Kishimoto owns Naruto and all derivatived works.
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Chapter Two
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"Where is that baka?!" Sakura half-shouted, glaring around. From his perch on the railing of the small bridge, Sasuke just shrugged.
"Maybe we should just leave him behind." Sakura growled. "We're ready for this, even if the baka isn't."
Sasuke dropped onto the bridge with another grunt. Placing his hands in his pockets, he started to walk towards the Academy and Sakura quickly followed. A moment later, Sakura overtook him.
"Come on! We need to run to get there on time!"
Sasuke pulled out his pocket-watch and glanced at it, then broke into a sprint. "Dammit, if waiting for him costs me my chance at promotion, I'll kill the dobe!"
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As the Academy came into view, Sakura snarled at the sight of a familiar orange-clad figure waiting by the door. "Dammit! He knew to meet us at the bridge!"
"Probably wanted us to fail so that he could pass." Sasuke snarled.
"Hey, guys, I…" The figure started, only to stop as Sakura grabbed his collar.
"Shut up and come on!"
"Hey, wait, you don't under… glrk!"
Working together, Sakura and Sasuke dashed up the two flights of stairs dragging the protesting form of their team-mate behind them. At the door to room 301, a familiar figure was waiting for them.
"Just in time, another thirty seconds and you'd have been disqualified." Kakashi said, not looking up from the orange book he was reading. "Go on, the test is waiting for you and it's a good thing you are all here as if one of you had decided not to come, none of you could have participated."
"You almost cost us our chance!" Sakura snarled at the protesting blond as she shoved him through the door. As Sasuke followed them through, the door closed and locked behind them.
"Sasuke!"
Ino barreled through, knocking Sakura sideways as she latched onto Sasuke, then a voice sounded.
"Enough! Everyone grab a number and get to a seat, NOW!"
Sakura grabbed a ticket from the proffered fishbowl and scurried to her seat. Once she was sat down, she glanced round.
'That's odd,' she thought, 'What happened to Naruto? His eye-burning orange should be easy to spot, but I can't see him? Oh well. It's not as if he'd be of any use to us. Not compared to Sasuke.'
"Welcome to the first stage of the chunin exams." The intimidating figure at the front of the examination hall growled. "I am Ibiki, the main Proctor of this stage. The rules are simple. You start with ten points per team and each time you are caught cheating, your team loses two points. Once a team has lost all its points, it will be removed from the exams. There is no appeal, the examinors decision is final. You will answer the first nine questions and in one hour, you will have the choice of answering the tenth question, although different rules will apply. You may begin!"
Sakura gulped and turned over the first page of her sheet.
'Well, these questions are advanced, but I know the answers. Oh, I hope that Naruto doesn't screw things up trying to cheat, we all know what a klutz he is…'
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"Byakugan." Hinata whispered as she activated her Kekkai Genkai. Without moving, she let her gaze drift around the room. 'Aha, Sakura is already answering the questions, I can copy off her and… what? Where's Naruto? I know that I saw him come in, but I can't see him! What's going on? Has he been thrown out already, and if he was, why are Sakura and Sasuke still here? I don't understand!'
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At the front of the room, Morino Ibiki frowned as he counted the students yet again. '154 of the seats are filled, but there should be 155 given that two of those seated are planted chunin for others to copy off. 87 people from Konoha, 30 from Suna, 21 from Ame, 6 each from Kusa and Taki and a team of 3 from the new village of Otogakure, so which group is missing one? I can see both the chunin, so I know that they're not the problem… dammit, I hate it when things don't add up properly.'
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Sasuke activated his Sharingan. From where he was sitting in the back row, he could see Sakura's right arm and he used his Sharingan to duplicate the movements, letting his arm copy her work.
'I guess that she came in useful after all.' He mused with a small smirk on his face as he finished filling in the ninth question. Deactivating his Sharingan, he looked round, then frowned.
'Where the hell did the dobe end up? I am not going to get thrown out because that idiot panicked about the test. Heh, chances are that he wouldn't even be able to put his own name down correctly.'
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'How troublesome.' Shikamaru thought, glancing round covertly. 'I know that I saw Naruto come in, then Ino sent him flying and he must have done a Shunshin or something as he vanished in a cloud of smoke, but where did he go? Did he simply step out to avoid this test or something?'
No answer presented itself and Shikamaru turned his attention back to answering the questions.
'What a drag.'
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"Time's up, put your pencils down." Ibiki snarled, his frustration at having failed to work out which team was undermanned evident in his voice. "It's time for the final question. Fail this question and you'll be banned from participating in a chunin exam ever again. Quit now and you'll still be banned and your team will go with you, but they'll be allowed to try again later. Now, how many of you think that you can pass, because the nine questions you've answered are easy compared to the tenth!"
Ibiki glared at the remaining genin, slowly ratcheting up the killing intent, until one of the Suna genin cracked.
"Sorry guys, but…"
The unfortunate genin was the stone that triggered the avalanche and Ibiki hid his smirk as the number of departing genin grew. After a few moments, the flow decreased and he looked at the remaining group.
'Heh, only ten teams remaining… although one of them is the Kami-damned team of two. Ah well, may as well end it now, or Anko will be whining about how I'm spoiling her fun.'
"All right." Ibiki growled. "The tenth question… you all pass."
For a moment, everyone was silent, then the pink-haired girl slammed up into a standing position.
"WHAT?"
"You all pass." Ibiki smirked. "This was a test to see if you were willing to take the risks required to finish a mission. When you go out there, you won't have all the information you need, and sometimes the client will lie to you."
Ibiki pulled off his bandana and several of the genin turned white at the sight of the scars and holes on his shaven scalp. "I gained these scars because my team were given false information and we were ambushed. I was tortured for information, but I didn't break. You didn't break…"
CRASH!
Ibiki blinked as a banner unfurled in front of him even as the broken glass from the window finished hitting the floor and he sighed as he donned his bandana again. Reaching out, he moved the banner aside and stepped forwards, glaring at the lady who hade made such a dramatic entrance through the now-glassless window.
"Anko, you're early."
The shorter woman smirked at him as he glanced at the banner that proclaimed her to be the sexy and single proctor of the second exam, Mitarashi Anko, then she turned her attention to the staring genin.
"Heh, ten teams, huh? You really pruned them back for me. Allright, scumbags, the next test is at training area 44, follow me!"
Before Ibiki could say anything, Anko had dived out of the window, followed by several of the genin while the rest piled out through the door.
"Collect the papers and compare them to the list." Ibiki directed the chunin proctors. "Find out which team was missing one of their members. If it was a Konoha team, their jonin-sensei and I are going to have a… talk."
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"I'm sorry." Hinata muttered sadly for the dozenth time, refusing to look up at her two team-mates. "I'm… I'm not strong enough yet… I'm holding you back…"
Shino and Kiba exchanged glances, then Kiba sighed. "It's okay. We'll help you get stronger, then we can participate in the next exams."
"I agree." Shino droned. "Why you ask? Although I am advanced in my clans techniques, I am unconvinced that I am strong enough to advance given that we have been genin for only half a year."
"I still let you down." Hinata whispered, then she looked up as a familiar voice said something. "K… Kurenai… sensei…"
"Ibiki?" Kurenai asked, her red eyes filled with understanding and Hinata nodded, her gaze dropping back down to the ground.
"I… I can't ever be a chunin… I failed and…"
"That was a lie designed to make you quit." Kurenai said gently. "You'll be allowed to try again."
"R… really?"
"I promise." Kurenai said, then she glanced up at a bird flying overhead. "Something's come up and I need to get going. You two, get Hinata home safely and I'll see you all tomorrow at ten for a mission and training."
"Sure thing, sensei!" Kiba replied as Shino nodded silently. As Kurenai strode off, the trio resumed their progress.
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"Listen up, brats!" Anko strutted, "This is training area 44, also known as the Forest of Death, and the site of our second stage. Your mission is simple, you will each get a single scroll, either Heaven or Earth. You will collect a full set by any means necessary and be at the central tower in no less than five days. If you lose a team—mate, you fail! If you leave the area before the test ends, you fail! If you reach the tower with only one scroll, you fail! Now, fill out the forms that mean we don't have to take responsibility for when you die, grab a scroll and get to the gate you are told to go to! Move it!"
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"N…Naruto…?" Hinata gasped and the orange-clad figure in the Ramen stand spun round.
"Hey, Kiba, Hiya Shino, hello… hello… I know we used to be in the same class, what's your name again?"
"Hinata." She half-whispered.
"Hey man, where were you?" Kiba asked. "I couldn't see you at the exam at all after the girls leapt at Sasuke."
"I decided I wasn't ready, so I stayed away." Naruto shrugged, oblivious to the shock that Team 8 were expressing. "I sent a clone to wish the other two luck, but they didn't listen."
"Man, that blows!" Kiba snarled. "You mean the other two got to take the exam without you? We were told by Kurenai-sensei that all three were needed before we could enter."
"I… I'm sorry…" Hinata whispered yet again, staring at the ground and Kiba shook his head.
"Yeah, well fortunately scarhead was lying about never taking the exam again. We'll just have to get you stronger for next time." Kiba said reassuringly, patting her shoulder.
"What happened?" Naruto asked and Shino tilted his head slightly.
"It was an excellent display of psychological warfare designed to terrorise anyone who doubted their ability to proceed."
"Huh?" both Kiba and Naruto asked, then they looked at each other and shrugged while Shino sighed.
"Ibiki scared everyone who did not think they would be able to continue."
Naruto whistled. "Wow! Good thing that I wasn't there, I'd have got Sakura and the Teme thrown out and Kakashi-sensei would have killed me for doing so."
"Yeah, but… you, three… what?"
Naruto stared at Kiba, then transferred his gaze to the other two.
"And for those of us who don't speak mutt, what did he say?"
For a moment, Hinata and Shino looked at Kiba, then at each other before Hinata sighed.
"Kiba-san was asking how Sasuke and Sakura were able to be in the tests when all three members of the team were needed."
"Dunno." Naruto shrugged, turning to the bowl of ramen that had been placed on the counter. "I thought it was either Kakashi being a lazy git like normal or the other ninja trying to ignore me again. Didn't seem at all unusual to me."
As he picked up his chopsticks, a puff of smoke erupted by his side to reveal the form of Kakashi.
"Hey, sensei. Fancy a bowl?" Naruto shrugged.
"Naruto…" Kakashi growled, grabbing him by his collar.
"What?" Naruto yelped as they vanished.
"What just happened?" Kiba asked after a silent moment.
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The gates slammed shut behind the genin vanishing into the forest and Anko pulled out a wrapped stick of Dango, only to pause as one of the chunin appeared.
"What?"
"We… just counted the forms, Anko-san." The chunin said nervously. "There's twenty-nine of them."
"So?" Anko shrugged, then her brows furrowed. "Hang on… that means that there's a team that isn't three, but only two. How the hell did that happen? Who bailed?"
"It's worse than that." A voice said from behind her and Anko looked round.
"Oh, hi, Ibiki. Worse?"
"We know who the missing genin is."
Anko raised an eyebrow, then looked at the ten Jonin from the various villages arrayed behind Ibiki.
"Uzumaki Naruto."
Hatake Kakashi dropped his book as all the other Jonin turned to stare at him. "What?!"
"You passed two of your team through instead of stopping them at the door, Kakashi." Ibiki growled, transfixing Kakashi with his glare.
"All three of them were there!" Kakashi protested and Ibiki shook his head. Anko looked up from the pile of forms.
"I don't have a form for the Uzumaki brat. Got one for the Uchiha and the screaming fangirl, though. What the hell is going on?"
"Kage Bunshin." Ibiki stated. "I watched the recording, one of Naruto's Bunshin entered the room and was dispelled. What were you thinking, Kakashi? I know you can tell the difference between a bunshin and a genin."
"Ummm, well…"
"Find him and bring him here. Now!" Ibiki stated and Kakashi vanished in a sealless shunshin.
"Damn, the copycat got pranked?" Anko whistled and Ibiki sighed.
"We all did and now it's too late to interfere. I need to know why the kid did that."
"My ramen!" A voice protested as Kakashi reappeared and dropped Naruto onto the ground. "Dammit, sensei, I paid for that! You owe me another bowl!"
Several sniggers alerted the irate pre-teen to the fact that he was in company and he looked round.
"Sensei, what's going on…?"
"Well," Kakashi said grumpily, "It would seem that you've broken the rules and left the test half-way through."
"What?" Naruto yelped. "I never entered! I sent a clone to wish Sakura and the Teme good luck, that was all!"
"You never entered?" Ibiki repeated, causing Naruto to gulp nervously upon noticing him. "Why would you not want to be promoted? After all, you want to be Hokage, right?"
"Hell yeah!" Naruto half-shouted, then he looked at the ground. "And I can't be Hokage if I suck, I need way more training and Kakashi doesn't give it to me!"
Everyone stared at Kakashi as Naruto continued his rant. "I have to work with a girl who's idea of saying hello is to punch me and a Teme best described as… what did Moegi call him? Ah yes, Duckbutt McGrumpypants!"
Several of the assembled Jonin quickly smothered their laughter.
"Dammit, we're not even a team! Sakura's constantly mooning over the Teme and refusing to train because it'll wreck her figure, as if she isn't more flat-chested than I am, while the Teme is so transfixed on killing his brother that if it doesn't give him power, he doesn't want to know! The only reason he puts up with being around me is that he can test his taijitsu on me since I don't go down easy, and he's got worse since getting those red eyes of his! He's got the Sharingan and loads of Jutsus, Sakura's got perfect chakra control and enough brains to think through anything, all I have is clones and stubbornness! That isn't enough! If I'm going to be a chunin, I need more than that!"
"You have more than that…" Kakashi protested, only for Naruto to glare at him.
"Yeah, I have tree-walking from you and water-walking from Iruka-sensei this morning. Kage Bunshin, Henge , Kawarimi that works maybe one time in ten, tree and water-walking… that's friggin it! Thanks to Mizuki, my taijutsu sucks and I can't get help because you're too Kami-damned lazy!"
Kakashi struck Naruto as he screamed the end of his rant, dropping him unconscious to the ground, then he looked around him.
"It's not that bad, honestly."
"It does explain why Konohamaru was going on about learning tree-walking from Naruto earlier, though." Hiruzen said, walking round the group and looking down at Naruto. "Kakashi, I am disappointed…"
"I'll punish Naruto, you don't need to." Kakashi said quickly, only to stop as Hiruzen glared at him.
"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I am disappointed in you, Kakashi. As a Jonin-sensei, you are meant to help them to progress but from what Naruto has said, you have failed in that. Even if that wasn't the case, your failure to ensure all three of them entered together have already left a very large black mark on your record."
"Lord Hokage…"
"No." Hiruzen stated. "Irrespective of whether they reach the tower or not, your other students will not be allowed to advance and will be pulled from the exam. Furthermore, the future of Team 7 will rely entirely on their reaction to this and you will not be allowed to interfere. Understand?"
Kakashi nodded slowly.
"Good."
"Urrrgh." Naruto moaned. "What hit me?"