Game of Shadows by Adrian King1

34

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor The Gamer. I own nothing, really.

Chapter 34

"Well, things are all over the place," Anko commented tired as the day the Exams were supposed to be held drew near. "The Chuunin Exams especially. They have been delayed for six months. They are all but changing the Exam's yearly date, actually, since this would affect next year's."

"That… ok?" I shrugged. I didn't much care for that change. Really, with the things I knew of the future, that was the least of my worries.

"Yeah, I get you," She nodded, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "It's a nightmare of paperwork but at least it's not my nightmare," We shared a relieved look before she straightened. "Still, this change affects you, kiddo. I can't say much, but the exam should be harder than they were supposed to be," I tensed up. With all the shit that went down in canon, it would get harder? "I can't tell you why, the higher ups are keeping it hush hush, but they've told all the sensei's to up the training, and there's only one reason for that."

"Ok, so, train harder, got it," I nodded before blinking as Anko flicked my forehead with a finger.

"None of that, mister," She chided. "You are already training yourself into the ground and from there finding a way to continue training. We'll continue as we have been doing so far. No, I want you to look for a hobby, something to do besides training when you are not with me."

"I mean, I have hobbies," I grumbled. "And I do them, but I don't see why I should train less if things are as you said."

"You are way out of any normal Genin's league, brat," Anko said, taking a deep breath in as if to contain her exasperation. "If you lose to someone in the exams, I'm sure no one will have any reason to think you are a weakling."

"I mean-"

"No, Eiji," She interrupted, her tone firm. "I'm your sensei. You will listen to me," My back straightened at that. She had never pulled her rank on me like that. She then deflated, almost looked defeated. "I'm worried about you, kiddo. You train too much, you worry too much. And that's no way of living your life."

"It's like there's nothing else to do with your life but to take care of us, and I may not be a Yamanaka but that's not a healthy mindset," Shika's words replayed in my mind and I grimaced.

I wanted to deny it, deny all their accusations. But they were right, I knew. I had accepted it… but I didn't know what to do. When I looked back at my sensei, she was staring back at me with a sad, pitying expression.

I hated it.

"I… I don't know what to do," I choked out, a bitter smile appearing on my face. 'So much for living life to the fullest, huh?' I thought self-deprecatingly.

"I'll give you a clue," Anko offered with a smile and I looked at her expectantly. "Ask that girlfriend of yours on a date, kiddo."

I'm sure people heard my facepalm from the other side of the village.

"Of course you would say that," I grumbled. "I don't have anyone that I like like that," I dismissed. And it was true. I had actually considered asking Hana on a date once or twice. But she was eighteen and I was freaking twelve pushing for thirteen. Maybe when I was her age it would be ok, but right that moment? There was just no way.