As Shunsui took the stage at the arena, he first looked at Orochimaru who was looking at him with a look that would make even serial perverts shy away.
The Sannin's golden eyes were fixed on him with intense curiosity and something much darker. His long tongue flicked out slightly as he watched Shunsui walk forward.
Instead of backing down when Shunsui met his gaze, Orochimaru licked his lips with his rather long slimy tongue. The gesture was slow and deliberate, sending an uncomfortable chill down Shunsui's spine.
'Yeah. Jiraiya was not the only pervert of their team,' Shunsui thought with a mental sigh. He quickly looked away from the creepy proctor and focused on the crowd instead.
He had no doubts that Orochimaru was present to get a much closer look of his abilities. Hiruzen just can't keep his mouth shut after all.
He then heard familiar voices in the crowd as he turned to wave at a particular person. Kushina san was cheering for him loudly, waving her arms with great energy. Shunsui had to acknowledge her. He waved back with a smile and a small nod, showing his appreciation for the support.
The red-haired woman was shouting his name with full enthusiasm, making many people around her smile. However, he did not acknowledge the second group of people that were cheering for him.
He just looked at that side and hid his face under his hat in embarrassment. He saw an old woman and a gang of children shouting for him.
"Go big brother Shunsui!" most of the kids said with banners and posters they had made themselves. The handmade signs had colorful drawings and big letters wishing him victory. But that was not the embarrassing part. It was the old woman and one particular kid.
"Show the village the Will of Fire! Lord Third, that boy has been taught the Will of Fire by me!!" Matron said loudly while pumping her fist in the air.
She looked extremely proud and excited, almost jumping in place despite her age.
'It turns out that Matron has a crush on Hiruzen. I had my doubts but this confirms it,' Shunsui thought as he tried to hide deeper under his straw hat.
The way Matron kept glancing toward the Hokage's seat with shining eyes and flushed cheeks made it very obvious. She cheered even louder every time she mentioned the Third Hokage, clearly mixing her support for Shunsui with her personal admiration for the village leader.
The children around her giggled and joined in, some of them repeating her words about the Will of Fire while waving their little posters.
Shunsui felt a mix of warmth and secondhand embarrassment at the public display.
He then looked at the small kid beside Matron. Ika shouted, "Show me how to assassinate other people big brother Shunsui! Show me how shinobi backstab each other!" The young boy waved a small wooden kunai with far too much excitement for someone his age.
'Ugh why did they have to bring Ika here? Let us hope he does not try to assassinate anyone,' Shunsui thought with a tired sigh.
Mangetsu Hozuki stood across from him with a confident smirk. "You are pretty unlucky to face me," Mangetsu said with a smirk.
"Well if by unlucky you mean that I would have to punch your ugly face then yes I am unlucky," Shunsui said with a smile.
He made it more insulting by adding, "I have seen better looking swords than your face, and those were covered in rust. At least the rust had some character. You just look like someone forgot to finish carving a block of ice."
A vein popped on Mangetsu's forehead. "You do not understand, do you?"
"What do I not understand?" Shunsui asked innocently.
"All three of us Kiri genins are successors to become one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist."
Mangetsu took a break and said, "But of all of us, I have been trained as the future leader of the Seven Swordsmen."
He took out a scroll from which came a huge sword that was covered in bandages. Mangetsu held it and gave it a practice swing. "This is Hiramekarei that I have been lent for this Chunin Exams."
Shunsui kept on smiling. "Oh what a surprise. I am also a swordsman. Does that make me one of the Swordsmen of Konoha? Hmmm. That name is not as fancy as I thought it to be."
"Do not mock me," Mangetsu said angrily.
"I am not mocking you. Anyways. I also have a named blade. It is called Katen Kyōkotsu. She is quite a dear," Shunsui said as he took out his own blades in their Shikai form.
The twin swords appeared with their distinctive curved shape, "Let us start already shall we?" Shunsui appeared in front of Mangetsu in a flash step that shocked Mangetsu.
Mangetsu thought, 'He is fast. Very fast.' as he looked at the sword at his neck.
"Do you surrender?" Shunsui asked calmly.
"Do not you underestimate me," Mangetsu angrily said as he took the sword to the neck to Shunsui's suprise.
His neck turned to water and rematerialized easily. He retaliated with his own slash that Shunsui blocked with his other blade. "My my that was quite unexpected. You are going to be hard to deal with," Shunsui said.
"Well I would not have liked it any other way either. The better you are, the better I would look by beating you," Shunsui said with a lazy smile.
------Author Notes---------
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