Chapter 49 – Chūnin Exam I


"Talk"

'Think'


Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto sensei.


A/N: Yeah! More than 8000 views. Thank you all! Thank you also champp6, Ludicc, Sparky548 for your supports.


Uzu no Kuni

"What do you mean you had an agreement with the Kyūbi" asked Kakashi.

"Kyūbi-san?" asked Tenzō, half-amused and half-curious.

Noriko grinned "I think the Kyūbi has a name, but he refused to tell me, so I called him Kyūbi-san" then she turned to Kakashi "You said we can be friend with Kyūbi-san, yesterday I met him, I asked if I can learn to use his chakra so I'll be more prepared during life-or-death situation. He agreed"

"Who agreed?" asked Naruto. Noriko explained to him what had transpired while they were asleep.

"You meet the Kyūbi too" said Naruto.

"Too?" echoed Tenzō. Naruto told them his meeting with the Kyūbi and the talk he had with Jiraiya and Kakashi.

"So…you are Yondaime's son-" Tenzo said to Naruto "-and you are Godaime's niece" he said to Noriko

"And you've got Shodai's cell" said Naruto.

Noriko turned to Kakashi with a cheeky grin "How about you, sensei?"

Kakashi pretended to think "Hmmm…I've got three brats as my genins-" he emphasized on the word genins "I got the power to nominate them as chūnin, or not, and… … …I can pick all D-ranks mission I want" he smiled.

"Fine, I got it" muttered Noriko. Then, she turned to Naruto "So, how do you feel now?"

"I don't know. It's a lot to process" confessed Naruto. Noriko and Tenzō pat him on his back.


That night, Naruto found himself sitting in front the Kyūbi's cage and staring at the Kyūbi.

"You know, I should hate you. You killed my parents. I heard you were controlled, but that doesn't ease my feeling. Then I remembered Keiko-obasan, instead of hating us, she learnt to conquer her hatred and loved us" Naruto stood up "I cannot do that at the moment, but one day…one day I'll come here again and I will ask you to be my friend from the bottom of my heart" then he left.


Konoha Academy, Room 301

"Sasuke-kun" called Yamanaka Ino seductively (in her mind) before hugging him. Sasuke sighed. His brother had said that this is a trial and tribulation of being an Uchiha, so he has to learn to be patient.

'Of course it's easy for him to say. No one ever go to him and do this' thought Sasuke, begrudging his brother's good fate.

"Hey PIG! Let Sasuke-kun go! Can't you see he doesn't like it?!" yelled Sakura.

"Of course he's not happy. He was stuck with you, right Sasuke-kun" said Ino.

"This is troublesome" drawled Nara Shikamaru and looked around while Ino and Sakura continued bickering "I take it Team 7 is not joining us?".

"They've got long-term mission" answered Sasuke. He saw Hinata and asked her "Did Noriko tell you?"

Hinata jumped at being addressed by Sasuke "Umm…y-yes" she said shortly.

"Are you a friend to Naruto, Noriko and Tenzō?" asked a voice. This stopped Ino's and Sakura's bickering. All members from Team 8, Team 9 and Team 10 looked at the red-haired shinobi that is wearing Sunagakure hitai-ate.

"Who are you?" asked Inuzuka Kiba.

"I'm Gaara. Naruto, Noriko and Tenzō are my friends but I did not see them here or around Konoha" said Gaara.

"How do we know you are really their friends?" asked Kiba with narrowed eyes.

"H-he is Kiba-kun. Noriko told me about him" said Hinata.

"Me too, though it was Naruto who told me" said Sasuke "They are on long-term mission"

"I see" said Gaara, a bit sad that they could not join the Chūnin Exam.


The exam proctors were watching the scene in Room 301 when they saw a silver-haired teenager approached the nine rookie genin, introduced himself as Kabuto.

One of them watched the scenario with full alert especially when Kabuto showed the genins his cards.

Morino Ibiki thought 'His seventh's? and that kind of information was hard to get even for a chūnin… … … He seems familiar. I think there's a file of him amongst Danzō's files' Ibiki made a mental note to check Danzō's files later.

Ibiki looked at the time. Chūnin Exam was about to begin.


Uzu no Kuni, few days later

"We have to go back" said Kakashi.

"Why?" asked Noriko.

"I have something to report to Godaime" said Jiraiya seriously.

"Does it got anything to do with that toad and scroll?" asked Naruto. Ten minutes before, a toad had appeared and vomited scroll on Jiraiya's feet. After reading that, he and Kakashi had a discussion.

"Yes" said Jiraiya

"And we have to follow because with Jiraiya-ojiisan's absence, there's no point to train Kyūbi-san's chakra hence there's no point to stay here" said Noriko.

"Yup" said Kakashi

"When are we leaving?" asked Tenzō.

"In a couple of hours. We'll cross the sea in the afternoon and set up camp later" said Kakashi.

"In that case-" Naruto was about to say when Noriko cut in "Go. I can clean up for you" Naruto grinned and dashed off yelling "Thank you Noriko"

"Where's he's going?" asked Jiraiya.

"The graves, I assume he wants to say good-bye" answered Noriko.

"Maybe we should say good-bye too" said Tenzō.

"That's not a bad idea, Tenzō" said Kakashi "We can all say good-bye before we leave"


The next day, while travelling to Konoha, Kakashi noticed that Noriko kept chanelling Rajah's nose and activating her byakugan.

"Anything wrong, Noriko?" asked Kakashi.

"I'm not sure" Noriko frowned "Ever since we left Konoha, I kept smelling this earthy foul scent but when I check with my byakugan, I saw no one. Initially I thought that was because I was not familiar with Rajah's nose but now I know it's not. The scent was not presence on the island but now it's back"

Jiraiya exchange glances with Kakashi "A scent without a body is worrying. Guys, we are picking up paces. Be on the alert" ordered Kakashi.

"Hait, sensei" answered Naruto, Noriko and Tenzō.


Once they've arrived at the gate, Jiraiya and Kakashi were ordered to report to Hokage. Naruto, Noriko and Tenzō decided to eat at Ichiraku Ramen and saw two familiar figures.

"Iruka-sensei! Gaara!" yelled Naruto.

The three of them ran to greet and meet their Academy teacher as well as their good friend. They talked and exchanged stories until dusk arrived before they left the shop, very happy, very satisfied.

Iruka smiled as he looked at the backs of his former students. He was proud of them.


End Chapter 49


Hitai-ate – Forehead Protector

Sunagakure no Sato – Hidden Village of Sand