You sat among the flowers, absentmindedly running your fingers over the soft petals. The late afternoon sun bathed the field in a golden glow, but your mind was elsewhere.

Gaara's words still echoed in your head.

"The Chunin Exams."

It was a competition meant to test the skills of young shinobi, a battlefield where only the strongest advanced. If you wanted to challenge yourself, to see how far you had come, this was the perfect opportunity. But there was just one problem—

You weren't even a Genin.

That realization sat uncomfortably in your chest. You had met Team 7 before, and from what you had observed, not everyone could see you in your feild... but what if they could when you left your field? It wasn't something you fully understood, but it created a frustrating distance between you and the shinobi world.

Would you even be able to participate in something like the Chunin Exams?

You sighed, lying back against the soft grass, staring at the sky. Maybe it was impossible.

But then again... when had impossibility ever stopped you before?

Your thoughts were interrupted by the faint sound of footsteps approaching. You sat up just as a familiar figure stepped into the field.

Sasuke.

He carried himself with his usual cool confidence, hands stuffed into his pockets, his dark eyes scanning the field before settling on you. His gaze was unreadable, but there was something in his expression—curiosity, perhaps? Annoyance? It was always hard to tell with him.

"You're here again," he said, more like an observation than a greeting.

You raised an eyebrow. "Obviously."

He scoffed, stepping further into the field, careful not to step on the flowers. "I don't get it. This place... it's weird."

You smirked. "Maybe you're just not used to things you don't understand."

Sasuke frowned, but didn't argue. Instead, he let his gaze wander for a moment before he spoke again. "You look like you're thinking about something."

You hesitated. Then, deciding there was no harm in telling him, you said, "I was thinking about the Chunin Exams."

That caught his attention. His expression sharpened, and he turned his full focus to you. "Why?"

You sat up fully. "Gaara mentioned he was here for them. It made me wonder if I should enter, too. It would be a good way to test my skills."

At the mention of Gaara, Sasuke's eyes darkened. His jaw tightened, and there was a flicker of something—disgust? Caution?—in his expression.

"Tch. He's no good," Sasuke muttered, looking away.

You frowned. "What do you mean?"

Sasuke hesitated for a second before shaking his head. "I've met him before. Trust me, you don't want anything to do with him."

That caught your interest. You leaned forward slightly. "You've met him?"

Sasuke didn't answer right away. His gaze was sharp, distant, like he was recalling something unpleasant. "Yeah," he finally said, voice low. "And I know what I'm talking about."

You studied him, trying to figure out what had happened between him and Gaara, but he wasn't offering any more information.

"Well," you said after a moment, "I still think the Chunin Exams would be a good way to test myself."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes before sighing. "You can't."

You shot him an unimpressed look. "Wow, thanks for the support."

"That's not what I meant," he huffed. "You're not a Genin. You need to be officially recognized as a ninja to enter."

You tilted your head slightly, a small smirk forming. "You're assuming I can't leave this field."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Can you?"

You took a moment before answering. "I think so. If I leave a clone of myself behind, I can move freely outside the field."

His eyebrows lifted slightly, clearly intrigued. "A clone?"

You nodded. "Yeah. I only tried it a couple of times, but as long as a part of me stays here, I can go wherever I want." You gestured to the flowers around you. "I guess this place is like an anchor."

Sasuke studied you carefully. "And you're sure it works?"

"I wouldn't be telling you if I wasn't," you said with a smirk.

Sasuke considered this, glancing around the field before meeting your gaze again. "Then that means you could become a Genin."

You blinked. "Huh?"

Sasuke crossed his arms, his eyes full of determination. "If you can leave, then there's no reason you can't become an official shinobi. You want to enter the Chunin Exams, right?"

You nodded slowly. "Yeah, but—"

"Then I'll help you."

You blinked again, taken aback. "What?"

Sasuke gave you a pointed look. "You're strong. I've seen it. If you can find a way to get officially recognized as a ninja, then you should. The exams will be the perfect test for you."

You studied him, surprised at his determination. "Why do you care?"

Sasuke looked away briefly before answering. "Tch. I don't 'care.' I just think it'd be a waste for someone like you to miss out because of a technicality."

A slow smile crept onto your lips. "That almost sounded like a compliment, Uchiha."

"Don't get used to it," he muttered, looking away.

You chuckled before shifting your focus back to the situation. "Alright. Let's say I actually can become a Genin. How do we make it happen before the exams start?"

Sasuke thought for a moment. "We'll need to talk to someone who can make it official. Maybe Kakashi or the Hokage. If you can prove yourself, there might be a way."

You nodded slowly, the idea taking shape in your mind. "Alright. Then let's do it."

Sasuke smirked. "Good. Just don't slow me down."

You rolled your eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Keep up your cool act. Let's see if you can actually back it up in the exams."

He scoffed. "I'll win."

You grinned. "We'll see about that."

(999 𝘞𝘖𝘙𝘋𝘚)