(A/N: Sorry for such a short chapter, really I am. I've been kinda busy lately with the Navy and such. Soldier life isn't the best for college, as it turns out. Anyway, thank you for reviewing, reading, and favoriting so far. I will be uploading two chapters tonight to make up for this being such a short one, so enjoy!)

The next month or so went by without incident. Malkeru and Hinata still trained every day, deciding to ignore the fact that she had hugged him. Team seven continued doing D rank missions. Kakashi said that they needed time to rest after a B rank mission against Haku and Zabuza, althought Naruto argued, Malkeru silently agreed with Kakashi. Naruto may have healed fast because of the Kyuubi, but Malkeru was still cut up pretty bad. He still had pains whenever he exerted too much force with his upper body. That all changed one day though, as they were finishing up missions.

"Okay, that's it for today, I have to go submit our mission reports." Kakashi never looked up from his trademark orange book as he body flickered away.

"Then I'm going home." Sasuke walked off like he usually did.

"Hey Sasuke, how about right now we practice teamwork..just the two of us.." Sakura was hopeful as always that Sasuke would change his mind about her advances.

"You're the same as Naruto..if you have time to bother me, practice a jutsu or two." Sasuke walked off as cold as always.

"Sakura, if you want, I can teach you a couple jutsu. I've learned a couple while we've been doing these D ranks." Malkeru had hit the library hard when he got back, practicing jutsu with Hinata after their missions.

"No Mal..thank you, but I really wanted to practice with Sasuke.." All three shinobi had to go relatively the same way to go home, so they headed out together. Malkeru felt uneasy, a very obvious "rock disguise" was following them. Although this happened often because of Naruto, Malkeru still didn't like it. He had been raised as an Inuzuka to always hide his tracks, never allow yourself to be followed. Naruto seemed to notice as well, he turned around and faced the box.

"Konohamaru...I know you're hiding under that rock! Rocks don't have two eye holes, baka!"

"Ah! So you found us out!" the rock said, "I'd expect nothing less from my eternal rival!" From under the rock popped out Konohamaru and his two friends though Malkeru could never remember their names, nor did he really care to.

'It was obvious to all of us...' Malkeru's frown of dissapointment at the young shinobi in training was obvious.

"What do you want?" Naruto asked, hands behind his head.

"Uhm, boss, are you free?"

"Nope! I'm training!"

"But you said you'd play ninja with us!"

'Play...ninja..?' Malkeru was so confused by the thought of actual ninja playing ninja. Sakura seemed to be along the same track of thought as he was.

"Why would a ninja..'play' ninja.."

"Hey bro! What's with this girl?" Konohamaru was pointing at Sakura. "Not bad bro."

"Huh?" Naruto was confused as always

"She's your...girlfriend."

"Haha, you brats are pretty observant!"

'Oh, he's dead..' Malkeru took a step back, not wanting to be a part of this.

"WRONG!" Sakura punched Naruto harder than ever, sending him flying back into a fence.

"How dare you! You ugly bitch!" Konohamaru had done it now, even Malkeru was scared for the boy.

'Oh no..' Malkeru jumped up to a tree to avoid the backlash of what was about to happen. Konohmaru got the same punishment that Naruto did, landing right next to the injured blonde ninja.

"Ow! Is that big forehead even a girl? I mean, seriously!"

'He's as stupid and big mouthed as Naruto!' Malkeru thought laughing at the two boys who were now running for thier life. Malkeru looked ahead to where they were going and saw it before Konohamaru ran into it. A man garbed in all black, on his head his wore a haite-ate that seemed to be sown into a cover for his head, like something someone who spent a lot of time in the desert heat wore. Next to him was a girl older than him, she had what seemed to be a giant fan on her back and wore her haite-ate around her like Hinata. The man grabbed Konohamaru around his collar and lifted him off the ground.

'Damnit,' Malkeru lept into action. 'My wounds are nearly healed and I wanted to take it easy!'

"That hurt you little piece of shit." the man garbed in black seemed to be angry. Malkeru also realized he wasn't a man, he couldn't be older than 14 or 15.

"Don't." The girl was speaking now. "We'll get yelled at later."

"I'm sorry for him, we were messing around.." Sakura seemed to be scared, she kept her hands close to her and her arms in a defensive position.

"Hey fatass! Let him go!" Naruto was being himself, not helping in the slightest.

"Like the baka said, I'd let him go." Malkeru was behind the black garbed teen now, kunai to his throat. "I don't like him much either, but, he is the grandson of the third Hokage. As a leaf shinobi, I can't exactly let you harm him, can I?"

"I just wanted to play a bit before the boss showed up." The boy was smiling, he didn't seem to be scared by the kunai at his throat at all.

"LET HIM GO!" Naruto was charging now, throwing all caution of an unknown enemy to the wind. Before Malkeru could respond the boy moved his fingers and Naruto tripped, another flick caused Malkeru's hand to be knocked away, sending his Kunai flying into a fence, almost hitting Sakura.

"I didn't realize leaf genin were so weak." Malkeru was about to activate his Sharingan and show him the meaning of weak when a rock hit the boys hand, causing him to drop Konohamaru.

"What are you bastards doing in our village." Sasuke was sitting in a tree, playing with another rock in his hands.

'Damnit Sasuke, I had this.' Malkeru shot Sasuke a glare, Sasuke either didn't notice or didn't care.

"Ah, another bastard who annoys me."

"Get out." Sasuke had serious killing intent in his eyes, but then again, Malkeru had never known him to show any other emotion.

"Hey bastard get down here! I hate show offs like you more than anything!" The boy took the bandage wrapped parcel off his back and began to unwrap it.

"What?!" the girl grabbed the boy "Are you really stupid enough to use Karasu here?"

'What the hell is Karasu..?' Malkeru drew himself up, ready for a fight.

"Kankuro stop it." Everyone's eyes grew wide, underneath Sasuke a read head shinobi had appeared from out of nowhere, hanging on a tree branch. "You're an embarrassment to our village."

"Ga-Gaara.." The black clad boy seemed to be scared at the red head.

"Losing control of yourself in a fight, how pathetic. Why do you think we came to the leaf village?"

"Listen Gaara, they started it and-"

"Shut up, or I'll kill you."

'What the hell is this guy?' Malkeru was stunned, had he threatened to kill his own teammate?

"Sorry to you guys.." sand surronded the boy and he dissappeared and reappeared next to his teammates "We may have arrived early, but we didn't come to play."

Malkeru dropped his stance a bit, "Why are you here? By your haite-ate I can tell your shinobi from the sand. By your teammates skills and problems controlling his emotions I'd say you're of high genin, low chunin rank even. Which means you should know that shinobi cannot enter another ninja village without permission. So I'll ask again, why are you here?"

"Wow, you really are clueless aren't you?" The blonde girl stepped forward. "You're right, we are genin from the hidden sand. We're here to take the chunin selection exam."

"Chunin selection exam?" Just like Naruto not to get it.

"I got this one," Malkeru stood in front of Naruto "Alright, the Chunin selection exam is where exceptional Genin from each ninja village come together to take an exam to become Chunin."
"But..why do we take it together?"

"The stated purpose is to promote unity and keep stable relations between the village, but also-"

"Hey Konohamaru! Should I take the exam?!" Malkeru smacked Naruto on top of his head.

"Baka, if you ask a question..listen until the end." Sasuke jumped to the ground.

"What's your name." For somereason the blonde ninja blushed just like Hinata

"Y-you mean me?"

'She even stutters like her, why are girls so damn weird?'

"No. You, with the red hair and gourd"

"...Gaara, of the desert. I'm also interested in your name."

"It's Sasuke Uchiha."

"Hey, what about me?!" That was Naruto, always trying to make it about him

"Not interested." The red head was already walking away. "Let's go.."

The next day they were waiting for Kakashi sensei again, as usual

"This is so unfair. How can he ask us here and then be so late." As if his ears were burning Kakashi appeared in front of them.

"Hello."

"You're late!" Sakura was always so angry with him.

"Good morning! Today I got lost on the road of life an-"

"Ya right!"

"Anyway. This is sudden but, I nominated you guys for the Chunin selection exams."

'What? Does he really think we're ready.' Malkeru had been doubting himself ever since his fight with Haku.

"Now this is a choice, all I did was nominate you. Here are you applications. Those who wish to take the test should take those to room 301 by 4pm tomorrow. That is all" Kakashi dissappeared again, leaving his team to discuss among themselves.

"Yay! Chunin exam!" Naruto was jumping for joy as they all headed back into town.

"There's going to be a lot of strong genin there." Malkeru saw Sasuke smiling for the first time ever.

"Heh, should be fun." Malkeru looked back, Sakura had been rather quiet and that was unusual, she hadn't even flirted with Sasuke once. He saw she was still standing where they had all been given the applications. "Sakura is everything alright?"

"N-no. I can't even keep up with Naruto, how am I going to pass this exam?"

Malkeru walked over and put his hand on her shoulder. "It'll be fine Sakura. You're the smartest ninja I know. You're the only one who was able to beat me in grades at Academy, remember? Even if physically you're not as strong as us, you're smart. And with Naruto on our team, we need all the brains we can't get, don't you agree?"
Sakura smiled again, "Ya, thanks Mal!" She took off after the group. Malkeru just sighed and headed the opposite way, he wanted to talk to Kiba about this exam and he was sure he was still training with squad eight.

"Damn Hinata! When did you get so good with your Taijutsu" Was the first thing Malkeru heard when he found squad eight training. It brought a smile to his face, he had been helping Hinata with her taijutsu and chakra control for the past two months. She was actually able to back him into a corner and force him to use Sharingan, something she never could have accomplished before the sparring practice.

"Ya Hinata, what awesome shinobi helped you with that." Malkeru laughed as he approached squad eight. Kiba ran over to his brother, pulling his application out of his pocket.

"So, did you get nominated too?" Malkeru pulled his out as well.

"Duh? I am the strongest Inuzuka, of course I did!"

"Like hell you are!" Kiba was growling at this point, Malkeru just laughed some more. His brother was so easy to pull the strings of.

"So, are you going to enter Mal?" Hinata had come over to see what the commotion was.

"I don't know yet, probably. Hey, don't you guys have a third teammate?" Malkeru looked around and saw no sign of Shino or his bugs.

"Ya..he's sick though." Kiba seemed to almost face palm as he said it.

"I'm guessing he did something stupid from your tone?"

"Ya. He was trying to make himself immune to his bugs poison, something I guess the Aburames do everytime they put a new bug into their system. But, he released too much and put himself into a really bad sickness." Malkeru shivered, he hated bugs and couldn't imagine having them inside of him, let alone letting them poison him.

" That sucks. So, are you guys going to enter?"

"Ya, I can't let my little brother be the first chunin in the family, can I?"

"And if I don't enter, my father will say I'm an embarrassment to the clan so..I don't have much choice." Malkeru hated the way Hinata's father talked to her, but he also knew enough not to interfere with other clans business.

"I guess it's settled then, you guys finish training. I'll see you tomorrow at the exams."