"Lock, what should we watch out for in the Chūnin Exams?"
Kurenai was now eleven. In this harsh shinobi world, even at that age, she was already maturing quickly, her slim figure hinting at the kunoichi she would become.
Asuma had also grown. His hairstyle was still bold, but compared to his younger days, he carried himself with more composure. Two years had cooled his stubborn pursuit of Kurenai—he had given up trying to win her heart—but his rivalry with Lock hadn't softened in the slightest.
The Chūnin Exams loomed ahead, and both Kurenai and Asuma turned to Lock for advice.
Lock leaned back, considering. "If I had to give one piece of advice… do what you can handle. Don't overreach."
It wasn't much, but it was honest. His own Chūnin Exam years ago had been chaotic: the written test had been manageable, but the survival phase in the Forest of Death had spiraled into accidents and desperate clashes. Not exactly the kind of experience one could pass on.
"Tch. That's the same as saying nothing," Asuma scoffed.
Lock's gaze slid toward him, sharp. "Shut it. Just listen. Protect Kurenai. If she's injured even once during the exam, I'll make sure you regret it."
Asuma bristled. "That's my job, not yours." His recent training under the Third Hokage had filled him with new confidence; he felt ready to challenge Lock outright.
Lock ignored the posturing, his voice softening only when he looked at Kurenai. "Be careful. Both of you."
Watching them prepare stirred something in him. Time was moving quickly. They were no longer academy brats—soon, they would stand as full-fledged shinobi.
But while his friends focused on the exam, Lock's mind wainon a greater storm.
The Third Shinobi World War.
He remembered the trigger: the mysterious disappearance of Sunagakure's Third Kazekage. Suna had suspected Konoha, and conflict flared. When Suna marched, the other great villages soon followed. The flames spread until every nation was dragged into war.
The timeline haunted him. Kakashi was barely twelve when he fought at Kannabi Bridge, a battle already in the middle stages of the war. Which meant… the war itself could ignite any time now.
Over the past two years, Lock had noticed the signs. Skirmishes at the borders. Villages swelling their armies. Even Konoha's Sannin had been deployed—Jiraiya to the front against Iwagakure. The Third Hokage wouldn't send them out unless things were close to breaking.
The pressure weighed on him. His skills were sharper than ever, his stealth and techniques strong enough to contend with most jōnin one-on-one. But war wasn't about duels. On a battlefield of hundreds, even his unique advantages could be crushed under sheer numbers. His chakra reserves were larger than most, but still finite. In a prolonged battle, he wouldn't last.
He needed more strength. And soon. Staying within the village walls would no longer cut it.
"Da-dump."
A knock interrupted his thoughts. Lock's head lifted sharply, and he stepped out of his room.
An ANBU operative in a mask stood before him. "Chūnin Lock. Orders from above. Report to the village gates immediately."
Lock frowned. "I'm assigned to Captain Yūhi Shinku's squad. Any mission orders should go through him."
The ANBU produced a sealed document and held it out. "Transfer order. Effective immediately. You've been reassigned. Report to the gates at once."
Lock scanned the paper. The seal was genuine. His jaw tightened. "A mission outside the village, then?"
"Yes," the ANBU confirmed.
Lock gave a short nod. "Understood. I'll gather my gear."
The ANBU vanished with a swirl of leaves, leaving Lock alone with the quiet weight of the order.
He exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing. Something serious was coming.
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