Natsuki's eyes darkened slightly, feeling a little uneasy — and struggling to keep his hands under control.
He quickly continued the topic to divert his attention:
"I only remembered after seeing Raido today.
He and Genma used to serve as bodyguards for the Fourth Hokage.
They also trained in Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique).
However, perhaps because of insufficient talent, they didn't master it fully and instead formed a three-man team with Iwashi, developing the Hiraishin no Jin (Flying Thunder Formation) — a method to teleport people or objects."
Tenten immediately frowned.
"Such a powerful space-time ninjutsu... how did they end up like that?
Isn't that kind of useless?"
"It is a bit disappointing," Natsuki chuckled, "but no problem!
We can still try asking them to teach us!"
"Since they're Aoba-sensei's partners, I have to leverage that connection.
Call me thick-skinned if you want — I'm getting my hands on the Hiraishin no Jutsu training scroll no matter what!"
Tenten kissed Natsuki on the cheek and seriously nodded.
"Mm, my boyfriend is super thick-skinned — but I love it!"
Now Tenten understood why Natsuki couldn't sleep.
It was because he stumbled upon such a huge opportunity — of course he was too excited to rest!
Actually, now she was equally excited herself.
Tomorrow they'd probably leave the house with dark circles under their eyes.
The only uncertainty was...
When would they actually get their hands on the Hiraishin no Jutsu scroll?
The two of them fell silent, breathing in each other's presence, feeling each other's heartbeats.
Their faces drew closer and closer.
Mn... mint toothpaste flavor — not bad at all.
Fortunately, the two of them were already trained ninja with decent self-control.
Otherwise, it could've gotten dangerous — they were still too young after all.
So, they changed the topic to something else.
"Today, Aoba-sensei gave us the registration forms for the Chūnin Exams," Natsuki mentioned.
"Your Team Guy is signing up too, right?"
"Mm."
Tenten nodded confidently.
"Last year, Guy-sensei thought Lee's strength wasn't enough, so we didn't apply.
But this year, we're definitely participating."
"With my current strength, becoming a Chūnin shouldn't be a problem, right?"
She was full of confidence.
After all, without even using her trump cards, she could now fight Neji to a standstill for a short time.
If that wasn't enough to pass the Chūnin Exams, then 99% of the candidates might as well give up.
In Tenten's opinion, Natsuki, Neji, Shino, and herself were absolutely among the top candidates this year.
So, there was nothing to worry about.
Natsuki wasn't particularly worried about the exams either.
He was mainly worried about Orochimaru's antics.
As long as Orochimaru didn't harm his family and friends, Natsuki didn't care if he killed Hiruzen Sarutobi.
But if he endangered Tenten or any of his friends, Natsuki would show no mercy.
His mastery over Hatake-style kenjutsu was no joke now — teaming up with others to deal with Orochimaru wasn't impossible.
Still, just in case, Natsuki decided to warn Tenten seriously.
"Tenten, don't let your guard down during the exam.
Remember I told you about Otogakure?
This time, there are shinobi from Otogakure participating — you have to be extra careful."
Tenten listened seriously, casually tucking the flashlight away —
but she somehow felt like there was still another thing as big as a flashlight in the blanket...
...
Two days later, Natsuki and Tenten headed to the registration office.
Rinya, Megumi, Neji, and Lee were already waiting downstairs, so the six of them went together into the building.
As soon as they reached the second floor, they saw a commotion in front of a large classroom.
It seemed some candidates were trying to enter the room, but Konoha's two gatekeepers were blocking the entrance with aggressive attitudes.
Looking up at the door frame above the classroom, the sign clearly said "Third Floor."
A simple genjutsu test.
If you couldn't even see through this, you really didn't deserve to take the exam — better to go home and sleep.
Just then, a familiar voice called out from behind:
"Hey! Natsuki, Tenten, you guys are signing up too?"
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura walked over, looking quite spirited.
Before Natsuki or Tenten could reply, Lee suddenly dashed forward, blocking Team 7.
Then, everyone watched as Lee performed a deep bow towards Sakura and said loudly:
"You must be Haruno Sakura-san!
I'm Rock Lee!
I like you — please go out with me!
I will protect you with my life!"
Natsuki facepalmed.
Oh right...
This part of the story...
According to the anime, Sakura was considered very pretty — hence Naruto liked her, and Lee fell for her at first sight.
What made it worse was that Lee's love wasn't just a joke — later on, he truly did protect her with his life.
Poor Lee — how did he fall for her of all people?
Sakura instantly froze, then quickly refused:
"Sorry!
Your eyebrows are too thick...
And you're not my type!"
After that, she immediately hid behind Sasuke.
Naruto exploded instantly, shouting in chaos.
Natsuki's face twitched at the ridiculous scene.
He quickly grabbed Tenten — who was struggling not to blurt out sarcastic remarks — and dragged her toward the real third floor.
Rinya and Megumi hurried after them.
Neji called out to Lee once before following too.
There was nothing worth watching in this circus — better not waste time getting into the exam room.
They soon entered the third-floor examination hall.
The moment they stepped inside, a sea of hostile stares greeted them.
Everyone looked fierce and murderous — anyone less than iron-willed would feel crushed by the pressure.
But Natsuki's group obviously wasn't ordinary.
Calmly scanning the room, they locked onto their friends' position and headed straight over.
"Shino, Shikamaru, Chōji, Ino, Kiba, Hinata — looks like you guys from Team 8 and Team 10 signed up too.
Long time no see. How's everyone doing?"
Natsuki said this as he bumped fists with Shino.
They had been deskmates and close friends for years — their bond was naturally stronger.
Tenten also greeted them with a bright smile — but her smile for Shino was special.
Not just because he was a friend, but because he had played matchmaker for her and Natsuki.
Their relationship with Shino was something unique.
"Natsuki, Tenten, long time no see,"
Shino said with rare emotion.
He was genuinely happy — not just because he saw old friends, but because Natsuki and Tenten always noticed him immediately.
After all, his sense of presence was very low.
Even Kiba and Hinata, both skilled scouts, often forgot about him.
Only Natsuki and Tenten consistently noticed him right away.
Naturally, that made him very happy.
"I knew you two lovebirds would show up," Ino teased with a wave.
"But hey, why is everyone in Team 9 wearing sunglasses?"
"Sheesh... such a troublesome exam,"
Shikamaru said lazily, just like always.
"Hey Natsuki, after the exam, let's go to your house for a feast!
I've been craving your cooking for ages,"
Chōji chimed in — and everyone immediately agreed.
Wasn't that the truth?
Natsuki's cooking was amazing — ever since they graduated, they hadn't tasted it again.
Kiba and Akamaru barked excitedly in agreement.
Hinata, however, stayed silent, timid as always —
especially after seeing Neji was here too.
She became even more nervous.
Fortunately, Neji didn't make things difficult for her this time, allowing Hinata to secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
(End of Chapter)
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