Disclaimer: I do not and probably never will own Naruto or any other copyrighted works mentioned in this story. I am not writing this for profit.
Author's Note:
Here's a brief snippet for an alternate take on the Chuunin Exams: Infiltrate a mock-up of an enemy village and complete a mission using only what you can find. No weapons, no tools, just the clothes on your back and anything you pick up!
Naruto sighed, looking around the small trash heap they'd staked out just outside the village. Sasuke was all for simply zipping in, but their clothing wasn't exactly conductive to that sort of thing. In Konoha, Naruto had gotten good at being stealthy in orange because it actually caused pain if you stared at it long enough. At least, that's what he'd heard. It'd seemed to work, making people irritated if they stared at him long enough, and some had even been forced to avert their eyes altogether!
But that wouldn't help here. There wasn't enough exposure time available. Henge wouldn't work either; they'd kai the hell out of any chakra signatures that seemed even the least bit suspicious.
Naruto's eyes wandered. If only we had some kind of...
He looked over at a simple cardboard box, while Sakura poised some ideas and Sasuke shot them down coldly. He walked over and picked it up.
"Hey... Guys?" He turned around, and pulled the box down over himself. He peeked out of a hole in the cardboard. Sakura and Sasuke stared.
"How about this?"
Sakura gaped and then shook her head incredulously. "Naruto, are you crazy?! How would that possibly work to get us in?"
"Dobe, you've had some stupid ideas, but this?" Sasuke shook his head. Naruto snorted.
"You got anything better?"
The two other genin looked at eachother. Naruto smirked.
"How about this? I get in, get out and get what we need. I fail, you guys bail me out and we try something else."
"You want to bet all our chances on a box?" Sakura asked.
Naruto shrugged.
"Hey... Would they expect it?"
The two guarding chuunin sighed, leaning against opposite sides of their post.
"So bored," one mumbled.
"I know," the other stated.
"Can't believe no kunoichi were assigned to our area."
"I know... Total sausage fest."
Neither noticed a small cardboard box that inched it's way up close to them. One of the guards sighed and rolled his eyes as it sidled right behind him.
"Lot of babes in this crowd though..."
"Yeah, especially that Sand kunoichi..."
The chuunin heard a noise behind him, and he turned.
"MMPH!"
He turned around and saw his fellow chuunin guarding his side of the gate, looking perfectly composed, one foot on a box.
"You say something?"
"Something in my throat," the chuunin replied. The guard nodded, and turned to look back at the forest-Only to have the fist of the last Uchiha slam his head into the post.
"UNGH!"
Sakura walked out of the bushes to the gate, and gave her crush a smile. She then looked over at the "chuunin", who poofed into smoke to reveal a grinning Naruto.
"Okay... I admit it... It wasn't a stupid idea," Sakura said. "Where'd you get the idea?"
"Video games," Naruto explained, as the box underneath his foot began to wobble and struggle.
Metal Gear Naruto. Tell me it wouldn't be awesome. Sorry for the long time between updates, it's final exam time for me. And then, graduation! Yay!