SHINOBI EXAM

It was early morning in Konohagakure's Training Ground No. 44, nearly 24 hours after the second phase of the Chūnin Exams had begun. The sprawling forest was alive with the sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves, as teams worked tirelessly to navigate the dangerous environment.

Team 7 from Konoha and the Sand Siblings had formed an uneasy truce to better their chances of survival. Naruto, Gaara, and Temari had gone off to gather food, while Sasuke, Sakura, and Kankurō stayed behind to collect firewood and prepare a campfire. Sasuke's Fire Release jutsu made him the natural choice for the task of lighting the fire.

The stillness of their surroundings was abruptly broken. Sasuke paused, his sharp senses picking up on something—or someone—lurking nearby.

"Someone's watching us," he muttered, his dark eyes narrowing.

Kankurō tensed, his puppet strings poised for action, while Sakura carefully placed her bundle of firewood down and clenched her fists, ready to assist.

Far off in the grass, a figure was hidden, trembling with a mix of anger and nervousness. The spy's breathing grew louder, giving away their location. Sasuke glanced at his companions and signaled them to hold their ground. The person didn't seem particularly strong or skilled, but caution was essential.

Moments later, the hidden individual burst from the foliage, yelling furiously, "Damn you, Uchiha!"

Sasuke's Sharingan activated instinctively. He deftly avoided the oversized katana swung at him, its weight and size almost laughable in the hands of the attacker—a child. The blade, far too large for its wielder, veered off course as Sasuke sidestepped and countered.

With practiced ease, Sasuke disarmed the boy, tripping him and pinning him to the ground in one fluid motion. The katana clattered uselessly to the dirt.

"Who are you?!" Sasuke demanded, pressing the child's arm firmly to prevent further struggles. "And why are you attacking me?"

The child squirmed under Sasuke's grip, his half-black, half-white hair glinting in the sunlight. Despite being restrained, he continued to glare fiercely.

"You...damn Uchiha!" the boy spat, his voice filled with venom.

"Kid, you're not even a ninja," Sasuke retorted, noticing the lack of any forehead protector or visible affiliation. "Where are you from? Speak up!"

The boy ignored him, continuing to curse under his breath until another voice interrupted them.

"Hey, Sasuke! What's going on here? Enemy attack? Don't worry, Uzumaki Naruto is here to save the day!"

Naruto's loud declaration was accompanied by his characteristic goofy grin as he leapt down from a tree branch with Gaara and Temari following behind.

"You idiot," Sasuke muttered, still holding the boy down.

Naruto squatted next to the pinned child, his expression shifting to curiosity. "Wait a second. This is just a kid! Sasuke, are you bullying a little boy now? What's wrong with you?"

"Idiot," Sakura snapped, stomping over. "This brat attacked us first! Sasuke was only defending himself."

"Attacked you?!" Naruto scratched his head in confusion, crouching closer to the boy. "What's your problem, kid?"

The boy froze when he heard Naruto's voice, his wide eyes locking onto the blonde-haired ninja. "Uzumaki?" he whispered, his voice trembling. "You're an Uzumaki?"

Naruto blinked. "Uh, yeah. What's it to you?"

The boy's anger flared anew, and he struggled harder against Sasuke's hold. "How dare you ally with the Uchiha?! How could the Uzumaki betray the Senju clan?!"

"Senju?" Naruto repeated, the unfamiliar name sparking his curiosity. "What's a Senju? Wait—are you saying you're a Senju?"

"Of course I'm a Senju!" the boy shouted, his voice filled with indignation. "What happened to the Uzumaki clan? Why are you working with these traitorous Uchihas?!"

The three Konoha genin exchanged bewildered glances. The boy's words made little sense, and his claims about being a Senju seemed absurd.

"Enough," Sasuke said coldly. He stood up, releasing the boy but keeping his kunai in hand. "Explain yourself. If you really are a Senju, prove it."

The boy rubbed his bruised arm but didn't back down. "Prove it? Look at me! Look at my hair, my face! I'm Senju Takumi!"

Naruto crouched down again, his tone softening. "Listen, kid...you're saying you're from the Senju clan, but that's impossible. The Senju haven't been around for a long time. They're...gone."

Takumi flinched, the weight of Naruto's words seeming to hit him like a physical blow. "No," he whispered, shaking his head. "You're lying. The Senju can't be gone. My father...my brother..." His voice broke, and for a moment, he looked less like a vengeful attacker and more like a lost, frightened child.

Naruto frowned, feeling a pang of sympathy. "What's going on here? Are you saying you don't know what happened to the Senju?"

"I don't understand anything anymore!" Takumi cried, tears streaming down his face. "I woke up, and everything was gone! My clan, my family—everything! And now you Uzumakis are with the Uchihas?! How could this happen?!"

As Takumi's sobs echoed through the forest, the group exchanged uneasy glances. Naruto knelt down beside the boy, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Hey," he said gently. "I don't know what happened to you, but we're not your enemies. Let's figure this out together, okay?"

Takumi looked up at him, his tear-streaked face filled with doubt. "You...you'll help me?"

"Of course!" Naruto grinned. "That's what friends do, right?"

Sasuke scoffed. "Don't make promises you can't keep, idiot."

But Naruto ignored him, focusing on the boy in front of him. For the first time, Takumi seemed to relax, his tense posture softening as he clung to the hope Naruto offered.

Unbeknownst to them, a shadowy figure watched from the treetops, their expression unreadable as they observed the interaction below.

"Interesting," the figure murmured before disappearing into the dense foliage.

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