Chapter 2
Itachi does not enjoy Kirigakure in the summer. It’s oppressively humid, and unless he wants to keep his sharingan activated at all times the fog limits his vision. Fuu seems to enjoy it, though. She’s practically buzzing—not a figure of speech in her case, because she has recently learned how to manifest her bijuu’s wings and is trying not to float off the ground in her excitement. Shibuki has given her strict instructions not to let anyone know she’s a jinchuuriki—privately, Itachi thinks that will last until ten minutes into the second phase of the exam.
When the Taki group enters the hotel, Fuu immediately runs off to see if she can find any genin from other countries to pester. Itachi watches in amusement as Sasuke and Chikusa run to catch up. They should be all right—Chikusa at least has some sense of self-preservation and will try to keep her team in line. Itachi directs the rest of the Taki genin to their rooms, then sits down in the lobby with a book to take stock of everyone else who comes through.
Itachi doesn’t look like a ninja, because officially he’s not any more. He could be a civilian with his loose kimono and folder full of paperwork. He is also suppressing his chakra, just to make sure no-one looks twice at him.
In the next hour, the Konoha group arrives. Itachi takes note of this generation’s Ino-Shika-Chou team, and the two teams with Uchiha. One is Kamisa’s team, which failed the last exam, and the other has both Uchiha Haromo and Uzumaki Naruto, the nine-tails jinchuuriki. Itachi raises his eyebrows at that—those two must be a volatile combination, judging by the way they’re arguing and their teammate’s long-suffering look. The Suna group is very small—they must be losing a lot of genin-age ninjas to the border skirmish with Fire Country, even more than Konoha—but notably there is a team consisting of three people who look very much like the fourth Kazekage. Their ages are further apart than is normal in a genin team, which leads Itachi to conclude that they are siblings, but the two older children are subtly trying very hard not to be near their younger brother. Itachi has seen that body language and felt that poorly-suppressed chakra before, and he knows what it means: there are three jinchuuriki at this year’s chuunin exam. This could be trouble.
Just to make sure, he stays to wait for the Kumo, Ame, and Oto genin… and he’s glad he did. One of the Oto nin reeks of incompletely-suppressed and powerful chakra, and of malice. After the last group has passed through the lobby of the hotel, Itachi goes to the mostly-empty suite assigned to Taki. Chikusa and one of her friends are attempting to take a nap. When she hears Itachi come in, she opens one eye and mutters, “Don’t blame me if your brother and sister get into trouble. I claim no responsibility. I’m just grateful for the peace and quiet.”
“I understand you completely,” Itachi assures her. And he goes out into the village to track his siblings.
