Sasuke and Sakura were waiting at the bridge where team 7 always met for Naruto and Kakashi to get there. It had been a week since they got back from the fight on the Naruto bridge and everyone was all healed, but Kakashi had yet to ask them about how they managed to do all the things that they did during the fight. They knew he was going to, they could see it in his eye, but he was waiting for some reason. This worried them because they knew that the chunin exams were coming up soon and there would be enemy ninja who could overhear what they had to say which would make them lose their advantage.
"Hey Sakura! Hey Sasuke!" called Naruto as he approached him. He did not yell, he had stopped raising his voice unless he absolutely needed to a long time ago, but his voice was still loud.
"Hey Naruto," said Sakura, "How are you feeling today?"
"Sakura," Naruto took on a completely serious voice, "I'm fine. You know I heal faster than anyone even without his help."
"Yea," said Sakura, "But you also always lie to us and say that you're fine when you aren't."
"Come on Sakura. You know I would never lie to you," he said
"You would if you thought that it was in our better interest not to know," answered Sasuke, "and when you don't want us to worry about you."
Naruto just pouted at them because he knew that they knew him best. After a moment Naruto brightened up and turned to Sasuke, "Do you want to play Shogi?"
Sasuke shrugged and sat down as Naruto pulled out a scroll and summoned a shogi board.
After about two hours Kakashi appeared before them saying, "I'm sorry I'm late, but I got lost on the road of life."
Naruto giggle and Sakura said, "Of course you did," with obvious sarcasm while Sasuke just rolled his eyes. Naruto and Sasuke stood up and the shogi board disappeared back into the scroll.
"What is our mission today?" asked Naruto as he replaced the scroll in his kunai bag.
"We don't have a mission today," answered Kakashi-sensei surprising all three of them, "Instead I need to talk to you about one of our previous missions at the Naruto Bridge."
"Oh finally," said Sakura.
"We thought that you were going to ask us at a point that was really inconvenient," said Naruto.
"And what point would be so inconvenient?" asked Kakashi.
"It doesn't matter since it's not going to happen so what are you going to ask us about," said Sasuke.
"Ah, yes," said Kakashi, "I have a few questions actually. One: what were you thinking when you ran off to fight Haku on your own?"
"I was thinking that I could beat Haku, which I did," answered Sasuke which earned him a suspicious look from Kakashi.
"Two: when did you begin to learn medical jutsu?"
"I began learning a while ago Kakashi-sensei. Naruto always seems to get injured somehow or another," answered Sakura referring to both when they were fighting and Naruto tried to defend them and when the villagers attacked him.
"Three: where did you learn to fight like that?"
"I taught myself. I've been training since I was really young," answered Naruto.
"Four: if the weakest link of the group is that strong than how strong are you two?" asked Kakashi looking at Sakura and Sasuke.
There was a long pause as they stared at their sensei in shock. "I believe you are mistaken," said Sakura with anger in her eyes.
"You are the weakest link," Sasuke said right after.
Kakashi's eyes widened at their accusation, but before he could say anything Naruto spoke up. "You shouldn't say that. None of you should. It was unkind to make those accusations. Now let's all calm down before we get into a fight." Sakura looked at Naruto guiltily while Sasuke glared at the ground. "Look. A bird," said Naruto as though the bird was such a rare occurrence that happened all the time.
Kakashi looked up to see that the bird was a messenger bird sent to call him to the Hokage's office. He sighed before dismissing his students and looking back at the bird with a suspicious eye.
As Kakashi disappeared the three students looked at each other with knowing eyes. They were all thinking the same thing, Chunin exams.
Team seven was walking along the road with Konohamaru and his friends after they played a game of ninja, which Naruto had to beg the two of them to participate in with them, when Konohamaru ran into Kankurou. "Do you need something?" asked Kankurou. He reached down and picked up the Third's grandson by his scarf and said, "So, does this hurt punk?"
"Kankurou put him down," said Temari, "Or you know you'll pay for it later."
"Let him go," Sakura demanded.
"You don't want anyone to see that you're hurting little kids do you?" asked Naruto, "Kankurou of the sand."
"How do you know who we are?" asked Temari.
Sasuke just shrugged and threw a rock that he picked up off the ground at Kankurou's hand forcing him to drop Kankurou who ran straight to Naruto. "You're a long way from home and you're way out of your league."
"Hey punk," said Kankurou, "get over here so I can repay you for hurting my hand. You're the kind of pesky little brat I hate the most. All attitude and nothing to back it up." He pulled on the strap that held his bandaged pack on his back and moved it so that it rested in front of him.
"What?" gasped Temari, "You're going to use the crow for this?"
"You shouldn't use your puppet on us so soon," said Naruto with a smile making both the sand ninjas gasp.
"It would give anyone who's watching an unfair advantage because they could find the weakness to your puppets," said Sakura.
"How the hell-" growled Kankurou as he began to advance towards them, but he was interrupted by another voice.
"Kankurou," said Gaara from the tree beside them, "Back off. You're an embarrassment to our village."
"Hey Gaara," Kankurou said sheepishly.
"Have you forgotten the reason we came all the way here.
"I-I know," stuttered Kankurou, "I-I-I mean they challenged us. They started the whole thing really. See, here's what happened-"
"Shut up," said Gaara.
"Aw there was no need to tell him to shut up Gaara," whined Naruto, "I was actually interested in what his lame excuse would be."
The two older sand ninjas looked at Naruto like he was crazy while Gaara stared at him with surprise. No one had ever spoken against him before and that weakling was talking to him as though they were long time friends. It made him feel almost happy to have someone talk to him like that, but he kept it hidden well. "I'm sorry for any trouble he caused," he said. He used his sand to allow him to transport himself from the tree to stand before his siblings. "Let's go. We didn't come here to play games."
"All right sure," said Kankurou.
As they began to walk away Sakura moved forward and said, "Hold on one minute."
"What?" asked Temari.
"We just wanted to tell you that you won't be destroying our village," Sasuke said nonchalantly.
The three sand ninjas whipped around and sand began to surround Sasuke's body.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said Naruto calmly, "Gaara of the sand. Carrier of the one-tailed demon named Shukaku. It would give away your intentions, but if you let us be no one would believe what weak genin say." Gaara glared at him before allowing his sand to return to the gourd on his back.
"It doesn't matter since we're here for the chunin exams and not to destroy some weak village," said Temari.
"Who are you anyway?" asked Kankurou.
"I'm-" began Sakura, but she was cut off by Kankurou.
"I don't care about you. I was asking the only strong one of your group who hit me with a pebble."
"My name is Uchiha Sasuke."
"I am curious about you too," said Gaara looking at Naruto, "Who are you?"
Naruto smiled and said, "My name is Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm determined to be your friend whether you want me to or not."
Again Gaara felt that warm feeling, but again he hid it. The three sand ninjas walked away quietly. All of them thinking about the group of genin leaf ninjas that they had just met.
The next day found team seven waiting for Kakashi at their bridge with Sasuke taking a nap on Naruto's lap and Naruto cutting Sakura's hair so that it wouldn't get in her face. In the future Sakura didn't like going to get her haircut professionally done so Naruto learned how to do her hairstyle as though it was done professionally. They were both happy to find that he hadn't forgotten how to do this when they became young again.
Kakashi appeared just as Naruto was finishing up with her hair. "Hey, good morning everyone," he said which woke Sasuke up, "I'm sorry I'm late. I'm afraid I got lost on the path of life."
"Tsk, tsk Kakashi-sensei," said Sakura as she waved her finger at him.
"You used that excuse yesterday," said Sasuke.
"It's no fun if you repeat yourself," said Naruto.
"I know this is a bit sudden," said Kakashi completely ignoring what his team had said, "but I recommended you for the chunin exams. All three of you. These are the application forms," he handed them three sheets of paper, "This is all voluntary it's up to each of you. If you don't feel ready you can wait til next year."
"And hold the rest of the team back," said Sakura.
"What?" asked Kakashi.
"Come on Kakashi we're not stupid," said Sasuke.
"We know that the chunin exams have to be performed in a three man team or the team cannot participate," said Naruto happily.
"That's not true," said Kakashi, "Whoever wants to take the exams has to sign the form and then turn it in at room 301 at 3 p.m. 5 days from now. That's it."