Naruto strapped on the grey armor around his torso and fastened the bracers on his forearms when there was a knock on the door. He looked at the clock in his room.

Five thirty?

Naruto palmed a kunai from his holster and regarded the door with caution as he stepped out of his room and into the hall. He held a cross seal and created a shadow clone. He pointed to the door with his index finger and the clone nodded. Naruto positioned himself to the right of the door while the clone opened the door. The mechanism of the lock clicked as it was unbolted and the clone prepared for combat as it swung the door open, a kunai spinning in its hand.

Naruto blinked as the memory of an old man, with bandages covering his forehead, left eye, and left arm, which was held in a sling returned to him.

"I would have been disappointed if you hadn't sent that clone and hid behind the door, Naruto," Danzo said as he entered his apartment.

"Danzo-sama," Naruto greeted as he dropped to a knee.

"Rise, Naruto, there is something important we have to discuss. But first," Danzo said as he walked to his table and sat down, walking stick tapping against the polished ivory marble of his floor.

"Of course, Danzo-sama," Naruto said and went into the kitchen. He set the water to boil and added some tea leaves to it. Naruto reached for the pan hanging on one of the pegs on the wall above the platform on the right and set it on the stove. Four eggs were broken over the pan after adding some oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. He flipped the omelet after a minute and took the tea off the stove.

Naruto used a strainer to separate the hot tea from the leaves, and poured them into two transparent glasses. He squeezed half a lemon and mixed a spoon of honey in both glasses. He turned off the flame under the pan and put the pan on the platform before dividing it into two pieces. The omelets were shifted to two plates along with an assortment of sauces. He placed the plates and glasses on a tray and carried them to the wooden dining table. The blond put the tray down on the center of the table, set a plate in front of Danzo, and sat down in the chair opposite to him. Danzo picked the glass up and sipped on the tea as he did the same.

Chopsticks split with a crack as both student and master ate the eggs. Set the chopsticks down and used a napkin to wipe his hands and mouth.

"Quite acceptable, Naruto. Now we move on to business," Danzo said. A clone picked up the empty utensils, took them to the kitchen, and closed the door. The sound of some water gushing out of the tap still made its way through.

"The information you found in Orochimaru's base has helped identify the location of some more of his bases. With the presence of one in Iwa, he now has at least one base in all the major nations except Kiri."

The notes from his lab have also given us some insight into his scientific projects, so to say. The Hokage is pleased with the outcome of your last mission."

"Thank you, Danzo-sama."

Did he come all the way here just to tell me this? He could've done this once I came to base.

"That is not all I have come to say, however. Hiruzen has decided that it is time for you to step into the light now. It seems that our time together, as fruitful as it had been, has come to an end and we must part ways."

Know that you will always have my support should you ever require it and that I will never be far as long as you remember what I've taught you. The Hokage will send for you sometime today. I know that you will not disappoint me or him. Farwell, Naruto."

Naruto bowed as both of them stood up. "Understood, Danzo-sama." Danzo let a ghost of a smile show on his face for less than a second and left, a tap punctuating each of his footsteps.

Naruto unclipped the mask from his belt and stared at it, waiting to feel something. The porcelain was smooth and glossy to his touch. It reflected the lights above it and shone even brighter than usual. He stayed as still as a statue for the next half-minute or so.

This will take some getting used to.

Naruto took the sword which was hanging from the wall to the right of the door and hung his mask in its place. He then went into the room opposite his bedroom, switched the light on, and put the sword in the red closet next to the door.

The room itself was bare except for the various closets that lined its walls, only leaving space for the door to open. He opened the white closet that was opposite the door.

Five grey and black variants of the same armor he wore were hanging from the horizontal rod that ran across the closet. Naruto removed the one he was wearing, hung it up, and put on one of the black armors.

Naruto also removed his grey forearm bracers and opened the drawer of the ivory wardrobe next to the white one and pulled its drawer open. The inside was divided into two sections, the left side contained bracers similar to the ones he used while the right side had ones of a different design.

Naruto put the grey ones in and took out a pair of the metal forearm protectors, each was segmented into four smaller plates. Naruto trailed his finger over the smooth metal which reflected the light they were under and fastened them to his forearms. He moved his arms to check for any weight changes.

The guy said they weigh the same. Can never be too safe, can we?

Naruto checked his new gear in the mirror once and exited his house after locking it. Naruto took the stairs down to the ground floor and left in a Shunshin.

XxX

Itachi leaped onto the wall of the Hokage Tower and entered the office through one of the open windows. Itachi greeted the Hokage with a bow.

"Good morning, Itachi-kun. I suppose you already know why you are here," the Sandaime said.

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Report."

"While returning from our assignment in Waterfall, Alpha squad encountered a team comprising of Shiranui Genma, Gyekkou Hayate, Hagane Kotetsu, and Kamizuki Izumo engaged in battle with an Iwa kill squad."

Hayate was already injured by the time of our arrival. We identified ourselves as Alpha squad to the team and the Iwa shinobi, on hearing that tried to retreat. We left no traces except the usual."

The Hokage blew out a puff of air and sighed.

"Unfortunately, what happened yesterday was not an isolated incident. The frequency of these little ambushes has been increasing for a few months now. This was the twelfth team so far," the Sandaime said.

"They are testing us," Itachi said.

"I'm afraid so, Itachi-kun. Which makes the coming chuunin exams and Konoha's performance in it all the more important."

"Of course, Hokage-sama."

"The other reason for me summoning you here is…"

Itachi tilted his head to the side ever so slightly. Other reason? Could it be that-

"I believe that time will be here soon, Itachi-kun. It has been seven years now. Take your mask off," the Sandaime said.

Itachi removed his mask. "Who will be my replacement, Hokage-sama?" Itachi asked.

"Tora will be appointed captain and Inu from Beta squad will be the fourth member of squad Alpha until further notice. You are a jounin now."

"Understood, Hokage-sama."

A silver-haired man who wore a face mask that covered the lower half of his face came into the office a few minutes later. He too bowed with a greeting and sat down in the chair on the other side of the desk when Hiruzen motioned for him to sit down.

"So, Itachi, are you finally out?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes, Kakashi-san," Itachi said as he saw the Hokage motion for him stand next to him on the left with his hand.

"Will he be given a genin team now, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked with a faint snicker.

"I certainly hope not," Itachi said with a sigh. The idea of handling brats who were fresh out of the Academy was tiring, to say the least.

The Hokage chuckled. "Not yet," he said much to Itachi's relief. However, Itachi knew that it was only a matter of time.

Soon, Sarutobi Asuma, Maito Gai, Morino Ibiki, all other jounin sensei, various other jounin, and chuunin entered the office. Some of them began murmuring among themselves softly.

"It's that time again, huh?"

"I heard there's something big that's going to be happening this time around."

Itachi had heard the rumors of a chuunin exam where all five of the Great Nations were sending genin to participate in as well. Everyone fell silent and Kakashi stood next to everyone else when the Hokage cleared his throat.

"As some of you may have heard, the time of the chuunin exams is nearly upon us. They will be taking place in the Land of Iron since all five of the Great Nations have agreed to participate in an examination for the first time in history. This also means that the participants get much more publicity since the Daimyo and other nobles of many nations will be present."

Those who wish to nominate their teams come forward one by one. But keep in mind that the competition and stakes are going to be higher for this edition."

"I, Maito Gai, nominate my youthful Team nine consisting of Hyuuga Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten for the chuunin exams."

"I, Hatake Kakashi, nominate Team seven comprising of Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Sarutobi Konohamaru for the chuunin exams."

So, his hot-headed little brother and the Hokage's grandson were taking part. If Kakashi had not nominated them, his father who had been expecting as much would have had a fit. Sasuke was lauded as the best of his generation after all. By everyone who was not aware of the existence of another twelve-year-old.

Sasuke will put up a good show.

"I, Yuhi Kurenai, nominate Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino for the chuunin exams," Yuuhi Kurenai said.

Itachi recalled Sasuke telling him about how the Inuzuka would challenge him to spars despite losing every time they fought.

"I, Sarutobi Asuma, nominate Team Ten whose members are Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Chouji for the chuunin exams."

Itachi resisted the urge to frown as he remembered his brother's complaints about the pink-haired girl on his team and the Yamanaka heiress's admiration for him.

"Hokage-sama, permission to speak?" It was a chuunin with brown hair worn in a ponytail and a horizontal scar on his face. He was Sasuke's teacher in the Academy.

"Granted, Iruka-kun," Hiruzen said.

"The nine rookies were my students in the Academy. Is it a good idea to send them to these exams? While they are an exceptional batch no doubt, there will be many older and more experienced competitors gunning for easy targets," the Iruka said.

Father would have been rather livid if Sasuke had not been nominated.

The fact that Sasuke was not allowed to graduate early was something that Fugaku had found nearly unacceptable.

"Age in this world means nothing, Iruka-sensei. I was already a jounin by the time I was their age. Itachi took part in the exams when he was eleven years old and won, despite him entering without a team," Kakashi said.

"They're different from you! Don't compare them to the likes of yourself and Uchiha-san," Iruka almost yelled.

Now this statement, Itachi could wholeheartedly agree with. It had become very clear to both his father and the rest of the clan that while Sasuke was exceptional, he was nowhere close to being as gifted as his older brother. This culminated in his father telling Sasuke to stop trying to catch up to him rather directly.

Mikoto had been relieved. Despite the initial drop in Sasuke's confidence at being told that he was no longer expected to catch up to his older brother any time soon, eventually, Sasuke realized that a huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders and began enjoying training. And his father had also started acknowledging Sasuke's achievements.

"While I too agree that age in this world means nothing, sending rookies to these exams may not be ideal for their development. I waited for a year before nominating my team. I suggest you do the same, Kakashi," Gai said.

"You're underestimating them, just like everyone else at the exams will and that's why they'll succeed. They've surprised me with how much they've grown in the last six months. Moreover, these exams will give them a good idea as to the standard of shinobi of all the Great Nations and will be a good experience overall," Kakashi said.

Itachi could not bring himself to disagree with this statement as well. Sasuke's ability to see 'underneath the underneath' as his former captain liked to put it and his overall subtleness had improved during his time in Team seven.

"And the members of my team are the latest generation of the legendary Ino-Shika-Cho trio. They may not look like much individually but, together, they'll give any opponent one hell of a fight," Asuma said.

Nara Shikaku was one of the rare shinobi who was able to challenge him in a game of Shogi. His son, Shikamaru, described by Sasuke as lazy and unmotivated, was also quite intelligent. The boy had even managed to hold his own the few times they played.

Shikamaru may even be as smart as him. At least off the field.

"The genin of Team eight are also from reputed clans of Konoha and I believe that they will put up a good show. I also feel the same as Kakashi that these will be a good learning experience even if they don't win," Kurenai said.

"I understand your concern, Iruka-kun. However, the final decision lies with the jounin sensei of the genin squad. I sincerely believe that our rookies and the rest of our genin will distinguish themselves in the exams."

Itachi's eyes narrowed imperceptibly at the Hokage's words.

"Everyone else please continue. Those of you who are interested in proctoring for the exams please write your names on the form that is on my table. You will be dispatched to the Land of Iron shortly as each exam will be jointly proctored by shinobi from all the five Great Nations," the Sandaime said.

While the rest of jounin sensei nominated their teams, Morino Ibiki, Mitarashi Anko, and a few other chuunin and special jounin wrote their names in the form on the table.

"The proctors will be informed two days before being dispatched. The exams are to take place in three weeks. The genin squads and their jounin sensei will leave for the Land of Iron a week before they start, which is two weeks from now. I advise that the jounin sensei use most of this time preparing their genin for the grueling tests. Dismissed."

"You do not believe that one of our own will win, Hokage-sama?" Itachi asked as soon as everyone left.

"As I said earlier, Itachi-kun, I have faith that our genin will perform well. However, given the unprecedented nature of this event, there are bound to be a few overqualified candidates sent with the sole purpose of winning the exams," the Hokage said with a sigh.

"And you do not intend to send one such candidate yourself?" Itachi asked.

The Sandaime's lips quirked upwards. "Go find Naruto and bring him to the hospital."

Itachi bowed and took off in a Shunshin.

XxX

Itachi had found Naruto in the training grounds that Danzo had reserved for Root operatives. However, Itachi only ever saw Naruto train here. If there was anyone else, it was only to train with him. This was also the only place that was not underground where Naruto would normally spend more than an hour a day.

The blond was performing a handstand on the branch of a tree on the edge of the field when Itachi appeared. Itachi would have raised an eyebrow at Naruto's choice of clothing had he not been distracted by the changes in his features. He looked far more fox-like now, courtesy of the thicker whiskers.

His resemblance to the Yondaime is much less noticeable now.

Especially with the change in his eye color. Naruto tried shifting his weight to his right hand and lost his balance as a result. He landed in a crouch and was about to climb the tree again when Itachi spoke.

"The Hokage has called for you, Naruto," Itachi said.

"About time. I was starting to think that I might have to kill time at the library. I hope he has a good assignment for me. To the Hokage's office then?" Naruto asked, after taking note of the absence of the hawk mask on his person.

"The assignment he has for you will certainly be interesting. However, he has asked us to report to the hospital," Itachi said.

Naruto sighed once. "Better get it over with," Naruto said and took off. Itachi followed and realized that the blond was significantly faster than before. However, he was still slower than his top speed. They stepped out of the flicker and entered the hospital when the glass door came into view.

"Uchiha-san, Uzumaki-san, Hokage-sama is waiting for you in examination room five on the second floor," the receptionist said.

Itachi nodded and Naruto fell into step with him as they took the stairs.

"So, who's your replacement?" Naruto asked as they climbed the stairs.

Itachi debated on telling Naruto who the new captain of Alpha squad was since he was no longer a part of the Foundation.

He'll find out anyway.

"Hokage-sama has named Tora," Itachi said.

"Tora? That guy's no fun at all. Which is no surprise since he was ex-Root," Naruto said.

They reached the examination room before Itachi could retort. He and Naruto greeted the Hokage who was sitting in a chair next to the bed in the center of the room with a bow. The head medic, Kakashi's former teammate, was standing next to him.

"Danzo has sent over the reports of the examination done by his medics. I, however, want to check your seal for any changes in the last month and have Rin confirm the results once again," the Hokage said as he stood up and placed his hat on the chair.

Naruto lay down on the bed after removing his armor and vest. Rin placed her hands on his shoulder and began sending some chakra into him. A black spiral design appeared on Naruto's stomach. The Hokage bent towards the seal to take a closer look. Itachi was tempted to look at the seal that kept the nine-tailed fox at bay but, refrained from doing so.

It is not my concern.

"Come and take a look Itachi-kun. While you still have much to learn before you can fully understand the workings of the seal and how to use the Eight Trigarms Sealing style, seeing what it can do would not hurt," the Sandaime said with a chuckle.

Itachi walked to the bed and activated his Sharingan. While he recognized the two Shishō Fūin, the spiral itself was composed of several small kanji that he could make neither head nor tail of. However, the kanji that were on the lines coming out of the spiral were understandable.

They regulate the flow of the Kyuubi's chakra.

"Indeed," the Hokage said as he trailed his fingers over the two horizontal lines that were on either side of the seal, completing the circle surrounding the inner spiral. The spacing between the kanji of the horizontal mines was a little more than that of the other lines.

These lines are causing more of the Kyuubi's chakra to flow into him. Which was why he was so much faster.

"Everything is in order," the Hokage said made eye contact with Rin. She nodded once and cut the flow of chakra a few moments later.

"Did you experience any improvements in your physical stats?" the medic asked.

"There was an overall improvement in strength, speed, and stamina," Naruto said.

"Any loss of chakra control?" It was the Sandaime this time.

"Yes, Hokage-sama. Took me a month to get it back."

"Any other changes that you noticed."

"Physically? No. But, there is one other thing," Naruto said.

"What is it?" Rin asked.

"It's easier to show you," Naruto said and stood up. He unclipped the hilt from his belt and sent some chakra into the sword.

Itachi's eyes widened as the purple blade grew from the hilt.

"Since the blade is composed of a concentrated form of the user's chakra, it is just reacting to the change in your chakra," the Hokage said as Naruto retracted it and clipped it to his belt.

"Its penetrating power has increased I take it?" Itachi asked.

"Yeah, it did," Naruto said with a smirk as he put on his vest.

"As to why you are here, Naruto-kun. I suppose you know about the chuunin exams that are taking place in the Land of Iron?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama. We also have information that the Ichibi jinchuuriki will be participating," Naruto said.

"And that is only from Suna. We can safely assume that each of the Great Nations will send at least one such Shinobi to increase their chances of winning," the Hokage said.

"So, I'm going to be one whose going?"

"You shall win the tournament. The final round will be attended by all five kage."

"Any additional instructions, Hokage-sama?"

"In the event that you are pitted against a Konoha ninja and must defeat them in order to advance, refrain from the use of excessive force. Killing will not be tolerated under any circumstances."

If you are to find any Konoha ninja in a life-threatening situation and are able to help them without putting your spot at risk, you are to do so."

"What of shinobi from other nations?" Naruto asked.

"While I do not like unnecessary bloodshed, I shall leave that to your discretion. I know that it goes without saying but failure is not an option, Naruto-kun," the Sandaime said.

"Understood, Hokage-sama. I will win."

Of course he will. Itachi pitied the genin who would be unfortunate to run into the blond.

"Rin will act as your jounin sensei for the duration of the exams since she is going as the contingent's medic anyway. As for your team-"

"I don't require a team, Hokage-sama," Naruto said.

Itachi withheld a sigh. That is reckless and will draw unnecessary attention. The Sandaime contemplated it for a moment.

"Very well. Best of luck, Naruto-kun."

XxX

Naruto placed the scrolls containing spare outfits, weapons, and other supplies in the two extra pouches that he carried, the standard loadout for any long-term mission. He also carried his chakra conductive ninjato. However, the steel gray hilt was still on his belt.

Just in case.

He closed the door of his weapons room and scanned his house for any windows that were not bolted from the inside. Once he was satisfied, he headed to the gates via successive Shunshin after locking the main door.

I really wish that he hadn't ordered me to go with everyone else.

Traveling with the rest of the contingent at genin pace would be boring. While he had been in the Land of Iron earlier, this would be the first time that he would be entering their capital. It was not that the place itself was impenetrable, but there was simply no need. The Samurai did not dabble in shinobi affairs for the most part.

And those guys don't screw around when they say keep out.

Naruto appeared without any puff of smoke or sound at the main gates of Konoha. Most of the genin and jounin had already arrived at the gates. Konoha was sending twenty teams of genin, or sixty-four genin, and around twenty-one jounin. He tuned out most of the chatter as he searched for anyone he knew. After a few moments, he spotted Rin talking to three genin.

Is that Team seven?

Naruto approached the team. "You're late," Rin said, turning towards him.

"You're just early, sensei."

"Sensei?" the pink-haired girl asked.

"Yes, he's my student. Me and his mother were good friends. I took him in after she died," Rin said.

The girl took a step towards him. "I'm sorry about that. I don't think we've met. Haruno Sakura," she said, extending her hand.

"Thank you. Uzumaki Naruto, nice to meet you, Sakura-san," Naruto said as he shook her hand.

"How come Kakashi never mentioned you before? And where's the rest of your team?" Sasuke asked.

"I don't have a team," Naruto said.

"You're participating alone? Isn't this a team event?" Konohamaru asked.

"It is recommended that genin participate in a team. It's also not the first time Konoha's sending someone without a team," Kakashi said after appearing in a swirl of leaves.

"It is only the second time in the last decade or so. I also don't remember seeing you in the Academy or anywhere else for that matter but, you seem to be our age. When did you graduate?" Sasuke asked.

"That information is above your pay grade I'm afraid, Sasuke," Naruto said.

"What?"

"Now, now, Sasuke, let's not forget that we're all comrades here," Kakashi said, holding his hand up.

"Come on, Shikamaru, you can at least try and look like you want to be here!" he heard someone yell with a rather high-pitched voice.

Naruto turned in the direction that he assumed the noise came from and saw Sarutobi Asuma with three genin, a fat boy who was snacking on chips, a blonde girl who were her long hair in a ponytail, and a thin boy who also wore his hair in a ponytail had his hands in his pockets, heading towards Team seven.

This is the latest iteration of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio?

The Nara boy-Shikamaru- sighed. "Can you not be so loud in the morning, Ino? This whole thing is troublesome enough as it is."

"I'll stop being so loud when you start showing some spirit! We're not going to win with that attitude," the blond girl-Ino-said.

"Keep it down, you guys. It's nice to see that you aren't late, Kakashi," Asuma said as they were a few feet away from where he was standing.

Ino's eyes lit upon seeing Sasuke and she proceeded to hug him from behind.

"Sasuke-kun! I've been waiting to see you," she said.

"Get away from him, Ino-pig!" Sakura yelled as Sasuke unwrapped Ino's arms from around him with a faint growl.

Ino was about to say something when her eyes fell on him. Naruto raised an eyebrow as she took him in, much slower than she should have. She smirked as Seafoam met Purple.

"Oh, my who's this? I haven't seen you around here before. Are you participating as well?"

"Yes," Naruto said.

"Yamanaka Ino, nice to meet you. Where's the rest of your team by the way?"

"I don't have a team," Naruto replied as he purposefully looked away. That only caused the girl's smirk to widen while the Nara was staring at him. He squinted at Naruto.

"What are you doing here?"

"Hey! What kind of a question is that?" Ino asked as she punched him on the shoulder.

Naruto smirked ever so slightly. "I don't understand what you're asking me. I just told you I'm taking part in the exams."

Naruto met Shikamaru's gaze evenly.

I've been doing this for way longer than you man.

"Okay. We'll be starting now!"

Naruto sighed as they headed north. This is going to be one long ride.

XxX

The three mountains that were shaped like the howling heads of wolves loomed in the distance. The undersides even had sharp protrusions that resembled teeth. They stood strong in the wake of the snowfall. The ice glistened on its surface, the smooth white standing out from the rocky grey of the mountain's surface.

Naruto's breath condensed and came out as thick as the morning fog of a coastal city as he shook some of the snow off his armor. His fingers twitched towards the mask on his belt. His spiked sandals sunk into the thick layer of snow on the ground, leaving deep imprints.

"How are you not freezing to death like the rest of us?" Ino asked as she pulled the white cloak that everyone else except his was wearing closer to her and rubbed her hands against her arms.

Does she ever shut up?

"I was trained to operate in all weather conditions and fighting in those is cumbersome, to say the least," Naruto said.

"How the hell can someone be trained not to die of hypothermia?" she asked.

They can't.

"Bathing in ice-cold water twice a day helps," Naruto said.

"You're serious?"

Naruto sighed. He understood why Danzo would rant about how disappointing his generation was at least once a week as the Konoha contingent's journey to the Land of Iron.

None of the rookies were impressive. Not by any standards. And definitely not by Danzo's standards. He had read about the Ino-Shika-Cho trio as a legendary team whose teamwork and battle prowess had been unrivaled until the Sannin came by and established themselves as the strongest team in the history of the Elemental Nations.

Any nine-year-old kid from the Foundation would decimate the genin of his generation in a one-on-one fight. The only ones who were even halfway decent were Itachi's brother and the Hokage's grandson. Although Sasuke paled in comparison to his brother at his age. A twelve-year-old Root agent would prove too much for even Sasuke and Konohamaru. While he had not seen them fight, it was as plain as day to him from the way they moved, the way they spoke, and their mindset.

The problem with getting used to peace, as the old man put it.

Naruto withheld the scoff at the notion of these genin positively distinguishing themselves in these exams.

Then again, life and death situations are said to be the time when one's true strength and ability come out.

Naruto decided that he would reserve judgment until he saw them perform under such conditions. Underestimating his competitors would only result in him getting caught off guard and failing his mission. And he would not fail.

"So, is everyone ready to get dusted in these exams?" Kiba yelled at the top of his lungs as the gates of the capital came into view.

Where the hell do these kids even get their confidence from?

Naruto knew that none of them had even been on an A-ranked mission prior. And that it was that guy's first chuunin exam.

He won't make it past the second round.

They were a few meters away from the stone arch that stood above the gates when around fifty samurai, all clad in their traditional armor and full-face masks. The ones in the middle made way as an old man with long grey hair and bandages wrapped around his forehead.

"I am Mifune. The Land of Iron welcomes the shinobi of Konohagakure. I would also like to remind you that any misconduct will not be tolerated," Mifune said.

He doesn't like wasting time.

The man appeared old and feeble, but Naruto knew better. While most samurai were no match for a jounin, Mifune was the leader of the samurai. He was believed to be capable of going toe to toe with A-rank shinobi and succeed.

"We understand and will keep that in mind," Kakashi said, coming forward.

"However, it was not my intention to scare any of you. We just want to avoid any tussles outside of the designated areas since things can get out of hand easily. Given the number of participants. We shall now escort you to the hotel that you shall stay in for the duration of your visit."

The streets and buildings were all made of the same dark grey stone. The streets were lined with various shops that sold food, souvenirs, and equipment. The local populace seemed uninterested in them while a few ninja from countries such as Lightning, Earth, and Waterfall were giving them dirty looks as the Konoha contingent passed in front of the shops they were in. Since he was in the front, he could not see what a majority of the Leaf nin did but, he was sure they returned the glares with the same intensity.

I guess everyone's here.

Some Suna ninja were exiting the hotel that they were being led to. Some of the jounin exchanged nods.

He's somewhere around here then.

Mifune stopped outside and said, "Once you have checked in, you are free to explore the city if you wish. However, the site of the first examination and the surrounding areas are off-limits."

The members of each team were given a room each and two jounin were required to share a room. Since he was the only member of his team, he was sharing his room with Rin.

"Just because you can withstand the cold doesn't mean you should," she said, settling on one of the two single beds after removing the white cloak.

"Those cloaks are not ideal for fighting or stealth. While the chances of us having to do either of those during our journey was close to zero, I thought it was a good time to get acclimated to the weather," Naruto said sitting on the other bed.

"I heard he came to your house and told you were no longer his operative? I was expecting him to come up with some excuse to make sure you don't come out."

"That was the deal, remember? It's not like he had a choice. He didn't look too happy about it though. Especially after I killed Kabuto."

"How did he find out that he was a spy? He was good enough to fool the rest of us."

"Who do you think Kabuto's old employer was?" Naruto asked.

Rin's eyes widened a little. "He was Root?"

"Yeah. Orochimaru just happened to recruit him on his way out," Naruto said as he lay down.

"Not going to scout the competition?" Rin asked.

"I'll go in a few minutes. I still don't think sending rookies was a good idea though. Those kids will get slaughtered."

"So, you're saying none of them will make it past the second round? Care to bet on that?" Rin asked with a smirk.

"I'll only bet my money on myself thank you very much. You should too. The Sandaime already has."

"I'll wait till the third round. Who knows? Maybe you'll run into a strong team and lose. And maybe then you'll learn about not being arrogant. And don't even try to say you're not. If you weren't, you would've asked for a team," Rin said.

"Yeah right. Going alone and winning would make my victory that much more glorious. Moreover, an easy mission like this needs a handicap," Naruto said.

"We'll see about that."

"You bet," Naruto said as he opened the window.

"You can use the stairs, you know. It's easier."

"Now, where's the fun in that?"

XxX

A headcount is pointless.

Naruto knew that the number of participants was unprecedented, but he could not help but be a little surprised as took in the sheer number of people present at the base of one of the snow-covered mountains near the capital. The fact that it was his first chuunin exam only added to his surprise.

"This just got a lot more troublesome," Shikamaru said from behind him. And for once, his teammates who were taking in the sight with wide eyes seemed to agree with him.

"Not having a team with you must be demotivating right?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto turned to the shorter boy and smirked.

"Not in the least. Two fewer things to worry about."

"Or two more if you get into a fight," Sasuke said.

"That depends on who I get into a fight with," Naruto said and Sasuke's eyebrow twitched.

"Good morning, Naruto-san!" A loud voice in the background cut through the momentary silence.

"Good morning, Lee-san," Naruto said. The taijutsu specialist was the only one that had earned his respect. And this was even before he found out about his training regimen. One glance at his physique was enough for Naruto to realize that Rock Lee was fast. If someone had told him that there was a thirteen-year-old in the village who trained harder than him a few weeks ago, he would have laughed in their face and brushed it off.

Now that he had seen Lee train a few hours ago, he believed it.

"I hope I get the opportunity to fight you in these exams and test the flames of my youth!"

"I am looking forward to it as well, Lee-san. And I hope you will not hold back," Naruto said, keeping his eyes on the weights on his ankles.

"You are quite observant, Naruto-san. However, I have yet to encounter a genin who is fast enough to keep up with me."

"It's the same from my side. All the best, in any case," Naruto said and began walking towards the front of the crowd. Lee, Sasuke, and the rest of the rookies followed him. He was scanning the crowd for a few faces in particular. Naruto caught one halfway to the front.

A short auburn-haired boy who carried a gourd of sand on his back.

Sabaku no Gaara.

The Ichibi jinchuuriki. The Sandaime had been right in his prediction that Konoha was not the only village sending a ringer. It was common sense when one saw things from a political standpoint. Winning these exams meant a huge influx of mission requests for the winner's village and this was an opportunity that Sunagakure, which was already being starved of missions by their Daimyo simply could not afford to pass up. And they were not the only ones.

Naruto also saw another tall, green-haired, dark-skinned girl carrying a big red cylindrical bag on her back standing at the front with the Taki headband around her right arm.

The jinchuuriki of the Nanabi. He had only seen an old and blurry photo of her but, mint green hair and orange eyes coupled with her slightly darker skin tone made recognizing her easy.

How the hell did Taki even get their hands on the seven tails?

The Nanabi was sold to Sunagakure by Senju Tobirama when the Shodai Hokage met with all the other Kage at the first and last Kage summit, sometime after the village's founding.

However, during the Third Great Ninja War, the jinchuuriki of the Nanabi went missing in the Land of Waterfalls. It was only through Konoha's spy network that they even knew about its resealing. The only thing that kept Takigakure safe was the fact that it was the only hidden village in the Elemental Nations. Its location was a closely guarded secret that only their jounin and chuunin knew.

At least that's what they think.

Naruto was also aware of the wide berth that everyone was giving him and the Konoha genin that was following him. It was logical that the youngest and least experienced would be treated as easy pickings.

That's exactly what'll get them destroyed.

Naruto inwardly chuckled on seeing the teams from Iwa trying their best to intimidate him.

Who would've thought that I was going to be getting death stares by D-rank shinobi?

These kids were trying to stare him down. Naruto knew that most of them would not have even killed someone in their careers. All the boys were puffing their chests and angling their heads upward while kunai spun around their fingers. It was getting harder to keep his poker face intact. It was getting harder to not give them a piece of his mind.

"All right maggots! Shut the hell up and pay attention!"

Morino Ibiki stood in front of them, along with four other proctors, each from one of the Great Nations. He recognized the blond man with the kanji for water and lightning tattooed on his arms standing next to Ibiki.

That's the Raikage's bodyguard. Darui.

He only wore a sleeveless shirt and the white Kumo flak jacket over it. So, I'm not the only one who doesn't mind the cold. Snowfall was a common phenomenon in Kumogakure after all.

"If you guys want to know what the first test is, you have to scale this mountain within two hours. Without the use of any transportation techniques like the Shunshin. Also, drop your cloaks. They're very heavy and will slow you down," Ibiki said with a grin.

"We'll freeze to death!"

"I don't care! Leave your cloaks or quit. It's up to you. And any fools who get into a fight on the way up will get their teams disqualified. We'll be watching you," Ibiki said and vanished in a puff of smoke.

Are they hiding in the snow? Or using the Meisaigakure no Jutsu? Either way…

Naruto ignored the snow that got into his sandals as his feet sunk a few inches into the snow on the mountain's base.

At least I don't have to worry about frostbite.

While many would have said having company made things like this easier, he had always preferred silence during missions. He had steadily been putting some distance between himself and everyone else.

There were a few who kept pace with him but all of them were from other villages and thus, chose to stay at least a few meters away from him. One Rock-nin, in particular, was matching him step for step and glaring at him whenever they made eye contact.

As he was nearing the summit, a fog began setting in.

Kirigakure no Jutsu?

The peaks of mountains rarely got foggy as fog, being heavier than air, would float down to the base. Naruto slowed down as the visibility decreased. He reached the top in a few minutes. Ibiki had a point to make eye contact with every single one of the genin around him and grin at them as if a predator would at its prey. When he turned to him, however, the grin faded.

Naruto focused on Ibiki's forehead protector as the interrogation specialist examined him, firm gaze dissecting his body language. A few moments later, Ibiki diverted his attention at some of the genin trudging to the peak.

The proctors spoke among themselves about totally unrelated things as everyone else came up. Most of the genin were panting heavily and fell to their knees. Naruto also noted that a fifth of the participants did not make it. Ibiki snapped his fingers. A brown platform sprouted from the peak and began elongating horizontally. Two thick pillars also rose diagonally from a point about fifteen meters below and supported the platform. The platform itself was twenty-five meters long.

They would've needed at least three guys who are very good with Doton for that.

The proctors walked onto the platform and stopped a few meters away from the edge. A slow breeze caused Ibiki's trench coat to sway. The fog had cleared from the summit, but it made it impossible to see below the upper half of the mountain.

"The genin whose names are called out will fall out and step onto the platform," Ibiki said and started calling out names. Only one member from each team was being named.

"Now, for the interesting part. The genin on the platform are to jump off this edge," Ibiki said, gesturing to the edge farthest from the mountainside. Ibiki continued, "If you jump, your teammates will be directly promoted to chuunin. If you don't, your team is disqualified."

A test.

"That's unfair!"

Ibiki chuckled. "A shinobi's life is unfair kid. Get used to it."

"Don't the exams have three rounds?!"

At that Ibiki laughed a little. "Normally they do but, you guys are lucky. Because this is a unique circumstance and I make the rules. You have two minutes to decide. If anyone wishes to withdraw, step off the platform."

No wonder he's known across the Elemental Nations.

The glances of the genin on the platform were shifting from the edge to their teams. Some of them were even quivering. The two minutes gave people time to think. Time normally meant that one had more time to arrive at a logical conclusion but here, the threat of failure or death made it almost impossible to analyze the situation. Naruto waited for thirty seconds. No one had moved. Most of the genin of Konoha were shaking now.

It's no good.

Naruto strode onto the platform, unclipped the mask from his belt, and put it on. Ibiki saw him and opened his mouth to say something. "Since one of the participants does not have a team…"

Naruto sped into a sprint and dove off the edge headfirst. Blond hair was blown back because of the wind as he spread his arms, increasing the space between him and the mountainside and slowing his fall. Even if he managed to land on the mountain without hurting himself, it could cause an avalanche.

What were they going to do if someone jumped? Guess I have to summon someone.

However, just as Naruto passed through the fog, he saw a huge lake next to the mountain. Naruto straightened his body. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, pointed his toes downward, and braced for impact.

Naruto pierced the surface of the lake with the momentum of a torpedo less than two seconds later. Some of the water splashed a few feet into the air. It was even colder than the air at the peak. Naruto sunk ten meters into the water and stopped. The lake was much deeper. He could see the large ripples on the surface of the lake from under it.

They probably broke the ice over it in the morning.

Naruto swam to the surface and stood on the surface of the clear blue water. Wet hair stuck to his face while wet clothes clung to his skin. The faint rays of the sun made it slightly more bearable. Naruto tilted his head upward, waiting to see the effect his actions would have had on the genin that were asked to jump.

Any second now…

While crashing into the water from that height was not lethal, wrong body orientation at the time of impact could result in a few broken bones. There had to be a plan to get those genin down safely. Purple eyes spotted movement in the dissipating fog. But it was too big to be human. A big brown hawk was slowly descending. Almost fifteen seconds later, almost twenty-four more came into view.

Summons.

Naruto blinked as a new memory flickered into his head.

XxX

A nondescript Konoha genin watched dispassionately as Naruto jumped off. There goes prime. Now to see what happens.

Ibiki's eyes had widened ever so slightly for less than a moment before his expression became neutral again. Sasuke cursed under breath, shot one last glare at the interrogation specialist, and leaped off the edge.

At least he has guts.

Soon many of the genin followed suit while some bowed their heads and walked back onto the snow with sighs and shakes of the head. Some of their teammates were howling in displeasure. After around twenty seconds, it became clear to him that no one else was going to jump. Until Ino clenched her fists and took the plunge. This time it was his eyes that widened a little.

She wasn't all talk then.

Once the platform was empty, the genin disappeared in a puff of smoke that largely went unnoticed by everyone there.

XxX

Interesting.

Perhaps Rin was right in saying that these exams were not going to be a pushover for him. He grinned at the prospect. He had not been expecting the blond girl to actually take the risk of death or grave injury just to make sure that her team did not get disqualified.

Wait, is that her?

A purple dot was plummeting towards the lake at impressive speeds. One of the hawks was trying to catch her but it was not fast enough. Naruto performed a few hand seals and clapped his hands together.

Not sure if this qualifies as a life and death situation though. Suiton: Suishōha!

A large mass of water started swirling together at the spot where he estimated she would land. The water rose from the surface as a tall vortex, the speed of its rotation was increasing rapidly, disturbing the stillness of the lake. Some of the water even fell on the banks.

Naruto counted to ten before releasing the jutsu and dove into the water. However, Ino was already swimming to the surface. Her long hair clung to her body as she stood on the water. Naruto emerged next to her.

"You're welcome."

A well-manicured eyebrow rose. "But I didn't say thank you," Ino said.

"Doesn't matter," Naruto said as he was preparing to make his way to the bank when he felt something warm and wet on his cheek. "Thank you, Naruto-kun," Ino said with a wink after pulling back and started walking towards the bank.

His fingers trailed over the whisker the girl's lips had touched and it took a significant amount of the self-control that was drilled into him in the last seven years to keep himself from reacting. Naruto was sure that the old man would put him through three days of mental and physical torture if he saw the nonplussed look on his face.

Naruto dried himself with chakra and watched the hawks touch down on the snow. Most of the genin hopped off the bird's backs and crumbled while exhaling loudly. A few exclamations and cries of victory were also heard. Sasuke dusted some of the precipitation from his gear and met his gaze.

"Show off."

Naruto only smirked in response. The proctors alighted from another hawk. Ibiki approached Naruto while Darui called out the names of the teams that were disqualified.

"You're one crazy bastard. But you already know that don't you?" Ibiki asked.

"So, I've been told, Ibiki-san. Although I feel that's a good thing in my line of work," Naruto said.

"I was a little let down when I realized that one participant was going to get a bye but, it seems that was unnecessary. So, Danzo finally struck gold. Well, good luck kid," Ibiki said.

Naruto was debating between a reply and silence. He settled on silence and left in the direction of the hotel after Darui announced that the location of the second exam and other details would be sent to their jounin sensei.

XxX

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