Chapter 297: Chunin Exam
That evening, Mugetsu finished his study session with Tsunade and headed back toward his house in the main district.
"Are you buying or not? If you're not, I'm closing up. You've been standing here for almost an hour," the vendor said, rubbing his temples as he looked at the red haired girl frozen in front of his cart.
Mei Terumi did not answer. She was locked in a life or death struggle against three choices: strawberry, vanilla, or chocolate.
Chocolate meant something special to her. It was the first ice cream flavor she had ever tasted, the one that showed her a world where something this delicious could exist.
Vanilla came later, but its crisp, clean sweetness quickly stole the top spot in her rankings.
Strawberry was the wild card. She had never tasted it before, because she had never even eaten a strawberry, let alone strawberry ice cream.
One was the flavor that opened the door to ice cream for her. One was her current favorite. And one was a mystery she had never tried. Each option felt like it had a perfect reason. That made choosing harder than any sparring match.
"If you can't decide, why not buy one of each?" Mugetsu said casually as he passed by on the same street.
He understood the pain. In his previous life, he could stare at takeout menus for over an hour, then still end up ordering the first thing he clicked. Compared to that, choosing one out of three flavors was basically a warm up.
"You can do that?!" Mei's eyes went wide as she stared at him like he had just invented ninjutsu.
The idea was so simple it felt genius. She was a ninja now. She did not need to beg adults for pocket money. She could buy what she wanted, as much as she wanted. A brand new world cracked open in her mind.
"Then give me two of each," Mei blurted out, doubling it on the spot.
The vendor's mood instantly flipped. He hurried to pack six ice creams into a bag and handed it over with a brisk smile.
Honestly, if Mei had not needed to go home for dinner, he might have been fine letting her stand there longer. A customer in front of the cart made the stall look busy. But closing time was closing time.
Mugetsu kept walking toward home.
He had only helped because it cost him one sentence. She was a Hidden Mist ninja, and he had no reason to get close to her. Whatever he felt about Konoha in his heart, he still had to maintain his surface identity.
"Hey. You. The one who looks way too enthusiastic. Stop a second," Mei called out.
She had been in a rush and blurted out the first description that came to mind.
Mugetsu turned back and looked at her. He could not tell if she was being polite or rude. She had invented a nickname for him, but she still spoke with a respectful tone.
Mei hesitated, then reluctantly pulled out the strawberry ice cream and held it out.
"Here. Consider this payment for earlier."
She did not want to give it away. But he had helped her open a new way of thinking, and that counted as kindness, even if he was from Konoha.
Besides, she figured an adult would probably refuse a gift from a child from another village. If he refused, she would have repaid him, and she would still keep her ice cream. Perfect plan.
"Then thank you very much," Mugetsu said with a faint smile, accepting it without hesitation.
He knew this kind of situation. If he refused, it would turn into a bigger thing. If he accepted and left, it ended right there.
He turned and walked off again, heading home.
Mei stood there completely stunned.
This was not how it was supposed to go. What kind of adult accepts ice cream from a nine year old girl?
Her right hand twitched forward, wanting to grab it back, but she was too embarrassed to call him again. She had handed it over herself.
"I'm such a fool," Mei muttered, her eyes hollowing out as the reality sank in. The strawberry ice cream that had almost been hers had flown away.
She clenched her jaw, trying to patch her pride.
"Maybe strawberry isn't even that good."
If it was mediocre, then she had not lost much. At least her favorite vanilla and the nostalgic chocolate were still safe.
Mei found a small park, sat on a bench, and started eating right away. She went for vanilla first, because it was her favorite. The moment she took a big spoonful, a genuine smile spread across her face.
She planned to eat chocolate next, but after a moment's thought, she chose to try strawberry instead.
As soon as the strawberry ice cream hit her tongue, her eyes widened.
It was better than vanilla. Way better.
Her expression immediately collapsed as she remembered what she had done.
Good news: the new flavor was incredible.
Bad news: she had given one away.
That night, even after she crawled into bed, she could not stop thinking about it. The blond man's smile kept flashing through her mind, right alongside the strawberry ice cream she had sacrificed.
There had been two delicious strawberry ice creams right in front of her, and she had not cherished them. If she ever got another chance…
…
On the morning of July 1st, the Chunin Exams officially began.
Because so many ninja would be gathering at the Ninja School today, including plenty from other villages, the school simply gave its students the day off. It was safer that way, and it prevented pointless accidents.
"The Chunin Exams… I didn't think we'd be allowed to join this soon." Shiranui Genma stared at the school gate and let out a breath. "A few months ago, Chunin felt like something way beyond us."
Back then he was not even a Genin. In his eyes, Chunin were rock solid people you could trust.
"Participating doesn't mean you become Chunin," Ebisu replied bluntly. "And we're only allowed in because of Might Guy."
Their situation was similar to Obito's team. Might Guy's record and strength made Teacher Chen confident they could handle the exam, so he recommended them.
But Chen had warned them beforehand. Their strength was good for their age, yes, but becoming Chunin would still be extremely hard. Better to hold no expectations than walk away crushed.
"Hehehe." Genma hooked Ebisu's arm and grinned. "People need a dream, right? Kakashi became Chunin at six. We're nine. Maybe we can do it too."
"Just give everything you have," Might Guy said, flashing them a brilliant smile and a thumbs up. "If you do that, even if you fail, you won't regret it."
Ebisu nodded. He sounded pessimistic, but he was here. Of course he still wanted to pass.
"Might Guy, you guys are taking the Chunin Exams too!" Obito called out as he spotted them, waving hard.
"Yeah. You too, right?" Genma answered with a nod.
"Of course!" Obito laughed loudly. "Not only are we taking it, we're passing in one go and becoming Chunin!"
Might Guy's eyes snapped to Kakashi, who was walking over with Obito and Rin. His fighting spirit lit up instantly.
"My rival, let's have a youthful, passionate competition! Let's see whose Chunin Exams score is higher!"
"Fine." Kakashi nodded calmly. "Let's compare our results from the first stage."
"My youth is burning!" Might Guy felt his blood rush. The moment Kakashi accepted so straightforwardly, he wanted the exam to start right now.
Ebisu watched them and felt the vibe was strangely wholesome, then something clicked and his expression went stiff.
Kakashi, who was already a Chunin, also seemed to be participating.
Ebisu noticed Kakashi was not wearing his Chunin vest today.
He walked up, still confused. "Kakashi, are you also taking this Chunin Exams with Obito and Rin?"
Kakashi's mouth twitched. After a brief pause, he answered honestly, "Yes. For various reasons, I'm participating this time."
Ebisu's hope dropped another notch. A Chunin taking the Chunin Exams was ridiculous.
"I really hope he's the only exception," Ebisu sighed inside.
Genma and Might Guy did not notice anything weird. To them, it was normal for Kakashi, as their teammate, to be in the same exam.
As the start time drew closer, more and more ninja arrived.
Ebisu's eyes sharpened. He spotted headbands that were not Leaf at all.
"Rain, Hidden Waterfall, Grass… Kirigakure." He listed them quietly, recognizing the villages by their symbols.
"You guys are taking it already?" Asuma walked over when he saw Obito's group. He had graduated last year, and this was his first time in the exams.
"Is that not allowed?" Obito scratched his head in confusion.
That question actually left Asuma stuck. He was a first timer too. He did not know the rules that well.
"Well, whatever." Asuma recovered quickly and grinned. "I've gotten a lot stronger since special training ended. If you run into me later, you'll be surprised."
"I've also improved a lot," Obito said with the same confidence, except for one part of the exam.
The nine of them chatted while walking toward the assigned exam building. They entered the test room and took their pre arranged seats.
With ten minutes left, all the proctors filed in and began announcing the rules for the first stage of the Chunin Exams.
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