20. I began writing this on Christmas Eve, replying to the sudden influx of reviews and PMs, even if they were just wishing me Merry Christmas, but hey, I just wanted to stress how grateful and happy I am that my readers are here. Like really. Just knowing people actually read this makes me feel ridiculously happy… But hmm I should get back to work, considering my holidays end the following Tuesday. Who knows when this'll be posted?


Dear telapath98 (Guest),

Thank you for the high praise *smiles* I tend to use quality as an excuse to write slowly haha but I try not to lie, I'm just lazy and a procrastinator who puts off work to write fanfics, and puts off writing fanfics to read other fanfics.

Dear LillianBlake (Guest),

I'm glad you like the Kabuto scenes! As of writing this, no one has had negative feedback about the (to me at least) sudden, abrupt and maybe unnecessary inclusion of Kabuto at the end. Rest assured, right now, I have every intention of keeping Kabuto and Sakura together, even if it means killing Orochimaru by an act of divine intervention. (Like even a random rock falling him and creating a hypothetical chance scenario.)

Dear Kumikocr (Guest),

Woah, was that an 'A Snake in the Grass, A Wolf at the Door' reference? O_O because from what I know, the Sakumo-Orochimaru friendship isn't canon. I'd like to think that my Sakura doesn't need redemption, and won't become a warm fuzzy to everyone like canon!Naruto.

Thanks for the reviews everyone! In the future, if I get more anon reviews, I'll put them at the bottom, before rambling instead, so as to not cram the top.


"I enter Team 7 for the Chunin Exams."

From the corner, Gai gives Kakashi a concerned frown.

So it's that fiercely protective flicker he can see in his Best and most Precious Rival.

He flashes a winning smile of his, in that room of people who judge his friend for an undoubtedly well-thought through decision.

"Yosh! How youthful, Kakashi! I, Maito Gai, too, wish to nominate my team for the Chunin Exams, to let their sunshine of youth burst forth in a dazzling display!"

With that exclamation, the room moves on.

Sandaime-sama puffs his pipe, clipboard on the table, ticks on the application list.

"What about you, Asuma, Yuhi-san?"

It could be considered a pity that the civilians were hardly given a chance, assigned Jonin who would either rather not teach, or be set up simply to fail.

Even his team, Neji was a throwaway of his clan, and two civilians, only against all odds had he prevented them from being forcefully failed.

In their current state, even Jonin have such a pitifully limited say in what happens to their team.

"I nominate Team 8, Hokage-sama."

Gai smiles another supportive smile at the kunoichi whose eyes burn with a desire to prove her team's worth.

Noble intentions, surely, but even Kurenai-san knows how dangerous it could be. The mild frown marring her face, light quiver in her voice, says that much.

He doesn't have to look at Asuma to know his answer.

With the precedent set, the Sandaime's son is aware of possible displeasure to be incurred if he fails to nominate the second generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho.

From his position closest to the window, furthest from the Hokage, Gai watches Asuma's hand itch for the cigarette pack in his pocket.

"Huh. Well then I nominate Team 10 for the Chunin Exams also. Ino might never forgive me if I didn't."

Pencil scraping across paper, entries being finalised, and they're dismissed.

Kakashi's the first to leave.

Asuma and Kurenai-san leave together, huh, how lovely, their youth blossoming so rapidly!

He salutes his leader a final time, walking out the door after the couple.

Just out of his periphery vision, the young Academy instructor, Umino Iruka-kun approaches the Hokage.

While Gai too, would chide him for being foolish in challenging the desires of the Elders, he would be the first to admire Umino-kun's wish to protect his students the way no Jonin can.

It's utterly admirable.


Funnily enough, Team 7 is a new team, barely toddling along.

Unlike Team Gai who know instinctively how to cover each other's weaknesses and Gai-sensei who knows when he needs to step in, Team 7 is different.

They know that Naruto is brash, that Sasuke is brittle, that Sakura is yielding, that Kaka-sensei is quietly protective the way they hardly see.

So why did Sensei nominate them for the Chunin Exams?

"Well, it's in Konoha this time. I figured you three could get some experience from battling teams on the ground, as a team. We haven't had much of that. Not combat work at least."

Sakura smacks kunai out of the air, and Naruto clones stabilise them as sensei sends another wave in their direction.

Sasuke firing off teasing sparks, trying to make sensei let go of the sign-up sheets.

"Of course, that's if you all do choose to sign up in the end. It's next week, so you have a couple days to decide."

He lays a Genjutsu down, and Sakura feels a brushing of chakra.

A quick glance at Sasuke, who nods, she pulses chakra into her teammates' system, breaking the illusion.

Naruto yells for them to brace, and another wave passes them by.

Only then, does the main trick resurface.

Kaka-sensei grabs hold of Naruto's leg, pulling him down.

Sakura begins a furious tug of war, chains wrapping around her teammate.

Sasuke takes a dive, moving closer.

Forming a shell around Naruto, just breaching the surface to form a pipe for air, Sakura flashes them a thumb up.

Grinning mischievously, hands gripping hold of his sensei, giving Sasuke a confident grin.

It's not surprise on Sensei's face, just mild resignation, and a smidgeon of pride.

Holding sparking hands in from of him, mouthing, "Yield?"

He releases his hold on Naruto, hand to the back of his neck, kicking to make some distance.

Naruto's laugh echoes about in his chakra sphere, and Sakura tugs them out of the water.

"Good job, Team 7."


Regathering on dry ground, right where the sun hits the grass, towelling off.

He overlooks his team of three fondly.

"Here you go. You've earned them."

Sakura takes the slips, being the only one who's mostly dry, thanking him politely.

Patting her on the head with a wet hand, ruffling her pink hair and making it stand up.

They flop over on the training ground, Sakura pulling her pencil case out from her bag.

He's almost amused when she uses a Sharpie marker to fill in her form, having given her teammates her black and blue pens.

"Why Sharpie, Sakura-chan?"

She smiles at Naruto, scrawling her name the same way she does on hospital forms.

"We use permanent markers in the hospital on patient plastic baggies to prevent contamination."

Sasuke holds his hand out for their slips.

"I'll pass by the submission box later."

They work well together and around each other.

Kakashi's content with his place as a mere teacher.

He claps his hands to gain their attention.

"I'll see you three at the exams then?"

His team looks up at him curiously.

"Where are you going, sensei?"

Arching his lone eyebrow, letting his puzzlement show, "Holiday, of course."

He's just joking, but Sakura cocks her head aside, warmly telling him, "Enjoy your time off, Sensei."

Reminding Naruto to polish up his water walking, pointing out his earlier dependency on clones. Reminding Sasuke to keep his fire jutsu up to par with his lightning ones, that control is important with lightning in water, "You would probably have hurt Sakura since only Naruto was protected." Reminding Sakura then, that she would need something extra to supplement herself other than her team.

Sauntering off, behind trees, catching the edge of ruckus as he flashsteps towards the bookstore, making his getaway, ah yes, he's content where he is.

"Do shinobi ever get holidays..?"


In the end, he really doesn't see them until the first day of the exams.

Even when he caught sight of blonde or pink hair, it would flit out of sight too far.

So while the other Jonin senseis were busy drilling their teams last minute pointers and tips, he was free, reading the next Icha Icha book.

He wanders up the staircase, ignoring the weak illusion set up beforehand.

Pushing open the door, expecting to be greeted by an empty room, he bumps into a wall of sand.

"Ah, sorry, wasn't expecting you there. The exam holding room is open already?"

Kakashi looks down at a group of three tiny Genin, rubbing the back of his head.

It's sheer fear, by which the female regards the boy he nearly bumped into.

He does a double take before dipping his head in regards.

"Baki? Then these must be Kazekage-sama's children."

The Suna Jonin bows back, "That would be correct. Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, introduce yourselves. This is Konoha's Sharingan no Kakashi."

Stilted and careful introductions by the elder siblings, and then a tense silence when it comes to the red head's turn.

Sabaku no Temari-san cuts through the awkwardness, apologising, "Sorry, Hatake-san. This is Gaara, our younger brother, he doesn't speak much. He's turning-"

The boy cuts his older sister off with a harsh, "Shut up, Temari."

She flinches, as do Sabaku no Kankuro and Baki.

"Y-yes Gaara."

He takes the time to carefully study the Kazekage's youngest child.

The dark circles around his eyes, heavy eye bags below them, large gourd in proportion to his diminutive size, cold, hard voice and messy red hair.

It's a spitting image of his father, Yondaime Kazekage Rasa when he uses his Gold Dust, only with hair the colour of blood come to life.

Another difference would be personality wise, Gaara being far from the charismatic 'Rasa' Kakashi had met with Minato-sensei.

He chooses to smile, looking deep into hard, green eyes, "It's nice to meet you. My Genin team, too, is competing this year."

"The last Uchiha, am I right, Hatake?"

Kakashi lets loose only a hum, trying to discern the emotion in the red head's eyes.

"I look forward to crushing them. Mother would be pleased to see their blood, I'm sure."

Bloodlust just tinges Gaara's flat voice, but is so oddly soothing, he can't help but smile at the challenge.

He's hardly threatened by this child with hatred in his heart and oppressive desert sand in his control.

"I'm sure my students would kill you before you could do such a thing to them. I have confidence in them."

At that moment, more students pour into the room, the first batch to bypass Izumo and Kotetsu's Genjutsu.

Baki takes that as his cue to leave, Kakashi opts to just Henge into a non-descript Genin, still on the lookout for his own team.


Naruto doesn't help their chances of going under the radar, neither does Sakura's bespectacled senior.

That, coupled with Sasuke menacingly flashing his Sharingan at a group of angry Sound nin is more than enough for Kakashi to sigh.

Weaving in and out of the crowd, towards the group of Konoha Genin, he only looks back fondly on their mischiefs.

Asuma's team, Kurenai's team and his are unsurprisingly all together, presenting a united front.

The Sound ninja readies his gauntleted arm and the Aburame tenses.

Kakashi can see the sneaky placement of his kikaichu bugs in the air and on most participants' clothes.

Sensitive ears picking up a high-frequency sound, and he watches Sakura's senior- ah, that medic who wouldn't give me her file- go down, hands clasped over his ears.

Naruto's fists clench hard, half hidden by the Nara who rushes over to Sakura.

He chooses that moment to flash step in, his appearance obscured from the general public by the Yamanaka and Akimichi heirs.

Gently pushing a kunai held to his throat by the Hyuga heiress away, two fingers closing around his blonde student's wrist, chiding softly, "Don't create more problems than you can solve, Naruto."

Confusion, as they struggle to identify who he is, given his henge, alters even vocals, he feels one of Sakura's chains strike through him.

Even as she assists her senior in healing his bleeding ears, she questions him, without a side glance.

"Sensei, are you sure you're allowed in here?"

He smiles, stealing the pack of cotton right out of her pocket, sliding a bottle of salve out of Sasuke's, waggling his finger at Naruto who offers a medicated ear plug up from somewhere.

"Aren't you glad to see me, Sakura-kun? Unlike all the other team Jonin, I snuck in specifically for you three."

Naruto gives him that confused smile that makes his heart ache, "Not an ear plug, Naruto-kun, Sakura's senpai still needs to be able to hear."

He glazes over his words, but Sasuke has still caught them.

"You won't get in trouble?"

The even, couldn't-care-less, hiding the thank-you-we-worry tone.

Kakashi gives them a final smile, still under henge, his smile, a smile they imagined to be under his mask.

"Have a good look at the Suna teams."

He makes his getaway as Ibiki enters, Sakura's chain taking the cotton lightly coated in salve.


Dressed in dark purple and greys, the man in the centre of the room cuts and imposing figure, demanding attention.

"Candidates, silence."

And as he orders, he receives.

A sweeping gaze around the room settles even the then fidgeting Kiba.

There's a moment of silence before he makes a brief gesture.

The original door guards move in tandem, politely escorting out a group of genin.

No one asks for an explanation, and none is given for the removal of that single Oto team.

It's presumed that other candidates would assume(?) their removal having something to do with the minor altercation they had with her senpai.

Sakura thinks otherwise, because it wouldn't look favourably upon Konoha to be removing other teams and favouring their home teams.

Just that she doesn't have an alternative reason.

Doors clicking shut, and the male speaks again, semblance of a predatory smirk on his face.

"Sorry to have kept you all waiting. I am the head examiner of the first test of the Chunin Selection Exams, Morino Ibiki."

His eyes are constantly looking out over the room, on the outside casual, but belie his high alert.

"It would be prudent to tell you all now, throughout this entire exam, teams may not battle one another unless explicit permission is given by the examiners. It is our discretion to fail you. If you understand that, we will have no more problems."

Our application forms were handed in before this all began, and the invigilators begin to hand out number tags.

They check the tag numbers every one receives, ensuring team members are split apart.

Shoved about rudely, before taking the assigned seat, Sakura catches Naruto-kun and Sasuke-chan's attention.

Winding a loop of her chains around each person's wrist, before letting the chakra fade.

Because in the end, it's a paper test and Sakura's mental math is the best. No one brought a calculator in, that's for sure.

1. Find f'(x) in the equation (5x^5+3x^3+2x^2+1)^2/ (1-x4)^0.5, and thus determine the gradient at point P.

2. If f(x) is the equation linking mission success rates and timings for a ninja on rebound, comment on its shape, and if a function f(g) y= ln^x would be better suited…

3. Historically the lands were not divided among nations but rather among clans. If the world were to regress to such a state with the dissolution of the ninja villages, what would be most likely to happen?

4. On a mission to deliver a parcel, you are made aware of ninja's following. Describe and explain whether you would take a more dangerous, but shorter route or a safer but longer route.

5. Given that matrix (AB) = (BC), and that (CB) is equal to (BA), find the values of x, y and z in the following…

6. Should you suspect your team member to be under a henge, what is the best way to find out if the person is real, and if not, how to find your real team mate?

7. When a kunai is thrown from above, it accelerates downwards at a rate of 9.8m/s^2 due to gravity. Given that the force by which it is thrown is 100N, estimate the speed at which it will hit the target within 5m…

8. Hydrogen Cyanide and Arsenic are both poisons often used in assassinations. However, HCN is an organic compound while Arsenic is an element. Why thus, is HCN more commonly used?

9. The weather, climate and occurrence of natural disasters affect tourism. How far do you agree with these statements, include examples.

It's a series of content they'd never, or at least barely covered in the Academy, and they aren't any multiple choice either.

Even as she writes, she taps on the chain Naruto has. He's been staring around the room, antsy for the past five minutes.

"Guy next you. Looks like plant. Cheat?"

He cranes his neck, eyebrows raised.

"Answers filled. Plant yes."

Her chain scoots over cautiously, waiting for the fake-Genin to crack his knuckles, then flattening out over the chain, reading and scanning that answer before retracting, chakra imprints on the translucent sheet.

Quickly, darting back and pressing the image into Naruto's paper, he begins tracing over the fading lights furiously, chain dissolving as an invigilator swoops past.

Sasuke appears fine, and true enough even as she asks, he taps back.

"Many plants. Copy eye."

It still is standard Konoha code language, she'd be a fool not to realise that the older Konoha teams know exactly what they're saying.

The examiners may not know what they're using as a medium, considering the distance between them, but they are sure as well using the code.

Seeing as how Morino-san explicitly said to not get caught instead of, "Do not cheat," it would be apt to guess that the point is to cheat.

With the high occurrence rate of plants, senpai should have guessed something was up since back in the holding room, his information indicated only slightly over hundred participants.

There are nine questions, with the last one a blank.

But these are nine, almost full essay questions, and they have little over 2 ½ hours to complete it.

Umino-sensei would spend at least a day marking just one essay for their class of 20.

Simply put, there isn't a way for them to mark the papers so quickly, even if there were clones or enough ninja for one a paper.

But over the course of the paper, people are dropping out.

At first, it was the plant next to Naruto, and her teammate momentarily panics.

"Calm, orange. Marks half?"

He nods resolutely.

"Passed."

While her team is strong, the teams who failed to notice the cheating aspect, or were unable to cheat voluntarily gave up.

First was a plant, walking out with him, defeated were his teammates, likely to be plants as well.

They leave in a trickle.


Sasuke taps.

"More coming. Plant no leave."

Naruto frowns, waiting for the invigilator to speak.

The timer runs out, and he does.

Stepping forward, he asks a final time.

"Candidates who did not fill at least five questions, please stand."

Considering that they don't move around to check, one would think that no one would give up.

But a Hyuga invigilator steps forward, forming a hand seal, intoning, "Byakugan."

From Hinata-chan, they all know that a skilled enough Hyuga need not say it to activate their Kekkei Genkai.

It's simply for show – intimidation.

Some Konoha teams give up the moment the brown haired male pins them with a look, cold, pupil-less eyes.

Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto can see Kiba gritting his teeth hard, but Akamaru helps to keep his wits about.

Kiba's paper is blank, the Hyuga's gaze says that much.

He bares his teeth in defiance, and nothing more is said.

If anything, Morino-san nods in commendation.

They're down to slightly less than twenty teams, and somewhere along the way, that Sound team with metal arm guy reappeared.

"Since no one else wants to quit, I will move on to the last question. This is something new that Konoha has rolled out to test. It is an all or nothing question. If you answer it correctly, your team will pass regardless of your questions on the prior nine. However, if you answer it wrong, then your team instantly fails, and you will be barred from the Chunin Exams forever."

Angry mutterings break out, and Naruto is almost confused, tapping out.

"Paper, useless?"

Morino-san smirks at him, making a single tap on the table.

"Yes."

Sakura looks up at him, lips quirking into an amused smile, before tapping again on the chains, watching Sasuke get wound up.

"Calm."

"What in hell were the nine questions for then?!"

It's an angry outburst by some Ame ninja.

Their invigilator stands from his seat, drawing himself up to his full height.

"To test your ability to cheat without getting caught. If you would so deign to sit down, I would like to proceed. Unless you'd like to quit and try again in half a year? Without the risk of being stuck as a Genin forever?"

Naruto frowns again, because the threat doesn't seem to make sense, but the fear is very real.

Can Genin become Hokage? He wonders.

Looking to Sakura for assurance, and she smiles.

If it comes to, you can be the first, Naruto-chan.

The Ame team throws in the proverbial towel.

"Screw this. I rather do this next year without a stupid question determining my promotion!"

It's a self-centred frame of mind that the whole Rain Country team shares, and they leave.

The room is shaken, clearly, and more teams leave.

His nerves are wrought, because even with Sakura-chan's assurance he's worried that like that… his dreams will shatter before his eyes.

Another team leaves, mumbling things about trying again and pressure.

The smirk on Morino-san's face challenges him, and Naruto has never willingly backed down from challenges.

Standing abruptly, sending his chair clattering to the floor, all eyes going to him in surprise.

"Bring it on! I'm not afraid of a question, no matter what, nothing will stand between my team and our dreams!"

It's team pride – on hearing it, Kakashi too, would have smiled.


Well. That took a lot longer than expected, nearly two months.

Still, thankfully I got it out. Finally caught up with the backlog of work and started early this weekend. Need to get back to my assignments and everything, but felt indebted and so I came to update.

Truth be told it's early for me, and I have been distracted by many things in my life so far.

Even so, with my falling grades and drastically low English scores specifically, I do, actually, take a special kind of pride in how I write because I pass my essays and fail summary writing.

Must come with my tendency to over-describe I think.

Still, all excuses and rambling about my life to people online I don't know but *shrug*.

I intend on condensing the rest of the exams (and bits of the invasion I think..?) into 3-4 chapters.

Can't quite think of material for the Forest of Death bits, since I've thrown more teams out.

Yes, they will be meeting Orochimaru, no Sakura won't be bitten, like more Inserts seem to like to do. (Well I mean yes, it was a nice plot device when fresh but by now, Inserts should know to push the kid out of the way, or kick Orochimaru, and not do such perfect substitutions that they get bitten, unless they want the curse seal themselves.)

Will not make more promises, hope you enjoy,

Kayo.