"Welcome to the Chunin exams!" Ibiki yelled. He was standing in front of a large crowd. The ninja were formed into several lines of three. Ninja from four villages.

The leaf, the sand, the sound, and the rain.

They were gathered behind the building they'd arrived in, a small clearing by the woods.

"Get on with it already!" Naruto yelled from the back of his line. Sakura turned and hushed him.

"Unfortunately," Ibiki said, starting to pace. "Due to an intervention from higher up," He steals a glance at Gaara's line. "The first exam has been changed."

A bit of murmuring comes from the group.

"I need a volunteer!" Ibiki added. "Well?" He crossed his arms, looking the group over.

"What are we volunteering for?" A ninja from the rain asked.

"Come over here and find out," Ibiki remarked. The ninja huffed.

"I volunteer!" Naruto called out. He pushed past Sakura and Sasuke and approached Ibiki.

"Finally," Ibiki cracked a smile. "Now were going to play a game." He patted Naruto on the back. Naruto stepped away, cringing. "I need another volunteer!"

"If I must, then I will!" Lee appeared, stepping from behind Neji. Naruto looked Lee over, frowning at his green bodysuit.

"What kind of outfit is that?" Naruto asked. Lee grinned, stopping a few feet away from Naruto.

"Rock Lee, is it?" Ibiki asked. Lee nodded. "Your job is to get a single hit on Naruto."

"What?" Naruto asked. "This weirdo cant touch me!"

"I understand," Lee said. He took a fighting stance, crossing an arm behind his back and extending the other palm flat out towards Naruto. "Come on then."

"Be careful!" Sasuke called out from the sidelines. Naruto glanced over at Sasuke, ignoring Lee's penetrating gaze.

"Begin!" Ibiki yelled.

For a moment, neither Lee nor Naruto moved.

"Hup!" Lee lunged, throwing a punch. Naruto performed a hand sign, erupting into three clones.

Lee dispatched two of them instantly. He spotted the real Naruto drawing a kunai a few feet away. Lee crossed the distance instantly. He knocked the kunai from Naruto's hand and kicked him in the chest.

Naruto flew through the air, landing on his back with a thud.

"That's it!" Ibiki yelled.

"Am I eliminated?" Naruto asked, groaning. "No! Not that quickly!" He buried his face in his hands.

Lee walked over to Naruto and helped him to his feet.

"Return to your spot," Ibiki said. "You haven't been eliminated."

Naruto shared a look with Lee. Lee smiled.

"Now, I need another volunteer!" Ibiki yelled.

"I'll do it," Sasuke said. He passed Naruto, patting him on the back. "If I'm assuming correctly, you want me to try and hit Lee."

"That's right," Ibiki said.

Sasuke approached Lee, cracking his knuckles. His eyes flashed, revealing the sharingan.

"Oh!" Lee perked up. A smile appeared on his face and he assumed the same fighting stance he'd taken earlier. "Come on then."

"Begin!" Ibiki yelled.

Sasuke threw several Kunai.

Lee swiftly evaded the kunai, closing the distance between them. He spun into a wide kick. Sasuke blocked it with both hands. But Lee was faster, He flipped into the air, kicking Sasuke in the head.

Sasuke staggered backward, cursing. Lee landed on his hands and feet and grinned.

"Make him eat dirt, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled.

"Sasuke's outmatched," Shino said. He Hinata and Kiba were lined up beside Naruto and Sakura.

"What?" Naruto turned to Shino. "Who are you?"

Shino deadpanned at Naruto for a moment before nodding at the fight.

"Sasuke cant keep up with Lee."

"No!" Sakura yelled.

Naruto looked just in time to see Lee kicking Sasuke in the chin. Sasuke landed hard on his back.

"That's enough!" Ibiki yelled. Lee stepped back, nodding.

Sasuke panted on the ground, looking up at Lee.

"What the hell?" Sasuke asked. "What was that?"

"I think it's my turn," Sakura said, stepping forward.

"I want to try!" It was a boy from the sound village.

His name was Dosu. His face was covered with bandages. Only his left eye was visible. He was wearing a gray poncho, he also had a large straw raincoat on his back.

"Get back to your spot," Ibiki said, frowning at Sasuke. Sasuke got to his feet and walked away.

Dosu hobbled over to Lee, watching him closely.

"You're pretty fast, Lee," Dosu said. "I just need to hit you once, right?"

"Begin," Ibiki said.

X

"Lord hokage!"

The door to the hokage's office swung open. It was Kurenai and Asuma.

Kurenai was wearing her usual white outfit. Asuma was wearing the standard Jonin attire.

"What is going on?" Kurenai demanded crossing the room. Her red eyes were alight with rage. Asuma hung back, lighting a cigarette.

"What is it, Kurenai?" Hiruzen asked. He removed his hat and placed it on the desk.

"The first trial was supposed to be a written exam!" Kurenai yelled. "What happened?"

Hiruzen sighed.

"You know, you guys technically aren't supposed to know what the trials are."

Kurenai slammed her hands on Hiruzen's desk. He gave her a long look.

"The Kazekage requested more physical trials," Hiruzen explained. "We're fulfilling that request."

"They always want more violence!" Kurenai shouted. "We've never given into their demands before!" Hiruzen massaged his temple.

"This is a special year."

Kurenai turned.

Two men were standing by the wall. One of them was wearing the hat of the Kazekage. The lower half of his face is covered my a cloth.

Rasa, the fourth Kazekage. Beside him was Baki. Half of his face was covered with a cloth. He was wearing standard Jonin armor from the sand village.

"Lord Kazekage," Kurenai said.

"Good morning," The Kazekage said. "I was surprised myself when the hokage gave in to my request. I'm certain my ninja will not disappoint." His eye narrows. "Can all of you say the same?"

X

Lee screamed and staggered backward, clutching his ears.

Dosu's sleeve fell over the amplifier on his arm. He took a step closer to Lee and patted him on the arm.

"I think I win," Dosu said.

"What was that?" Lee asked. "Sound?"

"That guy sure is weird," Naruto said as Lee returned to his team. Sasuke grumbled.

"Who's next?" Ibiki asked.

"How long is this going to go?" It was Kankuro who spoke up. He was standing behind Gaara. "Until everyone participates?"

"Pretty much," Ibiki said.

"We cant be eliminated?" A girl from the rain asked. "Even if we lose?"

"Nope," Ibiki said.

"Then what's the point?" Ino asked.

Ibiki shrugged.

A murmur came over the group.

"I guess I'll go," A rain ninja boy stepped forward.

"Something isn't right," Sakura said. "I feel like were missing something." Sasuke and Naruto shared a look.

"You think that weird guy is playing at something?" Kiba asked. Sakura nodded.

"Why would he do that?" Hinata asked quietly.

"I don't know," Sakura admitted. "I think there's something he wants, but he's not telling us." Hinata nodded.

"Maybe he's stalling," Shino said.

"But for what?" Sasuke crossed his arms. Shino shook his head.

"That's the question."