Konoha: Gu Master

Hanabi wore a soft yellow kimono, her shoulder-length hair adorned with a small red flower, giving her an air of cute charm. 

Yet this was only the surface. Her personality was far more lively and mischievous than in the original story; with no pressure to carry the family's hopes or compete with her sister, she was free to be herself. 

Since becoming Tsunade's student, the Hyuga clan didn't dare criticize her, and there was no need to bear the burden of the clan's future.

"Good morning, big brother," Hanabi greeted cheerfully, extending her small hand. "I want candy."

Shinho handed her a lollipop from his pocket.

"Thank you!" Hanabi immediately unwrapped it and and put it in her mouth.

"It's about time to head to the arena," Hiashi reminded them.

"Come on, big brother!" Hanabi said, tugging Shinho along before Hiashi could say anything more.

"What's up?" Shinho asked as he kept up with her brisk pace.

Soon, they were a few meters ahead of Hiashi and Hinata.

"I'm helping you escape from my father," Hanabi whispered, giving him a conspiratorial look.

"What's your price this time?" Shinho asked with a smirk.

"I'm helping you become my brother-in-law, no charge!" Hanabi huffed, crossing her arms. "I'm doing it out of pure goodwill!"

"Really?" Shinho stretched out his words, eyeing her rosy cheeks.

"Of course!" Hanabi's face turned serious. "But if you insist on buying me snacks, I won't say no."

"Today's not great for that," Shinho said, smiling as he patted her head. "I and your sister will be be busy with the Chūnin Exams, remember?"

"Oh." Hanabi's excitement dimmed, but Shinho added, "After the exams, I'll take you out for snacks—you can buy whatever you want."

"Awesome!" Hanabi's eyes sparkled, and she beamed. 

"Good luck, future brother-in-law!" she said with a pat on Shinho's shoulder.

With that, she skipped back to Hinata, gave her a sweet smile, took her hand, and shot Shinho a cheeky wink.

A little rascal, that one, already calling me brother-in-law and all.

Shinho chuckled, then met Hiashi's unreadable gaze.

Clearing his throat, he greeted him, "Good morning, Uncle Hiashi."

Hiashi's mouth twitched. You're only saying hello now? After all your little private chatter with my daughter?

Not much he could do about it, though.

"Be careful in the finals," Hiashi said with a nod, keeping his face impassive.

"I will," Shinho nodded.

The four entered the arena, with the competition stage at the center and audience seating all around.

"Over there," Hanabi checked the tickets and pointed to the left.

Hinata, being a participant, didn't need a ticket, and Hiashi led Hanabi toward their seats.

"Take them all down!" Hanabi called out with a tiny but fierce fist pump.

As Hiashi and Hanabi left, Hinata turned to Shinho with an unreadable expression.

"Is there something wrong?" Shinho noticed her hesitance.

"N-no, just… did Hanabi say anything to you?" Hinata glanced away, nervously fidgeting with her sleeves. "She tends to say some… strange things."

"She just made a bet with me that if I place first, I'd have to treat her to snacks," Shinho replied.

Hinata relaxed, letting out a quiet sigh of relief.

Her relationship with Hanabi was more harmonious than in the original story, but that also meant Hanabi often had no filter around her, leaving Hinata in some pleasant but awkward situations.

"There they are," Shinho said, spotting their friends and steering toward them. "Let's go say hi."

Hinata nodded.

"Shinho-kun!" Ino waved enthusiastically as soon as she spotted him. Sitting with her were Chōji, Shikamaru, and Sakura.

"Where's Sasuke?" Sakura asked as soon as they were close enough.

"I didn't train with him, so I'm not sure. He should be here soon," Shinho said.

In the original series, Naruto and Sasuke had both been delayed. 

Naruto had stumbled into the arena being chased by bulls, and Sasuke, who'd been practicing Chidori, had arrived late. 

Although he should've been disqualified, "Rasa" (in reality, Orochimaru) had intervened to delay his match.

"You think he'll make it on time?" Sakura asked, clearly worried.

Ino gripped Sakura's hand and said, "If Shinho-kun says so, it must be true."

Hinata stiffened slightly, biting her lip but choosing not to say anything.

"Don't worry," Shinho said with a grin, as if he was ready to watch a show. "Neither of them wants to lose this one. The stakes are too high."

Ino patted the empty spot beside her and said, "I saved these seats just for you guys."

She'd planned to say "for you" but corrected herself to "you guys" after noticing Hinata. 

Ino and Hinata might be friendly rivals, but they were also close friends. 

She didn't want to make things too obvious when they were around Shinho.

"Rough night, Shikamaru?" Shinho asked, noticing Shikamaru looking tired with his eyes half-shut.

"No," Shikamaru replied lazily, "just thinking about the best approach for my match."

"What's the plan? Going easy because your opponent's pretty?" Shinho asked in a teasing tone.

"What easy? She's like a tiger in battle, didn't you watch the preliminaries!" Shikamaru shivered slightly. "I'm just hoping I make it out alive."

Shinho couldn't help but chuckle, giving him a look of sympathy. Temari's bold and aggressive personality did give her quite the edge.

"Hey, what's with that look?" Shikamaru complained, sensing an ominous vibe from Shinho's gaze.

At that moment, the arena fell silent.

"It's the Kages," Chōji stopped munching on his chips, looking around. This was his first time seeing the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.

Dressed in the traditional Kage robe and hat like Tsunade, Rasa's face was veiled.

"Why is his face covered?" Ino asked, puzzled.

"Probably out of habit," Sakura answered knowledgeably. "Sunagakure's desert climate is harsh, and sandstorms are frequent. It's normal for people there to cover their faces outdoors."

"The referee's waiting for us. We should head down," Shinho noticed Genma, holding a senbon in his mouth, standing at the arena's edge.

"Go on," Sakura said with a smile. "Good luck!"

Chōji waved with his chubby hand.

"What a drag," Shikamaru groaned as he got up, following Shinho and the others.

On the high platform above, two seats were set up at the center.

Tsunade stood with "Rasa" on one side of her and various dignitaries seated behind them, all watching as the participants entered the arena.

"Lord Hokage, a pleasure to meet you," Orochimaru said evenly, his tone cold and restrained.

Although his manner of speaking had changed, Tsunade couldn't shake a strange feeling of familiarity. 

She brushed it off, assuming it was due to her previous encounters with the real Rasa. A vague sense of déjà vu could be normal.

"Please, Lord Kazekage," Tsunade gestured toward the seat beside her.

"Is that the Third Hokage over there?" Orochimaru asked as he sat, nodding toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"It is," Tsunade replied casually. "My teacher cares deeply about the growth of the next generation, so he came to watch."

Orochimaru couldn't help a smirk. Since when had Tsunade become so polite? She must have changed after taking on the Hokage title. 

People are so quick to change, he thought.

Orochimaru's mind wandered back to his rivalry with Minato for the Fourth Hokage position. 

How different things might have been had he won. But, ultimately, he knew the Hokage role would've felt like a shackle around him.

"He's a truly exceptional leader," Orochimaru said with a faint smile. "I grew up hearing tales of the Third Hokage."

"Once the Chunin Exams are over, you'll have a chance to speak with him," Tsunade replied with polite ease.

Uner normal circumstances, a banquet would be held after the exams to celebrate and build bonds among the shinobi of different nations.

"Of course," Orochimaru replied with a respectful nod, his words sounding unusually sincere, almost like he wasn't simply being polite.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. There was something odd about his tone, almost as if he really meant it.

"Lady Tsunade," Shizune interrupted from behind. "All seats are filled. We may begin you speech."

"Would the Kazekage like to speak first?" Tsunade turned toward Orochimaru.

"No, after you." He gestured for her to continue.

"Very well." Tsunade stepped forward to the edge of the high platform and looked down at the assembled crowd.

Fifteen winners from the preliminary rounds were gathered in the arena below, including Sasuke and Naruto, who had arrived on time this time, avoiding the mishaps of the original story.

"Thank you all for being here. On behalf of the Hidden Leaf Village, I extend my gratitude," Tsunade stated concisely. "Now, please enjoy the talents of the young shinobi before you."

"Straight to the point, as always," Orochimaru chuckled quietly.

This was the Tsunade he remembered.

In the arena, Genma Shiranui, a senbon in his mouth, blinked in surprise at how quickly things had started.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Genma Shiranui, the referee for today's matches," he introduced himself.

In the original story, Genma had once served as Minato Namikaze's bodyguard and had mastered the Flying Thunder Formation technique. 

Under the new timeline influenced by Shinho's actions, he'd missed the chance to become Tsunade's bodyguard.

"The rules are simple: a match ends if one side admits defeat or dies," Genma explained. "One last rule: obey the referee's judgment. When I tell you to stop, stop."

"Got it!" Naruto, barely containing his excitement, called out, "Is my match with Sasuke first?"

"First match: Naruto Uzumaki versus Sasuke Uchiha," Genma confirmed, glancing at him. "The rest of you, please step out of the ring."

"Let's do this, Sasuke!" Naruto grinned, swiping a thumb across his nose. "Just like before, the winner gets to challenge Shinho!"

Shinho twitched slightly.

What did this have to do with him? He thought. 

You two are practically fated rivals, an age-old grudge across centuries between Asura and Indra. Don't drag me into your melodrama.

"Both of you will lose to me eventually," Sasuke said calmly.

When it came to throwing verbal jabs, the Uchiha were seasoned experts.

"Get ready!" Genma interrupted, putting a halt to their banter.

Naruto and Sasuke stepped back, forming the Seal of Confrontation.

"Begin!" Genma announced before stepping away.

"Leaf Whirlwind!" Naruto lunged forward, launching a high-speed kick as he closed in on Sasuke.

Thunk! His kick connected with a log—it was a substitution.

The next second, Naruto felt a rush of heat behind him. A massive fireball flew straight at him.

"Whoa, that's hot!" Naruto dodged hastily.

Lightning Style: Thunder Arrows!

Without missing a beat, Sasuke raised his hand, launching white, arrow-like bolts of lightning toward Naruto.

"Aaah!" Naruto yelped, quick but not quite fast enough. A bolt grazed his knee, the impact creating a metallic clang—the sound of heavy iron weights.

Sasuke frowned. "Naruto, are you underestimating me?"

"Sorry," Naruto scratched his head sheepishly. "Forgot about these."

With that, he removed the weights strapped to his body. As they hit the ground with resounding thuds, they left small craters.

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. Just how heavy were those things?

"Now we're ready to start," Naruto said, bouncing on his toes as he adjusted to the sudden lightness.

A Prelude to Power!

Naruto's body suddenly moved at a speed barely visible to the eye. With a leap, he closed in on Sasuke, delivering a flying kick aimed directly at him.

The rush of air whipped Sasuke's hair back. Naruto was fast, but still within the capture range of the Sharingan.

Leaf Shadow Dance!

Sasuke ducked low, executing the move he'd copied from Rock Lee. His crouched kick missed Naruto's kick but connected with his stomach, sending Naruto spinning skyward.

Lion Combo!

Sasuke pursued Naruto into the air, delivering a series of kicks before sending him plummeting back to the ground with a final strike.

Boom!

Dust billowed out as Naruto hit the ground hard.

"Your taijutsu isn't that impressive," Sasuke scoffed. "In front of these eyes, your movements are clear as day."

In the spectator stands, the Jonin-sensei sat together, observing.

"When did Sasuke get this strong?" Kurenai wondered aloud, surprised.

"Credit goes to Kakashi," Asuma said. "It's clear that Sasuke has learned to use his Sharingan more effectively."

"As expected of Kakashi!" Guy said admiringly, "In just one month, he's helped Sasuke match Naruto's taijutsu skills."

"Match, but not quite surpass," Kakashi said, shaking his head. "Guy, let Naruto go all out."

Rock Lee had already mastered the Eight Gates, so Naruto, having been training under guy for several years, earlier then Lee had certainly learned them as well.

Guy, grinning, gave Kakashi a thumbs up. "You know me well, Kakashi! Naruto, LET YOUR YOUTH BLOSSOM!"

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