The day of the Chūnin Exams arrived quickly.
Nagi, Ameno, and Shizuka traveled together to the examination venue. After showing their exam admission passes to the guards at the entrance, they were allowed inside.
However, since the first stage of the exam was scheduled for 10:00 AM, and it was only 8:00 AM, they found a place in the waiting area and sat down to pass the time.
At that moment, Team 7, the team Naruko belonged to, spotted Nagi and came over to greet him.
"Long time no see, Nagi." ×3
"Mm. Long time no see, Naruko, Satsuki, Sakura."
Satsuki immediately noticed the two girls standing beside Nagi.
Recalling what Naruko had told her during the Land of Waves mission, she instantly realized that these two must be Nagi's teammates.
Hearing about them was one thing.
Seeing them in person was another.
The moment Naruko and Satsuki saw Shizuka and Ameno, their hearts felt as if someone had squeezed them tightly.
Shizuka and Ameno also noticed something unusual about Naruko and Satsuki, and quickly understood what was going on.
As the four girls looked at one another—
It felt as though sparks were flying in the air.
Nagi sensed the strange tension between them.
Meanwhile, Sakura silently transformed into a spectator enjoying the drama.
Shizuka spoke first.
"Hello. I'm Fūma Shizuka, and this is Ameno. We're Nagi's teammates. Naruko, this must be the Satsuki you talk about so often. She looks very cool."
Naruko nodded.
"That's right. She's the arrogant Satsuki I always talk about. Even though she usually acts all cold and aloof, when she's around Nagi she really likes to—"
Smack!
Satsuki slapped the back of Naruko's head.
The enemy is standing right here, and you're sabotaging us yourself? Are you stupid?
Staring directly into Shizuka's eyes, Satsuki said coldly,
"I'm Satsuki Uchiha. I hope during this exam you won't hold Nagi back."
Shizuka replied with a gentle smile.
"Of course not."
"You'd better not."
Just then, Team 8—the team Hinata belonged to—also noticed Nagi.
Before Naruko and the others could react—
A blur flashed past them.
Suddenly, Hinata appeared, clinging tightly to Nagi's right arm, nearly leaning her entire body against him.
"Hehe, Nagi, I missed you so much!"
As she spoke, Hinata leaned in, aiming a kiss toward Nagi's cheek.
The four girls instantly rushed forward and dragged Hinata away.
Even Hinata couldn't fight four opponents at once.
Struggling, she shouted,
"Let go of me! I haven't even gotten affectionate with Nagi yet!"
Satsuki snapped sharply,
"Not happening!"
Naruko immediately added,
"Exactly! There's no way we're letting you sneak ahead alone!"
Shizuka and Ameno helped restrain Hinata.
They had thought Satsuki was already aggressive enough—
But they hadn't expected someone even more bold… practically a female hooligan.
Yet when they saw Hinata trying to kiss Nagi, the same thought couldn't help but arise in their own minds.
While restraining Hinata, they secretly glanced toward Nagi's lips.
Being stared at by four girls like that made Nagi feel uneasy.
The situation seemed to be spiraling far beyond his expectations.
So he quietly asked Sakura beside him,
"Um… Sakura, what's going on with them?"
Sakura froze for a moment when she saw Nagi's reaction—especially the clear innocence in his eyes.
But she quickly recovered, patted him on the shoulder, and said,
"They're fine, Nagi. Please continue to preserve that innocent purity of yours.
People like you are almost extinct in the ninja world."
Seeing Nagi like this, Sakura couldn't even bear the thought of letting him read certain adult health books to broaden his knowledge.
It might corrupt his pure heart.
After a while, the five girls somehow all glanced at Nagi at the same time.
Then they moved aside and began whispering among themselves.
It looked suspiciously like they were… holding a meeting.
Meanwhile, ninja from Kumogakure—Omoi, Karui, and Atsui—also spotted Nagi.
Atsui immediately ran over enthusiastically.
"Hey! Isn't this our hero? Are you here to serve as one of the proctors?"
Nagi replied awkwardly,
"Uh… you can just call me Nagi. Please don't call me 'hero.'
And I'm not a proctor. I'm also a participant in the Chūnin Exams."
"WHAT?!" ×3
The three of them reacted as if they had just heard something unbelievable.
Atsui said in shock,
"How is that possible?! Nagi, aren't you a jōnin?"
"I'm a genin."
The three of them froze, their faces filled with disbelief.
Karui stammered,
"Y-You're… a genin?! That's impossible! Is Konoha mistreating you or something?"
"That's not the case. I only graduated from the Ninja Academy a few months ago."
Well…
They had no choice but to accept reality.
Omoi looked utterly defeated.
"I can't believe someone as strong as Nagi is participating in the Chūnin Exams. Does that mean this exam is full of hidden monsters? I was planning to show off my abilities, get noticed by Lord Raikage, become a candidate for Raikage, then through hard work become an even stronger candidate for Raikage, and then—"
BAM!
"Ow!"
"Why are you yelling your nonsense again?!"
Seeing Omoi starting one of his classic overthinking monologues, Karui punched him straight on the head.
Afterward, Atsui and the others said,
"If you need any help during the exam, just let us know."
Then they went off to find other ninja from their village.
Sakura was just about to ask Nagi what the whole "hero" thing was about—
When Team 10, Ino's team, arrived.
"Sakura! Long time no see!"
"Yeah, Ino, it's been a while."
Seeing her best friend, Sakura happily went over to chat.
Meanwhile, Nagi began talking with Shikamaru, Chōji, Kiba, and Shino.
The five of them were old acquaintances, so they joked around freely. Before long they were patting each other on the shoulders and casually throwing their arms around one another.
But at that exact moment—
The five girls finished their "meeting" and returned.
When they saw Nagi standing there with his arm around the others, chatting happily—
All five of them frowned at the same time.
Tsunade: Heh. I finally see it now. Nagi, you're truly extreme when it comes to relationships. You get along perfectly with the guys—everyone becomes your close friend. But when it comes to girls, you understand absolutely nothing.
Nagi: …
Mito Uzumaki: I hope these girls can awaken Nagi's romantic feelings. Otherwise he'll end up just like his teacher.
Jiraiya: Sigh… Senior, while brotherhood between men is important, you can't only focus on that! You'll miss out on a lot of fun in life.
Madara Uchiha: Hmph. I think Nagi is doing quite well. Such pointless matters would only interfere with his trai—
Madara suddenly realized something.
Relationships between men and women might actually accelerate Nagi's training.
All of a sudden, Madara felt Nagi's Mangekyō ability seemed strangely rebellious.
Tajima Uchiha: That's enough. Back in your day you scared off who knows how many girls who tried to meet you. You shouldn't be talking about this.
Madara Uchiha: …
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