Chapter VIII

When Naruto woke up, it was the day of the Chunin exams. She had already returned her form to Kakashi a few days prior. She decided to change up her clothing style, much to the distaste of Kaguya; it was warming up and even though she could cool herself down with chakra, she didn't feel like having to do that.

She decided to manifest a white long-sleeved shirt that was open enough at the collar to expose her collarbones and upper chest. She also decided to bind her chest with a wide black strap. It was cinched at the waist with a black, wide, silk strap, and for her bottom she wore grey sweatpants. At her collar and sleeves were black tomoe which lined them. She also wore black nail polish.

She wore her gunbai on her back as usual, and she kept her hair the same. Ever since she got to know Kaguya and began to talk to her more and connect, horns began to grow out of the top of her head. They were small right now, but she knew eventually they would get as big as Kaguya's.

Naruto left the house to go to her regular training grounds. There she saw the rest of Team 7 waiting for her.

"As you know, today is the start of the Chunin exams. You'll be going against shinobi from all five hidden villages. Do your best. Go all out, and hold nothing back. This will be our last time meeting up as Team 7. Good luck everyone." Kakashi said.

"Do you know what we'll be doing for this exam?" Sasuke asked.

"I can't tell you much, just know that you'll have to survive for a few days in this exam." Kakashi replied. Sakura's eyes widened, "We'll have to go through the Forest of Death!" she said.

"The Forest of Death?" Naruto asked. "I'll tell you about it once we get to the exam building, but it's bad news." Sakura said.

The three Genin left to go to the exam building, and once they entered, there was a crowd of Genin and a few Chunin guarding the door to the room where they'd take their written exam. One Genin tried to push them out of the way, but they quickly met their maker when they were thrown against a wall and knocked out.

"Oh my." Naruto said as she saw what was going on. "How are we gonna get through?" Sakura asked. Naruto walked up to the Chunin, activated her Byakugan, and grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up.

"Do you really want to interrupt me?" She asked as she let an oppressive force sweep over the room. The only few Genin that could stand it were the Jinchuriki of the Nibi, a Genin that was wearing a work hat and had long, dark hair, and one who wore glasses and had long, grey hair kept in a ponytail. Team 9 watched the scene with great interest.

"That woman has great youth! I surely hope I go against her in these exams!" The Genin who wore a green turtleneck said with great passion, as he pumped his fist into the air.

"She has the Byakugan. But I don't know her as a Hyuga. I will have to tell my elder immediately. Lee, you will not want to go against her. We don't know what she can do." Another Genin which had long hair tied down with a byakugan said.

"I don't want any trouble. If I go against her I'm giving up." The third Genin with two buns and a pink qipao said.

"You do not have enough youth Tenten! One day you will understand!" The Genin said to who was identified as Tenten said, almost with a fire in his eyes.

Naruto threw the man to the side and then opened the door as more Genin poured into the room. She scouted out the room. There was a few teams, of what looked like shinobi who weren't even from the five hidden villages. There was a red-haired boy with a gourd on his back accompanied by a blond woman and a man in a dress and makeup.

Team 9 approached Team 7. "You seem to be the most youthful shinobi, young woman!" The Genin with a bowl-cut said to Naruto. "Thank you." She said curtly and elegantly. "Lee.." Tenten said with embarrassment, "leave her alone."

Lee seemed to ignore her as he asked Naruto for a duel, and her love subsequently. "You disgust me." Naruto replied as she activated her Byakugan once again, veins appearing around her eye socket. This didn't seem to convince Lee to back off, however, as she asked her for a duel once again.

"Fine, if I win, you have to leave me alone." She demanded.

"Then so be it, we have a duel after this exam!" Lee said as he pumped his fist once again.

"Why don't you want to duel me?" Sasuke asked Lee. Everyone turned to look at him. "You don't seem as youthful as this woman here!" he replied fiercely. Sasuke frowned as a tiny smirk grew on Naruto and the Genin with a Byakugan's face.

Team 10 walked up to the other Genin. It was composed of Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji. "This is troublesome. The demon child along with another Byakugan user?" Shikamaru said. Ino and Choji hid behind Shikamaru, as if they were scared of Naruto's presence.

The team with the red haired boy approached the crowd as well. The boy walked up to Naruto and said, "My mother wants you dead."

That boy is the Jinchuriki of the Ichibi. You don't need to, but it would make the Juubi more powerful if you reclaimed his chakra as well after our connection. Kaguya informed Naruto.

"The Ichibi. Shikaku, isn't that its name?" Naruto said rhetorically to Gaara.

She reminds me of Mother.. The beast inside of Gaara thought to itself. Naruto activated her Byakugan and looked Gaara in the eyes. "I will kill you." The Juubi inside of her resonated wildly with Shikaku's presence, desperately wanting to reclaim a piece of itself. Parts of her face became scaly and hard, and random horn-like appendages grew out of her face and head.

"Quiet down you Genin!" A large man appeared at the head of the room. He was tall, around 190cm, and pretty wide. "And sit down, the exams are going to begin. There is only one rule, and that isn't to be caught cheating."