Chapter 29 – Proving Grounds

Naruto was awake well before dawn, though he made sure to keep very still and tame his racing heart before even taking a breath. It had taken a few seconds to register that he had woken up comfortably tangled with Hinata beneath his blankets, and a few seconds more to recall last night. After a minute of mimicking the deep breathing of slumber, he allowed himself to feel her there, curled up against his chest and using his arm as a pillow. It seemed that he had ended up turning towards her in the night after all. Said arm was so numb that he couldn't have moved it if he had wanted to; Hinata looked far too adorable to jostle from sleep just for his own comfort. Sure, maybe his arm might have been itching – if he had retained any feeling in it – from the bit of saliva that had undoubtedly collected from the corner of her mouth. And it was a distinct possibility that the few strands of her disheveled hair had been caught in her lips for most of the night. But she was still so damn cute that he couldn't help but lean over to plant a light kiss on her nose.

"Mm . . ." She stirred and murmured at the soft contact, her eyelashes fluttering open to blink sleepily at the grey light seeping past the curtains at the foot of the bed. Just as it had him, it appeared to take a few seconds for the situation to come back to her, but unlike him she merely sighed and nestled closer. "Good morning . . ." she sighed.

"Morning," Naruto replied with a smirk. "Sorry for waking you, but I think we should get up and ready before Iruka-sensei decides to be our alarm clock." She did color at the suggestion that they might be discovered, but still seemed none too hurried in nipping his neck and ghosting from the bedroom. Hinata lived up to her and Tenten's lofty standards for a Konoha kunoichi; he didn't even hear the door click shut after she had departed.

It took Naruto just minutes to prepare. Clothes were as easy as donning a fresh set, the bandages about the bottoms of his pant legs taking the most time since he was not yet practiced in wrapping them. Once his jika-tabi were pulled on and buckled securely, he retrieved his kunai holster and belt pouch, refilling both with standard supplies before securing them in place. He wasn't entirely comfortable with not being allowed anything else, but there must be a reason. Nobody would be excited about that reason when it was finally revealed, he suspected.

It came as no surprise that Iruka was already in the kitchen by the time Naruto exited his room, although he made sure to school his expression to make certain that nothing was given away. It wasn't as if he had anything to hide – not exactly, anyway. His adopted father had only cautioned about putting themselves in 'that kind of situation,' which meant that they were allowed to at their own discretion. Back then Naruto had been embarrassed and even put off by the idea, but after experiencing a taste of it – quite literally – he was definitely coming around to it. Sort of. The whole idea of . . . that . . . was still foreign to him, but now at least he was willing to explore the thought some more. Maybe that was what Iruka had been warning about.

"Good morning, Naruto," the man said cheerily, banishing any fears that he might know what had gone on through the night. Iruka turned to greet him, and Naruto had to stifle a laugh. The chūnin was wearing a pair of fuzzy blue slippers over his bare feet, along with a set of matching pajamas complete with a lopsided sleeping cap. A jarringly pink apron and set of oven mitts completed the attire, creating a truly comical spectacle standing atop the tile floor.

"Good morning Iruka-sensei," Hinata giggled, stepping in beside Naruto. It seemed that she had no qualms with laughing, and so laugh Naruto did.

"What?" Iruka asked indignantly, the tip of his nightcap seeming to bristle along with his pride. "I needed a new apron and pair of oven mitts, and these were on sale!" No amount of explaining or protesting would get Naruto to cease his fit of mirth until he was good and ready, which took a at least a full minute. He and Hinata were very nearly holding each other up by the end of it, wiping away tears and beaming at their former instructor.

"You're the best, Iruka-sensei." Naruto nearly hiccoughed on a chuckle while trying to get that out, but Iruka seemed to take it as sincerely as it was meant, grinning back at them and waggling a flamboyantly pink-clad hand at them.

"Come on you two. It's already after six, and you need to eat a hearty breakfast before I'll let you leave here." Naruto was more than happy to comply with that.

The meal was a brief but enjoyable affair, filled with lighthearted jests and Iruka's words of encouragement for the upcoming exam. Most of what he had to tell them sounded like a parent utterly confident in his children, and Naruto appreciated it all the more because of that.

"Don't forget your cloaks," Iruka said at last as they headed for the entry hall. "The badlands will be covered in snow right now, but I'd take the reversible ones just in case. You never know if the terrain will change, or if the exam will last long enough to allow a thaw. Naruto nodded as if he hadn't already been reaching for the indicated garment hanging on a peg beside Hinata's, throwing it over his shoulders with the white side out before clasping it. Iruka watched the heavy woolen cloth settle around him and Hinata, nodding once before stepping forward and pulling them both into a fierce hug. "Good luck you two. Try not to give me a panic attack during this set of exams, will you?"

"Yes, sensei," they mumbled in unison, hugging back just as hard. "We'll all make chūnin for sure!" Naruto added as he pushed back, giving Iruka a broad grin. The man's hand settled on Naruto's head and ruffled his hair fondly, the action repeated for Hinata.

"I know you will." Iruka swiped a tear from the corner of one eye and made a shooing gesture with both hands. "Kakashi told you to be there early, remember? Go on, go on. Make me proud, you two!" The last Naruto heard called from behind him as he leapt from the balcony outside. He planned to do exactly that, and more.


/*\


"Looks like we weren't the only ones looking to get a head start," Naruto observed as he and Hinata approached the main gate. In truth he had expected at least one or two teams to be out this early, but not every member of the so-called Konoha Twelve. He thought that name was a little funny, especially considering that Team Gai had been lumped in with the newer graduating class, but he supposed every village had a particularly strong group of genin on hand. So far only Team Gai could give him and his teammates a run for their money, he thought, but it had been a long time since he had seen the rest in action.

He landed hand-in-hand with Hinata by the guard post, and they both waved to Kotetsu and Izumo before looking around more closely. Every member of Team Ten was present – even Shikamaru, surprisingly enough for this hour. Gai seemed to be admonishing his team about the upcoming exam, though with all of the hand gestures and poses it seemed to be more of a lively pep talk than a cautioning. Sakura, Kiba, and Shino were just passing through the gate when the pink haired kunoichi stopped and turned abruptly, staring off towards the main street. It only took a moment to realize why, and Naruto couldn't help but smirk when he saw what she was now staring at.

Sasuke stood with Haku where the broad central avenue opened up to the entrance square, and it wasn't difficult to discern their topic of conversation despite nobody being close enough to overhear. Sasuke was scowling off to one side, and even at that distance Naruto could see a bit of red in his friend's face. Haku was leaning towards him intently, wearing a concerned expression and speaking very fast if his lips gave any indication. It didn't appear to be an argument, exactly, although at the very least it was some kind of disagreement. A whole minute passed without a single word from Sasuke, and then Haku suddenly seemed to break off mid-sentence and leap at the other boy, tackling him to the ground in a very forceful hug. Naruto snickered.

"He's probably as worried for Sasuke as Iruka is for us," Hinata said with no small amount of compassion. Naruto had long since come to realize that she always empathized with people, although it wasn't difficult for him to understand where Haku was coming from either, especially after a few weeks – and one particularly intense evening – of worrying himself. He nodded solemnly, giving her hand another squeeze just before Sasuke approached, dusting himself off and grumbling under his breath.

"He wanted me to promise not to do anything reckless," the dour youth muttered. He continued when Naruto only raised an eyebrow, and Hinata smiled fondly at Haku over Sasuke's shoulder. "I didn't agree; if there's anywhere we might need to be reckless, it's at these exams. No reason to make a promise I'm not going to keep . . ." He trailed off, and the slight tint of a blush that had been present since his approach darkened noticeably. "Oh for the love of–"

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura's voice called from their right. Naruto couldn't help but laugh. The way his friend sighed and resignedly shoved his hands into his pockets would have been enough to bring on a grin, but knowing what was in store for the other boy now nearly had him tittering.

"We'll let you walk with Sakura-san," Naruto said lightly, patting his friend's shoulder. "See you at the rendezvous, Sasuke!" The glower he received at the ill-concealed jibe was priceless.

"That wasn't very nice, Naruto," Hinata chided as they passed beyond the walls. She sounded half serious, and half like she wanted to break into a fit of giggles. He noted the corners of her lips twitching upwards in the beginnings of an amused smile, but was unable to comment further. Movement in his peripheral vision had him tensed immediately, and one hand had already reached for a kunai before his eyes belayed any reason for caution – or so he hoped.

"May we walk with you, Uzumaki Naruto?" Gaara stepped out of the long morning shadows and onto the broad road, his flat green eyes focused on Naruto. Kankurō and Temari were flanking him as usual, although neither looked as agitated as they usually did. As far as Naruto could tell, they must have been idling beneath the trees just outside of the gate, waiting to catch him as he left for the next exam. That thought caused a bit of uneasiness to creep in, but he shook it off without a second thought. Gaara might still be a little creepy, and his siblings were jerks sometimes, but they seemed somehow . . . different. Despite the presence of his sand gourd, Gaara's step seemed lighter, and the other two no longer appeared wary of their brother's every move. He offered a casual shrug and a grin, just like he might to any friend.

"Sure. We're just heading to the second exam." He blinked as they fell in step beside him and Hinata, an unexpected thought forming on the tail end of his greeting. "Are you three competing?" That seemed impossible considering the circumstances involving Suna and the previous exams, but the way they were dressed and geared told him otherwise. Gaara simply nodded without looking at him, but Temari took up the explanation in her brother's stead.

"The Hokage has been talking to an envoy from our village for a while now. I don't know all of the details, but they agreed that the Sand was manipulated by Orochimaru and isn't to be held entirely responsible for what happened. I'm sure we'll be paying reparations," she added quickly, likely in response to Hinata's pursed lips. "And artisans have been arriving from our country to help with rebuilding. But since the Kazekage was assassinated and impersonated, and it's come to light that Orochimaru was behind the plot all along, I guess they're actually working on forging an alliance between our villages."

"An alliance?" Naruto blinked. Alliances weren't unheard of between hidden villages, but Iruka had explained the circumstances revolving around Konoha and Suna. The daimyō of the Land of Wind had apparently been cutting off funding for the Hidden Sand, and instead using shinobi from the Leaf to accomplish missions. That bitterness had supposedly been a major factor in the decision to invade Konoha, and Naruto couldn't imagine that an alliance would be popular with either village. After theirs had been so recently attacked, the attitude towards Suna wasn't positive in the least. And after years of being spurned only to suffer a defeat and be forced to pay reparations, the Sand couldn't be thrilled about the prospect either. He said as much, and it was Kankurō who replied this time.

"It's far from an even coalition," the older boy said gruffly, shifting the strap across his chest that held the puppet on his back. "It's more of a tentative partnership, and your side has more to offer than ours. And . . . rightly so, I guess," he added after a moment's pause, though it came grudgingly. "But you're wrong about our village – mostly, anyway. Some of it's true, but most are more eager to see peace and prosperity than revenge. Concord between our villages will be a boon to both economies due to the new trade and lowered risk of caravans being attacked along the routes. Other nations will be less likely to attack openly allied villages too, since assaulting one means provoking the other as well. So we get increased security to focus on rebuilding."

"When you think about it," Naruto began slowly, furrowing his brow as he did just that, "There aren't really any disadvantages to allying with each other, are there?" Kankurō shrugged noncommittally, but Temari gave a firm nod.

"Other nations could see it as a threat and band together as well," Hinata put in, earning her surprised looks from the Sand siblings. Even Gaara's gaze flicked to her for an instant. She went on with only the slightest flush, though Naruto felt the pressure on his hand increase. "It's what caused the Second Shinobi World War, in a way. When factions begin forming in one land, others band together for protection, and just the tension can spark conflicts that can lead to war." Even Naruto was looking at her now, and he was sure that his features communicated as much surprise as he felt. Hinata was smart – hell, she was more intelligent than anybody their age that he knew, barring Shikamaru – but he hadn't known that she was a history buff. She went right on as if nobody was looking at her, staring intently at nothing as they walked on. "There's also the threat of espionage. As villages begin to trust one another more, they can let their guard down and reveal too much, and one side could take advantage. Then there's the fact that dealing in a friendly fashion with one village can ostracize another that you used to trade with because of existing animosity, and . . ." She trailed off then, apparently having realized that she had been nearly lecturing about politics to a small crowd of abashed onlookers. "Oh, um . . . I do think the treaty is a good idea, though . . ."

"Yeah . . . us too," Temari said weakly, eyeing Hinata up and down as if seeing her for the first time. "That's all ah . . . I guess that's all true, but I'm sure the higher-ups will figure all of that out. For now I think it's safe to say that we're allies, and better off for it."

"Yeah, definitely," Naruto agreed, though his mind was already straying from the topic at hand. "What about you, Gaara? What did they decide about you and Shukaku, and that new seal Jiraiya put in place? And how do you feel now?"

"My village was eager to have their weapon back," Gaara responded in his normal monotone. "Even if that weapon no longer functions to the same capacity, it is far from impotent." He raised a hand, and a trickle of sand flowed from the gourd to swirl about his fingers. "Sunagakure still retains its bijū, however unavailable it may be, and they are more glad than they let on to have Shukaku's influence sealed away. I feel . . ." He paused, allowing the sand to coalesce in his palm into what appeared to be a tiny statue of a kneeling woman. "I feel . . . rested, and at peace. These feelings are strange to me, but I believe I will grow to be fond of them. Fondness . . ." Gaara seemed to like to think quite a bit before speaking, and now the silence stretched on to the point of awkwardness.

"We're glad to have him back," Temari put in with a small smile, laying a hand on her younger brother's arm. Gaara blinked and looked up at her, clearly confused, which only made her smile widen. Even Kankurō was smirking a little, though he seemed to be trying not to.

"I'm glad you're doing better," Naruto said simply, sharing a grin with the rest. "I'd like to be friends with you – all of you, and Suna too. I don't really like the idea of being enemies with any village, even if we can't all get along. There'd be no need for shinobi if that were the case." He laughed, but for some reason couldn't put any feeling behind it. Hinata's fingers gripped tightly between his own, and they lapsed into a more comfortable silence then, if not an entirely serene one.

The quiet persisted for the remainder of their short journey, even after they turned off of the road and took to the trees in order to make better time; it was difficult to hold a conversation while jumping between branches anyway. It was a leisurely pace and used a minimal amount of chakra, but it still took them the ten kilometer distance in a little over twenty minutes. They landed as a group where the trees suddenly stopped at the edge of a shallow ravine, along the bottom of which a tent had been erected. It was more of a valley than a true canyon, but as Naruto looked out at the stark landscape beyond it, he could tell that it was just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

"Oy, you five!" a woman barked from below. "Quit gawking and get down here to register if you plan to participate! Don't dawdle, or I'll use you as target practice!" A loud guffaw echoed up to them, and Naruto beamed back down. He had always liked Anko, even if she was a bit weird.

They weren't the first to arrive, although Naruto hadn't anticipated they would be with the time spent dawdling around the gates. Even so, there were only two other teams present, and both seemed to stir from their places of rest when he and the others landed in front of the tent. One team of genin was from the Hidden Rain judging by their headbands, and each of the members appeared to be wearing a sour expression that did not fall too far short of baleful. The two boys and girl casually went back to their own conversation after only a second's pause to sneer. The other group held three blank-faced youths – all female – sporting hitai-ate of the Hidden Cloud, although it was obvious at a glance that their flat expressions were all for show. Their eyes practically glittered as Naruto and his party passed by on their way to the tent, and he could feel their combined killing intent from the dozen or so meters away. Those were no run-of-the-mill kunoichi.

"Competition seems . . . interesting," Temari commented wryly, giving the trio of girls a hard look before sniffing dismissively. "At least it might be more of a challenge than the last exam's cakewalk."

"Neither of those teams are weak," Kankurō muttered. "It looks like each village took care in selecting genin this time around. I wouldn't be surprised to find a chūnin-level shinobi among the teams – maybe even an actual chūnin." Naruto looked at him askance, but the older boy only shrugged. "It's been known to happen when one village has a particular grudge or agenda, or so I've heard."

"They can throw a jōnin at us for all I care," Naruto said dismissively. He chose not to see Hinata's raised eyebrow, the one that she used to silently – though not unkindly – call out his confidence when it strayed too close to hubris. Well, this wasn't being overly prideful. They had proven that they could defeat Kakashi, and he was an elite among the higher ranks of shinobi. Still . . . She would probably like it better if he turned it into a compliment of somebody else instead of bragging. "I mean, I know you three could handle that, and I'm sure we'd manage." Hinata's eyebrow went down, and he thought that he saw the hint of a knowing, amused twinkle behind those white eyes. Gaara joined his siblings in a curt nod, not able to say more as they had reached the tent opening.

"Well if it isn't the destructive duo," Anko whistled, giving Naruto and Gaara a once-over. Naruto tensed, and he saw Gaara's eyes narrow slightly out of the corner of his own. The kunoichi barked a laugh and showed them her palms in a placating gesture. "Just a joke, kids; that's all water under the bridge now, eh? It's good to see the two of you getting along, as a matter of fact!" She smacked Naruto's back good-naturedly, though stopped short of doing the same to Gaara as if thinking better of the idea. "Where's the grumpy kid – Sasuke, right? Can't sign up without your full team. You three can go on in," she continued, addressing the siblings.

"He'll be here soon," Naruto muttered, trying not to glare at the proctor. Honestly, enough people were more than upset about what had happened during the previous exams, both regarding the two jinchūriki and the conflict between Hidden Villages. He knew that Anko just had a weird sense of humor, but it still rankled a little for her to bring it up so casually.

"Is that him, with the pink-haired girl hanging all over him?" she asked brightly, grinning up at the ravine's rim. Sure enough, when Naruto turned to look he could clearly make out Sasuke standing on the ridge line with Sakura pressed against his side so tightly that she might have been sewn on. Hinata clicked her tongue, as if the sound alone was reprimand enough for such antics in public. The sound drew his attention, and he was just able to see the last veins receding around her eyes. The pair above was far enough off that their specific antics couldn't be told with regular eyesight, but her eyes were far from ordinary.

"Same thing as with Haku, probably," Naruto said with a shrug. "The exam will be dangerous for both of them, right?" Hinata favored him with a small smile, which he returned with a self-conscious one of his own. He tried to think about how other people felt, but it didn't come nearly as naturally as it did for her.

"I hate you guys," Sasuke muttered darkly, appearing next to them in a flicker of motion. "Did you really have to leave me back there with her?"

"Don't you like her?" Naruto asked curiously, watching as Team Eight arrived and joined Sakura by a rocky outcrop. It didn't make much sense to him that Sasuke could like somebody – well, two somebodies – and be so annoyed by them all of the time. Naruto was beginning to think that his friend just found everybody annoying – except for Hinata and himself, of course.

"She talks a lot, and is too . . . forward." Sasuke rolled his eyes at Hinata when she stifled a giggle. "She is. At least Haku doesn't—" His teeth actually clicked shut in his haste to cut off the thought, and his scowl did little to offset his growing flush. Hinata did let a laugh escape then, and Naruto tittered as well.

"Enough lollygagging you three," Anko said crisply, clapping her hands together. Gaara, Temari, and Kankurō were already out and gathered off to one side, each holding a backpack that they had not gone in with. "In with you before I go tell that Sakura girl that you've been mooning at her." She gave Sasuke a wicked grin. He paled slightly, coughed, and with apparent nonchalance led the way into the tent. Naruto shared a conspiratorial look with Hinata before following after his friend, deciding that perhaps Anko wasn't so bad after all.

The canvas flap closed, leaving them in a sizeable open space lit by torches at each corner and a brazier at the center, though the last was presumably more for warmth than light. Two chūnin stood just a few steps inside, one wearing a bored expression over his bland features while the other only stared at them with one hard eye, the other – or lack thereof – hidden behind an eye patch. Despite the puckered scar trailing down from the patch and pulling the corner of his mouth into a permanent grimace, he seemed to attempt a smile at them before turning towards a pile of rucksacks.

"Names?" the nondescript man asked, his monotone voice adding to his appearance of plainness.

"Uzumaki Naruto."
"Hyūga Hinata."
"Uchiha Sasuke."

The man blinked, glanced up at them, then shook his head. He made no further indication of his displeasure, but Naruto bristled at the subtle disapproval. The silent pressure of Hinata's hand was all that stopped him from commenting on it.

"That would be Team Seven, then. Here are your supplies," the aggravatingly insipid chūnin said with a lazy gesture towards his partner. The scarred shinobi was holding the straps of three packs that looked identical to those the Suna siblings had been examining outside. He handed one to each of them, saying nothing, but offering that odd half-smile at each of them in turn. Naruto grinned back appreciatively, glad that at least one of the two was nice. "I'll need you to sign next to your names," the other droned, offering his clipboard to Hinata first. "It's a standard consent form, just like the ones you signed before the second exam last time. By signing you agree to release both the proctors and Konoha from any liability should you die during the exam." His voice – apart from sounding naturally dull – carried with it the impression that he was resigned to repeat that same line far more times than he would have liked. Hinata took the proffered clipboard and small brush with a smile no different than the one she had offered the other man, applying her signature with a delicate and precise hand before passing both items to Naruto. She really did seem to think the best of almost everybody. He and Sasuke quickly signed their names, his own in a blocky but neat enough hand while his friend's nearly rivaled Hinata's for precision, though with a noticeably sharper hand and added flourish. "The rest will be explained to you later. You're dismissed."

"Wouldn't have killed him to be more cordial," Sasuke muttered after they had exited.

"You're one to talk," Naruto teased, leading the way to a small boulder that was on the opposite side of the tent from the Suna team. The exam had begun, as far as he was concerned, and they were adversaries now. "He was kind of a jerk, though."

"He was just doing his job," Hinata said patiently. This had been a matter of course for her ever since she had become more confident, mediating between her friends and trying to get them to see the best in people. It worked . . . sometimes.

"He can do his job and be less condescending. That look he gave us was little less than rude." Sasuke wasn't about to be turned from his mood so easily, and so Hinata only shrugged before adding a final thought.

"We don't know him; he might be like that for a reason." She left the implication unspoken: maybe somebody close to him had died during the last exam. Their role in the battle was well known by all, and so it wasn't entirely uncommon these days for them to receive second – and none-too kind – glances.

"Well, let's see what they gave us. We weren't told not to open them, so it must be okay." Naruto spared a look towards the three other teams just in case, finding that the Rain and the Cloud's packs had the rumpled looks of being opened, and Suna was currently rummaging through their own. Well, Temari and Kankurō were, and Gaara seemed just to be watching. Some things didn't change, it seemed.

The contents of each pack were identical, down to the very last soldier pill – two had been included in every one. There were two filled canteens, a large square tarp, a flare, and eight packages of standard shinobi field rations in each backpack. The meals were labeled simply as "Meal" or "Supplement," with six of the former and two of the latter. All in all it didn't appear to be anything remarkable, and they were just beginning to discuss the purpose when Team Ten sauntered over.

"Yo," Shikamaru drawled as he approached, stifling a yawn. "I guess you three have figured out what the next exam is by now." He nodded to their packs, then shifted the strap of the one on his shoulder with a grimace. "I figured that the second exam would be another survival test, but I can't see another goal like we had last time." Naruto quirked an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" he asked, glancing to each of his teammates to see if they understood. They shook their heads; it seemed that Shikamaru had worked out more than they had been able to in a more limited time frame. The other boy's own eyebrow lifted. It seemed that he had expected more from them, but he gave no further sign of it as he started to explain.

"It's clear that these are the only supplies we'll be given; there's no other tent set up, and nowhere to hide anything else that might be considered an objective, unless they brought scrolls to summon other items with." He considered that a moment, scratching behind one ear and starring off into the distance before shaking his head. "So if this is it, it's a straight survival test where we'll be pitted against one another, and either drop out before we die or fight over supplies until the time limit is reached. There won't be much to scavenge or hunt out there, so we'll probably be forced to take each other's food to survive." He stated that all in a matter-of-fact manner, as if he was discussing the weather. In truth it was very similar to having to steal scrolls from one another, but this seemed . . . different in some way to Naruto.

"That seems wrong," Naruto said, wrinkling his nose in distaste. "If we had an objective to shoot for then I'd be all for it, but if we're just supposed to beat each other and steal food . . ."

"Seems a bit savage," Sasuke remarked, eyeing his own satchel as if seeing it for the first time. "I get how a real fight for survival could test our resolve and push us mentally as well as physically, but there should be more elements to make this less . . ."

"Cruel," Hinata finished for him, and then went on to surprise them. "But not any more so than the last time, I think. Alternative objective or no, we're still expected to seek out and fight one another. This is just more honest and straightforward. However we feel about it, it is more efficient in testing our skills and willingness to be shinobi." Shikamaru considered her for a time, then nodded thoughtfully.

"I guess so. Still as troublesome as last time."

"At least the first exam wasn't as boring," Ino huffed, striding up behind her teammate with Chōji in tow. "That stupid written test was easy compared to this time."

"What happened in the first exam? Kakashi-sensei didn't have time to tell us yesterday." He left out the reason why that was; aside from the fact that Kakashi had instructed them not to, they had agreed to keep it as a secret in order to veil their strength relative to other teams. If people learned that they had beaten the infamous Copy Ninja – even if it had taken all three of them – it could cause problems.

"It was a maze," Chōji crunched through a mouthful of chips. "We had to go through and solve puzzles and stuff. I ran out of snacks halfway through," he added in a serious tone. Snacks were always important to him and his stamina, or so he claimed.

"It wasn't very difficult," Ino said with a too-casual shrug. A flat look from Shikamaru deflated her a bit, and he took over the explanation without too long a pause.

"They had a giant maze set up with obstacles designed to test our teamwork. Nothing dangerous, only a few things made to look treacherous, and some big puzzles that required all of us to work together to solve." It sounded kind of interesting to Naruto, or at least more involved than the first exam they had taken before. "Anyway, it was challenging, or at least would be for groups with poor cohesion or really poor problem solving skills. Only seventeen teams made it through."

"That's not very many compared to last time," Sasuke mused, earning him a shrug in response. Ino gave him what Naruto suspected was her most winning smile, but it seemed to have no effect on him whatsoever.

"I expect that they wanted to make certain that there were no preliminary matches this year. Between the last test and this one's apparent design, I'd be willing to bet we don't see more than four or five teams get through." Naruto nodded. That made sense enough, trying to limit the teams the got through to the very best right off the bat. There had been a number of extremely weak teams last time, and they had quickly gotten themselves defeated or killed. Whittling them down off the bat before a forced survival test would be the easiest path to a third exam clear of preliminaries. It still seemed kind of harsh to him, but if all of the villages had agreed on it, then there was nothing to be done.

"I expect to see you three at the finals," Naruto said jovially, extending a fist to Shikamaru. The other boy blinked at it for a second, then smirked and rapped his knuckles against Naruto's. Chōji did the same with a friendly smile, but Ino only sniffed, apparently still feeling the sting of being ignored by the object of her affections.

"Alright, that's everybody!" Anko boomed over the buzz of conversation. "Gather 'round over here; it's nearly eight!"

"Here we go," Naruto said quietly, shouldering his pack and retaking Hinata's hand. She nodded while still facing ahead, then extended her free hand to Sasuke. He glanced at her, then spared a look towards where Team Eight had gathered. With a sigh he clapped his palm against hers and held on as they moved back towards the tent.

Anko stood in front of the canvas opening, surveying the gathering genin with a look of mild impatience. She held a long scroll between her fingers and was tapping it rhythmically against the palm of her other hand. It was the scroll containing all of the participants' names, Naruto realized. He got the feeling that she would have been watching the seconds tick by had she been wearing a watch.

"It's about time," she barked when the last team crowded around – the group from Kumo had made a point to appear unhurried. "Now, as most of you have likely guessed by now, this exam will be fairly straightforward. Each of you have been given supplies that will last you for two days while out in the badlands. You will be expected to survive out there for six days.

"Now, for those of you who participated in the previous exam, there will be a key difference from here on out that was not present before." That got Naruto's attention, and he could almost feel the others shifting and tensing around him. Nobody liked surprises when it came to life-and-death scenarios. "If you decide to forfeit at any time, you may do so without penalty to your team." She allowed that message to sink in for a few seconds, and Naruto took full advantage to allow his mind to race through possibilities. If an individual could drop out without disqualifying his or her team, then it meant that anybody lacking confidence could leave as soon as the test began, giving the remainder of their team a supply advantage, yet also leaving them one person down. It added a new dynamic that could give certain teams a type of advantage from the outset, or allow participants to leave if they became too injured to go on. Anko continued after a few seconds, giving voice to what most of them had likely been considering. "The flares included in your supplies are for that purpose; I suggest keeping them on your person instead of with everything else, in case your packs get taken and you're still alive afterwards.

"The area in which you will be confined includes most of the badlands north of here, within a barrier that will be held up during the whole of the six day period. If any genin is suspected of trying to leave the area by force or without having signaled a desire to forfeit, they will be incapacitated and disqualified, as will the rest of their team." She paused again, trying to make eye contact with everyone present before going on. "We have taken extensive precautions to ensure that there is no foul play or outside interference with this exam as there was last time. The bulk of our peacekeepers and off-duty shinobi will be at high alert for the duration of these exams, both tasked with watching you and watching for potential outside threats. Rest assured, we will not allow anything to go amiss.

"Lastly, we have set up two oases within the perimeter. These locations have fresh water and a small amount of additional supplies within them, enough to see one team to the end if they manage to find and secure them. The whole zone is fourteen kilometers across, and these havens are small and hidden, but they do provide an additional objective and point of strategy to work with.

"That is all. It's up to you to determine how to make it to day six. This exam will end at noon on the sixth day – one hundred and forty-eight hours after you are released, which will be in approximately thirty minutes. Good luck." With that she turned, the wind whipping her long beige coat as she began assigning chūnin to take teams to their starting points.

"Looks like there is a little more to it," Naruto murmured to his friends while they waited for their proctor to be assigned. "With Hinata's eyes, I think we could find one of those oases pretty easy and just take it easy for a few days. What do you think?" Hinata nodded, though her lips were compressed slightly as if she was thinking worried thoughts.

"We're stronger than most of the other teams," Sasuke put in, scanning the thinning crowd with his Sharingan. "Of the ones we're familiar with, I'd say only Team Gai and maybe Gaara's team might be able to keep up with us. The others are wildcards, but we know how strong we are compared to even the best genin. I say we stay out in the open, avoid fights with Team Gai and those Sand siblings, but try to eliminate as many others as we can." Naruto shrugged noncommittally, not really in favor of one or the other. He knew that Sasuke wasn't being cocky; he felt the same way. Confidence was different than arrogance, Iruka had told him once.

"I think we should do both," Hinata suggested, her own kekkei genkai activated and being used to examine the competition. She would be able to tell if any of them possessed any special weapons or strange tools on them. "Judging by how much they changed this time around, it's possible that we might not have a full month before the finals this time. I think we should locate an oasis early, but use it as a base of operations where we can rest when not hunting other teams. No killing unless we have to," she put in, giving both of her teammates a stern glare. Naruto and Sasuke both nodded without hesitation; unnecessary killing wasn't something any of them were interested in. "When we defeat a team, we'll use one of their flares to signal their forfeit, take their supplies and leave. Agreed?" They were all in accord on that point as well, of course.

In short order they were being led to their starting position by the one-eyed shinobi from earlier. He still said nothing, only motioned for them to follow before springing nimbly up the slope of the ravine opposite the one they had descended. They traveled about three kilometers before making a sharp turn, stopping after another kilometer where they met another shinobi who was sitting cross-legged on the hard ground. A scroll was unraveled in front of him, upon which an elaborate design of jutsu-shiki had been prepared. The man seemed to be concentrating, though on what Naruto couldn't tell. Their guide put a finger to his lips to command silence, and then they waited.

Twenty minutes seemed like much longer a time when you had nothing to do but wait. Naruto sat with his teammates, performing a more advanced chakra exercise that Kakashi had taught them only recently. Sasuke began by exhaling into his palm, creating a small flickering flame that hovered just above his skin. He offered it to Hinata, who reached for the fire and trickled her own chakra into it until more of hers maintained the technique than Sasuke's. After only a few seconds the little light was now floating over her palm, and she moved it carefully towards Naruto. Even after years of practice he wasn't as accomplished at such fine chakra control, and several times the flame wavered dangerously. Whereas his friends could easily extinguish the fire without being careful, he ran more risk of feeding it far too much chakra and letting it run out of control. More than once he had walked away from this training with a singed hand, as did the unfortunate partner that had passed it to him. He tried not to notice Hinata smiling at him as he concentrated; for some reason she liked to watch him when he was focusing on something. After a much longer time than the initial transfer, Naruto got control of the flame, sighing as he removed it from Hinata's care.

"It's time," the chūnin said gruffly after the twenty-first round. Naruto clenched his fist around the flame to extinguish it before it flared up from his loss of concentration, then got to his feet with the others. The other ninja's eyes were open now, and a blue-white barrier had risen in front of him directly over the scroll. It extended out of sight to either direction, maintaining a height of about ten meters while dipping down into each crevasse that it came across. As far as Naruto could tell, it was unbroken despite the rough terrain.

"I will create a hole for you to pass through," the man on the ground said, nodding to his left. "You have one minute now. Be ready – I will only open it for a few seconds."

"Ready?" Naruto asked quietly, shifting his feet on the cold rock. Sasuke grunted in the affirmative, and Hinata squeezed his hand by way of response. He grinned. It was time to prove themselves again, but this time they were far more prepared.

"Go!" The bottom of the barrier bent upwards into an arch, creating a space just tall and wide enough for them to pass through one at a time. Naruto surged forward without a second thought, speeding through the opening with Sasuke and Hinata on his heels. The second exam had begun.


/*\


The landscape was more or less what they had anticipated from the first sighting above the basecamp, but noticeably more barren than expected. With a name like 'The Badlands' they had assumed it would be cold and desolate, but not nearly so scoured as to reveal no signs of life. As Naruto led his teammates across the cold rock, not even the cry of a crow or skittering of a lizard broke the stillness around them. Light patches of snow covered a few ridgelines, and even more had accumulated in the ravines where sunlight never touched. It was an eerie, empty place – empty, save for the presence of sixteen other teams of genin.

The first half-hour passed without incident as Naruto and his friends searched for water. The same logic that had driven them to find a stream during the last exam applied here: in any survival test, the ones who secured a source of water secured their own longevity. With this in mind they set to searching each shallow valley and cleft, knowing that even the barest trickle water would need to pass through one of them. They each sent out a Shadow Clone to serve as outriders, instructed to spiral outward in different directions to both aid in the search and warn of an incoming enemy.

"Finally," Naruto sighed, touching down at the bottom of a particularly deep gully. The sky was overcast, hiding the bulk of the sun's light, and the steep walls of the canyon made it even darker below. A tiny rivulet cut its way through the center of the narrow space, little pieces of ice appearing regularly as the water gurgled by. It wasn't much, but it was more than enough for their purposes. "Want to hang out here for a bit and use more clones to search for the oasis?"

"Fine by me," Sasuke said, dropping his pack and removing both of his canteens. He set them down and crossed his fingers in the clone seal, creating a copy of himself that started off its existence staring far too intently at Hinata. He rolled his eyes and punched the clone's jaw, which caused it to disappear in a puff of smoke mere seconds after it had been formed. "I hate those things," he muttered before making another. This one seemed more normal, thankfully. "East," he said tersely.

"You shouldn't be mean to your clones, Sasuke," Naruto tsked as Sasuke's clone sprinted out of sight. "They're part of you, y'know."

"They're physical manifestations of my chakra unfortunately imbued with some insignificant part of my consciousness. They're tools, like all other jutsu, only more annoying than others." The other boy's grumbling made Naruto smirk, but Hinata frowned thoughtfully after the clone before making her own and asking it to go west. He summoned two and instructed them to go north and south; one replied with a salute and militaristic discipline while the other seemed to drags its feet and sigh every other step. Well, maybe they were a little obnoxious sometimes, but they were too useful to stop using.

It took a few minutes to drain and refill the bottles. They each drank one and dumped out the other, opting to replace it with the fresh icy water. Iruka and Kakashi both always said that really cold water was better for you, though they had been vague on why that was. Still, it tasted better, and the crispness made Naruto feel more alert. Maybe there was something to it after all.

Not five minutes later, when they were all settling back near the pseudo-cliff's base, Sasuke suddenly sat up straight, staring eastward. "My clone was destroyed, but I didn't see what happened to it. There wasn't any time for it to sense or react to anything." That was unsettling, but not so unsettling as Hinata mimicking Sasuke a breath later.

"A little less than two kilometers west – mine too. All I saw was a bright light, then it was gone." Naruto could feel the hairs on the back of his neck trying to stand up, but he brushed off the feeling that was coming on. It was just a coincidence, surely. Unfortunately, the odds of that possibility lengthened significantly when one of his own clones was crushed less than a kilometer to the south.

"One of mine was destroyed just now," he said, getting to his feet and drawing one of the kunai that Jiraiya had given him. "South. I didn't see the attacker either, but my clone was just smashed, like somebody dropped a huge rock on it." He wrinkled his nose, trying to think on their options. His serious bunshin was still running north unimpeded, which meant that it was clear in that direction for the time being. At least three teams knew that they were nearby, and it was safe to assume that their identities were revealed while they knew nothing of their adversaries.

"Worst case scenario," Sasuke began, giving voice to Naruto's own thoughts, "We have three teams heading for our location right now, and they'll be here in minutes. Best case, they don't have sensory or tracking types with them, so they can't pinpoint our location and will all pass us by."

"Prepare for the worst, hope for the best," Hinata recited. "That's what Kakashi-sensei always says. What should be do?" Naruto could tell that she had plenty of thoughts on the topic herself, but she looked to him for the first opinion. Sasuke was watching him as well, his stance outwardly casual to anybody who didn't know him.

"Now's as good a time as any to show everybody how strong we are," Naruto shrugged. "Anko-sensei said that we're being monitored at all times, so we can at least expect somebody's watching us right now." That made him feel a bit uneasy, but he told himself that it was just the proctors. They were there as a safeguard and to judge their performance. "If it's just one team, I know we won't have any problems – well, unless it's Team Gai or Gaara. I don't think they'd try to fight us anyway, for the same reasons we don't want to fight them." Sasuke and Hinata both nodded; this was something they had discussed as well. "Even if it's more than one team, I think we should take them on. Unless they look like they're really strong, anyway. Otherwise we can always retreat north."

"Sounds good," Sasuke said coolly, sitting back down and making a show of stretching lazily against the ridge's slope. "We'll each take one team if they come at us. I think we should be able to handle that."

"Probably," Hinata put in, lowering herself back down as well. "I'm going to keep my Byakugan active, and I'll have my Chakra Web ready in case anybody tries to surprise us with a long range jutsu. Sasuke, can you be ready with—"

"Stone Prison," he finished for her, lacing his fingers behind his head and closing his eyes. "Got it." She smiled and shook her head, clearly amused.

"Want me to put up a Sensory Gate? I can't make it as good as you can, but I can make a really big one," Naruto offered, plopping down beside his friends. Appearing unconcerned was a good strategy, he realized, and one that Sasuke took naturally to. Hinata furrowed her brow while the veins beside her eyes became defined with the activation of her bloodline ability, then shook her head again.

"That one works well indoors because we can hide it inside the walls, but out here people could see it easily. I've been trying to find a sensory-type barrier that can be put into the ground and activate when something moves on top of it, but the only ones I could find while researching involved pre-positioned tags." Naruto blinked, grinned, and impulsively leaned over to plant a quick kiss on Hinata's lips. She flushed and glanced aside at Sasuke, but he appeared to still be feigning sleep. That action only made Naruto laugh; Hinata was far too cute for her own good.

"We can work on developing one later. Your eyes are all we need right now anyway; Sasuke looks like he trusts you enough to take a nap while you're on watch." Sasuke grunted noncommittally in response, and Hinata smiled again. She reached out and gave Naruto's hand a squeeze before settling into a cross-legged position, her hands resting on her knees and ready to speed into seals at a moment's notice.

Naruto, Kurama began, his tone somewhat cautious. There is something watching us.

Something? What do you mean? Hinata would be able to see anybody before they could see us – she can see further than Neji, even.

I'm not sure what it is, but it doesn't feel human, and it's staying carefully hidden. It feels familiar somehow, but that is all I can tell you. You wouldn't be able to sense it if you tried. It's a . . . different type of particularity. Naruto frowned, unnoticed by his friends. He was used to the Kyūbi being mysterious sometimes, but this was a whole new level of cryptic. Still, it was clear that the Fox wasn't sure what it was, or he would have explained better.

Alright, I'll keep a lookout. There's no reason to tell Sasuke and Hinata, right? It'd just make them worry about something they can't do anything about.

Probably not, Kurama admitted. Naruto could feel him shift as if uncomfortable, which was an odd sensation because it wasn't precisely felt. It was more of a knowledge that, within his cage, the Kyūbi was moving around with a touch of restlessness. Those tidbits were part of their connection, and he had largely gotten used to them, but sometimes Kurama's emotions could get tangled with his own. It normally only happened in times of high urgency, but Naruto began to feel a bit uneasy. He told himself that it was because Kurama rarely got concerned, and thus it was a normal reaction to be worried about it, but he couldn't be entirely certain.

"The team from Amegakure is approaching from the south, fast," Hinata said, breaking Naruto's train of thought. She continued before he could open his mouth to ask how far they were, her voice becoming more intent by the word. "Kumogakure is coming from the northeast, and . . ." She stopped, her eyes tightening visible. "Team Ten is coming from the west. Cautiously, but they're coming."

"Shikamaru and them, huh?" Naruto mused, trying to keep his tone light. He didn't fancy the idea of facing his former classmates – at least not so early – but if they were coming then they knew what they were getting into. "Ino's a sensory type, so she'll know we're here for sure. I'm kind of hard to miss even if I do my best to suppress my chakra. The other two groups . . ." He shrugged, then grinned wolfishly. "Prepare for the worst, right?"

"Want to each take one team?" Sasuke offered, sitting up and stretching again. Hinata stole a reproving look at him before going back to her sentry duty. She didn't appear overly worried, but Naruto could tell that she was concentrating on forming a strategy based on what little they knew of the two foreign teams. "What?" he asked, his eyes switching from their normal flat black to the red of his Sharingan. "We wanted to prove how strong we are, right? If we can beat Kakashi-sensei together, we should be able to take on three genin individually."

"What if there really are chūnin hidden among them?" Hinata asked, still staring at nothing while she used her kekkei genkai to watch their incoming opponents. "You felt the killing intent from those two teams, too; they're not going to be pushovers."

"I'll take the team from the Cloud," Sasuke responded evenly. "You didn't see any weapons or scrolls on them, meaning they're probably more reliant on ninjutsu or taijutsu. The team from the Hidden Rain looks like it'd be right up your alley; at least one is a weapons user judging by his nunchaku, and if that girl with elbow and shin guards isn't a taijutsu specialist then I need my eyes checked. You'd be best in close combat with more than one opponent – you did hold off Sakon and Ukon by yourself, didn't you?"

"I had help," Hinata protested, but Naruto could tell that she was considering the idea. "I guess Naruto would be our best option against the Ino-Shika-Chō combination. He's more than a match for Chōji's brawling, and I doubt he'd let himself get hit with Ino's Mind Transfer Jutsu."

"I dunno . . ." Naruto glanced around, taking stock of their surroundings and not liking what he saw. It was dark there, with large rocks and outcrops all along the bottom of the ravine that would provide long shadows for Shikamaru to use. "I've never seen anybody break out of Shikamaru's Shadow Imitation technique, and there are a lot of shadows around."

"When Shikamaru caught Dosu in the Forest of Death, it looked like he was struggling to break free. He was quavering and straining against the jutsu, at least, meaning he was in control of his muscles. It's just a guess, but I think you might be able to break out of it with brute force," Hinata suggested. Sasuke chuckled.

"We know he's got plenty of that." Naruto gave him a flat look, then shrugged.

"Sounds good to me. If any of us gets into trouble, though, just throw an exploding tag into the air. It's not a flare, so it won't signal a forfeit, and we'll be able to see or hear it for some distance around here." Hinata and Sasuke nodded in response, and then they waited, reassuming their relaxed manner.

"Team Ten is directly above us, just over the rim," Hinata said two minutes later. "I think they're just watching for now. The other two teams will arrive in less than thirty seconds, and they don't look like they're going to stop to study us. They're coming from opposite sides, already down here." Naruto nodded and stood up. There was no point in waiting around for the others to arrive if his opponents were there already.

"I'm going to engage up there – less shadows to deal with. I don't want to give Shikamaru too much time to plan, either."

"Try not to hurt them too badly," Sasuke said with a smirk.

"Be careful, Naruto." Hinata stood and – despite the extra onlookers – didn't blush when she placed a good-luck kiss on his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too," he replied, adding his own kiss to her forehead. "Be safe." With that he turned and trotted towards the opposite side of the stream, channeling chakra into his feet before starting up the side. He didn't think that any of them would be in real danger of losing their lives, but it was a ritual for him and Hinata now. Ever since he had died, they wouldn't go into anything remotely dangerous without those three simple yet powerful words. They didn't need to be spoken, of course; each knew how the other felt, but it was a comfort to go into battle after hearing it spoken aloud. I'll be careful, he confirmed to himself, though in truth he was more afraid of hurting one of his friends than losing. Did that make him prideful? He would need to ask Hinata later, he decided.


/*\


"Kumo is northeast, right?" Sasuke asked Hinata as he stood, taking his eyes from where Naruto was rapidly ascending the veritable cliff face. He focused instead on the gradually curving gorge that hosted their water source, angling out of sight to the northeast. He saw Hinata's nod out of the corner of his eye, but she said nothing. For an instant he was tempted to roll his eyes, but just for that instant. The bond between her and Naruto was strong, and he understood why they treated every parting like this as if it could be their last. "He'll be fine," he said instead. "I've heard that the other teams have been training harder since the last exam – especially those three – but they can't catch up on Naruto's five years of a head start. Plus they all know about Kurama now, so he doesn't have to keep that as a trump card this time."

"I know," Hinata sighed, finally taking her eyes away from her boyfriend's retreating form. "I'm more worried about what he's thinking about than his physical wellbeing. Did you see him frown earlier, like he was thinking about something unpleasant?" Sasuke shook his head.

"No, but I felt his tension for a moment. I think he believes we didn't notice. Do you think it has something to do with Kurama?" Hinata chewed at her lower lip before nodding. Sasuke shrugged; there wasn't anything to be done about it right then. They would have to ask him later. "Let's just focus on beating these guys. We can talk to him after."

"Girls, in your case," Hinata said in a teasing voice. "It looks like you can't avoid them today."

"Whatever," Sasuke muttered. "I'm going to engage them around the bend so you have more room to work with here. Good luck, and try not to take too much damage. I don't want to have to listen to Naruto fretting over you for the next few days." He didn't wait for a response, but he did hear her giggling as he sprinted away. Those two could be overly affectionate, but he had to admit that they were pretty cute sometimes.

As Hinata had foretold, Sasuke saw the three kunoichi coming around the bend ten seconds later. If they were surprised to see him coming alone, they gave no sign of it, and neither did they want to stop and chat like so many obnoxious opponents in the past. Good, he thought. I hate it when they talk. He locked eyes with the frontrunner – a girl with short blonde hair held in a sparse tail at the nape of her neck – and activated his Sharingan's innate genjutsu. He felt the connection immediately as the intense illusion took hold of the girl, causing her to jerk to a halt with eyes wide in that expressionless face. It would only take a second for her to go unconscious once his illusory phantasm broke her will.

"Kai," one of her teammates barked, clasping the captured girl's shoulder at the same time. She was taller than the other two, with long brown hair and dark, hawk-like eyes.

So, she's the brains. Best to take her out first; the one I struck first looks like a fighter, judging by those muscles. The blonde was short and stocky, and her muscles looked like they could have matched any man's. Not much in the way of mental prowess, though, he noted, thinking of how easily she had succumbed to his initial technique.

"He's an Uchiha," the third said peevishly, standing on her guard by the other two. She was the prettiest of the three, though she seemed like a brat. They were only a dozen paces away, and so he could hear their conversation easily. "Don't look directly into his eyes." Sasuke groaned; they were going to talk after all.

"He caught me off guard," the blonde said in a flat voice that matched her unremarkable features. "It won't happen again." True enough, none of them were looking at his eyes now, instead focusing on a spot near his nose, mouth, or ear. Well, that took away one of his weapons, but he hadn't expected to be able to overcome them so easily.

"Where is your team?" the tall brunette asked, glancing around warily. "I don't feel them close by."

Sensory type, he thought idly, wondering why she would give away such useful information so freely. "We had three teams approaching at once, so we each took one. You three were unlucky enough to encounter me. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to stop letting you talk and get on to the part where you lose consciousness – or your lives." All three of them opened their mouths to respond, but he was as good as his word.

Katon: Flame Contagion. A streak of fire shot from his lips, the tiny flame striking the taller one on the shoulder and quickly multiplying, leaping towards her allies. She cursed and leapt away, her teammates doing the same. The pretty one had been caught by the technique as well, but the fire was already being extinguished by a stream of water from her mouth. Ninjutsu. The sensory one probably uses projectiles and support jutsu, the bratty one uses ninjutsu to attack, and the short one is their taijutsu specialist. Now that he had them pinned, it was time to test the theories and use the knowledge gained to his advantage.

The first kunoichi charged him immediately, and he had to admit that she was good. She wasn't as fast as he or Hinata was, but she could have kept pace with Naruto while matching his uncloaked strength. She lacked all of their precision and skill with forms, however. Sasuke was able to fend her off and even land a few hits while simultaneously fitting in hand seals to launch various ninjutsu at his other attackers, keeping all three occupied at once. They weren't bad, by any means, but they were all rightfully at genin level. A Great Fireball followed hot on the heels of a fist of Lightning Shuriken, both aimed at different targets. He twisted to avoid an open-palm strike in the same breath, his Sharingan making the girl's movements appear sluggish. Maybe this is what Kakashi felt like sparring us, he thought idly, pivoting into a round kick that took his attacker in the stomach. His blow sent the blonde careening back into the brunette, just as planned, allowing Sasuke to focus on the last one for a few seconds. Doton: Earth Rupture. The ground beneath the ninjutsu girl crumpled, toppling and trapping her momentarily.

"Magen: Shackling Stakes," he said aloud. She was only just recovering from being knocked off balance, and thus was ill-prepared to counter his genjutsu. With her teammates too far away to assist, her mouth fell open in a silent scream as she was dragged into a faux world of Sasuke's creation, where she would be pinned in place by giant spikes that he suspected did not feel very pleasant.

"Raiton: Arc Lighting!" Sasuke barely had time to dive forward before a swath of rock was cut from where he had just been standing, the flash of electricity still writhing towards him by the time he came out of his roll.

"Chidori: Transfer!" Rather than try to avoid the lightning arcing from the sensory girl's hands – it seemed he had been wrong about her – he instead extended his own lightning-infused right hand and 'caught' the wild bolt. It continued to pitch and contort in every direction along its length, but the end stayed firmly attached as he matched its power output. Too bad for you that I only need to see a technique once. "Raiton: Arc Lightning!" He flung out his other hand, allowing a new stream of chakra to flow into the same seeking strike that she had cast. Rather than utilize only his own chakra, however, he gave way to the flow with right hand and molded the chakra into his own, transferring it all out to amplify the bolt of lightning from his left palm. It had taken only a split second, and the shock on the girl's face made it plain that she had not expected him to stop running, let alone retaliate using her own ability. Never underestimate an Uchiha.

A knee smashed into the side of his head at the same time as his supercharged lightning attack struck the other kunoichi. In the time between dodging the attack and redirecting it he had lost track of the taijutsu specialist, and it seemed she had planned to take advantage of the distraction that her teammate had provided. The Arc Lightning flickered out immediately, and Sasuke tumbled away before striking the chasm wall with enough force to spiderweb a few small cracks up the side.

Fuck that hurt, he growled, angrier that he had let one of them land a hit than anything else. He let gravity pull him down as he righted himself, one hand on his head when he landed with a slight wince. He took everything in quickly – that instant of contact with her own technique had apparently incapacitated the sensory girl, who now lay on her back with her hair standing on end, her fingertips blackened. The last one standing was rushing him now, that plain face contorted with fury, her breath coming hard; she was likely still gasping for air from his kick. Well, I almost finished it without incident, he thought with a sigh. He stepped forward, allowing his hand to fall from his throbbing head to deflect a wide haymaker that had no place in a fight. His other hand came up to slam into her throat, though not hard enough to crush her trachea. Her eyes still bulged as his fingers latched on, and in that moment she forgot to avoid his gaze. He smiled. Got you.

Sasuke allowed her body to fall limply to the ground, already forgetting her as he surveyed the other two. You three might have done pretty well, but it was a mistake to come after us first. It struck him for the first time just how far they had come since the last exam. True, he could have taken these three by himself months ago, but not nearly with the ease he had just now. He would take one blow to the head for an entire team defeated any day.

He retrieved the backpacks of the two downed kunoichi first, slinging them over one shoulder before approaching the last. She was still staring wide-eyed at nothing, her mouth now closed but with her lips trembling in fear. She wouldn't have been able to see what had just occurred, and Sasuke considered for a moment breaking the genjutsu just so that she could see the result before going unconscious. No, he thought, almost embarrassed at having the thought. Naruto wouldn't approve of that, and Hinata would give me hell if she found out. With another sigh he swept a clean chop at the back of her head, allowing her to join her teammates on the ground rather than allow her more mental anguish.

With three additional satchels in tow, he retrieved one of their flares and lit it with a trickle of chakra, kicking it into the air before turning to walk back to where he had left Hinata. Chances are she would be finished with her bout soon, if she wasn't already. He wouldn't want to give her a greater advantage than she already had. He allowed the corner of his lips to twitch up into a small smile. He was stronger, and becoming more so by the day. It won't be long now, Itachi.


/*\


"We're Team Blood, from Amegakure."

Hinata raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the girl who had just introduced her team, though she didn't intend any mockery with the gesture. It was just odd to her that the other team had simply approached her so casually and offered their names. She had been waiting patiently for them, true, but her unconcerned nature should have tipped them off to be cautious. Instead they had brazenly landed, stepped forward, and given their names – Takara, and her two teammates Masaru and Gorou. She would have been beautiful, in Hinata's opinion, if not for the perpetual sneer she seemed to favor. The two boys were both taller than her, and had to be several years older as well. They had both gained the definition and musculature that came with physical maturity, although neither seemed to be as malicious as the kunoichi.

"My name is Hyūga Hinata, from Team Se—" Hinata began, trying to at least return the courtesy.

"We know who you are, Hyūga," Takara interrupted with a dismissive wave of her hand. "We did a little research before starting the exam, and we could tell that you three are the strongest that Konoha has to offer. That's why we came to defeat you first," she explained as if it were obvious. Hinata's eyebrow twitched, though not in annoyance. This girl had enough confidence to rival Naruto, and she wanted to laugh for some reason. It just seemed such an odd strategy, to try to find the hardest fight straight off, but there it was.

"Where are the other two?" one of the young men asked, scanning around suspiciously. "Scouting?"

"I don't feel comfortable beating one little girl, but this is a competition," Gorou said in a mockery of an apologetic tone. He reached behind his belt and tugged his nunchaku free, taking the weapon into one hand to begin spinning it. "Wherever they are, we'll find them after we kill her."

Kill? Hinata thought sadly, just stopping herself from shaking her head. Too many shinobi were eager to kill when it wasn't necessary to do so. Perhaps it was just their upbringing – in fact, it most certainly was. That was something that she and Naruto had talked at length about, often with Iruka. The world needed changing so that all of this senseless bloodshed could cease. They just hadn't come up with a solution yet. "We had three teams approaching our location," she explained calmly, lowering deliberately into a modified jūken stance. "They've gone to engage them, and I volunteered to stop you."

"You?" Takara scoffed, cracking her knuckled as she flexed her fingers. "I've heard about your clan, girl, but there's no way you can beat us three on one." She wasn't confident like Naruto was, Hinata decided. This girl was just filled with pride.

"We will see," Hinata said simply, focusing her chakra into her hands. "Come." And I will show you which of us is stronger, she added to herself after a pause. Naruto and Sasuke had both been helping with her tenacity over the years, but she didn't think she would ever be as outwardly sure of herself as Sasuke always was, or as vocally courageous as Naruto. Still, she was sure of herself in her own way, and that was enough.

"Masaru, you know what to do," Takara growled, dismissiveness replaced by icy anger. "Gorou, follow my lead, and don't go easy on her." That was all the warning Hinata received before the two close-ranged fighters were on her, but it was all that she needed.

Even after years of training with Sasuke and Naruto, and more recently their increasingly intense training with Kakashi, Hinata was surprised to find the two genin relatively easy to keep up with. It was a two-on-one, of course, so she needed most of the speed she could muster, but even still she could deflect and counter every strike offered by her adversaries. If she pushed herself she was sure that she would be able to land a few return blows as well, which would eventually wear them down by shutting off their tenketsu.

She watched Masaru while skirmishing with the other two, making sure to keep an eye on him using her Byakugan. As suspected, he was the ninjutsu user, and he circled the fight trying to find places to attack from. Luckily for her he didn't have an affinity for Earth, or else she would have had a difficult time in her melee. Instead he sent various Water techniques at her, all of which she avoided through careful timing. He had to be judicious with his jutsu in order to avoid hitting his teammates, so the attacks were fairly predictable, but still added an additional hindrance.

Takara seemed astonished after the first ten seconds, but gradually her expression hardened into bitterness and increasing fury. Hinata sympathized with her, in a way. It would be frustrating to throw her full strength against an opponent – the cumulative experience of three individual genin – and get shut down so handily by one apparently at your own rank. But this was real combat, and there wasn't any time for sympathy.

"Hakke: Sixty-Four Palms," Hinata murmured in the middle of her backbend, allowing Gorou's slicing nunchaku to pass harmlessly over her. Before beginning her technique she was forced to flip backwards, kicking aside an axe-kick from Takara mid twirl before landing upright. She didn't even spare an instant in the transition, flowing forward seamlessly into her strikes. Two strikes. Four strikes. Eight strikes. Sixteen strikes. Thirty-two strikes. Sixty-four strikes. She went about it adroitly, spreading the blurred impacts between the two as opportunity presented itself. At one juncture, while Gorou was trying and failing to fend off a blow to his side and Takara had just been struck in her arm, she cancelled the technique and leapt into the air, narrowly avoiding a broad torrent of water that would have crushed her against the ravine wall. Mid-flight she spun and landed hard kicks to both of her opponents skulls, sending them tumbling several meters before she landed clear of the artificial wave.

Hakke: Ethereal Senbon. Even as she landed her hands were raised towards Masaru, who cursed and began sprinting diagonally towards his team. Fūton: Gale Palm. The handful of chakra projectiles had been aimed with the next technique in mind, several finding their mark as the Rain ninja's legs were torn out from under him in the violent wind.

"Who are you?" Gorou grunted, by now having struggled to his feet beside Takara. Her eyes were black pits of rage, and her voice dripped venom as she spat her own statement out before Hinata could respond.

"She's just one girl – one little girl!" Hinata realized then that Takara was likely as old as her teammates were, even if she looked much younger. She understood a bit more then, at least about why the other girl was so spiteful. Some shinobi never made it past genin; that was just how it worked. They lacked one or more essential qualities to obtain higher rank, and subsequently either accepted their position or became an ordinary citizen. Takara, it seemed, had been unable to do either, and was still struggling to prove herself. It made Hinata sad to consider, but that was just another part of the world they lived in, to either be endured or changed.

"My name is Hyūga Hinata, a member of Team Seven and a shinobi of Konohagakure. Another time I might allow you to leave here, but due to the nature of this exam I must secure your provisions for my friends. I'm very sorry." She really did feel terribly about this whole ordeal, she realized, but there was nothing for it. This violent, glorified thievery just didn't sit well with her, even if it was for a greater purpose.

"Don't talk as if you've already won!" Takara practically screeched. "Gorou, you—!" Her words cut off abruptly when Hinata simply appeared behind them. Hinata had moved as quickly as she had been able to, controlling her chakra so that it enhanced every muscle and tendon in her legs and torso to their limits. It was a subconscious act now, so much so that merely thinking of it was enough to put the flow in motion. No chakra was wasted in the process, exactly enough used to accomplish her purposes and no more. Her reserves were worlds less than Naruto, and even fell short of Sasuke's, so she had learned to compensate by being more efficient. That was the reason that Takara and Gorou didn't have time to react before she delivered swift blows to the backs of their heads, allowing them to crumple forward silently.

"Please," she said, turning towards Masaru. He had struggled to his knees, blood dripping from several punctures in his arms and abdomen. Hinata had to suppress a wince; using her Ethereal Senbon in situations with real enemies was all well and good, but the fact that no projectile was left over meant that bleeding out was a real risk. "Agree to forfeit. I'll heal all of you and cause no more harm, I promise."

"You . . ." Masaru gasped, twitching at every movement. "How are you so strong? You're just a genin, like us." Hinata approached him cautiously, but it was clear that there was nothing to fear from the fallen boy.

"Do you agree?" she asked. He flinched, then looked to his downed teammates and nodded numbly. "Thank you," she said sincerely, kneeling beside him to begin healing. She was glad that she wouldn't have to take it any further than necessary. She would have, if necessary, but avoiding pointless bloodshed was important to her. "I'm strong because of my friends," she replied simply. "They believed in me, and we have all supported one another since we were young. We saw a purpose in our strength and continued growth, and sought after that purpose together. That's where our power comes from: our convictions and dedication to one another, and our village."

"I think it's a little late for us to do that," Masaru sighed, flexing his mended muscles as Hinata stepped back. "We've always been together, but I wouldn't say that we've ever been friends."

"It's never too late," Hinata smiled, offering him her hand. "There's always a tomorrow – today, in fact. They won't be out for more than an hour, after all." Masaru glanced at his team again, seemed to take hold of himself, then nodded before pulling a flare from his kunai holster. He shrugged out of his backpack and handed it over, grinning abashedly.

"Sorry for what we said earlier. I'll be cheering for you during the rest of the exams."

"It's alright," Hinata said with a light laugh. "But I would consider changing your team name. 'Team Blood' is a little too bold and negative, I think." His cheeks colored slightly at the remark, but he managed a laugh.

Hinata made quick work of healing the others' minor injuries before retrieving their packs, waiting until Masaru lit and tossed his flare before turning to go. She kept her Byakugan active just in case, but she didn't really expect him to try a surprise assault after their exchange. He seemed to be a nice young man, just caught in some negative circumstances. She believed he could change that, and that he would certainly try to.

"Yo," Sasuke said, stepping out of the shadows nearby. Hinata jumped, turning the reaction into a ready stance in the blink of an eye. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, wearing an amused smirk. "Sorry. I used the Concealment Barrier when I realized that you were still fighting; I didn't want to distract you."

"I still should have seen you," Hinata breathed, calming herself and straightening. They had invented that technique together for hiding in plain sight, but she had always been able to see through it with her Byakugan.

"I altered it a little and suppressed my chakra signature," Sasuke shrugged. "I figured that keeping a small amount of chakra flowing into the barrier would make it difficult for you to see through unless you were concentrating on it."

"I guess it did," she said thoughtfully, eyes on the spot that he had emerged from. She shook her head as he fell in step beside her, scanning around worriedly. "Naruto isn't back yet, and he's more than two kilometers away. I can't see him even when I push my vision to its limits."

"He'll probably be back soon," Sasuke said unconcernedly. "I'd like to think that Team Ten is stronger than those two." He sat down after they had passed out of sight from Team Blood, reassuming his recline and closing his eyes. "He probably won't take their supplies if he wins, will he?"

"Probably not," Hinata admitted, though the thought gave her cause to smile. Naruto was always thoughtful, of his friends more than others. When he won he probably wouldn't even make them surrender. That was her Naruto. She settled down to wait with Sasuke, trying not to feel more concerned than necessary. Come back soon.


/*\


Naruto should have guessed that Shikamaru would have a plan already, but he hadn't expected to have to chase Team Ten through a series of traps for several kilometers. They must be setting them up on the run, he thought, jumping a tripwire that had been drawn between two pitiful shrubs. He cursed just before touching back down, pouring chakra into his legs and rocketing sideways the instant that he hit the ground. Several explosions went off where he had landed, though he noted that none had been powerful enough to do him serious harm. I've had about enough of this.

Don't lose your head, Kurama said, still sounding warier than usual. That Nara kid has a head on his shoulders, the likes of which you'll never achieve. If you abandon what wits you have, you might actually lose.

I was just going to use some of your chakra to let me catch up real quick, Naruto grumbled, skidding to a halt and squinting around. But now I lost sight of them. Great.

An odd sensation hit him then, causing him to go completely rigid for a few seconds, though he quickly realized that he had lost control of his own body. It was strange to be standing – or floating, rather – inside of his own mind, aware of the outside world but unable to act. For a split second he was formless, floating in infinite darkness with no bearings, unsure which way was up or down. Somehow he could still see out of his own eyes, but they looked like twin tunnels very far away that he couldn't get closer to.

"This is Ino's Mind Transfer Jutsu, isn't it?" he asked the darkness. He would have hit himself had he possessed a face to pummel. To fall for such a technique . . .

"Idiot," Kurama rumbled from somewhere, and suddenly he was of an all-too familiar room with a massive cage at one end. "You shouldn't have stopped moving."

"Yeah, yeah . . ." Naruto took a moment to make sure that his body – at least, the one in his mind – was all there. It had been disconcerting to not be able to feel himself. "From what I know of this jutsu, her consciousness should be inside my head somewhere right now, taking control of my body." The Fox said nothing, just watched him from that murky darkness beyond the bars. "A long time ago," he began again, thinking hard, "You said that I'm unique because I have this space in my mind. Some kind of extra dimension or something, right?"

"Aye." That was all the response he got. He was going to have to figure this one out on his own, although a possible solution was already forming in his mind. He had to get out of this quick, or he really could lose. There was no way he was going to let Sasuke and Hinata down.

"Alright . . . Then can you drag her in here? I think I have an idea." The Kyūbi's lips curled into a satisfied – if malevolent – smirk as Naruto explained what he wanted to do. It only took a few seconds to relay, but every moment counted. At last Kurama nodded, then shifted his gaze towards the center of the chamber, past Naruto's shoulder.

"Welcome to my lair, mortal," Kurama growled, adding in a sinister chuckle for effect. "How brazen of you to intrude into my domain."

Naruto turned to find Ino standing frozen behind him, her eyes almost comically wide as she gaped up at the hulking bijū. He hadn't requested much of Kurama, only that he appear as intimidating as possible and pretend to be dangerous. In reality, the Kyūbi didn't need to play at either of those; the beast simply was intimidating and dangerous by nature. As Naruto had requested, red-orange chakra began oozing between the bars, flowing towards the girl in a slow but steady advance.

"I'm going to give you five seconds to get out of my head," Naruto said roughly, doing his best to utilize his own appearance to what effect he could. Everybody knew his personality well enough, but he suspected that some might forget that his slit red eyes used to be bright blue, and that his elongated canines were recent additions. He raised a hand, all five fingers spread out to indicate her time limit. "Five," he began, accepting Kurama's chakra as it reached him. The energy flowed around him like a living thing, the remaining wave continuing its pace onward. "Four." He lowered one finger. The chakra covered him completely now, beginning to flare up higher in violent spikes of power. He took one step forward. "Three."

"W-wait!" Ino half-cried, taking a step back in response to his own. "Y-y-you're not supposed to be able to s-see me! You can't do anything to me here! Where – where i-is this?!" Her voice raised another octave in panic, and she looked desperately around for a way out. Naruto took another step forward.

"Two." The wave of reddish chakra picked up speed, rising and lashing forward at different points as if anticipating devouring its prey. Naruto had continued moving as well, now running forward to keep pace with Kurama's display. Ino yelled something incoherent and stumbled backwards, hitting the large metal door to the room. She spun and began pulling desperately at the handle, but it might as well have been attached to a wall for all the door moved. In his mind's eye he watched as Shikamaru came into view and knelt to begin his technique, though it seemed to be happening in slow motion. Time was running out.

"One!" Naruto snarled, now sprinting at full speed with the massive wall of chakra closing in from all sides. He put on his best crazed smile, trying to mimic Kurama's smirk. Ino screamed and banged on the door before whirling, eyes rolling in every direction, seeking an escape. She vanished in the instant before Naruto would have collided with her, and as she did the room seemed to fall apart around Naruto. The last thing he heard was the rumbling of the Kyūbi's laugh before he was plummeting into that infinite blackness again . . .

. . . Straight back into his own body, where he was again completely stiff and unable to move on his own, although at least he could feel again. An icy breeze tugged at his cloak, and he could feel the cold seeping through his jika-tabi from the rock underfoot. Shikamaru was kneeling several meters away, his hands clasped together in a rat seal and wearing a decidedly tight expression. Chōji was next to him, looking solemn and supporting Ino with one arm, who looked like she had just finished vomiting and was still trembling.

"Shadow Imitation successful," Shikamaru muttered, sparing a glance for his pallid teammate. "What happened?" Her lips opened and shut several times before she just closed her eyes and shuddered.

"Er . . . Sorry about that," Naruto started, glad that his face at least relaxed into an apologetic expression. "She ah . . . met Kurama." Shikamaru blinked and returned his gaze to Naruto, though that was the limit to his reaction. Chōji swallowed and shifted his feet uneasily. "What? You guys know that he's in there."

"I thought that it could cause some issue," Shikamaru responded, "But I didn't think it would be so . . . violent."

"We may have gone overboard in trying to get her out," Naruto admitted, "But I knew you'd be trying to get in position for this, so I wanted to make it quick. Sorry, Ino." The girl really did look like a mess, but he had to admit that she had accomplished her task. He was stuck, but it felt like there was a small amount of give in his invisible bonds. "Why did you guys come after us, anyway?" He wanted to add, 'We're from the same village,' or 'You guys know how much we train,' but felt that either might be considered provocation.

"Ino wanted to," Chōji replied with a shrug. "She said there were other teams heading for you, and that we could probably take advantage."

"Well, it worked out as I expected it to," Shikamaru sighed, standing and scratching his head. Naruto grunted as his own hand mirrored his friend's; this technique was annoying. "They got split up, and now it's three on one. Despite Ino's condition, we still completed the formation. "No offense, Naruto," he continued, suddenly looking uncomfortable. "I wanted to see if our extra training would make us a match for you three, but I'll take this matchup over the alternatives"

"None taken," Naruto said lightly. "But I have to tell you: we didn't get split up." He flexed his muscles, testing the invisible bonds. They were strong, but it felt like they would give way with enough force. Shikamaru's eyes narrowed, and Chōji looked worried. "We decided to take on three teams at the same time. Hinata and Sasuke decided that I was the best choice for you three." He managed another apologetic smile. "Looks like they were right so far."

"Chōji!" Shikamaru said urgently, prompting his ally to practically drop Ino. Naruto began to rapidly amass chakra in his arms and legs, now actively trying to force the paralysis away. Shikamaru grunted and went back to one knee, forcing Naruto down as well. Several more shadows separated from the other boy's, snaking across the ground until they attached to his. The tightness seemed to thicken, like an invisible pressure pushing on him from all sides.

"Baika no Jutsu!" Chōji's midsection ballooned, and Naruto knew what was coming even before his head and limbs disappeared. "Nikudan Sensha!" In a blur of speed he began a rapid rotation forward, becoming a human boulder on a collision course with Naruto.

You might want to use my chakra to break that, Kurama suggested. You have less than two seconds before he hits you.

I've got it, Naruto assured him. Can't rely on you every time I'm in a bind – get it? He envisioned the Kyūbi's eyes rolling more than he felt the exasperation, but he didn't have time to focus on it. As Chōji tore towards him he released a concentrated blast of chakra, letting it go wild inside of him. The bluish energy erupted around him with an audible roar, climbing high like a feeding flame. For an instant Naruto thought that it might not be enough, but he heard Shikamaru curse just before the rotund boy hit him, and he was free. Naruto flung out his hands to halt the oncoming genin, expecting to be pushed back a good many paces in the process. However, Chōji's course altered at the last second, and suddenly he was back to normal size and flying past Naruto.

"Partial Expansion!" A fist the size of Naruto's entire body slammed into his side, sending him spinning off towards a crater that he had passed earlier.

Ow. Naruto twisted as soon as he decelerated enough to do so, feet hitting the ground and allowing him to continue sliding for another ten meters. I didn't think he could do that; Chōji's never been fast.

They've been training harder ever since you spoke to Shikamaru almost four months ago. He paused, then continued with a more annoyed tone. Closer to five months for us. You and your damned Hiraishin.

Well, they've come a long way. That was all the conversation Naruto had time for. Chōji was charging towards him once again, and if he saw correctly Shikamaru's shadowy tendrils had actually lifted from the ground and were now streaking towards him. Kurama's cloak sprung up around him when he called it, a single tail twitching behind as he rolled to one side to avoid Chōji. He came up running, his long coat and cloak streaming from side to side as he dodged the shadow spikes. A glance showed him that Ino was recovering, if slowly, but soon she'd be back in the fight and double intent on seeing him defeated. Time to show off a little.

Between darting to the left and sidestepping another of the Akimichi's attacks, Naruto drew one of his special kunai and threw it towards Shikamaru. He aimed it so that the other boy wouldn't be inclined to dodge, and hopefully think it just a wild throw. His gamble proved profitable when neither Ino nor her teammate moved to deflect the weapon off course, and it landed harmlessly between and behind them. Perfect. He drew out a smoke bomb and an explosive tag, wrapping the latter around the former before concentrating. It was difficult to focus on while sprinting and flitting between jabs of shadows and diving to avoid a giant rolling person, but he managed to get the mental lock on his seal. He lit the tag and executed the jutsu, transporting both objects behind his adversaries.

The explosion had the desired effect: it wasn't close enough to seriously injure them, but the shockwave was enough to throw them off balance and distract for just long enough. The smoke spread at the same time, covering the two genin in a shroud that blocked their views and – more importantly for Naruto – got rid of those pesky shadows for the time being. He had only ten seconds to act now before they recovered, but it was enough. He turned while massing chakra in his right hand, taking great care not to make the technique too powerful. Kurama's chakra amplified its power already, so he hardly used any of his own as the orb of concentrated energy spiraled into existence. Chōji was already coming at him, and was far too close to move too far off track now.

"Rasengan!" Again the other boy had tried to cancel his jutsu and dodge to the side, and he would have succeeded if not for Naruto's control of the Kyūbi's cloak. A red claw leapt from his shoulder and grabbed Chōji's ankle as he was flying by, drawing a yelp from the boy even before the Rasengan hit. Naruto aimed it at his side and didn't make a full impact, but it was more than enough to send his opponent spinning uncontrollably at a frightening speed. He watched only long enough to see the impact when Chōji struck the ground and skid several dozen meters to a halt. There would be no recovering from that for a while.

"W-what . . ." Ino coughed, staggering out of the smoke screen and looking very green. She must have inhaled some of the fumes, and that on top of her earlier incapacitation must not have been good for her. "What was that?!"

"I'd like to know that as well," Shikamaru muttered, clearing the haze at the same time. "I put the kunai and your makeshift bomb together too late, even if it didn't make sense. It still doesn't make sense," he said, clearly annoyed that he couldn't understand what had happened. "But you somehow got the tag to your kunai."

"That's not even possible!" Ino scowled, doing her best to straighten and already looking less queasy. It seemed that the exploding tag had done less than Naruto had hoped.

"Space-Time Ninjutsu?" Shikamaru asked, clearly vexed. Naruto grinned, dropping into his standard goken stance. He wasn't about to give away his father's legacy. The other boy shook his head, looking off towards where Chōji lay. "Normally I would say that this is too troublesome to continue," he continued, eyes going back to Naruto. "But we haven't finished proving ourselves yet. The Ino-Shika-Chō formation isn't the only thing we've gotten better at. Ino!"

"Right!" What happened next surprised Naruto more than anything else had that day. Ino snatched a scroll from her belt pouch and broke its seal, unraveling it part way and letting it fall to the ground. Halfway there the parchment issued forth a plume of smoke, and by the time it touched down she was drawing a sword – a sword. The haughty, girly, never-serious-about-training kunoichi drew a full length katana and rushed forward, her footsteps looking smooth and practiced. She lifted one of her hands, popping a soldier pill into her mouth. Bright sea-green chakra sprang up the length of the blade, narrowing until it became like a vibrating extension of the weapon. That was when he knew that the fight was only just beginning.

Naruto was faster than Ino; there was no question about it, and had he been able to land a blow it could easily have decided the fight. But it appeared that she had spent the bulk of her training these last months honing her offensive skills, namely those involving kenjutsu, and it showed. Her footwork was flawless, and she wasted no movement in transition from one form to another, keeping Naruto on his toes trying to avoid the precise strikes that oftentimes changed mid-course.

On top of his difficulty with Ino, he still had to pay attention to Shikamaru. She was deliberately trying to force him towards her ally, he knew, but in turn he made sure to keep her back to the other boy so that he could watch them both.

Quit being soft, Kurama said irritably. This is getting tiresome.

I don't want to hurt her too badly, Naruto protested, although he knew that the Fox had a point. He could outlast Ino's chakra easily, and Shikamaru's as well, but it might take too long. He didn't know how Sasuke and Hinata were doing, and it was possible they needed his help. But I guess you're right.

He twisted when Ino went in for her next vertical strike, using his chakra-laced hand to deflect and grab the blade and force it to one side. To his surprise the weapon cut through the Kyūbi's cloak, if barely, and he felt the bite of metal on his hand. He continued through with the movement regardless, rushing past her guard in a burst of speed and landing a hard elbow in her stomach. The blow doubled her over and the weapon dropped the ground, its clatter drowning out her gasps for air as she too hit the cold earth. Before he could knock her unconscious with a quick jab, Shikamaru was on him.

It had been a long time since Naruto had sparred with the other boy, and like with Ino he knew that he was faster and stronger, but Shikamaru had not been lying when he had claimed to have improved. He now wore his own shadow as a kind of second skin. He had somehow managed to form it to his own body, and it was disconcerting looking down to see that the muted sunlight seemed to give him no shadow to speak of. His fighting style was completely foreign, apparently developed around this unique ability he had invented. With every jab shadows leapt from his arm, creating more pinpoint strikes aimed at different parts of Naruto's body. Every kick brought with it three or four more lashes of darkness, each carrying as much force – if not more – than the real attacks.

Naruto was completely taken aback by the ferocity of the assault at first, put on the defensive immediately. This was not the Shikamaru he knew. Shikamaru had always thought of combat as troublesome, and preferred to plot from the proverbial shadows than to engage in direct skirmishes. He was a planner by nature, and would always try to find the simplest and most effective means of defeating his opponents. This was not that Shikamaru. This was a boy that had decided to take his training seriously, and had worked to expand his skillset to become a truly formidable adversary. The same could be said of Ino, who had before focused entirely on her family's jutsu and sensory abilities. Now she had learned to infuse her chakra into her weapon, and use that weapon to great effect. Even Chōji had added variety to his repertoire, able to change individual parts of his body on top of improving his speed and reflexes. This was indeed a different Team Ten than the one that had fought in the last set of exams. Naruto would have laughed if he had been allowed a moment to do so.

This is awesome! He thought joyously, countering a chop with his forearm and using Kurama's chakra to intercept the shadow strikes. He might not be as fast as Hinata and Sasuke, but his taijutsu is great, and those shadows make it almost impossible to counterattack. I need to spar with him more often!

He is good, Kurama mused. He probably got the idea from watching you manipulate my chakra at some point, though I don't know when he would have seen it done. He might even be genius enough to have done that on the fly from watching you during this fight.

That's Shikamaru for you. I wish I could fight longer, but I need to get back soon. The thought came easily enough, but it surprised him how difficult it was to find an opening to end the fight. Shikamaru was a black blur, every part of him save for his eyes shrouded in shadow. The strain was evident in those eyes, however, and Naruto could imagine why. Constantly manipulating that much chakra with such precision would take a serious mental toll on anybody, and even with his own control of Kurama's chakra he had trouble blocking all of those hits. Red flashes of chakra met black tendrils again and again as fists and feet flew in a frenzy. It would have been a spectacle to watch, Naruto thought.

To Naruto's horror, his whole body froze in the middle of a punch aimed at Shikamaru's chin. He felt the world dropping away again, but only for an instant before the technique was released. That momentary halt was all that Shikamaru had needed, however. He pivoted, putting all of his strength into twin open-palm strikes right into Naruto's ribs. Shadows lashed out all down his arms, making contact simultaneously and adding their combined force with the physical hits. The air left Naruto's lungs in a rush, and he could hear his ribs creak under the pressure as he was lifted off of his feet and blown backwards. Only the added protection of the Kyūbi's chakra kept any bones from breaking, but it was a close call. He hit the ground hard a ways off, tumbling and coughing and struggling to get upright.

"Nice job Ino," Shikamaru panted, his shadow seeming to slide off of him all at once. He fell to one knee, sweat pouring down his face that held a fierce grin in place. "He felt that hit."

"Damn right I did," Naruto groaned, finally getting one leg under him and shakily getting to his feet. That had hurt – a lot. He had felt every one of those strikes through the covering of chakra and through his body armor, and the points of impact still throbbed angrily. Bruises would be in his near future. "That was incredible you guys."

I have to admit, it was interesting. Those three have grown. Funny what a few words can do when offered at the right time.

"What's incredible . . ." Ino coughed, still holding her torso and looking pained. "Is that you're still standing. What the hell are you made of?!" She sounded indignant, but begrudgingly impressed.

"I don't know what it is, but I think we need some of it," Shikamaru laughed, the sound coming out a bit weak. He shook his head, looking exhausted. "I don't have any more in me. You win, Naruto."

It was a relief to be able to release the massive amount of chakra that he had been holding on to, and with it went a good bit of his own strength. He took a few unsteady steps before he regained control, moving to retrieve his kunai and shaking his head all the while. Kurama was right; Team Ten was a force to be reckoned with. If he wasn't a jinchūriki, it was very likely that he would have been on the ground minutes ago. But one worked with the tools that he had, and he was definitely glad to have what he did right then.

"Well, you're damn impressive as always, Naruto," Shikamaru said with a wince, rising slowly with Ino's help. "I thought we could beat you together, but that trick with the kunai sealed your victory, I think. Are you going to tell me what that was?"

"Sorry, Shikamaru," Naruto said with a grin. "That's a Team Seven secret for now. Maybe after the exam is over." The other boy nodded, then deliberately removed his backpack and held it out.

"You could have continued if you wanted to," Shikamaru shrugged. "We were beaten, so the supplies are yours. We'll get them from another team tomorrow."

"You really think I would take your stuff?" Naruto laughed, pushing the satchel away and shaking his head. "I don't care what you say; I'm not taking it. I know you'd do the same for me if our situations were reversed." Shikamaru considered that for a moment, nodded, and just as casually slipped the bag back over his shoulder.

"We need to see to Chōji, and I expect you want to get back to your team. Thanks for not hitting him full force," he put in before turning. "We'll see you in six days." Surprisingly, Ino beamed at him before she began trotting towards her fallen comrade. Naruto couldn't get the smile off of his face as he left, jogging back to where he had left Sasuke and Hinata. He was proud of his former classmates for what they had accomplished, and glad that he had been able to fight them.

Ready for another six days of that? Kurama asked mildly, likely intending it to be a jeer.

You bet I am! And he was. So far this was turning out far better than the last exam, both in experience and the notable lack of true danger. He sobered a bit at that thought, although a little voice in the back of his head told him that, if Orochimaru decided to make another appearance, he would find a much different group of genin than he had first encountered.


/*\


"Man I'm tired," Naruto sighed, leaning back against the curved stone wall of their 'camp.' Sasuke had raised a Stone Prison to serve as protection as night fell, leaving a small hole for them to crawl through at one side and another at the top for the smoke from their fire to escape. The little blaze had warmed the interior of their hideout well, creating a safe and cozy environment to spend the night in.

"I don't even know how you're still awake after what you did," Sasuke snorted, taking his own leisure on the opposite side of the space. "Our fights were boring by comparison." Naruto opened his eyes long enough to wink at his friend and witness the subsequent eye roll, then closed them again and snuggled a little closer to Hinata. She was already fast asleep at his side, using his shoulder as a pillow. She had spent a considerable amount of chakra that day as well, keeping her Byakugan active and searching a broad area while also healing Naruto after his fight. They hadn't encountered any other teams since that morning, but he suspected that more than a few had been eliminated, even outside of the ones they had taken care of.

"You should have seen Shikamaru's technique," Naruto said for what felt like the tenth time already. He couldn't help it; it had really been impressive.

"I'm more surprised that Ino put up what fight she did. She was never any good at taijutsu, or any combat, really." Sasuke shook his head. "Maybe we should have taken some time spying on the other teams beforehand. Still . . . You did take them out by yourself. I doubt it would have been much of a contest if all three of us had engaged them."

"Maybe," Naruto admitted. "They're still a lot stronger than before. It makes me happy."

"Happy? They're our enemies in this exam."

"Yeah, but it means that Konoha is stronger as a whole. It means that the next generation of shinobi is going to be strong, and that's good." His eyes fluttered closed again, feeling heavier than ever. "We'll do the title of the Konoha Twelve proud, Sasuke. We'll win this time, too . . ."

"Yeah, we will. No matter what," he heard Sasuke say before a quiet hiss announced the dousing of the fire. Naruto heard the tarp settling over the hole above and the grating of stone closing their door, but he was too tired to get his eyes open again to look. Instead he just pulled Hinata a little closer, letting her soft, sleepy murmurs lull him into a deep, welcome slumber.


Author's Note:

Twenty-eight thousand, six hundred and six words later . . .

Heya folks! It's been a minute, as usual, but this time at least you had two chapters worth of words to read, right? This particular chapter [CH28 included] was so long because I couldn't find a stopping point that I was happy with, on top of the fact that I'm still getting accustomed to the new style I've adopted. I've found that I can be much more verbose in the third person limited perspective, so that's where a lot of the extra content comes from. I hope you enjoyed it all the same! I've got some exciting things planned for the next few chapters, too, and I look forward to writing them in the next month or two.

A huge thank you to Rhi for tackling this multi-chapter monolith. Seriously, make sure to thank her if you leave a review. This story wouldn't be what it is without her dedication to it as editor.

To all of those that have favorited, followed, and especially reviewed over these past weeks, I thank you sincerely. It's always lovely reading reviews, and I even appreciate the negative ones when they help to point out things I need to work on. Writers gotta improve, and while compliments build confidence, constructive criticism builds character. Above all, though, I appreciate everybody who's followed the story all this way and is still here 325-odd thousand words later, whether you've been here since day one or have been marathoning it since yesterday. You're all fantastic.

See you next time!

- Wes