You know, it was funny.
'The more things change, the more they stay the same.' Daiki snorted lightly, looking away from the little staring contest he was having with Sasuke.
Kabuto had approached the nine rookie genin once again and things played out as they had in the other timeline, for the most part. It seemed he was getting more attention than Gaara this time around though, and not just from his former classmates. Many of the other examinees now had their eyes on him.
In his peripherals, movement through the crowd caught his attention, even as his former classmates began berating Naruto for bellowing his challenge loudly and proudly.
The mummy faced sound ninja was creeping through the crowd, readying himself to make his move.
"D-don't mind him everyone, haha!" Sakura gave a blatantly fake laugh, her arms wrapping around Naruto's neck and dragging him back, "He's just an idiot, don't mind him…" she tried placating.
"…That idiot he just painted an even bigger target on us because of his loud mouth." Shikamaru grumbled lowly.
Despite the distance between them and the Nara mumbling quietly, Daiki heard him clearly, the Shinkugan was useful like that.
Honestly, Daiki had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. He never got the hype around the guy and he never understood why he was promoted. He became a chunin on merit of his ability to plan and strategize, not because of his strength. If Naruto and Sasuke and such didn't get promoted, he shouldn't have. Sure, he was better at planning, but the guy didn't have the strength to be a chunin. What was he gonna do the second someone strong came along? Stall and then die?
That was the best Shikamaru at the Chunin Exams could do to be honest. He was pretty mediocre at everything bar his strategic abilities and didn't even have a single attacking jutsu currently.
Strength and mental ability should be required for a chunin, not just mental ability.
Just then, the sound nin made his move, dashing out of the crowd of onlookers towards Kabuto and swinging out his gauntlet clad arm.
He could have stopped all that easily, but why should he? Besides;
Daiki was going to make use of the confusion.
While everyone's attention was drawn to the racket Dosu made by attacking Kabuto, while the older 'genin' fell to his knees, his glasses cracking and vomiting even after dodging, Daiki's eyes swept over to one specific team.
His eyes landed on a tall willowy pale female dressed in yellow with a kasa hat hiding her face.
He focused chakra into his eyes and peered deep into her.
'Normal.' he noted. There was nothing under her skin that said her appearance was being used as a disguise and her chakra network wasn't all that impressive either, a standard genin amount really, not much different from the rank and file spread throughout the room.
"Ha! Put this down on your little cards loser, the team from the Hidden Sound Village, definite chunin at the end of this!" Dosu boasted loudly to everyone in the room.
'He's not made the switch then.' Daiki realised, filtering out the words of the sound genin.
He'd specifically waited for this moment for Orochimaru to be distracted and have less chance of noting Daiki's attention on him.
But in the end, it wasn't even Orochimaru at all, yet.
'Lame, I could have had fun with the sound idiots and showed off a bit.' Daiki grumbled inwardly.
Orochimaru probably wouldn't make the switch until just before the second exam. Considering the distance between here at the Academy and training ground forty four, there was quite an ample amount of time and opportunity to do so.
Annoying, but, well he'd just have to deal with it.
And it wasn't like he could have any fun now, because-
At the front of the massive classroom, a huge puff of smoke appeared, drifting away in just mere moments to reveal dozens of shinobi and kunoichi clad in grey uniforms, at the front of the group, a tall, broad shouldered and hard faced man with a long black leather trench coat.
"Quiet down you worthless maggots!" Ibiki Morino bellowed, his deep voice, like rocks grating together almost shushing everyone immediately, "Oi, you sound punks, watch your step, don't go doing as you please before the exams even begin!"
"I apologize we just got a b-"
Dosu never got to finish before Ibiki snorted, "Shut it maggot," he spat, cutting the mummy faced teen off, and looking around, "Alright fools, my name is Ibiki Morino, and I'll be the proctor for your first exam."
His eyes landed on the rookie genin for a moment, before moving on and nodding as he saw that he apparently had everyone's attention, "Let me make one thing clear you little pigs, there will be no unauthorized fighting or killing here, any of you that disobey me and my rules, will automatically be failed, got it?" he bellowed.
Daiki had to bite his lip when he saw a few people actually snap to attention as if he was some kind of drill sergeant.
"Right, now get your asses lined up," Ibuki nodded and ordered, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a bag, "You won't be getting to choose your seats. In this bag, there are numbered tiles, get up here and grab one, whatever number is on there, will be your seating arrangement, now move it!"
Daiki didn't make a fuss, though quite a few people grumbled as they lined up in single file to grab the seating arrangement tiles from Ibiki.
None more so than Naruto. He was a few places in front of Daiki, and whispering to himself, but he could hear him clearly if he focused in gaze on the blonde boy.
He was freaking out about it being a written exam. Poor fucker.
The line progressed and a minute later at most, Naruto got his seating arrangement and turned around, steps wooden.
Daiki grabbed him by the shoulder before the blonde could make his way past him.
"Daiki?" Naruto blinked, "So you are here!"
"Not the time bro," Daiki shrugged and leaned over so his lips were right next to the blondes ear, "Don't worry about filling in the questions, it's not about that. Just cheat, steal the answers from others."
"What?" Naruto squinted at him in confusion.
Daiki just shrugged and let him go, stepping past him as the line continued forward and letting the blonde go.
Ibiki raised a hairless brow at Daiki when he stepped up, eyeing him with interest. 'Did he hear me?' Daiki wondered, before shrugging internally and moving on.
It didn't matter in the end. He was just making sure Naruto didn't punk out or something since he wouldn't be with the same old same old Hinata from the original timeline.
It wasn't like he was incapable of it either, the guy could create shadow clones, switch with them and transform on the fly without anyone even noticing.
Moments later, Daiki returned to the same exact seat he'd been chilling at waiting for the exams to start. Seat number sixty-nine.
It was his special number after all.
The Shinkugan was ever so useful.