The exam matches really become his source of an idea like Hayate said, he received more and more knowledge on battle technique and jutsu at the same time.

The battle between Naruto and Kiba bring him more surprise, as the human-beast transformation technique and fang over fang of Inuzuka Kiba make him astonished. He once thought there’s a possibility of Naruto’s defeat against Kiba.

However, seeing the arrogant act of the brat, and intellect on Naruto’s action, he washed the feeling away. Knowing the definite win on Naruto’s part.

He moved closer to the stadium and got his job done right, as the medic in the area.

The preliminaries of the 3rd exam forbid for spectator from outside to watch, and Hayate brings him there as a medic, along with Hiura and Erika.

He knows that Naruto somehow has a high regeneration, and need not a fixing. But, seeing Hinata give him some ointment, he, of course, smirked at the sight, and leave to tend the injured Kiba.

Exchanging their position, Hotaru healed the brat in a jiffy, and go back to see a match between a primary and branch family of Hyuuga.

Of course, he already knows many things from Erika’s information. About the caged birds, and the Hyuuga Neji, that hates his cousin Hinata.

He didn’t know the reason, but seeing their battle, he can see the determination on Hinata’s counterpart while madness in Neji’s stance. Naruto keeps encouraging Hinata and gets himself angry with Neji.

Alas, Hinata loses in the end.

The maddened Neji held by five jounin, that is; Kurenai, Guy, Kakashi, even Hayate, and Asuma. That’s not something healthy to do, as each of them held a place differently.

However, their fight gave Erika many to learn.

“As expected, Neji-san is a genius…”

“bah, I can defeat him my hands tied -zo.”

“You need to talk with more care Hiura, and indeed his moves are hard to copy. His usage in either the accuracy and power might be too much for a fight against Hinata… I can feel the bloodlust in his last attack though…”

Erika sigh at sight, however, the match continued as the next game is a battle against the Genin they wary the most. The Genin that’s on team Kankuro, bringing his gourd in his back, and tiredness permeating from his surroundings.

For once, Hotaru shouted to the arena, “Lee! Watch out of his gourd!”

While to others it’s just a regular yell, to Kankuro and the others, it’s an astonishment…

“He’s perceptive indeed…”

“now, you, believe me, right?”

“We need to add him to our list…”

Having a strong Ninja isn’t something they need to be afraid too much, but, having a smart one is something they need to be scared about. Luckily, he’s not someone from the big family, but it’s still scary as they know, many hidden families out there might be stronger than some known family there is…

Gaara surprised by the sudden yell, but knowing his enemy this time isn’t someone reliable he takes it easy.

Lee focusing his eyes, and gave a kick but, blocked by Gaara’s sand.

The battle could be said astonishing, but his speed was lacking each and every attack Lee give blocked by the sand surrounding Gaara like a barrier. Knowing that Lee stopped to observe Gaara, Guy yelled then to release the ballast in his feet.

Many chuckled at sight, that the Genin brat taking off the weight in his legs, but after the ballast touch the floor.

BAM

“Crap! How many tons that things weighed?! -zo.”

“Dunno… but it sure is heavy…”

“He can move with that much weight in his legs… and that’s even faster than Hotaru…”

“I need to train more…” Hotaru said dejectedly

“I’ll come along -zo.”

“I’ll accompany you guys…”

While they converse, the battle is rising a notch. With Lee moving with speed, not even Hotaru and Hiura can follow, while the jounin can only felt the breeze surrounding if they aren’t seriously tried to spectate.

Once the kick touches the barrier of sand Gaara had, they’d penetrated the wall albeit slightly.

However, not long later, his kicked penetrate the barrier and Gaara being kicked for some tiles and crack appeared in his face. While groaning, he released sand wave from his gourd and attacking Lee with more tenacity than before.

His power started to be unaffected again, and Lee begins boiled like a boiled octopus. His skins redden, and from the conversation, Hotaru and the others picked, from Kakashi and Guy, Lee used the technique Guy developed which named ‘8 inner gates’ it’s a 2-sided blade that can injure the user.

However, knowing that Lee can defeat Gaara with it, Hotaru sighs relief and expected, the battle siding to Lee more than before, while something weird happens to Gaara.

In the end, Lee defeated because of his lack in stamina in his usage of 8 inner gates, and seeing the opportunity, Gaara blanketed Lee’s left right and leg with his hand and crushed them.

Hotaru that astonished with the sight, hurriedly move to Lee, but seeing that Lee still stands in the arena, Gaara once again tries to blanket him in the sand, only to get washed away by Guy with a wave of a hand.

The battle ended, Lee unconscious while standing up, and Guy cries his eyes out while embracing Lee, and Hotaru hurriedly kicks the man away to bring Lee to the clinic as soon as possible and try to operate Lee in the area.

Of course, not only Hotaru and Guy, even Naruto felt scared by sight and glared at Gaara while Neji scoffs at Lee and becoming more determined that fate will always side with the luckier ones.

“Erika, please use byakugan and tell me the point where the blood being clogged, and Hiura, can you transfer your chakra to me? I need to act fast, and hurry in case the injury became heavier.”

“On my way -zo.”

“Gasp… the area from his bicep to the tip of his fingers all being damaged, I can’t believe he can move with this much of injury in his arm and legs… not to mention the damage in his muscle…”

“I already know that, but please tell me the most injured part for now… we’ll start from there…”

“Right…”

Hiura does a meditative stance while guiding his chakra to Hotaru in the back, while Erika point the part needed to be tended ASAP. They act in harmony while helping each other out, and move fluidly, and the other medic tries to help but, their ability pales in comparison to the trio.

Guy that looks at them from behind astonished. While, Kakashi that follow use his Sharingan, only to see a delicate Chakra control and dancing chakra strings that so slim it’s hard to see with naked eyes…

Not long after, Hayate comes to the room, followed by Tenten. While the others unallowed to enter the room.

“It’s over already?” Guy asked

“Meh, the Akimichi kid got blasted by the kid from sound village…” Hayate answer

“are these kids’ yours Hayate?” Kakashi Ask

“I’m still Single Kakashi-san, don’t mock me…”

“Ey… You know I didn’t mean it that way…”

“well, they’re my TEAM kids, but I’m not the one teaches them medic nin… they learned it from Flynn.”

“Oh… he’s teaching them…”

“What, Flynn’s still alive? Ain’t he dead!?” Guy suddenly shouted

“Meh, been back ages ago… he’s living in the orphanage busily copulating with Yugao…”

Kakashi didn’t say a word but put his hand on Hayate’s back. While Guy feels sad for Hayate’s unrequited love…

“It’s alright, none of us here have any companion too…” Guy said smacking Hayate’s back with all his might

Leaving aside the Jounins’ conversation, Hiura, Hotaru, and Erika have their toughest time in handling a person.

Never would they think the injury Lee face is even higher than they imagined, while focusing intending Lee’s wound, Hotaru also get his injury worsened, and get himself passed out in the middle of the treatment.

Of course, no one continued that treatment, as there’s nothing else they could do, besides let him recuperate.

Hotaru’s already done his best, but, with his skill. All he could do is lessen the more substantial injury to not give Lee higher pain, and ease the operation latter to fix him up.

“It’s still impossible for us to fix him though… -zo”

“Yes, we’ve learned the medic-nin from Flynn-san and Yugao-san, knowing Hotaru, he developed his medical string himself, so, counting on Flynn-san and Yugao won’t really help, but you can ask them anyway…” Erika add

“I… Sigh… Indeed… giving Lee false hope might hurt him, but I’ll try my best to lessen his burden…” Guy said

It took a while for them to let Lee brought to Konoha hospital with the medic, even though some medics were Jounin and Chunin. Not all of them as skilled as Hotaru, Hiura, and Erika. Sometimes, even worse than them.

However, the medics not only playing around medic nin, but also their ability and skill in medic, and sickness.

Knowing that even the three from Hayate group can’t delve deeper in anything else aside treatment, they didn’t help the medic that much.

It took Hotaru 1 day to awake, and Lee 2 day…

Hotaru, of course, visits Lee often and talk to him. While Lee mostly does his training even with his injury. Hotaru smack him several times, and order Lee to rest, but after Hotaru left, Lee will soon train again.

Knowing there’s nothing he can do, but let him rest in his visit, Hotaru can only sigh.

He enjoys his conversation with Tenten while visiting Lee though, he even visited Tenten’s house and got to know her parent.

He learned about many things about weapons from Tenten and her parents, they even taught him the fuinjutsu sometimes, and Hotaru learns them in no time without many hurdles.

Tenten and her parents, of course, surprises with Hotaru’s comprehension and to thank them he cooks for them many times.

Hotaru learned knowledge like a sponge, the more he learned, the higher his affinity with the field, Tenten parent even more in joy while taught him, as they already acknowledged Hotaru as their future son-in-law while Tenten could only redden whenever her father talks about sack Hotaru already to Tenten.

Of course, all those don’t happen in a mere month, but more than a month, even after the finals, but we’ll just forward it.

One month is the time the Genin have to learn and rest before the Final in the stadium, while those that already fail to learn for the next exam, those that passed train, with Naruto that already met with Jiraiya in the bathhouse, after Ebisu knocked out by Jiraiya.

They do visit Ichiraku sometimes, and Jiraiya even molests Ayame only to get killed by Hotaru’s ‘hidden killer ingredient’ inside the Ramen given to Jiraiya.

“Ooooh! Damn it, my stomach!” Jiraiya thus never leaving the toilet for a week…

After getting drugged by Hotaru and get Teuchi cold glare, even Jiraiya dare not to molest Ayame again, while Naruto just laughs out loud at sight.

One month soon passed, and the final day match begins…