Yeah, I know I said I'll be updating once a week. Sorry for the delay, but I had some trouble with my PC and basically, not only this but also my own fics are delayed because of this. But I managed to finish this chapter just today and so I upload it.

I didn't spot any questions in your reviews from last time, so I guess the only thing left for me to do is to get on with it:

Chapter #24: Old Rivals

Title Page: Naruto is standing back to back with Sasuke

"Hey, did you guys heard?" asked the girl with medium-length, messy, brown hair, clipped in a ponytail, hazel eyes and red, fang tattoos on her cheeks. She was wearing a blue t-shirt, grey pants and wore her hitae-ate with a Leaf symbol on her forehead. There was also a grey-furred dog walking near her feet. "Looks like this year rookies will enter the exams…"

"You gotta be kidding…" announced the boy, who was laying on a tree branch. He had hazel eyes and medium-length, black hair, made into dreadlocks. He was wearing a green smock with a black kanji symbol for 'tiger' on its back. He wore a little baggy, black pants and had his headband on his forehead, just like the girl. "How can anyone send kids on a men's challenge?"

"You're really mean…" stated a boy with spiky, gelled up, blonde hair with two braids falling on his face and blue eyes. He was wearing a white t-shirt with black waistcoat on that and black and white pants. His wrists were wrapped in bandages and he wore his forehead protector around his left arm. As he said so, he threw his kunai at a training dummy attached to the tree branch the dreadlocks was laying on. It hit the dummy's head perfectly. "If they were recommended, it means their jounin instructors think they're ready to become chuunin…"

"Brats are brats…" replied the dreadlocks, jumping down from the branch and flipped few times before landing on his feet. "Even if they are exceptional… do you really suppose they'll present any danger to us? I'd love to take them all by myself…"

"Either way…" began the girl, smiling widely. "I can't wait for that exam to begin…" and with this she began spinning and flew straight towards the training dummy, ripping it to pieces once her attack connected with it.

---The next day---

Urusai and his teammates walked through the hallways of the Ninja Academy. As the daughter of Kakashi looked around, she noticed tens of shinobi gathered and waiting for the exams to start. There were ninjas from every village, allied to the Leaf: Suna, Kusa, Ame, Bakufu as well as Yama, Oto and Kiri.

"What classroom was it again?" asked the blonde confused as he looked around.

"301!" yelled Ayame, landing a hit on the back of her teammates head. "Can't you read! It's written in that application form Naruto-sensei gave us! How do you expect to become a chuunin with that tiny brain of yours!"

"So, you guys are Uzumaki Naruto's subordinates?" the three of them heard a voice and as they turned in the direction it came from, they saw a team of a year older leaf-nins standing in front of them. The one out front was a boy with black hair made into dreadlocks, wearing a green smock. "Sasuke-sensei told us to watch out for you guys, to be honest I'm not sure what he meant… you guys are rather weak…"

"Dammit, another one!" yelled Urusai as he charged straight at the dreadlocks. "Just wait, I'm gonna kick your ass sooner then you can say 'ouch'!" and with that he threw a punch at the boys face, only to see his opponent spin on his foot and avoiding being hit.

With a confident smile still showing on his face, the older leaf-nin came to a stop as he found himself standing back to back with the blonde and landed an elbow in the boy's back. Urusai lost his balance and felt to the floor with his face down.

"That's why I said kids shouldn't be allowed into a men's challenge…" announced the dreadlocks with a smirk and as he looked at the blonde's teammates, he noticed Jun charging straight at him, aiming a kick at his face.

In an instant the older gennin bended over and grabbed Jun's leg from below, thus keeping it above the ground. The young Hanayaka only smirked as he lifted his other foot too and aimed a kick in the dreadlock's face again.

This time the older gennin's face shown surprise as he let go of his opponent's leg and jumped into the air, bouncing from the floor with his free hand to give him a great force. Sasuke's pupil somersaulted once and landed on his feet right next to his two teammates.

"That brat…" he thought to himself with a small smile. "He's pretty good…" and with that his smile widen. "Nice… I guess I'll have to be a little more serious with you…" and so he prepared himself to jump right at Jun, only to be stopped by his teammate, who placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Kyoudai-kun, please stop…" asked the blonde boy with his hair gelled up. "You should save your strength for the exams… and besides, fighting the participants outside the exams can make us disqualified…"

"Waste my strength?" responded the dreadlocks with a smirk. "Do you really suppose those brats can even make me draw a sweat?" and with that he pointed at Urusai and Jun who were now standing next to each other with Ayame a little behind.

"Just leave it…" advised the girl with red tattoos on her cheeks. "You know Dajaku don't approve fighting when it's not necessary… besides, it's like you said, those kids aren't really a treat to us…"

"You shouldn't underestimate us…" announced Urusai. "Don't think we shown you what we can really do… if you won't take us seriously, you'll regret it…"

"You don't get the situation, brat…" announced the dreadlocks, Kyoudai. "The ones who didn't revealed their thumb cards here… are us… and further more, let me tell you that our sensei is an old time rival of yours… I guess those exams are another chance for them to compete… you know, to see whose subordinates are stronger… and right now I can tell that Sasuke-sensei wins by a mile…" and so he turned around to his teammates. "Lets go…"

"Uh, I'm so scared…" joked the loud mouth, pretending to be frightened. "Remember this: I, Kodawari Urusai, will be the one to kick your ass during this exam!"

The dreadlocks stopped in his tracks and smiled widely while turning back to the blonde. "It's a deal then… I'll see you during the exams…" and so he walked away with his female companion.

The blonde with gelled up hair glanced after his teammates and then spoke to the three, young gennin: "Please forgive Kyoudai… he tends to be very impulsive… my name is Fuujiru Dajaku and I hope we'll be able to become friends…" and with that he held out his hand.

Urusai hesitated for a moment, but then grabbed the other blonde's hand and shook it: "Sounds like a plan… but what is it with your teammates? They're acting like a bunch of… well, you know…"

"Kyoudai is pretty confident, considering he was the top of his class when he was leaving the Academy…" replied Dajaku with a little sad voice. "And Hige is the heir of the Inuzuka clan, so she believes she's the queen of the world… but they're not so bad once you get to know them… and don't worry about the thing Kyoudai said…"

"I'm not worried…" announced Urusai. "I'm the guy that's gonna become Hokage, how would it look like if I'd allow someone like that to defeat me?" and with that he smiled widely to the older gennin.

"I see…" announced the gelled up blonde, returning the smile. "Good luck during the exams then…" and so he followed his teammates. "I guess he's that Dead Last this year… I wonder how far can the two of us get…"

---Meanwhile, somewhere else in the Leaf---

"Chill out, dope…" whined Sasuke as he glared at Naruto, who was standing right in front of him. "We're currently tied at 50 wins each… can't you leave it at that? And don't even try that old 'you're scared' crap, coz it won't work on me this time…"

"Come on, you can't seriously be satisfied with having a tie!" stated the blonde jounin with an evil smile. "A quick game of 'rock, paper, scissors'… this should do just fine…"

"I have other business, pinhead…" began the raven-haired, but they both froze as a mysterious, hooded figure walked right next to them. The two jounin glared at the man and then exchanged glances with each other. "You felt that?"

"Of course…" replied Naruto. "What's with that guys chakra?"

"I do not know…" admitted Sasuke. "But one thing is certain… it ain't human…"

---Back to Urusai and his teammates---

"Those Chuunin Exams sure gather strange people…" concluded Ayame as walked the same way the older gennin did just a while ago. "And they seem strong too… this exam… isn't gonna be as easy as I first thought it would…"

"First that Kaguya guy and now the dreadlocks…" Jun thought to himself. "A lot of strong people gonna participate in that exam… this should be fun…"

"I wonder how everyone will celebrate me getting the chuunin title?" was the only thought that entered Urusai's mind at that time. As the three of them finally reached the door leading to the classroom they were looking for, Jun and him opened them and the three slowly walked inside. "And so it begins…" the blonde thought to himself with a smile.

And so this chapter is finished. Hope you enjoyed it. I'll try to make the next one till Tuesday.

No character profile this time, but starting the next there will be one per chapter, so if you want any of the OC to appear in it, just tell me and I'll place his/hers profile ASAP.

Best wishes and until next time.