It had all happened so fast.

One moment, Team Minato was moving steadily through the Forest of Death, the next—an explosion trap sent them scattering. Smoke choked the clearing, and debris rained down like jagged confetti. When Hana's ears stopped ringing, Obito and Kakashi were nowhere to be seen.

"Obito? Kakashi?!" she called out, voice echoing uselessly through the trees.

No answer.

"Great," she muttered. "Just great."

She turned and saw Rin struggling to sit up a few feet away. Her hair was covered in leaves, and her cheek had a shallow cut. Rin groaned and stood, brushing herself off.

"They're not here," Hana said, already scanning the treetops. "We got separated."

Rin nodded. "Let's try to find them."

A moment of awkward silence fell between them as they fell into step—side by side, but not together. The air was thick, both from the forest humidity and the tension Hana refused to acknowledge.

She couldn't lie—part of her resented Rin. It wasn't exactly Rin's fault, but it still gnawed at her.

The way Kakashi always listened to Rin's suggestions.

The way Obito always made Rin laugh.

The way she seemed to float through everything—effortless, calm, liked by everyone.

Hana knew she was loud, a little aggressive, maybe even difficult. But seeing Rin next to her, even now, scratched at something raw and insecure inside of her chest.

"Thanks for helping me earlier," Rin said gently.

Hana blinked. "Huh?"

"When the blast went off. You grabbed my arm. I might've fallen into that trap if you hadn't."

Hana hesitated. "Yeah. I wasn't gonna let you fall into a spike pit. I'm not a monster."

Rin smiled a little at that. "Didn't say you were."

Hana rolled her eyes and focused on the terrain ahead. "Let's just find the guys."

And somewhere behind another thick curtain of trees, two boys were still trying to track them down.

"Do you ever admit you're wrong?" Obito snapped.

"I'm not wrong," Kakashi replied dryly. "You just always assume the worst when I don't agree with you."

"We're lost because of you!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes and kept walking.

Unaware of the chaos waiting just ahead.

An eerie silence fell over the trail as Rin and Hana moved through the forest. No birds. No rustling. Nothing but the crunch of their boots and the rising weight in Hana's chest.

And then she felt it.

The pressure.

Like something watching her.

"Hana—" Rin's voice was barely a whisper.

Kunai flew through the air before she could finish.

Hana ducked and turned mid-air, eyes locking onto a figure emerging from the trees.

Dark green hair. Piercing silver eyes.

Nozomi.

The venom in her glare was undeniable. She wasn't here to pass the exam. She was here for Hana.

"I told you we weren't finished," Nozomi said coolly.

Rin stepped back instinctively, hand going to her pouch. Hana moved in front of her.

"You've got some kind of problem, you know that?" Hana snapped, kunai in hand.

Nozomi's smirk deepened. "Only with you."

She lunged.

Hana barely blocked the first strike, the force jarring her arm. They clashed, blades scraping. Nozomi was fast—faster than before. Her movements weren't wild; they were honed. Controlled.

But Hana wasn't the same genin she had been either.

She weaved signs. "Water Style: Geyser Torrent!"

A surge of pressurized water burst from beneath Nozomi's feet, throwing her back.

Before she could recover, Hana was already charging, but a blur of motion intercepted.

Not an enemy.

A figure landed between them, silent and graceful.

Him.

The Mist ninja. The boy from the trees. Icy blue eyes stared down Nozomi, calm but unyielding.

He hadn't said a word yet, but his presence filled the clearing like thunderclouds on the horizon.

Nozomi froze, her eyes narrowing. "Get out of my way."

"I don't take orders," he said, voice like smoke and snow. "And I'm not here for you."

He glanced back at Hana briefly—coolly, like he was evaluating her.

Hana's heart skipped. Again, with the silent staring. Who the hell was he?

But before she could say anything—

A loud rustle ripped through the treetops, and someone crashed down from above.

"YAAAH—! LEAF HURRICANE!"

A blur of green whipped through the clearing—Hana barely jumped back in time as a leg swung straight toward the Mist ninja's head. He sidestepped effortlessly, and the kick cracked a tree trunk instead.

"What the hell?!" Hana shouted, stumbling.

The newcomer landed in a three-point stance, breathing heavily. Messy black hair, bold brows, and a dramatic gleam in his eye.

"You there!" he shouted, pointing at Suiren. "You were approaching a Konoha kunoichi! Explain yourself!"

Rin blinked. "Gai?!"

"Wait—Gai Gai?" Hana raised a brow.

"The one and only!" he declared, throwing a thumbs-up. "The handsome devil of the Leaf! And her second rival!" he added, motioning to Hana with dramatic flair.

Hana stared at him for a beat, then cracked a grin despite herself. "You're ridiculous."

"I take that as a compliment!" he beamed.

Nozomi groaned. "Oh, this is getting pathetic."

"I'm not here to hurt her," Suiren said flatly, still eerily calm.

"You're sure standing close for someone with good intentions," Gai countered.

"I was assessing her," he replied. "Her strength. Her timing."

"That's what creeps say," Hana muttered, still catching her breath.

Suiren's lips twitched—just barely.

But there was no time to dig further—Nozomi lunged again, her bloodlust igniting the space like a spark to oil.

"Out of my way!"

Suiren stepped aside deliberately, letting her come. Gai immediately blocked her slash with a forearm, and the clash echoed through the forest.

"I knew it," Gai said, sliding back into a defensive stance. "You're trouble."

"She's more than that," Hana growled, rejoining the fray. "She's obsessed."

Nozomi darted between the two of them, sharp and feral. Hana blocked high, Gai swept low. Their teamwork was rough but effective—Gai's powerful taijutsu and Hana's water style created a chaotic rhythm that forced Nozomi to react constantly.

"Not bad!" Gai shouted. "You're even more spirited than I remember!"

"Focus!" Hana shouted, deflecting a blow. "She's not playing around!"

Nozomi flipped back, barely avoiding a sweeping arc of water that exploded against a tree trunk behind her.

"This isn't over, Uzumaki!" she hissed. "Next time, there won't be anyone to save you!"

And with that, she vanished into the foliage, her chakra signature disappearing rapidly.

Gai let out a slow breath. "Whew. That girl's intense."

"Yeah, well, now you know what we've been dealing with," Hana muttered, panting. She leaned over, hands on her knees. "You really had to jump in like that?"

"I sensed danger and moved!" he said proudly, giving her a double thumbs-up. "Besides... no way I'd let my second rival get taken down without a good fight!"

Hana shook her head, laughing despite herself. "You're insane."

"Only passionately!" Gai winked.

Suiren hadn't moved during the entire exchange. He stood off to the side, arms crossed, watching Hana with an expression that was too quiet to read but far from indifferent.

Rin finally stepped up beside Hana. "Thank you, Gai. You really helped."

"Anything for my comrades in arms!" he said. Then his eyes narrowed slightly toward Suiren. "But I don't like him."

Suiren tilted his head, expression unreadable.

"I didn't ask for your trust," he replied simply.

"Well, you've got none of it!" Gai said, crossing his arms.

"Okay, enough testosterone," Hana groaned, rubbing her temples.

Suiren finally turned to her again. "You'll need to recover quickly. There's more coming."

"And how would you know that?" Gai narrowed his eyes.

Suiren didn't answer. He just faded into the trees like mist, vanishing without a trace.

Hana watched the spot where he'd stood. Her cheeks were a little too warm, and she knew it wasn't from the fight.

Rin gave her a knowing glance.

Gai blinked. "Was that guy—uh—someone you know?"

Hana glared at him. "Shut up."

But just as the tension started to dissolve, a new voice called out from the forest.

"HANA!"

"RIN!"

Obito's voice.

And Kakashi's, too, a moment later.

The girls turned, spotting the two boys darting through the trees toward them, scuffed and irritated but otherwise unharmed.

Gai straightened like he was preparing for another ambush.

"There's more—?!"

Before anyone could stop him, he launched forward—

—and drop-kicked Obito in the face.

"WHAT THE HELL, GUY?!" Obito shouted, tumbling into the dirt.

"Enemy attack!" Gai declared, triumphant.

"I'm your classmate!"

Rin burst into laughter. Hana nearly doubled over, wheezing.

Even Kakashi cracked a smirk.