The moment Team 7 stepped into the tower, the shift in atmosphere was immediate. The dimly lit hallways stretched before them, lined with the exhausted faces of those who had barely survived the second phase. Some were bandaged, others still trembling from battles that had left their marks. But for Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke, the weight of their journey had yet to fully settle. They had made it. They had survived. Yet, for some reason, it didn't feel like a victory.
A familiar voice called out, shattering the silence. "Naruto! Raven!"
Ino appeared first, her blonde ponytail swishing as she hurried toward them, her eyes scanning their battered forms before settling on Raven. "Took you long enough, geez! I was beginning to think you got lost or something."
Before anyone could reply, Hinata emerged from behind her, her lavender eyes locking onto Raven for one single second before her entire body froze. A deep red flush exploded across her face, her lips parting in a whisper. "S-she's still the only one who can make me this shy…"
A moment later, she fainted.
Naruto jumped in surprise. "Hinata?!"
Ino turned just in time to catch her friend before she hit the floor. "Oh, for the love of—Hinata, pull yourself together!"
Raven smirked. "Huh. Still got it."
Tenten, standing beside them, crossed her arms. "That was just dramatic."
Raven turned her gaze on Tenten. "Oh? Not even a little flustered?"
The moment their eyes met, Tenten's face burned red, and her signature meatball hair buns wobbled uncontrollably. She whipped her head away so fast it was a miracle she didn't snap her neck. "S-shut up! I wasn't even looking at you like that!"
Raven chuckled. "Sure."
Naruto blinked, looking between Tenten, Hinata's unconscious form, and Ino, who was turning red herself, steam visibly rising from her head. "What is even happening right now?"
Before anyone could answer, Kurenai walked into the room, her sharp red eyes scanning the group. "What's going on he—"
Raven, never one to miss an opportunity, tilted her head and winked.
Kurenai froze.
Her pupils dilated.
Her chakra fluctuated violently.
And then, in an instant, she accidentally cast a Genjutsu on herself.
A second later, she collapsed.
Naruto's jaw dropped. "Did… did she just—"
Raven exhaled dramatically, placing a hand over her heart. "Another one down."
Sakura, completely speechless, just stared at the aftermath. "Raven… what the hell did you do?"
Raven smirked. "Nothing much. Just securing my future wives."
Ino, still bright red, jabbed a finger at her. "W-who said anything about marriage?!"
Raven shrugged. "The revolution grows stronger."
Far away, deep within the Land of Whirlpools, Mikoto Uchiha paused mid-training. The seal-inscribed scroll she was studying trembled slightly as an unseen force rippled through the air.
Her eyes narrowed.
The Pizza Sauce Force—the very lifeblood of her nation's seal-based technology—shuddered.
Her fingers twitched, her grip tightening on the scroll.
"…That woman is chasing more sisters again."
She rose to her feet, her Sharingan flashing before morphing into her Yuri Eyes.
"No," she muttered, determination hardening in her expression. "I will not allow my position to be shaken."
She turned, her gaze sharp as she addressed one of her loyal kunoichi. "I need to train harder."
The kunoichi blinked. "Uh… why?"
Mikoto narrowed her eyes. "I must assert my dominance as Raven's main wife."
Silence.
Then, without another word, Mikoto strode out of the room.
The kunoichi stared after her, dumbfounded. "Did… did Lady Mikoto just say what I think she did?"
The other kunoichi beside her nodded solemnly. "The war for the main wife position has begun."
Back at the tower, the tension of Raven's chaotic flirting finally settled, only for an entirely different kind of tension to replace it.
Sasuke suddenly clutched his shoulder, his breathing ragged.
Sakura immediately turned to him. "Sasuke? What's wrong?"
Naruto stiffened. "It's that damn mark again, isn't it?"
Sasuke didn't respond, his fingers digging into his skin as dark tendrils of the Curse Mark pulsed along his collar. His breathing grew uneven, sweat gathering at his brow. He was trying to suppress it, but the surge of power was too strong.
The room shifted.
A new presence appeared.
A voice, calm yet undeniably authoritative, broke through the rising tension.
"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura breathed.
Kakashi strode forward, his one visible eye narrowing as he took in the situation. Without hesitation, he placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, his fingers flaring with controlled chakra.
"Come with me." His tone brooked no argument.
For a moment, it looked like Sasuke would resist. His grip tightened, his body tensed—but then, his gaze flickered toward Kakashi's, and he exhaled shakily. He nodded once.
Sakura's stomach twisted.
Naruto watched them go, his fists clenched.
Raven, arms folded, merely smirked. "Took him long enough."
Naruto rounded on her. "How are you so damn calm about all this?"
Raven tilted her head. "Because it's not my problem."
Naruto grit his teeth. "Sasuke's going off to deal with something none of us even understand, and you don't care?!"
Raven's violet eyes gleamed. "It's not about caring, Naruto. It's about knowing." She leaned forward slightly, voice dropping just enough to make him shiver. "Sasuke is walking his own path. And you? You're walking yours."
Naruto swallowed, but before he could respond, the proctor entered the room, their presence immediately commanding attention.
"The second phase of the exam is over. Those who have passed—stay. Those who have failed—leave."
Naruto didn't take his eyes off the hallway where Sasuke had disappeared.
He wasn't going to be left behind.
Sakura, her heart still pounding, watched the door too.
Raven just smiled.
This was only the beginning.
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