CHAPTER 21: Chunin Exam: Preliminary Match Part 1: Burning Fry Pan and Bowing to Bugs

The Sandaime looked at the 21 gennins that had passed and tried to differentiate who was who.

The team from Suna was relatively clean while the team from Oto, Team Asuma and Team Kurenai were bleached red and yellow, ready to kill someone.

The culprits were silently laughing their ass off.

The Sandaime cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

"As the number of gennins is larger this year we have to conduct preliminaries."

Much to his amusement voices at the back rang out.

"I told you Naruto we should have used spoiled milk too."

"Shut up Sasuke you're giving us away."

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"I forfeit." Kabuto raised his hand.

"What?" Sasuke screeched. "Old man you shouldn't give up."

Kabuto's eye twitched.

"Like I said I'm not an old man."

"You're going to give up? That's very unyouthful of you."

Lee shook his head.

"Isn't this happening due to fate?" Neji interjected.

"It's happening because Kabuto is willing to forfeit. If he doesn't..."

"...Then that's also fate," Neji concluded.

"Oh to hell with a lot of you. I'll compete." Kabuto screeched indignantly.

"I'll drop out." Kabuto's teammates Yoroi offered.

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Uchiha Sasuke vs Yakushi Kabuto

"Me vs Old man? Why?" Sasuke whined. "And I was rooting for him too." He added.

"Must be fate." Several people chorus together.

"See?" Neji turned to Tenten smirking.

"Everyone believes in fate."

"Like you needed encouraging." Tenten muttered.

Kabuto slammed his head into the railing. How desperately he wished he would have dropped out.

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"Fireball jutsu." Sasuke moved towards his opponent.

"He plans to barbecue him?" Ino asked curiously.

"I wonder what he would taste like?" Chouji drooled.

"Treat him with respect. After all he is human not roasted chicken or mutton or beef or pork." Asuma scolded.

"I think you went the worst of all." Kurenai commented.

"But the worst would be elephant or lizard's meant, don't you think?" Naruto offered loud enough.

"How about scorpion? They're quite frequent in the desert." Gaara stated.

Kabuto gritted his teeth. These people were arguing on how he tasted like. Seriously?

His sanity snapped and he started planning different ways to gut Konoha nins.

Unfortunately or fortunately from my point of view he missed the freaking huge fireball coming at him. And got roasted.

"He didn't see that big ball right at his face?" Shisui was surprised. "Even I can see that."

Naruto and Sakura facefaulted.

Kabuto hit the ground unconscious and smoke rising from his body.

"Hey guys." Sakura turned to the others.

"He smells like burnt frying pan instead."

"Disappointing." Several murmurs were heard.

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Aburame Shino vs Zaku

Shino peered Zaku from under his glasses. Zaku smirked taunting his opponent. Thus the usual pre-match activities.

"They're fighting Kankrou-style? I thought that was only popular in Suna." Temari turned to Gaara confused.

"Kankrou-style?" The debated person looked at his siblings.

"What Temari is trying to say my dear brother is that all the taunting and jeering and insulting and offending and smirking and verbal abuse and..."

"I get it." Kankrou cut Gaara in between, murmured something about teasing brothers and went to sulk in a corner.

Down in the arena Shino did a bug attack. Suddenly Zaku's face changed into one of surprise and then pure delight. He then fell dramatically to the ground, buckled his knees together and bowed.

"All hail the great 'Hymenoptera'. All hail the majestic ' Hymenoptera ' "

He called out bowing.

Silence. For the first time in recorded history an Aburame namely Aburame Shino had a surprised expression on his face.

"That was... Unexpected." Naruto said amused.

"What the hell was that?" Ino pointed towards Zaku.

It was Kin who answered.

"You see his religion worships bugs or something." She said indignantly.

"So does this mean I win?" Shino asked slowly.

Sandaime gave one look to Zaku who was still bowing and declared Shino as winner.

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I have no idea where this came from.