A week later, at the training ground
After finishing their mission, the three members of Class Eleven were at the training ground. Megumi sat off to the side with her arms wrapped around her knees, watching Shota and Zeyu sparring in the field.
The two exchanged blows at close range, trading Taijutsu moves for more than twenty rounds before finally separating.
"Not bad, Shota. You've improved a lot," Zeyu said, shaking out his hands.
"Hehe, I've been working really hard. I practice at home, too, Teacher Zeyu," Shota said with a wide grin.
"Don't—don't call me teacher. It feels weird," Zeyu said, waving his hand before continuing.
"How's your Rock Fist Technique coming along? Show me." As he spoke, Zeyu resumed his fighting stance, his right fist drawn back at his waist.
"Okay!" Shota immediately began gathering chakra. His right hand was gradually encased in rock, and once his fist was completely covered, he charged straight at Zeyu.
Zeyu charged at him too, gathering chakra in his hand, his strength comparable to monstrous strength.
Their fists collided, and a blast of air burst out, making the surrounding weeds and leaves sway.
Megumi, sitting nearby, was also buffeted by the gust. She could barely keep her eyes open as her hair flew about.
Although Zeyu hadn't used his full strength, the impact still left Shota's hand numb. The rocks covering it shattered and fell to the ground.
"Ow, Zeyu, my hand's numb." Shota crouched down, clutching his right hand and feeling the tingling in it.
Zeyu nodded and said solemnly,
"Not bad, Shota. You've practiced the Rock Fist Technique well. Keep it up."
Shota had been nursing his numb hand, but when he heard Zeyu praise him, he was so happy that he cheered, forgetting all about the discomfort.
Megumi, sitting off to the side, could no longer hold back and slowly walked over.
Since Class Eleven had been formed that day, she hadn't spoken much with Zeyu. Shota, on the other hand, had gotten along well with him. Zeyu even helped Shota train and taught him ninjutsu.
Megumi had just watched from the sidelines, too afraid to join in. Mostly, she was too embarrassed to apologize, and even more embarrassed to simply jump in and start training with them. It would've been too awkward.
But as she watched her older brother Shota grow stronger while she stayed in the same place, she couldn't take it anymore.
I have to get stronger. I can't fall behind, Megumi thought through gritted teeth.
So she walked up to Zeyu.
Zeyu and Shota were surprised to see Megumi approach. They quietly watched to see what she would do.
Megumi turned her face aside and folded her arms, her cheeks faintly flushed. She hesitated for a long time without saying a word.
Zeyu and Shota exchanged a glance, unsure what was going on.
After a long while, the two had nearly grown tired of standing there. They had just lifted their feet to leave when—
Megumi spoke up.
"Um, Zeyu, I was wrong. Could you teach me, too? I want to get stronger." As she spoke, she kept stealing glances at Zeyu, then quickly fixed her eyes on the ground. Her voice grew quieter and quieter.
Shota, standing nearby, could barely make out what Megumi was saying. He looked utterly confused.
Zeyu had heard her. With a deadpan expression, he thought, Is she apologizing? If I didn't know better, I'd think a mosquito had flown past. Well, for a young lady like her, this is pretty good.
Then he sighed and said, "All right, I forgive you. But I don't have much time to teach you, so how much you learn is up to you."
Megumi finally relaxed. She could get stronger, too, and that put her in a much better mood. She said,
"I know. It's because of that girl, Hinata, right? It's fine. I learn about as quickly as my brother, so I'll pick things up fast."
Zeyu folded his arms and tilted his head.
"Fine. Starting tomorrow, I'll teach you both for a while after missions, just like I'm doing now. But remember, I'm giving you the same amount of time as before. When the time's up, I'm leaving."
Shota had understood what was going on. Happy for his sister, he asked Zeyu,
"Zeyu, what are you going to teach my sister?"
Zeyu heard him, rubbed his chin, smiled, then said,
"I've got an idea. Have you ever heard of combined ninjutsu?"
Meanwhile, all the class teachers had gathered in the conference room. The Lord Third, Sarutobi Hiruzen, sat at the front and questioned the gathered jōnin instructors.
"With the Chunin Ninja Exams about to begin, do any of you have Genin you'd like to recommend for the exams?"
The four team leaders, who had already taken their places at the front, stepped forward.
They were Kakashi, Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma, and Shimizu Nana.
One by one, the four recommended the Genin on their teams.
After they finished, the others began discussing among themselves.
Iruka, who was among the crowd, immediately stepped forward and said,
"Please wait, Lord Hokage."
"What is it, Iruka?" The Lord Third put down his pipe and asked.
"This may be meddling, but ten of the Genin just named used to be my students. They're all very talented, but it's still too early for them to take the Chunin Exams," Iruka said anxiously.
The Lord Third understood and asked the four instructors,
"What do you think, Kakashi, Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma, and Shimizu Nana?"
"I think the three people on my team are fully capable of taking the Chunin Exams," Kakashi said.
Kurenai and Asuma were just as confident in their teams' abilities.
The Lord Third then looked at Shimizu Nana, the last of the four.
Nana clenched her fist and said solemnly,
"Lord Hokage, the people on my team are all very capable. I also believe they're fully qualified to take the exams."
The Lord Third picked up his pipe and took a puff.
"Nana, if I remember correctly, you only became a jōnin recently, and this is your first time leading a team. Are you sure it's all right?"
Nana replied,
"That's true, Lord Hokage. But all three members of my team are very capable, and none of them wants to miss these exams."
The Lord Third thought for a moment, then said,
"Is that so? Tell us more."
So Nana gave everyone a full account of what had happened during the bell test, as well as how the three had performed on their later missions.
The others began discussing it among themselves.
Kakashi thought, So Zeyu Nichiro actually managed to get the bells. Nana may have underestimated him, but pulling that off was still no easy feat. This guy might be stronger than Sasuke.
Kurenai Yuhi thought, I had no idea Zeyu was so capable. He usually just clings to Hinata. I thought he was some sleazy guy trying to get close to her.
Asuma thought, What kind of monster is this? I hope he doesn't end up against Shikamaru and the other two.
Iruka, standing behind them, was also a little surprised. Megumi and Shota hadn't been his students, so he didn't know them. But Zeyu's grades had always been average, and he slept through class all the time. He'd often had to stand with Naruto, the dead-last student, as punishment. How had he gotten so strong?
Nana looked at the Lord Third, her gaze resolute.
The Lord Third took a deep breath of smoke and slowly said,
"Since Nana feels that strongly, we'll do it. All three of them can take the Chunin Exams."
At that, Nana finally relaxed. She thought,
Zeyu, Megumi, Shota, you have to make it through the exams safely.
After giving the others a few more instructions, the Lord Third dismissed them.
Back in his office, the Lord Third stood with his hands behind his back, gazing out the window. After a moment of thought, he slowly called out,
"Elephant."
A man wearing a mask and a white hooded outfit appeared behind him and knelt on one knee.
"Yes, Lord Hokage. What are your orders?"
The Lord Third said,
"Investigate Zeyu Nichiro and bring me all the information you can find on him. Also, have someone keep an eye on him and report his movements at all times."
"Yes." The man known as Elephant acknowledged the order, then disappeared.
The Lord Third looked out the window, his brow slightly furrowed. He thought,
"Zeyu Nichiro must never fall into Danzo's hands."