Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto stood in the hall of the third floor with their eyes fixed ahead on the small sign above a door that read 301, then their eyes fell to Kakashi, who stood in front of the door with his hands in his pockets.
"I see. Sakura, you've come, too. Now you can formally register for the Chunin Exam."
They blinked at him and Sakura's eyes widened slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"Actually, from the start, only three-man squads could apply and take the exams."
"But, Sensei! You said the decision to take the exam was up to the individual." Sakura frowned slightly.
"Yes... I did say that."
"Were you lying?" Sakura asked.
Kakashi looked away for a moment to avert his eyes. "Uh... Yes. I was." He paused, then looked back at his students. "If I said that, Sasuke and Naruto would probably have forcefully convinced you to take it."
Sakura glanced over at the boys, as Naruto swallowed slightly and nodded to himself, and Sasuke remained quiet and still.
"Even if you didn't have the will to apply," Kakashi continued. "If Sasuke asks you, you would attempt to take the exams half-heartedly." He narrowed his eye slightly. "For Sasuke's sake and, well, also for Naruto's..."
"Then, if..." Sakura started. "it had only been Sasuke and Naruto who had come here?"
"I would've stopped the Exam here." Kakashi answered simply. "I wouldn't have felt like letting them go beyond this point. But... you guys came here on your own will. Sakura. Naruto. Sasuke. I'm glad you came."
Kakashi smiled at them, and they each smiled back at him.
"You're a team I'm proud of." Kakashi stepped aside and nodded to them. "Now then, go on!"
"Okay! Let's go!" Naruto grinned and clenched his fist in anticipation and Sakura and Sasuke each grabbed one of the double doors and pushed them open.
Kakashi watched as they stepped inside, exhaling and closing his eyes once the door shut behind them.
"W-Wow!" Naruto looked at the crowded room and gulped.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes and Sakura blinked.
"W-What's with... this?"
The exam hall was nearly overcrowded with Genin from each of the Villages, and they all had turned to stare intimidatingly at the three new arrivals. Some were teenagers, while others seemed to be in their twenties and even early thirties.
"There are so many of them..." Sakura's eyes scanned the crowd as she spoked softly. "Could it be that they're all applicants, too?" She gulped. "They all look... immensely strong..."
"Sasuke, you're late!" Ino cooed and jumped on him from behind. Sasuke's expression soured as he glared at her from over his shoulder. "I thought I'd be able to see you for the first time in a while, so I've been waiting in excitement."
Sakura's face contorted in jealousy and her brows furrowed. "Get away from Sasuke, Ino-pig!"
"Oh, my!" Ino released Sasuke and put her hands on her hips. "It's Sakura! I see your billboard brow hasn't changed..." She laughed to herself. "So ugly!"
"W-What did you say?!" Sakura glared and stepped closer to the blonde.
Ino laughed, stepping behind Sasuke to stick out her tongue at Sakura and pull down on her bottom eyelid mockingly.
"What's up with this?" Shikamaru asked, approaching them with his hands in his pockets and Choji in tow.
"Huh?" Naruto blinked and turned to look at him.
"Are you guys going to take this bothersome Exam, too?" Shikamaru asked blandly, while Choji stuffed handfuls of chips into his mouth.
"Oh! It's the idiot trio." Naruto chuckled to himself and pointed at them.
"Quit calling us that!" Shikamaru's brows furrowed. "Man, this is such a drag."
"Shikarmaru Nara." Naruto thought. "Always complaining, has no motivation. He's a bellyaching idiot. And Choji Akamichi. He's always eating. That's all he is; a fat idiot."
"Sasuke is mine." Ino whispered mockingly to Sakura, sticking out her tongue again.
"And Ino Yamanaka." Naruto crossed his arms. "She's always fighting with Sakura. They're rivals. She a Sasuke-obsessed idiot."
"Yahoo! I found you!" Kiba chuckled and approached. "My, my, everyone's here."
"H-Hello..." Hinata smiled at them shly from behind Kiba.
"Huh?" Naruto blinked and looked at Hinata, who blushed and averted her eyes. "Hinata Hyuga. She's a weird person who looks away whenever I look at her! I guess she's just a gloomy and shy girl." He looked at Kiba next. "Kiba Inuzuka and Akamaru. They're louder than I am. He always brings his dog everywhere and always looks bossy. He really annoys me."
Naruto looked at Shino last and squinted his eyes slightly. "Shino Aburame. I really don't get this guy. He's a type I'm not good with."
"What did you say?" Shikamaru stuffed his hands into his pockets. "You guys, too? Man..."
"Heh! I see." Kiba smirked slightly. "This means all nine Genin rookies are taking the Exam! Now then... Just how far can we go? Eh, Sasuke?"
"Hmph!" Sasuke smirked and narrowed his eyes at him. "You're mighty confident, Kiba."
"We've trained a great deal, so... there's no way we'll lose to you guys!" Kiba chuckled.
"Shut up!" Naruto interjected and pointed at Kiba. "I don't know about Sasuke, but I sure won't lose to the likes of you!"
"I-I'm sorry, Naruto..." Hinata mumbled softly and tapped the tips of her fingers together. "Kiba didn't mean it like that..."
"Huh?" Naruto looked at her, squinting his eyes again. "What'd she say?"
Hinata blushed and looked away, and Kiba looked at her from the corner of his eyes.
"Akamaru, you've become kind of tasty-looking." Choji looked up at the small dog atop Kiba's head, then took a step forward. Shino blocked his path and he blinked. "What?"
Shino glanced down at the ground and Choji followed his gaze to where a small beetle crawled.
"Don't step on it." Shino said.
"Huh?" Choji blinked up at him.
"I said don't step on it."
"Are you... gonna eat it?" Choji glanced back down at the insect before someone called out to the group of Genin.
"Hey, you guys!" They turned to see an older teen boy with ash-grey hair in a short ponytail approach them. "You should be a little quieter. You guys are the 'Rookie Nine' fresh out of the Academy, right?" He put a hand on his hip. "Carrying on like that with cute faces... Man. This isn't a field trip."
"Excuse me!" Ino put her hands on her hips. "Who're you, acting all haughty?!"
"I'm Kabuto Yakushi." He looked at the blonde girl. "Anyway, take a good look around you."
The rookies turned to look at the other candidates in the room who all were looking at them with scowls and sour expressions.
"Behind you... They're from the Rain Village." Kabuto explained. "They're hot-tempered. Everyone's tense before the Exam. I thought I'd warn you guys before you get your butts whipped." He smirked slightly, closing his eyes briefly and tilting his head down. "I guess it can't be helped. You're just rookies who don't know left from right..." He opened his eyes to look back at them with a smile. "You remind me of my old self."
"You said your name is Kabuto, right?" Sakura looked up at him.
"Yes. That's right." He answered.
"Then, is this your second time?" She asked.
"No." He rested his hands on his hips. "It's my seventh time."
"H-Huh?" Shikamaru blinked and looked at him.
"This Exam is only held twice a year, so it's only my fourth year." Kabuto explained.
"Then, that means you know a lot about these Exams, right?!" Sakura's eyes widened slightly.
"Kind of..." Kabuto shrugged.
"No kidding." Naruto crossed his arms behind his head. "Kabuto, you're pretty awesome, huh?"
"But you haven't passed." Shikamaru furrowed his brows slightly.
"Heh." Kabuto rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish smile. "Well, that is the case, yes..."
"Is the Chunin Exam really that high a hurdle?" Shikamaru made a face and then let out a short sigh. "Man, this is a total drag..."
"Then, maybe I'll give a bit of information to my cute juniors." He reached into his back pouch and held up a deck of cards. "With these Ninja Info Cards."
"Ninja Info Cards?" Sakura repeated.
"To put it simply, they're cards that have information burned into them and coded with Chakra." He knelt down and set the desk onto the floor, then reached down to pick up the first card. "I spent four whole years gathering information for this Exam. There are close to two hundred of these cards." He set it face-up on the ground, revealing a blank face. "They are pure white to the eye..."
Kabuto placed the tip of his index to the card, then it started to spin slowly counterclockwise. "To open the data on these cards..."
"What are you doing?" Sakura asked as she watched.
"The way it works is that no one can see the info without using my Chakra. For example... like this." He formed a hand sign with his right hand and channeled Chakra into the card and an image appeared.
"Whoa, awesome!" Sakura bent slightly to admire the card. "What information is this?"
"The number of test-takers and participating nations, and the number of applicants from each respective village is individually displayed."
He looked up at them. "Why do you think that the Chunin Exam is jointly conducted in the first place?"
They didn't answer, so he continued.
"It's said it's done to deepen the friendship among nations first, and to boost the Shinobi levels, second."
"'It's said'?" Sasuke looked down at him.
"Thant's right." Kabuto nodded slightly. "The real goal is in the checking of Shinobi levels of neighboring nations and keeping the power balance equal."
"Power... equal?" Naruto repeated, scratching his head and crossing his arms.
"Why such bothersome things?" Shikamaru asked.
Kabuto held his hand over the card and the image vanished and it returned to a blank white slate. "If that's not done, the weak nations will be invaded by the strong nations in no time at all and may end up being controlled unilaterally. There's a point to mutual supervision. Probably."
"Hmph." Shikamaru put his hands in his pockets.
"Of those cards," Sasuke stepped forward. "Are there ones with detailed individual information?"
The corners of Kabuto's mouth twitched in a slight smile. "Yes, there are... Are there ones you're concerned about?"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly. "Yes, there are."
Kabuto picked up the deck of cards, shuffling it and straightening it as he spoke. "The information for the applicants this time around is not perfect, but is burned in and save." He set the neat stack back down again. For you guys, included... about those 'ones you're concerned about,' who you know. Anything's fine. Just tell me their information and I'll retrieve it for you."
"Gaara of the Sand Village, and Rock Lee of the Leaf Village." Sasuke answered quickly.
"Oh, you even know names." Kabuto looked up at him. "That makes it quick."
He quickly shuffled through the deck, drawing two cards and holding them up. "Here they are."
"Please show me." Sasuke's brows furrowed as he stared intently down on them.
Naruto looked between Sasuke and Kabuto, the nodded to himself as he crossed his arms. "I really don't get what's going on, but I'll pretend like I do."
"Well then, first is Rock Lee." Kabuto channeled his Chakra into the card, and the information appeared.
"He's one year older than you guys. His mission experience- twenty D-Ranks and eleven C-Ranks. His squad leader is Guy... In just this last year, his Taijutsu has drastically improved, but... his other skills are not good at all." Kabuto paused, then continued. "Last year, he'd attracted attention as a Genin rookie with his ability, but didn't participate in the Chunin Exam. This is his first time taking the Exam, the same as you guys..."
"Additionally, Tenten and Neji Hyuga are on his team..." Kabuto finished, then pushed up his glasses.
"Huh?" Naruto blinked, then tilted his head slightly and squinted his eyes. "Hyuga?"
"Next is... Gaara of the Desert." Kabuto placed the second card on top of Lee's, then used his Chakra again to activate it.
"His mission experience-eight C-Ranks... wow. One B-Rank as a Genin, huh? He's a Shinobi from a different land and is also a rookie, so there is no further detailed information." He looked up at the Genin in front of him. "However... it seems he has returned from all of his mission uninjured."
Shikamaru's eyes widened slightly. "A B-Rank mission as a Genin... but uninjured...?"
"What is this guy?" Naruto muttered as he looked down at the card.
Sasuke remained silent as Kabuto drew another card and set it on top of Gaara's and activated it.
"Leaf, Sand, Rain, Grass, Waterfall, Sound... There are lots of exceptional Genin from those villages who have come to take the Exam this year as well." Kabuto turned to briefly look at the crowded room, then back to the rookies. "As far as the Village Hidden in Sound goes, it's a village of a small nation that just sprang up in recent years, so there isn't much information..."
Kabuto returned the cards to his deck, smiling slightly up at them. "At any rate, they're all Hidden Villages with nothing but crackerjacks."
"T-That kind of makes you lose your confidence..." Hinata mumbled and lowered her eyes.
Ino raised a brow and looked at the shy girl. "Why are you saying that now?"
"In other words," Sakura interjected. "all of the applicants who have gathered here..."
"That's right!" Kabuto pushed up his glasses again. "Not just Lee and Gaara, but they're all choice top elite Genin from each nation."
"Hm..." Naruto's eye twitched slightly.
"This isn't going to be easy." Kabuto added.
Outside of the Exam room, Kakashi stood against a wall near the door, keeping his eyes closed as he listened to the conversations inside, think back on the meeting with the Hokage.
"I can't go along with this!" Iruka protested and narrowed his eyes slightly at Kakashi. "They may be your subordinates now, but they are children who were my students first. If it's about them I know—!"
"It's as you say, Iruka!" Guy stepped forward, cutting the teacher off as he looked at Kakashi. "It's not going to be that easy. You're too eager. I postponed my team's test-taking for one year and took care to build up their skills. Have them take the Exam after they've enjoyed their life a little bit more."
"Hmph." Kakashi looked away for a moment, briefly closing his eyes before glancing back up at Guy, shrugging. "They might be too easygoing. But they will surpass your guys in no time."
Guy furrowed his brows slightly and the Hokage let out a small exhale of smoke.
"That's enough. That's as far as the rookie matter goes." Hiruzen paused. "Now then, next... I'll take the recommendations for Genin other than rookies."
"Well, don't pour cold water over this." Kakashi glanced upward slightly in thought.
Kakashi let out a sigh and glanced over that the Exam room door. "I said that, nevertheless... I wonder if even the fearless ones are frightened just this time around."
"Stubborn as he is, he's still consumed by this atmosphere and number of people." Sakura held her hand close to her mouth as she watched Naruto twitch slightly with his hands balled tightly. "He's so tense... it can't be helped. Even though everyone is a Genin, we're the newest and most inexperienced rookies. I'm feeling very uneasy myself. But..." She paused and kept her eyes on the blond. "It's kind of tough looking at Naruto who's not himself. Maybe I'll cheer him up a little bit."
She took a step toward him, leaning closer as she smiled. "Say, Naruto! Don't be so worried." She paused as his fists clenched tighter until his knuckles turned white. "Huh?"
"AAARG!" Naruto growled suddenly, then furrowed his brows and pointed to the hostile-looking candidates that filled the room. "My name's Naruto Uzumaki! I won't lose to any of you! Got it?!"
Kakashi let out a small sigh from the other side of the door as he chuckled under his breath.
"Say! What's with him?!" Ignored glared at Naruto, then turned to Sakura with her fists clenched.
Sakura's eye twitched as she looked at Naruto and she frowned slightly. "I should have known. That idiot would never get depressed! Absurd!"
"It won't do any good for him to provoke everyone!" Ino shouted at Sakura.
"You don't have to tell me that!" Sakura shouted back and tightened her own fists.
"If I don't tell it to you, who do I tell it to?!" Ino shouted back and her expression tensed.
"What did you say?!" Sakura scowled and glared at Ino.
"Ah, I feel better." Naruto chuckled at himself and crossed his arms behind his head.
"Hmph." Sasuke chuckled under his breath and looked at Naruto from the corner of his eyes. "That guy..."
Kabuto smirked slightly and the rival candidates all stared at Naruto now with intense glares, some of them clenching their jaws and balling their fists.
"Isn't that the kid from before?" Kankuro chuckled and turned to look toward the Leaf Rookies.
"That dog's bark is bigger than it's bite." Temari scoffed quietly.
"Is he an idiot...?" Tenten rested her crossed arms on the desk in front of her as she looked over at Naruto.
"He's mighty high-spirited." Neji commented.
"He's the hot-headed type." Lee added.
Neji glanced at his teammate. "Lee, maybe you did not bully him enough."
"Did you hear? The Sound Village is only a minor Hidden Village of a small nation." Zaku chuckled and crossed his arms as he kept his eyes on the Leaf Rookies.
"Shut up." Dosu shot him a glare from the corner of his eye.
"Maybe it'll be fun to... play with them a bit." Kin smirked faintly and furrowed her brows.
"Yes..." Dosu nodded slowly, his low voice seething. "Being referred to as something like leftover Shinobis and all. We'll add this to his data." His expression darkened. "Those Sound Shinobi are brutal in their own way."
"I won't lose to any of you,' you say?" Kiba chuckled and smirked at Naruto. "You said it...!"
"That idiot..." Shikamaru shook his head. "In no time at all, he's made enemies of his surroundings."
"What are you talking big for?! You—!" Sakura grabbed Naruto from behind, putting him into a chokehold.
"Gah!" Naruto squirmed and coughed. "B-But I just said what was true, ya know!"
Sakura and Naruto froze, noticing the intense glaring and gulped. Sakura loosened her grip on her blond and laughed awkwardly, waving her hand.
"E-Everyone... that was just a joke. This guy's just a big idiot, you see... after all, he says idiotic, spazzy, scatterbrained things and gets carried away so please don't concern yourself with him."
She turned back to Naruto and hitting the top of his head. "Jeez! Thanks to you, I got glared at! I'm going to kick your butt!"
"Shall we do it?" Dosu asked in a gravelly mumble.
"Let's do it." Zaku furrowed his brows and clenched his jaw.
The Sound trio flickered and ran amidst the crowd toward the Rookies, and Kankuro glared slightly and slowly started to remove the equipment from his back, when Gaara held out her hand to stop him.
"Learn how to read the atmosphere already, you moron!" Sakura continued to scold Naruto, pointing at him.
"Alright, alright." Naruto muttered and rubbed his head.
Zaku leapt into the air, aiming at Naruto, and Kabuto turned quickly with his Kunai drawn, dodging the Kunai Zaku threw as Dosu appeared in front of him, swinging his right fist at him.
Kabuto's eyes widened slightly and he clenched his jaw. "These guys are the Sound Village." He smirked and easily dodged the attack.
"He dodged it!" Sakura muttered and her eyes widened at Kabuto.
"I can see right through that speed." Sasuke smirked and furrowed his brows.
Kabuto's glasses cracked suddenly and his eyes widened, taking a step back as the lenses shattered and glass shards fell to the floor. He smirked again, closing his eyes briefly to adjust the empty frames.
"I see... it was that kind of attack, eh?" He took off his glasses and Sasuke glared and stepped forward.
"What's going on?" He looked at Kabuto's glasses. "I thought he'd dodged it. Why'd that happen to his glasses?"
"Probably grazed the tip of his nose." Shikmaru shrugged, then scoffed. "He's trying to act strong. That punk."
Kabuto's eyes widened again as his ears suddenly started to ring. His body trembled and he collapsed to his knees with his breathing short and labored, then vomited.
"H-Huh?!" Naruto stared wide-eyed. "H-He puked?!"
"Kabuto?" Sakura's eyes widened as he wretched and the rest of the rookies stared in shock, as well the rest of the room.
"Keh." Zaku chuckled, standing over Kabuto with a wide smirk.
Sakura and Naruto rushed to Kabuto's side.
"Hey, Kabuto!" Naruto touched his shoulder and Sakura knelt beside him.
"Are you okay?" Sakura helped him up.
"Y-Yeah... I'm okay."
"Really?" Sakura frowned slightly
"Oh?" Dosu watched Kabuto. "so, he's not so special. Even though he's a veteran who's been taking the exams for four years."
Zaku crossed his arms and sneered. "Write this down on your card. The three from the Sound Village... Guaranteed Chunin."
Naruto gritted his teeth and Sasuke narrowed his eyes.
"Kabuto should've totally read that attack... but why did he vomit?"
"Lee." Neji looked at him. "How about that technique just now?"
"I had no problems reading the speed. There was some kinf of trick to it." Lee analyzed.
"Silence, degenerates!"
A large cloud of smoke filled the front of the room. All eyes turned to the Ninja within the smoke as it cleared. A stern-faced man with scars smirked faintly and looked over the candidates.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"I'm Ibiki Morino, proctor of the first stage of the Chunin Exam."