An Unexpected Love (Book 2 of the Unexpected Series)

Ch. 15 - Try to Fool Me, I Can't Be Fooled Again

Summary: The next Chunin Exams are finally happening! Team Masumi begins the first stage of the joint Exams between Konoha and Suna.

The Chunin Exams came and went with as much fervor as the last ones they attended. Tensions were high on their journey. The Chunin Exams were being held in Konoha and Suna, a decision made by Tsunade and Gaara for reasons unknown. Kokoro thought it was a way to show other nations that Konoha and Suna were allies despite the attack coordinated by Orochimaru and Suna-nin – a show of power. About a month after Kokoro had moved to Kirigakure, Iwagakure had taken a chance and attacked Konoha. Thinking Konoha was fragile and weak after Orichimaru's attack and the death of the Hokage, they had advanced troops, only to be met with defiance. Their attack had been all for naught and showed the rest of the shinobi world that they couldn't be trusted. So, a joint Chunin Exams was a solution.

The Chunin Exams were important for Team Masumi. Due to rising tensions between villages, the exams had been put off for another year. Villages were less than eager to send their genin to foreign borders. That didn't mean shinobi weren't being promoted. During extraordinary circumstances, shinobi could be promoted in rank. Kokoro, Junichiro, and Enkai were all promoted to Chunin through a special exam graded by the Mizukage and the Elders on the council. Unfortunately, they had to take the exams to keep that rank. Eager to prove themselves, they were stone-faced as they approached the gates of Konohagakure. It was their chance to prove that they could come back after tragedy or big change. Enkai and Junichiro had to prove they could bounce back after losing a teammate, and Kokoro had to prove that she had the drive to keep going in the face of adversity. They had done nothing but eat, sleep, and train during the month leading up to the exams. Against all odds, they had become a well-oiled unit ready to take on the shinobi world.

The shinobi that led them to their room was someone Kokoro never paid attention but wish she would have as he continued to glare at her and her team with disdain. A few times he muttered under his breath, and Kokoro was able to pick out the insults he directed towards her. She couldn't believe the nerve of him for being mad about her decision to leave! First, they hated her for being a Hatake and now they hated her for being a Yuki and going to Kiri. They needed to keep her name out of their mouths and leave her alone because she was not one to take their shit anymore. And when they reached the door to their room and the shinobi turned to leave, she made a point to acknowledge his words and warn him about the consequences of negative words.

"You never know who I know. I'd hate for someone to think your 'Will of Fire' had been burned out before it could blaze," she said. Glee lit up inside her at the pale sheet his face became before he left.

"'Will of Fire'?" Junichiro asked curiously.

"It's the Konoha shinobi motto; it's something all Konoha shinobi live by. The 'Will of Fire' is the way in which we prioritize unity, and it spurs us on to fight. It's our strength and our character and our dreams and our hopes from one generation to the next."

"'We'?" Enkai questioned.

"I was born and raised her," Kokoro simplified. "I will always have it."

"Despite the new waves of the ocean?"

"Balance is necessary, after all," she ended the conversation.

They settled in for the night. Kokoro knew it was as good as time as any to catch up with her friends and family that she'd not seen in over a year, but she couldn't do that to herself. She needed to stay focused, and that meant there was no time to seek out companions. Even if she wanted to catch up with Haku and his mission adventures and show him her confident moves with her kekkei genkai. Even if she wanted to find Shikamaru and play a couple games of Shogi despite her rustiness and history of losing against him. Even if she wanted to visit Kiba and Akamaru and Tsume and Hana. Heck, even if she wanted to visit her dad to just see his face and make sure he was healthy.