Notes: I do not own Naruto.
If you have any questions about my character or this plot, please contact me through PM.
Naruto and I stood in a fighting stance, until a voice stopped us all in our tracks.
"You're an embarrassment to our village. Can you even remember the reason why we came to this village?"
The man in the war paint went paler than a ghost, "Look! They started it! They challenged us first!"
"Shut up." The red head demanded. "I apologize for any trouble they may have caused."
He dispersed into sand before appearing before us again. "Let's go."
"Yes, Gaara, of course." Before they could walk away I quickly stopped them.
"Hold up!" They turned around, but I kept my eyes on the blonde. "You're from Sunagakure , but no shinobi can enter another village with out permission. I'm sorry but I must ask what you are doing here."
The blonde smirked, "You've all been living under a rock, haven't you? We have permission." She flashed us her papers, and I nodded. "We're here for the chunin exams."
"What's the chunin exams, Haru-chan?" Naruto asked.
"We do not live under a rock, yet I did not know they would come up so quickly. Uzumaki-san-" Konohamaru cut me off before I could finish.
"It's what a genin has to take to become a chunin, duh!" As they slowly started to bicker again, I cursed my luck.
Sasuke quickly jumped in front of me , "You...who are you?"
"Me?" The blonde batted her eye lashes.
"No. The one with the gourd on his back." His lip twitched, and I knew he was annoyed.
"My name is Sabaku no Gaara. Who are you?" At this I stood wide eyed, and it confirmed my fears. He was the boy I had played ball with all those years ago. Had he really turned so evil?
"I'm Sasuke Uchiha," A breeze went by, making my whole body break out into shivers.
They stared at one another for a moment longer before Naruto yelled "I bet you're dying to know my name as well!"
"I honestly couldn't care less." Gaara turned on his heel and finally walked away.
"Hey, am I uncool?" Naruto poked my side, but Konohamaru once again interrupted me.
"Eh, compared to Sasuke, yeah!"
"Don't you even try to show me up!" Naruto made a fist towards the Uchiha.
"Back off dobe." He threatened.
"I swear if you start to fight, in the middle of this peaceful day, I will break your bones from the inside out." My voice had a dark edge to it, making both boys cross their arms and grunt. "Now, let's get to the bridge."
As we walked, Naruto poked Sasuke "Do you really think she could do that?"
"Do what, dobe?" He clearly was thinking about Gaara, and I silently agreed that I had a bad feeling about him too.
"Could Haru-chan really break our bones from the inside out?" His yell of fear even made Kakashi wonder what had happened as we met up with him.
"Hatake-sensei, please let them know with precise medical-nin training I could tear the muscle from the bone without leaving an exterior mark." I gave him a big cheesy smile.
"You do have an eye for that sort of thing!" He agreed, and we laughed at Naruto's expression of pain. Sasuke on the other hand grunted and threw Kakashi a look of annoyance.
"What's the mission for today, sensei?" He asked.
"I recommended you all for the chunin exams. These are the application forms." He handed us the applications.
"Application forms?" I repeated.
"You're repeating me, Haru-chan. If you don't feel ready, you can wait until next year. This is all voluntary." He said, already knowing our answers.
Naruto yelled in excitement and tackled our sensei into a bear hug. "You're the absolute best sensei!"
"Naruto, you're slobbering on my vest." Pushing the shinobi off of himself, Kakashi continued "Go to room 301 at the academy if your application is signed and ready. It'll be at 3pm five days from now."
"I bet there are really strong people going to the chunin exams!" Naruto said, as we walked around the village.
I stared at their backs, suddenly feeling very unsure. My IQ rivaled Shikamaru's, yet when it comes to taijutsu, I'm even worse than Naruto. I started to feel helpless. How could I keep up with my teammates?
"Why are you walking with me, Uchiha-san?" I asked, feeling slightly odd.
"I wanted to talk with you. You shouldn't even attempt the chunin exams. You'll die." His voice was different, it wasn't Sasuke.
"I understand that you care, Uchiha-san, but I'll be just fine." Right then, a man appeared taunting us.
"You'll die!" Sasuke threatened.
"It's a genjutsu. This whole stupid thing is." I released it, and saw through the illusion.
"You're Kakashi's student, but you'll have a lot harder time in the chunin exams!" He disappeared and I began to walk away. Maybe I could catch up with the boys for a quick dinner before we went to the exams.
"It's going to be hard." I muttered, sighing.
The Next Day:
"You're late, Haru-chan!" Naruto stated.
"I'm sorry..Naruto..-kun.. Sasuke-kun.." I had trouble using their first names, feeling it was a big step of trust.
"Yeah." Sasuke stared at me for a moment, calculating. "Let's go."
4 Minutes later:
"Sasuke-kun, it's a genjutsu. We're only arriving on the second floor." Not even on the third step of the first floor.
"Good work, Haru-chan." was all he said.
We watched silently as a boy in a green jumpsuit was being pushed around. As well as his teammate.
"Hey, Let us through." Sasuke demanded. "We have to get to the third floor."
"Eh, so you saw through our genjutsu." The man with spiky hair said.
"Tell 'em Haru-chan. You could see it from a mile away. You do have the sharpest eyes and best analytical skills on our team." Sasuke gave me a reassuring nod.
"It was easy to spot, you didn't put much effort into it at all. Just changing numbers around? How original." I shrugged my shoulders giving them a smile.
"Well aren't we smart? Lets see you deal with this!" As him and Sasuke got ready to fight, the boy from earlier stopped them mid kick.
He was faster than Sasuke, and Sasuke looked purely annoyed.
"Hey! I thought we were going to stick to the plan of keeping our skill levels to ourselves." A pale eyed boy hissed. He had the Byakugan , I noted.
"Never mind, it's over with. Let's not worry about it." The female teammate sighed, shaking her head.
I noticed the boy staring at me oddly. "I'm Rock Lee, Haru! Will you please be my girlfriend? I promise to always protect you with my life!"
I reeled backwards. "I'm sorry, but no."
"Why not?" He looked beyond defeated and I felt bad.
"I..I don't know you all that well, my apologies, Lee-san" I tried to smile but he quickly turned around and leaned against the wall. Naruto leaned there later after a few words were passed between Sasuke and the Byakugan user.
"Come on, Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun!" I grabbed their hands and pulled them away. As soon as we were out of ear shot, "Sasuke-kun, be careful of those two. I'm not sure about the female, but they all seem above average."
He nodded, "Yeah. This is freak show, not some big bad chunin exam."
I giggled, and Naruto laughed at his joke as well.
I sensed Rock Lee as he stood above us on the third floor.
"What are you doing here?" We asked
"I want to fight!" he jumped down. "I'm Rock Lee. As you said Sasuke Uchiha, it is only common courtesy to give your name first before fighting an opponent. I challenge you!"
"Eh," Sasuke stood in amusement, watching the boy take a fighting stance. I took one as well.
"Sasuke-kun, you can leave him to me." I offered, lightning flaring around my palms
"You're our medic and annalist. You need to stay back, Haru-chan." The Sharingan user advised. I stood back, telling him he was right.
"I've heard great things about the Uchiha-clan! Are you as great as they say you are? You'll be a good test for me." He took a different fighting stance.
We glared at him, how dare he say that! "Also. Haru-chan. I love you."
I put my hands up in defeat, "no, uhm. Again, Lee-san, I'm sorry! I don't like you."
Somehow little hearts flew towards me, but I easily dodged, and side stepped behind Sasuke. "Look, I'm sorry, Lee-san! I do not like you."
"You don't have to be negative!" He pouted.
"You know I'm a Uchiha, yet you challenge me? You'll learn the hard way with who you are dealing with." I grabbed Sasuke's shoulder tightly.
"Sasuke-kun, Don't." He shrugged me off, Yet Naruto already cracked his knuckles.
"I've got him first, Sasuke." Sasuke nodded.
"I'm sorry, I only want to challenge Uchiha." Lee declined.
Yet Naruto ran towards Lee with an intent to kill. With a flick of Lee's wrist, Naruto was smashing to the floor. "Naruto-kun!" He bounced back up, trying to kick him, yet was knocked off balance, and he smashed his head into the floor.
"Sasuke-kun. We don't have time for this! Same goes for you, Naruto-kun!" I scolded. Yet Naruto was already knocked out.
"Don't worry Haru-chan. This will be over in less than a minute." Sasuke boasted.
My eye twitched, did these stupid boys not listen to a single thing I say? Closing my eyes and counting to ten, I only heard Sasuke hit the floor.
"Told ya so," I mumbled. Don't be an idiot and reveal your Sharingan, I thought.
Yet he did, and I was actually impressed. "Sasuke." Just what you'd expect from an Uchiha. Getting stronger every day.
Yet he was kicked in the jaw, being sent flying upwards.
"I don't use genjutsu, or ninjutsu. Only taijutsu." Lee explained, beating the crap out of Sasuke. "You're too slow to read my movements."
Now he was trying to piss the Uchiha member off. With all of his taunts and blocking every attack, Sasuke growled.
With another kick, he sent my teammate flying, and before he could finish his attack, we were all stopped.
"That's ENOUGH!" A giant red turtle yelled. I stared in shock. A giant red turtle yelled at us. "Leave each other alone."
Before Sasuke fell, I quickly slid to catch him in my lap. "Sasuke, you teme! Are you okay, you big idiot?"
Lee kneeled before the turtle, talking and apologizing.
"Is that a turtle, that bushy brows is talking to?" Naruto asked, pointing.
"Yes, obviously, Naruto-kun." I answered, giving him a glare.
"A shinobi NEVER reveals his techniques unless it is absolutely necessary! You think apologizing will get you off of the hook?" The turtle scolded far worse than I did. "Come out, Gai-sensei!"
Team 7 and I reeled backwards, screaming in shock and fear as a man who looked exactly like Lee appeared.
"Holy mother of god!" I yelled grabbing onto Sasuke.
"His eyebrows are huge!" Naruto yelled, holding onto me.
"What's going on, e'rybody?" He flashed us a smile.
"Do not insult Gai-sensei!" Lee yelled, jumping to his sensei's defense.
"Excuse me for not noticing his greatness! I was far to busy watching him crawl out from under a turtle!" Naruto defended right back.
Before Lee could say another word, Gai shushed him. "Now for your punishment!" He hit Lee square in the cheek, calling him an idiot.
They began to cry as he apologized to his own student.
"What in the world is going on here?" I asked my team, knowing not even they would have the answer.
"It's kinda sweet, how affectionate they are." Naruto observed.
"You're crazy." Sasuke and I said in unison.
"He's looking at us." I gasped, once again slightly side stepping behind Sasuke.
"How is Kakashi-sensei?" Gai asked,
"You know Kakashi-sensei?" Sasuke asked, and he immediately regretted it.
"He and I..." He paused for dramatic effect, "Are arch rivals for all of eternity." Flashing another smile that could blind, Naruto and I protested instantly.
He appeared behind us. "Our record is 50 wins and 49 losses, and I'm winning by one. Just to let you know." I gasped in shock at how fast he was.
He mentioned to be faster and stronger than Kakashi, yet I didn't believe that, and neither did Sasuke or Naruto. After Gai left, Lee mentioned that there was a stronger genin than him. It was the Byakugan user, I had warned Sasuke about.
He left as well, and I scolded Naruto for trying to rile up Sasuke, and we finally went on our way.
"These Chunin exams are just beginning to get interesting! Let's get started, Haru-chan! Naruto!" His leadership gave us confidence and we quickly left to register for the exams.
Kakashi stood in front of us, leaning against the double doors we had to walk through to finally register.
"Haru-chan, I'm glad you came." I stared at our sensei in confusion. "Now you can all register officially for the chunin exams."
"Why was it important that I came?" Voicing my teammates thoughts.
"You can only participate in three man teams, if you had not shown up, Naruto and Sasuke wouldn't have been able to register." He explained.
"I thought you said it was up to the individual."
"It is, but I wanted you to know you had a choice. I didn't want Naruto or Sasuke pressuring you to join. You are ready to tend to them without a second thought, you needed to think for yourself. I'm glad you had thought well enough for youreslf." Kakashi said, "I'm proud of all three of you."
He made room for us to go in, and we gladly did so.
As soon as we made it into the room, we realized exactly what we were in for.
"I didn't think there would be so much competition." I thought aloud. Yet my thinking was cut off as I heard a high pitched voice giggle.
Looking over, I watched as Ino jumped on Sasuke's back. "Oh, Sasuke-kun! I knew you'd be here!"
Unlike the rest of the female population, I held no attraction towards my teammate. Sure he had looks and talents, but I vowed that I wouldn't be that type of girl. Not like how I used to be in my previous life. "Eh, Yamanaka-san, you should remove yourself from my teammate."
"What are you gonna do it about it?" She threatened, and our death glares locked.
"How troublesome. It's you guys." Shikamaru and I had actually been friends for awhile but we stopped talking after we became genin.
"Thanks, Shikamaru-san." I mocked. "Nice to see you as well."
"looks like the three hoodlums are here!" Naruto joked.
"You're a waste of time pipsqueak." Shikamaru retorted shoving his hands into his pockets.
Team 8 walked our ways as well. "Well, looks like the whole gang is here."
"You guys too?" Shikamaru said, looking annoyed "Guess everyone's here for this stupid thing."
"Look at us, the 9 rookies." Kiba laughed. "It's gonna be fun, at least for those of us who can make it, right Sasuke?"
"Don't get to over confident, Kiba." Sasuke warned,
"We'll blow you guys outta the water, just wait 'n see." Before things broke out into a fight, a silver haired boy walked up to us.
As a medic-nin, I knew he was one as well. Our eyes were trained to see such things. "Hey! You guys, wanna keep it down? No offense or anything, but you are the nine rookies."
"Who ask you, eh?" Ino hissed, "Who are you?"
"My name is Kabuto Yakishi. You've already made quite an impression." I never took my eyes off of him, an unsettling feeling stuck in my stomach.
Sasuke looked over just in time to see my glare manifest before I looked away as well.
"This exam makes everyone tense, so you shouldn't upset them." Kabuto suggested.
"Kabuto, right?" The tone in my voice made everyone look back at us. They knew I was not one to mess with, and when I was angry even for the brief times we had talked.
"Yes?" He gave me a polite smile.
"This is your first time here," I said, making sure my chakra flared slightly.
"You're right! It's actually my seventh time!" He gave us a sheepish smile, but it annoyed me even more than Ino.
"Then you should be an expert at this." Giving him a forced smile I stepped closer to him.
"Some expert." Shikamaru clicked his tongue.
"Seventh time is the charm! Yet, I can give you guys some tips with my shinobi info cards." He took out orange cards from his back pouch.
"Shinobi info cards?" Was the guy for real?
"So you think we can't live up to the challenge?" I asked, my jaw locking.
"Eh, Haru-chan, you don't have to get mean with him. He's just trying to help." Naruto smiled, putting his hand on my shoulder, partly to hold me back.
"Just because we're rookies doesn't mean we were born yesterday." I hissed, my fists clenched. I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, I'm just tense." Lying was easy.
"It's alright. Yet these shinobi cards have been infused with my chakra over how much I have learned the last four years." He kneeled down and placed the cards on the ground. He explained to us what the chunin exams were, even though when i was 6 i had read all about them. I forgot they had been coming up so quickly. It made sense Gaara wouldn't have been wounded, he had his sand to protect him. Rock Lee was a taijutsu fighter, and Neji and Hinata were cousins. I saw her proud look as his name was mentioned, and it struck my slightly.
Lost in thought, I only heard "The competition is going to be intense." From Kabuto.
We sat in our respective seats as Ibiki explained our first test. I sat two rows behind Naruto, and I realized he wasn't going to be able to answer any of these questions.
I sped through the questions, using experiences from my past life and this one. I stopped not even halfway through the test, finished. Putting my paper face down, I observed Naruto. If there was a way I could give him my answers I would, but it wasn't possible.
Sighing, I felt a jolt in the back of my head. Someone was in my soul, but before they could take over I quickly thought of every bad thing I could think of to knock them off track.
"You're worthless. You're pathetic. How are you still alive?" The voice circled, and the person in my mind reeled back.
"Please leave my mind, or you'll die."
Yet I still looked over my answers a second time before they left. I looked back and saw Ino raise her head, blinking in confusion. I smirked, and mouthed "stay out of my mind." Her eyes went wide and I crossed my arms over the desk.
I had about 15 minutes before Ibiki would tell us the tenth question, I could nap for that time. I was awoken not even five minutes later with a kunai landing in front of the person sitting beside me. I shot him a glare, as if saying 'you woke me up from a peaceful nap, stay a genin for all I care.'
As Ibiki told us the last question, I stared in shock. Get this wrong or get this right, we're doomed.
Naruto slowly raised his hand before slamming it back down on the table again.
"You guys wont scare me off! I don't care if I stay a genin forever! I will still become the Hokage, you better believe it!" He grunted and sat back down.
Way to go Naruto-kun, I smiled proudly.
"You can change your life forever with this decision, this is your last chance to quite." Ibiki said.
"I never go back on my is the way of the ninja. I wont let my team down, and I will never quit!" Naruto's confidence made my heart leap for joy, and I knew he had made Sasuke proud as well.
"You pass." Ibiki's voice made us jump slightly. "Your decision to say was the answer to question 10!"
I cocked my head to the side as he began to laugh and I briefly wondered how Kakashi passed these exams. "My objective was to test you as one but also as a team. I wanted to see how well you function as both and how you benefit your team. The final question gave you two choices. It was a no win situation. When on a mission, and many missions may seem suicidal, you think only of the goal. Be courageous and disciplined enough to achieve this goal. These are the qualities of a chunin squad leader. To make life altering decisions, to gather information and to complete the mission."
Ibiki wished us good luck and passed us after his speech.
A ball flew through the window, but attaching the cloth to kunai and the ceiling. "I'm Anko and I'll be your next proctor! Y'all ready? Let's go!"
Ibiki stepped beside Anko, "You're early, again." She blushed in embarrassment.
"You're goin' soft, Ibiki. Alright, listen up! Tomorrow morning you're mine. I'll tell your sensei's where to meet me, and we'll begin the second phase of the chunin exams."
Notes:
Chunin Exams Arc! Woo!
The Forest of Death will be done in two chapters (probably)
Then the Preliminary Rounds will be done in two as well.
The Month before the Final round will be one chapter,
And then you know what comes after that.
Each Arc will have about 2-6 chapters.
I will also be doing side stories for missions and breaks. (: (Only if you "The Reader" Wants this to happen)