specific direction.
One by one, the other children began to stir, but Naruto… even after an hour, he was still fast asleep, contentedly scratching his belly as he lay there.
Kushina couldn't help but laugh softly. "This child… he's always a bit of a daydreamer."
Just then, Mikoto spoke up, "Naruto's awake!"
Sure enough, when everyone looked up, they saw Naruto slowly coming to. But unlike the composed Sasuke, Naruto scratched his head, completely confused, as he looked around, clearly wondering why he was lying there when he had been so comfortable moments before.
It took about fifteen minutes, but it seemed like he had finally remembered something. He suddenly sprang to his feet, looked around in a daze, then seemed to hear an explosion in the distance. Without hesitation, he began running toward the sound.
"That direction…" Kushina's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait… isn't that the way Sasuke went?"