It's... kind of difficult to piece together the words I'm looking for. I don't know where to start. Thankfully, I don't have to.

"Looks like you've gone through a lot in this test," Iruka-sensei says, smiling around at us.

Compared to the others, though? I give my teammates a careful side eye, so they don't notice me looking. There's just no way. They look like they've been dragged across the forest floor for those four and a half days I'd been without them. They're all doing a poor job of hiding being in pain – their bodies are slightly curved forward, and while they aren't speaking – I'd noticed this earlier – their teeth are clenched. What had they gone through? I wish now would be the time to be able to find out.

"What's with the surprise entrance?" Naruto loudly demands, stirring me from my thoughts. "Why did you appear with a Summoning?"

"We Chūnin are to welcome the examinees at the end of the Second Exam," Iruka-sensei answers. "It was just luck that I happened to be the one to pass a message onto you four!"

"A... message?" Sakura echoes. Our former sensei reaches into his pants' front left packet and pulls out a circular watch.

"And you made it just in time, too," he adds, relief in his words. "Everyone, congratulations on passing the Second Exam! I'd like to treat you four to ramen at Ichiraku's, but—""Yeahhhh!!"

When Naruto runs up and hugs Iruka-sensei, I start wondering – is he just happy that he passed, or does he really just want to eat some ramen?

"Ramen! Ramen! Ramen!" Naruto chants. I thought so, I think, laughing a little out loud. Really, I should have already known! But how does he have this much energy? With how he looks, he should be as pooped as me, even though I'd slept the whole time...

"Shut up," Sakura says; Iruka-sensei deadpans.

"Geez... I see you're still as restless as ever," he comments. Sasuke suddenly chuckles.

"I finally get it," he says. "Iruka-sensei, if we had looked into the scrolls during the examination... what would you have done?"

"And you're just as sharp as ever, Sasuke." Iruka-sensei bends over and picks up the two scrolls. "As you probably guessed, this exam tests your mission completion ability. So, if you broke the rules and opened a scroll, we would be ordered to knock out the examinees until the Second Exam had ended."

I immediately turn to Naruto and Sakura to find them wearing relieved, guilty expressions.

"Thank goodness, you didn't open them, after all," I say, raising my hand to my head to soothe an oncoming headache. Naruto's eyes gloss over as he looks to the ceiling in prayer.

"Thank you, Kabuto!" he cries.

"Oh, Sensei?" Sakura points up at the sign. "What does that all mean? Is there a word missing or something?"

"Who cares?" Naruto says. "We passed!" Sakura sends him a scathing look of temporary annoyance. "That stuff doesn't matter now!" But as he dances around us, it's obvious that he hasn't noticed it.

"Actually, explaining to you guys what it means is my second order," Iruka-sensei admits.

"Really?" I say, surprised.

"Yes – it's serious business!" He turns toward the sign. "Give it another good read – they're instructions that the Lord Hokage recorded for Chūnin to follow. "Heaven" stands for your mind, and "earth" stands for your body. "If qualities of Heaven are what you desire, acquire wisdom to take your mind higher". Get it?"

"U-Um... no," Naruto answers.

"Alright, I'll explain. It means that if your weakness lies in your intellect, Naruto, then you have to make sure you make doubly sure you train hard to learn the skills you need to prepare for your missions."

Naruto grunts, while Sakura stifles a snort.

"And you." Iruka-sensei looks down at her. ""If earthly qualities are what you lack, train your body, and prepare to attack". So, if your weakness lies in your physical strength, Sakura—" she frowns at him "—then you need to work on your physical condition every day so that it improves all the time.

""When heaven and earth are opened together, the perilous path will become righteous forever", meaning that if your mind and body are working as one, like Sasuke and Kari, then even a very dangerous mission can become an easy one."

My eyes widen. Non-sarcastic praise? Never had that before.

"So, then, what about that spot?" I point at the sign on the wall. "What's with the missing letter?"

"That part is meant for all of you to fill in!" Iruka-sensei answers. He holds out the Heaven scroll to us and gestures to the large ink picture on the parchment. "Do you see this symbol?" I nod. "It's the character for "person" – a reference for you Chūnin. You see, these five days of survival were meant to test your abilities as Chūnin, and to see if you were any good at it. And I've gotta admit – you guys really did magnificently!"

Except for when I'd been unconscious for four-fifths of the time, I bitterly think.

"A Chūnin is a leader," he continues. "A guide. It's their responsibility to know the strengths and weaknesses of those serving under them, and to know what skills and training those Ninja will need in order to succeed on the mission. You all did an excellent job on this mission, and I'd like the four of you to remember these instructions on your next one.

"Well... that's it!" Iruka-sensei smiles at us. "That's all I was supposed to say to you."

Naruto salutes to him. "Got it!" And then, he frowns.

"U-Uh, it's just that... one more thing," our Sensei says. "For the third exam, d-don't push it too far?" Then, he looks between me and Naruto. "Especially you two."

The pride I'd had a second ago turns to disappointment. He couldn't have just wished us luck? Does he not have faith in us? He doesn't... believe in us?

"When I got this headband," Naruto starts, "I stopped being a student. You don't have to worry about me, not anymore! And this thing is proof that I'm a full-fledged Ninja, right? You're the one who gave it to me, right I'm not a kid anymore, and I've got through the second Chūnin exam, so just you watch, 'cause I'm gonna pass the third one for sure! Because right now... I'm a Ninja, too! And I know Kari feels the exact same way!"

His jaw sets, eyes burning with something positive. Naruto, as usual, is right. Well, sometimes. There's no arguing with any of his words, despite the cockiness in them. Besides, it's only been a few months since the bell test with Kakashi-sensei. Naruto, he's changed the most out of our entire team. He's changed the entire team. Me, Sakura, and Sasuke. And it's all thanks to the boy everyone hates that made me feel like I'd finally come home.

"I... wasn't raised the same as everyone in the village," I say, a little hesitantly. "I didn't go to school, o-or have time to learn everything properly. The few months that I spent playing catch up with everyone, with your help, Iruka-sensei... You taught me so much." He swallows. "You spent so much time training me, one-on-one, and while I'm grateful for that and for you taking that time... Do you not think I'd do okay in this third exam?"

"I... It's not that, Kari," Iruka-sensei says, sighing. "I worry about you most of all because you're so new to all of this. But... you're both right."

Naruto laughs, and grabs onto me by my shoulders. My legs are still a little weak, I discover, and so when he does, my knees buckle, and I fall to the floor.

"S-Sorry, Kari!!"

Updated February 25th, 2022 | 1,302 words