"Those eyebrows are way too thick... I've never seen anything like it," Naruto whispered, wide-eyed.
"Me... me neither." Kanon's gaze was glued to Might Guy and Rock Lee.
"How can a human being have eyebrows that dense?!" Sakura joined in, her voice hushed with disbelief.
Sasuke stood silently, staring at Might Guy without a word.
"Hey, you guys! Don't you dare make fun of Guy-sensei!" Lee barked, turning back to scold the members of Team 7.
"You're so annoying!! Weirdos just keep showing up one after another; we don't even know how to react anymore!" Naruto yelled back.
Suddenly, Might Guy swung a heavy punch straight into Lee's face.
"Idiot!"
The four members of Team 7 froze, especially Kanon, she couldn't believe her eyes. Lee had landed on the ground just a few feet away from her.
Might Guy walked over to the fallen Lee and gazed at him with intense emotion.
"Lee... you... oh, you wonderful boy."
"Se... Sensei!"
"Lee!"
"Guy-sensei!"
The two burst into tears, embracing one another.
Watching this passionate "confession" between master and student, Kanon felt as if she had been dropped into a high-intensity youth drama. She could almost see the sunset beach in the background, with these two figures in green jumpsuits running toward the horizon.
For a scene like this, Kanon could only describe it with one word: Youthful.
After the display, Guy ordered Lee to run a hundred laps around the training ground toward the setting sun. As the two prepared to bolt, Kanon finally spoke up. "Um... registration closes in thirty minutes. Aren't you going to sign up?"
"Oh, right. I suppose we should."
Guy paused to introduce himself to the group. "I am Might Guy. Just so we're clear, I'm even stronger than Kakashi!"
"Kakashi and I are eternal rivals. The score is 50 to 49. I'm one win ahead!"
Nearby, Lee began re-wrapping the bandages on his hands. The movement drew the group's attention to the scars and calluses on the back of his hands, the undeniable marks of grueling, daily special training.
Kanon understood those marks better than anyone; she had them too. However, for some reason, her recovery speed was incredibly high, and her wounds would almost vanish within a few days. Because of this, she didn't need to stay wrapped in gauze, unlike Lee.
Sasuke looked at his sister standing before him and clenched his fists. He wasn't some sheltered greenhouse flower; he knew that everyone they had encountered lately seemed to have a lead on him.
Once Guy led Lee and his team away to register, the four members of Team 7 headed to the registration desk themselves. As expected, Kakashi was waiting there.
"I see. So Sakura came too."
"Now the application for the Chunin Exams can be officially submitted."
The group caught a hidden meaning in Kakashi's words. "What do you mean?" Sakura asked, confused.
"Actually, the Chunin Exams require a three-man squad. However, since our team is an exception with four members, you only qualify if all four of you agree to participate together."
"And if only Sasuke, Kanon, and Naruto had shown up?" Sakura pressed.
"Then I would have stopped them here and taken them home. I wouldn't have let them take the exam," Kakashi told her calmly. "But... you all came here of your own free will."
"Kanon, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura... I'm glad you're here."
"You are a team I can be proud of!"
"Now, go."
Kakashi stepped aside, clearing the path. Team 7 moved forward with renewed determination.
"Alright! We're off, Kakashi-sensei!" Kanon and Naruto took the lead in the center, while Sakura and Sasuke pushed open the double doors.
At this moment, the Uchiha prodigies, the "dead-last" Naruto, and Sakura truly began their journey into the Chunin Exams!
As they pushed the doors open, the atmosphere inside was as loud and chaotic as a busy street. Kanon spotted several familiar faces immediately. Shikamaru and his team turned to look at them, and even Rock Lee, whom Kanon had just defeated, was already inside.
Before long, every ninja in the room had their eyes fixed on Team 7.
Seeing dozens of shinobi, many a head taller than her and radiating pure killing intent, Sakura felt her courage waver. She took a half-step back and swallowed hard. The sheer pressure in the room was immense.
Before Sakura could compose herself, Ino Yamanaka suddenly pounced on Sasuke, clinging to his back.
Kanon and Naruto looked away in exasperation as Sakura and Ino immediately began their usual bickering.
"What's this? You guys are taking this troublesome exam too?" Shikamaru walked over, sighing as he realized Team 7 had joined the fray.
Just as they began to chat with Team 10, Team 8 approached.
"Yahoo! It's rare to see everyone together like this." Kiba Inuzuka had his hands in his pockets, with his small dog, Akamaru, perched on his head.
"Hinata!" Kanon waved.
"H-hello, Kanon." Hinata blushed at the sight of Naruto and Kanon, offering a shy wave in return.
Shino Aburame stood silently as usual, watching the group through his dark glasses.
"Afternoon, Shino," Kanon said with a small smile.
"Afternoon..." Shino replied, appearing slightly taken aback by the direct greeting.
Kanon stepped forward and gave Akamaru a quick pat on the head.
"So, all of Team 7 is here, huh?" Kiba asked.
"Of course. Just like Team 8."
Shikamaru held his head in his hands. "What a pain... you guys had to come too!"
Kiba laughed, looking around at the gathered rookies. "I get it. So all ten rookies of this year are taking the exam?"
"Well, let's see how far we can make it. What do you think, Sasuke?"
"You're awfully confident, Kiba," Sasuke replied with a cold smirk.
"We've been training hard. We aren't going to lose to you guys."
Naruto, growing irritated, pointed a finger at Kiba. "You guys are so annoying! It's always Sasuke this, Sasuke that! I'm not losing to any of you!"
"Kanon, are you fired up or what?!" Naruto yelled.
"I'm ready!" Kanon shouted back. The two of them were the recognized "hotheads" of Team 7; seeing the hall filled with challengers had set their spirits ablaze.
Before their excitement could peak, a voice cut through the noise.
"Keep it down."
A ninja named Kabuto Yakushi approached the three teams. "Take a look around you."
Naruto and the others scanned the room. Every ninja in the hall was glaring at them with hostile intent.
"The guys behind you are from Amegakure. They're notorious for being short-tempered and aggressive," Kabuto warned.
Kabuto went on to reveal that this was his seventh time taking the Chunin Exams, explaining that they were held twice a year and he was now in his fourth year of testing. He pulled out his info cards and shared data on various participants, including Rock Lee and Gaara of the Desert.
The information on Gaara was staggering. Despite being their age, he had already completed an incredible number of high-level missions.
Sasuke and Naruto grit their teeth. Sakura, noticing Naruto's visible trembling, felt her own heart sink. Even Naruto is shaking? It made sense; they were rookie Genin facing veterans three or four years their senior.
Sakura stepped forward to comfort him. "Hey, Naruto... it's just an exam, don't be so nervous..."
She was cut off as Kanon blocked her path. Sakura looked at Kanon's profile—it was strikingly beautiful, but her lips were curved into a sharp, hungry smile.
Sakura then looked at Naruto. He wasn't trembling with fear; he was shaking with excitement. His fists were clenched tight.
"AAAAAAAAHHH!" Naruto let out a deafening roar, pointing at everyone in the room.
He took a deep breath and screamed at the top of his lungs, "MY NAME IS NARUTO UZUMAKI! AND I'M NOT GONNA LOSE TO ANY OF YOU! GOT IT?!"
Ino was stunned, and Sakura stood frozen. The sheer arrogance of the declaration was mind-blowing.
"What is he doing provoking everyone like that?!" Ino screamed at Sakura.
But before the echoes could die down, another voice rang through the room, cute and playful, yet filled with iron-clad conviction.
Kanon shouted toward the crowd, "MY NAME IS KANON UCHIHA! AND I'M NOT LOSING TO YOU EITHER!"
Another massive provocation. The entire room stared in disbelief at Kanon's taunt.
"Ah, that felt great," Naruto exhaled, turning to Kanon. "Nice one, Kanon!"
"Naruto, I'm not losing to you either!" Kanon was fully fired up now.
"Hey! I don't actually want to fight you!" Naruto replied, a bit flustered as he remembered how badly Kankuro had been beaten.
Sasuke's lips curled into a smirk. His sister and Naruto were undoubtedly "youthful" idiots, but the two of them had just said exactly what he was thinking.
In this Chunin Exam, Team 7 wouldn't lose to anyone!
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