Back at the Hotel
I calmly walk into the bathroom the instant we're back at the room. It is the one spot I'm guaranteed to have privacy to read Kakashi's letter.
I tear open the envelope.
Alvarcus,
I miss you. You didn't have to leave for Sound with Sasuke. You didn't have to play spy for Konoha. You didn't have to leave your home. You didn't have to leave me.
I know why you did. You're looking out for Sasuke, for everyone, as best as you can. I can't blame you for that. Maybe you'll do a better job than I did. I've lost so many people, I don't want to lose you too. Just come back. Whether it is tomorrow, a month from now, even years, come back. I want you back home where you belong.
Now, knowing you you're probably freaking out about why I am here. Let me easy your worries, I'm not here to bring you and Sasuke home. Not this time. I'm here to control the gennin and keep them from trying to ask you about you. Tsunade wanted someone who knew what is going on to be present, that way I can diffuse any potential catastrophes and help keep your cover. Basically I'm a glorified babysitter.
Tsunade also wants me to tell you to not kill anyone. I don't know why she is having me tell you that, I know you have enough common sense to know not to do that. She's very worried about you, especially since you're around your friends. She thinks they'll cloud your judgment. I'm not worried about that, I know how skilled you are.
If things do turn sour and your cover is compromised I want you to come find me.
I don't care if it is in the middle of the Chunin Exams, if your talking with a Sound shinobi, if you're eating dinner with the Kusakage himself, drop everything and get your ass to me. I'll protect you.
Kakashi
PS: Be extra wary of Konoha's pale artistic gennin. He's been asking your friends about you specifically. He wants to know what you're like, who you are as a person, why you left. I don't trust him, he has to have a motive.
I torch the letter as soon as I am done reading it. I can't risk it falling into Sasuke's or Tayuya's hands.
Kakashi's letter is both relieving and worrying at the same time. On one hand, he wants me home. He misses me, but he knows why I left. He understands and doesn't hold it against me. On the other, he told me Tsunade is worried about me, that she thinks I might end up killing someone. I haven't changed that much, I'm not a blood thirsty beast now. Orochimaru hasn't turned me into a crazed lunatic yet, not for lack of trying.
But the most concerning part of his letter is the last bit. Be extra wary of Konoha's pale artistic gennin. That could mean Sai, he's the only one I can think of that would fit that description. If it is Sai asking about me then he was ordered to by Root, by Danzo.
Why would Danzo order something so ridiculous? Danzo is an intelligent man, one who plans every move with the utmost delicacy. He wouldn't gamble on something like this, gamble on the odds that I'll show up to the Chunin Exams. I don't believe Danzo would redirect one of his assets on a slim chance. That can mean only one thing.
He knows I'm going to be here.
That is the only explanation. Somehow Danzo knows that I'll be here. Right now how he knows isn't the biggest issue. It's how much does he know? What worries me is if he knows that I'm still loyal to Konoha or not. Danzo is a die hard for loyalty to Konoha, if he doesn't know that I'm still working in Konoha's interests Sai might be here to eliminate me.
That could make things awkward. I have no intention of dying anytime soon, but I know what Sai can become. I know that he's really a good guy. I don't want to have to kill him to defend myself. Maybe I can get away with an epic beating instead of a kunai to the jugular?
"Oi. How long are you going to be in there for?" Tayuya's voice pulls me from the thoughts.
"Sorry, I'm coming out now." I exit the bathroom. "All yours."
I lazily walk to my hammock and plop down on it. I have four days to get a plan together to deal with Sai and whatever he wants with me. That's plenty of time.
...
Four Days Later
"I don't understand it. How are you not excited right now?" Sasuke asks me as we walk outside of our hotel for the first time in days.
"Why would I be excited? Do you not remember our last Chunin Exams?" I dryly respond. "Cuz that wasn't a cluster fuck at all."
"Not that. How are you not excited to be outside of that dreadful room?" Sasuke's body shivers minutely.
He had a rough time of it. Sasuke always wants to be doing something. Training, taking a mission, training, planning out what he will be doing for training, training, plotting his brother's demise, and more training. He can't sit still and relax for extended periods of time. Honestly I'm surprised he didn't push Tayuya and I to take him outside during our four day interlude.
"It wasn't that bad. I don't remember the last time I could relax like this. I finally got caught up on my reading." I idly reply as our group strolls towards the Exam location.
Tayuya rolls her eyes. "I can't believe you read those books. Disgusting."
"Have you ever read Icha Icha? They're surprisingly good, it isn't just porn like everyone thinks. There's a very intricate story. Don't judge a book by it's cover." I sass back at her.
"Whatever. Now you two need to be quiet. We're getting close, we might run into someone." Tayuya orders.
Sasuke and I both fall silent as we approach the building. There is a table set up on one of the sides of the building with a pair of shinobi sitting at it. Tayuya leads us over to them.
"Otogakure has two shinobi for the Chunin Exams." Tayuya professionally says.
"And their paperwork?" One of the desk shinobi dully replies. He's bored out of his mind.
Sasuke and I present the required paperwork. It basically says that Kusa isn't held responsible for any deaths or serious injury.
"Great. You're numbers 131 and 132." The other desk shinobi tosses Sasuke and I white circular badges with the numbers written in black. "Good luck."
Sasuke is number 131 and I am 132. We pin the badges onto our front. Interesting, is this what the Kusa shinobi's hint was about? The numbers are more important than you think.
Sasuke and I share a meaningful glance. He's drawn the same conclusion as me. Good, we won't have to say anything.
"Proceed to the field. Wait there and don't do anything provoking. A proctor will be there eventually, within the hour." The left desk shinobi gestures over his shoulder at a mob of waiting gennin.
"Green, Red." Tayuya calls out to us before we leave. "Don't do anything rash. Avoid who you have to and make our Kage proud."
"Of course." I say to her and Sasuke nods his consent.
It is time. We're going to take the Chunin Exams again. I hope it isn't as crazy as our first time through.
...
I casually turn to Sasuke. "We're doing the Chunin Exams again. I hope nothing crazy happens. Holy crap I sound weird. Stupid voice changing. I hate that, I sound like an annoying brat."
He scoffs at me. "It's us, of course something crazy is going to happen. I just hope it isn't too crazy. Don't worry about your voice. It's no more annoying than usual."
"Great. We're becoming self aware. We're literally planning around things going wrong because we know it's just our luck. Isn't that a cheerful concept?"
"Do shut up. You're going to ruin the mood."
"Yeah well you sound weird too so take that!"
"...That was the best comeback you could think of?"
"NO!" I say with way too quickly to make it believable. "Maybe. Okay fine, I'm a bit off my A-game right now since we have the exams and... yeah."
Sasuke lets out a deep sigh. "Let's just go onto the field now."
Sasuke and I boldly stroll onto the field. We're not the first ones here, I'd wager we're one of the last. There must be at least a hundred other contestants here, probably 130. I'm suspecting that the numbers are in order and not random. I wonder what that means.
A very curious thing happens as Sasuke and I get closer to the rest of the gennin. It gets quieter. Talking dies down as people openly stare at us both.
Particularly the Konoha and Suna gennin.
Some of them have anger displayed on their faces. Others have fear. Few have indifference. The ones that concern me are the people with hope etched on their faces. They are the ones I need to avoid. They are my friends.
"And you thought I was going to ruin the mood." I blandly throw Sasuke's words back at him.
"It's definitely not a warm welcome." Sasuke dryly says to me.
"What did you expect? Smiles and hugs for everyone? You have to remember that Sound's invasion of Konoha is the latest major incident. We're going to be very popular."
We both stop a ways from everyone else. We purposefully segregated ourselves to hopefully avoid unwanted contact with others, whether the contact be physical or words. We really don't want to cause a scene before the exams start. I can't imagine how furious Orochimaru would be if we got kicked out before the Chunin Exams started.
Our strategy works for a half hour. Slowly the others got used to our presence, their wariness left them as they observed us do nothing. Conversations started back up, people willingly turned their backs to us and the atmosphere isn't anywhere near as tense as before.
...
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