Kakashi's wails along the way ultimately failed to change Team 7's fate.
Over the next few months.
Team 7 returned to that maddening cycle of daily D-rank missions.
Weeding, picking up trash, finding lost pets...
These utterly unchallenging jobs left Sasuke and Sakura groaning nonstop. Even the normally tireless Naruto began complaining.
Sen alone was different.
He took full advantage of his "permanent right to skip work."
Every morning, he checked in at their meeting point on the bridge near the village entrance, then promptly took off.
His Wood Clone did the work while his real body lounged on his private deck chair atop the villa, sipping chilled watermelon juice and comfortably performing Photosynthesis.
Life was so heavenly that he never wanted to leave.
However.
This peaceful life of slacking off did not last long.
With an autumn rain at the end of summer.
The atmosphere in Konoha suddenly began to change.
There were noticeably more ANBU patrols on the streets.
Inspections at the village gates also became extremely strict.
Ninjas wearing all sorts of unusual outfits and forehead protectors from different villages could often be seen wandering the streets.
"Have you heard? The joint Chunin Ninja Exams are starting soon!"
"Konoha's hosting this time. Elite Genin from all the major ninja villages will be coming!"
"I wonder what monstrous newcomers will show up this time. I can't wait!"
The village's civilians and ninjas were all eagerly discussing the approaching event.
The joint Chunin Ninja Exams.
They were not merely the only route for Genin to advance to Chunin.
They were also a hidden battlefield where the major ninja villages displayed their strength, intimidated their rivals, and even secretly divided up their interests!
A storm was approaching.
That morning, at Team 7's meeting point.
For once, Kakashi arrived on time,