(Hyuga Neji's POV)
Neji stared at the wooden bed with vines and leaves serving as a mattress, his lips trembling. It was the only piece of furniture in the room and it was indeed... "green."
Shaking his head, he sighed and the next moment his Byakugan opened, but as soon as he tried to look outside he realized his vision was blocked!
His entire field of vision was limited to that single room. Neji had no idea how Jugo had done it, but he could tell it was a problem, he just hoped the first exam wasn't held there.
Leaving the room, he went to the common area and found Tenten and Lee sitting on a vine-covered sofa, looking around curiously.
Lee suddenly stood up and ran to the balcony, where he saw several vines with large, juicy grapes growing on them. -Oohhh! Amazing! There really are grapes!- he shouted excitedly.
-Seriously?- Tenten was surprised and then approached, also excited and curious.
Neji wanted to point out that eating random things would be dangerous, even if they looked like grapes, they could contain some kind of poison, but judging that the exam hadn't started yet, he didn't think Otogakure would want to poison them.
Neji approached and opened his Byakugan, looking at the grapes, they seemed normal.
Shaking his head, watching Lee and Tenten eat animatedly, he walked away, he didn't want to take any chances.
Later, a knock sounded at the door. Neji got up and went to answer it. A Sound ninja nodded to him before handing him a covered tray and leaving shortly after.
Neji watched him leave without saying anything, before taking the tray inside, placing it on the wooden table and opening it.
The contents were limited to various dried fruits, cheese, bread, butter, water and dried meat, it wasn't luxurious, but it was nutritious.
-The food's here!- Neji called to the pair. Lee was already clinging to the vine outside, picking grapes and throwing them to Tenten.
The pair entered quickly and they soon began to eat, the same scene was repeated in many rooms. Jugo even considered the Akimichi clan and sent five times the normal amount to Choji.
A fat man from Kusa also received more food, but after that, a ninja came by to collect the tray and announce the start time of the exam tomorrow at noon.
Night soon fell and the group seemed silent, but in the Jonin's area, the leaders were already frowning slightly.
-What do you mean, Jugo-kun?- Terumi Mei narrowed her eyes.
-I'll repeat, choose one genin from each of your village teams. They will be kidnapped tonight, this is necessary for the start of the exam.- Jugo repeated.
-Kidnap?- Temari asked, her voice filled with irritation and curiosity.
-Yes, since you won't be able to move easily, I'll explain better. Tomorrow, two members of the group will wake up and won't find the third member, only a letter with the corresponding information. - He began to explain.
-Inside this tower, this third member can leave marks in specific locations to guide the members of their group to them. The third members will stay at the starting point of the first exam, but they can only participate if their entire group arrives on time.- Jugo explained.
-I understand.- Shikamaru said. -So it's not just about searching, but also about familiarity.
-Exactly. - Jugo smiled.
-But if they're just marks, that'll be too easy, they could leave something like: "Choji, move on".- Shikamaru said, narrowing his eyes.
-Indeed, that's why there are a few more steps to this challenge.- Jugo smiled before continuing. -First, each mark can only be left at specific points, second, these points intersect, so different teams will pass through the same place, third, there's a second way to pass this test, meaning that if someone guesses which team left one of the marks, they can stop in front of the mark and say which team the brand belongs to, if they get the answer right who it belongs to, they can pass directly, while the team that was guessed fails immediately.
Everyone's eyes narrowed and Shikamaru let out a deep sigh. -I understand. So it's about leaving something you're sure only your team will understand. It's not just a matter of familiarity, but also about knowing what the other teams know about you. In this exam, the less the teams know each other, the better. Besides...
-What is it, Shikamaru?- Asuma asked, curiously.
-...It's also clear that this isn't just a test about the team, but also about the trust between teams from the same village. Those most familiar with their own team can probably guess something, so would they choose to betray their comrades from the same village to help their own group, or take the harder path with little chance of passing?- Shikamaru looked directly at Jugo, sensing that this test was truly insidious.
Jugo clapped his hands, looking at Shikamaru in amazement. -You really do have a good head on your shoulders, yes, that's exactly the purpose of this test.
-This seems very difficult and it's not even one of the tests on the exam?- The stocky Kitsuchi frowned.
-Yes, Jugo-dono, that seems like an exaggeration.- Ao said, frowning slightly.
The group of jonin began to agree, with only a few remaining silent.
Jugo simply observed, amused, before speaking. - The pre-exam isn't just to prevent some from passing, but also a hint about the first exam.
Shikamaru narrowed his eyes, but said nothing about it, instead asking. -So you asked us to choose who will be kidnapped, that is, the one who will leave the clues, why? Wouldn't it be better to just choose at random and avoid us having to make the best choice?
-On the contrary.- Jugo continued. -This isn't a test for the genin.
Shikamaru paused for a moment, stunned, before leaning back in his chair with an irritated expression. -So this is a test for us?
-What?!
-What do you mean, Jugo-sama?!
-Since when are Jonin evaluated in Chunin exams?!
...
Jugo simply watched the group erupt in excitement before raising his hand with a calm look, the group soon fell silent.
-It is indeed an exam for the Jonin, but not in the way you're thinking.- Jugo looked at Shikamaru and rolled his eyes.
Shikamaru also realized he had left things unclear and scratched his head, slightly embarrassed.
-The Jonin exam is about getting to know your Genin, but that's all.- Jugo opened his hands.
-No, there's more. There's more than one Jonin from each region here and not all Jonin are on the same team.- Shikamaru continued. -Furthermore, for example, Asuma-sensei is a Jonin on one of the participating teams and I'm also a member of that group. In other words, we can help our team while hindering the other teams. It's not just about helping, but about who the Jonin choose to help.
Jugo narrowed his eyes at Shikamaru, his smile a little more pronounced. He remembered the fact that Shikamaru had been his first target during their encounter in the previous Chunin Exams in Konoha, that was the reason.
This guy's mind... is truly problematic.
The group of Jonins remained silent for a moment.
-So... he's not just testing our knowledge about our genin, but he's also testing our integrity...- Dodai said, his eyes closed.
Everyone looked at Jugo with strange eyes, this didn't really seem like a Chunin Exam, but... a game that Jugo had set up and dragged them all into.
Shikamaru scratched his head in irritation. Luckily for him, Asuma was the one who came, but there were other Konoha jonin, so... - Jugo-sama, what happens if the jonin disagree?
-Vote, if the number is tied, we'll flip a coin.- Jugo shrugged, a faint smile playing at the corner of his mouth while Guren hid her face, slightly embarrassed.
She should have expected this, that guy was just bored and wanted to drag everyone into a sick game.
-I figured as much...- Shikamaru shook his head, he only hoped that the Konoha group could remain united.
Asuma, as the son of the Third Hokage, still held considerable prestige in Konoha.