Trickshot

Chapter 18

-Tsume-

"The time has come." Sarutobi steepled his fingers as the various Jonin senseis filled the Hokage office, "The Chuunin exams will soon begin and so it is to decide which teams are going to be entered. Tsume's two students are already entered but does anyone else wish to enter their teams?"

"Hokage-Sama, you can't be serious." Gai frowned as he straightened up, "Tsume's team are far too green for the Chuunin exams. And she doesn't even have a full team!"

"Watch it, Gai." Tsume narrowed her eyes, claws extending out, "My boys are more than ready."

"Regardless, their entrance was ordered by the Daimyo himself." Sarutobi ran a tired hand down his face, "After their mission in Wave young Naruto got entered into the Bingo Book. The Daimyo wishes to capitalize on this attention. So Tsume's pupils are being entered into the competition."

"Well, my team are being entered!" Gai gave his trademark grin, "They met the threshold I expected of them before being entered months ago." Meaning before the drama in his team had started.

"Team Ten are nominated." Asuma considered for a moment before speaking up, "Sasuke and Sai are more than ready. Shikamaru has the intellect to be able to make it through and it'll give him the kick in the ass needed to work harder on his physical training without having to be forced."

"Team Eight is more than ready." Kurenai's smirk was confident, bordering on cocky, "They'll become Chuunin no problem."

"Glad you're confident but Team Seven is far from ready." Anko spoke up with an irritated huff "They're still being put through the boot camp ringer. If it's alright with the Hokage though, I'd like them to be allowed to observe the first and second tests. To see the level, they should have been trying to reach. The three still have issues with working hard."

"Accepted." Sarutobi nodded, the old man looking exhausted as he wrote the permission, "Should anyone else have teams they wish to observe rather than compete then come to me." And with that the rest of the Jonin with active teams declared whether they'd have their students attempt for promotion or just observe as the Hokage filled out the necessary forms. At his side she saw the Chuunin Iruka trying hard not to scowl, eyes flitting to the forms for the rookie nominations. Judging by him keeping silent she figured the Hokage already spoke to him in private about the possibility.

Regardless, she still had training to do with her brats. She didn't just want them to win, she wanted them to dominate.

-Haku-

"Hello again, Zabuza-Sama." Haku spoke softly as he knelt before his Master's grave, carefully lightning incense, "The Chuunin exams will be starting soon. Naruto and I are being entered. Feels almost unfair to the others." Haku couldn't help but chuckle, thinking about how Zabuza would react if he were here. The man had always found the concept of the exams both brilliant and stupid.

The incentive to 'simulate war to avoid true war' was a desire he had respected. But it was also pointless if even one person in power wanted a war badly enough, as well as how the exams often allowed the enemy villages to get information about the up and comers of each village.

Didn't stop Zabuza from betting on each exam he could though.

"The Inuzaka clan have been good to me." Haku held his arm, feeling one of the scars his birth father had given him when the man found out about Haku's bloodline. Ashitaka Inuzaka had seen the scars and had begun fretting over him, the man treating Haku and Naruto both as if they were his own children.

"I'm going to do everything I can in this exam Zabuza-Sama." Haku swore as he placed some of Zabuza's favorite Sake by his grave. "I'm going to show the Mist what you taught me. How they were fools to not follow you when they had the chance." And with Naruto by his side, he could do it.

"I know you're up there Zabuza-Sama." Haku's hand rested on the pommel of the blades Naruto had enhanced with seals for him, "Just watch me."

-Naruto-

Giving a yell, Naruto hurled the Kubikirihocho at the target, the massive sword spinning as a blurred wheel of death before hitting the wood.

"Not bad." Tenten nodded as she approached from behind, the two training in the lot behind her home "But you're moving your wrist wrong." He felt his ears and cheeks burn red as Tenten got behind him to guide his arms and wrist in the proper movement.

"R-right." Naruto gulped, trying to focus on their training and now how nice Tenten felt pressed against his back.

"Still, you've been picking up that trick fast." Tenten commented as he held his hand out, summoning the massive blade back to his palm.

"…Zabuza entrusted his sword to me." Naruto's voice was soft as he stared at the massive sword he'd inherited, "I don't want to let him down."

"Naruto, you're already titled in the Bingo Book, I think you're fine." Tenten scoffed playfully, giving him a light punch on his arm, "I'm more worried about making sure I get through the exams. My groups coordination is shot so I just hope we can get through the team portion of the exams fast enough to show off individual skills." Even as she spoke, Naruto noted a frown on her face.

"Is something wrong Ten?" he sealed away Kubikiri even as he spoke.

"Just disappointed." Tenten admitted, sitting with a sigh by some of the boxes of materials she and her dad used to make their merchandise, "I'm about to head into the Chuunin exams but I still don't have anything that's 'mine' ya know? Neji has his Dojutsu and clan fighting style. Gai personally taught Lee his family's prized Taijutsu forms and techniques." Yet more proof of the bastard kid thing in Naruto's mind but he kept quite "But apart from a few sword techniques I've been practicing I don't have anything distinct." He could see it was pissing her off and he wanted to help, but how.

Noting movement out of the corner of his eye, Naruto saw Tenten spinning a thick pit of chakra parchment between her fingers. Normally the paper was thin as regular paper, but Tenten had told him sometimes the batches come out wrong and are much thicker. They use them for explosive seals that can be attached to walls, but they didn't really sell all that well.

"Hey Ten, toss me that would ya?" he was starting to get an idea that might fix her problem.

"This thing? Sure." His bun haired friend tossed the chakra paper like a throwing card, the lazy ease confirming his idea just might work.

"Ten, I think I know the solution to your issue." He'd have to train to use them the way that was needed and he had his own fighting style. This idea already meshed with her own. Giving her the card back, he whispered his idea into her ear as her eyes widened at the implications.

"Naruto, that…that's…!" Tenten was gaping before squealing happily at the idea, her eyes sparkling eagerly. Glad to know his 'mad genius' that let him do pranks could help his friend. His smug thoughts got cut off as Tenten happily pulled him into a hug, her lips enthusiastically crashing against his before either of them even realized what they were doing.

Tenten's backyard was dead silent as they both realized the position they were in, her soft lips pressed against his with her arms wrapped around him; his own hands on her hips as she was pressed flush against him.

Then he noticed her dad standing in the doorway, eye twitching.

AN: I know I didn't say what Naruto's idea was but that's because I want it to be a surprise! You'll see it in the exams themselves. Speaking of, next chapter we get to the Chuunin exams starting. Assuming of course Naruto can survive the dreaded 'Shovel talk no jutsu'.