As Hinata headed towards the door Hiashi was there waiting for her. As she approached him she saw just the barest hint of a smile. Is father pleased with me?

"Hinata."

"Yes father?"

He gave her a slight nod, a sign of approval! "I expect you to do very well today."

She straightened up and gave her father a proud smile. "I will do my best father! For the pride of the Hyuga clan!"

And then he did something that warmed her heart. He gave her a small smile and reached down to pat her shoulder. "Yes, for the Hyuga clan, and also for yourself my daughter."

Her heart was bursting with pride and she knew she would do well.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Kick ass son!" Tsume laughed out loud.

"Hell yeah I will! Let's go Akamaru!" He and his puppy ran out eager to go.

XXXXXXXXXX

"The clan expects you to perform to the standards previously set." Shibi stated.

"I feel certain the standards shall be met." Shino replied.

"Good luck." Shibi said in a quiet voice.

Shino was shocked to see his father being so emotional.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Guy-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Guy-sensei!"

"Lee!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Good luck to all of you." His sensei said. His two teammates thanked him.

"Go to hell." Noval said without even bothering to look back.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I wish daddy were here to cheer me on." Ino complained.

Her mom smiled at her. "I know he wishes he were here dear, but when the Hokage says go you go."

"I know."

"Do great today and tell him all about it when he gets back."

"Yeah." She nodded.

XXXXXXXXXX

Stepping out his front door Chouji was surprised to see Irmana there waiting for him. "Hey Chouji-kun." She gave him a shy smile.

"Hey Irmana-chan, what are you doing here so early?"

"Well, I wanted to give you something before you start the exams."

"What?"

And in answer she leaned in and kissed his cheek. "For luck." She said softly.

It was the very first kiss she had given him and his face turned the same color as her hair. "Uhm… thanks."

She laughed softly at his blush, she thought it was cute. "Just do your best Chouji, and I know you'll be fine." She carefully wrapped her arm around his. "Is it all right if I walk with you there?"

He gave her a big happy smile. "I'd really like that."

XXXXXXXXXX

A happy blonde in an orange jumpsuit leapt over the roof tops. "Yahoo! I'm Uzumaki Naruto and no one's going to beat me!" He shouted for all of Konoha to hear.

XXXXXXXXXX

Baki looked at his students and gave them a proud smile. "For the honor of Suna and Sabaku."

Gaara nodded. "For Suna and Sabaku." Kankuro and Temari also nodded.

XXXXXXXXXX

Orcinus looked at his two teammates and smiled. "This is where the fun starts!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Uchiha walked slowly beside his two, 'teammates.' He didn't think of them as teammates but rather as the two idiots Orochimaru had assigned him to take the exams with. Orochimaru hadn't wanted to let him take the exams. But when Tsunade had decided to boycott that had made it easier. With no Leaf nins around it was unlikely anyone would recognize him. He'd demanded this chance to test his abilities and Orochimaru had finally agreed it might be useful to see just how far he'd come. He needed this; he needed to see that the sacrifice wasn't for nothing.

XXXXXXXXXX

Four kunoichi left their hotel and headed towards the exams. Along the way they passed a group of young men. They were immediately bombarded by whistles and shouts and offers of marriage; most of these were directed towards their blonde member.

Ino looked directly at Yoshino. "I hate you."

Yoshino laughed. "I know."

XXXXXXXXXX

A grand total of twenty five Genin teams were gathered outside the academy. Taking a look at them Shikamaru thought most of them had absolutely no chance of making Chunin. Most of their senseis must have decided this was a unique opportunity and to give their teams a chance. For some this would be a good learning experience for the future. For maybe half this would likely be their first and last shot at the Chunin exams. He guessed that of all the squads maybe a total of five had a real chance of getting members through to the finals.

Iruka approached him. "Congratulations again on your promotion Shikamaru."

Shikamaru nodded feeling a bit embarrassed. Most people didn't know who his Jonin opponents had been and just chalked up his success to his being a genius. He was too embarrassed to admit his dad and his teammates had just let him become Jonin. "Thanks Iruka-sensei."

"You know you don't have to call me sensei anymore, especially now that you out rank me."

"You'll always be Iruka-sensei to me." He looked at his former teacher. "How many times have you taken the exam?"

"None." Iruka laughed at Shikamaru's look. "I'm very happy teaching, why would I bother trying to become Jonin?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "Maybe you're the smart one here. I just wanted to have an average career, but now the Hokage has me running around doing all sorts of things. Man what a drag."

"Well, if that's how you feel why did you take the exam?"

Shikamaru looked a bit embarrassed. "I have my reasons."

Iruka laughed. "Your girlfriend wanted you to, didn't she?"

"Yeah." It was pretty much common knowledge in the village that he was seeing Temari. "Having a girlfriend is troublesome sometimes."

Iruka sent him an understanding smile. "But worth it."

"Yeah."

Iruka looked to where Naruto was chatting with Hinata. "You know Shikamaru I want to thank you for what you did to get Naruto and Hinata together. I have never seen Naruto so genuinely happy and I know Hinata is happy as well."

"Do you get to talk to him very much?"

Iruka nodded. "We have ramen together every week when he is in the village." He sent Shikamaru a sentimental grin. "The last couple times I've treated the both of them. They make a very cute couple." He took a look at his watch. "It's time to start."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Shut your mouths and listen!" He waited impatiently for a minute as things finally quieted down. "I am Saimen Toshiro and I am the proctor for the first part of the Chunin exams. I have decided that the form of the exam will involve something close to my own heart, torture and the extraction of information."

In the crowd Orcinus laughed. Reston sent him an amused look. "It figures you'd get a kick out of that."

Orcinus nodded. "I knew this was going to be fun."

Most of the other candidates found the announcement a bit worrisome. "The point of this test is simple; can you get vital information from a prisoner who is determined to keep it from you?" Toshiro smiled at them and at some of the worried looks. "Here are the rules. You will each be put in a room with a, 'prisoner,' who has a password. You must get him to reveal this password to you within an hour. Each prisoner has a different password so don't bother asking another team if you see them succeed. And just so you know they may well lie to you. Since we don't want you slaughtering our people you may not touch them with your bodies or any metal item. Obviously if you have some imagination this will allow you to use some physical force. But you may not draw any blood and obviously you may not kill or permanently injure your opponent. You are free to use any jutsus or items so long as they fall within the previous guidelines. "

"So we can just beat them with a stick until they talk?" Some Rock nin asked.

"If you can do it without drawing blood sure." Toshiro smiled. "But one drop of blood and you fail. And just so you know all the, 'prisoners,' are Mist Jonins or Chunins and can handle some pain. A few whacks with a stick probably won't even wake them up."

"You really want us to torture people?" Gaara was embarrassed to see it was a Suna nin that had asked that.

Toshiro laughed nastily. "What? Is that too much for you ninja? You think if you make Chunin you may not ever have to get your hands dirty? If this is too much for you just say so and I'll fail you right now." He waited but no one took him up on it. "All right you gakis, come with me and I'll assign you a room. I will be in the hall outside; you have to give me the correct password to succeed. And remember you have only an hour."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hello everyone I am Umino Iruka and I am the proctor of the first part of these exams." He gave them an unhappy look. "Now traditionally, each proctor is allowed to design the test that will be given. However the Hokage wanted something very specific and so I would just like you all to know that this was not my idea. Now please follow me, we are going to room 100 where the test will take place." There was a low murmur as the Genins fell in behind him.

"Hey! Room 100 is the training dojo." Naruto said.

Ino glared at him. "I know baka I went here too remember?"

He glared back at her. "Don't call me baka, ugly!"

She clutched her fists and began to shake a bit. "What did you call me?"

Naruto smiled. "Ugly, what do you have problems hearing too?"

Chouji got between them and forced them to move a bit farther apart. "Guys we're about to take the exams can we worry about that right now?" The two blondes glared at each other but nodded.

Iruka and his assistants led the way down a familiar hallway to room 100. They went through the double doors and the Genins filed in behind them. Looking at the dojo they all recognized the familiar yellow and rubbery floor, But there were now dozens of small round tables set up all over. Each table had four chairs. And on top of the tables were cards and stacks of white chips.

Kiba recognized it instantly and shouted out. "Hey! It looks just like a set up for gambling tournament!"

Iruka nodded. "Very perceptive of you Kiba. The Hokage has decided to test judgment under stressful conditions as well as your ability to deceive others. She feels the best possible way to do that," he shook his head. "Is with a card competition."

"We're going to gamble?!" Ino shouted.

Iruka nodded. "Yes we are, though you will simply be using chips no real money will change hands."

"Yes!" Kiba shouted pumping a fist in the air. "I play cards with my family every weekend I am so going to win this tournament!"

"Take it easy Kiba, this isn't a tournament, it's a competition." Iruka stated. "Now all of you listen up. We are testing decision making and deception, therefore you are not permitted to use any jutsus or blood line abilities. Doing so will result in immediate failure. There are twenty five teams of three here. You will be separated and placed at random at a table with no more than one member of a team per table. Each table will have three players and one Jonin or Chunin who will act as instructor and dealer. I know some of you do not know anything about cards." Ino nodded worriedly. "All the instructors know how to play and will explain the rules to you and answer any questions. You will each begin with one hundred chips and you will play until one player has all three hundred chips. The players will alternate choosing which game is played each hand. In order for your team to pass to the next stage at least one member must be the winner at his or her table."

"You cannot be serious!" Ino demanded. "We have to play cards to become Chunin?"

Iruka frowned at her. "I'm sorry Ino, it's not what I would have chosen but it is what Lady Tsunade wants. Now please come forward to be assigned to a table."

Ino looked desperately at her teammates. "We are so screwed! I've never even played cards before!"

"Neither have I." Chouji admitted glumly.

"I have," Naruto spoke up. "Baachan and Ero-sennin both taught me how."

"Are you any good?" It was a sign of Ino's complete desperation that she was looking to Naruto to save them.

Naruto smiled. "Of course I am! Ero-sennin says I've got good gambling instincts!" But Naruto suddenly frowned. "I always beat them at cards, but I think that's because they both stink."

Ino suddenly grabbed the boy and began to shake him back and forth. "Naruto you have to win or we're going to be failed out in the first round!"

"I'll do my best." He was feeling a little frightened by her intensity. She was starting to remind him of Sakura.

"If you win I'll take you out to eat tonight and buy you all the ramen you want!"

"Really?! You promise?" For free ramen he was ready to face any danger.

"Yes!"

"Yatah!" He shouted. "In that case I will definitely win!" He hurried towards Iruka to get assigned a table.

Ino looked at Chouji and then dropped her face. "I'm actually counting on Naruto. We're doomed."

XXXXXXXXXX

It was a small room and all that was inside was a single chair and a man sitting calmly in it. Orcinus walked over to him and slowly brought his face down to within an inch of his. The man's calm demeanor began to crack just at the sight of those black eyes and that double row of pointed teeth. "I am winning this exam." Orcinus spoke in a low and menacing voice. "I am getting that password out of you." Behind the man's head he sunk his claws into the brick wall and let them slowly carve out five grooves. "Tell me what I want or I get very nasty." He gave the poor man a slow smile.

Mist Chunin or not the man paled under the threat. "Barracuda."

Orcinus stood back away from the man and headed towards the door. "Thanks! Oh, and if that's not it I'm pretty sure I can break all your ribs without drawing any blood."

"It's the password."

"I thought it was, I just wanted to let you know just in case." His team headed back out the door.

XXXXXXXXXX

Gaara removed the cork from his gourd. Both Temari and Kankuro stood back; he wouldn't need any help for this. The man in the chair simply watched as sand began to flow out of the gourd. He did not seem worried… yet.

"Before we begin I will give you one opportunity to tell me the password." The man looked at him but said nothing. Gaara shrugged and sent the sand to do its work. Immediately the man was completely covered from head to toe. They could hear the man's muffled screams. Gaara just stood there patiently; he'd had a lot of experience with this. He could tell by the amount of struggle just how much time the person had. At about a minute and a half he removed the sand from around the man's head. The man was gasping desperately for air and looking at him in terror. I used to enjoy this. Was I really so sick?

"What is the password?"

"Cod!" The man bawled out between breaths.

The sand quickly returned to the gourd. "Thank you."

XXXXXXXXXX

When the three of them entered the room the man in the chair actually smirked. Well, they really didn't look very intimidating.

"I'll do the honors." Ino said. Without comment his companions nodded and Yoshino took a hold of him from behind. "Mind Body Switch Technique." Ino went limp and was immediately held by Yoshino.

The man in the chair stirred and then smiled. "It's herring."

XXXXXXXXXX

In another room Sasuke activated his sharingan. The man in the chair was surprised to see his eyes become red. He felt woozy for a moment and things around him turned black. Then as suddenly he felt himself to be tied to a wooden post, he stared about at a world without color.

"In this place I control all things." The man looked up to see an image of a young boy in simple shirt and pants standing before him.

"What kind of jutsu is this?"

His opponent smirked at him. "All you need to know is that I can do whatever I like to you here and it will seem absolutely real. Now, tell me what I need to know, or I burn you alive."

Immediately a fire began at his feet. He could feel it! "This isn't real!"

"Real enough." The fire began to rise.

Sasuke's compatriots were startled when the man suddenly jumped out of his chair and began mindlessly screaming.

Sasuke turned about and began walking to the door. "It's bonefish." He said disinterestedly.

XXXXXXXXXX

She pointed at the boy sitting across from her. "He must be cheating." She spoke to the Jonin at their table. "He must be using his byakugan to see my cards."

Genma shook his head. "He isn't using it."

Neji leaned back in his chair and smiled at her. Both she and the other boy at the table only had a few chips left. "I don't need my blood line limit for this. You are both weak players and I know how to read body language. For instance Ino the way you keep biting your lower lip and the way your hands clench and unclench? You're absolutely panicked right now. You know you're in a hopeless situation and completely outmatched."

Ino glared at him but didn't have a snappy come back. I'm screwed. I'm sorry I let you down Chouji.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Well that's that." The teenage boy added the last of his opponent's chips to his pile.

Chouji looked over at the older boy. "Wow, you're really good at hiding what you're thinking."

Noval gave him a look that made him shiver. "You have no idea."

XXXXXXXXXX

Kiba strutted towards his two teammates. "Congratulations, you did great Kiba!" Hinata said.

Shino nodded. "An excellent performance."

Kiba grinned. "If the rest of the exams are like this we'll have a breeze."

XXXXXXXXXX

"I'm so sorry Chouji, but I lost."

Chouji nodded feeling as depressed as she looked. "Me too, Naruto is still playing though."

Ino let out a sigh. "I can't believe Naruto's our last hope."

"Come on; let's see how he's doing."

She nodded, what else was there to do? As they came to the table where he was playing they were watching as the one other boy pushed all his chips to the center of the table. "I'm all in." The boy said.

Naruto didn't hesitate. "Me too." He shoved all his chips in as well. Ino and Chouji looked at each other. They were both novices but they understood what this meant. They were about to see whether they had failed out or passed. Everything on one hand.

The boy across from Naruto put his cards down with a flourish. "Full house, aces and eights!"

Ino's heart sunk, Neji had played one of those and she knew it was a strong hand.

Naruto looked at his opponent with that blank face ero-sennin had taught him. "Darn, I only have two pair." The other boy began reaching for the pile of chips. Naruto put his cards down. "A pair of black sevens and pair of red sevens." The other boys hands froze and he looked at the cards with disbelief. With a huge foxy grin Naruto scooped up the chips and brought them all over to his side of the table.

Ino stared. "Did Naruto just win?" She said in a small voice.

Chouji smiled at her. "Yeah he did."

Naruto turned around in his seat and looked at Ino. "You owe me that ramen."

"NARUTO I LOVE YOU!!!"

"Ack… Ino… can't breathe."

Chouji had to intervene to get her to let go of their teammate.

XXXXXXXXXX

The three of them looked at the piece of paper Ino had just pulled out of the sack. All that was on it was the number fifty. Iruka scribbled something down. "All right, congratulations again on passing the first part of the exams. And Naruto I'm especially proud of you. You performed really well when your team needed you the most."

Ino and Chouji both nodded and Naruto gave them an embarrassed grin. "It was no big deal."

"No it was a big deal." Ino said. "Without you we'd have failed out."

"Great job Naruto." Chouji said enthusiastically.

"Come to the Hokage Tower tomorrow at eleven a.m. for the second part of the exams. Listen Naruto how about I treat you to ramen tonight?"

Naruto shook his head. "Could you do it tomorrow? Ino promised to buy me all I could eat if I won."

Iruka sent her a knowing look. "It's going to cost you, Naruto loves his ramen."

Ino smiled. "I don't care, its money well spent." She looked at him. "Naruto, listen I don't do this real often but…" She took a step back and gave him a bow. "I'm sorry Naruto; I take back everything I said over the last two weeks. I'm glad we have you."

Naruto gave her another look of both embarrassment and pure pleasure. "Thanks Ino, I'm sorry too." He spotted Hinata with her team. "Do you mind if we meet at Ichiraku's later like six or so?"

Ino saw where he was looking and smiled. "Sure and why don't you invite Hinata too? I'll pay for both of you."

"Really?" He asked excitedly.

"Sure."

"Thanks Ino!" He hurried over to tell his girlfriend all about his game.

Ino looked over to Chouji. "You know those two are really lucky."

Chouji nodded. "Yeah, it's really great when you're with someone who really listens and cares about you and wants nothing more than to just be with you."

Ino smiled and reached out for his hand. "It sure is."

Not noticing Chouji turned around. "Listen Ino I'll give you a call later to plan strategy. I have to go; I promised Irmana I'd meet with her as soon as things were over."

"Oh, umm… sure, I'll talk to you later." She stood there and watched him leave. Iruka was taking information from another team and Naruto was talking excitedly with Hinata.

In the middle of a crowded dojo Ino found herself all alone.