There were only a few days left before the exams, and already Kirigakure was beginning to fill from shinobi from surrounding lands. The residents of the hidden village, generally superstitious of outsiders, raised their noses at the newcomers and tried their best to avoid them. Nevertheless, the influx of travelers was good for business, and even as the sun began to set the streets were filled with customers looking to buy equipment for the upcoming event, or simply to find a good meal before nightfall. “Stay with the group,” the jōnin had told him. “Don’t wander off on your own.”