Still Alive! :D

Since I'm very bad at catching up to my school subjects – holiday work, ugh – there you have another Chapter!

Thanks to those 414 souls who fav'ed and 527 who followed, not to mention all you faithful ones who showered me with 511 reviews! 511! Sweet cookies of heaven, so many people! Thank you for your silent and not-silent support! ;D

Thanks to Guest 1, Rika24, Bindi-fox (you'd better feel spoilt! XD), KaiaRenkin, anaisonfire, AngelicRiver, cloystreng, VampireDoll666, like-a-freaking-fangirl, Guest 2, NarutoXHonoka, time2read, Angel Hatake, Sailor Pandabear, Shadow-Shinobi666, Ominous Rain, yonomori and taran taran for all your reviews and help with my poor decisions!

Rika24: since Kurama could, I thought Okugi could as well! About the options of Future Plot-twisting, Okugi's chakra control is genin level now because he's just 'born', but he's training to get himself back to jonin level! ;)

Bindi-fox: About Orochimaru… *innocent whistling* I'll see what I can do for more Minato/Okugi fluff… XD

VampireDoll666: That was the tactic used in "Changing What Is To Come" (that has been so evilly discontinued! D:) but this time there are no 'visions' or timey wimey stuff to the Hokage's knowledge, so Kakashi should edge his way closer to Orochimaru by himself… I don't think Danzo will give up overpowered Mokuton children to manipulate, even with Orochimaru's absence… and I really need to get over Kannabi Bridge, since I'm planning too far ahead XD

NarutoxHonoka: As soon as I had published the Chapter I had thought "Shit, Kabuto", I kid you not! But… with Orochimaru mostly loyal to Konoha or dead or something… he won't get a chance to recruit him, unless Danzo somehow gets him and Orochimaru steals him. Hiruko got so powerful only because of the Chimera jutsu – I think I remember…? – so… there are too many possibilities for me to play with! And all of them are in the future! D:

Time2read: that's an interesting idea, but… why should Jiraya believe him more than, say, Minato? Jiraya has never been in ANBU as far as we know (thus no ANBU tactics), Okugi HAS NO SHARINGAN since it wasn't part of his original chakra, I doubt Okugi's disappearance and 'Jiraya's son's appearance would be dismissed as coincidences, if Jiraya had 'trained' Okugi to contain the Kyuubi's chakra why hadn't he brought him to Konoha and why Kushina hadn't said anything? So yeah – in another story, with a different background or something, it might work, but not here. Thank you for writing it down all the same ;)

Ominous Rain: as soon as he can get his chakra control back, I think Henge will be his favourite jutsu XD

(Read-Sleep-Routine: ...yeah... sorry about the OOCness. I'll see if I can fix the earlier Chapters... at some point... ):)

Warning for... some possible slight OOCness. I can't quite pin down Rin's character: she's quiet and kind, but to be a shinobi she's got to have a steel backbone...

Ehm. Here the Chapter is! :D

Chapter 36: Chuunin Exams, Begin!

Four days before the Exams

Minato supposed he couldn't be blamed for keeping track of his students. Ten times a day. Both day and night, actually. He also may have set off one of Kakashi's surprisingly jonin-level traps during one of his night trips.

His quiet "Shit!" may or may not have woken Kakashi up.

In Minato's defense, he hadn't expected his student to study borrowed books about Advanced Fuinjutsu already. He couldn't exactly blame him for wanting to learn more about that. Shame that it didn't make his slightly scorched hair any easier to hide.

Okugi's laughter – if that irritating mix of barks and whines could be called that – followed him to the Uchiha Compound.

Obito drooled peacefully in his bed, unaware of the whispers still circulating about his black sheep status.

A few arrogant Uchiha jonin may or may not have found their normally spotless house in disarray, like a man-sized hurricane had just had made its way through their rooms and rearranged several pieces of furniture into the words "always watching".

If asked, Sarune and Minami Fuuma would confirm Minato was with them discussing about his genin's training that night.

Rin and Anko talked about poisonous flowers they could find on Konohan ground before they went to their own beds to sleep.

Minato might be slightly warier of girls with colourful bouquets in hand.

Three days before the Exams

Obito, Rin and Anko wanted to fight against either Minato-sensei or Kakashi.

Knowing that the chuunin would skip out saying, "Okugi needs training", that devious half-demon trotted away saying "Enjoy your training, Chibi!" and sped up when Kakashi tried to pin him down. Minato had trouble sensing the 'summon's chakra signature after three seconds and a half.

At the four seconds mark, his cute little student sighed quite heavily for a boy his size.

The genin had remained quite stunned that Okugi could speak – Obito was quite loud about that – but accepted Minato's explanation that most of the summons could. "Like that frog I summoned after… last mission," he said, and they nodded at that.

Kakashi was eventually roped into testing the chuunin wannabes, because Minato had the duty to watch their teamwork on another opponent rather than himself. His silver-haired student didn't seem entirely convinced, but settled into a fighting stance nonetheless.

Within five seconds into the fight, Minato said, "Kakashi, let them create a plan."

"Yeah, you jerk," Obito mumbled, since his face was plastered to the ground by the chuunin's foot.

Kakashi stared at his sensei, then sighed and let his teammate get up and flee.

Three seconds later, Minato added, "Leave them four minutes."

"Yes, sensei."

In the awkwardly silent two hundred forty seconds that followed, the blond jonin was sure Kakashi had mentally mapped the entire training ground, planned his revenge on Okugi, had mental tea with the Kyuubi and imagined at least a hundred ways to kick the genin's collective asses.

The chuunin took to the trees the instant the accorded four minutes ran out.

To the genin's favor, nobody screamed in the five seconds that followed.

Kakashi was obviously putting several limits to the techniques he could use, Minato noted: no chakra claws, no Katon, no exploding tags (thank Kami for that) and no depowered assassination jutsu. Or maybe that was just the Yellow Flash comparing Kakashi's efforts when fighting him and when fighting his genin teammates.

He also couldn't help but notice that his silver-haired student was cutting his speed in half, if not more, to give his teammates a chance to actually show what they could do. Minato was a very proud sensei.

Obito and Anko had some interesting Katon combinations, but Kakashi's Doton was enough to block them.

Rin tried to use her Suiton to cover their brief retreats, but with Kakashi's Raiton it was a plain Bad Idea.

Kunai, shuriken, ninja wires, senbon and just about any weapon the kids could throw at each other littered the trees and the ground. Some were scorched, others soaked, others half-buried in earth or ended up in the nearest lake.

"I don't see," Kakashi mildly began as he fended off both kunoichi at once, "how you can lower yourself to their level, sensei."

Obito choked on his own Great Fireball, Rin hesitated in her attack and Anko scowled.

"Who do you think you are, you jerk?" the Uchiha shouted.

"Kakashi Hatake, chuunin of Konohagakure-"

"Katon: Dragon's breath!"

"-under Namikaze Minato's tutelage-"

"Katon: Phoenix Flowers!"

"-placed in Team 7 with Obito crybaby Uchiha-"

"AAAAARGH!" Obito threw himself at the purposefully taunting Hatake, two kunai in his hands.

Kakashi tripped him, sat on him and created a Shadow Clone to subdue the other two kunoichi. He had had enough of holding back, apparently.

The fight ended after another five seconds.

"…next time we spar with you, Minato-san," Anko stated as her right arm was twisted behind her back.

At least Kakashi was considerate enough not to trap her left arm or sit on Rin, Minato supposed, although he didn't show the same care with a furious Obito.

Two days before the Exams

"The Chuunin Exams won't test only your fighting abilities," Minato said, "but also your information gathering skills, not to mention tracking skills. If you can avoid conflict by obtaining information, that makes you an even better ninja."

"I'll be the best at getting information!" Obito was loud, as usual. Then he became uncertain. "But, uh, why aren't we on a training ground? And where is Bakakashi?"

Minato chuckled. "That's going to be your exercise for today."

Silence.

"Uh, sensei?" Rin hesitated in her question, though he hummed at her. "Are we going to try tracking Kakashi-kun?"

"That's the last part, Rin-chan. First you have to narrow your search to a smaller area, then you start tracking him." Obito looked on the verge to shout something. "Don't worry, I told him not to move until you find him – he won't run away or attack you, which… doesn't make it easier, since he can focus on hiding instead of moving, but you won't be attacked. It's an advantage."

Obito, Anko and Rin didn't look convinced, but started their hunt barely two seconds later.

Anko asked some of the jonin who owed Orochimaru something, then made her way to the older population, where she bumped into Obito.

Obito asked the old ladies he helped and Team Fuuyuki. They had no clue, but decided to help all the same. Fuuyuki told them it was a useful exercise, so Kurenai, Asuma and Raido joined their search to find Kakashi.

Rin asked Sarune, Minami, some of the iryo-nin she exercised with and Team Jiyo.

Gai was enthusiastic to help, and even Jiyo-sensei had to give in to his student's fervent speech. That was how Ebisu, Genma and Gai allied with Obito, Rin, Anko, Kurenai, Asuma and Raido to find Kakashi.

They eventually combined all their strengths to narrow their search to Training Ground 1. Gai had been most helpful in tracking the chuunin down, much to their confusion and Ebisu and Genma's exasperation.

While Minato admired Kakashi's ability to cover chakra reserves of his size inside the area, he didn't appreciate it when he thought it funny to create five Shadow Clones that scattered to the winds. Especially since the genin had split in five to grab him, because Minato had expressively told him not to move.

When the kids eventually found out they were all clones and Kakashi was actually meditating upside down a tree branch, he blinked innocently at them. Minato just glared harder.

"Sensei, you said I couldn't move and I didn't. My clones did."

Minato was both impressed and unimpressed.

One day before the Exams

The only explanation for the mass picnic inside Training Ground 20, Minato mused, was that the three genin teams had organized it after having found Kakashi.

Kurenai, Asuma and Raido had brought vegetables, a grill and lots of meat respectively.

Ebisu and Genma had probably taken down a tree to make that many roasting sticks. They had many forks and knives as well.

Gai had brought a large pot of "Youthful Curry from that kind lady down the Road of Life" along with a few dishes and spoons. Minato didn't think the curry's red glow was normal.

Rin and Anko had brought enough dango to give them diabetes by looking at them.

Obito and, to his surprise, Kakashi and Okugi had brought four pots full of Ichiraku Ramen and enough bowls and chopsticks for everyone.

Minato was a very proud sensei, indeed. He'd have appreciated it more if the other two jonin hadn't dumped the nine kids into his hands without saying more than "important meeting", but oh well.

At the end of that quickly arranged buffet, Gai had dragged Kakashi into yet another challenge: a taijutsu-only spar while blindfolded. While every genin leaned into Okugi's white fur –he didn't seem to mind – they placed bets.

Obito, Rin and Anko immediately shouted Kakashi would win.

Asuma, Genma, Raido and Kurenai insisted Gai had come a long way in taijutsu, while Kakashi was specializing in weapon wielding and ninjutsu.

Ebisu just rolled his eyes and refused to take part in that bet.

Everyone else turned to hear who would win in Minato's opinion, but he just shrugged. Kakashi was advantaged because of the bijuu: it wasn't fair pitting a chuunin-wannabe against him.

"You know I can hear and smell where you are, right?" Kakashi had asked Gai.

The genin just flashed him a bright grin and gave him a thumbs up. "Then I shall try hearing you as well, my Eternal Rival! If I can't, I shall run two hundred laps around Konoha on my hands!"

Kakashi sighed and covered his eyes with his hitai-ate.

Minato had the feeling Kakashi was making his steps extra-light just to spite his self-proclaimed 'Eternal Rival'. He scraped his feet on tree branches and rustled leaves to lead Gai on a wild goose chase, while he flashed away in the blink of an eye.

Obito, Rin and Anko divided equally their prize consisting of sweets, chips, crayons – Raido wouldn't tell them what he was doing with them – and the last dango sticks.

Gai seemed to have fun destroying trees in the training ground, at least, before he took off running on his hands to begin his self-imposed punishment.

"Obito!"

The boy hastily turned to his crush. "Eh?"

Rin leveled a glare at him. "Stop staring at Kakashi-kun and pretending you're not!"

Obito cringed. "But Rin… he's weird with the chuunin jacket!" he murmured.

Rin sighed in her hand. It was unusual to see their teammate in his slightly oversized chuunin jacket, but it was not a good reason to stare at him like he had grown two heads! The problem was, she couldn't tell everybody to stop whispering about him and staring.

Twenty-four genin teams – without counting Team Minato, Fuuyuki and Jiyo – were whispering about him, seated at the separated round tables in an Academy room. It was one of the biggest she had seen, with a large blackboard covering the entire wall on the opposite side of the double doors. There were wide windows on the doors' left that provided way more illumination than they needed.

After the last team had arrived, sixteen chuunin had stepped through a door in front of him and had taken position around the room. Kakashi was with them, though Okugi was nowhere to be seen.

"Isn't he…?"

"The Hatake?"

"He's short."

"Hadn't he been kidnapped?"

"Hokage-sama had ordered us to get him, hadn't he?"

"At least uncle Ryoko came back…"

"Where is his strange summon?"

Rin was ready to slam their heads on the tables. Anko seemed to share a similar sentiment, if the way she gripped the scroll in her hand enough of a clue. Nobody told them what it was for, but they were ordered not to open it before the proctor said so. Obito was busy staring, and Kakashi was busy ignoring everyone around him.

Even the other chuunin were staring at him!

The jonin proctor finally graced them of his presence, striding to the larger desk in front of the room's blackboard.

"I am Shikayu Nara, proctor of this year's first Chuunin Exam. It's all straightforward, I assure you – we don't have time to dawdle, so I'm making this short." The tall man turned to the blackboard with chalk in hand and quickly drew a… camp, Rin guessed, near a river and a forest. He drew fifteen dots in three different colors: two were red, seven were blue and the other six were green.

He then drew two violet dots, one near the red dots and the other surrounded by two green and blue lines.

"This is an enemy camp," Shikayu announced, "two jonin, seven chuunin and six genin. The genin always patrol in duos the green line, while the chuunin patrol the blue perimeter alone. It takes them twenty minutes to complete their routes; the genin begin from the southwestern corner, the chuunin begin from the northeastern one. Your objective is to get both scrolls undamaged," he pointed the violet dots, "without dying first."

"Open the scroll you've been given and use it to lay out a plan. Anyone caught copying or meddling with the others' plans will be warned once; the second time you're caught, your whole team is out. You have twenty minutes from now."

Everyone got to work.

Rin tuned out the others' murmurs and occasional exclamations, biting her lip.

"We can use the river to hide," Obito suggested immediately, "and wait for the genin patrol to pass, then we sneak in, get the scrolls and dive back. Simple, right?"

Anko glared at him. "And risk soaking the scrolls?"

"It isn't like we can flee through the forest on the other side of the camp," he muttered.

"There is also the matter of the two jonin," added Rin from the side. "They're near this scroll, in the middle of the camp. Shikayu-san didn't say they'd move from there, but he didn't say they wouldn't, either. If they find us, it's over."

Obito nodded. "We need to get around them."

"And around the patrols."

"I know." The Uchiha hummed.

"Technically, we should be able to get through the genin patrol without trouble."

Anko frowned at Rin's statement. "We can't start a fight, though – the jonin would be on us in an instant. If we had another jonin on our side we could risk it, but it's just the three of us. Can you suppress your chakra?"

Obito puffed his chest. "Of course we can!"

Rin nodded at them, though she was still frowning. "We can get past the chuunin with luck on our side, but we don't know if they're sensor-nin or have set traps or seals around the scrolls."

"They surely did."

The three genin stared at the map drawn on their scroll. Rin fiddled with the ink brush in her hand.

"Yamanaka-san," Kakashi's voice rang out, "if you would please leave Namiashi-san's body…"

Someone cursed. Raido offered a quick "thanks Kakashi" before returning to planning under his teammates' surprised stares.

The whispering picked up again, even among the chuunin who were supposed to watch over them.

"How…?"

"Did he just tell apart the two…?"

"That kid sure is something else…"

"He must've known how that genin behaves…"

Obito adjusted briefly his goggles. He ignored the whispers after Rin shot him a warning look. "Maybe Rin can go from the river to the nearest scroll?" he suggested, pointing the violet dot near the supposed jonin.

"I'd have a little advantage with my Suiton, but I'm not strong enough to best a jonin, much less two," the girl pointed out.

"Maybe Obito and I set part of the forest on fire, we all sneak in, get the scrolls and leave through here," offered Anko as she pointed the eastern side of the camp, opposite of the forest.

Rin frowned further. "And if they know it's a diversion?"

Anko pursed her lips. "We'll just have to wing it. If push comes to shove, though… one of us will have to stay behind." And sacrifice their lives for the mission.

"No way we're leaving anyone behind!" Obito was immediately shushed by both kunoichi. "It's- I'm not leaving you behind for two damn scrolls!"

Rin looked into his eyes. "We won't, Obito."

The Uchiha relaxed slightly. "Still, how do we get around the jonin?"

"We… can attempt a disguise, I guess."

"A disguise?" Rin whispered at the other kunoichi.

The violet-haired genin nodded. "We can take out both patrols and replace them, we just have to be quick. If we stay far enough, a Henge will fool the other genin. Maybe even the chuunin. Then we snatch the scrolls and…" she frowned at the map. "Kai!"

The enemy camp now revealed a third, red line around its perimeter.

"Well, shit."

"Obito!" Rin scolded as she swatted her teammate's skull.

Anko smirked, but the sentiment didn't reach her eyes. "Everything just got way more complicated," she droned wryly.

(Just six minutes into the test and three genin teams were already out, Rin noted.)

In the next four minutes, Team Minato tossed around some ideas for a solid plan, but there were lots of unknown details that could make the difference between a successful mission and a horribly failed one. Were there sensor-nin? Were all of the enemy shinobi awake at the same time? Which ninjutsu were they more likely to use? Were there any traps? If so, were they chuunin-level or higher?

It was incredibly frustrating.

They had exhausted their ideas, so Anko took out a small gray snake from a pocket of her beige coat.

She smirked at Obito and Rin's slack-jawed faces. "Chiisai is good at hiding," she whispered and let her small snake slither among the other genin.

Until Chiisai – whom Anko seemed to trust immensely – returned with the other genin's ideas, Team Minato worked on their disguise plan.

Obito and Rin take out the genin patrol when it reaches the northern part of the camp, where the river is closest and can hide their traces. Then they take their place and use a Henge if they are too different. They follow their supposed route and plant a trap where the their path crosses the chuunin's – it will hopefully be enough to knock him/her out, and if it isn't the two disguised genin can lure the chuunin to Anko's position on the forest edge and deal with him/her there.

Anko takes his or her place. Since the blue route is the closest to the scroll, she goes to retrieve it. The other enemy shinobi will hopefully be either too far or too relaxed to suspect anything is wrong. Even if there are traps, the three Konoha genin are confident they can recognize one – especially after seeing Kakashi's more creative ones. Anko will leave her scroll in Chiisai's care, and the small snake will make its way outside the camp.

The second scroll is the trickiest. Obito can light the camp on fire and the kunoichi can get the last scroll in the confusion, but then every enemy will be on high alert and chase them down. They're fast, but not as fast as the jonin. That's the part of the plan they haven't figured out how to solve safely.

They can try to rely on their Henge and acting skills and talk their way into getting the scroll. But surely, a jonin worth their salt can tell when someone is using a Henge, and they'll be in deep trouble. They can rig a trap two hundred meters into the forest so that a couple Exploding Tags blow up after fifteen minutes (courtesy of Kakashi's genius mind), and let that distract everyone. But if they take three shinobi's places, they'll be expected to investigate…

If only they knew the Shadow Clone jutsu…

Or maybe they didn't have to.

The genin most similar to one of the enemies – and thus not needing a Henge – could tell them his other teammate had left in the direction of the traps as they explode. At least one Konohan would be inside the camp while the enemies would investigate in the forest.

But one of them will still be with the enemy, unless the jonin order everyone else to scatter and find the intruders. Which leaves them with very few escape routes – the river being their best bet.

Anko assured her teammates she could summon Chiisai, so even if they were too far from each other they would still retrieve the first scroll mostly undamaged.

Said snake returned to his mistress and huddled in Anko's hands to hiss his findings.

"Kurenai is using genjutsu to get everyone through the camp," the kunoichi relayed quietly. She shook her head. "We don't have that kind of mastery. Everyone else is playing on their clan's jutsu or panicking 'cause they don't know what to do."

Obito shrugged, a smile on his face. "Doesn't matter, Anko – we already have a plan!"

"Even if it's not the safest," Rin softly added, "it's the best we can do."

Anko nodded, though still unsure, and let the older kunoichi write their plan down.

"Time's up!"

The remaining twenty genin teams turned to the stone-faced Nara.

"Now that the first part of this exam is complete," he ignored the panicked whispers of 'first part?', "you can begin the second."

Ten chuunin left their positions to snatch up a genin per team, remaining silent even when the younger shinobi started shouting.

"Oi…!"

"Why you…!"

"I demand an explanation!"

"Hey!" It was a random chuunin who grabbed Obito's arm, leading him away kicking and almost screaming.

Shikayu just smirked, the only flicker of emotion they have seen on his face. It wasn't a good sign.

He drew an orange dot in the southern part of the camp. "Due to unfortunate circumstances, one of your teammates has been captured before you could begin the mission. You need to change your plans to complete it. You have five minutes from now."

Some of the remaining genin screamed, others cursed.

Kakashi inwardly rolled his eyes. If they couldn't change their plans and there was no jonin in sight, they had no right to become chuunin. Sure, jonin usually led every mission, but if they were down the chuunin were the next in charge.

(The kidnapped-comrade situation also struck a bit too close home. The scrolls were also enough out of the southern camp that any attempts to get their teammate back would have to be intentional, not the 'I'll just swing by when I get close enough' kind.)

Rin and Anko began to change their plans immediately, the younger kunoichi gesturing and pointing various points of the map as the soon-to-be medic nodded and took notes. They seemed especially focused on where Obito was now supposed to be.

Kurenai and Asuma didn't seem to have many problems adapting their original plan to the new situation, but a missing teammate was a huge gap in a three-man team. Kakashi – the older one, the jonin and ANBU captain and Commander who led more teams than he could possibly remember – knew that much.

Poor Ebisu was stuck with a shouting Gai. Without Genma to act as buffer, Ebisu was sure to have a nervous breakdown. Kakashi almost felt sorry for the genin.

Okugi, on the other hand, was probably laughing himself sick at his situation – if the constant tugging in their telepathic link was anything to go by.

After a few tries, they had finally figured out how to communicate from medium distances without asking Kurama. The bijuu had barely replenished one tail, so he was still sleeping and gathering chakra despite what he had said a week before. His reaction had been bad enough when the Sandaime wanted to speak with him: they hadn't wanted to risk a much more furious Kyuubi roaring in their heads.

One of the ANBU trailing him was very nervous, but Kakashi saw no need to alert him of the telepathic link.

"Team Gozu, you're out!" the young Hatake called. The three genin turned to him, irate. "Thank Kencho-san for that." He had weaved a pathetic genjutsu before peeking on another team's plan – so pathetic even a fresh genin could have seen through it.

"I wasn't spying!" Kencho shouted, raising from his seat. He must've been fourteen at least, yet he behaved worse than his younger comrades. "You're so eager to see everyone fail that you make up excuses-"

His other teammate sighed and muttered under his breath. Kakashi didn't need sensing his chakra to know he was angry at his poor excuse of a comrade – not that he blamed him.

"Kencho-san, if you don't leave the room you'll be escorted outside."

The genin bristled at his flat tone. "You brat!" He spat, tensing up as if preparing to attack him. The two chuunin by Kakashi's side narrowed their eyes at the kid. "Do you have any idea-"

His words were cut off by Shikayu's swift kick to his abdomen, which sent him flying through the double doors leading outside the room. The twenty genin in the hallway were speechless, as were the ones inside. Kakashi inwardly applauded the proctor for his efficient action.

"You have one minute left."

The whispering inside the room picked up once more.

"That was unexpected."

'You saw that?' Kakashi couldn't help the surprise from seeping into their link.

"I can hear your commentary. Very entertaining, if I say so myself. Delightful." His older self was either laughing at him or sarcastically provoking him to 'lighten him up'. "So, yeah, I can guess what you're looking at by reading your thoughts when we're linked. You're very amusing, Chibi."

'Stop calling me that.'

"You're still tiny compared to me." Now Kakashi was sure he was laughing at him. It didn't mean anything that he and his teammates could ride on Okugi's back with room to spare – he wasn't that little.

'I hate you.'

"You love me, there's a difference."

The chuunin almost sighed in his hand. He was almost positive Okugi had a severe case of cabin fever, but it didn't make his attitude any less annoying to bear.

It was useful only when it distracted him enough from dark thoughts and visions – like shinobi falling one by one under a bloody moon, their screams slowly dying out as the Tree's roots wrapped around them, hungry, draining them of their life-

"Time's up!"

Every genin stopped working on their scroll, and Kakashi hid his trembling hands behind his back.

"The first part of the Chuunin Exams is finished!" Shikayu announced. The shinobi out of the room peeked inside. "I hope you managed to get your teammates back – it'd be a shame if they were to give away relevant intel or die because of your inaction."

Four genin froze. Kakashi knew that six more were guilty of abandoning their friends.

"After all, captured shinobi can't complete their missions and Konoha-nin should be able to trust their teammates to watch their back." Shikayu's eyes narrowed. "Our only enemies should be those who hadn't sworn loyalty to Konoha, don't you think?"

Some of the genin squirmed, others nodded.

"This afternoon your sensei will be notified if you've passed this exam. Now leave this room and don't waste energy training today – tomorrow you'll need every drop of it. If you pass."

Some of the chuunin herded the genin out of the building, while others preferred a quick Shunshin to avoid the children. Shikayu had left remarkably fast for a Nara.

Obito, Rin and Anko turned to their teammate, smiling. Their chakra buzzed in relief and anxiety at the same time, which was both strange and unexpected. They waited for him to reach them and walk out of the building together.

Minato dragged his three genin and one chuunin to Ichiraku Ramen.

When he said it was his treat, Obito had instantly agreed and burst into a fervent speech that made Anko accept. Rin did as well and thanked her sensei for the offer. Kakashi looked about to refuse but seemed to think better of it and agreed to the team lunch.

Minato beamed at the four of them.

"So, how did it go?"

Obito's eyebrow twitched. "We had a plan, and they thought to fu-"

Anko kicked his shin from her stool. She looked wholly unrepentant at his pained howl, while a frown crossed the jonin's features. Obito thought it best to leave the explanation to Rin, who sighed.

"We managed to create a plan so we could get the scrolls," she said, "and then Anko-chan and I had to change it in five minutes-"

"A fourth of the original time!" The younger kunoichi added as she slurped down her ramen.

"-because they had taken Obito away." Rin was gripping her chopsticks too tightly to be considered calm.

Minato chuckled, though his expression was vaguely sympathetic. "I'm sure you did fine – after your last spar with Kakashi-kun, I'd be shocked if you didn't pass."

"…What?"

"Quick planning is an important skill to have," Minato answered to Obito's dubious expression, "and all shinobi should be able to do it, especially when all odds are stacked against us – whether they're lesser numbers, strength or a field disadvantage. A clever plan is nothing if it can't be executed, but an adaptable plan…"

"Sensei, they had to plan to get me back!" Obito almost shouted. "When there were two jonin around!"

Kakashi thought it best not to say that, technically, getting him back would (should) be considered an afterthought if they followed the Shinobi Rules.

"And we did it!" Anko rivaled his tone by shrieking in his ear, making more than a few heads turn in their direction. She hit his shoulder with a light punch, grinning. "The plan is almost the same, really! Rin and I dump the patrol in the river, I get a disguise, give Chiisai the scroll, bullshit my way to your position and we get together the second scroll!" Her grin stretched and she poked him in the ribs. "Unless you think Rin-chan can't rig the timed traps?"

Obito became a human tomato. "Uh, I… no, of course not!"

"You'd better not," huffed Rin.

Their raven-haired teammate buried his face in his ramen with a 'meep'.

Orochimaru's apprentice nodded to herself, satisfied for all of three seconds before she remembered something else. She turned to Minato with a frown. "Minato-san, how will our plan get evaluated? They don't know us or our skills and they can't ask you or Orochimaru-sensei."

Kakashi was curious to hear it as well. The first exam always threw the genin for a loop, but it has never been like that – it's always been a quiz with a last, dreaded question that made many kids give up out of sheer nerves. But it always ended quickly.

This test, on the other hand, required more work and time on the examiner's side.

Kakashi – Okugi, actually – was also sure that he'd never known of a Nara made proctor in wartime.

Minato chuckled, though he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I suppose you didn't ask yourselves why Fuuyuki-san and Jiyo-san weren't there yesterday?"

Both Obito and Rin shot him a dubious look.

"Were we supposed to?" Anko asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, but that's not the point." He chuckled again. "They were called to meet with Shikayu-san and a few other chuunin. No, Kakashi wasn't among them."

Kakashi shrugged to his teammates' looks.

"They had a discussion about your skills and limits," the blond jonin continued, "so they know if you have what it takes to back up your plan. I had my meeting while you were taking the exam, along with a few other jonin-sensei who got home late. The decision to get your teammate back or not and how you go about it is also relevant, as you've heard at the end."

"There's someone who'd leave their friends?!"

Kakashi had to shut Obito up with a red-eyed glare before the civilian rumor-mill let slip anything of relevance – namely, the White Fang's mission and his decision not to leave his comrades. Rin and Anko were too busy conveying the same question with their eyes.

Minato nodded gravely. "You've planned an infiltration mission – meaning, no one should realize something is wrong until you're well on your way back to Konoha. If you hadn't done anything about Obito, he'd still be in enemy hands." His gaze narrowed as he looked at each genin. "And you already know the implications of that."

High probability of torture. Possible information leak. One member short of manpower.

(Drowning guilt.)

Kakashi felt his teammates' eyes on him for a second before they nodded at Minato-sensei.

The chuunin didn't think it was a good idea to tell them some of the plans he had heard. Or tell them that a kidnapped teammate could easily be used to lure any stray comrades. Or talk in general, since he was trying to direct his attention to what Okugi was saying.

"I guess we can try to keep Orochimaru in," he was muttering, though his reluctance to deal with the Sannin was mostly due to his future than anything he had done until now. "If we get closer to Anko, it's almost granted Orochimaru will talk to us instead of experimenting or lurking in the shadows. He also has less chances of dealing with Danzo if he has to deal with us."

Minato was explaining something about Copy-Paste Genjutsu. Older Kakashi had memories and experience about those – basically, if you knew enough about how a person acted, you could weave an illusion that looked like said person. It was a glorified offshoot of the Demonic Illusions that was just a little more believable and complex than normal True World Genjutsu. If someone was talented enough, the Copy-Paste Genjutsu could act on its own by following what the caster knew of the copied person.

Kakashi let the words wash over him, though he still pretended to be paying attention. Minato might have noticed if he were looking at him. Maybe.

"But there still are periods of time where ROOT shinobi can drop by with an invitation," Okugi kept speculating, like he had done every other day of the week, "unless we could get an invitation to ROOT ourselves, and then spill the beans to Minato-sensei about that mad warmonger mummy with an eye fetish."

'Are you sure Kurama won't just raze everything to the ground if we see Danzo?' He asked dubiously. After all, this was Danzo – wanted the Sandaime's head, was almost Rokudaime, had a thing for making children kill their closest friend – they were talking about.

After the Kannabi Bridge Mission, the three of them would have to make plans to steer history in the right direction, contingency plans if the Timeline kept throwing shit at them and contingency plans of the contingency plans if everything went to hell. Thinking about it made Chibi Kakashi anxious, and robbed Older Kakashi of the sleep he needed.

Dealing with Danzo on top of that was just asking for a bijuu rampage.

If someone wanted to stop a rampaging Kurama and a furious future Commander of the Allied Shinobi Army in the body of an equally-pissed off Kakashi Hatake, they were welcome to try, because he surely would not. Not when he wanted the same bloody end for the Elder.

They must be rubbing off him.

"…Point," the now half-demon admitted. His chakra buzzed as he probably attempted water-walking. "Maybe we can break Tenzou out. If he was ten and in ROOT when I was fourteen and in ANBU, now he'd be around seven-ish…?"

'We can't just break him out without causing political unrest - which Konoha doesn't need at all right now.' Though he couldn't help but feel some sort of friendship for this kid he had never met, and wanted to feel its full rush as his older self had. 'We don't even know if he's in there yet.'

"If he was ten, loyal, could use Mokuton and Danzo sent him against Sandaime-sama, he had to have been training for at least three years." Oh, the power of logic. "Or Danzo expected him to fail and die, which is highly unlikely."

'Whatever we do, we're in deep trouble.'

"Yep, in short."

'And we should wait until after Madara is dead for good.'

"I'd have said 'until we've kicked Madara's ass sky-high', but I agree." Okugi conveyed the clear image of a pout. "Though I don't like it."

"-kashi? Oi, Bakakashi!"

He swatted Obito's hand from his face. The Uchiha lost his balance and fell into a concerned Minato's lap, since Kakashi had taken a seat by his sensei's left while everyone was on his right. "What?"

"You were out of it!" Obito accused.

"And you're never out of it!" Anko added from further down the counter.

Rin nodded.

Teuchi was putting away the money Minato-sensei had given him and cleaning the empty bowls. Everyone had finished eating.

"I was thinking." It wasn't a lie, per se. "What were you asking me?"

Minato was probably adding another point to his 'Need-To-Ask-Kakashi' list. Oh joy. "Obito was asking both of us what they should expect in their second exam," he said before he turned to the genin. "In quality of jonin sensei, I'm not allowed to tell you anything."

"EEEEEH?!"

Rin stared at him. "Why not, Minato-sensei?"

The blond was scratching the back of his head. "I'm not supposed to give you any kind of advantage over the other genin – Hokage-sama's orders. I can only tell you to bring lots of weapons and prepare yourselves as you think it best."

Anko scowled – pouted, really. "…Fine. Kakashi?"

Everyone turned to him. They didn't stop staring at him even when they started strolling through the village's not-yet-busy streets. Just about everybody else was still on lunch break, after all.

He sighed. "The second exam is the longest and it usually takes place in the Training Ground 44. It's dark, most animals and plants in there are dangerous, any kind of shelter is exposed unless you do something about it and there are lots of places to put traps in."

Rin had a determined glint in her eyes. Determined to trample the competition or just get out alive?

Obito looked a bit paler than usual, but he was clenching his hands rather tightly. Scared, but not willing to back down.

Anko had a dreamy look on her face – she was probably gushing about poisonous plants.

"If she's anything like her future self, she is," commented Okugi.

Kakashi ignored him.

"The Exam might as well be somewhere else," he warned his teammates, "but even then it'll take place in a similar terrain. Take odourless food, like ration bars-" Obito's expression told him exactly what he thought about that "-and at least one water bottle. Unless you have a storage seal, no sleeping bags. You'll have to deal. The Exam never lasts more than a five days anyway."

Minato nodded and ruffled Obito's hair – he knew better than mess up a girl's. "That's right. You have…" he looked at a clock as they passed by, "…two hours and a half to pack up and meet the next examiner at the top of the Hokage Mountain. I'll stop you only if I'm told you failed. Be on time."

The young Uchiha muttered something like, "I'm only ten minutes late now, sensei..."

The jonin smiled brightly. "Whatever the outcome is, do your best, Team Minato!"

"YOSH!"

"We will, sensei!"

"Of course, Minato-san!"Kakashi nodded and the team scattered.

Two hours and twenty minutes later, a young chuunin was seen dragging a swearing genin from a corner of the Uchiha Compound to the top of the Hokage Mountain.

There were forty-five genin waiting at the top of the monument.

Fifteen chuunin led the fifteen teams in front of a high metallic gate, covered in seals bearing the kanji of 'lightning' and 'repel'.

The forest on the other side had enormous trees and bushes and a few colourful flowers and mushrooms, which were thankfully of average size. There were no echoing roars or rattles of dangerous fauna, but with the high chance of finding poisonous plants and venomous animals Anko was still inordinately thrilled. Even Rin had to admit she was excited to finally put her poison studies into practice.

Obito was a little less eager to face overgrown spiders and the like – but it'd take much more to stop him.

"Finally everyone is here!" the examiner shouted from the top of a convenient shack built near Training Ground 47. "I am Nakame Inuzuka, proctor of the second test of the Chuunin Exams! I'm sure those of you who have already taken the Exam three years ago and have not yet passed-" a few of the older genin winced "-are asking themselves why we're not going to the Forest of Death!"

There were hesitant murmurs of agreement.

The woman's smirk was all teeth and aggression. "The Training Ground 44 is too big for this year's test to be completed in under four days, hence why you get the dubious pleasure of taking the exam in the Poison Swamp!"

Anko's grin was highly unsettling.

"Each team will receive a Moon Scroll," Nakame called as she showed them a white-edged black scroll with the kanji of 'water', "with a coded message inside: it will contain a location within the Training Ground and a passphrase you'll have to memorize. You'll need to find your corresponding Sun Scroll," she lifted a white scroll with black edges and also the kanji of 'water', "decode your message and reach the location before nightfall four days from now!"

Nakame's smirk got progressively wider. "There are five Sun Scrolls hidden throughout the Poison Swamp – and even you should guess what it means!"

There was a beat of silence before someone spluttered, "Five teams out of fifteen…!"

The genin's voices rose in unison.

"What?!"

"That's insane!"

"How the hell can we even find them?!"

The Inuzuka ignored their reactions. "Each Moon Scroll has a kanji: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind or Lightning. Your mission is to find your corresponding Sun Scroll, decode your message and reach your location before four days are up. Everything short of sadism is allowed!" Nakame let out a cheer nobody echoed. "Now all teams line up and get your Moon Scroll, nice and easy!"

Rin was given a Moon Scroll marked 'Wind' before a tall chuunin ordered them to follow him.

"Where are we going?" asked Obito.

The man barely spared a glance in his direction. "To a different gate of the Poison Swamp," he answered curtly and ignored the genin's unimpressed stares – mainly Obito's – behind him.

Team Minato's gate was marked 'Gate 5', so it hadn't taken long to reach it.

"Last instructions for this test: always keep the Moon Scroll on your person, try not to fall into quicksand, be careful of what you touch and eat." The chuunin narrowed his dark eyes at them. "Since Konoha is short on manpower nowadays, you can call on a jonin to save your lives - however, it will mean instantaneous disqualification for all your team."

He gave them three slips of paper each the size of Anko's palm with a Summoning Seal drawn on them.

"Don't use it unless it's absolutely necessary," he warned.

Obito and Anko almost scoffed at the older ninja – they had heard him just fine before, they weren't idiots! There was a reason they were taking the Chuunin Exams!

A small bang resonated through the air.

The man pushed the gate open with a small burst of chakra, which had deactivated the seal holding it shut. "Go," he told the genin.

Team Minato dashed into the Poison Swamp.

So this Chapter is out! Yay!

…Personal opinion, this Chapter is horrible.

Obito, Rin and Anko take the first test – I wanted something different from the anime, so there you go! I thought that, since chuunin should be responsible enough to get their team out of trouble if the jonin are down, they needed to plan. And get the whole team out alive. :P

Okugi is busy getting back into fighting shape, Kurama is busy regenerating his chakra, Kakashi is busy… semi-planning with his older self, apparently. Who would have thought? XP

The Second Exam has been brought to you by my Overworking Imagination, you're welcome!

Tell me if there's anything particularly wrong with what I'm doing – I'll see if I can fix it… or something… But I dunno... :/

(At least there's a bit of humour! YAY!)

Beware of the Kitsune's rage!

Shiiroi Kitsune21