Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto the anime or manga. This story is based off the world of Naruto. All rights go to Masashi Kishimoto.

A/N: Please contact me if there is a spelling mistake in the chapters previous, current or ahead or if you would like to have a chat in general through the Private Messaging function. It'd be best as well to communicate if you have a FF account to do so (wouldn't want to have a mystery or be left at a Cliffhanger from a guest review).

If you wish to chat by email, email the address "ParidiseChat" on gmail.

Thank you and enjoy the story.

Chapter 13 - Humble Beginnings

Summer time in Konoha is a time where one must rely in the shade. The annual heatwave has come, and the sun has been beating down in the Land of Fire, drying up the land. The heatwave only lasts for two weeks. From the second-last week of May to start of the first week of June. There was no need to worry however, the week prior to the heatwave, there is always rain, that lasts a week.

From morning to night, soaking the lands and feeding the plant-life. This three-week period has never changed since the founding of Konoha and the clans who lived in these parts for centuries before.

Another tradition that was recently born was that of having ramen before some event. Shared with a pair of brothers.

"Order up!"

"You nervous?" Kotaro asked Naruto. The exams were starting soon.

Naruto's right leg was shaking. "Yeah… but I'm more excited than anything else" Naruto said. He was sitting on a stool. The smell of pork was in the air.

Kotaro grinned at his little brother. "I say one more bowl of miso pork is needed Teuchi-san!"

"Anything for my favourite customer!" Teuchi said at the back, already preparing the bowl.

Kotaro sighed. How did that old man know he was going to order an extra bowl?

"I've taken some time off," Kotaro said. This surprised Naruto. "I wanted to stay in the village while the exams were on. During this month, the mission flow will be slower anyway so Jiji has agreed with it."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Yes!" he shouted. "With you by my side, I can't lose!"

Kotaro laughed at Naruto's antics. "I won't be doing it for you. Come on eat up," he ordered Naruto. Kotaro then threw Ryó notes onto the counter and jumped off his stool.

Naruto vacuumed the noodles up. Kotaro just rubbed his face in disappointment. Naruto's table manners were one thing that annoyed him to no end and it seemed that it will never change. Naruto finished the noodles in record time. They thanked Teuchi and said their departures to Ayame. They went off to the direction of the academy.

There was silence between the two brothers. Kotaro started to give Naruto tips that he already knew and was fussing over the him.

"Nii-chan stop! You're too overbearing! I'm ready for this!" Naruto yelled at him, his brother worried too much about Naruto's safety.

Kotaro sighed and sulked. "He doesn't love me…" he whimpered. He perked up again and caught up to Naruto.

"I know you're ready, you're stronger than most. It's just that now the time has come to prove it," Kotaro stated as they were at the entrance of the academy, the saw some Genin from other villages passing by them, some giving the pair a lot of space.

"Do they know you?" Naruto asked, he wouldn't be surprised if they heard his older brother's feats.

"I don't think so. They must recognize the Jacket. Okay Naruto. Good luck you little shit. I'll see you soon," Kotaro said as he put down the squeezed Naruto. Naruto saluted Kotaro.

Both laughed at each other and then Kotaro disappeared, a strong breeze went by the spot he was standing on.

Naruto looked at the clock tower in the distance, it was two o'clock. He stood by the entrance by himself, his form was safely packed in his pocket. Just about ten minutes later, Sasuke arrives with his hands deep in his pockets. They nodded at each other and began to talk about some battle tactics for the upcoming exams.

They waited for another twenty minutes before Sakura showed up, fifteen minutes late for their designated meet-up time. "Sakura! You're late. You okay?" Naruto asked as he moved towards her.

"Don't worry. I'm sorry for being late," she said but weakly. Sakura looked at Sasuke. "Good morning Sasuke-kun," she said in the same weak voice.

"Morning," Sasuke said, only looking at her with one eye. He knew the instant when he saw her that she was acting different. A lack of confidence?

The three walked inside and took the first set of stairs they saw, taking the first flight. There they saw a large group of people, who were watching intently at something. Naruto peeked through the people and saw a bob haired boy in a green spandex suit get punched in the face, he stumbled back and hit the floor.

Naruto looked at the door and saw two teenage guards blocking the door. "You're trying to take the Chūnin exams with that kind of level?" one of the guards said.

"Maybe you should quit kids," the other one said in a condescending tone.

"You're still just kids," the first guard said with a sniffle at the end.

"Please let us through," a girl with two buns for her hairstyle said to the guards. She then went up but was then smacked in the face with a fist.

"How cruel?" was heard in the background.

"What did you say? Listen up, we're being kind to you. The Chūnin exams are difficult," The first guard said.

"We've seen those who gave up on becoming ninja or became seriously injured after taking this exam," The second guard added his piece.

"A Chūnin is a squad leader. It's the leader's responsibility for failing any missions and for the death of any subordinates," The first guard lectured out.

"What's wrong with sifting out those who aren't going to pass anyway?" the second guard said with a grin.

'We only went one set of stairs and the room says it's 301. This is a genjutsu or I'm going crazy. OH! It is one. It's a bit mean to do a trick before the exam starts... But I won't say anything about it probably,' Naruto deduced, nodding his head with a happy grin as he watched the whole event.

"That's a sound argument. But I will pass," Sasuke said as he walked up to the two guards. "And undo this genjutsu you casted. I'm going to the third floor."

"Sasuke," Naruto said, making his teammate look to him. "You shouldn't spout out the answer to everyone. Maybe you really changed, I didn't know you were such a softie."

Sasuke sighed and shook his head. "Naruto, you and I are the same for this. We want to fight to best to see where we stand. You must have been thinking of the same, right?"

"Oh? You noticed?" the guards said.

"Sakura, how about you? You should've noticed first. Your know-how of genjutsu is the best in our squad," Sasuke said.

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura said, not believing she heard her ears correctly. "Thank you. Of course, I noticed already. This is the second floor," she said with new-found confidence.

"A smart ninja would have stayed quiet guys," Naruto interjected. "Silence can be just as powerful as any type of attack."

"Sometimes you have to poke the bear to get what you desire," Sasuke said in response.

Naruto grinned and shook his head. "You're such a-" Naruto stopped midway once he saw Sakura glare at him from close by. "Such a good friend Sasuke," he said with a caring smile.

Sasuke nodded with content and looked back to the guards.

The sign that had 301 written on it became distorted and returned to its original 201. "You're pretty good. But just being able to detect it isn't enough," the first guard said, dashing to Sasuke and going into a high kick. Sasuke reacted. His right leg lifted up, doing his own high kick.

The spandex Genin saw this and flashed, stopping the two separate attacks with just his hands.

Sakura was shocked. Seeing someone move so fast for her eyes.

The boyhad let go, the guard returned to his position, Sasuke focused his eyes on the boy's hands covered in bandages. Sasuke was perplexed, his thoughts shrouded in confusion.

"Hey, you broke the promise. And you're the one who didn't want to gather attention by doing something extraordinary," a boy with long brown hair and pupil-less eyes said.

"But…" the spandex wearing boy said.

The boy wearing the spandex suit walked up to Sakura, "My name is Rock Lee. You are Sakura-san, right?" he asked. He then gave her a thumbs up and a sparkling smile. "Let's go out together! I will protect you until I die!" he said.

"No way…" Sakura said. Naruto was convinced that she looked dead as her face went completely blue.

"What?" Lee said sulkily, shocked that he didn't get a yes.

"You're too 'unique' for my tastes," Sakura said in a grim voice. Lee slumped on the spot, looking depressed.

Naruto giggled quietly to himself, finding the whole event hilarious.

"Hey you there. Identify yourself," The brown-haired clear eyed boy said to Sasuke.

"You're supposed to identify yourself before you ask," Sasuke retorted.

"You're a rookie, aren't you? How old are you?" the pupil-less boy asked.

"I don't give out my age to boys," Sasuke said with a shrug. "Sorry. You're not my type."

"What?" the pupil-less eye boy said irritated.

'Haha, Sasuke is being a bit sassy. That must be Hyūga Neji. And the girl is Tenten if I remember. This is funny,' Naruto thought.

"Sasuke-kun, Naruto. Let's go!" Sakura said excitedly.

"You the blond, Naruto."

Naruto turned to see Neji stare at him with critical eyes. "Something you want?"

"Your posture, the way you stand. Who is your Sensei?" he asked with intent.

Naruto flicked his hands, then walked with both Sakura and Sasuke to the exam room. "Hatake Kakashi. A strong man. If you really want to know the answer to your questions, stop being so cryptic and ask the proper questions. All you're doing is wasting our time."

Team seven left the corridor. The two guards that were guarding the fake door were now behind another door, but it was slightly open.

Neji's face formed a sour frown.

"Do you know him Neji?" Tenten asked him.

"Humph! The way he stands and moves, it's all too familiar," he told his team.

"Naruto-kun is strong. I can sense it. I want to fight him!" Lee stated with his eyes burning with spirit.

"The question is how strong is he though? Gai-sensei have told us that both he and Uchiha Sasuke are both strong ninja, capable of becoming Chūnin," Neji said. "This is according to his rival Kakashi, so it could all be lies."

"Did you not sense it Neji? His aura. You don't have that kind of presence unless you go through many challenges. Both Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun have them," Lee lamented. "We need to pass the exams and beat them. Gai-sensei only warned us about them. Obviously, Gai-sensei sees them as our only threat from Konoha."

"Presence? What are you talking about Lee?" Tenten asked.

Lee turned with his fist clenched. "His fighting SPIRIT Tenten. Could you not feel it? Naruto-kun would be certainly a worthy sparring partner. I will have to ask him after these exams."

"Don't waste your time if he drops out after the first round. Rumour has it that he was an imbecile in the academy. But again, those rumours may be covering the truth. We'll see what fate shows us in the future. We need to crush Team Seven, no matter what."

Room 301

Team Seven climbed the stairs until they reached the corridor where room 301 was. They were surprised that someone was waiting for them.

"Good luck guys. You better not disappoint," Kakashi said looking at his students as he stood close to the door. All the eyes of Team seven widened at the comment.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, seeing she was the topic of the conversation.

"To tell you the truth, these exams are rock hard," Kakashi answered her.

This only served to confuse the Genin more, especially Sakura. "But Sensei, you said we had a good chance of doing well," Sakura said.

Kakashi looked at her and shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah, I did," he said.

"You lied?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi looked away and shrugged his shoulders again. "No. I don't lie... all the time. Just don't expect to breeze through this like you did for your Genin exams at the end of your Academy days. This is on a whole different level," Kakashi told her.

"Oh... Do you think we will become Chūnin?" she asked.

Kakashi sighed. "If I didn't, I would have stopped you from entering the exam," he answered while pointing his thumb behind at the door. "But all three of you came here on your own free will, and I always believed the moment we became a Team that you three will become great. Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto… Well done," Kakashi said with his trademark eye-smile. "I'm proud of the three of you. You're my team. Now go!"

Team seven nodded enthusiastically and opened the doors, Sakura and Sasuke pulled on the handles and moved forward with Naruto in the centre slightly behind. The team entered the large classroom, they stood together.

The other Genin from the different villages stared at the new Genin that entered. They tried to immediate them by leaking their killing intent. "What… is this?" Sakura said slightly shaking.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes whilst he stared at the other competition.

Naruto tried putting all his lessons from the last two and bit years, he made an expressionless face, showing that they had no effect on the blond Uzumaki.

He looked to see Sakura, who was nervous. Hands tightly together which were close to her chest. These exams will make her grow, hopefully make her grow into a strong kunoichi.

"Sasuke-kun, you're late!" a loud and high-pitch voice said. A blonde girl jumped and hugged Sasuke from behind. "I've been eagerly waiting for you ever since I heard that I could see you again for the first time in a very long time," The blonde girl said, revealing to be Ino.

Sakura grew tic marks and her worry completely disappeared. "Get away from Sasuke-kun! Ino-pig!" she shouted, pointing her finger at Ino.

Ino jumped off Sasuke, but still had her arm wrapped around his shoulder. "Oh my, is that you Sakura? It seems your forehead has gotten wider and you're still ugly… as per usual," Ino insulted, sticking out her tongue at the end.

Naruto looked at Sakura, and if looks could kill, Ino would be a bloody smear now. "What did you say?" Sakura aggressively said with clenched fists.

"Are you three taking this troublesome exam as well?" a bored voice asked.

Naruto recognized the voice immediately and walked past Sasuke and Ino, "Shikamaru!" he said happily and fist-bumped the Nara. "Chōji!" Naruto said with equal happiness in his voice, giving him a nod as Chōji was eating his snacks. "It's been ages since I've seen either of you," Naruto admitted sadly.

Shikamaru sighed. "I know. All these troublesome missions and training, it's too much," Shikamaru complained. "How's Aniki?" Shikamaru asked, leaning towards Naruto.

Chōji brought his ear closer to the conversation. "He's good. After that long mission, Jiji has been giving him high-rank but short time missions so he's home more often ttebayo. He's asked for a break during the whole Chūnin exam period!" Naruto said excitedly.

All three smiled at this, Naruto has been longing for some more quality time with his older brother. Shikamaru and Chōji wanted to see their Aniki badly.

"Look at what I found!" a brash voice said, coming closer to the group of six. Naruto turned his head to see Team eight approaching them, led by Inuzuka Kiba. "So, I see that everyone is here," he said with a grin.

Naruto looked at Kiba and saw his dog, Akamaru on his head. 'Great Kiba the flee-bag is here…' he thought sourly. He looked to the left and saw Aburame Shino minding his own business. Naruto looked to the right and saw Hyuuga Hinata following Kiba.

"Hello…" Hinata stuttered out.

Naruto put his hands in his pockets and looked at Hinata. She noticed him and looked away to her side and had blush marks under her eyes. 'Why does she keep doing that?' Naruto wondered.

"What? You guys came as well? Damn…" Shikamaru complained.

Naruto looked at his friend with a small smile, 'I think Shikamaru rather be cloud-watching than doing any of this,' he thought.

"I see that all nine rookies this year are going to take the exam. So, how far do you think we can get… Sasuke-kun?" Kiba asked.

Ino raised her fist at Kiba but Sasuke grew a small smirk. "You seem to be confident, Kiba," Sasuke stated, looking at the ninken user.

Kiba but his hands on his hips. "We trained like hell. We won't lose to you," Kiba said with confidence.

Naruto crossed his arms and looked at Kiba with half-closed eyes. "Ya know, in the ninja world. Those who constantly talk about their skills are the weakest ttebayo. We won't lose to you."

"Shut up idiot!" Kiba shouted at Naruto, already losing his composure.

'I see why other people speak like this. It annoys them as much it annoys me. I hate saying things like this though,' Naruto thought, knowing that making people feel bad about their skills is one thing he hates to do. But it is necessary, Kakashi taught him that.

However, these were the Chūnin exams. It's everyone against you.

"Hey, you guys. You should quiet down a little," an older boy said. He had silver hair done in a ponytail.

Naruto saw that he wore large circular glasses that had a black rim. He wore a purple high collar top with a white t-shirt underneath. He wore purple pants that reached his shins. Bandages covered the rest and he wore blue shinobi sandals. A white cloth was wrapped around his waist and he wore purple finger-less gloves. He wore his Konoha forehead protector on his forehead.

Naruto focused on the young man in front of him. He has never seen anyone like him before. He placed his doubt onto the shelf as he remembered there are many Genin in Konoha, and a lot of them are not participating in these exams.

"So, you're the nine rookies that just graduated from the academy, correct? Ah, you're all like tiny helpless kittens," the older boy said looking down at them.

"Who the hell are you to call us that?" Ino asked angrily.

"I'm Yakushi Kabuto. Look around you. The ones behind you are from Amegakure. They usually have a short temper. You can see, everyone is tense since the exam is about to start. I warned you, so you won't be picked on. I guess it can't be helped though, since you are just rookies who don't know anything. It makes me remember the old me," Kabuto said calmly.

"Kabuto-san, was it? Is this your second time then?" Sakura asked the older boy.

"No," he answered. "This is my seventh time," he told the group, shocking them. "This exam only takes place twice every year, and it's my fourth year."

"That means you know a lot about the exams then, right?" Sakura said with a happy face.

"Yes, I do," he replied with a smile.

"But you haven't passed it," Shikamaru pointed out.

Naruto nodded in agreement to his friend. "That means you failed during the first two exams each time. I've never seen you're name on the final roster," he said. "Should we be suprised if that doesn't happen again?"

Kabuto rubbed the back of his head because of embarrassment. "Yeah, that's true… We're all not like ninjas like the 'The Professor', 'The Crimson Leaf' or 'Itachi of the Sharingan' though hehe," he said.

Naruto narrowed his eyes on the teenager in front of him. There was some strange vibe to him. Naruto was almost certain that he was looking between him and Sasuke when he referenced both their brothers. Naruto could see something deceitful hiding behind Kabuto's eyes.

Something was off about him. Naruto didn't like it one bit. Warning lights were going off. 'This guy is strong.'

"Is the Chūnin exams that difficult? This is getting more troublesome," Shikamaru asked with a soured face.

"Maybe I should give my cute juniors some tips then with these information cards," Kabuto said.

"Information cards?" Sakura asked him, never hearing about them before.

"In simple terms, it's a card that has information burned into it with my chakra. I collected information on this exam for the last few years. There's nearly two hundred cards total. It looks white but to get the information from this card you need a little something special," Kabuto said.

"What are you doing?" Ino asked as she was watching the scene.

"It's made so that you can't view it without my chakra being flowed into it… like this," Kabuto said as he flowed chakra into the card. Smoke puffed out of the card, the map of the Mainland was revealed with more information on it.

"Wow, what information is that?" Sakura asked.

"The exam's total number of examinees and the countries that sent them. And it has the number of participants from each Hidden Village," Kabuto told them.

Naruto looked at the information closely. 'A hundred and fifty-three people huh? That's… Fifty-one teams if the maths is right ttebayo. And the Villages are Suna, Ame, Kusa, Taki, Konoha and what the hell is with that musical note...? A new Hidden Village?' Naruto thought, scanning the free information in front of him.

"Let me ask, why do you think we do the Chūnin exams together?" Kabuto asked but received nothing but silence. "First, it's to deepen the friendly relationships with the other countries. Next, it's to heighten the level of ninja. That is what the officials say," Kabuto said.

This gained Sasuke's attention. "This is what the officials say?" he asked.

"Yes, the real purpose is to confirm the level of the ninja in each adjacent country and to balance out the power," Kabuto said.

"Why do they go through such a troublesome task?" Shikamaru asked.

Kabuto swiped his hand over his card and the information vanished. "If they don't, the weak countries will be invaded and dominated by the strong ones. So, they need to check and restrain each other's power. It's just my guess though," he said while looking at Shikamaru. "It all sounds swell, but it never upholds for long. When something upsets the balance, all hell breaks loose. If you knew the history before the dawn of the Warring States, you would understand why."

Sasuke stepped forward. "Are there any cards that have any detailed personal information?" he asked.

"Yes," Kabuto simply replied. "Is there someone that interests you?"

"Yes," Sasuke answered. "Two people in fact."

"The information of this exam's participants is not perfect, but I've burned and saved them. They include the information of the nine of you as well," Kabuto said as he gathered the cards and stacked them. Tell me whatever you know about the people who interest you. And I'll look it up for you."

"Sabaku no Gaara of Suna, Rock Lee from Konoha," Sasuke told Kabuto.

"Oh, you know their names. This won't take long. Oh? Here we go," Kabuto said, looking at his cards.

"Sasuke, who the hell is this Gaara guy?" Naruto asked as he moved over to stand beside his friend. "Did you have a run-in?"

"Something like that. The guy gives off weird vibes, but I can tell, he's strong Naruto. Someone I want to fight. He should interest you as well. Rust hair, dead eyes and carries a gourd on his back," Sasuke said with intense eyes. "He's only our age but he was quiet as a Jōnin, like Kakashi. I need to find out more about him. You should too."

Kabuto placed the cards onto the floor, "Let's start with Rock Lee. He's one year older than you. He has done twenty D-rank missions and eleven C-rank missions. His sensei is Maito Gai. His taijutsu skills have improved dramatically but his other skills are terrible. He got everyone's attention last year as a skilled rookie Genin, but he didn't take the Chūnin exams. This is his first time taking them. Like you. He has two teammates, Hyuuga Neji and Tenten.

Now, let's see Gaara. He's done eight C-rank missions and… Wow. This is amazing. He did a B-rank mission as a Genin. He is a foreign ninja and it's his first time taking the exam, so I have very little information on him. However, it seems he has returned from all his missions unharmed," Kabuto said as he slid back his glasses.

The Genin were all surprised.

"He did a B-rank mission as a Genin and was unharmed?" Shikamaru said with shock. "What the hell!? That's insane. An experienced Chūnin would struggle to do something like that if the mission was full of fights."

"Just shows he's special," Naruto said. "But he's not the only one around here's whose special."

"This year, many talented Genin from the Hidden villages have come here to take the exam. There's a new village that has a team participating. Otogakure is a Hidden Village in a small country that was just recently made, so I don't have much information on them. Either way, all of them are powerful Hidden Villages," Kabuto said as he cleaned up his card deck.

"In other words, the examinees here are all…" Sakura said before being interrupted.

"Correct. It's not only Lee or Gaara. All the people here are the supposed top elite Genin chosen from each Hidden Village," Kabuto told the group.

Naruto started shaking with clenched fists, Sakura noticed and moved closer to him, "Naruto, there's no need to be scared."

When Naruto heard this, he laughed lightly. Everyone in the classroom saw him laughing, he was holding his stomach. "Excited more like! I just can't wait till these exams start," Naruto said loudly with a grin.

Naruto realised that everyone was glaring at him now, so he quieted down and looked at them all with his own glare. 'How dare they ruin my fun!' he thought sourly. 'If they're the top elite, then this is going to be a challenge. That, or this Kabuto guy is trying to scare us.'

Sasuke smiled at the comment, he was feeling the same.

In the back of the classroom, there was loud whispering.

"Did you hear that? He said that Otogakure is a minor village of a small country," an Oto nin in a yellow shirt said. "It stings my heart so much!"

"Ow, my feelings," The male Oto nin covered with bandages and his fur coat said. "The pain won't go away. I think I'm already crying in the corner."

"You two, stop messing around. Let's play with them," The female Oto nin said to her team.

"Shut the fuck up Kin you loud bitch. They spoke as if we were leftover ninja. Let's make him add this to his data. Oto ninja can be somewhat cruel," The bandaged covered Oto ninja said.

The Oto ninja ran through the crowd of Genin. Once they reached close enough the rookies, the Oto ninja in the yellow top jumped into the air and threw two kunai at Kabuto. Kabuto jumped back and skidded on the floor. The bandaged ninja was in front of him now, showing that it was all an orchestrated move.

The bandaged ninja clenched his right fist and swung at Kabuto. His fist aimed towards the face. The sleeve that covered his arm was pulled back to reveal a huge gauntlet that covered the bandaged ninja's entire forearm. The rookies were shocked that someone attacked Kabuto.

Kabuto dodged with ease. The punch was too easy to read in everyone's eyes.

CRACK!

Kabuto's glasses cracked, and little shards fell to the ground. Everyone in the room were watching the scene with interest. "I see, so that's the kind of attack it was," Kabuto said while he took off his glasses.

Sasuke walked up to him, "What's going on? You definitely dodged that," Sasuke said, he was shocked.

"It must have hit his nose. This is what happens for trying to look cool," Shikamaru said in an annoyed tone. "Loudmouth idiots. Reminds me of you in the past Naruto."

"Not right now Shikamaru. And it didn't touch him at all," Naruto said seriously. What the hell just happened!? 'Was it a wind enhanced punch? But I didn't feel any wind chakra whatsoever. What the hell was that?'

Kabuto fell to the ground and coughed up some blood. Everyone in the room were very confused apart from the Oto ninja. "You're not as good as I thought for a veteran. Yo, retard, why are you wearing glasses? Trying to look smart dumbass?" The bandaged Oto ninja asked.

"Write this on your damn card," The Oto ninja in the yellow shirt said. "The three from Otogakure will show what a real ninja is."

"QUIET DOWN YOU DAMN PUNKS!" a booming voice yelled. Everyone looked at the blackboard to see some smoke diffusing into the air. It revealed to be a hulking man wearing a bandanna forehead protector, his face was scarred. He wore a grey suit with a large black trench coat over it. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I am the head examiner of the first Chūnin exam. Morino Ibiki," he said in his loud deep voice.

The party was about to begin.

Jōnin Lounge

Strolling and taking his sweet time, Kotaro contemplated over recent events as he made his way towards the longue. He stopped once he saw Asuma and Kurenai enter his vision. Both were sitting beside each other close to the windows on the low couches.

Asuma waved at his friend once he saw Kotaro walk over and sit across from him. Kurenai nodded and stared at Kotaro.

"Lose your flak jacket?" she asked him, noticing that he only wore his black shinobi shirt and trousers.

Kotaro laughed whilst shaking his head. "The weather is a bit too warm to be wearing that old thing. I'd love to go to the waterfall and have a splash around. You guys want to join?" he offered with a smile.

Asuma blew out smoke and narrowed his eyes on his friend. "Our students are taking their Chūnin exams. Naruto is taking his and you want to have fun in the waters!? Shouldn't you be even a little bit nervous?" he asked.

"Why should I be nervous if I know what the results are going to be? There's no point worrying. Naruto will pass," Kotaro said with confidence. "What's with you Asuma? You're supposed to be the most relaxed."

"Sorry," Asuma said in a quick response. "Kurenai and I were talking and we got onto some heavy stuff."

"Heavy stuff? What the hell does that mean?"

Kurenai then coughed, making Kotaro turn his eyes to her. "My team and I had trouble on our last mission. It did not go smoothly."

"And I was trying to comfort her, don't you see Kotaro?" Asuma interjected.

'Comfort her? Yeah, that was plain as day Asuma. You just want her to suck your... Nevermind.'

Kotaro sighed and leaned back. "I know the feeling. If only everyone mission can be as easy as picking flowers," he said with a wry smile. It soon mellowed. "What happened Kurenai?"

Kurenai leaned back to make herself more comfortable, crossing her arms over chest.

"We were in the fields putside of Konoha. We were picking wild berries as one of our missions. Of course I hated those kind of missions, so I didn't put much thought into my actions. Shino, Kiba and Hinata were talking and getting along. It was nice close to our evening. But then it all went downhill."

"Something happened," Kotaro said. "Something to mess the peace."

"You're right Kotaro-san. There was trade of sorts about a stone's throw away from Kiba and Akamaru. Blood rushed to his brain and he rushed in to fight the group. It turned out they were all former ninja from minor villages. We were far away from the village, and at that moment, we were so far that nefarious trades happened right under our noses."

"What happened to the kid? He obviously got out ok if he's doing the exams now."

Kurenai nodded. "Hinata and Shino came to their side and tried to help out. However, Hinata got caught between two of the former ninja. She quickly was put down to the ground with a knife to her throat. Shino's bug ninjutsu was nullified by one of the enemy. She was quite skilled with fire ninjutsu. Kiba had to dodge and dodge. There was no hope for them."

"Wow, imagine if you weren't there," Asuma said. "They would have died."

Kotaro nodded in agreeement. "Thankfully they have someone skilled to take care of their asses."

Kurenai sighed heavily. "I was able to scare off the bandits. They were dealing something called Honey Rocks, I never heard of them before."

"It's a new form drug used for recreation, you smoke or snort it. A shady fellow offered me some when I was waiting for someone, but they called it 'crack'. All I know that it's made in the Land of Honey," Kotaro interjected.

"How do you know all this?" Asuma had to ask. "Any question about narcotics and you just know nearly everything about it."

Kotaro shrugged and wagged his finger. "I keep my sources secret. However Asuma, I'd advice you on one thing. Don't make the same mistake as I did and get something like this," he said as he showed a small gold coin with a club suit symbol on it before putting it away. "Once you're in, it's nearly impossible to get out."

Kurenai shook her head and continued on. "Even though I gave them harsher training leading up for this day, they haven't learnt from their mistakes. I'm afraid that it will happen again."

"And yet you sent them in anyway. Mixed messages are annoying Kurenai," Kotaro said with narrowed eyes. "If they don't do well this time, they can always try in six months."

"Kotaro, you shouldn't be saying stuff like that," Asuma spat out. "You don't have a team. They're like little siblings to us."

"So Asuma? It's the truth. If they fail, then they'll learn and grow stronger. It is the natural way of life. Or else they perish. Kurenai will see their weaknesses again, and her students will see how much it is affecting her, themselves and their teammates. What she did was right. We've all been there."

Kurenai nodded. Tilting her head, she looked at Kotaro with curious eyes.

"What are Naruto-kun's weaknesses?" she asked directly.

The conversaton turned silent. It didn't last long until a new guest came.

"What are you guys talking about?" Kakashi asked as he moved over and sat beside Kotaro, lounging back.

Kotaro moved his heaed to Kakashi before moving it back to Kurenai, leaning in and then whispering. "He lets his morals and emotions sway his judgement. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. But in the end of the day, he is going to kill himself for some greater reason and that scares me more than anything else in the world."

Kurenai sat there with shock. The answer was chilling. It was brutal honesty. She knew for a fact that Kotaro didn't lie, there was no hidden meaning behind his words.

"Kakashi, why'd you come to us? I thought you'd be reading your porn," Asuma said loudly, so the whole room could hear.

"Now that my cute little Genin are gone, it sure is boring," Kakashi droned out, not caring for the stares from the other Jōnin.

"We'll get busy soon enough," Asuma said sitting down on a couch, smoking his cigarette.

Kakashi turned to see Asuma. His eye's were dull from boredom. Kakashi could tell. "Really? Why do you say that?"

"This year's first examiner is Morino Ibiki," Asuma said. Asuma then butted out his cigarette on the ash tray. He took out a new one and lit it. "Kotaro, Naruto ain't going to have a smooth ride either."

Kakashi yawned. "It seems that they're going to have more trouble than I thought."

"Ibiki? That crazy bastard is doing the first exam. I hope the kiddies don't freak out with him," Kotaro said, picking out dirt from his nails. "Naruto will be fine Asuma. Wanna bet on it?"

Kakashi leaned forward on his seat. "I'd put money on that as well. But I wonder why the sadist chose to do the first exam anyway? He only did once before years ago."

"Sadist?" Kurenai asked. "Is he really that bad?"

"Kurenai," Asuma said, gaining her attention. "You're still a rookie Jōnin, so it's no wonder if you don't know yet."

"I've only heard a little about him," Kurenai asked, now interested. "What is he?"

"A pro," Kakashi answered vaguely.

"A pro? A pro at what?" Kurenai asked.

"A pro at fucking your mind Kurenai. I wouldn't be surprised if your Genin are crapping themselves after he said just a few words," Kotaro told her with a laugh.

Asuma laughed at Kotaro's words, he then looked at Kurenai. "Ibiki is a special man. He's a pro at torture and interrogation," he told her, getting a gasp from Kurenai. "Although there will be no physical torturing in the exams, thank God. Like what Kotaro said, I'm sure the our Genin are feeling some mental stress through his interrogation skills."

"If you didn't know Kurenai," Kotaro said, sitting up-right. "He's the best of the best. He is Konoha's ANBU's torture and interrogation squad leader, a man licensed to fuck you up mentally and physically.

Capital of Fire, Underground Society

The sun was shining. Deep within the city, there was a grand building. The furniture was lavish. Aged sake and high-quality cuisine was on the table. A pair of delicate hands handled the food with chopsticks.

There was a knock from outside the room.

"Come in," a feminine but stern voice said.

The door slid open. A man wearing a civilian attire bowed from the entrance.

"What is it Yuuto? Why disturb me while I'm eating lunch?" the woman asked. She flicked her ponytail. The long, white hair radiated with the sun. Her blue eyes were deep and cold.

"The High Courts have new gold coins in circulation. One ounce coins made from solid gold with the print of a love heart on it. Of course the Four King's symbols on the other side. Also Hearts-sama, please forgive me, but we have confirmation that the Konoha Chūnin exams will commence soon, like you asked for. Will you want to attend the finals?" Yuuto asked.

Hearts, the female crime lord, a "King", and information broker residing in the Land of Fire tapped her chin. A very mysterious and beautiful woman. Known to kill in an instant and torture for an eternity. She grinned like a child.

"Of course! And there's a certain someone I want to meet again. But… I don't know if he'll want to see me there," she said. There was pout on her face. She was truly thinking about it. "Thank you for telling me about the gold coins."

"A certain someone? Who would that be?" Yuuto asked.

"A certain Redhead. And Yuuto, just because you're my second-in-command, don't you think you get to know all about my personal life," Hearts said with furrowed brows.

Yuuto sighs. His leader was moody at the moment. "Of course, Hearts-sama. I will organise the tickets and accommodation as soon as possible."

Hearts smiled deeply. "Good, I can't wait! A month's time huh…"

Unknown Location

"Now, about the Kyūbi and its Jinchūriki. What do we know?" a deep voice asked. A hologram image stood on a stone finger. The voice was deep. Purple rippled eyes scanned the surroundings.

"He is the second youngest host. It is dated information, but we know that the host has been held-back, and the village scorned him. No evidence of actual abuse, which is uncertain, only complete neglect. This can suggest a Jinchūriki with low intelligence and skill," a woman with blue hair said. Her appearance was also in the form of a hologram.

"Leader-sama. The Jinchūriki may have low skill but my former… comrades are dangerous. It would be unwise to go in without a plan," a man with swirling red eyes said.

"Ah come on. There's two of them in the same village. Let's go in and slaughter them all!" a crazed man said.

"Shut up Hidan! Idiots should have no say in these discussions," a man with red and green eyes said. His voice was deep.

"Ah! Shut up you shit! Jeez, I hate you so fucking much!"

"Hidan! Kakuzu! Quiet! This is not the time to act like children. Thank you, Konan, Itachi. With the Chūnin exams, the Jōnin and Chūnin will stay in the village. The Ichibi Jinchūriki is already in Konoha. This is too dangerous of a situation to try to retrieve either. Only I would succeed. However, it is too early for me to be known. Kisame, Itachi."

"Yes Leader-sama," both men answered.

"After the exams. Go to Konoha and retrieve the Kyūbi. He is essential to our plan and the village is doing us a great favour by hampering the Jinchūriki's skill," the leader ordered.

"Of course, Leader-sama."

"The hologramed leader hummed. "Our plan will finally begin. It is time this world has to change, it is dirty. This world is wrong."

~ 0 ~

The wheels of time are turning, what will we see in the future?