“I’m back…” Raito wanted to eat a banquet but as he opened the door he saw that Naruto and Hinata had already gone to sleep, like little babies, unaware of their surroundings. “They are asleep.”

“You guys didn’t even wait for me.” Raito pouted, looking at the faces they were making while sleeping

[02:30 am]

“Yeah, no one would be awake at this hour…” Raito sighed. The inspection of the seal took longer than Raito had expected but according to what Jiraiya had said, they didn’t even start dissecting the curse seal.

Instead of entering the room, he locked the door then turned around to face the short red-headed, panda eyed boy in front of him.

“Except you.” Gaara has been following him since he had passed the Suna Genin room, like a stalker.

“…”

The eerie vibe Gaara was giving made a shiver go down Raito’s spine. “… What do you want?”

“…”

Raito looked at Gaara and waited for a while, hoping that he would reply. Now, seeing that he wasn’t responding at all, Raito turned around and waved his hand, “Goodnight.”

“Your name.” Just as Raito was about to walk into the room, Gaara asked Raito for his name.

“What? You still haven’t found out?” Raito turned back to look Gaara in the eye with a smile.

“Your name.” Gaara still asked in his monotonous voice, like a doll.

Most of the light bulbs in the corridors were already switched off because it was the middle of the night. But the darkness couldn’t hinder Raito from seeing the sand that was enclosing on him.

“It’s Raito,” Raito answered seriously looking at Gaara.

After Gaara learned Raito’s name his face changed. His mask-like face contorted, the corners of his lips raised and his pupil shook violently. As Gaara raised his hands, the sand begun to churn. “I’ll kill you.”

“Oi, do you have a screw loose?” Hand on his hips, Raito sighed, looking at the distorted face of Gaara.

“Haa…” Sand blocked both ends of the corridor.

“You are stronger… stronger than Uchiha.” The maniac eyes of Gaara locked onto Raito as sand pooled under Raito’s leg.

Trying to move his leg, Raito found that it was a little bit difficult to move. ‘There is chakra on sand… but is that even possible? I know that the Kazekage’s iron and gold sand were based on lightning and earth chakra nature manipulation but this!!’

Raito pushed his hands forward covering Gaara’s face and said, “Don’t be stupid… Chūnin and Jōnin level ninja are everywhere in this building. I don’t want to get disqualified for fighting.”

Feeling the sand shoot towards him, Raito activated [ID Create] and disappeared from the spot.

Gaara’s eye moved as he moved his sand in all directions. “It’s not Genjutsu?”

With a tiger hand seal, the sand condensed into small beads. And as Gaara closed his eyes, the sand beads changed its form, turning into eyeballs.

“[Eye of Sand]”

With a wave of his hand, the eyeballs disappeared into thin air.

Gaara looked at the door that Raito was about to go in and opened it. But the scene inside disappointed him as there was no one inside.

[Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Lvl 90]

‘Can trick all five senses,’ Raito grinned as he searched for those little eyeballs of Gaara with his [Chakra Sense].

“Don’t mind me for making doing this.” Raito harrumphed as he looked at the Suna group and the Jōnin quarters, who were wide awake and watching, using Genjutsu, Ninjutsu and Dojutsu.

Clearly, they were watching… but since they had no intention of intervening then letting out a bit was OK.

Taking out a talisman from his inventory, Raito stuck it on the floor between Hinata’s and Naruto’s bed.

“Just a minute, guys.” With that Raito again disappeared into the dungeon.

Gaara slowly walked into the small arena built inside the tower where there were big hands, interlocking to form a seal.

And standing on top of the hand seal was Raito, waiting leisurely for Gaara.

“If you are not going to stop this then I will just destroy this building.” Raito smiled and mouthed each word clearly.

At the Jōnin quarters, a Hyūga was explaining the situation on what was happening. The Hyūga was stunned as he read Raito’s lips.

“Kakashi-san, Raito says that if we don’t stop, he will… destroy the tower.” The Hyūga reported to Kakashi and a few of the Konoha Jōnin.

“… Can he even do that?” Kurenai asked suspiciously.

“He wouldn’t do that,” Kakashi replied with assurance.

The Hyūga stood up and looked nervously at Kakashi and said, “Kakashi-san, there are Fuinjutsu marks all over the tower. I don’t understand much but it looks like explosion seals.”

Asuma chuckled then turned to face Kakashi, “I don’t think they are explosion seals.”

“Preservation seals,” Kakashi replied blankly and looked towards Hyūga.

“Ah… yes, yes.” Hyūga nodded then activated his Byakugan.

“I am going first.” Kakashi waved his hand and walked out of the Jōnin quarters.

The Nara in the room sighed then closed his eyes, “So troublesome.”

=

“I know you are here.”

Gaara walked out of the shadows and looked straight towards Raito. The sands encircling him already gave Raito some idea on what his skills, under skills heading, in the stats page, would do.

More and more sand poured out of the gourd, like an endless river, forming a small monster.

Taking out stone beads from his inventory, Raito threw them towards Gaara.

“Toys.” Gaara with his mask-like face looked at the stone beads Raito threw and raised his hands.

The sand around Gaara quickly gathered to catch the stone bead. Instantly the sand was broken through as the stone continued towards Gaara.

“Hmph.” Gaara snorted then clutched his raised hand. The sand from the gourd exploded and formed a hand and caught the bead this time.

“This type of tricks… is useless.” Gaara clutched his hand tighter and sound of the stone bead breaking was heard.

From the sand hand, the pieces of the stone bead fell down on the ground.

“That was just one stone bead.” Raito shrugged then took out two stone beads, one in each hand. Dangling his legs, it looked like he was enjoying this.

“It’s useless.” From the gourd, another hand erupted like the first one.

“You wish. [Throw]” Raito rolled his eyes and threw the stone. The stone whistled like an arrow. They quickly reached the demonic sand arms and destroyed them.

“Hm.”

Crash

The cloud of dust erupted with a big bang, acting as a smokescreen. But it was no problem for Raito as he didn’t need eyes to see what was going on.

“Gaara of the sand.” Playing with two stone beads in hand, Raito looked at the ball of sand, of the size of a human, in amusement.

The previous two stone beads had embedded themselves into the defensive sand armor. As the armor cracked open, the stone beads fell down.

Revealing himself, Gaara was as always with no injury or even a scratch.

The same thing could be said for Raito as he was sitting comfortably on the top of the hand seal in a relaxed manner.

“Let me ask you… do you still want to kill me, Yoshizawa Raito?” Raito asked standing up from his comfortable seat, with a bird hand seal.

“Hm.” Gaara didn’t respond to Raito’s question as he stretched his hand forward. The sand moving to his will, shot forward towards Raito.

“This is my last warning. If you attack any further then your whole team will be disqualified. Be aware.” The change in Raito’s voice was evident but that didn’t stop Gaara.

Gaara was still not listening to what Raito was saying. His sand shot forward, piercing Raito or the piece of stone that had just replaced Raito.

“Where…”

Raito stood onto the sidewall and smiled.

“Your Jōnin leader would also like you to stop because if you don’t… your village will lose its place in this match. Isn’t it, sir Baki?”

“[Transform Cancel]!”

Instead of Raito, now there stood a man with brown hair and a white mask with a drawing of a totem cat. Wearing a sleeveless ANBU uniform there was an ANBU mark on the top of his right arm.

He looked towards the passageway, located on the viewing gallery and with a serious tone, he said, “I will have to report this to Hokage-sama.”

A few seconds later, Gaara was again ready to attack but was stopped by a figure appearing in front of him.

Baki looked at the ANBU for a long time because the current situation was incredibly odd. An ANBU transforming into a Genin kid to trick them. Was it a trick done by a Genin brat or a carefully made plan by the ANBU?

[Transform Lvl 90]

Baki sighed then turned to face Gaara and commanded with helplessness. “Gaara, stop.”

“…”

“If you can’t stop your Genin then… we will have to take this into our own hands.” With a snap of his figure, the other three ANBU appeared behind him.

“No, we are fine.” Baki waved his hand then glared at Gaara. “Gaara, let’s go back.”

“…” Gaara looked at the ANBU for a long time, trying to figure out something. With a frown in his face, the sand returned back and he walked out of the small arena.

“Then we shall…” Turning around, Baki wanted to ask the ANBU not to make this matter big but he found that the ANBU had already left.

“ANBU… they are…” With that Baki followed Gaara back to the room.

After Baki left the small arena, Raito in ANBU transformation waited for them to actually reach their room and also made sure that they were not trying to use any kind of jutsu to spy.

“Damn! I just wanted to get some sleep.” Raito cursed then looked at the top of the big room. “I hope those spying would lose their Icha-Icha Paradise collection overnight and their girlfriend would hate him for smoking too much.”

“Ahaha… Raito, you were here?” Asuma directly appeared in the viewing gallery and asked awkwardly.

Following him, Kakashi also dropped and waved his hand. “I just came.”

“Liar (Uso-tsuki).” Raito pouted then transformed back.

“Heh… [Transform] jutsu that is even able to fool the Jōnin level ninja. When they said basics are important… I now believe it.” Asuma praised Raito, his head nodding in approval.

“So… you didn’t need our help.” Kakashi crouched down halfway and looked at Raito with his lazy eye. It was as if he was saying ‘Vent, if you can.’

“… Sensei, you!” Raito really wanted to punch Kakashi but knew that he didn’t stand a chance right now. So, he sighed turning his anger into a smile.

Taking a look back at the arena stage, Raito waved his hand. “I am going to sleep, sensei.”

“Good night (Oyasumi).” Kakashi smiled then left with Asuma.

At the same time, Raito also disappeared from his spot.

At the top floor Jiraiya finished scribbling on the scroll then turning to Hiruzen, he said, “That kid has one faulty seal.”

“Sending a Jinchūriki with faulty seal…” Hiruzen sighed and continued, “We have a month to make a seal for Suna Jinchūriki. Nara clan’s R and D division will be a great help in this cause.”

“Then we can conclude that Orochimaru and Otogakure are working with Sunagakure and may attack the village anytime.” Jiraiya sighed, sitting on the lavish chair.

“Not anytime but… a month from now on, on the day of Chūnin exam finals.” Hiruzen replied, expressing his deduction.

“… Well if it’s that then… we may be able to finish everything on time.” Jiraiya replied while taking out a sake bottle and cups.

“Otogakure is a newly established hidden village but… they I found they were taking mission from mercenary organizations in all of the elemental nations. If I had known that it was established by Orochimaru…”

“Borders… we can’t close the borders since all of the Daimyō of different village will be attending.”

“Sensei… you shouldn’t forget about Fuinjutsu. I don’t think Suna has developed their Fuinjutsu much since they are already on the red but we are talking about Orochimaru. He… knows a lot about it. Like myself… he may have gotten more knowledge from the Ryūchi Cave.”

“The Great Sage Regions…” Hiruzen sighed.

Raito who had returned to his room sat in between the two beds and removed the seal. Even though for a long time there has been three Genins and one Jōnin in a team, the rooms had only two beds.

“Such a drag.” Raito slowly closed his eyes and counted to ten.

The next time Raito opened his eyes, it was already morning. The room had neither windows nor clock, so, it was hard to tell what time it was but for Raito, it was nothing much.

[05:00 AM]

“Good morning, Raito-kun.” Hinata was the first one to wake up. Cleaning herself, she trained on some stances while waiting for her two other team mates.

Blinking his eyes Raito looked left and right then towards himself. Seeing that there was a blanket on himself, Raito looked at Hinata and nodded. “Good morning.”

‘She is so kind.’ Raito sighed then looked towards his right. Naruto slept like a log, drool escaping from his mouth.

“Wake up, Naruto!” with a light push, Naruto was thrown down the bed.

“Hey!!” Naruto widened his eyes as he looked at Raito. “Raito, you are back.”

“Of course I am. Now clean yourself. We have to gather at the small arena at seven.” Raito stood up and started stretching.

“Huh, what? What time is it?” Naruto panicked and tumbled.

“It’s about five, Naruto-kun.” Hinata answered while handing out towels.

At the small arena inside the tower, the Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, stood with a smile, looking at the column of Genins. Behind him, stood their respective Jōnin commanders and beside him stood various other Chūnin and special Jōnin including the proctor of the second exam, Mitarashi Anko.

“First of all, congratulations for finishing the second exam”