First
First
Smiling, Jiraiya took a last look at the trio before disappearing. Feeling much better, team Jiraiya continued into the tower.
Inside, they were greeted by a few proctors, who took back all of their scrolls. As they did so, they couldn't help but be surprised at how early they'd got here.
It hadn't even been an hour and a half!
Restraining his awe, one of the proctors took out three keys.
"There are still three days left until the end of the exam, so you'll have to wait in here. Don't worry, the tower is fully equipped, with individual rooms and a few training facilities… All your needs will be covered... Here are the keys to your rooms on the second floor."
"Thank you."
The three of them accepted their keys with a nod, and then made their way up through the stairs. Once they reached the second floor, they followed the door numbers until they reached theirs.
"Rooms one, two and three… heh, so we really did make it here first… Well, see you guys later, I'm going to read!"
Nozomi chuckled as she entered her room and locked herself in it. Seeing this, Jun and Minato awkwardly smiled... Even in a situation like this, the first thing on her mind was reading.
"Well, there's no use to just staying in our rooms… Minato, how about we go check those training facilities the proctor mentioned? I'm craving a good spar."
"You read my mind, Jun-san."
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The next three days went by in a flash.
Apart from training, team Jiraiya rarely did anything else. Nozomi was the only exception, choosing to spend a lot of her time reading.
Since they'd made it here so early, they used the time to strengthen themselves in preparation for the next round. As time went on, they took note of the incoming participants.
The second team to make it was from Sunagakure... They took almost five hours to reach the tower,
Three hours later, a team from Kirigakure also made it… After them, only two more teams made it. One was none other Ren's team, which took an entire two days to pass the exam. This brought the total to fifteen passing ninja.
After confirming this, they were all brought to a big room. At the end of it stood a massive sculpture of two hands forming a hand-seal, with an elevated platform on each side.
Nozomi made eye-contact with both of her cousins, but they quickly dismissed her... Seeing this, she couldn't help but feel some pain in her heart.
Near the two massive hand-sculptures, the Hokage stood with multiple Jōnin behind him, including Jiraiya, Fugaku, and Dan. At the forefront, Orochimaru had his hands behind his back as he smiled.
Eyeing the contestants, he spoke up.
"Congratulations on passing, kukuku… The Hokage will now explain the next step, so make sure you pay attention."
Breathing out a cloud of smoke, Hiruzen cleared his throat.
"Thanks, Orochimaru... Before I explain, there's something I want you all to know… it concerns the true meaning behind these exams."
Garnering everyone's attention, he continued.
"Why do you think we hold these exams in conjunction with other countries? To promote friendship…? To raise the level of our shinobi?"
"Actually, none of these are the answer… These exams are just a replacement for war between the allied countries."
Seeing everyone react differently, Hiruzen smiled… Lately, the situation was worsening at an alarming rate. He feared that a second war would soon take place. Sighing, he continued.
"It is a fact that these exams decide who ascends in rank… But there's more to it. In this battlefield, you are fighting for your village's prestige!"
"Before we begin the third test, I'll make one thing clear. This is a life-risking battle, with your aspirations and country's prestige on the line!"
His words dramatically raised everyone's determination… Now, there was much more on the line.
Satisfied with their reaction, Hiruzen smiled. There wasn't much more he had to say on the matter.
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