The wide halls of the Academy felt suffocating under the weight of tension. The clamor of voices echoed off the walls as teams from every corner of the shinobi world gathered, eyes sharp, postures tense. This was not a place of learning anymore—this was a battlefield. Each glance exchanged between genin held the potential for violence. Here, failure meant more than embarrassment; it meant being left behind.
Team 7 stepped into the examination hall together. Naruto practically bounced on his feet, his grin stretching ear to ear. "This is it! We're finally here! I'm gonna crush this exam and become Chūnin, believe it!"
Sasuke walked beside him, his expression cold and focused. His pride was still wounded from his loss to Rock Lee, but beneath his calm exterior, his frustration burned. He needed to prove himself. He needed power. Sakura walked a little closer to him than necessary, trying to mask her nervousness with a forced smile. Raven, trailing slightly behind, wore her usual smirk, though her violet eyes scanned the room like a hunter sizing up prey.
Beneath her playful exterior, Raven's mind was a storm of calculations. She knew the faces in this room—knew their futures. She saw Gaara, the boy destined to walk the edge of madness until Naruto pulled him back. She saw Kabuto, the snake disguised as a friend, loyal to Orochimaru. And she saw Sasuke—the boy who would soon carry a curse mark on his neck, a brand of power and ruin. Every step she took now was part of a careful dance. Intervene too much, and she risked unraveling the path that led to victory. But if she let things play out… people she cared about could suffer.
Raven shook the thoughts aside as her gaze landed on a familiar group standing near the far wall. The Sand Siblings. Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro. Gaara's aura was suffocating, his killing intent leaking like a blade pressed to the throat. Temari stood tall beside him, her fan resting against her shoulder with practiced ease. Her eyes were sharp, her confidence evident in every gesture. Kankuro leaned against the wall, arms crossed, but there was tension in his posture—the kind only siblings could detect.
Naruto's cheerful voice broke Raven's focus. "Whoa… those guys look tough."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "That's Gaara of the Sand. I've heard rumors about him."
Raven already knew everything. Gaara, the Jinchūriki of Shukaku. Dangerous. Unstable. But savable. Naruto was the key to his redemption. She had to make sure they spoke—had to create the opening that would plant the first seed.
But first… Temari.
Raven sauntered over, her smirk deepening as she approached the Sand kunoichi. "Nice fan. You just use it for wind, or is it a fashion statement?"
Temari's eyes flicked to Raven, surprise briefly crossing her face before she recovered. "Depends. Sometimes I use it to blow away weaklings."
Raven's grin widened. "Good. I like a girl with an edge."
Temari's eyes narrowed, though there was the faintest twitch of amusement at the corner of her mouth. Kankuro raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Gaara… didn't seem to notice. Or perhaps he simply didn't care.
Raven leaned in slightly. "Maybe if we survive this exam, you can show me how sharp that edge is. Privately."
Temari's grip on her fan tightened, but there was no anger—just intrigue. Her smirk mirrored Raven's. "We'll see if you're worth my time."
Her buns weren't wiggling like Tenten's, but Raven could sense the spark. The door was cracked open. She would widen it later.
Naruto, meanwhile, had wandered closer to Gaara, curiosity outweighing his sense of danger. "Hey, you're from the Sand, right? What's your name?"
Gaara's pale blue eyes slid to Naruto, devoid of warmth. His voice was soft, but there was an undercurrent of menace. "Gaara… of the Desert."
Naruto froze. The pressure was unbearable. It felt like invisible fingers were wrapping around his throat. Even Sasuke took a step back. But Raven watched closely. This was necessary. Naruto had to feel Gaara's pain up close to understand him later.
Before the situation could escalate, another voice cut through the tension.
"Hey, hey! You guys look tense!"
Kabuto Yakushi approached, wearing his usual polite smile. His glasses gleamed under the fluorescent light as he fanned out a stack of information cards. "You must be rookies. Need some advice?"
Naruto's ears perked up. "Whoa, you got intel on the other teams?"
Raven's smile never faltered, but her stomach twisted. Kabuto. Orochimaru's spy. She knew exactly who he was, what he had done, and what he would become. Her instincts screamed to crush him here and now—but she held back. He was still useful. His survival tied into the larger plan. But she would be watching him closely.
Kabuto offered details on the competition—names, villages, strengths. Naruto and Sasuke listened intently, absorbing everything. Raven, however, watched Kabuto's face. The small twitches, the carefully controlled expressions. He was skilled, but she saw him for what he was. A snake wrapped in silk.
As Kabuto finished, the Sound Trio entered—Dosu, Zaku, and Kin. Their presence was abrasive, and their disdain for the Leaf was clear. Dosu's voice was low and deliberate. "Rookies shouldn't get too comfortable."
Sasuke's eyes locked onto them, the challenge clear. Naruto bristled. Raven exhaled slowly, already piecing the threads together. Orochimaru's pawns. Disposable. But dangerous. And one of them would nearly kill Hinata's cousin soon. That event had to stay on course too.
Before things could spiral, a booming voice echoed through the room.
"Everyone, shut up and take your seats!"
Ibiki Morino entered, his scarred face and steely gaze silencing the crowd. The proctor radiated authority—the kind earned through suffering.
Raven allowed herself a small breath. The first test was beginning. The games were officially underway.
But for her, the real exam had started the moment she walked into this room.
Her violet eyes flicked between Kabuto, Gaara, Sasuke, and Naruto.
Pieces on a board. She would move them carefully.
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