For Disclaimer, Contents, and Character List, please go to the final chapter.

To Become A Chunin

Chapter 1

The Gate Guards

It is a bright sunny day in the peaceful Hidden Leaf Village. Two familiar Chunin are standing guard duty at the village main gate.

"Hey Ino, I'm hungry. Where do you want to go for dinner? How about some barbecue?", the hefty sixteen year old boy in the scarlet colored outfit asked brightly.

This brought an angry retort from the pretty blond standing at the opposite gate post. "Choji!! If you think I'm going anywhere I have to fight you for the last piece of beef, you are much mistaken! Wherever we eat, you and I get our own bowls and... Huh? There is someone coming. Fast."

"Hey, Ino. I think it's Naruto's little friend. He's wounded!"

A twelve year old boy with dried blood on his forehead and cheek stopped in front of Choji and immediately fell to one knee, completely exhausted. Ino rushed over, concerned. "Konohamaru, are you all right? Where is your team?"

He panted, "Udon is hurt bad. Ebisu and Moegi are bringing him back. They sent me ahead to get help."

Ino immediately took charge. "Choji, go get a medical team." Surprisingly quickly for a big man, the red streak disappeared down the path. "Let me tend to those cuts while you tell me what happened to Udon." Ino quickly checked over the boy and found no major injuries. Healing chakra flowed out of her hand and began closing the wounds on his left arm and cheek.

Konohamaru reported, "We fought some bandit nins. Ebisu sensei got stabbed, but I think he's OK. Moegi didn't get hurt, as far as I know. But Udon got crushed by some rocks. He has a broken leg and Ebisu sensei said he was hurt inside, too. Here they come."

Ebisu, a kunai still protruding from his back, the left lens of his sunglasses shattered, and blood running down the front of his ripped shirt, gently laid Udon on the blanket Ino had laid out. She knelt down and started mumbling to herself, "Compound fracture of the tibia, heartbeat irregular, breathing weak. Come on Ino. You can do this."

Healing chakra spread out from Ino's hands and covered Udon's torso. Sweat ran down her grimacing face as slowly, ever so slowly, Udon's breathing began to slow and become deeper. Suddenly, she noticed a surge in chakra. Surprised, she looked up and found Choji had returned with the medical team. The doctor, wearing the white medical uniform, was kneeling on the other side of Udon. Another was working on his broken leg. Surprise again, laying behind on the blanket, within inches of her feet, Ebisu lay on his stomach while a medic worked on the ugly wound in his back. The bloody kunai lay carelessly on the road.

As much from disorientation as from fatigue, Ino's chakra faltered. The doctor spoke, "You can rest now, Ino. He'll be fine. You did a good job. There was excellent support of his circulatory system and respiration. He could have bled to death from the compound fracture, but as the main artery was not damaged, you were right to wait until his circulation was stable. I have only one criticism. He was hemorrhaging from a major laceration of his liver. Internal bleeding can be very dangerous. You must use your chakra to check all major organs at the same time you are healing. All in all, a very respectable healing from an apprentice. I will report your progress to your sensei, Sakura, and to the honored Hokage."

The doctor stood and turned to the worried crowd. "The boy will recover, thanks to Ebisu and Ino's quick actions. He will require surgery on his leg and long days of rehabilitation. Ebisu will be fine after a stay in the hospital." Moegi tried to hide the tears running down her cheeks by burrowing her face into Konohamaru's uninjured shoulder. "Will the kunoichi teammate please escort the honored grandson to the hospital so that you may both be examined?" Konohamaru gave a sour look as he and Moegi followed the litters bearing their injured comrades.

Ino sat down heavily and put her face in her hands. "Why, Choji, why? I could have killed that kid. It's the same as with Asuma. I'm not good enough. I'm not strong enough. Sakura would not have made that mistake. She would have found that bleeding liver and fixed it long before the medics came. I almost killed him."

Choji kindly put his big hand on her shoulder. "Ino, you being on the gate today probably saved their lives. Both of them. I don't think you saw Ebisu. When I got back he was still standing over you and the boy, just watching. The instant he saw the medics were here, he let go and just collapsed. I barely caught him. He had nothing left. What condition would he have been in if he had run all the way to the hospital. And the kid... You heard what the doctor said, even if you only listened to what you could have done better. You saved his life!"

"And Asuma... Ino... You Know -"

Shikamaru- "Choji! Ino! Get moving!"

Ino- "I'll perform my medical jutsu!"

Choji- "Yeah"

Asuma (injured, whispers)- "... It's alright... This... is gonna be it for me, Guys. Even I

know that much... Heh... You all should know that as well..."

Shikamaru- "Shut Up! Just Be Quiet!

Ino (tries medical jutsu)

Choji- "Ino..."

Ino- "He's been struck at four vital points... There's nothing more that can be done..."

Asuma- "Ino... Choji... Shikamaru... There's something... I want to tell you..."

Choji- "Sensei, you shouldn't be talking right now!"

Shikamaru- "Choji! You too, Ino... These are Asuma Sensei's last words... Listen

closely."

Asuma- "Ino..."

Ino- "Yes..."

Asuma- "You are a strong willed... reliable girl... Choji and Shikamaru... are kind of

clumsy so... I'm counting on you to take care of them..."

Ino- "Yes..."

Asuma- "And... don't you lose to Sakura... in either ninjutsu or love..."

Ino- "Yeah!..."

"You couldn't save him. Sakura couldn'ta saved him. Not even the Fifth... Don't you think I wonder, if I just got there sooner, I could of clobbered that Akatsuki monster. But I know I'm not strong enough. And Shikamaru. I know he worries he should have held the damn demon with his Shadow Possession just a little longer, we coulda got Asuma away. At least he destroyed that monster. But the thing is, Ino, we got to get stronger."

"Thank you Choji. I know you are right. We have to get stronger. I won't allow my teammates to die again. I Won't Lose!"

Next: Chapter 2

The Konohamaru Squad's First Battle