Chapter 101: Promotion Commotion (Part-2) [Room 301 and the Endless Hallway]

Chapter 101 - Promotion Commotion (Part-2) [Room 301 and the Endless Hallway] The boy turned around and responded, "Ah, Ren-San." It was none other than Itachi Uchiha, roaming around the streets of Konoha with a tiny squirt tagging along behind him. And, of course, he was casually flaunting his fully matured three-tomoe Sharingan like it was just another sunny day. Ren narrowed his eyes. "And why the hell are you flexing your Sharingan in broad daylight?" Ren said, hands in his pocket. "Your face alone is enough to get recognized; no need to glow up like a walking clan logo." Before Itachi could answer, the squirt behind him dashed forward, arms spread wide like a mini bodyguard. "Don't speak to my big bro like that!" the boy shouted, cheeks puffed up in anger. It would've been a noble gesture, if the kid didn't have such a punchable face. Ren crouched down to his level, spreading his knees wide, resting both hands on them, and grinning. "Oh? Whatchu gonna do, squirt?" Before Sasuke could puff up further, Yugao's fist dropped down squarely on Ren's head with a dull bonk. "What's with you?" she scolded. "Talking to a kid like that, people would think you're waiting for Itachi to walk off so you can kidnap him." Ren waved her off. "Relax. This kid just has a punch-*cough* cute face. That's right. Cute. I just wanted to see it up close." Itachi stepped forward protectively, subtly shifting in front of Sasuke. His voice was calm but direct. "Ren-San, this is my younger brother, Sasuke. And," he paused, looking Ren dead in the eyes, "please don't talk to him." Ren blinked. "Huh?" "Ever," Itachi added flatly. "Sasuke, don't talk to this person. And if you ever see him alone, run. Understand?" Sasuke gave a serious nod as if he'd just received top-secret Uchiha protocol. Hitoshi, standing nearby, chimed in, "Remind me to inform my younger brother the same." Ren looked over indignantly. "Hey! Akira likes me just fine, thank you very much. I even gave him candy once!" "Yes," Hitoshi replied. "And now he keeps asking when the 'tooth-rotting big brother' is coming back." Ignoring the sass, Ren reached into his space belt and pulled out a tomato. "Here, want one?" he offered, holding it out to Sasuke. Sasuke's eyes sparkled, but he stayed strong, glaring at the tomato and then at Ren. "No! I don't want it!" Ren calmly pulled out a second tomato. "How about two?" Sasuke's eyes wavered. His grip on Itachi's sleeve trembled slightly. Then with a dramatic thud, Ren pulled out an entire crate of tomatoes from his space belt. "How about a whole crate?" Yugao blinked. "Wait. Why the hell do you have a crate of tomatoes in your belt?" Ren looked at the crate in his arms and genuinely pondered. "Honestly... I don't remember. Maybe I bought one this morning to stock up... and then forgot I already had one?" Sasuke was visibly shaking now. He looked up at Itachi, desperate. The temptation was clearly too much. Itachi reacted instantly. Scooping Sasuke up in one arm, he raised the other and incinerated the entire crate in a swift Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu. "I'll see you at the exams," he said flatly to Ren. "And once again, stay away from my brother." With that, he flickered away, leaving nothing behind but ashes and silence. Ren blinked at the smoking spot where the tomatoes once were, then suddenly clapped his hands together. "Oh, right! I did buy one in the morning. Then I bought another after training... I should probably organize the belt better. Maybe add a compartment system." He began muttering to himself and started walking off in a half-crouch, still in deep thought about storage upgrades. Yugao sighed. She gently grabbed the back of his collar and straightened him up like a badly adjusted signpost. "Walk straight, you idiot." Ren kept mumbling. Yugao shook her head, waved to Hitoshi, and followed after him. Hitoshi, left alone, simply turned and headed in the opposite direction. Not a word spoken. ~~~ The next day arrived with a clear morning sky and an unusually quiet front gate at the Academy. Standing near the entrance were Yugao and Hitoshi, dressed in their official gear, with Utakata standing calmly beside them. Yugao glanced around, clearly agitated. "Did that idiot actually forget we have an exam today? What's he doing, still improving that dumb belt of his?" Hitoshi answered calmly, "It's possible. Last year, while you were away, we were in the middle of a mission debrief with the Hokage when Ren saw a seal on one of the walls in the office. He just stopped mid-sentence and started examining it like the meeting wasn't even happening." Yugao blinked. "Huh? And Hokage-sama didn't say anything?" Hitoshi shook his head. "No. In fact, he entertained the question. Even Sensei joined the discussion." He glanced sideways at Utakata, who gave no reaction whatsoever, pretending like he had no memory of the incident. Before the conversation could continue further, Ren flickered in front of them. "Sorry I'm late. It just took a little more time than expected-" He was about to launch into an explanation, probably involving ink types and a newly installed compartment system, but Yugao immediately cut him off. "Alright, let's go. You can brag about your belt upgrades later." Utakata clapped his hands lightly, drawing their attention as they stood side by side. "Alright, you three. You've come a long way since the day you were assigned to Team 1. You've grown stronger, smarter, and more dangerous, let's be honest." He smiled faintly, then his tone turned serious. "But now, it's time to put everything you've learned to the test." He looked at each of them individually, his gaze steady. "The Chunin Exams are a big moment for every shinobi, but do you know why these exams exist at all?" he asked. "We shinobi are taught to live in secrecy. To hide in shadows. To move unseen. And yet the Chunin Exams are held in public, where civilians and foreign dignitaries can watch. Why?" He paused but didn't wait for an answer before continuing. "It's because these exams aren't just for you, or even for other shinobi. They're for the people of the village. The civilians. The merchants. The ones who can't use chakra or jutsu. These exams show them that the next generation is ready. That someone will protect them." Yugao and Hitoshi both straightened slightly. Even Ren's usual smirk faded. "You might wonder why you have to protect people you don't even know. You might think it's unfair that you spend years training, risking your life, and still have to take up more responsibility. But that's the truth of power. With power comes duty." Utakata's voice didn't rise, but it carried weight. "Everyone sacrifices something. Civilians live safe lives but carry the fear of being unable to protect themselves. Shinobi live dangerous lives, but they have power. And power means responsibility. If you want to enjoy the strength you've earned, you have to pay the price, and that price is protecting those who can't protect themselves." He stepped forward and placed a hand gently on each of their heads, one by one. "So go. Enter the exam, not for a rank or a reward. But to prove to the people of Konoha that the village's future is safe in your hands." The three Genin gave synchronized nods. No quips. No jokes. Utakata waved them off with a rare full smile. "Go on, before you're late." As the trio entered the Academy building, disappearing into the crowd of other Genin teams waiting to check in, Utakata remained by the gate, watching them until they were out of sight, then closed his eyes. A moment later, a flicker of movement to his side. A large figure appeared beside him, silent. The man placed a heavy hand on Utakata's head. "You've grown up well, Utakata," he said, voice deep but warm. "Looks like you finally understand what it means to be a shinobi." Utakata didn't open his eyes as he replied, "Yes, Sensei." ~~~ Team 1 continued moving through the corridors of the academy, passing room after room. Once they presented their forms, they learned that they needed to head to room 301, however, every door bore the sign "Room 301," making it clear that a Genjutsu had been placed over the halls to confuse the examinee. But that wasn't much of a challenge for Ren. With his A-rank Genjutsu resistance, the illusions peeled away like mist under sunlight. Without wasting time, he quietly led Yugao and Hitoshi to the real room 301. When they entered, only a handful of teams were present. Without any intention to socialize or draw attention, Team 1 moved to the back and took three seats together. There were no assigned spots, so they simply claimed an empty row and waited. As time passed, the room steadily filled with more squads. Ren kept his eyes peeled, analyzing each group that came in. Some were familiar faces he'd seen during his brief time in the academy, but others, especially those from foreign villages, were unknown to him. Then the door opened again, and a squad wearing Stone Village headbands walked in. The girl at the front carried herself with a confidence beyond her years. "Look ahead," Ren said under his breath, leaning slightly toward Yugao and Hitoshi. "That's the Tsuchikage's granddaughter. Her name's Kurotsuchi." The rest of the room seemed to recognize her as well. Heads turned, whispers passed, and tension rose. After all, she wasn't just another Genin, she was the granddaughter of the Third Tsuchikage, and word had already spread that her presence meant the Tsuchikage himself would be attending the final rounds. Ren scanned her team quickly. 'Kurotsuchi, Level 46,' he noted. 'About the same as Yugao and Hitoshi. She's strong but nothing too crazy. Yugao should match up well against her.' He glanced at the larger boy behind her, Akatsuchi. 'Level 36. Big guy, lots of stamina, probably uses Earth Release. Shouldn't be a problem.' His eyes landed on the third member. A boy who looked slightly older than the rest, maybe thirteen or fourteen. There was nothing particularly special about him. 'Level 32. Average.' He continued scanning the room, comparing levels, but quickly grew disappointed. 'Most of these guys are in their twenties.' He frowned slightly. I've gotten too used to dealing with monsters. Forgot that average Chunin level starts around 20.' He looked across the room and caught sight of Kabuto, chatting amiably with two other Genin. 'Kabuto, level 29. Not bad, but his teammates are only 22 and 23. Pretty weak. He's not special yet, not until Danzo sends him to Orochimaru.' Ren's eyes narrowed for a moment. 'I should be careful. He's still a spy in the making.' A sudden sensation made him glance to the side as he felt someone was watching him. He turned and met eyes with Itachi Uchiha, sitting alone a few rows up. For a moment, their gazes locked. Itachi tilted his head slightly in a polite greeting. Ren blinked. 'What a brocon. Yesterday he looked ready to kill me just for talking to Sasuke, and now he greets me like nothing happened.' He nodded back and chuckled under his breath. Looking around once more, Ren confirmed that there was no one else particularly interesting, no jinchuriki or prodigies out of legend, aside from the ones he already knew. Just then, a procession of Chunin entered the room, lining up against both side walls. Each one wore a stern face, watching the Genin with sharp eyes. The room quieted. The door opened one last time as a man with pineapple-shaped hair walked in, stifling a yawn. "Looks like a few couldn't find the real room," he muttered, unimpressed. "Oh well." He ambled toward the front podium and dropped into the chair, looking completely uninterested in being there. Then he raised a hand and signaled to a Chunin, who walked up and pinned a chart to the blackboard , the official seating arrangement. "Learn your seating orders and move it," the Chunin barked. The Genin all stood, scanning the board and adjusting to their assigned seats. Ren found himself in the third row from the front, while Yugao and Hitoshi ended up spread a few seats apart, still within eye contact. Once the reshuffling was done, stacks of paper began circulating as the examiners passed out test sheets. The pineapple-haired man leaned forward with clear reluctance and lazily dropped the words, "Begin." The Chunin exams had officially started. ~~~~~ {Here we go} {In this arc, we would have many fun moments, like the one with Sasuke, but a few serious ones like Utakata's moment in this Chapter, so get ready.} {Also, this arc just ended on pat-reon so you can join in if you wish to read advanced Chapters and see 'The first Chapter' finally end.} {Thanks, The 3 B's, Almotazbllah Ahmed, Arcane, Mason Erickson and Auzzo for becoming members.} { h t t p s : / / w w w . p a t r e o n . c o m / / Z e e n o n } {You can just search for my name too, it's the one with tom's pic (from tom and Jerry)} {You know what else to do.} {STONES!!!!}