Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters in this story
More Than Just Comrades
Chapter 21
As Squad 7 turned their heads to see where the loud, angry sounding voice had come from, their eyes nearly popped out of their heads at what they saw. Anyone else in their position would've had the exact same reaction. For instead of seeing a person, as they had expected, they instead came face to face with a....tortoise. Yes, that's right, a tortoise. To be more specific, it was a ninja tortoise because it wore a Leaf Village head band around it's neck. It was reddish in color and it spoke with a deep angry sounding voice.
While Squad 7 stood gaping at the talking tortoise, Lee rushed over and bowed down one knee as the tortoise glared angrily at him. Even though the tortoise barely came up to Lee's knee, it seemed like it was towering over Lee with the glare it was giving him.
"You....you were watching us the whole time?" Lee asked shakily, knowing that he was caught.
"Of course! That last jutsu is forbidden, you know that! Not only that, what were you doing fighting the boy with the Rinnegan? You're good, but you're still nowhere near his level!" the tortoise shouted angrily.
As the two spoke with each other, Squad 7 continued to stand on the sidelines trying to piece together exactly what was going on here.
'He's talking to a turtle and the turtle is actually talking back. Okay, now I've seen everything.' Naruto thought to himself as he deactivated his Rinnegan.
'I don't believe this. That boy is actually talking to a turtle that can actually talk back! No wonder the kid is such a weirdo!' Sakura thought to herself as she watched Lee be chewed out by his tortoise sensei.
'Okay, that's obviously something you don't see everyday. Although, if Pakkun can talk, despite him being dog, then this shouldn't seem all that surprising. Yet, somehow, it still is' Sasuke said to himself. He was the only squad member that did not show his surprise on the outside.
"I am sorry. I really did not mean to" Lee apologized.
'Okay, now he's apologizing to the turtle. Wait a second....could that turtle actually be his sensei? With the way he's acting, that seems to be the case here' Naruto thought to himself as he analyzed the situation.
As Lee was still bowed down on one knee, he dared to look up and he instantly wished he hadn't. Lee met the turtle's intense gaze and his nervousness increased times two. The nervous boy instantly stood up and took a few steps back, sweating like crazy.
"I was not planning to use a forbidden jutsu. It's just, my opponent was really strong and it was my last option and I had no other choice. You understand, right?" Lee pleaded nervously while sweating profusely.
'That turtle has to be his sensei. This proves it for sure' Naruto decided to himself as he rushed over to his teammates.
"Hey guys, do either of you think it's possible for a turtle to be a sensei too? Because that's the vibe I'm getting here" Naruto asked as he reached them.
"How would we know if turtles can be sensei's too! Honestly Naruto, you're supposed to be a genius here" Sakura said as she scolded Naruto for asking such a ridiculous question.
Sakura's scolding of Naruto was cut short as the tortoise bellowed in anger.
"YOU'RE A DISGRACE! You think you'll get away with a bunch of lame excuses like that? A shinobi never reveals his techniques unless it's absolutely necessary! It's such a basic rule that you should know it by now! Besides, YOU HAD NO BUSINESS CHALLENGING THE RINNEGAN MASTER IN THE FIRST PLACE!" the tortoise screamed in fury, causing Lee to cringe.
"Please, forgive me sir. I was out of line." Lee apologized.
'Wow, I can't believe I actually took this guy seriously' Naruto said as he watched the scene unfold.
"Are you prepared to face the consequences for you're actions?" the tortoise demanded.
"I....yes sir" Lee said in shame.
"Alright then. Please come out, Guy sensei!" the tortoise said.
Suddenly, there was a large puff of smoke that came from atop the tortoise's shell. It didn't take long for the smoke to clear, and there atop the tortoise's shell, was what looked like an older version of Rock Lee. The man had the same bowl cut hairstyle as Lee and the same bushy eyebrows, except his were much thicker. He wore the same Jonin uniform as Kakashi except his undershirt was green instead of navy blue. Also, like Rock Lee, the man wore his head band around his waist like a belt. The man, identified as Guy sensei, stood atop the tortoise's shell striking a very ridiculous pose.
"HEEEEEYY, what's shakin! How you doin everybody! Life treatin you good?" Guy said in his loud booming voice.
The members of Squad 7, including Sasuke this time, let out cries of shock and just stood their gaping.
'What the hell! That guy has the biggest eyebrows yet! In fact, their almost alive for crying out loud!' Naruto yelled to himself as he continued to gape at Guy's appearance.
"Hey Lee" Guy said from from his position atop the tortoise's shell, his shiny white teeth giving off a sparkle.
'This is just too weird' Sakura thought as Guy greeted Lee.
"So that's where Lee gets it from. The same bowl haircut and even bushier eyebrows!" Naruto exclaimed to his teammates.
Hearing Squad 7's comments on Guy sensei, Lee whipped around and glared angrily.
"Hey! Do not insult Guy sensei! He is one of the greatest men in the entire world!" Lee shouted while shaking his fist angrily at Squad 7.
"Well excuse me for not noticing his greatness! I was too busy watching him crawl out from under a turtle!" Naruto hollered back.
"Guy sensei does not crawl either!" Lee replied just as loudly.
"Give it a rest Lee" Guy said, making a shooing motion with his hand.
Lee begrudgedly stopped his arguing with Naruto and turned around to face guy, hanging his head slightly.
"Yes sir" Lee said exasperatedly.
"Now for your punishment!" Guy said angrily as he made a tight fist.
Without any hesitation whatsoever, Guy reared his fist back and punched Lee square in the face, sending the youthful boy flying back a few feet and landing on the ground with a loud thud. Squad 7 stood on the sidelines and gaped openly in shock, even Sasuke.
Guy then walked over to Lee's position casually and squatted down to the boy's level just as Lee picked himself up off the floor with a groan.
"I'm sorry Lee, but it's for your own good" Guy said softly.
"S-S-S-Sensei" Lee said, his voice cracking with emotion.
Suddenly, the background changed into a beautiful sunset scene on the beach. The waves were short and choppy as they crashed against the shore and there was even a nice cool breeze that gently blew the sand across the ground. Of course, this was all a figment of both Lee's and Guy's imagination.
"Oh Lee" Guy said as tears streamed down his face.
"(sniffle) Oh sensei...I am...so sorry" Lee apologized, his voice cracking with emotion as he cried also.
"Don't worry, it's over. (sniffle) You don't have to say anymore" Guy said.
Without any further encouragement, Lee ran forward and threw his arms around Guy, catching the man in a tight hug. Together, both eccentric youths cried as though they had no audience watching them. Hell, even the tortoise cried! I mean seriously, what the fuck! As if on cue, a giant wave crashed against the shore in the background.
'To think I actually took this guy seriously....man, I feel so ashamed' Sasuke thought to himself as he watched the very weird scene in front of him.
"Now it's official, their insane" Sakura said, exasperated.
"Yeah, but you've gotta admit, it's kind of cute how their all huggy and stuff" Naruto said appreciatively.
"Naruto, you can't be serious! I mean look at them, their both nuts!" Sakura exclaimed.
Meanwhile, Lee and Guy had completely forgotten about Squad 7 and continued to cry together for a little longer before drying their tears and standing back up.
"Don't worry about it Lee, you're just caught in the middle. You're too old to be boy, but not yet old enough to be called a man" Guy said as he placed his hand on Lee's soldier.
"(sniffle) You're so good to me, Guy sensei" Lee said with teary eyes.
"That's the spirit Lee. Now take off, give me 100 laps around the practice field. Show me watcha got! Run into the sunset and suffer!" Guy said as he pointed in the direction of the training field.
"Right, let us go Guy sensei" Lee agreed as he began to lead the way.
"Yo, wait a minute, we still aren't finished here! The Chunin Exams are about to start soon, so you guys don't have time to screw around!" Naruto protested.
Guy turned around and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head while giving a goofy smile.
"Oh yeah, sorry. I forgot about that" Guy said, realizing Naruto's point. He then turned back to Lee and cleared his throat.
"Lee, you've not only broken the rules by fighting, but now you have also disrupted the Chunin Exams. I think that's earned a slightly more severe punishment, don't you think?" Guy asked.
"Yes sir" Lee said as he gave a salute.
"Alright then, make it 500 laps! How does that sound?" Guy asked again.
"Outstanding sir" Lee agreed with a little eagerness.
"See Naruto, I told those two were nuts" Sakura said, wondering why someone would actually be eager to accept a punishment as harsh as 500 laps around the training grounds.
"Maybe so, but nevermind them. What's the deal with that turtle anyway?" Naruto said while pointing at said animal.
"Naruto, would you forget about the turtle for a second!" Sakura hollered.
The commotion caused Guy to look up and actually take notice of Squad 7's presence. The one that really got his attention, however, was Naruto. The boy resembled Kakashi because of the Jonin vest and the face mask, but also resembled the 4th Hokage with the yellow hair and deep blue eyes.
'Hmm, so that must be Kakashi's squad. I think I should go check them out' Guy decided to himself.
After arguing with Naruto, Sakura got the feeling of being watched and looked over, only to spot Guy looking in their direction.
"AHH, NO! He's looking at us!" Sakura exclaimed while trying to shield her face.
"Tell me, how is Kakashi sensei?" Guy asked, ignoring Sakura.
"Why, do you know him?" Sasuke asked, finally speaking up.
"Do I know Kakashi? Heh heh, well, people say that he and I are eternal rivals" Guy said coolly.
"What! There's just no way Kakashi could know you!" Naruto and Sakura exclaimed in unison.
"How dare you! If Guy sensei says that it is true, then it must be so!" Lee hollered back, shaking his first angrily.
"Let it slide Lee. A ninja's actions always speak louder than words" Guy said, giving his signature smile.
As Guy stood beside Lee, Sasuke observed him closely. Guy did not appear to be the strong type. In fact, he seemed a little aloof. However, if he could go toe-to-toe with a genius like Kakashi Hatake, then he must be pretty good. As if reading Sasuke's thoughts, Guy disappeared right before Sasuke's eyes with impressive speed, almost matching that of Naruto! A second later, Guy reappeared behind a startled Squad 7 in a puff of smoke.
"In fact, my record is 50 wins and 49 losses, one better than his" Guy said with pride as he reappeared.
'What, there's no way! This guy's speed is incredible, even faster than both Lee and Kakashi! Any faster and he'd be right up there with Naruto' Sasuke thought to himself as he whipped around.
"That's impossible! How did you beat Kakashi sensei!" Sakura asked as she turned around, also shocked by Guy's speed.
"The fact is, I'm stronger than Kakashi, and faster too." Guy said as he gave off another sparkling smile.
"Now do you see? Guy sensei is the best there is! Nobody is better, and I mean nobody!" Lee said happily.
"Actually, I wouldn't necessarily say that" a voice said from behind Guy.
Guy whipped around and stared face-to-face with Naruto, who had his arms crossed over his chest casually. Subconsciously, Guy's eyes widened in surprise.
'Impressive, his speed is absolutely remarkable. So far, he's the only person I've met that is actually faster than me. In fact, I haven't seen speed like that since the 4th Hokage! I never even saw him move! Not only that, he even hid his chakra signature so I wouldn't sense him. There's no telling how long he's been behind me. Hmm, even I would think twice before challenging him. In fact, he may even be smarter than Kakashi, let alone stronger and faster. I can't believe Lee actually challenged him. I mean, I understand that Lee wanted to test his strength, but he's nowhere near this boy's level yet. But then, how did Lee keep up with him? Unless...this boy only used a fraction of his strength, that must be it! If he wanted to, this boy could've taken Lee down before the fight even started with ease, no doubt about it. I can't even begin imagine what he would be like at full power' Guy thought to himself, amazed at how Kakashi had managed to teach such a genius.
'Amazing, his speed is even greater than that of Guy sensei's! It was truly an honor to face such a skilled shinobi' Rock Lee thought in admiration, astonished that somebody was actually faster than his Guy sensei.
"I see, you're pretty fast yourself there young one. What's you're name?" Guy asked in appreciation of this kid's strength.
"Naruto Uzumaki sir" Naruto said happily before walking back around to stand beside Sakura.
"Well Naruto, it's nice to meet you and your squad. I deeply apologize for all the trouble Lee caused you. Look into my eyes and accept my sincere apology. Also, notice my handsome manly features." Guy said as he flashed a thumbs up and his signature smile once again.
As Naruto and Sakura introduced themselves and chatted with Guy, Sasuke simply stood there and went back to observing Guy. Even though he had trained for this occasion, Sasuke still felt as though he were weak. Here he was, thinking he was above the other ninja in the exams, but then Lee and Guy show up and blow him out the water! Not only that, they had asked for Naruto's name instead of his. Don't get Sasuke wrong, the raven loved Naruto with all his heart, but he still couldn't help but feel a little....jealous.
'This guy claims he's better than Kakashi, could that be true? Dammit, I don't think he's making this up, not with the kind of speed he has. It just doesn't make any sense. I trained my ass off for this, but if the other ninja are anything like these two, then I might be in over my head on this one. I'm really gonna have to push myself past my limit in the worst case scenario.' Sasuke thought to himself as he clenched his fists.
Sasuke was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of Naruto's voice.
"And this is my boyfriend, Sasuke. He's a little quiet though" Naruto said as he put his arm around Sasuke's waist affectionately, causing Sasuke's slight jealousy to disappear instantly. No matter what, Sasuke just couldn't get mad at Naruto, or stay mad at Naruto for very long. In fact, he felt ashamed that he had been a little jealous of him.
"Boyfriend? I see, this is quite an interesting bunch Kakashi has got here. I wish all three of you the best of luck in the Chunin Exams! May your flame of youth burn bright with pride!" Guy said as he flashed a thumbs up.
"Lee, you should accompany these fine, young ninja to the classroom, right now." Guy added, while throwing a kunai at the pinwheel without looking.
The kunai hit the pinwheel with deadly accuracy and the pinwheel, along with the bandage that it had pinned to the wall, dropped to the ground. Lee quickly began to gather the bandages, hoping nobody would notice his hands. However, Naruto managed to catch a quick glimpse of them before Lee wrapped them up. A quick glimpse was all he needed. Rock Lee's hands were covered all over in scars and bruises. They were almost painful to look at.
'His hands, their so damaged. This guy must have really done some serious training' Naruto thought to himself, the image of Lee's battered hands still fresh in his mind.
"Remember everyone, do your best! Lee, farewell!" Guy said as while giving a salute.
"Yes sir!" Lee said enthusiastically as Guy disappeared in a puff of smoke, along with the tortoise.
With the tortoise and his sensei gone, Lee turned his attention back to Naruto.
"Hey Naruto, I have not been totally honest with you" Rock Lee said as the blonde turned to look at him.
"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.
"I said I wanted to test my skills, and that is true enough, but you're not the only one I wanted to test them against. You see, I lied to you when we were fighting before. I told you that I was the best Genin here, but there is another genius here that you should be concerned about and it is somebody on my own team. Forgive me, but I came here to defeat him. I'm afraid you were only practice. However, I now realize that you were only using a fraction of your strength and I cannot begin to imagine your full power. Because of that, you are a serious threat and you are now my team's target. Naruto Uzumaki, I will crush you!" Lee said with confidence.
Naruto tensed at hearing this, but not out of nervousness, but out of happiness! Already, ninja were taking him seriously and were making their claims to fight him. Finally, he was being recognized as a true competitor. If this genius on Lee's team wanted a piece of him, then he'd give him the whole thing and make him choke with a mouthful.
Sasuke tensed also, but for a different reason. He would let Naruto fight his own battles, considering this was what the exams were about, but he wouldn't let someone crush Naruto, no way in hell. Whoever this genius was wouldn't have just Naruto to worry about. If this guy permanently injured Naruto in some way, Sasuke was going to tear him apart. They would need to call the entire ANBU Squad to pull him away and restrain him.
"There you have it, consider yourself warned." Lee said as he effortlessly jumped back up onto the partly destroyed balcony and ran off to find his team.
"I see, so that guy is in a class of his own too. You guys saw his hands didn't you? I bet bushy brows has trained everyday of his life, day in and day out until he drops. Just my kind of of opponent" Naruto said confidently.
"So you're not worried or anything?" Sasuke asked
"Hell no. In fact, I already know who bushy brows was talking about. I believe his name is...Neji Hyuga, from the Hyuga Clan. Either way, bring him on. I'll show him and everyone else that I'm not called the Master of the Rinnegan for nothing. Besides, after seeing bushy brows skills, I can't wait to see what the others have got in store for us. These exams just keep getting more and more interesting by the second. I know you guys have a few doubts, but we can do this! Are you guys ready?" Naruto asked, hyper with energy.
"Ready when you are, dobe" Sasuke said with renewed confidence, giving off his signature smirk. Naruto's confidence had reminded him that he still needed to show these guys why the Uchiha Clan was to be feared and respected. Even if he did go against someone on Lee's level, he 'd pull out all the stops and give it everything he had.
"I'm in too" Sakura said.
"Alright then! Squad 7, let's move out!" Naruto said as he led the way to room 301, radiating confidence with each step.
As Squad 7 walked down the hallway to room 301, they noticed that the hallways were completely deserted. In fact, Squad 7 appeared to be the only living souls in the entire academy! What really got them, however, was the quietness. It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop even if it were all the way down the hall. The only sound was the sound of Squad 7's footsteps as they walked on, which seemed to echo throughout the entire academy.
'It's so quiet here. All the other teams must already be in 301. That's kind of odd though, I didn't think we were this late.' Sakura thought as she walked alongside Naruto and Sasuke.
Squad 7 turned another corner and walked for a little long until they were at the doors of room 301, the room located at the very end of the hallway. However, Squad 7 stopped in surprise, as none other than Kakashi Hatake was standing directly in front of the doors, as though blocking their entrance. Kakashi stood calmly with his hands in his pockets, not reading his book this time. It was as though he already knew they would all show up, rather than just Naruto and Sasuke.
"Glad you came Sakura, both for your sake and the others." Kakashi sensei said calmly.
"Huh?" Naruto questioned.
"Now, all three of you can now formerly register for the Chunin Exams." Kakashi continued
"Wait, what do you mean?" Sakura asked, not understanding what Kakashi meant. Why was it so important that she had decided to take the exams anyway?
"You see, only groups of 3 can apply for, and take, the exams. That's the way it's always been." Kakashi explained.
"But sensei, you said that the decision to take the exams was up to the individual" Sakura pointed out.
"That's right, I did." Kakashi agreed
"So then...was that a lie" Sakura asked.
"Well, sort of. It is an individual decision, but it affects all of you. I didn't tell you before because I didn't want Naruto and Sasuke to pressure you. At the same time, I didn't want you to feel obliged to participate because any feelings you may have for Sasuke and Naruto. I wanted you to come to a decision of your own free will." Kakashi further explained
"Wait, so you're saying that if Naruto and Sasuke had shown up without me, then...." Sakura let her voice trail off as she put the pieces together.
"Yep, it would've been the end of the line. If you hadn't of come along, I could not have let Naruto and Sasuke in." Kakashi finished. "But that's besides the point. The point is, you're all here and for the right reasons. Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke, I'm very proud of you. I couldn't ask for a better squad. Each of you are gifted shinobi and I know you'll do your best. So with that being said, good luck. And remember, hesitation leads to disaster. These guys won't go easy on you, so expect the worst"
With that, Kakashi moved out of the way, giving Squad 7 the invitation to walk on through. As Sakura and Sasuke walked through the door, Naruto turned back to face Kakashi.
"We won't let you down sensei, I promise" Naruto said as he turned and walked through the door to follow his teammates.
"Show them what you're made of Naruto" Kakashi said, smiling under his mask.
As Squad 7 walked through the door, all the confidence and reassurance that Kakashi sensei had given them seemed to fly right out the window, because nothing could prepare them for what they were met with on the other side. As soon as Squad 7 walked through the door, they were met with a roomful of angry looking shinobi. Not just Leaf shinobi either, ninja from practically every village from every nation was there, giving Squad 7 their most hateful glares. The room was so full of ninja, that at least half of them were standing up since there were not nearly enough chairs to go around. Some even had to share a seat with someone else. Others were sitting on the tables or leaning against the wall. Either way, all eyes were now on Squad 7, who were being cooked alive by the pressure and intense glares. As if that wasn't bad enough, the room was deathly quiet. The only sound was the clock ticking on the wall.
"Well, this is....somewhat surprising" Naruto said calmly. Honestly, Naruto had no reason to be nervous. After all, he was stronger than every ninja in the room and if glares was all they had, then this would be too easy. Plus, one glare from the Rinnegan could make even grown men piss on themselves, so these guys were nothing.
"Man, I had no idea there would be so much competition. If looking scary is one of the tests, then they've got me beat by a long shot" Sakura said nervously as she shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. She couldn't take the stares. They were so intense, that Sakura had to look down at the floor and focus on her pink-colored toenails instead.
Sasuke displayed the same sort of attitude as Naruto and simply glared back with his famous Uchiha glare, showing the other shinobi that he would not back down. Some shinobi nodded in approval and turned around while others continued to glare. Apparently they were sizing up anyone who came through the door in order to see how tough they were.
"Naruto is that you?" a familiar voice asked.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura turned in the direction where the voice had come from and saw Ino jogging up to them.
"Oh my God, it is you! I've missed you so much! How are you!" Ino asked enthusiastically as she reached them and threw her arms around Naruto. It had had been a month and a half since she had last seen Naruto and she had missed him like crazy. Like Sakura, Ino had also grown fond of Naruto since she really had no reason to be mean to him in the first place. Now, Naruto had given her a second chance and Ino wasn't about to blow it this time.
"Hey Ino, good to see you again too." Naruto said as he returned Ino's hug and spun around with her in his arms before setting her back down on her feet. The action made Ino giggle and blush slightly. Since when had Naruto gotten so strong?
Sasuke watched the scene and felt a slight pang of jealousy when he saw Naruto wrap his arms around Ino. However, he quickly calmed down by reminding himself that it was just a friendly hug and nothing more. After all, they had not seen each other in a while and Ino had grown closer to Naruto during their time away. So of course they'd be happy to see each other.
"I like your new outfit Naruto-kun. It actually fits you." Ino complimented. She couldn't help but realize that Naruto looked very handsome, even if half his his face was covered by a face mask and it kind of made him look like Kakashi.
After flattering Naruto, Ino then noticed Sasuke standing off to the side a little.
"Sasuke-kun! Wow, look at you! You look so...mysterious, and you've gotten a little taller too." Ino commented as she pulled Sasuke into a hug, although she had to stand on her tiptoes.
"Hn" Sasuke replied. Sasuke still didn't really like Ino much more than he liked Sakura, and he wasn't in the mood to deal with the blonde haired kunoichi right now. He was more focused on the other ninja that he badly wanted to beat into the ground.
"A typical Sasuke-answer I suppose" Ino said after sighing.
"Hey porky, get away from Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun! They don't want you smothering them!" Sakura said angrily while making a fist. It had already put her on edge when Ino threw herself onto Naruto. Being fond of the blonde also, Sakura didn't like it when another female, namely Ino, flirted with him. And then Ino had the nerve to flirt with Sasuke, whom she still had a few feelings for, and then it was a done deal.
"Miss forehead, they let you in? Hmm, still got those frown lines on your billboard brow I see" Ino shot back.
"You keep my forehead out of this!" Sakura replied angrily, a vein popping out above her eyebrow.
Ino replied by sticking her tongue out.
"Oh great, it's you guys. I knew this would be a drag, but I didn't think it would be this lame" Shikamaru said lazily as he and Choji walked over. Like always, Choji was munching on a bag of chips.
"Great, so even the three stooges are here" Naruto said teasingly, referring to Squad 10.
"Hey, you know what pipsqueak...you know what, forget. You're just a waste of time anyway" Shikamaru said as he sighed.
'That Shikamaru, he hasn't changed at all.' Naruto said to himself, exasperated.
Shikamaru Nara, from the Nara Clan, is known throughout the ninja academy as the #1 complainer, as he is very lazy and often complains that everything is "such a drag". However, like Naruto, it was revealed awhile back that Shikamaru is actually beyond a genius. Before entering the ninja academy, students had to first take an I.Q. test, as you had to be above a certain I.Q. level in order to get in, at least a slightly superior level was required. However, the test had been cleverly disguised as a game so as to throw everyone off about it's purpose. The test revealed that both Naruto's and Shikamaru's I.Q.s were over 200, however, the Third Hokage decided to hide Naruto's beyond genius I.Q. so the other villagers would not feel threatened and Naruto was instructed to show as little of his intelligence as possible. So that explained his low grades and him being the dead last. Now, I know what you're thinking: if Shikamaru is so smart, then why were his grades almost as low as Naruto's? Unlike Naruto, Shikamaru didn't have to hide his intelligence, so what's his excuse? Well, it's simple: Shikamaru is simply lazy. In fact, he felt that simply putting pencil to paper required too much energy and he always fell asleep in class, even during tests. So, go figure. I guess you could call him a lazy genius.
Shikamaru has fairly long jet black hair tied in a spiky ponytail, narrow brown eyes, and wears ring earrings. The rest of his attire is also rather plain, wearing a fishnet undershirt and a short jacket with his forehead protector worn around his left arm and gray pants. Also, he always has a bored or irritated expression.
Next up was Choji Akimichi, from the Akimichi Clan, although Akimunchi is more like it. In fact, Choji is considered to be a glutton because the kid never stops eating, ever. All Choji ever even thinks about is food and what his next meal will be. Some have even suggested that Choji's stomach is literally a bottomless pit with no end, even his sensei, Asuma, thinks so. It's obvious that the boy has a weight problem because of how much he eats, but Choji doesn't seem to see it that way. Instead, Choji says that he is just big boned as he has been sort of overweight since he was a child. In fact, the word "fat" is a taboo word around Choji. If someone calls Choji fat, he'll be come pissed, and when that happens, he becomes an unstoppable machine that won't stop until whatever made him mad has been pulverized. One kid made the mistake of calling Choji a fatass and Choji ended up cratering the poor guy into the ground. Literally, the crater is still there!
Choji has brown hair, swirl marks on his cheeks, and like the rest of his clan, he has a much rounder physique than most other people. Choji wears grey shorts, a rather large white scarf, a short-sleeved green jacket over a white shirt with his clan's emblem on it, ring earrings, and his legs and forearms are wrapped in bandages. His Leaf forehead protector is also worn on a bandanna around his head.
"Well well, what do you know? It looks like the gang's all back together" said Kiba Inuzuka as he and the rest of Squad 8 walked over.
"Oh, h-h-hey N-Naruto-kun" Hinata Hyuga stuttered shyly.
The third member, Shino Aburame, just stood their and didn't say anything like he always did.
Kiba Inuzuka, from the Inuzuka Clan, was the loudest and most reckless member of the nine rookie Genin, even more so than Naruto. Kiba was considered to be a loud mouth and believed in attacking first and asking questions later. Kiba is also often short-tempered and impulsive (in stark contrast to his teammates Shino and Hinata), and can be prone to making mistakes when he becomes agitated in battle. The fact that he enjoys combat, as well as a habit of showing a joyful smile when facing a particularly strong opponent, indicates that he is willing to risk his life for a mission, and is rather bloodthirsty. Kiba is also always seen with his small white dog, Akamaru. The two go everywhere together and if one is seen, the other isn't too far behind. The two have known each other since they were little and the two have a much deeper bond than simply that of pet and master. Since the Inuzuka Clan specializes in the use of canines, Kiba and Akamaru make the perfect pair. He deeply cares for Akamaru, and is willing to do whatever is necessary to protect him. Currently, Akamaru was laying ontop of Kiba's head.
Kiba, while clearly human, has several physical traits more akin to animals. Like the rest of his clan, he has messy brown hair, sharp black eyes with vertical slit-like pupils, pronounced canine teeth, and nails that he can change into claws. He also has the distinct red fang markings of the Inuzuka clan on his cheeks. Kiba's attire consists of dark greyish-brown pants and a grey hooded coat with a blue forehead protector and blue sandals.
Hinata Hyuga, heiress of the famous Hyuga Clan, is the second most quiet and timid member of Squad 7, second to Shino. In fact, Hinata was so quiet during class at the Ninja Academy, that people would forget that she was even there! Hinata had a very quiet voice and hardly ever spoke out or voiced her own opinions. Instead, she usually went with the flow and did whatever everyone else was doing. Originally, she'd had a crush on Naruto and was the only girl who wasn't interested in Sasuke. Besides stuttering, blushing, and becoming nervous when ever Naruto looked at her or was around, Hinata would also faint whenever Naruto even came near her! She was the first person to recognize Naruto's true strength, but was too shy to approach him. So when she found out that Naruto had made Sasuke his boyfriend, she was heartbroken because she had waited too late. But when she saw how happy Sasuke made Naruto, she got over it and realized that Naruto's happiness was all that mattered to her. So if Naruto was happy, then she would move on and be happy too. Strangely enough, despite being a genius, Naruto was never aware of Hinata's feelings nor was he able to pickup on the signals. Currently, her and Kiba were getting closer, so it was only a matter of time before the two finally started going out.
Also, despite being the next in line to run her clan, Hinata is actually the outcast of the Hyuga Clan. Because of her shyness and lack of self confidence, her father, Hiashi Hyuga, who was also a clan elder, deemed her as a failure and instead focused on Hinata's younger sister, Hanabi Hyuga. In fact, Hiashi himself told Hinata that he did not care what happened to her when she became assigned to Squad 8 for he had no use for a weak heir. Instead, he decided to train Hanabi to be the next successor since she was the strongest of the two and showed great promise.
Hinata has dark blue hair in a hime-cut style, with chin-length strands framing each side of her face, and fair skin and is usually seen with a timid and shy expression. Also, she has the same strange eyes as Neji Hyuga, lavender iris but no visible pupil, giving off the false impression that she is blind. Naruto noticed this and began to wonder if there was some kind relation between her and Neji. Hinata wears a pale hooded jacket that had a fire symbol on the upper right and left sleeves, and navy blue pants. Since she became a Genin, she has worn her Konoha forehead protector around her neck.
Last, but certainly not least, is Shino Aburame, from the Aburame Clan. Without a doubt, Shino is the quietest shinobi in the Ninja Academy. Because he is so quite and mysterious, Shino is able to slip into and out of a crowd of people and then slip away without anyone noticing. Shino sort of has a dark disposition and always appears to watch people from a distance, which creeps people out, even Sasuke. He has a bad habit of hovering behind people and they usually don't notice until they turn around. He is known as being a very solitary person and he rarely ever smiles or shows any kind of emotion at all. Also, he is rather intimidating and is known to hold grudges. Since his family specializes in the use of bugs, Shino has a very deep obsession with the insect kingdom. In fact, Shino is practically a bug encyclopedia, he knows everything there is to know about insects and he even uses bugs as part of his jutsu and fighting style.
Shino has dark bushy brown hair, pale skin, and was the tallest ninja of his graduating class. Shino is regularly seen sporting the same style as the rest of his clan, consisting of dark sunglasses and a high upturned seagreen collar jacket. The biggest mystery surrounding Shino is his eyes. In fact, nobody has ever seen Shino's eyes and it is hinted that he never takes his glasses off, even at home. His family has seen his eyes numerous times, but they are unwilling to tell what his eyes look like or even what color they are.
"You guys too huh? Man, everyone's here for this stupid thing" Shikamaru said lazily.
"Yep, here we all are. The Rookie 9" Kiba said while chuckling. "Heh, This is going to be fun, at least for those of us good enough to make the cut, right Sasuke?"
Sasuke looked over at him for moment before chuckling softly.
"Kiba, be careful or you might get overconfident" Sasuke warned coolly while giving off his signature smirk.
"Yeah, well you just wait. We're going to blow you guys away. After all, we've been training like crazy" Kiba said arrogantly.
"What do you think we've been doing, sitting around picking daises? You don't know what training means!" Naruto shot back.
"You're one to talk, dead last. What training could you have possibly done? No wait, let me guess, you've been practicing hiding under a rock" Kiba teased
"Shut up! You just wait and see Kiba! I'll show what I can really do!" Naruto said heatedly.
"Uh, don't mind Kiba. I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it." Hinata said timidly, and then blushed when Naruto looked at her.
Kiba just looked at her and rolled his eyes in exasperation.
Choji was still eating his bag of chips as he gazed at Akamaru ontop of Kiba's head.
'Akamaru is looking plumper, (licks lips) juicier.' Choji thought hungrily as he took a few steps toward Kiba and Akamaru.
Just as Choji was about to take another step, Shino stepped in the way, blocking Choji from his next meal.
"What do you want?" Choji asked icily.
Shino didn't answer and instead looked down at a bug crawling on the floor.
"I thought you hadn't seen it and I didn't want you stepping on it" Shino answered calmly.
"Why? Are saving it for lunch or something?" Choji asked teasingly.
Before anyone could say anything further, they were interrupted by an unfamiliar voice.
"Hey, you guys. You might wanna try keeping it down a little. I mean, no offense, but you're the nine rookies right? Fresh out of the academy and wet behind the ears, am I right?" a strange boy said as he came over. As a response, all he got were glares.
The boy had black eyes with grey hair kept in a ponytail and wore circular glasses. He also wore a purple shirt with a white undershirt and a white sash around his waist on an angle. He had purple pants and a shuriken holster on his right leg.
"Listen, I wouldn't go making a spectacle of yourselves, so just cool it a little. I mean, this isn't a class field trip or anything" the boy continued.
"Well nobody was talking to you. And furthermore, who are you anyway?" Ino asked nastily.
"I'm glad you asked. The name is Kabuto, Kabuto Yakushi." the boy identified as Kabuto said matter-of-factly. "But honestly though, look around you; I believe you've made quite the impression"
Squad 7 and the other rookies looked around as the boy said, and sure enough, all the other ninja were glaring at them again. This time, their glares were just as intense as before. Some of them had their arms crossed over their chests and were snickering at the uncomfortableness they were causing the rookies. Others just looked downright pissed the fuck off.
"See those guys over there by the wall on the right? Those are Rain ninja, very touchy competitors. These exams make everyone tense, and believe me, you don't wanna rub them the wrong way right now"
Squad 7, 8, and 10 looked over to the wall on the right, and sure enough, stood a group of three intimidating looking Rain ninja. Each one wore a seaweed green cloak and looked about ready to tear somebody's head off. They were giving the rookies some of the most intense glares out of everyone else. They were bad news and they were going to let these amateurs know it.
"Of course, I wouldn't expect you guys to know how things work. I mean, you're just rookies after all. In fact, you remind me of myself awhile back when I took these exams" Kabuto said, trying to ease some of the tension a little bit.
"Don't wanna rub them the wrong way huh? Well I've got something for them and everyone else in this room" Naruto said as he stepped forward a few steps so that he stood in the middle of the Rookie 9.
Concentrating chakra into his eyes, Naruto activated his Rinnegan proudly, earning gasps of surprise from Squad 8, 10, Kabuto, the other ninja, and the Rain ninja as the stared at the legendary ocular kekkei genkai that they thought had only been a myth. As if that wasn't enough to prove his point, Naruto concentrated his killing intent like Jiraiya had shown him during their sparring matches and unleashed said killing intent in massive waves throughout the room. The glares disappeared, and instead, they were replaced with looks of terror. The fear withing the room was as intense as the killing intent, paralyzing the other competitors where they stood or sat. Nobody even seemed to breathe. Never before had any of them ever encountered an intent to kill this powerful. It didn't even seem human. In fact, it wasn't.
The reason why it was so intense was because it was not only Naruto's killing intent, but also the Kyuubi's killer intent mixed in, which was far greater than any humans. Not only that, Naruto was also unleashing its chakra at the same time, adding to the intense pressure and rooting everyone to the spot. Even the very room seemed to become at least 30 degrees colder. The ninja who had been snickering seemed to choke on their own air as the intense ominous presence hit them in waves. The Rain ninja that had been glaring slid down the wall until they were flat on their butts and cowered in fear, their glares long gone. For a few seconds, everyone could even see the image of the nine tailed fox hovering above Naruto's head and glaring down at them all with demonic, inhuman eyes that practically screamed the word "Death".
Even Kabuto was close to falling on his knees and begging for his life. And since he was the closest to Naruto, he caught some of the worst of it. It took all of his willpower not to break, mentally anyway.
'This killing intent...it's...it's inhuman! I've never felt a chakra pressure this damn intense before! Not only that, I'm looking at the actual Rinnegan! That kekkei genkai isn't even suppose to exist, yet this kid has it! This is no rookie, it can't be! Who is this kid! Or better yet, what is he! Because he sure as hell ain't human! Not with a killing intent like this! Wait a second...those eyes, blonde hair, and face mask...no...I don't believe it! This kid.....is Konoha's Master of the Rinnegan!' Kabuto thought incredulously and scared out of his mind.
Squads 8 and 10 were no exception either. They felt Naruto's killing intent just as bad as anyone else. Even Squad 7, Naruto's own team, was blown away at the intense pressure coming from their blonde haired teammate.
'What the hell is this! This can't be Uzumaki! A dead last shouldn't nearly have this much power let alone a killing intent like this! Was he holding back his true strength this whole time! And that thing above his head, what the hell was that thing! If he can do this with his just his presence, I hate to see what his jutsu are like! And his eyes, what kind of eyes are those!' Kiba thought to himself, hoping and praying that he didn't have to face Naruto in the exams.
'This intense ominous presence, it feels....demonic. How is he capable of such power? A Genin such as him should be nowhere near this strong. I admit that I underestimated him, and I feel sorry for whoever has to face him in the exams.' Shino thought, still somehow managing to keep his cool on the outside and inside.
'N-N-Naruto-kun, this power, what have you become? T-T-This presence isn't h-h-human at all' Hinata thought timidly.
'So Naruto is this Master of the Rinnegan I've heard so much about! Man, what insane ability! Strength greater than that of the Sannin, it really is true! Naruto actually has this kind of power! This is just unreal, and this is only his killing intent at that! I knew coming here was a bad idea! Oh man, what a drag!' Shikamaru thought to himself as he struggled to hold himself together under the intense chakra pressure.
'Whoa! How is Naruto doing this! And his eyes, what's up with his eyes! Man, this is just too much me! I want out!' Choji thought to himself as he dropped his bag of potato chips, his eye's wide.
'This is Naruto-kun's true power! No way! No wonder he's hid it all this time!' Ino thought as she tried to take a few steps back, but her legs would not cooperate.
'Naruto's killing intent is actually this strong, unbelievable! Power like this shouldn't even exist!' Sakura thought as he hugged herself, trying to keep herself in check so she wouldn't lose her mind in fear.
'Is that Naruto? His strength has actually increased this much in only a month and a half! How? How is it possible for Naru-chan to have this much power! So this is what only half of his power is capable of!' Sasuke thought unbelievably to himself as he held his ground.
Outside the door, Kakashi Hatake had been casually reading his book when he'd felt the unnatural killing intent and chakra presence as well. The normally calm and collected Kakashi dropped his book and fell to his knees when he felt it. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. Kakashi began to sweat and breathe heavily. After a few moments, Kakashi recognized the chakra signature immediately.
"Naruto is causing this? How is he able to contain a killing intent that intense. Something like that could be felt throughout the entire village, yet he's containing it in that one room. How can Naruto's power have increased this much in only a short time? I guess what Jiraiya told me about the Rinnegan was true: the Rinnegan can either be used to bring peace and harmony or death and destruction. I just hope Naruto will be able to control all of that power in the exams, otherwise we could all be in serious danger." Kakashi said to himself out loud as the killing intent disappeared suddenly and Kakashi was able to rise to his feet again.
Back inside the room, the killing intent had gone away and now the room was filled with the frightened chatter and whispers of the shinobi taking the exams. After what had just happen, they were all shaken up and most of them couldn't even get their words straight.
"I don't believe it. The Master of the Rinnegan is actually taking these exams!"
"We're all screwed! None of us stand a chance against something like that!"
"The Rinnegan is actually real! Then that means the Sage was real too! Man, this is just too much to take in at one time."
"The Rinnegan Master is actually here! And he's only a rookie Genin! Damn, I figured he was a Jonin or something!"
All around the room, the shinobi voiced their surprise as they stared at Naruto's Rinnegan eyes, still having trouble believing what they were seeing even though it was right in front of their very eyes. They were looking at possibly the most powerful Genin in history right now and some of them would have to face him, none of which were thrilled after what had just happened.
"There, that oughta do it" Naruto said appreciatively, deciding to keep his Rinnegan activated this time.
After taking a few minutes to recover and pull himself together, Kiba looked at Naruto in astonishment.
"Uzumaki, how did you do that! or better yet, what was that!" Kiba asked in a demanding tone.
"It's a combination of both mine and the nine tailed fox's killing intent. Pervy Sage taught me how to do it during one of our sparring matches." Naruto explained, letting Kiba get a good look at the Rinnegan.
The nine rookies already knew about the fox sealed within Naruto from their parents and had vowed to keep it a secret since it was forbidden to talk about it. Their parents could get in trouble too.
"Pervy Sage? Who's that?' Choji asked after he had recovered also.
"You all know him as master Jiraiya." Naruto revealed.
"Wait a moment, you were trained by one of Konoha's Legendary Sannin? No wonder you're so strong then. That kind of strength will prove useful in these exams" Kabuto said. 'This kid is someone I'm gonna have to keep a close eye on'.
"Oh yeah, Kabuto, I remember you said how we reminded you of how you were when you first took the Chunin Exams. So then, this isn't the first time you've taken the exams?" Sakura asked, remembering what Kabuto had said earlier before Naruto's incredible display of power.
"No, it's my seventh time" Kabuto revealed.
"What, your seventh time?" Shikamaru asked curiously.
'Well, their held twice a year, so this would be my fourth year" Kabuto explained.
"I see, so you're a veteran then. I'm sure you must be an expert by now" Sakura said, amazed.
"Well..yeah, sort of" Kabuto replied sheepishly.
"Yeah, he's a real expert. An expert that has never passed, that is" Shikamaru said sarcastically.
"Well seventh times the charm, that's what they say, right?" Kabuto said while scratching the back of his head nervously.
"So I take it that means that all that all rumors we heard about these Chunin Exams being tough were all true huh? Damn, I knew this would be a drag" Shikamaru complained lazily.
"Come on, don't give up hope just yet. Hmm, maybe I can help you kids out a little." Kabuto said as he reached into his left pocket and dug around for something.
Finally, Kabuto pulled out what appeared to be a deck of orange cards.
"What are those?" Ino asked.
"These are ninja info cards. It's kind of hard to explain, but these cards have been chakra encoded with everything I've learned over the past four years" Kabuto replied as he set the cards on the floor.
"I have more than 200 of them. So you see, I haven't been completely wasting my time. Although, they may not seem like much to the naked eye. In fact, they appear totally blank" Kabuto continued.
Squads 7, 8, and 10 gave him curious stares.
"What? I can't just let anyone see this stuff you know" Kabuto said as he pulled a card from the stack and began to spin it around on the floor with his finger in the middle.
"What are you doing exactly" Sakura asked.
"I'm using my chakra to reveal this card's secrets, like this for example" Kabuto said as he concentrated his chakra into the card.
Suddenly, there was a puff of smoke and on the previously blank card was a map that showed the different lands and their villages. There was also a three dimension green bar that stuck up from the center of each country. On the bottom was a white strip that held a key that explained what the symbols on the map meant.
"Oh, it's a map. But of what exactly?" Sakura asked
"This map shows the geographical distribution of shinobi that have come to take the Chunin Exams. It shows what village they come from and how many from each village." Kabuto explained.
"Tell me, do those cards also have information on the candidates themselves?" Sasuke asked as he stepped forward.
"They might. Why, do you have someone special in mind?" Kabuto asked as he looked up.
"Maybe" Sasuke replied as he narrowed his eyes.
"Well, I can't promise that my information is complete or perfect, but I have something on pretty much everyone, even you guys. So feel free to tell me anything you know about them, such as a description of where their from or whatever else you can think of. So, who did you have in mind?" Kabuto said as he put the card back into the deck and shuffled them.
"I don't know know very much about him, but his name is Gaara of the Desert, from Sunagakure. And look up Rock Lee of Konohagakure while you're at it" Sasuke said.
"You know their names, good, it makes this a lot easier" Kabuto said as he selected two cards from the deck with a quick swipe of his hand. "Here they are"
"Show them to me, now" Sasuke demanded in a cold, commanding tone.
"Okay then, first up is Rock Lee of Konohagakure." Kabuto said as he made the card spin on the floor while pouring chakra into it with his finger.
There was a puff of smoke and Rock Lee's stats appeared on the card. The information included the areas of the ninja arts where he excelled at most, his teammates, his Jonin sensei, the village he belonged to, the number of missions he had completed, and the rank of those missions.
"It appears that he is a year older than you guys and his strongest point is taijutsu. The mission experience shows that he has completed 11 C-rank missions, and 20 D-rank missions. Rock Lee's Jonin sensei is named Might Guy and his taijutsu skills have increased dramatically in the past 12 months, but his other skills are far below average. It looks like taijutsu is all he knows. Last year, he got a lot of attention as a Genin, but for some reason, he chose not to take the Chunin Exams that year. This will be his first year as a candidate, the same as you guys, except he's not a rookie. Also, his teammates are Tenten and Neji Hyuga" Kabuto explained, however, nobody noticed when Hinata tensed up at the mention of Neji's name.
'I'm pretty sure there's a relation between Hinata and Neji, considering that they both have the same last name, the same strange eyes, and they must be from the same clan. Maybe their brother and sister or something' Naruto thought as Kabuto turned his attention to the other card.
"Okay, now for Gaara of the Desert" Kabuto said as he repeated the same process as he did for the other two cards.
There was a puff of smoke, and Gaara's stats appeared on the formerly blank card.
"Okay, Gaara's mission experience is 8 C-rank missions, and get this, 1 B-rank mission as a Genin. Other than that, there's not very much information about him, his skills and background history are all unknown. He's from Sunagakure, the Village Hidden in the Sand, and his teammates are Kankuro and Temari. Apparently their his older siblings. Oddly enough, his Squad doesn't appear to have a Jonin sensei or even a Chunin sensei, so these guys are on their own. Although, here's something you guys may find even stranger: Gaara returned from all his missions without so much as even a scratch on him!" Kabuto informed them.
"So this kid completed a B-rank mission even as a Genin and returned without so much a single injury...." Shikamaru let his voice trail off as he thought aloud about how something like that could be possible. A B-rank mission was one of the toughest missions and it was thought impossible for someone to complete one without taking a single hit. Apparently though, it's possible.
"What's the deal with this guy?" Naruto wondered out loud. Out of nervousness, Choji picked up his bag of chips and began to munch on them quickly and hungrily.
Kabuto then pulled out a card from before, and after pouring chakra into it, revealed that it was the card that held the map.
"Leaf, Sand, Rain, Grass, Waterfall, and Sound, from the looks of it, all these villages have sent exceptional shinobi to take the exams this time around. At least, that's how it looked before the Rinnegan Master did his killing intent demonstration" Kabuto said, looking up at Naruto with a bored expression.
"Oops, sorry about that" Naruto said sheepishly as he scratched the back of his sheepishly, his Rinnegan still activated.
"Don't worry about it. Anyway, the Hidden Sound Village is actually pretty small. It sprang up recently and nobody really knows anything about it. With that being said, the ninja that come from there are a complete mystery so try to avoid them if you can." Kabuto informed as he put the card back into the deck.
"Well, I believe you get the point by now: the competition is going to be fierce this year." Kabuto added with a slight smirk.
"It would seem that way. It's almost enough to make you lose your confidence" Hinata said shyly.
"Now's a real good time to be talking like that, Hinata" Ino said angrily, shocked that the Hyuga heiress was already about to lose faith.
"Kabuto, do you really think it's going to be tougher this time?" Sakura asked.
"Oh yeah, definitely. In the four years I've been coming, I've never seen a crop of candidates with as much promise as this bunch. And with the Master of the Rinnegan participating, everyone is gonna wanna challenge him to prove how strong they are. In fact, our Rinnegan friend here is the perfect test for their skills. Beating him will earn them great respect and notoriety. They'll also be coming after you guys as well, so keep your guard up at all times. Yep, I'm afraid we have our work cut out for us" Kabuto informed them.
Naruto only smirked under his mask in response, he could already feel the enthusiasm building up.
Sakura, however, was nervous beyond words.
'Okay, so were just rookies and most of these guys are older than us and have more experience. Alright, no big deal. It's okay to be a little scared. I can handle it, I'm positive I can. I may not be as strong as Naruto or Sasuke, but I can still hold my own. Alright, I can do this, as long as I remember to remain calm and not panic, just like Lady Tsunade told me. I just hope Naruto doesn't let this go to his head' Sakura thought to herself. Fate had other plans however.
Unable to contain his enthusiasm any longer, Naruto calmly walked forward and pointed his finger at the other ninja in the room, proudly displaying his ocular kekkei genkai for the whole room to see.
"Alright everyone, my name is Naruto Uzumaki and I plan on beating every last one of you. I accept your challenge and I'll take on anyone who wants to take me on. I may be a rookie, but I've even tangled with Copy Ninja Kakashi a few times down the road and I can sure as hell tangle with the rest of you. So if any of you think you can take me and my friends on, feel free to try!" Naruto exclaimed as he challenged the other ninja.
At that moment, Sakura slapped her palm against her face in embarrassment.
'Dammit, I should've known that Naruto would get carried away.' Sakura thought in exasperation.
"What the hell! Naruto, are you trying to get us all killed!" Ino exclaimed angrily, pissed off that Naruto was putting them in hot water.
Sasuke and Kabuto simply smiled at Naruto's boldness. They had to admit, Naruto had guts.
As Naruto finished making his open declaration, Gaara's team smirked in satisfaction at Naruto's gusty challenge while the rest of the room continued to recover from Naruto's killing intent technique.
"So that's really him then, Konoha's Master of the Rinnegan. I've gotta admit, that kid's power is just unnatural. As a matter of fact, I still have chills from it." Kankuro said.
"Yeah, whatever. Making himself a target isn't exactly a smart move on his part. Now he'll be wanted by every ninja here, he was better off keeping a low profile. Honestly, the kid is strong as fuck, but he yaps like a little dog" Temari said with a sneer.
Gaara just remained silent.
On the other side of the room sat Team Guy. They too had felt Naruto's killing intent technique and were beginning to have second doubts about targeting him. While it would earn them great respect for beating him, it was also too risky to attack an opponent with the kind of strength Naruto had. The boy had just scared the shit out of an entire room of ninja with his killing intent alone!
"Wow, not only is this kid strong, but he's also bold too. Even more bold than the Uchiha kid." Tenten commented.
"Well, he certainly hasn't lost any of his spunk." Neji said calmly.
"Yes, he does indeed have passion" Lee agreed.
"Hn, I guess you didn't do a good job of intimidating him Lee. In fact, I'd say you urged him on if he went out of his way to show us that display of power." Neji added.
In the middle of the room stood the sound ninja, which included Dosu Kinuta, Zaku Abumi, and the only female member, Kin Tsuchi.
"Did you hear what he said about the Hidden Sound Village? He had the nerve to call us "little", a mystery". the one named Zaku said angrily, referring to Kabuto.
"Calm down Zaku, I heard." Dosu said as he looked back at the rookies and Kabuto with his back hunched forward a little.
"I say we teach that guy some manners" Kin said with a smirk.
"Yeah, time to clear up some of the mystery for him. You know, update his information. We need to let him know that if you insult the sound shinobi, you had better be ready to face the consequences!" Dosu said, his voice rising a few octaves. "You guys ready?"
"Yeah, let's do it" Zaku said with an evil smirk.
"Just remember to stay away from the Rinnegan Master. It's best to avoid contact with him for now and try not to look into those eyes of his. I heard that they can hypnotize you." Dosu warned as he and his team got into position.
With blinding speed, Team Dosu moved like shadows through the other ninja as they rounded in on the Rookie 9 and Kabuto. Of course, none of the other shinobi noticed their movements except for Kabuto and Naruto.
"Hey Naruto-san, it looks like a few people want to challenge you already" Kabuto said quietly to Naruto, but Naruto's demonic hearing managed to pick it up as though Kabuto had spoken it in his normal tone of voice and not a whisper.
"I noticed" Naruto said with a hidden smirk.
No sooner had Naruto spoken when Zaku leaped forward from within the crowd and launched two kunai at Kabuto. Kabuto managed to move back just in time as Naruto suddenly appeared in midair in front of a stunned Zaku.
'What! His speed is....how did he....?' Zaku wasn't able to finish his thought as Naruto formed a tight fist and punched Zaku right between the eyes, sending the boy crashing onto the table he had leaped from.
Meanwhile, Dosu rounded in on Kabuto, forcing Kabuto back up further.
'That music note symbol! This guy is from the the Village Hidden in the Sound!' Kabuto realized, just as Dosu swung his fist. Kabuto managed to move out of the way in the nick of time, barely missing the punch aimed for his face.
'Wow, he's fast!' Sakura thought.
'That guy is almost on my level when it comes to speed, very interesting' Sasuke thought with a smirk.
As Kabuto moved back, he smirked at the sound ninja and seemed completely fine at first, but then, without warning, his glasses suddenly cracked.
"I see. So it was that kind of attack" Kabuto said as he removed his glasses.
"Wait a minute, I saw it! Kabuto dodged that attack, so how did that happen?" Sasuke demanded.
"It must've come closer than it looked. Keh, just look at him, acting like it was nothing, a real tough guy" Shikamaru said.
Suddenly, Kabuto's eyes widened and his vision became blurred. Kabuto fell to his knees and began to gag and dry heave uncontrollably.
"Huh?" Naruto said, confused. What was that? By using the Rinnegan, Naruto had seen what looked like a trail of chakra flow from Dosu's right arm and into Kabuto's ear.
"Kabuto, what's wrong? What is it?" Sakura asked, her voice laced with concern.
Everyone else just stood by idly and waited to see what would happen next.
Zaku smirked as he stood up.
"Got em" Zaku said triumphantly, although he was still hurting a little from Naruto's punch.
Not wasting anymore time, Naruto and Sakura ran over to Kabuto's side.
"Hey, Kabuto, are you alright?" Sakura asked worriedly.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Kabuto replied breathlessly.
"Hn, not such a tough guy after all. Maybe that's why he's on his seventh try." Dosu said coldly.
"Write this on your little card punk: the Genin from the Sound Village will be Chunin by the time this over, guaranteed." Kin said with confidence.
Sasuke, like the other shinobi in the room, were completely baffled at what had happened.
'I don't get it, he saw their attack in time to evade it. What could've made Kabuto fall apart like that?' Sasuke wondered to himself. Kabuto had clearly dodged the attack, yet he was still hit by something, but what?
"Lee, what happened with that attack?" Neji asked Lee from their position in the room.
"I'm not sure. Kabuto dodged the attack but was somehow still hit. Perhaps some kind of trick was involved." Lee hypothesized.
"Hey, what gives you son of a bitch! I saw some kind of chakra stream leave your right arm. What the hell was that? You mean to tell me you have to use cheap shots to win?" Naruto said angrily.
"Naruto, what are you talking about? I didn't see anything" Sasuke said. 'Hmm, maybe Naruto's Rinnegan was able to see something the normal eye cannot see'
Dosu's only visible eye widened at the revelation.
'That brat actually saw my attack! Apparently, the Rinnegan allows him to see his opponent's chakra. Dammit, those eyes of his are starting to piss me off!' Dosu thought angrily.
Before anyone one else could continue further, there was a huge puff of smoke at the front of the room. All eyes shot to the front of the room as the smoke began to clear quickly. In the front of the room stood a whole row of Jonin and Chunin exam proctors and in the front stood the tallest of them. The man had tan skin and two slash marks going across his face. He wore a black bandanna with the Leaf Village symbol on the front around his head and a long black trench coat. The tall man wore black gloves with metal wrist guards, as well as dark blue trousers and black combat boots.
"It's time to begin. I'm Ibiki Morino, you first exam proctor, and from this moment forward, you worst enemy" the man said in a dark threatening voice.
Sorry for the long wait and for the long chapter, but I wanted to start the first part of the exams in the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it and please be sure to review and tell me what you think.