https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-296-Nine-Years-Old-Aiming-to-be-the-Fifth-Mizukage-Two-in-One-/12558367/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-298-When-in-Trouble-Seek-the-Time-Machine-First/12558369/
Chapter 297: The Chunin Exams
Chapter 297: The Chunin Exams
In the evening, Mu Yue, finished with her training session with Tsunade, began walking back to her home in the main district.
"Are you going to buy something or not? If not, I'm closing up and heading home. You've been standing here for almost an hour," the owner of a small ice cream cart said with a headache, looking at the red-haired girl deep in thought in front of his cart.
Terumi Mei did not reply to the owner but was instead grappling with a serious internal debate—whether to choose strawberry, vanilla, or chocolate ice cream.
Chocolate ice cream held a special place in Terumi Mei's heart as it was the first flavor she had ever tasted, introducing her to the wonderful world of ice cream.
Vanilla, though a late entrant, had quickly risen to the top of Terumi Mei's favorite ice cream flavors with its refreshing taste.
As for strawberry ice cream, this was a flavor Terumi Mei had never tried before, as she had never even tasted a strawberry, let alone strawberry ice cream.
One flavor had opened the door to the world of ice cream for her, another was her current favorite, and the third was an untried new flavor. Terumi Mei found it incredibly difficult to choose, feeling that any one of them would be a valid choice.
"If you can't decide, why not get one of each?" Mu Yue, who happened to be passing by on the same street, offered a suggestion.
He could somewhat understand her dilemma, as he himself had often spent over an hour deciding on takeout in his past life, sometimes even settling on the first option after looking through countless menus.
However, he felt he was better off than Terumi Mei, as he had to choose from a multitude of restaurants, whereas she only had three options.
"I never thought of that! Are you a genius?" Terumi Mei exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise as she looked at Mu Yue, wondering if he was some sort of prodigy.
Upon further reflection, she realized there was no issue with getting all three flavors. After all, she was now a ninja and didn't need to ask an adult for money. She could buy as much ice cream as she wanted. Terumi Mei felt like she had just discovered a whole new world of possibilities.
"I'll take two of each, please," Terumi Mei said, doubling down and ordering six ice creams.
The ice cream vendor quickly prepared the order, packed the ice creams into a bag, and handed them over to Terumi Mei.
If it weren't for the fact that he needed to head home for dinner, the vendor wouldn't have minded Terumi Mei lingering by his cart. After all, a busy stall always gave the impression of better-tasting treats. But closing time was approaching.
Mu Yue continued on his way home, having only stopped to offer a simple suggestion to Terumi Mei. He had no intention of engaging in further conversation with her, as she was a ninja of Kirigakure.
Although he didn't feel much attachment to Konoha, he still needed to maintain his cover.
"Hey, wait up, hot-head!" Terumi Mei called out to Mu Yue, using the nickname she had given him.
Mu Yue turned around, unsure if Terumi Mei was being polite or rude. On the one hand, she casually gave him a nickname, but on the other hand, she was using polite speech.
"Here, take this," Terumi Mei said, offering the strawberry ice cream to Mu Yue with a pained expression, as if it hurt her to part with it. "Consider it a token of my gratitude."
Although Mu Yue was a ninja of Konoha, he was the one who had opened her eyes to a whole new world of ice cream.
Terumi Mei also felt that Mu Yue, being an adult, probably wouldn't accept a gift from a child of another ninja village. This way, she could both express her gratitude and keep the ice cream, assuming Mu Yue would refuse her offer.
"Well, thank you," Mu Yue said with a smile as he accepted the ice cream.
He was all too familiar with this kind of scenario. If he refused, there might be further developments, but by accepting it, the interaction would likely end there.
After taking the ice cream, Mu Yue turned and once again started walking home.
Terumi Mei stood there, stunned, as she watched Mu Yue walk away without a second thought. This wasn't how she had imagined the scene playing out. Why wasn't he following the script? Adults weren't supposed to accept ice cream from a nine-year-old.
Terumi Mei's right hand unconsciously reached out in front of her, but she hesitated to call out to Mu Yue and ask for the ice cream back. After all, she had been the one to offer it in the first place.
"I'm so stupid, so stupid!" Terumi Mei muttered, her eyes losing their sparkle as she realized the ice cream that had been within her grasp was now gone.
"Maybe the strawberry ice cream isn't even good," she tried to console herself.
At least then, she reasoned, her loss would be minimal, as she still had her beloved vanilla and the memorable chocolate ice cream.
Terumi Mei found a nearby park and sat down on a bench, immediately digging into her ice cream. She started with the vanilla, her favorite, and a broad smile spread across her face as she savored the creamy treat.
She had originally planned to try the chocolate ice cream next, but curiosity got the better of her, and she decided to taste the strawberry ice cream instead.
As the ice cream, filled with chunks of strawberry, melted on her tongue, a look of delight appeared on Terumi Mei's face. She found it even more delicious than the vanilla, but her expression soon turned glum as a thought occurred to her.
...
On the morning of July 1st, the Chunin Exams officially commenced.
As many ninjas from various villages would be participating in the exams, the Ninja Academy decided to give the students a day off to prevent any unnecessary incidents.
"The Chunin Exams, huh? I never thought I'd be taking part in them so soon. Just a few months ago, becoming a Chunin seemed so distant," Genma Shiranui remarked as he gazed at the Ninja Academy's entrance.
A few months ago, he wasn't even a Genin, and back then, becoming a Chunin seemed like a far-fetched goal.
"Participating doesn't guarantee that you'll become a Chunin, and we're only here because of Guy-sensei," Ebisu said pragmatically.
Their team's situation was similar to Obito's team. Might Guy's impressive resume and strength led Teacher Chen to believe that passing the Chunin Exams would be a breeze for him, so he recommended that they take part in the exams.
However, to prevent Genma and Ebisu from getting their hopes up, Teacher Chen had a prior conversation with them, explaining that while they were exceptional among their peers, becoming a Chunin would be challenging. He advised them not to get their hopes up to avoid potential disappointment.
"Hehe," Genma wrapped his arm around Ebisu's shoulders and chuckled, "A man's gotta have dreams, you know? Kakashi became a Chunin at the age of six, and look at us, we're already nine. Who knows, we might just make it."
"Let's just give it our all, so even if we fail, we won't regret it," Might Guy said, flashing a brilliant smile as he gave the duo a thumbs-up.
Ebisu nodded. Despite his pessimistic words, now that they were here, he couldn't help but feel a glimmer of ambition.
"Guy-sensei, you're taking the Chunin Exams too?" Obito spotted Might Guy and his team and waved hello.
"Yep," Genma smiled and nodded.
"Of course, we're not just participating, we're going to pass and become Chunin in one go," Obito declared confidently.
Might Guy's competitive spirit ignited as he saw Kakashi approaching, and he challenged his friend:
"My dear friend, let us engage in a contest filled with youth and passion. Let's see who performs better in the Chunin Exams."
"Sure, let's compare our scores in the first stage," Kakashi agreed without hesitation.
"My youth is burning!" Might Guy felt his blood boil as Kakashi readily accepted the challenge, wishing the exams would start immediately.
Ebisu observed this exchange with a sense of harmony, but soon, his expression turned peculiar as he realized something amiss. Kakashi, a Chunin himself, was also taking part in these Chunin Exams.
Ebisu's confusion grew as he noticed that Kakashi wasn't wearing his usual Chunin vest.
Puzzled, he walked up to Kakashi and inquired, "Kakashi, are you also taking the Chunin Exams with Obito and the others?"
Kakashi's expression became somewhat complicated, and after a moment's thought, he replied, "Yes, due to various reasons, I'll be participating in this Chunin Exam."
Ebisu's expression turned grave, feeling that his chances of becoming a Chunin had diminished further. It seemed unusual for a Chunin to retake the Chunin Exams.
"I hope Kakashi is the only exception," Ebisu sighed inwardly.
Genma and Might Guy, however, remained oblivious to the strangeness of the situation, seeing nothing wrong with their teammate Kakashi taking the exams alongside Obito's team.
As the exam drew nearer, more and more ninjas gathered at the Ninja Academy. Ebisu's sharp eyes spotted ninjas from other villages.
"Rain Ninja Village, Waterfall Ninja Village, Grass Ninja Village, and Mist Ninja Village," Ebisu identified their villages by their forehead protectors.
"You guys are taking the Chunin Exams so soon?" Asuma, who had graduated the previous year and was taking the exams for the first time this year, greeted them.
"Is there a problem with that?" Obito scratched his head, confused by Asuma's reaction.
Obito's question left Asuma momentarily speechless, as he, too, was a first-timer and didn't know much about the process.
"It doesn't matter," Asuma regained his composure and boasted, "Ever since my special training ended, my strength has increased significantly. If we end up fighting in the later stages, you'll be in for a surprise."
"I've also improved a lot," Obito agreed, feeling equally confident, except when it came to the first theory test.
The nine of them continued chatting as they made their way to the designated exam building and entered the examination hall, taking their seats that had been arranged beforehand.
With just ten minutes left until the exam began, the proctors entered the classroom and started explaining the rules for the first stage of the Chunin Exams.
There will be another chapter later, but it probably won't be ready until 1 PM, so it's recommended to read it tomorrow. Staying up late is unhealthy, and I'll also take the time to adjust and proofread it properly.
(End of Chapter)
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