Yup, it's me again! Here to bring you the latest chapter of "Naruto: Beyond"! To start of, I want to thank everyone who reviewed the previous chapter! It means a lot!

Also, starting next chapter, Drak will be responsible for this fic (mostly updating… I gave him pointers on what to write in every chapter… few, later chappies I wrote myself, but the next one isn't ready yet) so all questions will go to him… he'll answer your questions to an extend (depending how much I told him).

And with that said, I believe all that's left to do is get on with it:

Chapter #22: Storm Clouds Gather

Chapter Cover: Naruto is playing with a fox

"Yeah, who's the best? Who's the best?" Urusai yelled in excitement and he jumped up and down, with sparkles in his eyes.

"You… didn't even do anything on today's mission" reminded Jun, taking a quick stare at his blonde teammate.

"Jun does have a point…" nodded Naruto, walking behind his subordinates.

"What are you talking about?" yelled the blonde gennin, turning around. "Everyone knows I rock! Tell them, Ayame-chan…" and with that he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't touch me…" ordered Hokage's daughter.

Instantly Urusai backed away in fear as he saw Ayame's eye twitched. Naruto just sighed at the sight and looked into the sky. It was then that he spotted a small, brown-feathered bird flying right above him.

"Could that be…?" he thought to himself and then turned to his students: "I need to go now. You guys have the rest of the day off…" and with that he was gone.

"Huh? What was that all about?" asked Urusai confused.

Jun just looked into the sky to see a certain, brown-feathered bird flying away.

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"I guess you all are wondering why I've gathered you here…" noticed Kakashi as he looked around the room. "I have a special announcement to make…"

"It's about the Chuunin Selection Exam, right?" asked Naruto from the crowd.

"Yes…" nodded the Rokudaime. "It'll start a week from today…"

"Were the lords of other villages informed?" asked Iruka.

"Yes… from what I've heard, few foreigners are already in the village… this year, except Konoha, shinobi from the Suna, Kusa, Ame, Bakufu, Yama will be visiting our village. With the new alliance with the Hidden Mist, the Mizukage announce he'll send few teams too…"

"Since the Kiri teams will enter the exam, it'll become more difficult…" noticed Iruka. "They are one of the Great Villages after all… but what troubles me is…"

"Oto will also participate…" Kakashi interrupted him shortly.

"I've heard that the Leaf signed peace with the Sound…" began Naruto. "But is it really wise to allow their teams into the Chuunin Exam again so soon? The other, allied lords may not be pleased… Oto Gakure was their enemy as well…"

"I only allowed one team from the Sound to participate in this year's exam… if nothing happens, then I'll think about allowing more Oto teams into the Exam…" explained the Rokudaime. "If I wouldn't allow that, Orochimaru's anger against Konoha might bloom again. Besides, what's done is done. The sound-nins are already here. I think we should rather think about Konoha's young talents. Now, first we'll hear from those who're watching over the rookie gennins…"

Hearing that Naruto stepped forward along with two, other jounins. The first to his right was a woman his age with short, black hair, who wore her forehead protector across her neck. She was wearing a yellow t-shirt with black stripes and short, black pants with a shuriken hostel on her right leg. But what really caught Naruto's attention were her totally white eyes.

More to his right walked a man with long, black hair, clipped in a ponytail that made his head look like a pineapple. He wore a black fishnet shirt and a green waistcoat on it. He had black eyes and three golden earrings in his left ear. He wore his forehead protector on his right arm.

"A yes…" nodded Kakashi, as he observed the three that walked forwards. "Well, are there any gennins in your teams that you'd like to enter into this year's Chuunin Selection Exam? You know the rules, so let's just get this over with. Naruto, you go first…"

"The Naruto led team 7: Hanayaka Jun, Hatake Ayame, Kodawari Urusai… under the name of Uzumaki Naruto I nominate them to take the Chuunin Selection Exam…"

"The Hinata led team 8:…" began the woman. "Aburame Kumo, Emimaru Hinako, Hashira Hisaki… under the name of Hyuuga Hinata I too nominate them to take the Chuunin Selection Exam…"

"The Shikamaru led team 10:…" said the last of the three. "Akimichi Choumura, Hyuuga Isseki, Uchiha Homura… under the name of Nara Shikamaru, the same as to my left."

"All of them?" Kakashi raised his eyebrow. "I know you guys took the exam when you were still just brats, but your students…"

"I believe in them…" announced Hinata confidentially. "From all the people gathered here, I know their abilities the best. They're ready…"

"Kakashi-sama, they're the ones who'll face the consequences if their students will do poor, won't they?" asked a raven-haired man with black eyes, wearing a black t-shirt and white pants. "And they seem confident in their subordinate's abilities. I think we should allow the rookies to participate in the exam. After all, the time we took it, Shikamaru who was still a rookie, was the only one to pass it…"

"I know that, Sasuke…" replied the Rokudaime, looking at the brunette. "And even if I wanted to I can't force them to withdraw their students from the exam. But don't forget that just because you guys were above a typical gennin level, it doesn't have to mean your students reached it as well…"

"Only exam itself will tell…" announced Shikamaru with a sleepy voice.

"Looks like you guys won't change your mind…" sighed Kakashi. "Very well, you may leave. Now we'll hear the jounin instructors of other teams…"

But before Naruto left the room, Sasuke grabbed him by the arm and whispered in his ear: "My students will take the exam this year too… Hope yours are well prepared, because if they're not, my subordinates will wipe the floor with them…"

"We'll see…" replied Naruto with a smile. "Good luck to your kids."

"Yeah, send my best wishes to your brats as well, dope…" responded Sasuke with a smirk on his face. "Hope they won't fail at the first test…"

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"So, you're here for the Exam, eh?" asked the guard at Konoha gates, checking out the pass the sand-nin gave him.

"More or less…" replied a tall woman with a Suna forehead protector across her neck, with long, blonde hair clipped into four ponytails, wearing a light purple dress and carrying a huge fan on her back.

"Temari-sensei…" interrupted a young girl with long, brown hair clipped in a ponytail, wearing a tight, black dress and carrying two, big (A/N: not as big as Temari's though) fans on her back. "… aren't we a bit too early?"

"A bit, Nibai…" nodded the older kunoichi. "But there's someone I'd like to see before the exam begins… Besides, Kankuro's team should be here soon as well…"

Once she finished her sentence a boy with short, spiky, blonde hair and green eyes, wearing a black jet robe and a huge gourd on his back turned around just to spot four figures getting closer to the gate: "I think they're already here…" he announced shortly.

The boy that stood right next to him, with medium-length, black hair, wearing a green and black clothes turn around and nodded: "Kai's right…"

A moment later another quartet from the Hidden Sand arrived at the gates.

The leader of the team was a man dressed completely black, with purple tattoos on his face, carrying four, large scrolls on his back.

The one who arrived right after him was a small boy with red, spiky hair and green eyes, wearing a black shirt with short sleeves and red and black pants. He also had a red waistcoat on top of the t-shirt.

The other two, who arrived short after were a boy and a girl.

The girl had short, messy brown hair, hazel eyes and was wearing a sleeveless, brown shirt and a brown miniskirt. On her feet the guard spotted long, brown boots. She also carried a huge scroll on her back.

The boy was tall and had blue hair. On his left cheek the guard spotted a fang-like, red tattoo. He was wearing a white t-shirt and long, white pants. Also he carried two, large scrolls on his back.

"You're late… Kankuro" announced the female jounin.

"Let it go, sis…" begged the guy with purple tattoos. "We were… kept by something. Anyways…" with this he turned to the guard. "… we're the team from the Suna. Team led Kankuro: Chisoku, Hagetaka and Kugutsu."

"It figures you lost the race, Chisoku…" announced the one called Kai.

"Nobody asked you…" replied the redhead coldly. "Besides I see no point in showing of in front of you before the exam actually starts…"

"Stop it you two!" ordered the blue haired kid. "We're not here to fight each other! We're here to become chuunin!"

"Kugutsu's right…" nodded the girl with the scroll. "So quit your rivalry for now…"

"Kankuro, may I leave my subordinates under your care?" Temari asked her brother.

The puppeteer only smiled under his nose and replied: "Go, I'll take care of everything…"

"Thanks…" and with that she was gone.

"Where did Temari-sensei took of too?" asked the girl called Nibai.

"She wants to met… any old friend…" responded Kankuro with a smile. "But you shouldn't be worrying about her right now. You have an exam to pass…" and with that the seven sand-nins entered Konoha.

And so this chapter ends. Hope you liked it.

No jutsus this time around, but quite a few characters are coming soon (one team was made by Drak) and with them character profiles I prepared. I believe that's all.

Thanks for dropping by.

Cya.