Chapter 212: 211. Earnest

"Haaa...Haaa...Haaa... T-That was...!"

"I know, FAR too close for comfort"

After settling down in a secure location, Rei and Iruka took a moment to catch their breath. The latter fell on his bottom gasping for air, clenching his chest in amazement for making it out his previous predicament in one piece. Rei, with plenty of energy to spare, remained on watch for any potential enemies

Finally calming down, Iruka shot a glance at his unexpected savior. Still vigilant towards the Genin from Kumogakure who'd yet to reveal his name, let alone why he'd go to such lengths to aid him

But while observing him, the sight of his ripped clothes, as a result of Rei protecting him from the Demon Brother's attack, prompted him to politely express his gratitude

"H-Hey. Um...thanks for helping me. I probably would've been dead were it not for you" (Iruka)

"No need. As I told you before, I only attacked those guys because I didn't like them, no need to think too hard about it" (Rei)

{If it were solely for that reason, you wouldn't have gone to the trouble of protecting me, let alone... escorting me to safety} "Where do we go from here?" (Iruka)

"..." (Rei)

Eager to break the ice, Iruka outright asked what this younger Genin wanted of him. Was he an enemy, friend, did he want his exam item? He had none of these answers...

In response, Rei reached into his pouch and took out one of the numerous "White Compasses" he acquired during his tenure within "Rengoku no Kyōkuku1Purgatory's Canyon"

{A compass! That's just what my team and I...! Oh no, that also means...!} "U-Ugh!" (Iruka)

Iruka tried to get up as Rei approached, his legs still wobbling from everything he's recently been through. Before Rei's arrival, the Kiri ninja had pursued him for several hours straight, Iruka was well beyond his limits

But unexpectedly, Rei merely sat him back down and told him to save his strength before holding out his compass to him

"W-Wait...are you, giving me your compass? Why would you do that?" (Iruka)

"Because I want to" (Rei)

"Do you not understand?!" (Iruka)

RUSTLE!

Completely flabbergasted at the Kumo-nin's actions, he responded in kind by doing something a participant in this exam should never do

Iruka revealed his exam piece to another opponent. A small "Black Needle" the size of his palm, exactly what Rei required in order to pass the exam

"Heh. You really are a good guy" (Rei)

"E-Eh?! W-Wah...hey!" (Iruka)

Rei casually tossed the white compass in hand to a flustered Iruka

Prior to fleeing from the enemy, Rei already managed to confirm which piece Iruka possessed without him even realizing it. As such, it was always his plan to give him one of the compasses in his possession. The sooner the Leaf ninja passed this test, the sooner he'd be out of harms way

But a part of him was pleased upon witnessing Iruka's honest intent, for most would keep their piece hidden. Though cynical by nature, Rei knew how to appreciate honesty and goodwill

A light smirk grew on his face as he thought about the Leaf ninja's future relationship with Naruto Uzumaki

{Naruto probably learned to be earnest from him, no wonder they share such a strong bond} "Keep it, after all, I have plenty" (Rei)

"W-What the?!" (Iruka)

Rei gave him a small peak at the amount of compasses he's already managed to collect

{At least over half a dozen, each one represents a team he's fought... this kid's is definitely younger than me, and yet-?!} "Ha...hahaha! Wow, I really don't belong here" (Iruka)

"What makes you say that?" (Rei)

"Things have been going bad for me from the get-go. Separated from my team, pursued and beaten by other squads, and now rescued by a younger kid... so pathetic" (Iruka)

More than anything, Iruka was embarrassed at his recent performance. Having a younger kid get hurt while protecting him was a huge blow to his pride

His modest eyes were downcast

{I'm the older one... mentally speaking of course} "For the record, the guys chasing us were older than you" (Rei)

"Huh?" (Iruka)

"Not just them, Genin of all ages are participating in this exam. Think I even saw some guys in their 40's sitting around in the waiting room before we took the first exam. An exam which many of them failed, but not you" (Rei)

"H-However..." (Iruka)

"Sigh...! Refrain from letting failure consume you. Instead, let it be a guide towards success. The more you fail, the more you learn, that's when success arrives at your door...as long as you stay consistent, and earnest" (Rei)

"..." (Iruka)

"Make no mistake Iruka, you belong here, and you're going to pass this test" (Rei)

"!" (Iruka)

Iruka clenched the two pieces in his hands, Rei's words clearing reaching him on some level, his demeanor shifted into a more positive outlook...just as Rei desired

Knowing where his team waited for him, there was no need to stay here any longer. Iruka stood up and gave a light bow in appreciation for all Rei had done for him. Having rested long enough, it was time to reunite with his squad, but he didn't say goodbye. For he knew they'd meet again, during the final exam

"Ya know something..." (Iruka)

"Hm?" (Rei)

"You're kind of cool..." (Iruka)

"Kind of? Please...I'm f**king awesome" (Rei)

"Hahaha!" (Iruka)

ZWISH!!

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With that swift departure, Rei was finally alone to himself, but still kept an eye on Iruka's chakra signature. Waiting until he could sense him rendezvous with his squad

Only when he felt him moving as a unit with two more individuals did he finally feel at ease

"Alright. With that mess taken care of, I can focus on myself" (Rei)

TAP! TAP!

Touching his wrists, he confirmed his suspicions

{Nothing...the contents within the seals on my wrists have been completely emptied. The Kuchiyose: Raikō Kenka2Summoning: Lightning Flash Blade Creationis pretty much useless now, then again...}

The technique he used to store quick-throwing weapons, namely shuriken, was a Fūinjutsu3Sealing Techniquehe researched with the help of his friend and librarian, Pyua

Now, he was alone in the canyon, and his only remaining supplies dwelled within the shinobi pouch on his rear

"I've been holding back this entire time to refrain from showing my abilities before the final exam...but this strategy also makes things harder for me here. The second day is almost over, I'll have to move at night to make up for lost time, Sigh...damn it! No sleep for me tonight, just great"

♦♦♦

Several miles from Rei's location...

"H-Haha...sorry for the trouble guys. I promise not to scout ahead too far the next time"

"Just where the hell were you Iruka?! You have any idea what Dango and I had to go through while you were-?!"

"Give it rest Mizuki. What matters is that he made it back to us in one piece, and with a completed compass no less. This is cause for celebration" (Dango)

After Iruka reunited with his allies Mizuki and Dango, the team made a beeline for the "Primary Objective" once the former revealed his completed compass, courtesy of Rei

However, Mizuki blatantly expressed his skepticism at their supposed, serendipitous reunion

"That's my point, Dango! He's gone for an entire day, and now he shows up out of nowhere, and with the item we need? That's way too suspicious..." (Mizuki)

"We've already confirmed he isn't an enemy in disguise, and it doesn't matter how he got one...what matters is that he did. Don't dwell on it too much...we've got to focus on getting out of the hellish place!" (Dango)

"Right!" (Iruka)

"Cheh!" {As usual, Iruka's the one who's always favored! It's always been like this, ever since our days in the academy...just what the hell makes him so special anyway?!} (Mizuki)

Iruka merely laughed off Mizuki's attitude, but Dango showed some concern about the group's unity. This team wasn't your typical Genin squad, but rather a makeshift one, formed for the sole purpose of attending this year's Chunin Exams

As with other villages, Konohagakure4Hidden Leaf Village did everything it could possibly do in order to increase it's odds of coming out on top. These particular three were only assembled simply because they were in the same class during their tenure in the Shinobi Academy

{Mizuki's always been jealous of Iruka... I'd hoped he'd grow out of it by now. Let's just hope this doesn't impact our mission in a negative way. We just have to keep it together long enough, and then we're home free} "Let's pick up the pace!" (Dango)

"Right behind you. The longer we stay out here, the more likely we're to catch someone's eye" (Iruka)

"..." (Mizuki)

"Precisely...move out!" (Dango)

ZWISH! ZWISH!

{I won't fall behind...!} (Mizuki)

♦♦♦

"Well? What about them?"

"Let's see now...Mizuki, Iruka Umino, Dango Mitsuki. Nothing particularly special about the first two, the latter is noted to have some skill in reconnaissance, but as I said...completely ordinary"

Unbeknownst to Iruka and his team, they had indeed been noticed by others. A shinobi squad wearing headbands supposedly signifying their origins from Konoha as well, this anonymous team observed the local surroundings on an elevated position, atop a mountain

The one who appeared to be in charge stood in front of the others, he'd been surveying this location for quite some time, uninterested in going after other squads. Rather, their objective was something else entirely...

"We're looking for those completely out of the norm, not trash like them"

"Hey, don't be so mean. Everyone has their redeeming qualities. The first to underestimate their opponent is the first to get killed, you understand?"

"Hmph! Don't lecture me like some child..." {Think you're so great just because our Lord is paying more attention to you...damn four-eyes!}

FWIP!

The leading individual with glasses retrieved a deck of cards from his pocket, all of which were blank on one side, carrying the symbol for "Shinobi" on the back. After plucking out three, he poured his chakra into the blank cards until images and text appeared, detailing the personal information of each member in Iruka's team

"Your Info Cards again? Can't you just memorize that stuff?"

"You two don't understand just how much work our lord puts on my shoulders, there's a lot to remember. Now, it's about time you two fan out to test the next candidates"

"We know..."

ZWISH! ZWISH!

While clearly showing their displeasure at being ordered by one who was basically their "Kouhai5Protégé/Junior. Opposite of "Senpai"", they complied nonetheless. Vanishing from the scene as they prepared for the next Genin team to pass this location

The glasses-wearing individual in charge pulled out a compass, completed with a needle, and smiled. Then, with a tight clench of his fist...

CRUNCH!

...Crushed it into nothing!

"And with that, the odds of passing this test for everyone just decreased even more. At least we've verified in order to pass, one must traverse through this particular area... a perfect proving grounds to acquire results"

TICK! CLINK!

After adjusting and cleaning his glasses, he sat down as if he were in picnic, completely oblivious towards the treacherous terrain around him

"Let's hope someone interesting comes along...for Orochimaru-sama's sake..."

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