Six years have passed since the murder of Chihiro's parents. Since then the girl has kept her hair short and taken to training so she can be the strongest, yet never shows off in front of the Hyuuga clan.
She is still friends with Hinata, but she will never fully trust the family. Not after everything that has happened.
Since then Chihiro has become a Genin. Her team is with an Inuzuka clan member, Kilo, and then his pup Yuki and finally another guy named Lin. Then their team captain, Hanako is another member of the Inuzuka clan with a large white dog Timber.
Their first mission outside of the village ends with them having saved a young man and his village. Returning to their home Chihiro couldn't help skipping about with either guy beside her.
"Chihiro, where do you get this energy?" Kilo sighs, a white and black spotted dog riding on his head. Yuki sits up their barely rustling his tussled brown hair.
"Really, we're barely standing." Lin sighs his lime green eyes eyeing her curiously.
"I can't help it. That went really well." Chihiro turns walking backwards as she talks to them a wide smile on her face.
'Really.' Both guys smile at seeing that twinkle in her silver eyes.
Chihiro is just as beat up as them but she always seems to find the energy to survive. She's the strength that keeps them going every time. Both boys care for her deeply and wish for her to one day see at least one of them as something more than a teammate. But for now… for now they're good with sharing in that smile.
"Come on! Let's get some BBQ to celebrate!" Chihiro pulls them along.
"We're coming!" They laugh as she tugs their hands.
The next morning Hanako hands them entrance files.
"Chunin Exam?" The three kids look at the piece of paper with wide eyes.
"It's up to you to choose if you want to take it or not." Hanako, the golden eyed woman, looks at them with a gentle smile.
They all looked at the paper then their silky dark brown haired woman. After explain what it is a bit she then leaves them to think it over.
'Chunin Exam huh?' Chihiro looks at the paper as she absent mindedly walks.
Not realizing where she was going she was heading straight for a pillar. Then she felt her forehead hit a hand.
"What are ya spacing out about Chi?" Calls a familiar voice.
"Naruto…" Chihiro looks at him with slightly shaking eyes.
"You got that too huh?" Naruto looks at her with his goofy grin holding his up.
"You too?" Chihiro stares at it wide eyed.
The two soon found themselves at Ichiraku Ramen. The two sit near each other with their steaming bowls begging to be eaten.
'Should I do it?' Chihiro stares into her bowl unsure of what to do.
"You not gonna dig in?" Naruto looks over at her curiously.
"Naruto… d-do you plan on doing it? The exam I mean?" Chihiro looks over at him, her eyes shaking a bit.
"Well yeah. Just one more step to becoming Hokage." Naruto blows on his noodles. "Don't you want to join to? Get closer to your goal as a healer?" he starts eating.
'Right, to be a healer I need to move up in ranks. I'll have to at least try.' Chihiro ponders looking into the bowl.
"But won't it be hard?" Chihiro still looks uneasy.
"Of course. How else are we supposed to get better?" Naruto smiles over at her with a fire in his eyes.
This look would sometimes show up on his face. Chihiro always thinks it suits him although it's a little surprising. But something about fuels her.
"Right." Chihiro nods smiling as she digs into her food.
The next morning they all meet at the exam area. They quickly make it to the room where they meet the other rookies. As the proctor and watchers come in Ibiki tells them this is a written exam.
'Poor Naruto.' Chihiro sighs as she spots the nervous ball of orange.
"Eyes front everyone because I'm only explaining the rules once and now questions." Ibiki stands in front of the class room.
'No questions? That's weird?' Chihiro pounders.
"The rules are simple. You start with a perfect score of ten and there're ten questions. Everyone you get wrong a point is deducted. Get caught cheating and two points are taken, if your caught five times then you and your team are thrown out. The tenth question will be done fifteen minutes before the exam ends." Ibiki starts. "These sentinels' are here to watch for cheating and if any member of the team has a zero the whole team fails." He smirks.
'What?!' Sakura yells in her head.
'Naruto you better not mess up!' Sasuke has a twitch over his eye.
'They're going to kill me!' Naruto gulps feeling their eyes on him.
Time seems to tick slowly as team after team is thrown out. But finally it is time for the final question.
"Alright listen up! Here is the tenth and final question!" Ibiki announces.
'Here we go.' Naruto gulps.
'Let's hear it.' Chihiro stares ready.
'Man the guy is full of himself.' Sasuke huffs.
'This is it.' Sakura looks ready.
"But before that, I'm going to add some rules specific to the tenth question." Ibiki grins with his cold stare.
'More rules?' Chihiro looks puzzled.
"Listen carefully. And to not let them frighten you." Ibiki side glances at everyone.
'If the rules are scary… then what about the question?' Naruto gulps.
"Rule one, you guys will choose if you want to take the last question or not." Ibiki counts it with his finger.
"Wait a minute. What happens if we choose not?" Temari lifts a brow.
"Then your score is dropped to zero no matter what and your whole team fails." Ibiki smirks.
"That's dumb, who would choose to leave after all this?" Ino huffs.
"Not so fast. There's one more rule." Ibiki holds up another finger. "If you answer the tenth question wrong you fail and are band from the exams permanently." He smirks.
"That's bull! There are tons of people here that have taken it before!" Kiba barks along with Akamaru.
"Then I guess you just got unlucky having me this year." Ibiki chuckles coldly. "You have three minutes to choose. If you wish to pass simply raise your hand and you and your team can go." He motions to the door.
One by one people raise their hands. Chihiro's worried for Naruto. If he raises his hand he'll regret it but if he fails…
Naruto has his hand up then slams it on to the table. He glares at Ibiki at that.
"LIKE HELL I'm giving in! I don't care if I'm a Genin for the rest of my life! I don't care if I'm stuck as a Genin my whole life, I WILL be Hokage one day! My name is Naruto Uzumaki remember it!" Naruto stares with a fire in his eyes.
'He's either stupid or brave.' Sasuke smirks.
'Wait to go knuckle head.' Sakura smiles softly.
'N-Naruto…' Hinata looks at him with a soft smile.
'Dummy.' Chihiro smiles over at him with a softness to her eyes.
"I'll ask again. It's a choice that will alter your life. If you want to quit do it now!" Ibiki keeps his stare icy.
"No way, I never go back on my word. That's my ninja way." Naruto looks back with a fire in his eyes.
'Huh… what a funny kid. He completely brushed the other kids anxiety away.' Ibiki ponders. '78 huh? More than I was expecting. But no one's wavering.' He looks around the room to feel the calmness that has fallen over it.
"Well then I admire your determination. For those of you left there's only one thing to say." Ibiki speaks in a slightly different tone. "You ALL PASS the first test!"
"H-hey wait a minute. Where's the tenth question?" Sakura stands confused.
"There never was one. Not a written one anyway. You staying was the answer to the final question." Ibiki smiles his whole demeanor changing.
"Wait a sec! So what was the point of the other nine? Were they just a waste of time?" Tamari shouts.
"Oh no. They had a purpose. To test your ability to gather info in a high stress situation." Ibiki shakes his head slightly. "I told you you'd be scored as a team. So everything you did or didn't do would affect all of you." He explains.
"I figured that. That's why I kept my cool." Naruto chuckles a bit nervously.
'Yeah right.' The other rookies stare at the back of his head.
'Dummy.' Chihiro laughs a bit at that.
After that Ibiki explains about the others in the room. He then tells them about the final ones importins showing them his scared head.
After that something comes crashing through the window. A banner with a young purple haired woman are now in the middle of the room.
"Don't get comfy kitties! Ready for the second test? Good then fallow me!" She declares.
"You're early again Anko." Ibiki peeks from behind her banner.
Anko flushes at that. The Genin chuckle at that as Ibiki joins her as she looks over how many there are.
"How many are there? Ibiki you're losing your touch." Anko looks out at all of them.
"Or they're a stronger crop of candidates." Ibiki does the same.
"When I'm done there'll be less than half." Anko huffs with a cold smirk.
'Less than half?' Chihiro gulps.
"You're leaders will tell you where to go tomorrow." Anko heads out with a wave.