Disclaimer: Refer to chapter 1.
AN: Full Chapter Title: The Chunin Exams Arrive! Who Are Konoha's Entrants?
The sound of clashing blades resounded through one of the clearings of Training Ground 7.
"Is that all you have Legate?" Naruto and Sasuke's blades were locked in a clash, their shields left on the ground as they battled against the strength of the other. "I thought you would be better than this!"
"I thought I would go easy on you Praetor." Sasuke's red and black eyes flashed with challenge as he drew back and darted forward. Sparks flew as Naruto narrowly parried the blow before surging forward and his armored shoulder planted itself into the Uchiha's armored chest. He was thrown back but quickly recovered, rolling back onto his feet, and throwing his entire being into the next overhead swing of his sword. Naruto rose his own blade to counter and the two once again clashed, Naruto's horizontal block stopping Sasuke's vertical slash. The two struggled against each other for only a moment before Sasuke's sandal clad foot struck out and planted itself into Naruto's armored stomach.
The Uzumaki let out a grunt as he was sent stumbling back and the Legate of his Orange Legion charged forward to press his attack when his free hand flew out and knocked his head to the side with a straight punch. His weapon came free of his grip at the suddenness of the attack. He recovered swiftly but didn't charge forward into the fray, he rubbed at his jaw with his now free hand. Naruto only offered him a smirk to the look he received and Sasuke's eyes once again flashed as he brought his fist into his palm.
"It looks like we're resorting to fists then." The Uchiha rolled his shoulders as he brought his hands up, balled into fists. "I'll show you my hand to hand skills then." Sasuke rushed forward and Naruto held his sword forward to meet him in a one handed grip.
The Uchiha avoided his swing and slammed into him, throwing him back, as his hands came up and took hold of his sword bearing arm. Naruto's single arm wrestled against the might of two as his other attempted to push Sasuke away. Eventually his attacker forced his sword from his hand when he jerked it towards the ground. The blonde struggled for a moment longer before falling as Sasuke threw him over his shoulder and to the ground. As he fell, his legs crossed and his back struck the ground with Naruto's own as he tried to pull at the arm bar he now had. Naruto's fingers had locked together as quickly as possible and now pulled to keep his arm from being lost to Sasuke's hold.
"Tricky." Naruto grinned despite the situation he found himself in. "You're deceptively good Sasuke."
"Consider it my duty to keep you wary of me." Sasuke wrenched his hold but failed to rip Naruto's hands apart. The Praetor's strength was too much it seemed.
"Let me show you why I am leader of this Legion." Naruto surprised the Uchiha when he seemed to effortlessly rise to his feet despite the weight of the Uchiha to one side. He failed to even stagger and with a grin he threw himself down with great force. Sasuke, to his credit, did not even consider releasing the hold. Naruto then did it again with more force. The Uchiha continued to refuse to release the hold so Naruto rose again rose to his full height.
"You don't know when to give up." Naruto almost felt the need to curse before he threw Sasuke onto the ground once more but this time did not rise. He forced the Uchiha to bear his full weight on his shoulders as he tried to bend him in half with his armored form.
Sasuke released his hold on his arm, the Uchiha rolling to the side and coming up at his fallen sword. He drew it up into the air as Naruto chuckled as he crouched down and drew up his own blade. Both spun the tools of death in their hands and were set to begin the duel again.
"What's up?" Kakashi wordlessly appeared between the two with his hand raised in greeting. His appearance had successfully stopped them and already Naruto's Praetorians advanced behind the blonde until a raised hand stopped them. He spoke no words but his blue eyes did not leave Kakashi's form. "I need to talk to all three of you so show up at those posts I should have tied you to a while ago." He vanished without getting a response but didn't miss Naruto's chuckle.
"I will enjoy the day I am presented with Silver Fang's head." Naruto returned his sword to its place at his side and looked to his sparring partner. "Inform the entirety of my glorious Legion to hold their positions for now. I believe only the two of us will need to move."
"Of course Praetor." Sasuke's fist rested over his armored heart before he pressed a finger to his ear. "Praetor orders his glorious Orange Legion to hold their positions for now. Praetor and I will speak with Silver Fang before issuing further orders."
"You are dismissed for now, Praetorians." Naruto looked to his personal bodyguards and as one they fell to a knee and bowed their head to him before vanishing from sight. Sasuke's Sharingan looked over the entire encounter as he walked up to his side.
"Let us depart, Legate." Naruto walked off without glancing to make sure the Legate of his Legion was following him.
He knew he was because he had no choice.
"Asuma-sensei, what is this meeting about?" The latest iteration of the Ino-Shika-Cho sat across from him at the restaurant they would probably become a regular presence in, Yakiniki Q. While Choji was busy roasting a good portion of the food on the table and Ino was making sure he didn't burn anything, Shikamaru asked the question that they all had.
"Well, you all know the Chunin Exams is coming up soon, right?" Asuma looked across the table at each of the capable Genin placed in his hands. "I'm sure you all know that Gai's already announced to half the village his team will be competing and I'm sure Kurenai will be doing the same with her own either tonight or tomorrow morning." He offered all three a proud smile. "You three are incredible Shinobi and I'm not planning to have you wait for the promotion you deserve. I've got the paperwork nearly done, you three just need to sign on the dotted line." To prove his point, he withdrew the paperwork from his Flak Jacket and laid it down in front of them. "I know you three are ready but if-"
"I thought we wouldn't get the chance until next year honestly." Shikamaru flipped through the first few sheets and seemed bored with it after a while, flipping through the rest as he searched for where to sign his name. "I'm glad to get such a drag out of the way now."
"What Shikamaru said." Choji was multitasking, focusing on both the food and flipping through the paperwork in front of him.
"You really didn't think we would refuse, did you?" Ino almost laughed at the very idea as she signed her name on the dotted line, Choji and Shikamaru echoing her with the paperwork in front of them. "If you think we're ready then we're definitely becoming Chunin." They handed them back as one. "We don't intend to do anything but excel in the Chunin Exams."
"Yeah, we'll make Chunin no problem." Shikamaru offered him a lazy smile. "Besides, not making Chunin would be too troublesome for a guy like me."
"If you put your faith in us, we won't make you regret it." Choji gave him a resolute nod.
"You guys could never manage to disappoint me." The Jonin accepted the paperwork and sealed it away to turn in later. "If we're being honest, I'm not worried for you three at all. I know you'll ace any exams they give you thanks to how well you work together. I'm more concerned with what you'll do to your competition."
"Yeah, they should be worried." Ino threw her arms over the shoulder of the boy on either side of her. "Ino-Shika-Cho is an unbeatable force when we're together. Everyone in the Chunin Exams is about to learn that the hard way when we mop the floor with them."
"Yeah…or hopefully they all just give up and we don't have to do anything." Ino's arm tightened on Shikamaru and he nearly choked as she smiled at him. "But we're definitely going to beat them all because Ino's the greatest Kunoichi to ever live."
'Smart kid.' Asuma couldn't help but compliment the Genin's danger sense.
"Thank you Shikamaru."
"You're welcome…please stop choking me now."
Elsewhere, Team 8 sat in front of their Jonin sensei. Training had just finished for the day and all three were catching their breath as Kurenai debated revealing her surprise for them now or tomorrow morning.
'Asuma's probably already told his team, everyone in the Land of Fire knows Gai put his team in, and Kakashi's putting in his brats…it'll be embarrassing for me to be the odd one out. Especially if their teams get promoted to Chunin and mine stay Genin.' Kurenai let out a near irritated sigh. 'I've got to put them in even if I don't think they're ready.'
It was true that her team was capable but all three lacked in some areas.
Hinata was still breaking free of her timid nature even if she was progressing by leaps and bounds in her Taijutsu and usage of the Byakugan. Kurenai may have found herself disagreeing with the motivation for the change but she couldn't deny her pupil's progress. She had been growing stronger and stronger every day since she had committed herself to her training.
Kiba was a monster at Taijutsu and his synchronization with Akamaru for a variety of techniques ranging from tracking to sheer destruction was nothing to laugh at. His Chakra reserves were impressive for a Genin and his endurance was another positive. He was simply too hot-heated sometimes to effectively think. He was more prone to leap into danger than find the right approach.
Shino was great at his Clan's Hiden techniques but was lacking in many other areas where his Kikaichu couldn't help him. His Taijutsu was simply the bear minimum, based around blocking and planting the bugs on his opponent. His Ninjutsu was average for his Clan and his Chakra was the same for any Aburame thanks to the Kikaichu. He excelled at information gathering in the end.
Her team, when together and synchronized, was one of the better tracking and combat force she had seen and she had been working on developing Combination Jutsu with them in pairs and as a group. They had complained at first but once she had mentioned the opportunity to outclass the Ino-Shika-Cho iteration of their generation they had been given enough motivation to focus their all on her rather strange training methods at times. Her team was great together but once the Chunin Exams passed on to individual trials? She didn't feel very confident in their abilities to all pass. The type of competition they would be up against and the fatality rate of the Chunin Exams were all things she had to consider.
"Kurenai-sensei, may I ask something?" Hinata's soft voice snapped her out of her thoughts. The red eyed Jonin turned her eyes away from her thoughts and towards the Hyuga.
"What is it Hinata?" She pushed off of the tree she was leaning against as she focused on her thoughts and the meek Hyuga brought the tips of her fingers together. She had trouble making eye contact with the Jonin but that was to be expected. She was gaining confidence but it was a slow process when compared to her improvements in her skills.
"I-I was just wondering if…well I was wondering if we would be entered into the Ch-Chunin exams?" She found the confidence to look her sensei in the eyes then. A fire was burning in them despite how nervous she appeared. She wanted to enter the exams. A glance to the rest of her team revealed the same fire, the same determination she would want to praise them for in any other situation. None of them wanted to be left behind by their friends, they wanted to advance to greatness together with them. They wanted to test themselves, see how strong they truly were. They wanted to represent their village, carry the Will of Fire through trial after trial, and carry their own pride, familial and personal, with it.
'Dammit.' Kurenai wanted to say no to them in that instance. 'None of you are ready for this. None of you are ready to fight people trying to kill you, fight the monsters I know are heading into that exam but…I can't say no when you all want this so bad.'
"I'm glad you brought that up Hinata." Kurenai let a smile cover her face as she held out her hand, the required paperwork appearing in her hand and she tossed it to each of the three Genin. "I finished signing all of the paperwork for entering you guys this morning and all you need to do is sign on the dotted line." None of the three noticed her smile was a bit too rigid as she watched them all, even the normally stoic and reclusive Shino, eagerly flip through the packet to find where they had to sign. "Once you sign up, I'll deliver it to the Hokage Office and we'll go out and celebrate."
'I hope I don't regret letting them do this.' She didn't want any of her students to die because she couldn't tell them no. 'Please, let me not regret this.'
Team 7 was also meeting.
"HA! These exams shall know the glory of the Legion when I become a champion above all champions. I shall be the one standing above all those who seek to lay claim to the title of Chunin and none shall surpass my might. There shall be no hope of defeating my glorious Legion!" Naruto's response to Kakashi's statement of signing them up was almost predictable. He threw his head back and laughed for nearly a full minute before speaking. When he looked to the masked Shinobi his lips curled into a bloodthirsty grin that the Jonin before him had seen before. Pretty much every time the Uzumaki or his clones looked at him when they thought he wasn't paying attention. They had different expressions but the same bloodlust was in them all. "I will enjoy this challenge Silver Fang as it will prove to all that my Uzumaki Empire's Orange Legion marches solely with glory through all challenges and trials!"
"Alright then." Kakashi turned to Sasuke next. "What do you have to say about this, Sasuke?"
"I shall follow Praetor's glorious footsteps." Sasuke turned and saluted the Uzumaki with the customary salute of the Orange Legion. "His Orange Legion shall know only the glory of triumph as he rises above all those foolish enough to act as challengers in these Chunin Exams."
"Alright then." Kakashi replied with the same and looked to Sakura last. "What do you think Pinky?"
"I'm sure we'll be fine in the Exams." Sakura didn't meet Kakashi's single visible eye and it somewhat narrowed, a thing that neither Naruto's blue eyes nor Sasuke's red and black eyes missed.
"Sakura-chan shall be carried to glory by my glorious Orange Legion." Naruto stepped towards Kakashi with a hand falling to the hilt of his sword. "All those who face myself or my team shall know the cold specter of death when the steel of my Legion cuts their flesh and draws their blood."
"Alright then." Kakashi's response fell from his lips for the third time before he reached into a pocket of his Flak Jacket and withdrew a scroll which he tossed to Naruto and his hands slipped into his pocket. "I named you Team Leader for that business in Nami no Kuni so the same will go for when you head into the mess they call the Second Stage of the Chunin Exams. You three can decide amongst yourselves on who's in charge for the First Sage and Third Stage."
"You have made a good and poor decision Silver Fang." Naruto turned and his Praetorians rose from where they had knelt once he had arrived. "I shall be the leader of all three Stages and shall be sure that all know my glorious leadership was what gave Team 7 the status of Chunin."
He did not spend any more time in the training grounds with the Jonin, marching off with the Praetorians encircling himself and the Legate of his Orange Legion in a sudden appearance.
"That went about just as I thought it would." Kakashi rubbed at his uncovered eye as Sakura stepped up to him. "You three are going to have a massive target painted on your backs among the Konoha entrants and I'm sure Naruto will do something to draw the ire of literally everyone in the exams to him. If you do make it through all the way and all become Chunin then I'm sure he will never stop bragging about it. Especially if he does beat everyone who goes up against him…something I'm partly sure he can pull off even if the deck is stacked against him."
"The promotion to Chunin is the decision of the Hokage in the end, right?" Sakura looked up at the Jonin and he nodded and she frowned. "He has a soft spot for Naruto and he's not terrible at being a Shinobi when he feels like it. He also has enough Chakra to support all the Kage Bunshin he has to make an army. He's smart enough to command them and knows how to use them to get what he wants. Any Daimyo that shows up for the Third Stage of the Chunin Exams will be impressed with him and want to hire him to get the quantity he brings to every mission. He'll probably get an even bigger ego as a result of that." Sakura sighed as another thought came to her. "He'll probably also conquer more things if he takes so many missions."
"His track record isn't that good for not conquering." Kakashi looked up towards the clouds as most members of a shadow using clans were prone to do and tried to find answers in them. "Whatever the outcome is for Naruto, you will need to put on a good showing against whoever you go up against in the Second and Third Stages. I'm sure Sasuke is a guaranteed Chunin from what I've seen of him and that fact that he's the last Uchiha in Konoha."
"So the deck is stacked against me then?" Sakura only received a nod from the Jonin and she managed a small smile despite the rather negative situation she found herself in. "I'm sure I can manage to impress the judges, Kakashi-sensei. You're the one teaching me after all."
"I know." Kakashi's mask moved as he offered the world his own smile. "Once you manage to get pass the Second Stage, I'll have a month to train you against whatever opponent is unlucky enough to get matched up with you."
Her smile turned a bit more sadistic then.
"They won't know what hit them." Her hands balled into fists at her side and Kakashi nodded.
"They won't."
All in all, despite the large number of Genin Konoha had that passed a rather peculiar Genin Test, not a large portion of the teams entered the exams. Of all the teams that entered the most notable ones where Team Gai, a team that passed on entering last year's Exams despite their skillset nearly guaranteeing promotion, Team Asuma, the current generation's Ino-Shika-Cho Trio, Team Kurenai, a team of heirs from the prestigious Hyuga, feral Inuzuka, and stoic Aburame Clans, and Team Kakashi, the first Genin Team that the Jonin in charge had ever passed.
The Hokage broke out the sake to deal with the future headaches he would have to deal with thanks to the roster for the Exams.
AN: 4 again for this update. 1 of 4.